secret admirer / one two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve thirteen fourteen fifteen sixteen seventeen eighteen nineteen twenty twenty-one twenty-two twenty-three twenty-four twenty-five twenty-six twenty-seven twenty-eight twenty-nine
ficlets
reinforcements
ocean of flavor
Steve, Steve, Steve
it's tuesday
steddie empath soulmate au
you're alright
modern small town au
two halves of one idiot
other stuff
time loop au
secret admirer stuff / timeline does he miss H eddie fun fact ao3 status the hobbit
non-stranger things
peter parker collecting wade wilson's severed limbs
one two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve thirteen fourteen fifteen sixteen seventeen eighteen nineteen twenty twenty-one twenty-two twenty-three twenty-four twenty-five twenty-six twenty-seven twenty-eight
Lately, Steve’s been feeling kind of silly about how much he likes Eddie. At the beginning of the semester, he’d thought it would fade with time. And sure, maybe it’s all their interactions that’s making the feelings grow - making them fester - but still, no one has held his attention this long before. Not even last semester when he was wooing Nancy Wheeler - and, at the time, he thought he really liked her. She was smart enough to not go for him, though.
But… Eddie. Eddie Eddie Eddie.
Eddie
hi
you’re really nice, you know?
like, i knew that already, but it was reinforced, i guess, and
i wanted to let you know that i think you’re a good person
i wish i could be around you more
i’d like to take you out sometime, but i’m scared
have you seen that new movie, footloose?
i think i’ll end up going with a friend this weekend, but i wish it was you
do you have a favorite movie?
sorry, that one’s probably harder to answer than favorite book without actually talking to me
don’t worry about it
p.s. sorry for the interruption yesterday, but it was nice seeing you anyway
Steve goes about his day as usual. That is, until lunch, when Eddie doesn’t show up. At first, Steve wonders if he’s pulling his little disappearing act again. Like, yesterday I said you’d see me tomorrow, and now I’m not here. Ha ha. But, by the time the bell rings and everyone starts to clean up and be on their way, Steve rules that out. He’s a bit antsy by the time it comes to art class. Halfway through the hour, Steve comes to the conclusion that Eddie must be absent today. This worries him a bit cause, like, Eddie did say that he’d see him today.
It doesn’t help that Carol stayed home for a dentist appointment, so he has virtually no distraction. Well, there’s Robin. She’s sitting in her new-usual seat at the end of the table.
She reminds him of Eddie a little bit. Like, they’re both… weird? Robin wears rings, too. Silver, like Eddie. One of them - that has a unicorn on it - is connected to a matching bracelet via a chain. On the other hand, she has one that’s really big and one with a smaller band and a black stone - reminiscent of the one Steve had gifted Eddie.
Robin must notice his staring, because she snatches her hands off of where she was fidgeting (like Eddie) on the table. She sets them in her lap. Steve bashfully raises his eyes and comes face-to-face with an unimpressed, borderline disgusted, Robin. He winces and mouths sorry before looking away. Robin already didn’t seem to like him much, for whatever reason, and he goes and makes it worse by ogling her hands like a creep.
The deadline for the portraits is less than a week away, and they’ll only have one more class hour - tomorrow - dedicated to working on them. Today they’re supposed to be getting feedback from someone in class that isn’t their partner. The no-partner isn’t a problem for Steve or Robin, seeing as their partners aren’t even here. Everyone else in the class just went to someone else at their table, and everyone is paired off, except him and Robin. They sit in silence until the teacher comes by and basically tells them to get on with it.
Robin throws her head back with a groan and then slides off of her stool like she's melting and moves to where Carol usually sits. Steve turns to her with a smile that feels more like a grimace.
“So,” he starts, but she cuts in before he can say anything else.
“Here, just take these,” she slides her portraits to him, and then snatches up his, “And I’ll take these. Gimme a minute and I’ll give you some feedback.” She doesn’t even look at him as she talks, eyes never leaving Steve’s portraits which she slumps over with her head in her hands.
Steve rubs the back of his neck and nods, even though she’s not really paying attention. “Right, okay. Uh, same.”
He turns his attention to the task at hand. The drawings aren’t bad at all, even though they’re not exactly realistic (or ‘good’), per se. Steve thinks the most important part is that there’s no mistaking who is who.
The self-portrait has a polaroid taped to the bottom corner as reference, and Steve wishes he’d thought about that. It’s too late now, though. In the polaroid, Robin is obviously the one taking her own photo - her arm is stretched out toward the camera. She has one eye closed and the other squinting, probably from the flash. Her tongue is sticking out of her mouth. Steve can’t help but smile. And while it’s not picture perfect, the portrait captures her likeness well enough.
Steve is more impressed with the drawing of Carol, to be honest. It’s still not exactly realistic, but there’s way more detail, and Steve can tell this is the one Robin has spent the most time on, so far. The proportions aren’t as funky as they are in the drawing of herself, leaving Steve to wonder if it’s intentional. There’s no photo reference, which makes sense given they’re supposed to be using their partners as a live-reference. In the drawing, Carol has her eyebrow cocked with a straight face - the very way she looks when she’s listening to Robin talk, Steve can’t help but notice.
Robin turns to him and he pulls his attention away from her art. “I hate to say it, but to my utmost surprise, these aren’t horrible, Harrington.”
Steve quirks a smile. “Gee, thanks.”
— — — —
When Eddie wakes up that morning, he knows school isn’t happening. It isn’t a rare thought these days, of course. At the rate he’s going… Well, he doesn’t let himself think about that.
He lies in bed for a while until he hears the familiar hum of an engine pulling up and turning off, followed by the sound of a car door. He hears the key in the lock moments later and drags himself outta bed to greet Wayne. The old man’s shucking off his worn work boots (his only boots) when Eddie shuffles his way to the living room, socked feet dragging over the linoleum. Wayne notices him and nods his head. “Mornin’, kid,” he greets.
Eddie’s glad he doesn’t say good morning, as it is not. “Morning, Uncle Wayne,” Eddie murmurs in return, trudging to the fridge to get breakfast started before Wayne has the chance. The man in question only hums in acknowledgement and goes to plop down into his chair - in a way that’d surely get Eddie scolded for if he tried - and put his feet up on the footstool; he lets out a weary sigh.
Eddie’s lips pull down at the corners slightly as he pulls out what he needs to cook for them. He wishes Wayne didn’t have to work as much as he does, but whenever Eddie voices his concern, Wayne only tells him it’s not for him to worry about and that he’s just fine.
Whatever money Eddie has to offer from sales at school and from working at Thatcher’s on the weekends isn’t much. Wayne refuses it whenever Eddie tries to give it to him directly for bills and such, so Eddie’s found ways around that to help out. Like buying groceries or filling up Wayne’s truck - both of which Wayne only shakes his head when he notices, fond or exasperated Eddie couldn’t guess, but Wayne hasn’t told him to quit it, so he figures he is actually helping.
Wayne has this rule that they sit down for a meal together at least once a day, which usually ends up being in the morning when Wayne is getting off work and Eddie is about to leave for school. This works out because it more or less means they eat at least a close-to-balanced meal daily. Left to their own devices, they’d both settle for something quick, easy, and cheap just to get the job done.
Who actually does the cooking is played by ear. More often than not, this ends up being Eddie unless he’s running late and Wayne beats him to it.
Today, Eddie fries up potatoes and onions, scrambles their last few eggs, and drops four slices of bread into the toaster. On the notepad on the counter, he updates their grocery list.
Eddie cooks and plates the food in a languid silence while his mind moves a mile a minute. He knows Wayne hasn’t fallen asleep because, without fail, the man snores as soon as he drifts off, so Eddie calls him over to the table without fanfare once everything’s ready.
As they eat - his breakfast and Wayne’s dinner - Eddie asks Wayne about work. The teen cracks a smile at Wayne’s retelling of a green worker’s unlucky first week on the job, which Wayne had overseen as the overnight shift lead. By the end, Wayne is shaking his head in amusement, a familiar sight. Eventually, the conversation comes back to Eddie as Wayne asks about him running late.
Eddie clears his throat. “I, uh, I was gonna stay in today, actually.” He shifts in his seat, avoiding his uncle’s gaze. "I'm not feelin’ too good, s’all.”
Wayne is quiet for long enough that Eddie chances a glance back up at him and the man has one brow raised in question. “‘That so?” he asks - an offer to share, Eddie knows.
Still, he doubles down. “Yup.”
Wayne hums. “Alright, let me know if you need anything, ya’ hear?”
Eddie nods and not long after that, he semi-cleans up their dishes, brushes his teeth, and tells Wayne he’s going back to bed. He’d offer the room to Wayne for sleep, but has learned his lesson there. Eddie knows the fold-away cot can’t be comfortable long-term, but Wayne says otherwise and refuses to take the bed.
Eddie softly shuts the door to his room behind him and kind of just stands there. He looks around absentmindedly, eyes catching on points of interest before moving on; his backpack which holds his homework and his notebook - either of which he could open up to make some progress on his art project, finishing touches for tomorrow’s campaign, or some lyrics he’s been toying around with, but he ultimately looks away; his guitar calls to him but he pulls his gaze away, same for his cassettes; he wonders if he should pick up the clothes from his floor but ultimately dismisses the idea.
His gaze moves fleetingly over his walls before catching sight of something that makes him do a double-take. Eddie walks closer, warmth growing in his chest as he takes in the now-familiar drawing. It’s objectively bad, Eddie knows, but it’s one of his favorite possessions, nonetheless - even more so after spending time with the artist yesterday.
Minutes later, Eddie realizes he’s been standing there for too long simply gazing heart-eyed at a stick-figure drawing of himself. He sighs and flops onto his bed. He is so fucked.
— — — —
When Eddie makes it to his locker the next morning, there are two folded up pieces of notebook paper lying atop his pile of stuff. Both have his name on the outside, but one has a little #2 written in the corner. Presumably, one is from yesterday and one is for today. Eddie can’t help but smile to himself that he gets two at once. It reminds him of his birthday when he’d gotten one in his locker and one at the picnic table with his ring. Eddie fidgets with said ring as he reads the first note.
Eddie
hi
you’re really nice, you know?
like, i knew that already, but it was reinforced, i guess, and
i wanted to let you know that i think you’re a good person
i wish i could be around you more
i’d like to take you out sometime, but i’m scared
have you seen that new movie, footloose?
i think i’ll end up going with a friend this weekend, but i wish it was you
do you have a favorite movie?
sorry, that one’s probably harder to answer than favorite book without actually talking to me
don’t worry about it
p.s. sorry for the interruption yesterday, but it was nice seeing you anyway
Embarrassingly, Eddie feels his cheeks flush with heat, and he ducks his head further into his locker in an attempt to hide. He reads it twice more, mind racing as he thinks up a response he’ll never get the chance to say. He bites his bottom lip and opens up #2, which doesn't much help the situation.
Eddie
didn’t see you at school yesterday
did you skip or did something come up?
you didn’t miss anything that i know of
anyway, hopefully you’re back today or else i feel like i’m just talking to myself
i don’t think i’ve said it since that first note, so i wanted to remind you that you’re like really pretty dude
which is another reason i missed you yesterday
who the hell am i supposed to stare at during lunch if you don’t show up huh?
all i’m saying is that you better be here today or i go on strike
that’s right munson, no show no note
p.s. seriously, though, i do hope you’re feeling well
and if not, that you feel better
see you soon xoxo
When I was younger and would hear people say 'the phone goes both ways' in regards to parents not calling their kids, it would always make me laugh because my dad was in prison and could only make calls, not receive them, so I was like 'the phone does NOT go both ways' lol
this was supposed to be a simple comic and then it took endless hours to finish rip. i love their summer flirting across timezones.
i also cross-posted to ao3 if you'd like to leave a comment!
based on something tim stützle said about training with claude giroux:
"I mean, we go at it in the summer, too. Last summer he texted me at like 9PM German time. He texted me, hey can you go run 5k for me, because I wanna, like, check times, and he knows I'm probably better than him, so he wanted to push himself. And I went to the gym at like 9PM and ran 5k for him, and I beat him pretty good and he wasn't too happy about it. He didn't believe me, so."
adhd paralysis sucks bcuz im just sitting there and my brain is like
YOU ARE WASTING TIME YOU ARE WASTING TIME YOU ARE WASTING TIME YOU ARE WASTING TIME YOU ARE WASTING TIME YOU ARE WASTING TIME YOU ARE WASTING TIME YOU ARE WASTING TIME YOU ARE WASTING TIME YOU ARE WASTING TIME
no work done no rest gained. literally no point of this at all
I am a PASSIONATE commenter on fanfiction, but sometimes it slows down my reading because I don't want to read if I don't have the mental energy to leave the long comments I want to
Still, as an author, I know even a short note can mean the world.
So, I put together a little guide with different “levels” of comments, so it’s easier to leave something without overthinking!
for maximum impact with minimum effort can I strongly recommend the quick highlight?
copy pasting a particular line and your reaction to it is a phenomenal way to quickly provide specific, unique feedback!
it can even just be a keysmash or an emoji response to the quoted bit
authors have SO many micro decisions and careful word choices that go into the writing process and that they'll almost never get to see a specific reaction to
it's so fun to get even one of these things highlighted
Someone referencing or quoting a specific line with their reaction (even if it's just emojis or a key smash) is my absolute favorite kind of comment to receive ❤️
My 70 year old grandmother will say "alright, gang..." and my 8 year old sister will look at me shocked and say "bro no way she just said gang" because she thinks she's saying it the way kids do
I think it's funny to not tell her that old people use it differently, and to just let her believe grandma is saying it like that
