Tumgik
#wow look at these nerds in love
chromaherder · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
"Maybe I'm amazed at the way you love me all the time Maybe I'm afraid of the way I love you Maybe I'm amazed at the the way you pulled me out of time You hung me on a line Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you"
haven’t been the same since seeing this post
3K notes · View notes
enceladian · 2 years
Photo
Tumblr media
Super excited to be tackling @tolkienrsb this year!! (As if I could pass up on an excuse to force someone to write fluffy Fëanor/Nerdanel fic for me, hah.) @ladygavroche has been amazing to work with over this summer, and it’s been so much fun watching the fic come together along with the art - I’m really looking forward to y’all getting to read it too because I’ve been getting sneak peeks and it’s a delight :D
This year’s collection will open on September 9th - expect a working link to the fic itself in the next little while!
97 notes · View notes
angelhummel · 5 months
Text
obsessed with my silly lil au that's simmering away in my brain and torn between just laying out all the details in random tumblr posts and shutting up and actually writing something about it alsjflksdfs i wish i could write quicker i wish i could draw at all i wish it were easier
3 notes · View notes
toonfinatic · 1 year
Text
People need to stop calling every sighthound a borzoi!! That greyhound is Not A Borzoi! That saluki is Not A Borzoi! That silken windhound is Not A Borzoi and that whippet especially is NOT A Borzoi!!!!!!
9 notes · View notes
jrueships · 2 years
Text
Media Day Maxey !!!!
#at first it looked like he was wearing a pearl necklace and i got excited like WOW maxey rlly wishin us a happy pride!#BE WHOO YOU AREEEE 🗣 🎶 🎵!!!!!#i cannot believe he woke up in the morning called his mom tried 2 eat a good breakfast meditated#then picked out that outfit to wear.#he was struggling between TWO pants he RLLY wanted to wear those matching rich people nerd shirt n shoes like!!!#the bracelets <33#HIS LIL WAVE N '😺😺 buh byee !!😸😸' HES SO CUTE#marcus' faint off mic hey baby or smthin baby lol#dwhite Standing like the awkward deer he is#imagine being a spur and now u are in the finals.... crazy#glad hes doin well <3#maxeys socks lol#poole trying to touch maxeys moob and maxey immediately interferring with a moob hand shield#HE JUST WANTED TO SEE THE LIL POLO SIGNATURE MAXEY 😭!! he wasnt trying to objectify u !!!!#'the CAADDY yall see him??' maxey: 😸😸 *COVERS IT#no we DONT see him because maxey HIDES him!!!#maxeys arm hair dots 😭 embiid wont shake his hand bcs it gives him trypophobia#i think marcus said 'lets go baby'#the awkward wiggins sighting#i love how all of maxeys interviews are just him trying his best to look like a good future candidate for an nba media job#and everyone else being in love with maxey#honestly! so true !!#the little mention how he wishes he could be participating in the finals 😭#maxey bein MANHANDLED in that handshake and poole was only using 2% of his power WOW#watched like 2 seconds of one maxey interview and he said smthin sus but 😭 he tried his best !!!!!#i think he would make an AWESOME nba interviewer etc and this is NOT a biased opinion at ALL (lying#maxey
21 notes · View notes
protaetia · 1 year
Text
🐞
3 notes · View notes
bluegarners · 1 year
Note
(Gives you a Massive Hug)
It’s gonna okay buddy
I’m here for you
Tumblr media
5 notes · View notes
astrxealis · 1 year
Text
good morning (uh. afternoon) fuuta's songs on repeat once again <3
#⋯ ꒰ა starry thoughts ໒꒱ *·˚#⋯ ꒰ა milgram ໒꒱ *·˚#haruka's songs r the easiest for me to repeat bcs there's smth so... 'timeless' about them to me?#idk how to explain. but it's really chill. i get a bit more tired after a while w fuuta but less now bcs more variety (aka 2 more songs)#+ i'm literally obsessed w his voice and sometimes i pay attention sometimes i don't and it's often. refreshing too with that said#haruka's songs give me such a sense of familiarity of sorts though... i think. and then mikoto's are very just wow <3#LOOK idk how to explain but i love those three especially. i love everyone though#but fuuta has me obsessed most. and i'm sure mikoto when his 2nd trial stuff releases <3 ily haruka but you're like that#uh. uh. i think he heard me /lh his song came up........... bcs i forgot to turn on repeat and i didnt turn off the autoplay other songs#haruka baby i'm sorry JHWAJDHG ILY though yeah his songs give more 'familiarity' so yeah. it's also very refreshing#part of me feels like i'll never get tired of listening to milgram#AS A WHOLE I MEAN. ofc if it's the only thing i listen to that isn't the best LMFAO#a bit ago i returned to my habit of listening to random songs (mostly ffxiv or octopath) and just smiling and being a nerd#and then when i get bored quickly (by which i mean i have the urge to skip the song) and then whoosh next song#kinda missed doing that. although it can get time-consuming and then my imagination goes into overdrive and i lose track of time. oops
4 notes · View notes
ladsofsorrow24 · 2 years
Text
when you accidentally realized you and your favorite artist used the same brush in csp...
Tumblr media
2 notes · View notes
cobble-stone-butch · 3 months
Text
Im gay because I love women but I’m butch because I got gender euphoria from my hockey equipment as a teenager and became hooked
0 notes
babeondemand · 1 year
Text
been with this blog for 10 years and i’ve pretty much only ever reblogged shit. time to actually start dumping some posts here, eh?
0 notes
pierregazly · 1 month
Text
the bookworm ꨄ george russell smau
george russell x bookworm/writer!reader
the one where george couldn't be prouder to call you his, even if it seems like the whole world hates you just for doing what you love... even if they don't know the whole truth.
Tumblr media
georgerussell63
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
tagged yourusername
liked by yourusername, alex_albon, f1wags, and others
georgerussell63 enjoyed the time off! would never complain about spending time with my best friend, time to get back into things 💪🏎
view all comments
username gotta go check off 'george posts shirtless pics during off szn' on my bingo card
username gotta go check off 'yn cares more about her own hobby than her bf' on my bingo card
username girl you got issues with books? can't read?
alex_albon bad hair day? or are hats your new thing
yourusername tried to convince him to go with the bucket hat, but he claims 'all the kids are wearing caps babe'
username girlypop can't even enjoy a holiday with george without being focused on anything other than him??
username he's literally NECKING her in one of the photos?????? do you want her to koala hold him everywhere???
username future wdc russell george and his future writer wife frfr
username 1/2 of these things are probably true and we both know it's not the second lol
yourusername spoiling me always, my handsome handsome man 💗
georgerussell63 wouldn't have spent the last few weeks with anyone else (even if you kick me in your sleep nightly)
username do you think yourusername pictures george as the main male character in any of the books she reads???
username if i can picture him in fanfiction, im sure she pictures him in everything else???
gisèlerosebooks
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
liked by yourusername, lilymhe, username, and others
gisèlerosebooks first time being on any device since my trip with my favourite person ended. the love on collided continues to amaze me, and i'm so extremely honoured to continuously receive so much love from not only the reading community, but many of the formula 1 faithful as well. this is NOT the end of the journey, either. for now, let the formula 1 season begin... and maybe find me at a race or two? 🤭
view all comments
gisèlerosebooks oh and to my incredible, amazing, handsome boyfriend, thank you so much for always proofreading my formula 1 terminology and understanding. i promise i'll give you real credit one day.
username god adrien is so charles leclerc coded, he's all i could think about this entire book
lilymhe 🏎🫶🏻
username the fact i literally could've cared less about the lil zoom zoom cars before the dirty air series dropped and now im eager for the new season.... gisèle baby why u do this to me
username miss girl???? how are we supposed to find you at any races when we don't even know what you look like!!!
username jealous of gisèle's bf is!!! his gf is too talented for the world
username not throttled being the book to get me back into reading and now i'm blessed wth a second book??? mother is mothering real hard
username this is the type of book series i'd totally read at the track and imagine an f1 driver as my husband sry
username 10/10 book!!! dying!!!
yourusername has posted a story
Tumblr media Tumblr media
liked by georgerussell63, lilymhe, bestfrienduser, and others
replies
georgerussell63 wow we're so lucious and hot
yourusername luscious sweetie
georgerussell63 god i love having a hot, smart, book-writer gf. write a book about me and use that word
yourusername they're all already about you??? (handsome)
username you showed up to a race?????? shocking
Tumblr media
gisèlerosebooks has posted a story
Tumblr media Tumblr media
liked by georgerussell63, username, username, and others
replies
username omg!!!! where are you!!! dying to meet you omfg
username YOU WERE SERIOUS
georgerussell63 i saw u slip up and post this on the og account loser
georgerussell63 can i have my scooter back ya nerd
gisèlerosebooks no sorry </3 i own it now
georgerussell63 no creds in the books and now my scooter stolen???? you hate the british
gisèlerosebooks my pseudonym is an ODE to you PAL
Tumblr media
georgerussell63
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
tagged yourusername and gisèlerosebooks
liked by yourusername, gisèlerosebooks, lilymhe, and others
georgerussell63 a shame that this weekend didn't go the way we all wanted it to go, i know for a fact we'll be coming out on top soon! i also know yourusername or as most of you seem to prefer (for no valid reason at all) gisèlerosebooks is pretty deep in finishing book 3 and apparently this weekend was super influential??? go me (give me book creds)
view all comments
yourusername george!!! lmao!!!
yourusername a heads up next time??? maybe?!?
username 'for no valid reason at all' so SASSY oh boy
username everyone on twitter the other day calling yourusername a freeloader is soooo not doing well rn
lilymhe the secret's out!!!! (shocked, baffled, wild, can i get my books signed now)
username (G)isèle (R)ose... (G)eorge (R)ussell... dare i say... deliberately done
yourusername 🤭
username amazing race this weekend!!! can't wait to see you on top
username no one talking about book 3 almost being done??? or the fact george proofreads all her writing??? so cute
charles_leclerc so collided... is not about me?
georgerussell63 get lost mate
yourusername has posted a story
Tumblr media Tumblr media
liked by georgerussell63, alex_albon, username, and others
replies
georgerussell63 you think im a gentleman??? love you
yourusername the BIGGEST gentleman, i love you
username god this is so cute
georgerussell63
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
tagged yourusername and gisèlerosebooks
liked by yourusername, charles_leclerc, username and others
georgerussell63 that's my little freeloading, best-selling author and future wife!
view all comments
username someone come get this chronically online man rn!!
yourusername can i be your freeloader forever??? spending my own money sucks
georgerussell63 my money's your money always my little freeloader
alex_albon emphasis on the best-selling author and future wife part
georgerussell63 you're right mate
username re-reading dirty air and knowing fully the entire book series is about george makes me so happy omg
username proud to admit i loved yourusername before AND after she was revealed as everyone's fav author (and it's not just a hobby losers)
username george doesn't get book creds until he wins a race again :)
yourusername i love this stipulation!!! georgerussell63 thoughts?
georgerussell63 you hate the british.
Tumblr media
i had SO much fun writing this!!! i picked george after going down a george rabbit hole again (of course), so i hope you all love it!! thanks for all the love always.
i'm not necessarily taking requests right now, but if you have suggestions please feel free to send them my way.
1K notes · View notes
landograndprix · 3 months
Text
╰┈➤ ❝ desire • l.n c.l ❞ x
part nine - part eleven
➪ Charles hasn't paid much attention to you after your daughter was born but a certain Brit does.
➪ and while there's a lot of things you still need to work on, this is a great start to the new, beter chapters of your life
➪ established relationship mom!reader x dad!Charles x lando
➪ I think we needed a lil' cute to calm our tits 🥰 also, absolutely gobsmacked by the love this fic is getting and how involved you all are with it, you guys are seriously the best and I love y'all so much 😘
➽────────────────────────❥
Tumblr media
➽────────────────────────❥
Tumblr media
➽────────────────────────❥
Tumblr media
➽────────────────────────❥
y/nusername posted to their story
Tumblr media
milliexoxo replied to your story
milliexoxo
someone's getting laid tonight
guessing you're not coming home tonight 🤪
y/nusername
go back to your coloring book
milliexoxo
wow, okay..I see how it is
no but seriously, are you coming back tonight or are you staying with lando so I can double lock the house lmao
y/nusername
staying in monaco, will be back tomorrow
milliexoxo
nice, I'll see you tomorrow then
have fun and don't do things I wouldn't do 😘
y/nusername
okay mom 😘
➽────────────────────────❥
y/nusername
📍 London, United Kingdom
Tumblr media
liked by landonorris, maxfewtrell and 539,678 others
y/nusername fifty shades of earl grey. 🇬🇧
tagged: landonorris, milliexoxo
view all 2,001 comments
norry4 cute, lando took them to England 😭
milliexoxo talk british to me
milliexoxo not pictured, y/n losing her mind over a bookshop
↳ y/nusername that wasn't a shop, that was heaven.
milliexoxo okay..nerd
landoscar i agree with y/n, every book shop is heaven
yukisan girl stop bullying your mom, we've warned you before 😭
milliexoxo I'm a rebel, I don't listen to no one
y/nusername big imagination for such a little girl
norrizz god I just know zoë is getting spoiled by stepdad lando 😭
carlandooo Charles crying in a corner rn
↳ charliecharlie I mean that's his own fault lmfao
carlandooo true 💀
bradleyfewtrell please tell me you met max 😂
↳ landomax I just know millie will bully max relentlessly 😂
bradleyfewtrell and I just know y/n would get along with max and pietra so well!
norrizzlandoo lando and zoë 😭😭
➽────────────────────────❥
Tumblr media
➽────────────────────────❥
milliexoxo
Tumblr media
like by y/nusername, logansargeant and 2,671 others
milliexoxo your typical tourist on tour.
tagged: landonorris, y/nusername, maxfewtrell
maxwellmax lmfao yes max 💀
landonorris ❤️ I nodnol?
↳ milliexoxo oh my god you're so funny lando!!!!!!!
norry4 took me a second 😂
landonorizzzz he's taking his annoying stepdad duties seriously 😭
landoscar I feel sorry for the people who don't follow millie and miss out on all this
charlieslec did she just casually expose lando and y/n??
↳ norry4 are you new here? 😂
maxfewtrell but why?
↳ milliexoxo because I can 🥰
yukisan are we all just going to ignore the fact that Logan Sargeant is hiding in the likes? Yes? Cool 😭
➽────────────────────────❥
Tumblr media
➽────────────────────────❥
Tumblr media
➽────────────────────────❥
y/nusername
📍 Miami, FL
Tumblr media
liked by riabish, landonorris and 609,578 others
y/nusername week 6. 🇺🇸
tagged: landonorris
view all 1,922 comments
landonorizzzz aw lando finally made it to the feed normally instead of the soft launch bullshit 😇
charlesgirlies zoë 🥺😭
milliexoxo look at my girlfriend living her best life, floating around ❤️
norry4 are we official? Hellooo can I finally fully unleash thr landoy/n shipper in me?! 🥺
yourmumsuser my little zoë 🤩🤩
chilisainz zoe being the unbothered queen that she is
landonorris my girls ❤️
↳ landoscar SHUT UP SHUT THE FUCK UP SHUT UUUUUUUP 😭
yesrislando brb going to take a bath with my toaster
maxmaxmax man's really pulled a max and stole another driver's girl and child 💀
➽────────────────────────❥
Desire taglist; @fangirl-dot-com @sainzluvrr @writingworlds @chezmardybum @lewisvinga @xjval @fanficweasley @rockyhayzkid @aundercover @thecubanator2 @minchedchilli @crimeshowjunkie @alisoncasey21 @eeviepepi08 @shamelesspotatos @sleepybrokenmelle @leireggsworld @janeholt3 @iamahalicinationn @dessxoxsworld @kapsylia @22yuki @dark-night-sky-99 @sheslikeacurse @nerdreader
Everything taglist; @thomaslefteyebrow @hopefulinlove @smoothopz @softboystarkey @honethatty12 @cixrosie @parkersmjs @ireadthensuetheauthors @celestialams @be-your-coffee-pot @heli991113 @kodzuvk @reality-is-a-con @80sloverry @bibissparkles @myescapefromthislife @lanando4 @elliegrey2803 @ravisinghs-wife @harrysdimple05 @minkyungseokie @pretty-little-bunny382728 @thatgirlthatreadswattpad @severewobblerlightdragon @cherry-piee @namgification @mycenterfold @devineendevers
Lando taglist: @beatricemiruna @simp-for-fictional-people @landossainz @christianpulisic10 @bored-brunette2 @i83andrew
2K notes · View notes
sofs16 · 5 months
Text
jealousy, jealousy! 2
note thank you for all the love in the first part hehe. idk if i did this justice but here’s a short one!
tags @christianpulisic10 @boherahpsody @hrlzy @sladesthetic @lunamelona @natasha887@toasttt11
Tumblr media
charles_leclerc just posted an instagram story!
Tumblr media
yn.yln
Tumblr media Tumblr media
liked by charles_leclerc, and 19,383,282 others
yn.yln bro’s waitin for his food 😝
view all 5,586,292 comments
charles_leclerc ☹️
⤷yn.yln you need to calm down! ⤷ charles_leclerc Did you just Taylor Swift reference me?
⤷ yn.yln what abt it
charles_leclerc
Tumblr media
liked by tomblyth, yn.yln, and 21, 383,292 others
charles_leclerc The proudest of my lovely girlfriend ❤️🕊️🐍
view all 2,696,339 comments
yn.yln I LOVE YOU SHARLLLL ❤️❤️❤️
⤷ charles_leclerc ❤️
thehungergames Would you like to be a tribute next, Charles? ⤷ yn.yln NO HE DOESNT. KEEP MY BOYFRIEND ALIVE
yn.deffend charles lettin everyone know yn is his gf HAHAHAHA
yn.yln
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
liked by charles_leclerc, tomblyth, and 19,546,467 others
yn.yln kachow!!!
view all 3,282,585 comments
tomblyth cars nerd
⤷ yn.yln im being so fr when i ask WHAT IS WRONG WITH CARS. I love that movie w my whole heart and it just so happens my boyfriend looks like him😝
⤷ ynchaha i always kick my feet and giggle when yn refers to charles as her bf
charles_leclerc KAAACHOW!! ⤷ yn.yln have i told you i love you. ⤷ charles_leclerc yes, the first time you said you loved me was watching cars. ⤷ charlesupdatedd im-
charles_leclerc
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
liked by yn.yln, and 8,696,383 others
charles_leclerc P3 in Mexico🪓
view all 1,384,686 comments
yn.yln yummmmmmm
yn.yln just posted 2 instagram stories!
Tumblr media Tumblr media
yn.updated
Tumblr media
liked by tomblyth, and 28,493 others
yn.updated Yn and Tom at the NBL game today!
view all 4,697 comments
ynchaseee where’s charles
⤷ yn.updated charles apparently is doing ferrari promo and yn is a big fan of basketball and she never misses a game
user1 this girl is so mixed signals. she’s all lovey with charles in her recent and now this? ⤷ user2 theyre just watching a game..
Tumblr media Tumblr media
yn.yln
Tumblr media Tumblr media
liked by charles_leclerc, and 29,272,282 others
yn.yln i love my boyfriend so much. ANGEL OF A HUMAN BEING TO SURPRISE ME WITH ERA TIX?? IM LOSING MY MIND? STOP YOU’RE NEVER LOSING ME
view all 4,696,708 comments
charles_leclerc hehe
⤷ yn.yln no hehe. I ADORE YOU
charleslecyn “youre never losing me” SOMEKNE SEDATE ME
yn.yln
Tumblr media Tumblr media
liked by charles_leclerc, and 12,595,393 others
tagged: charles_leclerc
yn.yln date night ❤️
view all 3,696,282 comments
charles_leclerc Wow.
charles_leclerc 😍😍😍
charles_leclerc ❤️❤️❤️
charles_leclerc
Tumblr media
liked by yn.yln, and 9,685,393 others
tagged: yn.yln
charles_leclerc Was underdressed. view all 3,697,293 comments
landonorris just saw yn’s post AHAHAHAHA
yn.yln cutest 🥹❤️
Tumblr media
yn.yln
Tumblr media Tumblr media
liked by charles_leclerc, tomblyth, and 13,596,383 others
yn.yln all yours🐛
view all 1,954,393 comments
charles_leclerc 😍😍😍
charles_leclerc Mine!
charles_leclerc Wow😘
charles_leclerc just posted an instagram story! caption: ‘mine’
Tumblr media
yn.yln just posted an instagram story! caption: ‘mine!!!’
Tumblr media
yn.yln
Tumblr media Tumblr media
liked by charles_leclerc, tomblyth, and 25,392,393 others
yn.yln forever & always 🧡
view all 7,338,393 comments
charles_leclerc 😍😍😍😘😘
charles_leclerc
Tumblr media
liked by yn.yln, and 19,770,695 others
charles_leclerc 4 years/ forever view all 3,669,383 comments
yn.yln wallpaper : set
yn.yln KAAACHOW 4 YEAR HONEYMOON PHASE
tomblyth
Tumblr media
liked by charles_leclerc, yn.yln, and 19,696,282 others tomblyth i hope you all know me and yn were laughing at all the shipping you guys did. theyre too in love to even know i exist most of the time we hangout. view all 6,594,393 comments
charles_leclerc stay back 🤺
⤷ yn.yln 🥹🥹🥹 love you
⤷ charles_leclerc i love you more
⤷ tomblyth i dont love either of you. Get off my page. Get a room
⤷ yn.yln YOU POSTED US?
⤷ tomblyth 🙂
innurdrrs im sorry but will anyone ignore the fact charles leclerc just said ‘stay back🤺’ 😭😭😭😭😭😭
2K notes · View notes
stevesbipanic · 3 months
Text
@steddielovemonth Day 11: Love is secretly studying up on the nerd shit he’s into @sparklyslug
Tumblr media
If you'd have told Eddie of a year ago that the Steve Harrington, King Steve, swim team and basketball captain, and known laundry basket thrower, was a nerd he'd have laughed in your face.
Honestly, he'd have believed you more of you'd told him Steve was bisexual and would soon be Eddie's boyfriend, both facts that threw Eddie for less of a loop than learning Steve knew the difference between Star Wars and Star Trek.
"I work at a video store Eddie, it would be hard not to know."
Eddie would believe him but his darling boyfriend knew a lot for facts he didn't expect from the beautiful brunette. Like how he knew what an owlbear was when he was rambling his campaign plans in bed one night.
"I knew the kids before you, some of it must've stuck."
Or how he knew what Metroid was when the machine came to the arcade that summer.
"The kids are always talking about new little things they want Max to try and win."
Or when Eddie was telling a story about stargazing and Steve mentioned Halley's comet from earlier in the year.
"It was on the news, Eds, not gonna miss a thing like that."
Steve had lots of explanations but now here Eddie was, unpacking boxes in Steve and Robin's new apartment and staring at work copies of The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings books. He lent over checking the side again, no that definitely says Steve's Room in big bold letters.
He placed the books on the shelf with a small smile on his face. Later, curled up in the new bed in the new room he asked, "I thought you didn't know what Mordor was, Stevie. Have you been hiding nerdy shit from me all along?"
Steve had a soft blush forming on his face, "I didn't know, at the time..."
Eddie was now more intrigued, "Wow, getting book recommendations in the middle of the end of the world, baby, priorities."
Steve laughed, the sweet smile still on his face, "No, um, I bought them cause of you but not because of that."
"Oh yeah? Why?"
"They're your favourite books and I wanted to know what you were talking about anytime we hung out and mentioned it."
"Steve did you actually study just to try and impress me?"
"There's a monster manual on the shelf too."
Eddie giggled and pulled Steve closer, "Mmm talk nerd to me baby, so it wasn't just the kids you got it from."
"Oh they definitely helped, I think Dustin was going to scream when I asked him to explain the dice of your game."
Eddie looked at his boyfriend softly, no one had taken an interest in what he liked, unless they already liked it, Steve went out of his way to know Eddie, inside and out.
"I guess I should confess, I totally asked Wayne to explain to me the rules of any of the games you two watch on tv before you come over."
A brightness twinkled in Steve's eyes at the confession, "I love you."
"Love you too, baby, nerd or jock as long as you're mine."
810 notes · View notes
wynnyfryd · 6 months
Text
Trailer Park Steve AU part 3
part 1 | part 2
(tw: guns, accidental death)
Robin’s already in full panic mode by the time Steve pulls up to her place, flinging the passenger door open and throwing herself into the car with so much force that the car bounces on its wheels a little. “Drive!!”
“Jesus Christ, good morning to you, too.”
“Steve!”
Steve starts to drive.
Beside him, Robin flips the visor down to look at her reflection; groans and scrubs her hands down her face in misery at whatever she sees. Steve doesn’t really get it. He thinks she looks beautiful, with her hair gently moving in the breeze from the open window, with her freckles lit up by the early morning sun.
“Ugh,” she says, turning to look at him, “I can’t believe I look like a zombie and you’re gonna make me late to the first day of school.”
“Wow.” Fuckin’ ingrate. And when he was just being so nice to her in his head. “How about a thank you, huh? ‘Thanks for picking me up, Steve. Thanks for bringing my backpack, Steve. Sorry you almost got shanked by your neighbor, Steve.’”
“You what???”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Um, yes it very much does matter, what the—”
“—I’m just saying, a little gratitude? Wouldn’t hurt you.”
He licks at the corner of his mouth, spritzes wiper fluid to clear the bugs off the windshield. Robin’s eyes are bulging out of her head, but he really doesn’t want to talk about how he still feels the ghost press of steel against his throat, so: “You’re not even right, by the way; I don’t know why you’re complaining.”
“Huh?”
“School started yesterday. I’m making you late for the second day of school.”
“Yesss,” she draws the word out like he’s stupid, rolling her wrist in a hurry up and get it motion, “but everyone knows that syllabus day doesn’t count. The first pep rally is the real first day of school.”
Ah, there it is.
Steve steals another peek at his best friend while they’re on a straightaway, notes the nervous twitch of her hands as she goes back to fussing at her reflection; the way she’s clumping her lashes together with seven coats too many of some drugstore brand mascara. She’s wearing lipstick. “This is about Vick—”
“—Don’t talk about—”
“—It’s about Vickie, isn’t it?”
“Ughhhhh.” Robin folds forward and thunks her head against the dash. “Fine, okay? Fine! Yes! This may have something to do with a distressingly cute fellow marching band member. Are you happy now?”
“Ecstatic.”
“Oooh, big word for you, Steven.” She swats him on the shoulder, face all twisted up in offense. “Stop laughing!”
“Stop hitting me,” he laughs. “I’ll dump your ass out on this highway.”
She gasps and narrows her eyes at him. “You wouldn’t.”
Steve eases his foot onto the brake.
“Okay, okay! Mercy! I’m being an asshole, alright? I’m sorry. I’m just— I’m stressed! Being gay is very stressful.”
The knife incident pops back into his mind. “Yeah,” he mutters, “I imagine it is.”
He catches himself slouching down into his seat a bit when they pull up to the school. Has to force himself to sit upright, hears his mother’s tutting in his ear about bad posture and the message it projects to the world.
It’s not that he’s embarrassed to be here; really, he isn’t. He’s just hoping to avoid being spotted by the nuggets now that they go here, too, lest he be accosted for evading his chauffeur duties.
God.
Dustin’s nerd shit is infecting his brain.
Robin grabs her bag out of the back seat, plants a parting peck on Steve’s cheek as she gets out of the car. “See you later?”
“Yeah, I’ll pick you up for work.”
“Love you, dingus.”
And then he’s alone again.
With Robin gone, Steve finds himself driving. Wandering and aimless, like a ghost who doesn’t know he’s gone. It’s not like he has nothing to do — he’s supposed to be out finding a second job, finding a way to support himself and his mom, because he’s the man of the house now. Because his life has turned into one of those shitty, overcomplicated word problems from math class.
If a recently widowed mother works no hours and her minimum-wage son works as many as Family Video will allow, how much mold-riddled dogshit housing can they afford?
Not much.
Inevitably, he finds himself circling the scorched bones of Starcourt, driving tired loops around the barbed wire perimeter. His ghost likes to guide him here; can’t shake the place where he shook off the mortal coil.
He didn’t know it at the time, but Steve Harrington died the day the mall burned down. Embarrassing, to not hear the death knell as his family name went up in smoke.
It was hard to hear much at all that night, between the concussion and the fireworks and the shrieking of a monster being torn apart, but the memory caresses his mind now in cruel whispers: the headrush of victory; the blood and the sweat; the relief that they’d won, they’d done it, it’s over, they won.
Steve tugs at his bad ear ‘til the ringing subsides.
Some fucking grand prize.
The thing is, you can’t go around exploding an eldritch horror without alerting the US government, and the US government can’t go around letting major investors in a hostile commie invasion keep their assets once they find out about their treasonous schemes. It happened fast: the arrest, the bail, the impending trial and the seizure of property. Richard Harrington was once a small town god on an invisible throne, making deals with devils in shadowy boardrooms, and suddenly he was looking at life in a cell.
Maybe it was a blessing he died before his reckoning was due. Maybe it was no accident at all.
The second, and perhaps more important, thing is: stray bullets don’t care about your looming court date.
Dad had a habit of cleaning his guns while he was drunk, nursing a whiskey in one hand while he polished the gleaming barrels with the other. Pointless, really, because the guns were always pristine to begin with. Dick Harrington didn’t hunt. Didn’t shoot. Claimed the pistol was for home defense, that he kept it loaded in case anyone ever tried to hurt his family, but Steve knew the truth.
His dad just liked to flirt with death. Liked to handle pretty, deadly things, stroke his fingers over ruthless metal and feel the rush of power when he walked away unscathed.
He didn’t walk away that night.
Didn’t even face death standing.
Sliced through his femoral artery and rolled right out of his chair.
They found him lying on the ground in a dark, sticky puddle, gasping like a fish as blood spurted from his thigh. Crazy how fast it happened. Steve had been in his room when the shot rang out, and he barely managed to reach the bottom of the stairs before the gurgling noises stopped. Just boom! whizz! bang! and Dick Harrington was gone.
Maybe it’s a good thing, too, that they lost the house.
The image of his mother in the hallway that night — shellshocked in the doorway, one pale hand shaking in front of her open mouth, features wide and wet with waking horror as she stared into the room — was enough to make him never want to step foot in the place again.
So now they live in a rundown piece of shit on the wrong side of town, with hideous burnt orange carpet and wood paneled walls, with cracks in the ceiling and cigarette burns in the walls, some parting gifts from whatever feral hick lived there before them, and it feels like another cruel, cosmic joke. Like the universe is delighting in the Harringtons’ comeuppance; like the blackened beams and brick rubble of Starcourt are all twisting to form one great, mocking mouth; the better to smile and laugh at their misfortune.
You bought your bed, now you have to lie in it.
He didn’t even know that the Harringtons owned Forest Hills until it was the only asset left to their name.
He’s pretty sure his dad bought it more as a joke than a genuine investment. Meant to teach Steve a lesson, like how he used to bring home Waffle House applications whenever Steve got a C on a report card. This is your future if you don’t straighten up, son.
Kill yourself, dad.
Oh, wait.
You already did.
part 4
1K notes · View notes