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#we have super competitive prices

casdeans-pie · 1 year

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Welcome to my Blog Café!

Hi I'm Pie, I tag consistently ☆

My main: @izupie My AO3: FeatheredKisses

♡.... Castiel (but I love Dean and Sam too)

♡.... Angel Lore Headcanons, Angel Wings, Actor Posting (I want whatever Jensen and Misha have), Con Stuff.

♡.... Destiel, Samwena

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➤➤➤Specialty Menu :

*Click the flavours to see them wiggle!

➤Laz Rising .. (holy water and grave dirt)

➤Trueform Chai ..... (cinnamon and static)

➤Gripped Me Tight ... (caramel and tears)

➤Angel B Gone ....... (chilli and blood)

➤Sleeby Angel ....... (honey and ozone)

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➤➤➤Limited Edition:

*As seen on the Twitter page of @mishacollins

➤Gotham Knights ..... (salted caramel)

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sirfrogsworth · 4 months

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Mom's Antiques Auction

I wasn't sure if I should post this or not, but we are trying to auction off a lot of my mom's antiques. This particular auction isn't being held at my house, so I figured it was safe to post here.

The auction will be live until 2/13/24 with a "soft close" starting at 7pm Central. That's when items will be sold a few at a time as people place their final bids. It's just like a live auction without a fast talking fella in a cowboy hat. If you try to bid at the last second, that extends the time by 60 seconds so someone else can try to outbid. It's actually kind of exciting to watch.

If you are in the St. Louis area, you can pick up items at the auction place the day after the auction ends. If you miss the pickup window you forfeit the item. Auction rules are no joke.

Otherwise, they can do shipping but I don't know if they do anything outside the US. You can check out the shipping info and call for more details.

This auction is actually for multiple estates. So not all of these items belonged to my mom. Her stuff is from Lot 406 to 660 and in the furniture section at the end from Lot 978 to 999. The link above should take you to the start of her collection (page 17).

There are some really cool uranium glass items—including this knife.

I had no idea that was in the display cabinet. I might have kept it if I had known, but I'm hoping people will think it is super cool and it will go for a good price.

I know that website looks like it is from the 90s, but everything is legit. We already did one auction and it went very well and everyone got what they paid for.

On a personal note, it was surreal watching them remove everything that had surrounded me for all of my life. I know it was too much for me to maintain and take care of, but nearly every one of these antiques has a memory attached to it. Most of the items will go to the auction fandom—which I had no idea existed. Pro auction people sell to hobbyists. Big auctions turn into little auctions. It's like an auction feedback loop where each auction hobbyist thinks they can flip the item for a little more money. They even have little auction meetups to show off things they got for a steal because one auction person didn't know the value of something. It's quite competitive and they like telling auction stories (whether you are interested or not).

All that is to say, I know not everything is going to a home where someone will take over custodianship of the cool things my mom collected. But it would be neat if some folks outside the auction fandom got some of her precious wares.

Hopefully with the money raised I can restore my emergency fund, which lasted all of a month after the last auction due to a busted battery and leaky-ass tires. Also, there will probably be a few more auctions after this as my mom collected antiques for nearly 40 years.

Speaking of asses, this golfing piggy bank game does not work very well (I could never get the coin in the hole), but I only ever saw it displayed from the other side and never realize all the junk in that trunk.

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popopretty · 1 year

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BSD Chapter 107

"In the Narrow Room" - Part 3.1

We got a rather long chapter this month and the plot is progressing! Asagiri is always so unpredictable and I love it so much.

Please note that I don't speak English nor Japanese as a native language and I am also super excited about the chapter so I may make mistakes here and there. Please have mercy on me ;_;

SPOILERS AHEAD

After hearing Teruko talk about the true purpose of The Decays of Angel, Atsushi's head becomes confused with all the thoughts of what is right or wrong. He wishes someone could answer all of his questions. He remembers how Dazai used to show up in his thought when he struggles, and wonder why this time he cannot hear Dazai's voice anymore.

He stops at the foot of the tower and notices Aya and Bram there. He tries to go and rescue them, but it turns out to be a trap, with Akutaga jumps out to attack him.

Sigma is finding his way in the prison after escaping from the elevator. He thinks about what happened. He remembers Dazai checking the elevator before getting on it, and realizes that Dazai already knew the elevator was dangerous from the beginning, and he probably just got on it because it is what needs to be done to save the Agency. Sigma also recalls Dazai's expression underwater, he wonders if its the face when Dazai realized that the elevator was going to fall, and that's why Dazai acted the way he did. Sigma wants to run away by himself because he thinks an ordinary person like him cannot do anything. He then found a paper on the floor. It is written in Russian, that says "Save me" (Notes: The original text is just "Please save", it is not clear who it is telling him to save)

Back to Atsushi and Akutagawa. Atsushi still doesn't understand what is happening. He tries to fight back and realizes that Akutagawa is not using his ability to guard himself. Akutagawa instead sucks the blood from his own hand to heal his wound. He doesn't try to cover himself because he can regenerate like that, and it means unless Atsushi kills him, there will be no way to stop him. Atsushi tries to tell him to stop, hoping his consciousness is still there, and that he still wants to ask Akutagawa why he saved his life that time.

In Mersault, Dazai is seen dragging himself and leaning against the wall, covered in blood with his legs broken. He looks up to the surveillance camera and tells Fyodor to put an end to his pain cuz it hurts so bad. Fyodor gladly accepts and sends Chuuya to finish him. Suddenly Sigma enters the room and shoots Fyodor in the shoulder, telling him to stop attacking Dazai. Sigma says he is there cuz he has promised Dazai to touch Fyodor to read his scheme in the airport. Fyodor asks why Sigma has to keep the promise with Dazai, which surprises Sigma himself. Fyodor then proceeds to say that Dazai has manipulated Sigma the whole time, and that normally Sigma is not that kind of a reckless person. He explains that at first, Sigma only wanted a "home" so he would not get used by anyone. But after watching Dazai, Sigma has come to realize that a lonely "home" is not enough. He has started to want not a place, but trust, a relationship where people rely on others without borrowing or trading anything. In other words, he has started to want to become a member of the ADA. Yet, Fyodor adds, it is not Sigma's own thought, but the trick Dazai uses to tamper with his heart.

Sigma thinks back of what Dazai has told him, and still decides to point the gun at Fyodor. Because even if it is a trick, Dazai has paid a big price for it, and accepting a customer's bet is the casino's way. He says he knows Fyodor is trying to manipulate him too, to cause distrust towards Dazai and makes him drop the gun. Sigma then adds that Dazai has won this manipulating competition.

According to the fact that Fyodor has to try to talk him into lower the gun, Sigma concludes that he has no other backup. He tells Fyodor he is going to touch him and read his information, but before that he wants Fyodor to tell him what his ability is, cuz its dangerous to touch someone whose ability might be activated by contact. In the last frame, Sigma changes the question from "What is your ability" to "What the hell are you?"

The chapter ends here. Next chapter will be out on June 2, 2023 (Japan time). Thank you for reading till the end!

#bsd #bungou stray dogs #bsd spoilers #dazai osamu #fyodor dostoevsky #sigma #spoilers #summary

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silverflqmes · 3 months

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໒⦂ 𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐄’𝐒 𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐇𝐂𝐒.

synopsis. valentine’s day ( haikyuu version ). ever wonder how the haikyuu boys would spend the so called romantic holiday with you?

genre. fluff + crack

for @melukonova , @hearts4yuji / @kozuwhore , @reawakened-goddess , @diorlumx <3

ft. tooru oikawa, hajime iwaizumi, kotaro bokuto, daichi sawamura, koshi sugawara

gender neutral! reader.

➫ 𝓞𝗜𝗞𝗔𝗪𝗔 𝓣𝗢𝗢𝗥𝗨 ୨୧ ˎˊ˗

⌗ oh you’re getting spoiled, that’s for certain. he’s got plans that involve chocolate, flowers, and a very cute plushie of himself<3

⌗ lots of kawa hugs and hand holding!! i stand firmly w the fact that he gives the absolute best hugs cuz he’s just so cuddly and sweet aaaa❤️

⌗ “happy valentine’s day my love~ today you get all of my affections for the price of your own!”

⌗ for a surprise date, he would take you out to a botanical garden and tell you the meanings of each flower that further conveys his love for you. isn’t he the sweetest? YES HE IS SHUT THE FUCK UP BC TOORU IS THE SOFTEST MOST INNOCENT BOYFRIEND EVER🙁❤️ but like i mean when he’s antagonistic i mean🤭 ANYWAY-

⌗ ahem, furthermore i believe pocky will make an appearance, maybe strawberry flavor!! and he will share his box with you.

⌗ finally down to the last stick, he would look at you with a smirk before letting out the most exasperated sigh.

⌗ “oh no, oh no y/n-chan.. there’s only one stick left! what other choice do we have but to share.. care to make it a competition, hm?”

⌗ he won. no further explanations needed.

➫ 𝓘𝗪𝗔𝗜𝗭𝗨𝗠𝗜 𝓗𝗔𝗝𝗜𝗠𝗘 ୨୧ ˎˊ˗

⌗ ah, iwa-chan.. the poor thing had to go to his dearest best friend a week beforehand for advice.. a tragedy, truly.

⌗ after a few threats to give his friend another injury to worry about, however, the wing spiker received all the necessary information and ideas required to execute valentine’s day to perfection for you!

⌗ hajime opted for a rather simple approach to valentine’s day that started with a letter he would hand to you. a formal invite to his home with an rsvp thing there as a joke LMAO he’s so silly

⌗ his cheeks were burning with red, a pout evident on his visage as his brows knitted together — something you found completely and utterly adorable as he asked you to read his note.

⌗ it was a heart clenching sight as you opened up a cute nintendo themed card that had happy valentine’s day written with a few silly video game puns. and just like that, his plans were revealed to be a date at home with the wii and any video games of your choice, since you liked them so much.

⌗ it was needless to say, that despite being rather decent in video games, especially mario related ones that he grew up on.. his skills dropped BELOW noob level because all he could focus on was you.

⌗ you just looked so happy playing, and the twinkle in your eyes made it impossible not to stare.

⌗ for each time that you whined at his lack of awareness, he would just laugh and say it was too hard to focus when your smile was right beside him. something he would much rather look at.

➫ 𝓑𝗢𝗞𝗨𝗧𝗢 𝓚𝗢𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗢 ୨୧ ˎˊ˗

⌗ his valentine’s day wishes for you was over the top, on behalf of the fukurodani volleyball club wishing you with cute posters once you’d arrived at the gym that day to see your boyfriend — who was acting weird all day because he wanted to tell you so badly..

⌗ his plans for today were to take you to a trampoline park! it just sounds super fun and he wants to show off a little.. but he ends up losing dodge ball to some kids😭

⌗ bokuto emo mode ensues.. but then he remembers you’re there and brightens right up again LMAO he’s so simple when it comes to you fr

⌗ took you to a bakery afterwards to get you your favorite desserts — and because he might have wanted some too.. come on, he can’t help it when they just looked so so good!

⌗ on the way home, you guys petted some kitties along the way and even commented that some resembled your friends back at nekoma high

⌗ he gifted you a light and dark gray owl plushie holding a rose as your gift and as a reminder of him always being there for you!!

⌗ “there you go, y/n-chan! now you’ll always have me with you and when you’re feeling down, just look at plush!”

⌗ valentine’s day ended off that night with long needed hug and the promise of seeing each other once more at practice the next morning<3

➫ 𝓢𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗠𝗨𝗥𝗔 𝓓𝗔𝗜𝗖𝗛𝗜 ୨୧ ˎˊ˗

⌗ after some pushing from his trusted setter, koshi, to do something special, daichi finally got the courage to actually do something sweet for you this year

⌗ what are his plans, you might wonder? it’s simple, yet lovely. he found this spot where the sunset is prettiest in miyagi, and decided to take you there after preparing a nice late lunch at home and homemade chocolates that suga helped him make earlier in the week

⌗ he gave you your favorite flowers first thing that morning at school and a kiss on your head with a small grin

⌗ the team, however, didn’t fail to fluster him with their giggles and snickers as he yelled at them to get back to training..

⌗ it brought a laugh and smile to your face regardless, to see your boyfriend looking as silly and cute as he did, flustered despite how he normally carried himself

⌗ at last, the time came for your date and you were incredibly excited for where sawamura would be taking you. it was almost dusk, but that was exactly what he waited for

⌗ the two of you sat together on a blanket ( and one around you as well ) he’d brought with two cups of hot coco he’d poured out of a thermos he brought and shared a nice meal he’d prepped once he got home from school that day

⌗ the change of color in the sky was a beautiful sight, and yet he found himself looking over at you, a soft smile on his lips that he was able to spend the way with you

➫ 𝓢𝗨𝗚𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗔 𝓚𝗢𝗦𝗛𝗜 ୨୧ ˎˊ˗

⌗ he has seen enough romcoms, listened to loads of taylor swift and scrolled through hella cheesy couple related posts on pinterest to be able to devise the perfect valentine’s day outing with you!

⌗ koshi brought you chocolate covered strawberries he’d prepared the evening prior to valentine’s day all wrapped up in a pretty box with a note attached that conveyed his valentine’s day wishes for you<3

⌗ for his plans, he’d decided on taking you shopping at the mall and to a restaurant of your choice as his treat to you before taking you to karaoke

⌗ whatever music you like, he’d be happy to sing it with you and just have a super good time worth cherishing as memories<3

⌗ he’d searched up online which flowers to best express his love and created a bouquet for you that he would have had with him when he went to pick you up for your date

⌗ “ahaha, too much? happy valentine’s day, dearest y/n-chan!”

⌗ lots of hand holding, his hands are super soft and taken care of since he’s a setter and his hugs send you on cloud nine, he’s just so soft<3

⌗ it’s rather late when your finish your date, and he finds difficulty in allowing the day to end since he wants to be with you longer.. so you both have a sleepover woooo✨

notes. weehee happy valentine’s day brought you by some of the haikyuu boys because they are free therapy, wym it’s just a volleyball anime? anyways, also dedicated a bit to my girliepops, their favs🫶 enjoy<3

↳ return to main masterlist . request rules . send an ask

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the-californicationist · 4 months

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Hello hello! I got super happy once i saw your requests open again <3 i love your writing and i would love to see Price and a reader who is too recluse and uptight, cold and distanced. He somehow noticed she likes him and stuff and it turns into what you write best, something hot and more. Basically Price shaking some sense into her, breaking her down? I don’t know if this is too much detail and I don’t know if it gives any ideas. Feel free to ignore. Love you, have a best day 🧡

Thanks so much for the ask! This is really unique, and I like the concept. I'll do my best! <3 <3

TW: female reader, afab, cunnilingus

Price scanned the meeting room as his teams filed in. The 141's operations had grown, now that Shepherd was out of the way, and new recruits with a lot of promise had come in to aid in the operations. Gaz, Ghost, and Soap sat up front, reports prepped and ready to be handed out, the logistics team sat around Alex and Farah, and sometimes, when she wasn't out doing the dirty work, Laswell would hang around the back corner, arms crossed, watching the meeting unfold. But, he was waiting for you.

You were the newest addition. Your specialty with data analysis and reporting had meant a stream of fresh, sparkling intel that was immediately actionable and nearly allowed him to predict the enemy's movements. You were a magician, and you never talked over anyone's head. Very professional, but kind. Beautiful, even though you were not a fresh-faced youth.

You also had a body that would not let him rest. He'd taken more cold showers in the past two weeks than he ever took as a teenager, and his cock was in his hand, hard and drooling, hungry to bury itself between your thick thighs.

He tried not to stare, really, he did. But, you would wear those cargo pants, belted to your waist, and he could see where your generous ass stretched the tight canvas. The way your hips swayed when you walked across the base with your data-tablet made him want to fight someone for you, even though, as far as he could tell, there was no competition in sight.

That was part of the problem. You kept everyone at arm's reach. Well, that was about to change.

Price started the meeting and tried not to keep glancing back to you in your seat. You were listening diligently, doing your job, and he felt downright lecherous at what he was about to do...

"...and so we'll be pairing off for a full facility inventory."

Groans resonated throughout the team. Complaints flooded in.

"Check the board for your partner and meet in Hanger 3. We'll start in the back storage."

"Back storage! Cap'n, unless you're lookin' for flip phones and manuals from 2007, there's nothin' we need in there," Soap protested.

"Well, Sergeant," Price grinned, "We're about to find out. Spring cleaning!"

He felt someone's presence behind him, and when he turned, he was delighted to find you there, shifting from foot to foot, waiting to be heard.

"Yes, Corporal? Do you need something? Going to whinge about the inventory as well?" He joked with you.

"N-no. No, sir. I just... I checked the board, and you are my partner, sir."

Your eyes were wide and bright. You were staring up at him and clutching that data-tablet to your chest like a shield.

He threw an arm around your shoulder and walked with you side-by-side,

"I'm just pullin' your leg, Corporal. Let's get to it."

As you worked together, the ever-observant John Price noticed a few things. First, you would stare at him when you thought he wasn't looking. Second, you would move to the opposite side of the room to work if he decided to relocate. And third, you had a bad habit of chewing on your bottom lip when you got nervous.

"You'd be no good at poker, Corporal," he commented, stacking a set of boxes near you.

"What, sir?" You looked up at him, biting that poor, innocent lip again.

"That bottom lip gives you away," you fixed it as soon as he said it, but he forced you to sit with him and asked you, "Hey, what's going on? You're doing a great job here, but I can't help but feel like you're not keen on being a part of this team."

You shook your head, sighing,

"No, sir. It's not that. I love this team... I just..."

"Just what, Corporal? We're not leaving this storage crate until you tell me. You have a crush on one of my soldiers, or what?"

Fear, now. He could see it all over your face. He reached out tentatively and put a hand on your knee,

"Hey," he dropped his voice to a dark whisper, "It's alright. I won't tell anyone."

Your voice was so small when you answered him, but gods you were brave for answering him,

"Sir... it's you who I shouldn't tell."

Price's breath caught in his chest. All this nervous energy, all this seriousness... for him? You were nervous to be around him?

"Corporal..." He was stunned.

You stood up, quick as a flash,

"I'm sorry, sir. Please forget I said anything."

You were backing away towards the door, looking like you were ready to bolt, but he reached out and grabbed your wrist, stopping you.

"Me?" He stood above you, his body looming, covering you in the small storage room. It felt like it was getting smaller by the second.

You swallowed, nodding,

"Yes, sir..."

Price reached behind you and popped the metal lock into place, sealing you in,

"Mmm... Corporal, if you only knew how long I've been prayin' you'd say that to me."

"Wh-what? Really? Captain, I didn't --"

He put his thumb on your chin, pulling the skin so that your bottom lip would be freed from your teeth, and he bent to suck it into his mouth. He wasn't kissing you so much as he was working your full, lower lip, slowly and gently, taking it between his own lips and tongue, making you catch your breath.

"In here... I'm not your captain," he smiled, kissing you fully now, "And when I'm not your captain... you give the orders. We can stop, if you want to stop."

He let the news register, showing you how true it was, backing away a bit, giving you room to say no. Price watched your face as the information sank in. It was understood, analyzed, and filed appropriately in that beautiful brain of yours, and then, the results.

You set your tablet down on the boxes and took off your shirt. He still hadn't touched you, happy to let you drive. You pulled his face to yours, placing your hands on his furry cheeks, petting his hair and knocking off his hat until it hung around his neck on its string, almost letting him kiss you, but just before he could, you whispered into his open, gaping mouth,

"I don't wanna stop."

He kissed you, then. So softly it was almost chaste. He matched your energy. If you explored him with your tongue, he explored you just as far. If you spent time kissing his jaw and neck, so did he. After a few minutes of such restrained torture, though, he was breathing heavy, and his body was begging for more.

His hands rubbed across the tight muscles of your neck and down your arms before finally discovering your heavy breasts. He let them fill his warm palms, plucking softly at your nipples and making them harden beneath his fingers.

Price spoke to you as he kissed you, as he fondled you into pliant submission,

"Do you wanna stop, love?"

You shook your head, whispering back,

"I don't want to stop..."

He bent himself like the bough of a great tree, leaning to suck your sensitive nipple into his mouth. Price warmed it with his tongue, and put it between his teeth just enough to make you writhe. Then, he slid a huge hand between your legs and felt the heat you were hiding from him there. He sighed raggedly when he found it, like he had just dropped the weight of the world from his arms.

John pressed the canvas of your pants up into the spot where your folds would part, rubbing the seam against your center, making it shove your clit back and forth along its line, making it swell and tingle. You writhed beneath his teasing, moaning from it.

"Mmm. Do'ya wanna stop, love?"

"No, fuck, no. Don't stop."

He forced open your buckle with a swift pull, snapping the metal tines and popping open your button fly. Tucking his fist into the elastic of your panties, his fingers found their soft, wet prize.

The captain sighed again, that same ragged relief, and just before he opened his mouth to speak to you again, you clasped your hand over it furiously, and warned him,

"Don't you dare fucking stop."

He chuckled, but he said nothing as he sank to his knees, looping one of your legs over his shoulder as he began to eat from your body, hungry and thirsty and needy and ready to be full of you, smearing you all over his beard, smiling all the time.

If you liked this story, please consider buying a coffee for your favorite feral cat <3 Comments, reblogs, and kudos are also appreciated!

AO3 Link

#call of duty fanfic #cod mw2 #cod mwii #captain john price #cod #john price #captain price #captain price x you #captain price x female reader #captain price x f!reader

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purplekiwis · 2 years

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Summary: It's no secret that as a figure skater, you're fed up with the local hockey team being treated like royalty... and your ex's status as a player isn't helping much either.

Genre: Exes to Lovers (Enemies to Lovers if you blink 😉)

Warnings: it's angsty and smutty

Wordcount: 8K

A/N: i'd like to thank @sucker4angstt for requesting this concept! it was a blast to work on and i hope you guys have as much fun reading it as i had writing it 🤍

THIS IS A 2 PART SERIES | PART 2 IS HERE ❄️

OTHER WORKS BY ME

“You wanna do black again? Didn’t we do that last time?” Niall inquired as he switched off the car’s ignition.

You had just shown him a dress you had found the night before in hopes he would like it, but as you had already been expecting, he claimed black was boring and wouldn't stand out among the competition. “Well, yes but this one’s a different style from the last one. It would go well with our song.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to try something new sometimes, you know? Like white or blue… perhaps even red?” He suggested as he removed both your skating bags from the trunk and placed them down by his feet.

You hid a sigh while you took your bag from him. It never got easier to admit that you had to consider the price before picking the costume. For whatever reason, there was always a hint of embarrassment associated to that admission. Needless to say you would also prefer to wear a bright colored outfit with lots of glitter and transparencies, but those were simply out of reach for your budget.

“We did red once already, that time we did Moulin Rouge.” You reminded him as you walked side by side, each of you steering your own carryon.

“Hm, that’s true. I’d forgotten about that.”

You hadn’t been lucky enough to land a parking spot right at the front of the sports centre that morning, which sucked big time given how chilly it was outside. Getting up early for practice was never fun, but during the winter months it got almost unbearable. Especially when the sky was all hazy and mostly black by the time you woke up.

“How would you feel about like, a nude?” You proposed, despite the fact that you weren't really fond of the color.

“From you?” Niall sniggered. “Thanks but I think I’ll have to pass.”

“Come on, can't you be serious for like 2 seconds? This is important.” You huffed, pretending like you hadn’t found his little joke amusing. “Also, um... I know this is probably like super annoying for you but my budget’s kinda tight right now, so if you’d be willing to repeat one of our previous outfits, that would be awesome.”

Niall laughed a bit. “Stop with that nonsense, will you? It's not annoying and of course I don't mind. Sides, it's not like it'll even matter what we wear. We'll do so well that the judges won't even think to pay attention to our outfits.” He then turned to you and stated, “...That being said, I still don't want to wear black again.”

“Aff, fine.” You grumbled. “Which one do you want to wear then?”

“Hm.. I dunno, actually.” He took a moment to reflect. “How about we just start naming them until we find one we both agree on?”

“That’s not a bad idea, actually.”

“Ready?” He asked, you nodded. “1, 2, 3…”

“Pink.”

“Turquoise.”

“Navy.”

“Green”

“Orange.” You said it in unison, but your faces immediately turned down in distaste after. “Nevermind the orange. I still don't know what we were thinking when we picked those.”

“Yeah, me neither.” You admitted through a deep breath in. “I’d be fine with the green though, as long as it's the dark one.”

“Make it the medium dark, and it’s settled.”

You reached an agreement right as you were approaching the entrance of the sports centre, where some figure skaters you had grown familiar with over the years were gathering. Surprisingly, neither unpacking nor warming up.

“Are you guys all done already?” You asked them as you dashed towards your usual warm-up area. It was spacious and had a canopy that kept you dry in case it rained. “I didn’t realize we were late...” You earned Niall's judgmental stare with your sentence. He had been rushing you all morning, but you were sure you weren't that late. As far as your calculations were concerned, you were just in time for your first warm-up.

In days like these, it was always very tempting to skimp on the off the ice warm-ups and go straight to the rink, but with the championship right around the corner, neither you nor Niall would take that risk. Because although you also competed individually, it was as a pair that you really stood out. Your journey to nationals depended on you both, and you weren't going to jeopardize all that for being too lazy to stretch.

“Don’t bother starting.” One of the skaters, Natalia, intervened when she realized what the two of you were up to. “The Emperors booked early morning.” She clarified, upon noticing your perplexed looks.

“They did what-” You gasped, all the more startled.

“They can’t do that.” Niall said after you, and the look on his face was as distressed as yours. “They already take up most of the rink’s time!”

“When their stupid coach came we tried to tell him that, but he refused to listen. He didn't even pause- just walked straight through as if we weren't here.” The new skater jumped into the conversation. You hadn't officially met her yet, but you knew her name was Mei, a.k.a the girl Niall had been crushing on for weeks.

Redness engulfed his cheeks as soon as she looked his way, but he still managed to respond, albeit stutteringly. “Yeah, I'm not too surprised… Y/N’s ex plays on the team and he always used to say the guy was a moron.” You pointed out Niall’s oversharing by flashing him a chastising look, but he was too engrossed in Mei's beauty to notice your death stare.

You cleared your throat, now feeling a touch hot in the face too, before turning to the remainder of the group, “Have you spoken to couch Jo or Paul? Aren't they supposed to come teach the kids right after we leave?”

“Yeah.” Natalia sighed. “Apparently they’ve had to rescheduled some of the skating classes but nothing much. Basically it's fine for everyone but us.”

“So what time can we come now?” The Emperors could have taken your place, but surely they had to have left a gap somewhere.

“That’s the thing.” Mei explained. “There’s no time apart from the lessons we have with our coaches. A spot is available in the afternoon, but that's just not feasible for anyone.”

“What? No! How’s that even allowed?” Your question was hardly noticed by the other skaters as they were preparing to leave. "Wait- Where are all of you off to? We can’t just leave; have to solve this.”

“What do you propose we do, then?” Mei groaned. She was clearly on edge, as was everyone else in the group. “We’ve already tried. We won't get to solve anything right now, so staying here is a waste of time.” She grabbed her skating bag off the floor. “You can still try if you want, though. Didn’t you used to mess around with one of them? Maybe he could help.”

You scoffed as you watched Mei leave with the rest of the group, “Unbelievable...” You commented with Niall, only to find him looking at you like he agreed with her. "Oh no, not you siding with her. Are you kidding me?”

“I mean, she’s got a point…” As he went on, a goofy smile spread over his face. “I can't believe she actually spoke to me. This is crazy... and she’s even hotter up close…” Rolling your eyes, you started gathering both your bags in a tacit plea to leave. “Please, Y/N... can you go talk to him? I don't wanna stop seeing her now that she's speaking to us.”

You took a long, deep breath.

You really weren't in the mood to do all that, but unfortunately your ex happened to play team captain for the hockey team... so perhaps, if you could flip the tables and get him to be on your side, there was a small possibility his opinion could give you some advantage when it came to straightening everything out.

That was what you needed to remind yourself of.

There was a deeper purpose to this than Niall's desire to speak with Mei. It was important for everyone. None of you could afford to miss practice now that the championship was about to start. The time you spent practicing with your instructors was good but having time to skate freely every morning was critical.

“Fine. I'll go, but you’re coming with me.”

You had wanted Niall to come along for the emotional support, but that idea was quickly scrapped once the centre’s receptionist, who was acting a lot more standoffish than usual, refused to let you walk past the front desk.

It occurred to you that his behavior might have something to do with how Mei and the rest of the skaters handled that morning’s dreadful news. If that was the case, his mood was about to get worse because you were planning to bring up the issue as well… until Niall stepped in, “Oh, we're not here to skate. We’re here because my friend thinks she dropped her bracelet on her way out of the rink yesterday. We just wanted to see if we can find it.”

“I have orders not to let anyone in right now. If you want, you can come by after eight to look for it.” He answered monotonously, his gaze fixed on the computer screen.

“Ah, we have school at eight; we can't come at that time I'm afraid.” Niall’s revelation elicited no response. So, after a moment of awkward stares, you continued,

“If we don't go now, someone else might find and keep it.” The man’s expression told you that he thought you were being a nuisance, but you kept playing by Niall’s script and added, “The bracelet was a gift from my mother. It has a lot of sentimental value...”

Finally, just as you were beginning to lose hope, he sighed and said, “If it's just the bracelet you're looking for I'll let you go find it, but he stays.” His head motion indicated that he was referring to Niall.

“I’m sure it would be easier if we searched together...”

The man sat back with a sigh. “Look, it’s nothing personal. I'm simply doing what I've been told by one of the coaches after he got harassed by your little squad at the door… which is not to let anyone in the rink while the boys are there. I'm already making an exception for you when I shouldn't, so it’s either this or you'll come back later.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I hadn’t been informed that the hockey coaches were now in charge of the place...” He ignored your provocation, but his gaze was drawn to the agitated tapping of your nails on the counter. “You know what, it's fine. I get it. I’ll be quick, oh- and don't worry, I'll be careful not to harass the local royalty while I’m there.”

You didn’t stick around for further verbal cues, just swiped your membership card, walked past the barrier and turned toward the rink. It was only after you got there that you realized how angry you were. Knowing that the hockey team was being treated like kings and given the freedom to do whatever and however they pleased with zero regard for anyone else was one of the most infuriating things you'd ever witnessed. It wasn't exactly surprising taken they always got prioritized for being the bigger sport, but they had never taken things this far before. This situation was ridiculous, and you weren't going to tolerate it.

So although you agreed to come speak with your ex, now you were actually hoping to speak directly with the coach instead. Maybe your efforts were in vain, but you had to, at least, try to get your point across. There was only one problem - he was nowhere to be found, and you didn’t know anyone else on the team well enough to ask on his whereabouts.

Speaking of the team, the guys were dressed in practice gear, which was far more basic than their game jersey’s, but still had the same colors of red and gold. You assumed they hadn't started properly training yet, as they were still warming up with crossovers and pivots.

Among the many broad-shouldered athletes there, your eyes were immediately drawn to the player whose number you knew best: 77.

Not that you’d ever need a number to identify him.

Even with hockey armor covering his frame, you knew his body’s contours like the back of your hand. Picturing the tousled curls hidden under his helmet, the green of his eyes, and the curvature of his lips was easy. A little too easy.

“Styles,”

He turned when he heard your voice. His eyes were obscured by the visor, but you could swear you saw his brows quirk. “Y/N,” He didn't look too surprised by your presence. In fact, he looked more amused at you yelling his name than at you being there.

After a few seconds of skating by he came closer, and as he stopped next to the board, his skates scratched the ice a little too harshly for someone who wasn't aiming to make a spectacle of himself. You weren't wowed by his effort. You could execute that same slide better and with greater polish if you wanted to.

“Where’s your coach? I’d like to have a word…”

He signaled the rooms on the top level with his head. “Up there in a meeting. Why, what do you want from him?”

“Not that it's any of your business but it looks like there’s an issue with the rink’s scheduling.”

You saw the grin he was trying to hide. “Oh, what’s that?”

“The skaters had it for 6am, as usual.” You attempted to highlight. “Ergo, you shouldn't be here.”

“No you didn’t.”

“Yes, we did.”

“I don't think we would be here if you had booked it, would we? If we took the spot, it was because it was available.”

“Well yeah, because we’ve never had to book it - because we had a spoken agreement and we’ve always followed through on it.” He didn't respond, nor did he appear very willing to engage in the conversation you were trying to have. “Are you listening to me?”

“I am,” His voice felt harsh and didn't quite fit the easy stance he showed as he shrugged. “I'm just not sure of what you want me to say – I’m sorry? Does that make you feel any better?”

His cynical tone didn't sit well in your stomach, but your face didn’t let that show. “Okay, look - I get it. You’re in the league and you need to practice, but that doesn’t give you the right to take early mornings from us. It's only two hours out of the entire day, couldn't you just let us keep them?”

He appeared somewhat bored by your approach, but not completely. His facial expression had an edge to it. He was irritated. “It wasn’t me who made the call. If you want to lash out at someone, try the guy at the front-desk or whatever. I can't help you.”

He was really starting to piss you off, but worse than that, there was a part of you that was getting legitimately hurt by his indifference. He used to be one of your biggest supporters, and now it was like he simply didn't care. “Even if it wasn't you who made the decision, you knew better than anybody that this would disrupt our practice and you still didn't say anything.”

“Why would I? Wasn't it you who just said it's none of my business? If you have an issue, it’s your place to handle it - not mine.”

“Harry, your stupid team already takes up most of the rink’s time! Our qualifying season starts in two weeks, we need to practice.”

“Well, I'm not sure if the news has reached your self-centered little world yet but our season has already started, and we have big games coming up. So sorry to break it to you but we're going to take all the extra rink time we can get.”

“Not unless I can’t do something about it.” Your implied threat was meaningless. You had no plan whatsoever... apart from the original one to get on Harry’s good side, which had just been blown. You'd figure something out though, anything to ensure they wouldn't get their way. “You’ll have to go through me first.”

He got closer, coming right up to your face as he leaned over the border and uttered one last, quiet “Gladly,” before skating away to rejoin his team.

The bleachers were packed by screaming fans in replica shirts.

The big day had come. The Emperors were playing their first home game of the season and as the concentration of bodies suggested, a considerable portion of people had come out to witness it firsthand… including you and Niall.

After what the fuckers had done to you, you almost felt like a traitor for showing up to their game. However, you had purchased tickets weeks ago and since you had spent the money, you figured you might as well come and root for them to lose. That worked for a while, until they actually started losing.

As soon as the visiting team scored a goal, it became impossible to disguise who your heart was really rooting for. The Emperors were jackasses, that was beyond dispute, but they were the local team and it was hard to cheer for strangers when the other players were people you had “known” for years.

“You haven’t touched your pretzel…”

Niall's comment drew your gaze away from the game for a millisecond. “I don’t want it right now, I’m not hungry.” Your reply came out garbled due to the way your cheeks were getting smothered between your hands.

“It’s gonna go cold if you don’t eat it now...”

“You’re right. Here- you can have it.”

“You sure?” His hesitant smile expanded when he heard a fragmented “Yes” fall from your mouth. The “Thanks,” that followed was mumbled around a large bite. “Oh man, this is nothing like the hot dogs they sell here.” He chewed as he spoke, “Have you ever had one? They always put sauerkraut on them and it��s like, who even likes sauerkraut that much, you know what I mean?”

“Mhm,” you hummed again, eyes fixed on the local team captain and the player battling him for the puck. "Get off his ass, shithead." you blurted as another player floated over and pushed him against the board. It was the same player who kept harassing him throughout the first two frames of the game. There had already been insults, menacing stares, and provoking shoves exchanged. This wasn’t going to end well.

“You know you don’t have to do that anymore, don’t you?” Niall asked after a lengthy pause in conversation, what caught you off guard.

“Don’t have to do what? Eat sauerkraut?” You questioned back, a little confused.

“Get nervous for the games.” He clarified, which sort of took you by surprise. You weren't aware that your feelings were showing that clearly. “Since, you know… you and Styles aren’t a thing anymore and all. You don’t have to get all anxious over him.”

Your focus immediately diverted from the rink as a result of Niall’s remark. “This isn’t about him, Niall. It’s about the game- I want us to win.”

“Uh huh… because of your deep love for hockey, I assume.” His face lit up with laughter. “Not any of the players in particular, just the sport itself.”

“Shut up- Oh, that son of a... oh, great! Now he's starting a fight...” You muttered inwardly once you saw Harry's gloves hit the ice first, followed by the other player's.

The initial strikes to the head sent the helmets flying. Thereafter, it was all direct blows. The two boys faced each other angrily as they dodged and struck each other with bare hands and faces. The crowd roared loudly as the violence between the two players increased. “God, I hate when they fight.” You admitted, despite it being nothing new. “Why does it always take the referees so long to split them?”

“Ah, well, you know that's how the game works. The crowd loves it.”

“No, I know that but… it’s barbaric.”

The other player’s left hand was gripping Harry's jersey as if he was going to rip it apart, while the right continued to strike jabs in his stomach. But Harry didn't cut loose; he whacked him with the same force. They both went down, and just like that there was blood on the ice. A laceration over Harry's eyebrow had resulted in what looked like a crimson mask covering his face, most likely caused by his helmet’s visor as it leapt out of his head.

As the boys hit the floor the referees finally intervened and broke up the fight.

But the two were back on the ice as if nothing had happened after spending five minutes in the penalty box. Harry’s cut was no longer bleeding, but the bloodied towel he left behind served as a solid memento.

“I swear my Nan is more flexible than you.” You teased Niall as he tried to strike the mermaid pose. He was struggling, so his tongue was sticking out.

“You can't compare your Nan's yoga to mine. She's been doing it for longer than I've been alive!” He grumbled as he attempted to move his elbow to the proper position by imitating your posture. “I’ll have you know though, that I've never had any complaints on my flexibility before. In fact, it’s what I usually get the most compliments on aside from my-”

“Shhhh.” You were shushed by the yoga instructor for speaking over the soothing music.

You had never taken a yoga class before but considering your time on the rink had been compromised, you figured it might be a good idea to give it a shot since it still allowed you to practice your balance and flexibility.

You'd gotten cocky and chosen advanced yoga, assuming it wouldn't be too difficult to keep up given your figure skating background. Big, big mistake. You were living it up at first… however, as the class progressed and poses like 'the crow' and 'the flying pigeon' began to appear, you found yourselves admiring everyone rather than trying to keep up.

As a result, you were only doing the same five poses over and over, which got boring really quick. Besides, you weren’t even mastering the intermediate ones... as Niall was struggling with flexibility, while you were having trouble with all the arm strength exercises. That was when you started to get chatty, even though you were well aware that it wasn't appropriate.

You'd already been told to be quiet twice, so when your phone went off in the middle of class you didn't hesitate to roll up your mats and leave, figuring you had already caused enough disturbance.

“We'll never be allowed back there again...” Niall remarked on the way to the locker rooms. “Did you see how she looked at us when your phone rang? That wasn’t very Yin and Yang of her…”

“Well… to be fair, we were being incredibly rude...” You checked your phone for the notification you had received during class. “Speaking of rude, you won't believe who was texting me just now…”

“Who?” He realized who you were referring to when you made a face and pointed your head toward the rink. The yoga classes were held in the same section, the one dedicated to indoor sports. Despite being on opposite ends, you knew the hockey team was there because you had passed by and heard them. “No way... are you serious? What did he say? Does it have anything to do with the rink?”

“He didn't say... just asked if I could meet him at that cafe we used to go to after class. He says it’s urgent.”

“Do you need a ride? I can drop you off on the way back from class; it's close by.”

“No, don't worry. I end class earlier than you today, so I can take the shuttle like I used to.” You were guessing Harry had remembered you had a similar school schedule on Fridays, which is why he didn't bother telling you a time. He knew you would be there by 3pm... supposedly. “I don’t know if I’m going, though… I don’t know what he wants.”

“Yes you are.” Niall asserted, as if the idea of you not going was the most insane thing ever. “What if it’s something to do the rink?”

“What if it’s nothing to do with the rink?”

“No, come on… it has to have something to do with it.” He insisted. “I know you want to go; you're just nervous about seeing him.”

“No, the only reason why I am nervous is because he isn’t telling me what he wants. It's weird.”

Niall paused for a moment as you reached the door for the women’s locker rooms. His face let you know he was debating whether or not to tell you what was on his mind. He decided to do so. “It's obviously up to you whether you go or not, but if I were you I’d go just to see what he wants. You don't have to sit there all afternoon if you don't want to... and if things get too awkward, you can text me and I'll show up there to save you.”

“Right.” You replied even though you knew it wasn't the most appropriate answer.

You realized it would be stupid not to go knowing it could be about the rink. There was a good chance it was, which was supposed to get you excited, but in reality was doing the exact opposite. Selfishly, you wanted this to be about you and nothing else.

As petty as it sounds, you wanted to get there and hear Harry admit that he missed you, that karma had gotten him good, or something else that made you feel like your suffering had been worthwhile even if you were never getting back together. That was why you were afraid to go… because you would be disappointed if he looked as fine as he did last time.

“Does that mean you're going?” Niall asked, cutting through the pitiful thoughts racing through your mind.

You chewed on your lower lip. “I guess.”

You saw him as soon as you walked into the cafe.

He was sitting alone, but there was a girl “standing” next to his table. To refer to that as plain standing would be inaccurate. You knew what she was doing, and most of all you knew what for.

She was showcasing the best she had to offer. That was why her hips were pushed back, and her gut was pinched so firmly.

She fixed her hair over her shoulder, and you got a glimpse of her face. She was hot enough to get you to stand up straighter, but not to make you wonder if you should have spent more time getting ready before coming.

You stayed back and waited for their interaction to be over. For you, this was nothing new. You’d grown so used to watching girls fawning over him that it rarely made you jealous anymore, despite it always being slightly unpleasant to witness.

The bright side was that experience taught you when to worry… and now wasn't the time.

She appeared to be asking a question about game tickets, but you could tell by the look on Harry's face that he wasn't all that interested in chatting with her. He looked like he wanted to be left alone. He was doing that thing that he used to do when random people approached him back when you were together - he smiled politely but barely said a word.

It took the girl some time to catch on, but eventually she got the hint. He wasn’t interested, and no amount of flashing her cleavage would change his mind. She stepped away, and you took it as your cue to walk over.

“Hey.” You greeted as you got to the table, hurrying to remove your scarf and jacket before you took the chair facing Harry’s. Not that there was any other option to pick, anyway.

“Hi.” He smiled slightly, before pushing one of the coffee cups on the table towards you. “I hope you don’t mind that I went ahead and ordered you a drink...”

His gesture brought you back to memories frozen in time, but you didn't allow yourself to linger on them too long. You and Harry used to meet at this coffee shop all the time. In fact, it was once one of your favorite places in town but being here now only brought back sensations you'd rather avoid. Still, for the sake of politeness, you accepted his drink. “Oh, um… thanks. You didn't have to get me anything...”

“I know I didn’t.” He took a sip of his cup, and you impulsively mimicked his action. The coffee which used to taste like love, suddenly seemed almost too dull to drink. “You still like those, right?”

You wondered if he had noticed your grimace. “Yeah, it's what I always used to get from here. I'm surprised you remember…”

“I guess I haven't had enough time to forget most things about you yet.” A twinge of discomfort shot through your chest at his words. You suspect he caused it on purpose. “I have a sharp memory.”

“I'm not sure that'll last if you keep hitting your head like that.” Your point was lost on him, which kind of made you regret making it in the first place. “You've got a bruise… on your...”

“Oh, that.” He tried to mask it with a quick ruffle of his hair, but you could still see it. “That's nothing, forget about it.”

“I wouldn't exactly call it nothing, when-”

“I didn’t ask you to come here to talk about that.” He intervened before you finished. “There’s something I need from you.” He admitted, crossing his arms over the table.

“'All right then, what is it?”

“That jersey I gave you, do you still have it?”

“Why are you asking?”

“I need it back.” His request caught you completely off guard. Your mouth opened and tried to speak, but nothing came out. “Mine got ripped and the spare I gave you is the only one I have left.”

When you finally spoke, it was quickly and angrily. “I'm not giving it back.” You said, and Harry let out a groan. “You never mentioned I was only allowed to keep it until you needed it back. It looked like a gift to me.”

Another sigh followed, this time deeper and more frustrated. “That’s because it was a gift… but now I need it, and I'm pretty sure you're not wearing it, so what difference does it make?”

You crossed your arms and shook your head. “You can't ask for gifts back, that's nasty.”

Why, of all things, did he have to ask you to give back his jersey? It was the most special gift he had ever given you. And now just because he never got to see you wear it, it automatically meant you didn't care for it?

That was simply not true!

Behind closed doors, his jersey was still a favorite.

Frankly, the only reason why you stopped wearing it during games was because you thought it would be demeaning not to. It would have been weird for everyone, plus you didn't think Harry would appreciate you walking around with his number on your back when you weren't together anymore.

Not that people thinking he had a girlfriend would have been enough to keep any hookups from happening if he wanted them to. When it came to Harry, it seemed nothing was ever enough to discourage girls from trying their luck. It wasn't just because he played on the hockey team. That was a bonus, but it was insignificant compared to the rest. His looks, his character, his sense of humor… from the surface, Harry looked like a catch, and finding that he was everything but, hurt. You still loved him, so it hurt. You hated how it all still hurt.

“I'm not asking for any of the other stuff back. I'm asking for my jersey because I desperately need it; else, I wouldn't be asking.” He explained as you sat there, feeling your chest squeeze as you half-listened to his reasoning. “Please Y/N, this is sort of critical for me.”

His slightly pouted lips suggested that he had also not forgotten how to sneak his way inside your heart. It wasn't a difficult task, but it was aggravating how well it still worked.

The worst part is that he didn't even do it on purpose; it was just the way his face looked whenever he wanted something and was told no. It was the same face that managed to get your panties to come off that one time right before a game, despite your fear of getting caught.

“Fine. I'll give your stupid jersey back,” When he smiled in relief, you halted your words, but only for a moment. “Under one condition.” His nostrils flared as he took a long breath, gearing himself up for what you were about to say next. “You'll have to convince your coach to give us our ice time back, otherwise you can forget it.”

“Y/N, can we not do this right now, please? I already told you that I had nothing to do with that shit.”

Harry’s reaction left you feeling oddly disappointed. Not angry, but close to it. That was when you realized you had made the same mistake again. You had been expecting him to be concerned, or at least to act as if he cared. It wasn't his job to care. It wasn't his job to make sure you were happy.

Nonetheless, Harry could still be the key to getting what you wanted.

It didn't feel good to have to coax him into backing you, but it was your duty to do so for Niall and the rest of the skaters. The hockey team had crossed a line, and if this was the only way to stop them, so be it.

He might not be thrilled to help you, but he had the means to do so. If he wanted to get a favor, he would have to do one for you as well. In the end, it was only fair.

“I believe you, but you're the team captain, and I know he'll listen to you.” You took another sip of the coffee you had almost forgotten was there. “I'm only taking a favor for a favor… sounds pretty reasonable to me.”

“Okay, fine, whatever. I’ll see what I can do.”

You cocked a brow at his reaction. “That's not enough. If I can't see any improvements, the deal is off.”

Harry stretched in his chair, crossing his arms behind his neck while he mused. “That's called extortion, you know? It’s a felony.”

Your lips curled as you snorted at his remark. “It's not my fault you got in a fight and need a new jersey; I'm simply taking advantage of the circumstances. Besides, you aren't so innocent yourself... or did you think I couldn’t tell you were trying to butter me up earlier by getting me my favorite drink?”

Harry’s eyes widened with what looked to be confusion and amusement... and perhaps even a little happiness. “You were at the game?”

Your face got warm. “Oh, uh… yeah. I went with Niall. He likes watching sports, so...”

“Ha, I see...” His face turned expressionless. “You're wrong about your drink, by the way... I wasn’t trying to butter you up, I just thought it'd be a nice gesture.”

“Yeah, I guess...” You smiled a bit, before deciding to congratulate him on his team's victory. “You played well yesterday. Everyone went crazy when you scored that goal at the end.” The moment you finished talking, you noticed Harry was slouching in his chair, just staring at you. It was almost trance-like, the way his eyes weren’t able to stop smiling. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Like what?” He asked, but then in a sudden move, he got up, picked up his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. “I have to get going. I've got homework.”

You didn't really buy his excuse, but you also didn’t question it since you knew he wouldn't tell you whatever it was that was on his mind. “Yeah, okay.” You said instead, despite your enquiring face. “I guess I’ll see you...”

“Tuesday.” He completed. “I'm not sure what time yet, but I'll let you know.”

He was gone in an instant, leaving you alone with nothing but two unfinished cups of sad, tasteless coffee to keep you company.

Tuesday came by quickly.

Amidst the week's rush of lectures at university, runs and yoga classes with Niall, as well as preparations for the championship, you barely registered the days passing by.

As far as your agreement with Harry goes, you knew he had kept true to his word since there were no hulking hockey players in sight that day when you got to the rink.

Given that you had agreed on Tuesday, you didn't bother getting up early the mornings before to check on the rink's availability... and considering that you had the schedule for it over the weekend, you ended up booking that open spot in the afternoon right after lunch for free skating, even though it wasn't the most ideal.

The return to the ice on Tuesday morning, however, was a welcome relief.

The weather was peaceful… the ice was fresh, and you and Niall were able to make progress on a tricky jump that had been giving you the willies as of lately. It wasn’t perfect yet, but at least by the end of the morning you no longer felt like you were putting Niall through the danger of getting a neck fracture every time you leapt onto his shoulders.

Later that day, you met with your choreographer and he too noticed a positive shift in your performance. Having barely been on the ice over the week other than with your instructors, the shift was somewhat surprising... but it also made sense to an extent, since the break had allowed you to focus on other forms of training that you normally considered supplementary – like practicing balance and endurance.

After your choreography lesson, Niall invited you to go to the mall with him.

He wanted to check out a new tech store that had opened there, and since you had nothing better to do than finish the schoolwork you were procrastinating on, you accepted his invitation.

It was a fun afternoon, though you ended up spending much longer than you’d originally planned just browsing around. You barely noticed the hours passing, which was mostly Niall's fault because he had this extraordinary ability to beguile people with conversation topics that were seemingly random but made for weirdly interesting discussions.

His conversation starters almost always initiated with “Have you ever thought about...” and then something crazy would follow. It was impossible to stop the tangents after that, especially if he happened to touch on a subject that you considered to be interesting too. When that was the case, the two of you would just go on and on like a never-ending pit.

This happened several times that noon.

So, despite having been anxious as hell for the better part of the day knowing you’d be meeting up with Harry later, the whole thing had almost slipped your mind by the time he texted you asking if you'd at the centre soon.

“Shit.” You muttered while replying to his message saying you were on your way. “Can you drive me to the sports centre? I need to get something to Harry and I'm too late to walk there.”

“Yeah, sure.” Niall said as you began making your way to the escalator that took you to the underground parking lot. It had become less crowded since you arrived, so finding the car wasn't too difficult. “So what’s going, you’ve been talking with him again?”

“Nothing is going on. I told you about him asking for his jersey back. I'm surprised you forgot…”

“Ah! True, true.” He responded as he climbed into the driver's seat. “I just wanted to ask if there was anything else besides that. I know you aren't fully over him yet, which is understandable, but...” He paused, then let out a sigh. “I guess what I’m trying to say is I don't want my friend to end up in the same position again if you get what I mean.”

“Yeah, I get what you mean.” You leaned back in your seat and stared out the window. “But don't worry, that's not going to happen. It's pretty obvious he doesn't like me, but even if he did…well, as the saying puts it… once bitten, twice shy.”

You talked about something lighter the rest of the way there. Niall wasn’t the type to bring up uncomfortable topics or force you to talk when you didn't feel like it. He usually just listened when you shared, which was good. He still gave his advice if you asked for it, but when it came to your situation with Harry, that wasn't what you needed, and he was aware of that.

What you needed was a friend that respected your decisions, but still cared about your well-being at the same time. A friend who understood you'd want to go meet your ex on your own but still offered to wait and give you a ride home afterward, so you didn’t have to walk alone at night.

The next day, the hockey team was playing outside of town, so there was a big, tall bus parked at the back of the sports centre.. and a shadowy man standing right next to it. The sky had already darkened so it was hard to see, especially on the side he was on, which wasn't getting bathed by the centre’s lights like the opposite one was.

Logically, you knew it must be Harry, but you didn't want to get too close without being sure. It could be the bus driver, or someone who happened to be there for something else. So instead of walking over, you stood at a reasonable distance and cast a wide-eyed glance in all directions, before lowering your gaze to your phone screen to text Harry letting him know you were outside.

But before you could send him anything, you were startled by his voice. “You can come over here, I don’t bite.”

You hoped the nighttime blindness worked both ways because you had jumped a little with the scare, which had to have looked a little stupid. “Oh, it is you! I couldn't tell from back there… it’s er…dark.”

If he saw you jump, he didn’t acknowledge it, instead he asked, “Did you walk all the way here by yourself?”

He seemed concerned that you had, which gave you a warm feeling in your belly. You didn't know what to make of it. “Oh, no. I was at the mall with Niall when you called so, he drove me. He’s parked at the front.”

“Hm.” Harry grunted dryly, which sparked a little awkward pause until he finally asked the dreaded question, “Do you have the jersey?”

“Oh yeah- one second... it's in my bag.” You smiled stiffly before you started rummaging around for it. “I’m not the best at doing laundry so the color might have gotten bit worn off from the washer, I hope that’s not an issue.”

“That’s fine.” He tossed the jersey over his shoulder, disregarding how neatly you'd folded it. “Thanks.”

“Okay, um… you must be pressed for time, so…”

“Not necessarily.” You found the coldness in his voice upsetting, and you couldn't figure out why he was stalling you when he obviously wasn't delighted to see you. “So how’s the situation with the rink, did it all work out?”

“It did.” It was a brief response, but you didn't feel like standing there chit-chatting just for the sake of it. “Thanks, for helping and… I guess for asking too.”

“Don’t thank me.” He said it brusquely, which irritated you even more. “Okay, um… I guess I’ll see you when I see you.”

“Yeah, that.” You curled your lips in a weak smile, and Harry did the same before setting out to go back inside the building. Sadly, upon watching him leave, you couldn't resist calling his name to see his face again. “Hey, Harry-” His head jerked back at the sound. “Have a good game tomorrow. I hope you win!”

He looked like he was about to look away, but he didn’t. Instead, he returned your gaze, as though he was contemplating something. There was a strange glint in his eyes, and it lingered there as he began walking back towards you. And then, wordlessly, swiftly and without a warning, his hands reached for your face… and his lips reached for a kiss.

You squeaked in surprise at the feeling, but that was all there was to it. After Harry’s lips' familiar texture took over, there wasn't much room left for surprises. His body steered yours backwards against the side of the bus, sheltering you from any curious eyes peering through the windows above. “Harry, what-”

“Stop talking,” He muttered against your lips, still laying kisses in between. “I know it's messed up but if we both keep quiet, no one has to know it happened.”

Your throat was itching to respond, but his kissing made your head blurry. His mouth lowered to taste your neck, kissing every inch of skin it swept by. Then, just when you thought it couldn't be any better, his tongue slipped out and found a spot that had you gasping quietly.

The touch of his body was setting yours on fire, reviving it in a way it hadn't been in ages. Your kisses grew hotter and heavier, and before either of you could pause and wonder if this was right, Harry was already fumbling with the button of your jeans - and you were letting him.

“Do you still think of my hands?” You could feel the warmth of his words on your skin as his fingers slid in. His pace was slow, almost too slow, as if he was enjoying listening to the eagerness of your heartbeats. “I think of yours most times; whenever I play with myself, it’s always you… your hands... your mouth... your pussy…”

You both moaned as Harry reached the hot spot hidden beneath your panties. He rubbed a bit around it, in slow and steady circles. “I’ve always loved how fast it reacts to my touch… it gets so wet and creamy, and your clit… fuck, ‘s all puffy and twitchy…” His fingers pressed harder on it, stroking more firmly.

And shit, you were getting there already. So, so close that your entire body was twitching uncontrollably against his. “Please… d-don’t stop.”

“Already? Fuck baby… you haven't been giving it the proper attention lately, have you?” You shook your head in response to his question. It was almost embarrassing how quickly you had gotten to that point, but Harry was right; you hadn't had an orgasm in a while… and of course, he could tell. “I'm not gonna lie, I already suspected that she wasn't being well taken care of, but shit... that's just disgraceful, isn't it?”

You could hardly gather the strength to answer him. The only sound you could muster were a few high-pitched "mhmms" that were muffled against his neck. You groaned when he pushed his fingers in and pierced through your hymen a little too briskly. “Still?”

You felt a little offended by how surprised he sounded but acknowledged his question with a nod. “It’s okay, just breathe…” He whispered softly into your jaw as his motions became gentler.

This wasn’t the first time Harry had used his fingers on you, but usually it was more the outside bits that he focused on. He loved giving oral, so you did a lot of that… the fingering thing only came later once you started having conversations about him taking your virginity. If it were up to you, you’d no longer have it, but Harry had wanted to take things slow. He knew your mind was prepared, but he had wanted to make sure your body was too… just so the experience was painless and pleasurable for both, and not just for him.

The stretching burn you were feeling eased after a while. It still stinged a little, but it wasn’t a bad type of feeling. Slowly but surely, it was transforming into a different type of heat, the kind that spread through your abdomen and got you to spasm around Harry’s fingertips.

He was going to make you cum if he kept on doing what he was doing…

Which he didn't.

He stopped right before you got there.

You stared up at him in confusion, right before you started glancing around to make sure no one was walking out of one of the buildings or approaching the bus. “What- what happened? Why did you stop?”

“Stop with what, hm?” That feeling of disorientation pervaded your mind for a moment, but reality set in once he started re-tucking your jeans back into place with a self-satisfied smile on his lips.

This was it.

He was done.

“That was a cute little warm up, wasn't it?” He shamelessly asked as he zipped up your fly. “It's a shame it had to end so abruptly… you seemed to be enjoying yourself... but don't get me wrong, this has been good fun for me too.”

With nothing to say or do, you just stood there astounded. You were torn between sobbing out of frustration, seeking an explanation, and simply leaving without uttering another word. It wasn't like whatever decision you made mattered anyway since none of those options would accomplish you anything.

The mess had already been made.

You shouldn't have allowed this to happen, and shouldn't have enjoyed it, but you did. It would have been much smarter to put a stop to things right the moment Harry kissed you but, despite the circumstances, you couldn't bring yourself to do it… and now, after everything he'd already done, he was ridiculing you.

When you looked at him again, you noticed that all of the traces of humor that had been gracing his features had dissipated. His gaze felt like steel, harsh and bitterly cold. “You should go. Niall's waiting for you, remember?”

His chest got shoved back by your clasped fists. “You’re an asshole!”

He tried to grab your wrists, but you shoved his chest again. It was enough to make him back down, although he still managed to get a hold of your arm. He used that to keep you from leaving. “I may be.” He spoke right in your ear. “Now you know what it feels like to be left stranded. I hope you fucking liked it as much as I fucking did.”

PART 2

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octuscle · 1 month

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There’s this huge roided guy at my gym and he’s kinda my crush. Do you think you could turn me into a super roided guy like him to be his boyfriend or husband?

Let me check that… Your crush may not look like this… But he's into the "muscle daddy" type. Let's see what we can do about that…

As you enter the gym, your gaze falls into a mirror. You are neither tall, nor muscular, nor a daddy. You are an athletic blond college boy… God knows it's not bad. But you don't stand a chance with your crush. However, that has already changed when you step out of the changing room onto the training floor. You've spent the last three years training for all you're worth using all the chemical aids available. And it shows. Some of the bigger boys here give you a respectful nod. Your crush continues to ignore you.

You're lifting more than you've ever lifted before. Your moans boom like thunder through the gym. A muscleman who doesn't even know your name assists you. Your hair gets darker and darker. Your beard shadow is pitch black. Your crush continues to ignore you.

You need a protein shake. You've been training hard for an hour. Your T-shirt is lying in tatters somewhere in the corner. It's actually against the house rules to train bare-chested. But you're so tall that there's nothing in your size in the gym store. The first gray hairs are showing in your neatly trimmed beard and at your temples. That's nothing special. In your family, most men were gray by the age of 50. The hunk behind the counter hands you the shake with a fist bump. Your crush continues to ignore you.

You must be getting to the end of your training. It's almost time for sunset prayers. Normally you don't take it too seriously. But on a Friday… You take a look in the mirror. You actually like yourself better with fur on your chest. But you're in competition form. Tomorrow you'll be on stage. The absolute favorite in your age group. So it's a good thing that you went to the full-body epilation yesterday after the hammam. You're paying double the price. Because you simply have a lot more skin that needs to be freed of hair. Your crush… Your crush tries to make eye contact with you.

You look at the weakling a little pitifully. You don't like men whose necks aren't at least twice as wide as their heads. But the weakling has some pretty good beginnings. And let's not kid ourselves. He's still a lot more muscular than most of the other guys here. Your crush asks what you plan to do after training. You're not a man of big words. You head towards the changing rooms. And with a slight movement of your head, you gesture for him to follow you. You don't need to turn around. He follows you like a dog follows its master.

#male tf #muscle tf #reality change #race change #age progression #ai image

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soaps-mohawk · 10 days

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that soapprice reblog omg... it literally inspired me to send an ask bc i was thinking about it and then saw it as a sign

this is random but what do you think are big things that the boys are into? even though it's super common i'm a total sucker for price being called daddy, and i remember the joke he made about it earlier in the series and i was 🤭🤭 the whole time, or also as mentioned in the fic i'm a big fan of soap and his hair being pulled

urgh soapprice soapprice soapprice!!! they're such an underrated pairing, and they're literally my favourite characters ☹️ (and graves but we don't talk about that)

anyways pook, how are you?? i hope all is well!!

- 🪐

Soapprice is such an underrated pairing. I feel like it was more popular in the fandom whith the OGs, but it definitely has been neglected with the reboots. They're all just so special to me though 🥺

Hmm are we talking like kinks here? That's what I'm going with.

I think Price does enjoy being called daddy, though I don't see him as being the type to ask you to say it. He's into it, but he wants you to say it first on your own. He's definitely more dominant, but I could see him giving over control every so often. Like if a mission goes wrong or something happens he doesn't want to be in control anymore for a while. I could also see him being into bondage/shibari. He likes the trust you have to have in each other and he also just likes seeing you tied up. Definitely a brat tamer. He'll bend you over his knee and spank you if you misbehave. Edges you if you're especially naughty.

Johnny likes having his hair pulled, that's a given. Please degrade him. Step on him, call him a naughty boy. He also has a huge praise kink. Giving, receiving, he loves it. He's definitely the most likely to experiment. You want to try something? He's down. He's not about to be out-kinked because that man is super competitive. He's definitely into role play. Dressing up, acting out scenes. All of it. He's definitely made you play hostage so he can "rescue" you and then get thanked for saving you 😉 I could also see him being an exhibitionist. If his partner is okay with it, he'll definitely let people watch him blow their back out. His neighbors hate him lol.

Kyle, my sweet baby boy Kyle. We all know he's a munch. Sit on his face and let him eat your pussy until you can't hold yourself up. He'll just lay you on your back and continue. Will wake you up with his head between your legs if you give him permission. Gets off by giving you pleasure. He also likely has a praise kink. Tell him how pretty he is and he'll be putty in your hands. He'll blindfold you and edge you. He loves the way your legs shake and you beg for release. He'd probably be into overstimulation, for both of you as well. Please, for the love of all things holy peg him. Will also bend you over his knee and spank you if you ask him. I feel like he'd be willing to try more extreme things if you want to, but I don't think he'd be quite as enthusiastic about it as Johnny. Aftercare king. That's self explanatory.

Simon, contrary to popular belief, I don't see being much into kinks. I think it takes so long for him to get to the point just to be naked with you, the last thing he'd want is to take any risks. He causes enough pain in his day to day life that he just wants to fall into your arms and be held. Is cuddling a kink? If so then that's his kink lol. He might get rough with you in bed if you ask him, once that trust has been established, but you're definitely going to have to reassure him for hours after that you're alright. I think if you're together with him long enough, and that trust has been well established, you might be able to convince him to try some softer things, but he's definitely checking in and making sure you're alright and you're comfortable constantly. Consent is his kink is the energy he gives off.

#these are less related to my fic since things are different in that context and more just in general the vibes they give off lol #i'm doing alright #kind of sleepy after a long day #might take a nap for a bit #how are you??#how has your day been?#answered

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ransprang · 4 months

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thank you to @astarionbbg for your support <3 we hope you like your match up

if anyone else wants a match up this is our ko-fi

your match up is....

ASTARION!!!

SFW

How you met: You felt a light brush against your thigh as you were walking down the street. Boxing had honed your reflexes, so you quickly grabbed whatever it was which brushed against you. You found yourself holding hands with a pale haired elven man. “Oh dear, I really can explain,” Astarion drawled. Although annoyed, at being pickpocketed, you decided to hear him out. Astarion went on to complain about how he desperately needed nicer clothes, since his although fashionable were looking a bit worn out. He talked about how this never happened to him and that he usually was usually very skillful but everyone rolls a critical failure somtimes. You found his personality charming enough and understood the pain of not being able to dress how you wanted to. You decided to help him out and take him to a shop which you knew sold good clothing at lower prices. By the end of your little impromptu adventure, Astarion had already set his mind on seducing you.

Weightlift Astarion as much as you like, he loves it. He loves watching your muscles flex as you lift him up and off of his feet. It sure is an easy way to get his attention. You know those tiktoks where the gf and bf try different exercises using the other person? Like squats and hip thrusts. He’d be down to try, “Come darling, let’s have a bit of a competition shall we, hm? Just to pass the time?”

The SECOND y’all get to the city, Astarion would drag your cute ass to the Facemaker’s Boutique and get you both matching, tailored gothic fits. Because who said you can’t get rid of tadpoles in style? And of course, he pays for everything (with stolen money).

When you both are cuddling with your back against his naked chest, he runs his hand through your hair and lightly brushes against your ear piercings, admiring them.

Astarion’s secretly a big reader (he’s the only one in camp apart from Gale who owns a book). You both would start an intimate book club together, and enjoy each other’s cutting remarks about sub-par books as well as the rare appreciative comments.

Although Astarion prefers being protected than being super protective himself, once he recognises how precious you are to him he would be very protective of you. He doesn’t have many people in his lives who he cares for and who in turn care for him.

Astarion’s a pretty insecure fella, and would always be concerned about doing something wrong or driving you away. His heart is fragile and he has many issues about relationships. Your love language being affirmations, would help soothe his worries.

He would be supremely pleased if you ever asked to draw him and capture his likeness. He can never see himself in a mirror, but would be overjoyed to see himself reflected in your eyes and eternally captured in your art. He would heavily suggest you draw him in the nude.

Astarion would eventually ask to join your DnD group. Although not immediately understanding the appeal at first would warm up to it once he realised he could cause all kinds of havoc. He would strictly play as power-hungry elvish rogues.

Astarion, being assertive and passionate himself, is drawn to your energy. He admires your wit and sarcasm, and the banter between you two would be a form of playful courtship.

NSFW

Whether you are bulking or cutting, Astarion enjoys feeling up your muscles and softer parts. As a man who has been with people of all shapes and sizes, he would enjoy your body no matter what you look like. He cares about who you are on the inside, just as you love him for more than just his body.

Astarion enjoys getting you to sit on his face with your muscular thighs enveloping his face, he first licks his tongue up and down your labia. Then he parts your lips, sucking on your labia, and moving to your clit. Each flick of his tongue on your sensitive bud makes your thighs push closer onto the side of his face. He groans as he feels you squirm above him.

Watching you shadow box makes him horny. He’ll come up behind you as you finish a set of punches and snake his arms around your waist, pulling you into his chest. You gasp as you can feel his hard clothed cock push into your ass.

Astarion loves biting for obvious reasons. He will kiss, suck and bite on your skin. He loves it when you moan because of him.

Fashion? Astarion has the sexiest lingerie known to mankind. He satin cock warmers, and rubs it on his dick before taking them off, to get himself extra hard before fucking you.

Astarion likes to carry you and have sex with you against a wall, he’s strong and has toned muscles. When he wraps your legs around your waist you can feel them flex as he pumps you.

He really likes your angel fangs and when he kisses you he bites your lower lip softly with his fangs. Just to remind you who the real vampire is.

Astarion asks to drink your blood before sex sometimes, after drinking he penis begins throbbing and becomes extra sensitive. Just waiting to be buried in your soft warm pussy.

He uses his finger to take his precum and asks you to taste it. “I want you to know that I am delicious, darling.”

Astarion would always remind you that he loves you and he’s all yours as you are his, after sex. He can get a little poetic about it but it’s hard to pay attention to his words as his dick flops around has he makes his little speech of love.

your angel fangs,

admins sar, san & sav

#bg3 #astarion #bg3 astarion #baldur's gate #baldurs gate 3 #astarion smut #bg3 smut #astarion x you #astarion x reader #astarion fic #baldurs gate astarion #astarion baldur's gate 3 #astarion romance #astarion x y/n #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #astarion fluff #astarion fanfic #neil newbon

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corrodedseraphine · 11 months

Text

beauty and the freak | one shot

the photo of Eddie which I used here is an edit made by amazing @eddiemunsonsmum 🥰

pairing: eddie munson x fem!reader

summary: When you accidentally witness a conversation between Wayne and the principal about Eddie's education, you get an idea that could help you both. Unfortunately, he is not thrilled with the idea. Not believing in your good intentions, he takes a defensive tactic that could destroy your dream of winning the competition. Maybe happy ends are reserved only for Disney movies? angst/fluff, super cheesy, some of you might even say it's cringe, school acquaintances to lovers, Eddie is an asshole at the beggining

The one shot is also avaliable on ao3

12 478 words

eddie munson masterlist | general masterlist

when I talk about the song Beauty and the Beast here I always mean the version from the movie because it it has a very special place in my heart, also I know that the movie is from 1991 but can we just preted for now that it was already in 1986?

yes - I got carried away. At some point I think that this story is not good enough, that there is something missing but when I try to add something more I just can't - my brain is empty.

On the other hand I also think it might be a little too much, so I will understand if some of you won't simply like this. Just - my latests works focused more on angst than on fluff, I kinda missed my cheesy fluffs, so you know... thank you for reading.

Also shot out to the best beta reader @i-me-mine ♥

"I'm sorry Mr. Munson, this condition must be fulfilled if your nephew wants to graduate from high school this year." the principal said as he and Wayne walked out of his office into the hallway.

"We really can't include his Hellfire Club?" resigned Wayne asked.

"Unfortunately no. Edward will graduate this year on the condition that he gets involved in the life of the school. A requirement of his graduation is to join another club and actively participate in its actions. We must have proof that he really cares."

"Where the hell are we going to find a school club that is willing to accept him? You know that his reputation is not among the best."

"There are plenty of options to choose from, I'm sure you'll find something, there are free spots in athletics."

"Nothing in the world for any price would force this boy into sports." The man shook his head. He was worried. He was worried because he knew that most of the students would run away from any contact with Eddie, the rumors in town about him being a Satan worshipper were getting more and more frequent, people really believed that the board game was just a cover-up.

In truth, you tried not to eavesdrop, however, it was not quite possible, because this conversation was going on right next to your locker, at which you were standing together with Robin.

Your relationship with Eddie was not very good. The truth was that you only associated with each other only in the school hallways and quick meetings when hellfire took over the room after rehearsals of the drama club of which you were the leader. You never exchanged a single word with each other. You had no reason to help him, but the truth was that the situation seemed to benefit both of you.

Seeing his uncle saying goodbye to the principal, you decided to act before you could think.

"Mr. Munson!" you shouted, approaching him with a quick step.

"Yes?" he asked puzzled raising an eyebrow.

"I want to help." You said trying not to feel strange. "My name is y/n, I'm the drama club president. By chance I overheard your conversation with the principal and thought maybe Eddie would join us?"

"That would be great." he replied, and the surprise on his face turned into a warm smile. He didn't expect to meet someone willing to help, but your reaction breathed some hope into him.

"The boy who was supposed to play the lead role has moved out of Hawkins, I think Eddie will be a great fit to take his place!" you said excited that you had managed to find a replacement.

"You wanna give my boy the lead role?" the surprise on his face looked hilarious.

"Why not?" you shrugged your shoulders. "We have rehearsals on Wednesdays and Fridays at four o'clock," you smiled.

"I'll tell him. Thank you."

Drama club was everything you loved. You loved taking on different roles, covering important topics through art, but most of all it was great fun for you, an escape from the scary reality you were in.

Part of it was also the competition you took part in every year, which was not the easiest, as you competed against much richer schools, which always beat you in costumes and decorations. When you became president this year, you swore to yourself that you would do everything to make sure that in your last year at this school the win belonged to you. As soon as you found out that this year's theme was going to be Disney movies adaptations you immediately knew what to choose. Beauty and the Beast.

From the beginning of the school year until Christmas break, you worked on the script, putting all your heart and soul into it. The whole story carried a very important message that you wanted to get across to everyone through your performance. When at the first rehearsal after your return you showed the script to the other members and it was enthusiastically accepted you got down to work, unfortunately you soon had to stop and look for someone to replace Michael.

Dustin had always praised Eddie and how well he could play characters from his campaigns. This was another reason why you decided to help him. You hoped that he would know how to play the role of the beast and later the prince just as well. In truth, you hoped Dustin wasn't lying, because this was your final lifeline. Chasing the bad thoughts out of your head, you tried to set a positive attitude. Eddie Munson must have been a great actor, and together with his help you will finally be able to win. This thought fueled you to action. Unfortunately, things did not go as well as you thought.

To say that Eddie didn't like the idea is not enough. He actually detested it. When Wayne told him about the fact that you had offered to help him he immediately began to suspect that the whole thing was some kind of bizarre trap that he had to let himself get caught in anyway, or else he would not have graduated from high school once again. The fact that he was forced to do so made his hostile attitude even greater.

Despite the assurances of Dustin, who was also a member of the club, and his efforts to prove to him that taking part in the play would be fun, Eddie defended himself against it by not even listening to the boy.

Nevertheless, he began to show up for rehearsals, eventually having to, because at the beginning of each one Principal Higgins would come to check if he was there for sure.

You tried to be patient. You tried to ignore all the taunting comments on his part, you tried to ignore the fact that he never, even once, looked at the script and didn't even try to do anything when you were rehearsing scenes involving him. He just sat on the stage showing you how much he didn't care. Since you only took him here to turn him into an even bigger ridicule for the whole school, he had no intention of helping you in this. His defense mechanism was to prove to you at every step that you made a mistake in proposing his joining the play, and the biggest one was the fact that you gave him the lead role. Unfortunately, Eddie, blinded by his "mission," did not see how he was slowly ruining everything you cared about. Every mean comment he made about your vision of the play was like a knife in the back, and over time you stopped counting them all, it was too much. From rehearsal to rehearsal you had less strength, all your enthusiasm and motivation disappeared as you silently took another blow accepting the fact that your chance of winning was practically zero.

Many times you offered to stay with him longer and rehearse his scenes together, since you both play the main roles, most of which you had together. Three times he agreed to this, giving you hope that something would change, but each time he purposely did not show up even once leaving you alone in the hall waiting for him for several hours. There was no fourth time. You knew Eddie didn't respect you or your work, but coming to terms with it was even more difficult. You desperately grasped every opportunity to try to change his mind, but in vain. Nothing could talk sense into him.

The contest was two months away, and you didn't really have anything. Eddie still hadn't learned his scenes and wasn't even going to, and because of this the rehearsals couldn't move on.

Another Friday in a row, he was late, but while you were working on Dustin's costume you both jumped when you heard the loud bang of the door.

"What the hell is this?!" yelled Eddie walking heavily toward you. In his hand he was holding a poster ripped from the wall. "Why the hell is my name here?!" he pointed his finger at the tiny inscription.

"Dude, there are the names of everyone who takes part in this." Dustin replied looking at him strangely.

"You have the lead role, Eddie, I guess it's logical that your name should appear there." you replied putting down the needle and thread.

"Your wonderful plan is working, congratulations." he threw a the paper in your direction, surprised you didn't even have time to catch it. "Are you satisfied enough?" his gaze was full of anger, and seeing your surprised face he got even angrier. He didn't believe that you were really going to pretend that you didn't know anything. The problem was that you didn't really know about what plan he was talking about.

"Eddie I don't understand-" you said quietly.

"You're pathetic." he said interrupting you. "You got me into all this shit on purpose just to humiliate me in front of the whole school, but I'm more than that. I don't care about your stupid play, I don't care about some damn competition. I'm only here because I have to and my presence is the only thing you can count on! Fuck you." He replied and walked away to the other end of the room sitting there.

"Y/n, are you okay?" asked Dustin seeing tears coming to your eyes.

Picking up the poster from the floor, you looked at it. The title of the play was crossed out. The word Beast was crossed out with a red marker and now the title looked like Beauty and the Beast FREAK.

Did Eddie really think it was all your fault? You began to wonder what you had done to even cause him to think that way, after all this time you had been trying to be nice to him. You never responded to his nasty comments, you silently accepted them and then tried to forget about them and attempt to communicate with him in some way, but still to no avail. No matter how hard you tried Eddie Munson unjustifiably considered you his enemy, despite the fact that you wanted to be his ally.

"Where are you going?" asked Dustin again, seeing as you had begun to gather your things.

"The rehearsal is over. Nothing will come of it anyway. On Monday I'm going to say that we're quitting the competition." you replied resignedly. "It's pointless."

When you went out into the corridor you saw that all the posters you had hung up were broken. Beauty and the Beast FREAK was hitting your eyes, making you boil inside. You had put so much work into making them, and some douche decided to destroy it just like that. You took a deep breath and started tearing down all the posters, went through the whole school, with your last stop being the gym. Walking up there you saw none other than Jason and his minions standing by one of the posters. Without a word you pushed your way through them tearing off the poster from the wall that Jason was writing on with a red marker, causing the group to laugh.

"What's up princess?" he asked mockingly. "Where is your Beast? Freak couldn't handle the pressure?"

Clenching your fists around the paper, you began to breathe quickly and deeply. "What's your problem Jason?" you asked.

"Nothin', it's nice that you care about me." he smirked.

"You are a piece of shit." you howled. Your patience was running out, Eddie's behavior was killing you, everything you had been working on for the past months was in ruins and you didn't have the strength to believe that everything was okay. "You are a fucking piece of shit." Your words made him laugh even more.

"Could it be that our little drama queen, has a crush on the freak? Is that why you gave him the role? Did you think that since he would have to pretend to fall in love with you on stage, it would be the same in real life?" everyone burst out laughing, which made you feel even worse.

Without answering anything you once again squeezed past them and walked out of the gym to the outside. Holding all the ripped posters in your hands, you walked over to the big trashcan and threw everything away, feeling a strange sting in your heart. Quickly getting on your bike, you returned home where you allowed yourself to drown in the sorrow and sadness that was overwhelming you.

Saturday afternoon at the Munsons' trailer was passing quietly. Wayne was watching the sports channel and Eddie was learning a new song on the guitar. The calm ended when someone aggressively began pounding on their door with their fist.

"Eddie!" a female voice came from behind the door. "I know you're home, I saw your car, and your guitar can be heard at the other end of town!" she shouted without stopping the knocking. "Open the damn door so I can kill you!"

Surprised by the visit, Wayne slowly opened the door only to see a girl with short hair and a furious look on her face. Behind her stood a terrified boy whom Wayne remembered from Hellfire.

"How can I help?" the confused man asked.

"Good afternoon, can I talk to Eddie?" she asked looking inside the trailer. Wayne, completely unprepared for such a situation, did not know what to do. He stood motionless considering his next move. He knew that Eddie had a lot of enemies, he knew that most of the locals wished him badly, but an angry, skinny girl who Eddie could carry out the door with one hand and a frightened freshman didn't look very threatening. Besides, the situation looked serious since they had come to deal with him all the way here.

The man moved slightly away from the door to call out to his nephew, Robin quickly took advantage of the situation and squeezed through the vacant space entering the trailer.

"Robin, holy shit!" shouted a panicked Dustin and ran after her. She impetuously opened the door to his room.

"Buckley? the fuck-" when he spotted her he put down his guitar, but didn't have time to say or do anything else because within seconds she came slapping his cheek. Wayne and Dustin stared with open mouths at the scene taking place in front of them.

"You asshole!" she shouted. "Who do you think you are?!"

"Enough! can someone explain to me what's going on here?" asked Wayne, who had finally recovered from his shock.

"Yeah, Eddie, explain to your uncle what you did." She crossed her arms over her chest sending him a rage-filled look.

"Robin…" Dustin once again said her name wanting to calm her down.

"Shut up Dustin! Y/n didn't deserve to be treated like that!"

"Henderson?" asked Eddie in an angry voice, completely as if he felt betrayed. Dustin in panic looked between the two of them breathing louder and faster.

"Leave the boy alone, you are goin' to give him a heart attack!" Wayne cut in seeing the boy's confusion. "Isn't y/n the girl from the drama club?"

"Yes, she is. She wanted to help him, gave him the role, and he destroyed everything!"

"I destroyed everything? She did it just to humiliate me in front of the whole school!"

"You are unbelievable Munson! All through high school you struggle with the bullies, you mock them, you hate them, but when it comes down to business you act just like them! You did the same with y/n what Jason is doing with you! I think you even went a step further, at least Jason isn't destroying everything you care about!" Eddie listened to her words in shock, he didn't look at it from that side. He had no idea how to respond. "You're not going to answer anything now? You were so talkative when you called her pathetic in front of all the club members! Do you have any idea how much it all meant to her? How much work did it cost her to write the whole script alone? How many things did she have to give up for this damn competition?"

"She really just wanted to help…" Dustin's voice was quiet, but the sincerity in it was loud enough.

"This was supposed to be the first time our stupid school was going to win against all those rich snobs, she finally had everything worked out to perfection, then Michael left and she found you. She decided to trust you and give you the lead role in something she cared about most in the world, but of course Eddie 'I don't giva s hit about anything' Munson once again had to prove how much he din't care." Robin was no longer screaming. Now only disappointment and disgust could be heard in her voice. "All along I thought you didn't deserve the way people treated you, not just me," she said. "Y/n never said a single bad word about you, she always believed when Dustin, Lucas and Mike admired you and praised you at every possible step. She only wanted to help you, and the result is that she is now crying her eyes out because some asshole decided to destroy her dreams. You are much worse than Carver." The last sentence was the seal of the visit. Immediately after, she apologized to Wayne for the disturbance and left the trailer.

"I fucked up, didn't I?" asked Eddie looking at them and patting his still sore cheek.

"Why did you do it son?" asked Wayne.

"I don't know! I presumed in advance that the whole thing was some kind of lame prank, it was weird to believe that anyone would want to help me." he replied.

"You should apologize to that girl," he said.

"It's too late anyway."

"Maybe not entirely too late?" said Dustin. "She hasn't written us out of the competition yet, she didn't want to do it until Monday, so you still have a chance to show that you care."

"How?"

Then the boy took out his copy of the script from his backpack. "If she sees that you're making an effort and have learned a few lines maybe all is not lost." he said, smiling.

Thus, for the rest of the day, with the help of Dustin and Wayne, Eddie learned his lines by heart. In the evening, when he drove the boy home he still stopped by Family Video. The first time Robin saw him, Steve had to hold her by force to keep her from tearing him to pieces. Only after he apologized and explained why he had come there she calmed down. When he got home, he read the script once again before going to bed, adding in pencil minor corrections that he thought would improve some scenes.

He couldn't get Robin's words about being worse than Jason out of his head. She was right. Your relationship had always been estranged, but he never noticed you following the crowd that tried to make his life miserable day after day. He felt like a complete idiot, he preemptively, unreasonably judged you of all the worst things, without even giving you a chance to show otherwise. He did to you what people have been doing to him from the very beginning, and the worst part is that if Robin hadn't barged in here today, he wouldn't have even noticed. He fell asleep hoping to let him apologize and make things right.

Getting your address was a hard task, but after several phone calls to Dustin and promises and vows never to say a single bad word about you again, finally the boy cracked and said so. Without waiting a moment longer Eddie drove to the indicated place. In the meantime, it began to rain, and even though the path from the street to the door was not long, it rained hard enough to get him wet.

The door was opened by your mother, who looked surprised to see a soaked metalhead on her doorstep. He was prepared that she was about to start yelling that he should get out of there, but to his surprise she smiled slightly.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Good afternoon, uh- Is y/n home? I am Eddie, Eddie Munson." he said stressed while extending his hand. He felt like he was making a complete idiot of himself.

"Are you from her club?" she asked, looking at the sticking-out script in his half-zipped backpack.

"Yes." he replied in almost a whisper.

"Y/n went out to the grocery store, but she should be back soon, you can wait for her inside." She replied and opened the door wider letting him inside. Pulling off his shoes and hanging his wet jacket on the hanger, he walked deeper into the house looking around. "Would you like something to drink?"

"No, thank you." He replied, putting his hands in the back pockets of his jeans. It was all strange, too strange. He felt uncomfortable, completely like he was violating your boundaries. He definitely shouldn't be here though, he didn't see any other way to fix things.

"I'm glad you came, this visit will definitely make her feel better, since she came back from her last rehearsal she has been so awfully sad." The woman sighed, sitting down on the couch.

"She is?" he asked avoiding her gaze. She probably didn't realize that the main reason for her daughter's sadness was standing right in front of her.

"This play was everything to her, I remember the day she came home saying that she had found someone else to be the prince, she was so excited, she couldn't stop repeating that with this boy in the lead role she was sure to success, in her opinion he was a perfect fit." She smiled sadly and shook her head. "I don't know the details, but all I know is that for some reason you have to drop the competition, I've never seen her so disappointed before."

Eddie wanted to collapse to the ground. He was ashamed. He couldn't get over how badly he had behaved toward you, and now standing in your house talking to your mother as if he had done nothing wrong felt even worse. The woman must have sensed his discomfort, because after a moment of silence she asked if he was okay.

"Yeah, sorry, I was thinking." He scratched the back of his neck nervously. "And, uh, I'm here because I have an idea how to fix it, maybe we won't have to give it up."

Her face lit up, but she didn't have time to answer him, because just then you came home. She smiled broadly at the sight of you, but you didn't feel like smiling at all.

"Eddie?" you asked surprised. How did he know where you lived?

"What are you doing here?" you felt your nerves piling up inside you, your last conversation was not one of the best, you didn't think this time could be different.

"I- I came to talk."

"I'm going to Claudia, give your friend some cake later darling, have fun, I'll be back late, bye!" your mother said quickly sensing some tension between you. Wanting to give you some privacy she walked out of the house leaving you alone surrounded by an awkward silence.

"Why are you here?" you asked, unable to bear it any more. You were still not at your best, the whole situation was still hurting you so it was hard for you to pretend to be calm and controlled.

"I came to apologize." he replied sincerely. For the first time he looked at you in a way other than with anger. His big dark eyes even begged for forgiveness. "I acted like an idiot, I really want to apologize," he said.

"Your apology won't change anything Eddie." you replied. Despite the sincerity in his voice, you still weren't sure if you should believe him.

"Here." he said pulling out a script from his backpack and threw it in your direction. "Check me. Ask for any scene - I know them all."

His confidence caught you off guard. Tentatively, you opened the first better scene and slowly read one of Dustin's lines. To your surprise, instead of monotonously reciting from memory, he began to display full theatricality, the kind Dustin always had to mention. In front of you just stood a totally different Eddie, whom you had not yet met. The longer you interviewed him, the more the atmosphere between you softened. It became more and more difficult for you to keep the smile that was on your lips as he played out the scenes without stammering.

"Okay, I must admit that you have prepared very well." you replied no longer hiding your smile.

"So?" He smiled broadly spreading his hands.

"So?" you repeated his question not knowing quite what he meant.

"We don't have to quit!" The glimmer of hope that appeared in your eyes caused a strange warmth in his body.

"Do you really want to?"

"Yeah, 'course I do." he replied, putting his hands in his back pockets. Your reaction almost knocked him off his feet, literally because not being prepared for you to run up and hug him he lost his balance, fortunately you were able to hold you both up.

"Sorry." you said embarrassed. "I got a little carried away."

"No, don't be sorry." he said quietly. When was the last time someone hugged him out of their own free will? He couldn't remember. The feeling of such closeness, which had been foreign to him until then, left behind a nice trace that he focused on as he looked at your red face. He wanted to do it again and this time reciprocate the embrace but quickly gave it up. "I uh- I added a few ideas in the script, what I think we could add or change a little- Not that your idea would be bad, you did a great job here! I just…" he started to panic slightly, because he didn't want to make you upset once again.

"It's okay." you paused him. "We can take a look at it while having a cake?" you suggested.

"Sure." he accepted your proposal with relief.

After you cut the cake, you sat together on the couch and began reviewing the script. You sat close enough to each other that occasionally your knees would touch, including your hands when you accidentally both pointed to a scene at the same time. This always ended in awkward, shy smiles that awakened tiny butterflies in your stomachs.

Trying to ignore it, you tried to focus on Eddie's ideas. Some of them were really good, his creativity really impressed you. All the rumors that his campaigns were some of the best had to be true. Feeling much more confident in his company, somewhere in between you started asking him about them. At first he gave curt and uncertain answers, but when he saw that you were really interested in it he swam away, feeling that he was in his element.

Who would have thought that someday the day would come where the scary and menacing Eddie Munson would be sitting there on your couch laughing with you. As unrealistic as it seemed, it was one of the best moments in recent time, and it didn't look like the end at all. As you ran through the entire scenario, the metalhead took another item out of his backpack.

"At first I thought that as soon as you saw me here you would immediately throw me out the door, but that doesn't change the fact that I also allowed myself a plan B, in case you would show mercy to a fool like me." he said in a dramatic tone. "I thought it would be good to know the original story." He handed you the box with the tape. You quickly took it from him and slid it into the player.

Eddie surprised you even more by completely engaging in what was happening on the screen. You expected jokes and teasing comments on his part, however, none of that happened.

"It's my favorite moment." you said as Belle and Beast started feeding the birds. "This is where everything changes." you said quietly starting to softly sing the song along with the characters.

There's something sweet and almost kind But he was mean and he was coarse and unrefined And now he's dear and so unsure I wonder why I didn't see it there before

She glanced this way, I thought I saw And when we touched she didn't shudder at my paw No, it can't be, I'll just ignore But then she's never looked at me that way before

Your gaze was on the screen, so Eddie took advantage of the moments to look at you. Your hair was slightly messy, and your lips moved gently to form the words of a song that seemed strangely accurate to him. Just a few hours ago he was sure you hated him, now you were sitting as close to him as ever, and every now and then he would catch you sending him soft glances, behind which was something he couldn't quite figure out yet, just like Belle was looking at the Beast.

Feeling his gaze on you, you turned to look at him. You only smiled and then immediately went back to watching. He couldn't help thinking that he wanted to see that smile much more often, and it would be even better if he could be the reason for that smile as well.

"So…Something tells me that the choice of this exact movie was not accidental?" he asked suddenly.

"Do you want to know the selfish truth, or should I just make something up?" you asked, leaning a little closer to him.

"Only and only the truth," he said.

"The truth is simple. It's my favorite. I could watch this movie for hours and would never get bored. Besides, I love the way they showed that everyone deserves a second chance. He was the Beast before he became one and this is where the soul of the hopeless romantic in me comes in…" You chuckled. "Despite how terrible he was to her in the beginning she was still able to see something good in him and helped him find it underneath all that layer of monster. Goodness, respect and warmth from another human being was something foreign, so I'm not surprised he was like that. I think to some extent it was his defense mechanism."

Eddie just nodded, thinking about your words. If the Beast deserved a second chance maybe he did too? In the back of his head, a small voice spoke up, representing a secretive desire for your acquaintance to develop beyond the drama club. "I can't tell you the rest so as not to give spoilers, just watch." you patted his knee and put your hand close to his. If he moved a few millimeters your pinkies would touch. Considering the pros and cons in his head, he once again restrained himself feeling only the strange itching caused by such proximity.

"Wait, that's not in the script." he said when the iconic ballroom scene began. "Why?"

"Oh, you know we'll be competing with very rich schools?"

"Yeah."

"They always have their own bands that play music for their live shows, we unfortunately don't, and playing music from an old, shitty stereo would immediately push us into last place, compared to them. Also, we don't have much choice in costumes, and all the ball dresses that are there are too small or damaged. As for sewing, I only know the basics, I wouldn't be able to fix or remake them." you explained.

A plan was already being born in Eddie's head.

When the movie was over he decided that he had to go. You were surprised by a small sting of disappointment when he said this. When you said goodbye he apologized to you once again and then thanked you for a good time. You did the same.

Returning home, he found Wayne sitting there in front of the TV. Halfway to his room he stopped looking at his old man. He sent him a questioning look, taking a sip of beer from the bottle.

"How- Can you teach me how to dance?" Hearing his nephew's question he choked. He had been able to expect crazy things from him in truth, and this counted among the near impossible. But here they were, in the middle of a small living room, when Wayne in a very clumsy way tried to transfer all his knowledge about slow dancing to Eddie, who also didn't have much experience in it.

The rest of the members were relieved to hear that you are not quitting the competition, Eddie apologized to everyone at the start for his behavior and everything was back on track. The most satisfied with all this seemed to be Dustin. Joy gushed out of him seeing his two favorite people getting along and no one yelling at anyone anymore. Everyone also accepted the changes in the script, which meant that you had to rehearse three times a week instead of two to prepare everything carefully.

You and Eddie spent more and more time together, under the pretext of practicing your roles you met after school sitting either at your house or in his trailer. Your friendship became so ingrained in your life that you couldn't remember what it was like before it. The closer you got to know him, the more different he became from everything people said about him. He was incredibly creative and intelligent, watching his behavior towards Dustin you also saw that he was very protective of his friends, he had a warmth in him that was reserved only for a select few. He showed more of it to you every day, whenever he spotted you in the crowd in the corridor he beamed, quite as if the sun was hidden in his smile.

You were sitting at the table with Robin and Nancy but your thoughts were on the opposite side of the room. You watched Eddie talk about something with Dustin and then with the guys he's in a band with, who nodded their heads. When he raised his gaze and your eyes met he smiled broadly showing dimples in his cheeks and waved at you. You abashedly waved back and quickly turned your head feeling yourself blushing.

"Someone's been caught red-handed." Nancy hummed.

"I can't believe that I almost scratched his eyes out for you and now you're drooling at the sight of him." Robin rolled her eyes.

"I am not!" you protested, feeling even more embarrassed about your situation. "And… he changed."

"I'll need more details to believe what you say." she replied unimpressed. Robin was a great friend and very protective. Not knowing why, you wanted her to have a good opinion about Eddie, too.

"He is very helpful, kind and funny! Whenever I feel we are stuck with something he always helps me, no matter how long it takes. He got very involved in the play, and we spend a lot of time because of that, when you get to know him better, you find out that he is not as scary as everyone says, just the opposite." you tried to defend him.

"Oh my god, Nancy, we lost her." Robin dramatically slumped on the table.

"Being in love is not that bad, Robin." she laughed.

"I am not in love with Eddie!" you whispered aggressively.

"Not yet." Nancy shrugged her shoulders.

"Even if not in love, you have a crush on him. That's disgusting." Buckley perked up, just in time to see Eddie heading toward your table. "Your prince is coming." she said loudly, purposely so he would hear it.

"Buckley, Wheeler." He nodded in their direction. "Y/n." he turned to face you.

"Robin!" shouted Dustin from across the room and waved his hand in a gesture to come over to him. She and Nancy left you alone and moved toward the boy.

"Hi." You said when the metalhead took a seat across from you.

"Hi." he replied. "I'll see you at the rehearsal today?" he asked.

"Of course, why not?" you asked surprised.

"I was wondering… maybe we could take a ride somewhere later?"

"Oh, sure, where?" you replied puzzled.

"It's a surprise, trust me." He winked at you and returned to his table, where he exchanged a few more sentences with Robin. Unfortunately, she didn't want to tell you what they talked about, but you didn't feel like thinking too much about it. There was another thought in your head that made your heart beat twice as fast as it should. Did Eddie Munson ask you out on a date?

As agreed - immediately after the rehearsal you got into his van and drove out of the school parking lot. Nerves and a slight hint of excitement bubbled inside you as Eddie still wouldn't reveal where you were going.

Finally, you pulled into the Trailer Park. While you wondered why he took you to the place where he lived he prayed in his soul that you wouldn't get scared and run away. He knew that people react differently to this place, but he hoped that his whole plan would work. Stepping out of the car, you looked around thinking which trailer might belong to him. He once mentioned that his uncle works night shifts, so if he wanted to be alone with you he wouldn't bring you here now, would he?

"Uh…Eddie? Why are we here?" you asked.

"Oh- you said you couldn't sew the ball dress yourself…" he said exiting the car and walked to the back of it. "So I thought we could do something about it, if you are okay with it of course-"

"But why?" So it wasn't a date. Aside from being disappointed, you felt a little ashamed that you could think such a thing at all, you hoped Eddie wasn't able to see it.

"Just trust me, 'kay?" he asked, taking the pile of old dresses from the theater club you mentioned while watching the movie that evening.

Without a word, you approached one of the trailers he told you to knock on because of his busy hands. The door was opened to you by a short older woman with thick glasses on her nose.

"Eddie! Come in!" she quickly let you inside.

"Mrs. Smith, this is y/n. Y/n this is Mrs. Smith, the best retired dressmaker in Hawkins." he said sending her charming smile.

"Sweet as honey," she laughed. "And look at you! As beautiful as he described." she turned to you winking her eye. "Come on sweetie, we have to measure you."

Still confused without a word you moved deeper into the trailer. The woman took a tailor's tape measure and began to place it on your body, then looked at the dresses Eddie had brought, and when the final vision appeared in her mind she sat down at the sewing machine and got to work. In the meantime, she began to question you about the play, eager to tell her about it, even Eddie excitedly talked about some of the moments he was best at playing. You watched him with a smile on your lips, reminding yourself what a big difference there was between your early days and now. Eddie may not have noticed the warm sparks in your eyes, but Mrs. Smith caught them right away. When the dress was finished you went to the other room to change.

"Oh my god." the woman pressed both hands to her chest. "You look like a real princess darling, come on, look at yourself!" she said excitedly as you came back to the living room.

You approached the mirror with your eyes stuck to the floor, not knowing why you were afraid to lift your gaze and see your reflection. You've never been a fan of your appearance, but now you cared like never to like what you saw.

"Come on sweetheart, don't be afraid." she said putting her hands on your shoulders completely as if she sensed your discomfort.

You took a deep breath and slowly raised your head. The material highlighted your waistline, your cleavage was slightly cut out however in your opinion it was just the right size. The delicate material spread out around you, gently lifting when Ms. Smith told you to turn around. Even though you weren't wearing a proper makeup and your hair was a bit disheveled, the sight that greeted you in the mirror was a positive surprise. You felt beautiful, and for the first time in a very long time you felt the positive boost of your self-esteem fill you from the inside.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

"I feel…pretty." you answered quietly smiling at your reflection in the mirror.

"As you should." she chuckled.

"Thank you so much." In all your delight, you didn't notice that Eddie wasn't in the trailer, the fact that he had left only reached you when he returned to it.

"Well, young man, you were right - your girl looks just like from a fairlytale." she said as he closed the door behind him.

"Oh she is not-" he started to say however when he noticed you in your new outfit the words stopped in his throat. With an open mouth he looked at every centimeter of your body. For a while he had thought you were always looking very lovely, but now that you were standing in front of him in a beautiful ball dress, smiling from ear to ear, with a sparkle of happiness in your eyes he felt enchanted. Suddenly, all the beautiful princesses he had ever read about or created for his campaigns faded next to you. He also immediately knew on whom he would design his next ones.

You weren't the only one who looked fabulous. Eddie also swapped his hellfire shirt and torn jeans for a prince's costume, keeping the two shirt buttons undone, because when he had them buttoned he could feel himself suffocating.

"Now I'm starting to think that you're the Beauty." you joked.

"nu-uh," he shook his head. "No way." His voice was soft and to some extent intimate, easily taking control of you with it, and you eagerly let him. "Now, m'lady…" he bent down in front of you extending his hand. "Please follow me to your chariot."

Giggling you grabbed his hand, said goodbye and thanked Mrs. Smith again, who handed you your clothes and let him lead you to the van helping you get in.

While on the road, he avoided any questions about what else he had come up with. Every now and then, glancing in your direction, he could feel his nerves slowly gathering inside him. He was afraid that what he had planned would be too much, but there was no turning back. Nevertheless, seeing that you were excited instead of scared, he felt a little calmer.

"Why are we at the school?" you asked when you pulled into the parking lot.

"You have to trust me, please." he said getting out of the car and with a quick step he walked over to open the door for you.

"I trust you." you replied jumping out of the van and following him.

"Can you close your eyes?" he asked when you reached the right place. You did as he asked and felt him take your hands in his and begin to lead you forward. He stopped for a moment and you heard heavy door opening, then his hands found yours again. As you entered the room you heard whispers from other people but you still didn't open your eyes not wanting to spoil the surprise. When you finally stopped he said you could open them. +

Baffled you looked with delight at the scenery and decorations that looked almost like from a movie. There was a background painted on a big sheet and all around instead of big school lamps there were candles lighting up, and white Christmas lights hanging from the ceiling. In the corner you noticed his friends from the band, Robin and one girl who played violin in the school band. Everyone smiled in your direction but no one said anything.

"What's going on?" you asked.

"Do you like it?" he asked still not letting go of your hands. He wondered if you could feel him sweating and hoping that you didn't.

"It's amazing!" you said. "But I don't understand."

"Let me show you." He pulled you gently to him and, taking a deep breath, placed one hand on your waist tilting the other slightly positioning you to dance. Later he looked toward the band and nodded.

It all started with the soft sounds of the violin followed by the rest of the instruments and at the very end Robin's voice.

Tale as old as time True as it can be Barely even friends Then somebody bends Unexpectedly

Just a little change Small to say the least Both a little scared Neither one prepared Beauty and the beast

Ever just the same| Ever a surprise Ever as before And ever just as sure As the sun will rise

You let him lead you. Giving yourself over completely to the magic that filled the situation, you wanted to take as much as possible from it. Eddie was internally dying of stress. In his head he was replaying everything as he practiced with Wayne, but his movements were stiff and clumsily, not like his uncle's. Despite the fact that he stepped on you a few times you seemed to pay no attention to it. In that moment only him existed for you. That moment that was too beautiful to be real. Wanting to see that it wasn't fiction you squeezed your hand on his bicep, as you took another step he sent you a questioning look.

"I'm checking if it's not a dream." you replied quietly looking straight into his eyes. You could have killed him with the sincerity he heard in that sentence. In truth it all felt like a dream to you, he could see it in your dreamy expression.

"'s not." he replied gaining a little more confidence, spinning you around and then pulling you close again. Taking advantage of the closeness you leant your head on him still letting him sway you to the rhythm of the song.

Ever just the same Ever a surprise Ever as before Ever just as sure As the sun will rise

Tale as old as time Tune as old as song Bittersweet and strange Finding you can change Learning you were wrong Certain as the sun Rising in the east Tale as old as time Song as old as rhyme Beauty and the beast

Eddie had always been one of those who believed that magic existed. Now he was almost certain of it. Dancing with you in the semi-darkness, knowing that his plan had succeeded and seeing the soft, satisfied smile on your lips, he felt that he could have had anything he wanted - even the whole world. He had never felt like this before, and it definitely had to be due to magic. He saw no other explanation for the soothing warmth he felt in his heart, it just had to be pure magic.

As the song came to an end, he spun you around one last time and, placing his large hand on your back, he paused. Your lips, which he had been trying not to pay attention to for a long time, suddenly became all too noticeable. He wanted to kiss you so bad that moment - maybe if the others hadn't been watching you he would have leaned toward you long ago, but instead he stepped back slightly and looked at you. At how beautiful you looked in that dress, at how your seemingly messy hair added to your loveliness, at how you kept your hands on him without showing disgust or shame. Trying to read the emotion on your face, he saw nothing there but clear admiration, which suddenly frightened him also scaring away any thoughts of a kiss. Coming back to his senses he bowed to you and placed a small kiss on the top of your hand. For that moment, it had to be enough.

Unfortunately, everything beautiful ends quickly, all magic left and fled to its realm the moment someone turned on the light.

"So? What do you think?" an excited Robin ran up to you.

"It was wonderful!"

"Do you think we can add this scene to the script now?" asked Eddie.

"We have to!"

Eddie and you changed into your normal clothes and returned to help clean up the decorations, meanwhile figuring out how you would add everything to the script. After less than an hour, you all left the school. When he spotted Steve in the parking lot, who must have come to pick up Robin, he immediately offered to drive you home, not wanting you to go with them.

You were glad that your friend slowly began to change her opinion of him, after all, she had agreed to help him with everything, so you took that as a good sign.

All the way home you wondered what you should tell him. Everything he has done for you lately has been beyond your wildest expectations. From time to time you opened your mouth to say something, but each time you gave up, quickly turning your head towards the window. As you pulled up in front of the house, Eddie looked at you when once again you were struggling to find the words of any kind.

"You know you can be honest with me, right?" he said quietly, not wanting to sound pathetic. He didn't want to show that all the way through he saw you trying to tell him something. He didn't want to show that there was already a scenario in his mind where you were saying that what he did was an exaggeration and you didn't really like it. His overthinking prompted him to think that you were about to say that it was a bad idea to engage him in your play in the first place.

How perverse life could be? Just a few weeks ago he would have done anything to get rid of this role, now he was afraid of losing it, and with it he was afraid of losing something much more, someone who was becoming a very important part of his life although he didn't yet have the courage to admit it.

"I know." you replied with a sigh.

"If you didn't like it…"

"No! Oh, god no! That's not it." You said quickly turning toward him. "That's all you did for me…It was amazing. No one has ever done anything like that for me, no one has ever made me feel as special as you did today…"

"So what's the problem?"

"I keep thinking what I can say to thank you, but I can't find the words, my brain is suddenly empty." You chuckled nervously.

"Usually 'Thank you' is enough." He replied feeling immensely relieved. There it was again. That boyish smile that appeared in front of your eyes every time you closed them.

Feeling that it still wouldn't be enough, after a moment's thought and the huge reserves of courage you must have gathered in your body, you leaned over the gearbox toward him and kissed him on the cheek. "Thnak you Eddie." you said, gently brushing your lips against his cheek while saying these words. It was like the touch of a ghost, only instead of cold, he felt like he was about to burst into flames.

"You- you're Welcome." he mouthed in shock.

The way you thanked him was more than enough. It made him think that when Eddie went to bed after an eventful day, falling asleep he smiled like a fool while holding his cheek. That was the moment when Eddie Munson realised he was a goner for you.

The last rehearsal before the competition was just a formality, you all put so much work and effort into it, everyone knew their roles inside out, and thanks to Eddie's ideas the whole play became even more beautiful, especially the dance scene which every time made you feel as if you were transported to a fairy tale dimension where only the two of you could fit in.

You were just about to practice it again, but before Robin could sing the first words the door opened with a bang. Half of the basketball team, headed by Jason, walked in.

"Well, well, well!" he shouted looking around with a sneer on his lips, holding a disgusting-looking green smoothie in his hand. "I never thought there would be a day when I'd see Freak dressed in something other than his torn tatters," he said.

"The hell do you want?" you asked walking up to him. You really didn't feel like or have the strength to waste time on him.

"We came to see how you are doing, after all, you will be representing our school," he said.

"Since when do you care about this?"

"Since now." he replied while looking around once again. "And hey- I thought the title was Beauty and the Beast."

"It is." interjected Dusin.

"So where the hell is the Beauty? I only see two Beasts here so far." his comment drew laughter from the rest of his friends.

"That's enough." Said Eddie stepping forward. "Get the fuck out of here and take your minions with you." He pointed with his hand to the door.

"I don't know, I'd really like to see how you do on stage. Also, maybe it's not too late to ask Chrissy if she'd like to play Belle? It seems to me that for this role you need a person who is at least good-looking, and there is no one like that here."

"Serously Jason, just get out of here before you dirty something with your disgusting drink." You tried to be more composed than Eddie. You knew that was his goal, to get some kind of reaction from you. He wanted to see how he would get you guys off balance.

"Hm." he hummed and took a step toward you. "You mean get dirty…like this?" before anyone had time to react his drink landed right on your dress.

The sound of laughter was drowned out by the noise of your own blood and heartbeat. Feeling humiliated you squeezed through them and ran to the bathroom wanting to hide. You quickly grabbed a paper towel, soaked it and tried to wipe off the disgusting stain, unfortunately, whatever was mixed in that smoothie didn't want to come off so easily. Hot tears ran down your cheeks. You were angry, but also sad. Feeling helpless, you leaned against the sink and looked in the mirror. Your reflection had already stopped seeming to please you. Instead, worse and worse adjectives began to come to mind the longer you looked at yourself. Pathetic. That's what you chose as the best description of yourself and how you looked now. That was exactly what Eddie had called you during your last argument. Maybe he was right?

"Y/n!" Robin ran breathlessly into the bathroom. "Oh my god I am so sorry, son of a bitch I will kill him." she said looking at the ruined dress and then your reddened eyes.

"And I will help you." Immediately behind her, Eddie appeared. "I can go do it right now, just say the word." you suddenly felt overwhelmed by his presence. Overwhelmed that he sees you in such an ugly state.

"Did you know this is the girls' bathroom?" asked Robin.

"And do I look like I care right now?" he snapped at her. "Do you want me to go get him?" he returned with his eyes.

"No." You sniffed. "He was right, I don't fit into this."

"No. Stop." His voice was firm but gentle. "Don't say that. I don't know anyone more perfect for this role, don't let that bastard mess with your brain, please."

"You're saying that just to make me feel better."

"No. I'm saying it because I think so." he walked closer to you. "Look at me." he cupped your face in his hands. His heart suddenly lost its connection to his reason. It was now driven only and exclusively by emotion. "You are perfect for this role. Not only because you are so beautiful that I sometimes run out of breath, but because, like Bella, you are damn intelligent, you do everything to pursue your dreams, you care about others, you make everyone around you feel appreciated and happy, you always try to see something good in others even though they don't deserve it." Your face was still in his hands, and with his thumbs he wiped the tears from under your eyes. "I didn't deserve it, but yet you gave me a chance. Carver is not worth your tears. I'm not either, no one is, because you're too good for all of us. For the whole damn Hawkins. You are something more, much more. And never think in anything that you are not good enough. Because you are the best. Perfect."

Somewhere in the process, he moved close enough to you that his forehead rested against yours. You could feel his rapid breath on your skin. You were so close to each other that the urge to kiss you came back even stronger, but he knew this was not the moment to cross that line. He pulled you close with a hug, completely as if he wanted his arms to become a shield and protect you from everything bad. You needed comfort, and you openly accepted the one offered by Eddie by snuggling your face into his chest, listening to the rapid but steady beat of his heart.

From the sidelines, Robin watched you with a fond smile on her lips. In that moment, she finally believed you that he had changed. Until then, she didn't understand where all your admiration for the metalhead came from. Even when he even begged her to agree to sing a song in your play. Only now she saw that someone who had hurt you so much in the beginning was also the person who could make you the happiest in the world.

When you calmed down, you returned to the drama room, where you changed clothes. Ordering a short break, Eddie took advantage of the slow moment and took the dress to the cleaners, hoping they could save it. When he returned you finished the rehearsal, and then each went his own way to prepare mentally in solitude for the performance, from which you are now only two days away.

Doomsday has finally arrived. Despite the stress and nerves, you were all excited. You truly felt like you had a chance to win, after all, everything about your performance had to be at the highest level.

You were the last to perform, so you had a lot of time to watch your competitors, who were unfortunately great. Beautiful decorations and costumes that looked like they came from a real movie set, all too expensive for an ordinary inter-school competition. Although you loved your handmade decorations and costumes, you couldn't stop the thoughts that told you they would never compare to those in the view of others.

When it was finally your turn, you forgot about yourself, replacing your personality with Belle's. In that moment, you didn't exist, just as Eddie Munson didn't exist either. Portraying how your characters were falling in love with each other was the easiest thing in the world. The initial small and shy gestures came naturally, all the lines designed to direct the audience that the Beauty was becoming enamored with the Beast passed easily through your throat. Deep down you knew the reason for this.

During the iconic ballroom dance scene, you didn't have to fake your enchantment at all. You felt the same way every time, and now was no exception, because somewhere during this crazy journey your characters were not the only ones who fell in love with each other. Somewhere under the disguise of a beast, Eddie was sneaking into your heart, and in that moment it occurred to you that his roots were already so deep that there was no turning back. It was certain as the sun rising in the east, that you were undeniably and seriously in love with Eddie Munson. Something between the two of you allowed you to believe that he, at least in a small way, also felt the same.

As the song came to an end you managed to catch a quick glimpse of the audience, your mom, Dustin's Mom and Eddie's Uncle were sitting in the front row, looking very touched and proud.

In the final scene, the Beast was stabbed. In despair, you fell to your knees beside Eddie's body, beginning to sob and beg him not to leave you.

"I can't lose you." you repeated over and over again. It didn't just apply to the show. It was the one that brought you together and it was the one that could separate you. For a long time you had tried to push those thoughts aside, but now that the end was so close you couldn't defend against them. Despite the moments when you had the feeling that the metalhead reciprocated your feelings, you also knew that there was a chance that today could be the last day before he disappeared from your life, so the sadness that accompanied you was a little more real than you wanted it to be.

Suddenly all the lights in the hall went out, Eddie had less than two minutes to get rid of his beast costume, put on his tattered clothes and become a prince. This wasn't difficult either, because with disheveled curls on his head, he looked gorgeous in the light of the colorful spotlights that symbolized the magic of the enchanted rose. Like a real prince from your fondest dreams. You stood motionless staring at him intensely, your brain couldn't keep up with your eyes, you felt yourself getting hot.

"Belle…" he said, extending his hand toward you. You didn't react. Still unable to shake off the excess of emotions that fell upon you in an instant. Seeing this, he decided to improvise. With a slow step, he approached you and gently grabbed your hand and, lifting it up, applied it to his cheek. "It's me."

Forgetting about the rest of the world and the fact that you were now being watched by more than a hundred people you completely drifted off into the moment. "Yes, it's you." you replied smiling and placing your other hand on his cheek. "It's really you." Without waiting for his response, you made one last change in the script. Instead of the usual hug that was in the original version, you kissed him.

However, it wasn't Belle who kissed the prince. It was you kissing Eddie, and moments later, when he got over the shock, Eddie kissed you while wrapping his arms around your waist. Relief, desire, happiness, excitement. If the feelings could be materialized they would look like little fireworks exploding all around you. His warm lips matched yours perfectly, his taste suddenly becoming your favorite. No kiss you had ever experienced in your life equaled this one. Leaning you back slightly, Eddie deepened the kiss one last time before pulling away from you. Looking into each other's eyes you both smiled like dumb fools.

You were brought back to the real world by the thunderous applause you received from the audience, you reluctantly moved away from each other as the rest of the group joined you. Together, all of you, holding hands, bowed and left the stage. Backstage, your loved ones were already waiting for you. Your mother hugged you tightly complimenting you on everything she could, Wayne patted Eddie proudly on the shoulder, and then came up to you with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and handed it to you saying it was the best play he had ever seen. Later, absorbed in conversations with the rest of the members, you didn't have time to talk about what happened between you on stage. Part of you was dying of curiosity to know what he really thought about it, but the other part, the more insecure one, preferred never to bring up the subject anymore fearing rejection.

Finally it was time for the results to be announced, and you stood between Dustin and Eddie, squeezing their hands tightly as the jury announced its verdict. Unfortunately, the magic you felt on stage did not reach them and you got second place. You were disappointed, but that was not the reason that worried you. Even so, you were proud of you guys, in your mind you were the winners. What weighed on your heart was Eddie's behavior, who as soon as he heard the results completely died down. He silently helped clean everything up, trying to avoid contact with you, finally saying only a quiet "Bye." And together he and Wayne drove home. You went over this scenario in your head a thousand times, but you would never have expected everything to end so rapidly and unexpectedly.

You spent the night staring at the ceiling and analyzing your entire friendship from beginning to end, was the magical feeling just a figment of your imagination? Did you interpret everything wrong? Why once again were you about to lose something you cared so much about?

For a whole week Eddie avoided you like the plague. You still couldn't get over it, and even worse was the missing him. Whenever he spotted you in the hallway he immediately changed direction and looked away. You knew that kissing him would be crossing a boundary to some extent, but you didn't expect that this will be the result. You thought that at least you would be able to talk about it. You also didn't understand why he reciprocated it then, why he was smiling from ear to ear immediately afterwards and everything was fine until the results were announced. Was he disgusted with you and what had happened?

"If you want I'll go talk to him again, but I don't promise to be nice." said Robin seeing your sad sight of the wounded puppy that followed his silhouette in the corridor.

"No. I'll go this time." you sighed, promising yourself that this would be the last time you would dare to look into those chocolate eyes that you now dreamed of at night.

Not wanting to face rejection in the middle of the school hallway, you waited patiently until the end of class. Unfortunately, somewhere in the middle of the day Eddie completely disappeared from the area, so determined you immediately set off on foot towards the trailer park. Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating with your quest. Halfway there, cold and heavy raindrops started to fall from the sky. The thought crossed your mind that you should turn back, but your determination did not allow you to do so. Soaked and cold, with mud on your shoes and the bottom of your jeans, you arrived at your destination, looking around. Oh well. You had no idea which trailer belonged to the Munsons, anyway. Stupid. Stupid. You stupid idiot. You scolded yourself in your mind. Your hair stuck to your face interfering with your clear vision. But what did you really want to see? Wandering between the trailers, you noticed his car. It was standing in such a place that you didn't know which trailer you could attach it to.

"Jesus Christ, kid!" you heard a familiar voice from behind you immediately turning to him. "Come inside!" Wayne opened the door wide and, splashing your feet on the ground, you ran to the trailer.

When you stepped inside you were hit by a pleasant wave of warmth, and after a moment a soft, dry towel that the man took out for you from a cabinet that was located in a small hallway.

"Thank you." you said quietly instantly wiping your head.

"The hell are you doin' here in this weather?" he asked, walking over to the stove and grabbing the kettle. "I'm gonna make you some tea to warm you up."

"I wanted to talk to Eddie." you said quietly while covering your face slightly with a towel. You must have looked ridiculous, Wayne must have thought you had lost your mind.

At the same time Eddie was lying on his bed with his walkman diving into the world of music listening to the saddest songs he could find in his collection. For a week you had not left his thoughts even for a second, and the memory of your kiss haunted him at the absolute least opportune moments. The touch of your lips left a permanent mark on him and a void that could not be filled by anything else. He couldn't get out of his head the small, sweet sound that involuntarily emerged from the back of your throat when he reciprocated the kiss. When he closed his eyes he could see the happiness that was painted on your face and how your eyes sparkled in the spotlight. It was all too good to be true. The moment he heard the verdict and saw the disappointment on your face he knew it was over. That you probably didn't want anything to do with him anymore, after all, it was because of him that you didn't win. It was his fault, he let you down and didn't know how he could look you in the face any longer after that.

Lying on his side and staring at the wall he was cut off from the real world when he felt a cold hand on his shoulder. Surprised and slightly frightened, he broke off sitting down on the mattress with even more disbelief looking at you soaked in the middle of his room. Had he fallen asleep and it was his imagination playing tricks on him now? He began to blink rapidly, but when you still did not disappear, he pinched his arm.

"Eddie I am real." you said seeing his behavior.

"What are you doing here?" he asked pulling off his headphones.

"I came to talk."

"About what?"

"About that kiss." he only nodded tightening his lips into a thin line, mentally preparing himself to hear how much you regret it. You gave him a moment to respond but he didn't, so you just continued. "I know I shouldn't have. I know I basically did it without your permission, and you may feel bad about it, you have a right to." you sighed. "I was just thinking- Actually I don't know what I was thinking, at that moment the only thing I could focus on was how much I wanted to kiss you. I got carried away, it all looked so magical, you looked so magical that my common sense stopped working." You breathed heavier and heavier feeling the lump in your throat grow. "I'm really sorry for all this and I'll understand if you don't want anything to do with me anymore. Just please tell me about it, because this silence and constant second-guessing of everything is killing me, I miss you Eddie and even if you don't reciprocate my feelings I would still like to have you in my life as a friend, but if you don't even want that… I will understand too."

It definitely had to be a dream. Or he must have smoked one too many joints and was now hallucinating. Whatever was happening now couldn't be real. You couldn't be real. You were too good. Too good for someone who destroyed your dreams.

"Say something Eddie, please." your quiet voice went straight to his heart. The heart you had long had at your fingertips.

"You came all the way out here, in a downpour, to tell me that, you wanted that kiss?" he asked getting up from the bed and walking over to you.

"If I didn't want it, I wouldn't have done it," you said.

"I thought it was you who didn't want to know me."

"But- why?"

"We didn't win because of me."

"Oh, Eddie." you bridged the gap between you by grabbing his hand. "Even though we didn't win the competition I thought I won something much better."

"What?"

"My own prince." You smiled softly.

This time he was the first to kiss you. This time the kiss was soothing, healing all the wounds of insecurity that had been bleeding inside you for the past week.

"Beauty and the Freak, huh?" he asked against your lips, smiling.

"No." you kissed him again.

"Beauty and the Beast?" he asked once again with teasing tone.

"Nope." another kiss.

"Then what?"

"Eddie and y/n." you whispered while hanging your arms around his neck.

"My favorite version." he hummed and snuggled his face into the bend of your neck.

"Hey kids, sorry to bother you, but the tea is ready." said Wayne peeking into the room. Seeing you two hugging he smiled broadly. "About damn time." he commented. "Now for the love of God give her some dry clothes before she gets cold!"

"Oh shit- yes." He walked quickly to the closet looking for something suitable in it. At that moment you were so hot that you completely forgot about how soaked you were. Happiness was working on you like a little internal furnace, but you gladly accepted one of his Hellfire shirts and his old PE shorts.

"You can call your mother and tell her you're staying with us for dinner, then Eddie will give you a ride home." the old man said disappearing behind the door.

As you left the room your attention was caught by a small piece of paper with a drawing on it. On it was a princess in a beautiful dress, strangely similar to you.

"What's that?" you asked, picking it up.

"Uh-oh…" Eddie began to blush. "It's a new character for my campaign."

"Looks nice." you chuckled.

"I had a very good inspiration." he laughed nervously.

"Will you tell me about her?"

"I'll tell you about anything you want."

"Sounds like a plan."

taglist: @i-me-mine @phantypurple @tlclick73

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dropintomanga · 3 months

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We Would Not Be Here Without Akira Toriyama

I am sad and emotionally wrecked right now. We lost a legend that changed everything.

Akira Toriyama, who's famous for Dragon Ball and working on other properties like Dragon Quest, passed away at the age of 68 this March. It sucks because we're celebrating 40 years of Dragon Ball.

Dragon Ball Z was my gateway into anime fandom when I was a 5th grader literally 30+ years ago. Way before Toonami, I watched a Cantonese-dubbed episode of DBZ at a friend's place and became slowly hooked ever since then. Chinatown in New York City at the time was filled with Dragon Ball Z merchandise. Posters, toys, wall scrolls, video games, trading cards, etc. You name it, it was there. DBZ fandom wasn't as mainstream back in the early-to-mid '90s as it is now, but there was something. Especially for me.

I also remember my first time using the internet at a public library in 1999 and one of the first sites I visited was a GeoCities fan site about DBZ. That's how I found out about the original manga. My first manga purchase was Dragon Ball Z Volume 1 by VIZ Media in 2003 and it was a big-sized volume that was priced at $14.95 at the time.

Dragon Ball Z also got me closer to one of my younger cousins during the Toonami years and we formed a bond over anime since that time. I would play make-shift DBZ scenarios with him when he was little. I had Dragon Ball Z figures at the time. When I think about those days, I realize that it's those moments that count especially when kids are dealing with so much competitive stressors that don't encourage play.

I know everyone has their favorite Dragon Ball characters, but my favorite character ever is Vegeta. I wrote a whole bunch of articles about him through the years. One of my top posts ever was about growing up with Vegeta. And that was written 13 years ago.

At the time, I felt similar to Vegeta. I have this very lone wolf-ish disposition despite appearing friendly to a lot of people. I'll admit that I have softened a lot over the years. I don't have as much pride as Vegeta does as of late. But the thing about Vegeta lately is that he's a much different character than in the past. If you follow the Dragon Ball Super manga, you know what I'm talking about.

And then I realize I've grown up alongside Vegeta for 3 decades. It's surreal. Part of me feels like I haven't changed all that much like he has, but I have grown up in ways that I wouldn't have expected.

Which leads me to this - if it weren't for Dragon Ball Z, I wouldn't have gotten into anime. I wouldn't have gotten to explore other series beyond it. I wouldn't have gotten into manga. I wouldn't have met friends in fandom in my '20s. I wouldn't have fallen deep into the JRPG abyss. I wouldn't have gotten into Yakuza/Like a Dragon afterwards. I wouldn't have gotten into Japanese mahjong as a result of that. Dragon Ball Z started a chain effect that's still sending ripples to me to this day.

Akira Toriyama provided a introduction for me and everyone looking for something different into the world of Japanese pop culture. He is Cool Japan to me. Toriyama got so many people to see how wild, imaginative, fun, and inspiring Japanese pop culture media was. It's arguable that Toriyama had a much bigger impact on overseas fandom than Osamu Tezuka.

A lot of people involved in anime and manga would not be here if not for Toriyama. I want us to acknowledge that. I know I have. He was a game-changer or should I say, a world-changer for everything related to the perception of anime and manga globally.

Rest in peace and power, Toriyama-sensei! You will never, ever be forgotten!

#Akira Toriyama #Dragon Ball #manga #anime #pop culture #RIP #fandom #anime culture

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ziseviolet · 1 year

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Secondly, I have heard that as traditional fashion gets more and more popular, there is an increasing amount of fake/knockoff clothes sold online, is there a way to distinguish between them, so we can buy hanfu from official brands and support the designers and dressmakers for their hard work.

Hi, thanks for the question, and sorry for taking ages to reply!

Yes, that's correct -- knockoffs (known as 山寨/shanzhai in Chinese) have long been, and still are, a huge problem for hanfu vendors. It's often difficult and confusing to tell the difference between original hanfu and shanzhai hanfu.

I highly encourage everyone to do some research before buying hanfu to make sure that your purchase goes towards supporting the original brand/designer, as opposed to a counterfeiter. Without that financial support, it's very likely for original brands and designers to close shop, especially in the extremely competitive hanfu market.

Based on personal observation, below are some red flags that may signify that a hanfu shop or item is a knockoff - or at least not from the original brand/designer. Note that these refer mainly to Taobao shops because Taobao is the platform I'm most familiar with:

Examine the merchandise. Shops that offer an assortment of non-hanfu related products (e.g. mainstream contemporary fashion, household items) in addition to hanfu, are usually not original hanfu brands. Authentic hanfu brands typically only sell hanfu and related items such as modified hanfu & hanyuansu, hanfu accessories, and occasionally other types of Chinese clothing (e.g. qipao/cheongsam, Qing dynasty-style clothing).

Examine the photos. If a shanzhai shop doesn't outright steal product photos from the original brand, it may retake photos of the clothes using different models. These models and photos are usually very generic and low-effort. Original hanfu brands typically put more creativity and effort into styling models and designing photoshoots for promotional photos.

Examine the prices. If a hanfu's price seems too good to be true, it usually is. It's likely to be a knockoff - or at least of lower quality than expected. This isn't always the case, as some original hanfu are hugely discounted, and some knockoffs inflate their prices. However, you get what you pay for, and I'd avoid super cheap hanfu if you want to ensure authenticity.

More tips from @bamboocounting: "you can check the storefront to see if the store has been running for a time that matches when it’s founded, for older famous stores, and check the number of reviews for some more popular items (like Shisanyu regularly has hundreds of reviews for some sets)."

In addition, @fouryearsofshades mentioned here that there's an official account on WeChat called 汉服安莉 that can be used to check if a shop is authentic. My dms are also open if you need assistance with checking whether something is authentic - I'll do what I can to help ^^

If anyone has additional advice, please share!

Hope this helps!

(Hanfu photo via)

#hanfu #store #taobao #hanfu recommendations #reference #ask #reply #chinese fashion #chinese clothing #china

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froldgapp · 8 months

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We Need a Hero. Ladybug Ain't It

In a July 2023 interview for the Guardian, creator of the Bechdel test, Alison Bechdel, bemoaned the toothless response from big media properties to demands for more complex female leads:

Is it dismaying that so many films continue to fail the test?

What’s really dismaying now is the way so many movies cynically try to take shortcuts and feature strong female characters – but they just have a veneer of strength and they’re still not fully developed characters.

I won't argue that Marinette/Ladybug isn't developed, but rather, that in Astruc's pursuit of a Strong Female Lead, we have a character whose strength, agency, wit, grief and elation, is most often at the expense of the cast around her.

We see this most clearly in her relationship with Adrien/Chat Noir. Here is a boy who is controlled, neglected, (arguably) abused, lied to, used, and weaponised by his sole guardian; his father. This has resulted in a sheltered and naive character who canonically has a desperately conditional understanding of love and loyalty. Most if not all of the displays of love Gabriel shows Adrien rest not on Adrien the person, but on Adrien the asset. His life is not his own, and as is revealed in very literal terms in Season 5, nor is his body.

The Gabriel and Adrien dynamic echoes through the Marinette and Adrien relationship. We are shown, explicitly in canon, that Marinette doesn't really know Adrien. He's a heartthrob and she understandably has a crush on him. But while in later seasons she casts aspersions at his army of adoring fans who go to any length to be close to him, she herself is clearly no better. Evidence says she's much worse actually. She takes astounding liberties with his day to day life, she lies to get closer to him, she polices his relationships with specifically other female characters, she delights in his sadness as seen in Glaciator 2:

Marinette: Oh, Adrien! Fancy seeing you here! And you look so sad, that's good!

Marinette as hero even abuses her position as Ladybug to break into his room, rifle around his things and even sniff his pillow. The show seems to make some attempt to explain away her behaviour in Derision by telling us that, in fact, Marinette does all this because she is the wounded party. Even if we accept for the moment that Derision wasn't a lazy retro-justification in service of Marinette's poor behaviour, her trauma does not trump Adrien's right to privacy.

Except, in-show, anything Marinette wants or needs trumps anything anyone else wants or needs, including Adrien–her ostensible partner. Adrien feels left out? Actually, this is more stress for Ladybug. Adrien dates Kagami? Actually this is competition for Marinette. Adrien is locked in a near-sensory deprivation chamber by his super villain father and feels forced to relinquish his miraculous? Actually this is bad news for Marinette.

If she's a hero, then she's one that comes with a price–one far beyond what I'm willing to accept as audience. I want a flawed hero. I don't want perfection. But equally, I don't want to be force fed the notion that this girl's dominant flaw is being a clutz. We get a few brief glimpses into the cost of her controlling behaviours but generally we suffer almost the entire cast telling us she is the Most Wonderful and Supreme Being That Has Ever Existed, all this while she consistently excels within the narrative through the diminishment of others. Need we remember her acing the gamer competition having never displayed a previous interest? How she surpasses even Joan of Arc in all matters miraculous?

Marinette the knight and Adrien the supposed Princess in the Tower: on paper the concept is a little tired but interesting, worth exploring. The role reversal that Astruc aimed for fell short though, and what we have instead is a role amplification. As I write, I struggle to think of a piece of media where the romantic interest has been quite so violated, lied to, limited and enfeebled.

Why did Bechdel's quote ring so true with how Marinette/Ladybug is drawn? That I feel cheated. That the potential for greatness was there, but instead we have a character who from a slightly different angle looks like a hero from wow-heroes-are-jerks juggernaut, The Boys.

I hope Season 6 interrogates Marinette's issues of control and denying agency more. I hope we see consequences beyond what is now a tedious series of panic attacks from Marinette when she's caught short. I hope real contrition and growth are modelled and that real, impactful, damaging character flaws aren't swept away by a cloud of narrative magical ladybugs.

#mlb salt #ladybug salt #chat noir #ml salt #mlb meta #adrien agreste #ladybug #marinette

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seat-safety-switch · 2 years

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Are you familiar with the concept of a “loss leader?” In it, stores will sell their products below their own cost, in order to convince you to come in the store. While you’re there, the theory goes, you’ll buy some more shit. Those screw-heads have a whole model for just where they should put the super-expensive bags of chips next to the super-budget jars of pickled hot dogs in order to convince you to crack open your wallet.

Inflation’s really bad right now. Folks are spending more than ever, with wages worth less than ever, on tiny tiny portions of food. Skipping out on meals. Some of them are even buying all-season tires. This just won’t do, so I started a new grocery store chain, using the power of my boss not noticing his credit card is gone. In our new grocery store, SwitchMart, we sell only the loss leaders of the other assholes’ stores. We make a little profit, to keep the lights on and my desk drawer full of magazines about nitrous oxide, but you’ll show up and be assured that you’re paying the lowest price without having to waste money on champagne-expensive gas to drive all over town and price-match.

What about the items that aren’t loss leaders, like... everything else in the grocery store? This is where the real genius comes in. We have formed a union of highly-trained, professional shoplifters, and we just let them run a train on our competition. This drives our prices even lower: we can pay our “stocking technicians” very well, cover their bail, and provide legal assistance. The other guys are not only buying the ground beef that shows up in our store, but also hiring security guards who are ultimately powerless to stop a coordinated and expert-level theft ring. Plus, they make sure to only lift the good stuff. You won’t see any bruised produce here, unless it happens when the cops catch up to one of the slower stockboys in the parking lot.

Our opponents will cry that we are benefiting from the proceeds of crime, that our techniques are uncompetitive. Here at SwitchMart, we have a name for that: loser speak. They’ll run to their corrupt local politicians, whose families are shopping at our grocery stores, in order to save money for their skyrocketing coke habit. And those politicians know exactly what happens if they shut off our little operation: no more performance radials on the S-Class. You might as well just ziptie some butter around the wheels. Butter, by the way, is half price this weekend, only at SwitchMart.

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ywpd-translations · 1 year

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Ride 724: After the qualifiers

Pag 1

1: Yeah

It suits you!

2: You knowk, a robbon with summer clothes...

Where should we go have lunch?

3: No, Naruko-san was like this, teh!

The way Imaizumi-san was swinging his bike was incredible too!!

4: He was so much faster than during practice! It felt like he was flexing and bending his huge body!!

5: Naruko-san's low posture and speed was like a rocket, teh!!

6: Ahhh... that race made me lose my mind

Yeah... it was super hard, but....

Pag 2

1: That was really....

Pag 4

1: Overwhelming, teh!!

Pag 5

1: Yeah!!

“The Inter High representative is decided”

“It's Sohoku high school....”

2: It was so cool, teh...!!

Yeah!! Yeah!!

But for a moment I thought Imaizumi-san would win

That's because Naruko-san was mere seconds behind Imaizumi-san and so he was protected from the wind and could rest his legs

Huh!? Really!? He did sucha thing while running at that speed?

3: I don't really get it, but as expected from the winner of the first years' race!!

Well, yeah!! Yeah, I won

Pag 6

1: “You brokethrough the qualifiers, now next is the national competition”

“Congratulations, Roku-chan”....

“Amazing”....

2: I thought of calling out to him, but

It looks like he's getting along well with Kinaka

3: I kinda wanna jump in on their conversation

Yeah....

And the interview after that, too!

Yeah, but tyhe stage and thye mic...

5: We'll watch over him?

Yeah, alright

Pag 7

1: Roku-chan, who got there before us

….. yeah

4: The dream of participating in a national competition

5: Let's do it, somehow, in the next two years

…. yeah

Pag 8

1: Huuuh.. !?

A training camp!?

2: Starting from early next week

We asked you to come here during lunch break to prepare for that

On... what a fresh reaction!!

3: We have to load a lot of things in the car!

Ehhh.. isn't the training camp held here?

4: It's so fresh indeed, first years are so cute

It's a certain place

Where will we go? Yeah, where are we going, teh

5: And the practice menu is hell....

Pag 9

1: Nii-chan!! Nii-chan

Ah, you're right, you're right

2: I'oll tell the first years, so please don't tell them – they'll be like “huh- 1000km!?”

Every year, hearing the first years' reaction is the climax haha

Got it, got it- “every year”?

3: It's a secret

4: Ohhh... it's going to last four days?

It says we have to0 run 1000km

How much is 1000km?

5: Whose are those leaflets?

Ah... Onoda-san made them so it would be easy to understand... so he said

Ehhh

Sorry.... Kaburagi

Pag 10

1: Can you come to the training camp?

Danchiku

Pag 11

3: You've been following a different practice menu these days, and even though you say” I'm fine, it's nothing” when I ask you...

4: What are you talking about?

You didn't even come to the qualifiers

5: That's because I had to look after the other first years' practice...

It's been bothering me for a while

6: That.... that's just.... ah, in just a short while...

It's just muscular pain!! So I asked Onoda-san for a different practice menu

How long is a short while

Pag 12

2: “Since after last autumn's race on Minegayama”

“My joints have been hurting”

3: Well, you know... not that much

4: This is the price.... for sure

5: Even though I practiced

6: Because somehow I ended up winning

Pag 13

1: In a big tournament that attracts the attention of the prefecture!!

And moreover, against Hakogaku's Shinkai Yuuto....!!

2: But maybe it's going to heal soon

It'll heal heal soon

3: The pain is fading!!

Mybe it's going in a good direction!!

4: Danchiku.... that “muscular pain”

5: My bad feeling about it started last year

6: After the race on Minegayama

Issa!!

….!? Issa's intuition, more than anyone....!!

Pag 14

1: Onoda-san said that they'll choose the definitive team members at the training camp

If you don't come to the training camp you won't become a member for sure

3: If you come and don't run, it's the same

5: In Team SS... our “special strong” wqas aiming for results in the Inter High

Pag 15

1: Next yeaqr it'll be too late because I'pll become captain and be busy

Cap.....

He'll become captain?.... he alreqady decided.... on his own accord?

To run freely in the Inter High, it has to be this year!! As second years

It can only be this year!!

2: And also, I can't do it alone

6: The reason for you bad condition

Go to the hospital and get it checked

7: And come tell me the results right away!!

Pag 16

1: See ya

2: Issa!!

5: I'll come to the training camp!!

I'll stand on the start line and run together with you!! That's my intention!!

Pag 17

1: I'll do everything I can!!

No matter what the final result is!!

3: Thank you, Danchiku. I wanted to hear those words today

4: Do your best

7: Issa.... I.... I already went so many times to the hspital

Pag 18

1: But I was told that “it's nothing”

2: It should be nothing, but I feel so uncomfortable on my bike, and I don't have much time

My body, too

3: I feel a dull pain

4: So I feel helpless.....!!

Pag 19

2: On!! Teru- nii-chan!!

3: I don't really understand math, help me please

6: Pfui

7: 49.... 50....

Pag 20

1: Yeah, math? Alright, Sadatoki

The training camp is close, so....

2: With bikes, you have to hold the handles, so the strength in your upper body is also important

All skillful cyclists can use their upper body well

3: The team members will be chosen during training camp, so I have to do what I have to do

In order to become the sixth member

4: The sixth....!!

He's sweating so much.... on

5: I'll run with Imaizumi this year

It's the last Inter High after all

#yowamushi pedal #yowapeda #yowamushi pedal manga #yowapeda manga #yowamushi pedal spoilers #yowamushi pedal translations #ride 724 #so #how about a team of 8 people?#sorry but i NEED ALL OF THEM ON THE TEAM #BOTH KINAKA AND ROKU-CHAN BC IM GONNA RIOT IF THEYRE NOT BOTH ON THE TEAM #AND SUGIMOTOOOOO PLS WATANBE LET HIM HAVE HIS DREAM COME TRUEEEE #AND DANCHIKUUUUU NOOO WHY DID YOU HAVE TO MAKE ME CRY!! HE DESERVES TO BE ON THE TEAM WITH KABU!#also kabu's ' i cant do it alone'??????#watanabe started this chap in the cutest way possibloe and then chose violence OKAY #training camp is gonna make us suffer SO MUCH are we ready?#(no we're not)

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aftersamu · 1 year

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HAIKYUU BOYS AS [MODERN] HIGH SCHOOL BOYS a/n: i'm talking about a level of realism that has been ignored for so long, but super accurate because i am in high school and i know everything. keep in mind, they are teenage boys! they're not angels! they're evil incarnate.

ATSUMU ➢ the guy who carries around the speaker it's the big jbl speaker with the strap. always playing drake, uzi vert, carti, the weeknd, or 21 savage – sometimes there's a sprinkle of UK drill or afro beats. on the way to class there's always something playing.

HANAMAKI ➢ the guy who never shows up we all question how he managed to graduate. the last time he's attended a full week of school was when he was 15. he skips days on end, and shows up on his study hall days.

MATSUKAWA ➢ the plug he's stocked up. disposable vapes, e-liquid, cigarettes, weed. whatever his friends, or underclassmen needs, he's got. he pockets all his lunch money, is not stingy with prices, but always has the best flavours.

SUNA ➢ always late to class he walks slow. in the morning, he takes a detour around the school showing up 25 minutes late and blames it on the bus. always late to exams, and teachers have given up on him.

KUROO ➢ the whore he pulls, and is famous for it. a sort of playboy with charm but bad pick-up lines and doesn't know how to flirt. it's amazing how he gets by with the lack of game.

YAMAGUCHI ➢ the guy who gets adopted by a group of girls there's always one. it's a group of girls that have made him their own, he gets invited to the girls nights in, he knows all the gossip and drama. he watched pen15 when he was younger, and now realised how accurate it is.

IWAIZUMI ➢ dry as fuck don't try to talk to this guy. he doesn't speak unless you're close friends. he's super quiet and just kind of stares. he is dry as fuck, there's no way anyone – other than the bros – can have a proper conversation with him.

OIKAWA ➢ takes P.E / gym too seriously we get it! you like sports, but calm the fuck down. when people find out they're sharing a class with him, they groan and dread it. he's too competitive for his own good and easily becomes the enemy.

AKAASHI ➢ the IB student. complains about work load and getting a five on his summative. hates CAS but consistently meets expectations, wrote his extended essay in a night. says he needs to study but spends more time partying on the weekends. he can be an academic and still be a normal (popular) high school guy, remember that.

#sorry not sorry #this is accurate #haikyuu!!#haikyuu #hq #haikyuu scenarios #haikyuu headcanons #hq headcanons

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