Hi, you can call me Rat I guess. Iām making this blog out of boredom. Doubt Iāll post much, but you never know. Iām a simple minded creature that likes to stay in their whimsical little ratās nest.
Fandoms I like:
Dc, mostly Batfam
Spider verse. Literally nothing else Marvel
The Marauders
Pokemon
Voltron
Sk8 the infinity
Lorien legacies
Others I donāt remember and wonāt add when I do.
Rewatching season four and omg Argyle and Jonathan are so cannon. I havenāt decided if itās romantical or if itās like best friends that smoke and fuck but like they are having sex no doubt about it.
I mean like, Argyle straight up called Jonathan a good boy twice and said he deserved real sex and pleasure. Like Argyle is so gentle dom material.
And I mean, Jonathan has been doing so much for everyone else his whole life. Heās had to work so hard, sacrifice so much, heās so selfless and self sacrificing. Heās so used to having to be the one to step up, for his mom, for his brother, everyone that matters heās used to taking the hits for.
So in the bedroom? Itās nice to release control. Argyle definitely does all the decision making for him. With Argyle, Jonathan doesnāt have to think. He gets to relax and just be taken care of. And Argyle is so gentle with him most definitely.
Iām not an Argyle Jonathan end gamer, but I love end game stonathan⦠so I also propose the idea that in a way Argyle was Jonathanās Tammy Thomson. Not end game, but a very important and necessary experience to know what he wants moving forward, to realize he likes boys. Then he falls in love with Steve (whoās Tammy Thomson was Eddie) and they live happily ever after
Between season 4 and season 5 Steve Harrington definitely balled his eyes out to āSlipping Through My Fingersā by ABBA for nights on end thinking about how heās failed Dustin to the point he doesnāt even feel like he knows the kid anymore.
Tags/Genre Points: Post-Canon, Eddie Munson Lives, Established Steddie, drug use, shotgunning, mentions of violence, former bullying/violence, descriptions of trauma, panic attack, nausea, and pre-vomit drool but not actual vomit. Hurt/Comfort.
Rating: Mature
Prompt: āI Forgive Youā
Words: Approx 3600
@steddiebingo
Summary: Eddie discovers inaccuracies in Steveās Win/Loss ratio and opts to correct it with his own data, without considering the consequences.
~~~
āHypothetically speaking... If you had to get someone to fight on your behalf, like throw down the gauntlet, fisticuffs at dawn, who would it be?ā Dustin posited smokily before passing the joint on, always one to ask weird fucking questions when he was high.
They had finished a movie night at Steveās with most of the party, but a lot of them dispersed the moment Eddie waved a baggy and wiggled his eyebrows, leaving Dustin, Mike, Jonathan, Eddie, and Steve sprawled out across Steveās parents living room, smoking and dopily hoping the open French doors would be enough to keep the smell from lingering.
āLike anyone ever, or someone we know?ā Mike asked, sputtering miserably when he took a little hit and huffing when Eddie laughed,
āSomeone we know, someone who fought Vecna.ā Dustin elaborated,Ā
āProbably Hopperā¦ā Mike grumbled,
āNo adults.ā Dustin threw out,
āEl then.ā
āNo superpowers!ā
āOh my God stop adding weird rules!ā Mike whined, letting Jonathan snag the joint when he reached out silently, āI donāt know, probably Lucas, or Max.ā
āNancy,ā Jonathan offered, āshe could kick anyoneās ass, even without a gunā¦ā
āGuns, plural,ā Eddie piped up, āShe is pretty scary.ā
Steve was mostly just watching the conversation unfold, but eyes turned toward him and he realised he should probably answer too; he considered Eddie for a moment, but the idea of Eddie getting hurt for him made him pivot to the next scrappy guy he knew.
āJon, would you fight for me?ā Steve asked, he felt too noodly as he sat tucked under Eddieās arm to lift his head and look, but he heard movement and assumed it was a nod, āthanks man.ā
āEddie?ā Dustin prompted, Steve slid his gaze up to Eddie, watching him take a long drag of the joint, wondering when it had been passed up to them,
āWell itās Steve, no question.ā Eddie answered, laughing when this prompted a sudden, fraught discussion, āIām just saying,ā Eddie continued loudly, silencing the others, āIād feel pretty safe with Stevie, heās a big guy!ā
And he was, bigger than he had been too, ever since he had struggled trying to carry Eddieālimp, bleeding, lifeless Eddieāout of The Upside Down, or The Bridge, or whatever the fuck you wanted to call it, Steve had been working out.
He needed to be stronger to fight, faster to run into the fray, sturdier to take the hits, he needed to be able to protect his friends in ways he had always failed before, to be able to carry them to safety when he failed again. He had been doing everything from ab crunches to Zercher squats, he went running, he had even managed to start using his pool againāwhich had been fucking terrifying for too many reasons (ShesDeadBarbsDead ItsGotMeOhChristImDrowning IMissMyMom)ābut he wasn't sure Eddie even knew that.
Sure, they were⦠Well, they were⦠but Eddie slept in whilst Steve ran, and swam, and lugged weights in the basement, Eddie watched cartoons and ate cereal whilst Steve ran, and swam, and spiralled and spiralled, andā
āA big guy who's lost almost every fight heās ever been in,ā Steve blinked, remembering to breathe as he turned his attention to the voice, Wheeler, of course, his biggest hater. āIād put actual money on Jonathan.ā okay maybe his second biggest hater, except Jonathan didn't hate him, but he certainly didn't like him, even though he was here on Steveās floor, eating Steveās store-bought cookies, and smoking Steveās weedāābum me a twenty, Stevie, Rick finally whitelisted me again, couldn't push you for fifty, could I?āāso maybe Wheeler could remain number one.
āMmmmno,ā Jonathan let out with a yawn, ādon't bring me into this.ā maybe he hadnāt agreed when Steve asked, oh well,
āWhy not? You kicked Harrington's ass!ā Mike protested, āEveryone heard about it, even in Middle School.ā
āNah,ā Eddie dismissed, flicking the hand that was resting on Steveās shoulder, Steve turned his head, as soupy as he felt, and opened his mouth to point out that, yeah, actually, Jonathan had destroyed him in that fight, but Eddie started talking again and Steve got lost in the expressive shape of his lips. āNo offense Byersāā the none taken was quick despite how faded Jonathan was, āābut youāre a life-or-deather, the straits would need to be dire to get a good swing out of you on my behalf, you need your engine revved, a severe-prodding-prerequisite if you will,ā
Steve felt Eddie's hand gesturing by his left ear, watching as Eddie wove a trail of heady smoke through the air with the joint trapped between the scarred fingers of his other hand. āAnd Iām a riler, a cheeky chappy, a whimsy boy,ā he trailed off and leant forward to pass Jonathan the joint, narrowing his eyes in confusion as he sat back, āwhat was I talking about?ā
āWhy youād rather have me with you in a fight than Jonathanā¦ā Steve offered, or he thought he offered, Eddie gave him a weird look that suggested whatever had fallen out of his mouth hadn't quite made it into a complete sentence.
āYouāre lucky youāre so pretty,ā Eddie teased, he didn't mean it, well he did, heād called Steve pretty a thousand times, but the knocks to his intelligence were few and far between, hell there were days where Eddie went out of his way to tell Steve how smart he was, to prove it.
Eddie would wrestle with Steve's intellectual insecurities until Steve reluctantly admitted that maybe he wasn't a complete moron, then heād start pushing for a more favourable turn of phrase, Eddie hadnāt managed it just yet, but Steve was one bug-eyed puppy dog look away from caving if he was honest.
āMy point is," Eddie handily derailed Steve's train of thought, "I am annoying,ā Steve let out a soft noise, a vague, incoherent protest, āno, no, I am, I take pride in that, itās a skill I have honed over many moons,ā he reassured,
āBut Byers would take one look at me getting my comeuppance, then ask me why Iām like that as he scraped me up off the tarmac ten minutes later.ā Steve didn't think that was true, despite Jonathan lazily agreeing as he hunched forward to pilfer a cookie from the plate on the coffee table.
āHeās not an asshole,ā Steve huffed, rolling his neck to lean his head on Eddieās shoulder, āheās a good brotherā¦ā dogshit boyfriend though, which Steve felt particularly qualified to diagnose,
āAnd I am not a Byers, despite what Joyce seemed to think for a while there,ā Eddie cut himself off with a barked laugh, like heād found the punchline and forgotten to share it, āhonorary, legally, or otherwise, so Iād rather have Stevie fighting my corner.ā
āWeāre talking fisticuffs at dawn, no nail studded baseball bat allowed,ā Dustin reiterated the terms of his hypothetical, ālike Steve, I love you man, but your track record is terrible.ā his voice pitched up as he spoke, trailing into a giggle.
āHe lost one fight,ā Eddie protested, āand Iād argue it was an unfair one!ā
āUnfair in that he wouldnāt let Tommy Hagan fight it for him?ā Jonathan asked with a wizened clarity, reaching up over his head and offering the joint back to Eddie,
āNaw, I just think fighting a man stressed to his breaking point is very different to being on even footing,ā Eddie went to take a quick drag and frowned, pursing his lips and peering crosseyed down his nose at the pinched out tip. āCause you were dealing with Vecnaās bullshit then, right?ā Steve dug through his pockets as Eddie spoke, withdrawing a lighter and sparking it with clumsy fingers, offering the flame for Eddie to relight the joint, losing track of the cheap plastic seconds after the flame was blown out.
Steve watched the burn crawling down the paper as Eddie filled his lungs with a deep inhale, flicking his gaze to bright, full lips as ringed fingers lowered the joint, resting on a denim clad thigh, he waited patiently for the plume of smoke to escape like dragonās breath but it didnāt come.
Instead, fingers pressed gently at the corner of his jaw, the arm around him tightening as Eddie guided him close, Steve leant easily into the kiss, lips parted as Eddie exhaled smoke into his mouth, the hint of tongue that chased it was too brief before Eddie drew back.
Steve tilted his head back and sighed, watching smoke dissipate into the air of the living room, content to remain tucked under Eddieās arm for as long as he could,
āThatās still so weirdā¦ā Mike gritted out, Steve reluctantly lifted his head to frown at Mike, he had hauled himself up off the floor and was leaning across the other end of the couch, hand outstretched to Eddie, fingers twitching in silent request, expression crumpled in judgy disgust.
āDangerous words for a man with a gay best friend,ā Eddie twitched the joint out of Mikeās reach, ignoring his pitchy protest, āDoes your Byers know you think heās weird?ā Steve was curious about that too, he was so sure Mike had been supportive to Will through everything,
āWill doesnāt kiss Steve Harrington,ā Mike pointed out with a frown, teetering slightly as he chased after Eddieās weaving hand for the joint, āCāmon man,ā he whined, ālet me have it!ā
āWhatās wrong with kissing Steve Harrington?ā Eddie asked, his scathing tone lost to curiosity as he trailed his fingers down Steveās shoulder, under the sleeve of his t-shirt, nails hunting down moles with practiced ease.
Steve didnāt much want to hear Mike Wheeler of all people listing what was wrong with him, so he turned his head and nudged some of Eddieās hair out of the way with his nose, tucking in against a web of scarring along his neck. He let out another sigh as he alternated between tracing his lips over impossibly smooth scarring and soft, textured skin, his gently drifting brain loving the difference, the feel of each texture against the bow of his lip, the way his lip caught easily on the scarring but barely dragged against unmarred skin.
Eddieās fingers squeezed at his shoulder, whether they were meant to spur Steve on or not was irrelevant, Steveās tongue pushed past his lips and traced along a thick knot of scarring, following a crease in the skin and tasting the faded bitterness of his own cologne, the light hint of salt, the undertone that was Eddie, human and alive and here.
āI, personally, quite like it,ā Eddie chuckled, the vibration of his voice caressing Steveās lips as he continued to mouth at Eddieās neck, āHeās very good at kissing.ā
āGross,ā Mike made a gagging noise, āheās such a loser,ā he whined, āSeriously Eddie, he was a jock and a bully, and he dated my sister,ā the last one earned a protest from Jonathan, which dragged an ugly snort out of Steve, the noise half lost against Eddieās skin, āPlus he sucks at fighting, youāre just picking him cause of that.ā Mike gestured at the pair of them, scrunching his nose up in his distaste.
āWheeler, I hate to break it to you buddy, but weāre all losers in this room,ā Eddie pointed out, still withholding the joint from Mikeās outstretched hand, āas for the rest of it, High School is over, even for you, and your sisterās fucking scary,ā he snickered when Mike lunged for the joint and almost fell onto the couch, āand as a final point, Iām not picking Steve because weāre together, Iām picking Steve cause I know Iām right, in spite of this alleged and thus far unverified landslide of losses you guys keep lauding over Stevieās head, so far itās just Jonathan.ā
āHe also lost against Billy.ā Mike grunted, hissing a quiet āyesā when Eddie relented and let him take the dwindling joint,
āBilly fought dirty,ā Steve grumbled, pressing closer to Eddieās neck, trying to ignore the way his ear was threatening to ring at the mere mention of Hargrove, āhe smashed a plate on my head.ā
āOf course he did, so thatās two unfair fights, which fisticuffs at dawn would not be,ā Eddie announced, as if his decision about the fight with Jonathan was an irrefutable fact, Steve wasnāt convinced and he didnāt think anyone else was either. āNeither of which outweigh my decision, any others for me to dismiss?ā
āHe got beat up by the Russians too.ā Mike stated as he threw himself down on the other couch and split the last of the joint with Dustin, his words were untrue though, Steve went to say as much but Dustin beat him to it,
āTechnically, the Russians tortured him,ā Steve nodded along with that, pausing for a brief moment as he tried to remember if theyād gone over that before, Eddie didnāt react so he mustāve known, āso I donāt think that counts.ā
āHonestly this tally isnāt looking good for you guys, Iāve still got a winner over here,ā Eddie announced, tilting his head to rub his chin against Steveās hair affectionately, āI never understood the Russians thoughā¦ā Eddie mumbled, and Steve kind of knew the answer to that one, so he drew back and looked up at him hazily,
āItās Cyrrilic,ā he explained, āit's a whole different alphabet, Poyezdka v Kitay zvuchit neplokho, yesli stupat' legko.ā he dropped his voice as the words fell free unbidden, a stark memory of something ultimately useless, something he layered over trauma to soften the blow, according to Robin.
āWhat the fuck was that?ā Eddie asked, gawking at him,
āThe Indiana Flyer, I thinkā¦ā Steve mumbled, remembering that little ditty and starting to hum as he tucked his face back into Eddieās neck.
āO-kay, putting a pin in that one, but why were there Russians under Hawkins?ā
āIsn't there a war?ā Mike asked, ālike aren't we kind of in a war with them right now? My dad keeps droning on about it.ā
āSure, but that doesn't explain why there were Russians under Hawkins.ā Eddie repeated, āWas it about the Upside Down? How did they know about it? Why a mall?ā he asked,
āHow should I know?ā Mike asked, looking to Dustin, who shrugged before attempting to blow a series of smoke rings, managing one before huffing the rest out in a chuckle and cursing.
āSo the Russian torture doesnāt count as a fight, next?ā
āActually, I did fight a Russian,ā Steve had finished humming the song from the mechanical horse, finally letting the words of the others permeate through the dull haze, ābefore the torture.ā
āSo thatās three losses?ā Eddie asked,
āNo, he actually won that one, thatās the only win.ā Dustin explained, Steve nodded a little, happy to have more than one person in his corner, even if it was just for one fight.
āThat is emphatically wrong,ā Eddie scoffed, āThis is King Steve youāre talking about, he didnāt get that title just by looking pretty,ā he jostled Steveās shoulder in an affectionate attempt to chivvy him up, āyou could have,ā he noted, turning a sly smile Steveās way, āif youād wanted, I think your reign wouldāve been more palatableā¦ā he shrugged, tucking his hand in his jacket and fishing out his final rolled joint, considering dangling it from his own lips before reconsidering and pressing it to Steveās, āHold this sweetheart,ā he murmured, Steve mouthed it lightly and tilted his head back, staring blearily at the ceiling. āWhere did youāā he grumbled, futzing around inside Steveās pockets for the lighter.
āNo way did Steve get in fights before the one with Jonathan, heād have told me!ā Dustin protested, āWeāve been ribbing him about his track record for years!ā
āClearly he just doesnāt want to laude his pugilistic prowess over you,ā Eddie tutted, and Steve let out a soft yelp as a hand was thrust between his thighs, turning a confused look down at Eddieās hand as he rummaged between the reluctant spread of his legs. āAha! Found it!ā Eddie declared, withdrawing with the plastic lighter in hand, āSorry.ā he added quietly, pressing a kiss to Steveās forehead in an attempt to smooth the scowl out.
āFuckinā ask next time.ā Steve huffed, pursing his lips as Eddie ignited the lighter, taking a drag to help light the fresh joint, blowing a stream of smoke into the air when Eddie took the joint from him.
āAnyway,ā Eddie dismissed, āI know of at least four other fights heās been in, and he won all of those, so your data is flawed, your pool is too small, and Steve Harrington is a good bet in a punch out.ā
āSays who?ā Mike asked,
āSays me,ā Eddie stated blandly, rolling his eyes when Steve looked at him, Steve was confused, muddling through concussion damage and trauma as he tried to remember who heād fought with in high school, āthis kid!ā
āHow do you know itās not just rumours? You said our examples werenāt fair fights, what about yours? What are the fights you know of?ā Dustin pressed, and maybe Steve had gotten too high, or his tolerance was out of whack because heād barely eaten, but it was finally starting to dawn on him what Eddie was talking about, and he felt sick.
He felt too slow in the thick haze of his mental state, a warning of āEddie,ā rolling off his tongue distantly, except it didnāt sound like him either, āDonāt.ā that definitely didnāt sound like him, and it was coming from the floor to Eddieās right, Jonathan?
āThe ones with me mostly,ā Eddie was grinning, Steve could hear it in his voice before the rush of his heartbeat started trying to cave his head in from the inside, āI pride myself on being scrappy, Iāve won a few minor scuffles, but jeeesus did he kick the everliving shit outta me.ā he was laughing, he was laughing and Steve couldnāt breathe.
āI need some airā¦ā he wasnāt even sure it came out right, his leg barely cooperating as he tugged his foot out from beneath his thigh, lurching up onto the unsettling static of pins and needles, staggering over Jonathan and towards the open door, barely hearing the words aimed his way.
His head was spinning as he tripped over the step and stumbled onto the patio, seeking out the furthest loungerātoo close to the poolāand dropping onto the edge of it heavily, folding over and hanging his head between his spread knees, hands pushing through his hair.
The scent of chlorine cut through the haze of weed and sticky summer air, burning his lungs as he sucked down deep, gasping breaths that didnāt quite fill his lungs, that never felt like enough. Every exhale was pitchy and shook violently out of him, his chest heaving as saliva flooded his mouth in warning of something that, thankfully, never came, though he did let the spit fall in a brief, weak stream past his lips.
His heart was a rapid booming in his ears, disrupted by an uneven clicking that took him a little too long to realise was a cane hitting the concrete patio, he didnāt look up, watching the dark patch on the light stone spread as the clicking drew closer and white sneakers eked into his peripheral vision.
āStevie?ā Eddieās voice was soft, cutting through the thunder in Steveās head, like a soothing caress after a harsh slap, āShit⦠man⦠hey.ā Eddie tried again, hesitating before stepping closer, shuffling awkwardly before easing down onto the lounger beside him.
āGo away,ā Steve mumbled, swallowing as he managed to scrub a fist across his mouth, keeping his head low and shoving his hand back into his hair miserably, āPleaseā¦ā
āSteveā¦ā Eddieās tone shifted, a seriousness edged with the airiness of being high, āI⦠cāmon, look at me.ā Steve heard and felt movement but stayed still, Eddieās knees knocked against his thigh as he turned his body to face Steveās.
āJust⦠shit⦠weāve notā¦ā Steve tried, choking out a weird noise, āWeāve never even⦠Iāve never even⦠for all that⦠for everythingā¦ā He chanced a glance at Eddie then, regretting it the moment he met those pretty wide eyes, even if they were glassy from the weed. He felt seen by Eddie, he always did, but right now it was the last thing he wanted, he tried to drop his gaze but Eddie moved, cupping his cheeks and coaxing him into sitting upright.
He followed the gentle guidance easily, guilt wracking him as he leant into the tender caress of Eddieās fingers where they tucked under the hinge of his jaw, stroking back and forth across the hint of stubble after a long day.
āHeyā¦ā Eddieās voice held a smile and Steve blinked, not realising his eyes had slipped closed, āYou know I forgive you, right?ā he asked softly, Steve shook his head, no, āI do, I did, shit, maybe in that forest, maybe during recovery, maybe before then, when you graduated and I figured Iād never see you again so the slate was clean,ā he mused, rambling a little as he adjusted the grip of one hand and feathered his fingers across Steveās moles, chasing the touch with his thumb over the lashes of one eye. āI mean thatā¦ā
āIām sorryā¦ā Steve murmured, heād need to say it again, sober, kiss it into Eddieās skin, bruise it into the column of his throat if Eddie would let him, āIām so fuckinā sorryā¦ā
āI know,ā Eddie assured him, āI forgive you.ā
Imagining Steve discovering David Bowie through Robin playing a few of his songs at the radio station. At first (before he listen to any of the songs, just after hearing Robin talk about it) heās like āwhat the hell do you mean this million word titled album is about an alien rock star???ā And is judging. Then he hears Starman and heās vibing with it. His kind of song honestly. A few days later Robin plays Soul Love. And yeah, the songs catchy, but those lyrics grab him. It makes him think about Eddie so much it hurts. From that moment heās hooked. He buys the album and listens to it all in one session. Five Years being the first song and so emotional slaps him in the face, but itās one of his favorites immediately. Rock and Roll Suicide as the finally? It becomes his favorite song for when he needs to pull himself together. Soul Love continues to make him think of Eddie, and so does Lady Stardust in a way. He falls in love with the whole album.
I need a steddie fic that revolves around Wayne Munson giving Steve a shovel talk only to in the process (or over time) realize Steveās a hurt soul who never had parent figures that gave a damn about him. I need Steve who uses excessive manners and is trying so hard to prove himself. I need Steve who is scared shitless that Wayne will hurt him. I need Steve who finally breaks and Wayne who realizes this poor kid needs love and proceeds to bring him in.
Bonus points if Wayne absolutely hates Steve at first because he remembers Steve bullied Eddie for years when they were younger.
Bonus points if Wayne absolutely accuses Steve of using Eddie for drugs.
Bonus points if Wayne comes home to Steve and Eddie hanging out and immediately interrogates Steve.
āWhatāre you doing slumminā it up trailer trash,?Harrington? I thought you and your family was too damn good for people like us?ā Because Steve used to call Eddie trailer trash and Wayne remembers his boy crying over it.
Ughhh bonus points if Steve eventually moves in with the Munsonās because his parents are awful but Steve genuinely begs to pay rent because he doesnāt want to put any more strain on them.
I have a steddie fic thats about shovel talks and Wayne's in it, i know its not exactly what you want but I like to think its okay :) its also a work in progress
Thank you! I enjoyed it. I love Steve getting shovel talks. Ugh and the implication that the kids think heās the one who broke Nancyās heart and not the other way around? Chefs kiss
The whiplash Iām getting going from typically only making posts in one very small fandom and getting max ten likes and reblogs to making a single post in a large fandom and coming back to that 99+ in the corner
I need a steddie fic that revolves around Wayne Munson giving Steve a shovel talk only to in the process (or over time) realize Steveās a hurt soul who never had parent figures that gave a damn about him. I need Steve who uses excessive manners and is trying so hard to prove himself. I need Steve who is scared shitless that Wayne will hurt him. I need Steve who finally breaks and Wayne who realizes this poor kid needs love and proceeds to bring him in.
Bonus points if Wayne absolutely hates Steve at first because he remembers Steve bullied Eddie for years when they were younger.
Bonus points if Wayne absolutely accuses Steve of using Eddie for drugs.
Bonus points if Wayne comes home to Steve and Eddie hanging out and immediately interrogates Steve.
āWhatāre you doing slumminā it up trailer trash,?Harrington? I thought you and your family was too damn good for people like us?ā Because Steve used to call Eddie trailer trash and Wayne remembers his boy crying over it.
Ughhh bonus points if Steve eventually moves in with the Munsonās because his parents are awful but Steve genuinely begs to pay rent because he doesnāt want to put any more strain on them.
A drag path but itās Adam being perfectly content with letting himself be cuffed and treated like an enemy in the one base.
A drag path but itās John who fought to make sure Adam wasnāt treated that way.
Sigh I will never get over the fact that Adam chose to be imprisoned and the fact that John obviously blames himself for not being able to talk him out of it
Fully head canon John as someone who loves so deeply it makes it difficult for him to decide if itās romantic or platonic. Because heāll love his friends so much it hurts, and it makes him confused and remorseful because of how black and white society makes love seem, especially when you consider how Henri taught him what love was and essentially said it only happened once.
This was spurred on by listening to Mitskiās cover of āhow deep is your loveā
I head canon that Nine cares a lot about his hair. Maybe not so much how it looks, but it itself means a lot to him. He believes that hair holds memories, so he swore to never cut it again after Sandor died. Heād never cut away those memories of him, or any of the memories that came after. The memories of his friends. He wonāt even trim the ends, because if he trims it enough over time heāll cut away all that he has of Sandor left.
With this importance established, I present the idea of Nine having others hair braided into his. Maybe itās romantic, maybe itās platonic (itās romantic), but he definitely has a bit of Johnās light hair braided into his. Adamās too. itās almost identical in color, but Adamās has a different texture, more course and just a little bit darker. Both braids are on the underside of his hair, braided into the ends of the hair that grows from his neck, like rat tails. But he always pulls them forward to show them off. Johnās is the left braid, and Adamās is the right. Heās proud of it, he loves it. It means so much more to him than rings ever could
The idea of John and Nine getting together and as they grow closer Nine realizes that John was 100% in love with Adam. And Nine doesnāt like that. Heās aware itās selfish, and he knows itās stupid. But with Sarah, Sarah died. Adam didnāt die, he signed his life away to paying the price of a sin that wasnāt his. Adams still out there, just out of reach. And he can see how John yearns for the mog to come back. And heās pretty sure John isnāt even aware oh his own love for the mog. It drives Nine crazy. He doesnāt want to be some possessive controlling boyfriend, and he knows that John loves him too, but itās all he can think about. What if Adam finally gets the balls to come back? What if John realizes that he not only loves Adam, but that Adam is probably a superior partner in every way.
Adam does come back, but thatās not how it goes. Because Adam comes back weak and broken. Nine had never seen the mog so weak, so vulnerable. It stirred something in his chest. Something he was only supposed to feel for john. So maybe heās a bit of an ass to Adam, but never too much of one because when he pushes the line a little too far Adam wilts and John gets angry. Of course Adam is staying in their home in new Lorien, where else would he go? Thereās a lot of tension, but when it finally does boil over, itās not how Nine thought it would go. Itās not John breaking up with him for Adam. Itās Nine saying something, something stupid that honestly wasnāt that mean, but was the straw that broke the camels back. And itās while John wasnāt even home. So Adamās breaking down and itās all Nines fault so Nine just tugs the poor boy into his arms, murmuring apology after apology. And suddenly heās apologizing for everything heās ever done, including apologizing for being insecure about his place in Johnās heart because of Adam. And this is the first Adamās heard of this, and it makes him wish heād stayed gone. Stayed in that prison. Because heās intruding on something good, driving Nine insane with doubt and insecurity. And Adam can see it now, now he can place that look in Johnās eye. Itās love. Itās the way he looked at Sarah, itās the he looks at Nine.
Adam genuinely nearly throws up with guilt. And Nines close to crying. But Nines still holding Adam, and now Adamās apologizing when none of itās his fault and itās supposed to be Nine asking for forgiveness for making the cracks the mogs mental state turn into large breaks. Both of them are crying and Adam finally relaxes into Nineās touch as the two of them cycle through taking the blame.
John gets home from a general glance around new Lorien to find his boyfriend and good friend on the ground crying and holding each other and something in his heart warms and cracks all at once.
Itās a long intense discussion they have. But inevitably it results in something great.
Adam getting sick up in Antarctica, not a cold, not the flu, *sick*. Sick with something awful, something thatās been building all this time, sick with something thatās wormed its way through his body, eating away at him.
He canāt get out of bed, and he can feel it. Heās gonna die. If he stays in that prison, he will die.
He thinks about it, and for a moment it feels like a fitting end. Heās done well, heās started a movement amongst his people. A movement of redemption. Heās finally done something good. Maybe this is it, heās completed what he was always meant to do.
Maybe heād get to see One again.
But upon having that thought, he immediately knows what One would say to him if she were here.
He shouldnāt waste away and let himself die when magical healing is one touch of a stone away. Sheād be pissed if this is how they reunited.
So with a shaky breath, he gets his pendant John delivered to him⦠what a year ago? Had it been two years since he opted into this life? Or had it been more? It felt like an eternity since heād seen his friends, his family. But he had a duty here, a price he had to pay for the harm he brought about there at the start.
He lays there and thinks about one, two, and three, the people heās failed.
He thinks about all his friends now, the ones he knows would be upset if he died here. John, Sam, Malcolm, Marina, Six, Nine.
Well, maybe not all of them would be upset⦠maybe none of them would mourn his passing. It has been years since heās talk to any one of them, but surly theyād at least wish for him to have lived.
Right?
ā¦
Malcom would want him to live, that heās sure of.
Two people, One and Malcom, thatās a long enough list of people he doesnāt want to fail to motivate him to keep on living, even though the idea of his mission finally being over is oddly enticing.
His sick and sluggish body takes in a deep breath, then he puts the stone within his palm and imagines the place John talked about building. New Lorien. Hopefully John would be close by when he teleports so he can be healed.
Adam squints his eyes shut as the feeling of transporting makes his stomach lurch and twist inside his body. He hadnāt been able to eat any thing in two days, and if he had he wouldnāt have been able to keep it down after his teleportation.
When the lorealite takes him to the colony in India, Adam canāt stand and take it all in. No, he crumples to his knees and dry heaves until the fever burning beneath his skin outweighs the nausea and he passes out.
Maybe this was the end he was looking for without the blame. No one could be mad at him because he died trying to get help. It wasnāt a choice. It wouldnāt be his fault.
Ella finds Adamās dying body, panics and screams for John telepathically. Of course John is there in a second.
And John nearly has a panic attack alongside Ella at the sight of Adamās body all waxy. Heās always been pale and a little ādead lookingā but not so dead looking that heās mistakable for an actual corpse.
Who? What kind of threat is it, sending his friendās dead body into New Lorien? What sick psychopath would do this? What new villain do they have on their hands? Who killed his friend?!
Johnās chest aches and thereās angry fire burning at his hands until he notices the small breaths coming from Adamās body. He runs, throwing himself on the ground before Adam and immediately pouring healing energy into Adam, replacing the fire in his hands with the oozing power of his healing.
Itās warm, but in a different way than the fever. Itās warm like cinnamon and nutmeg, like honey and molasses. Warm like the very sun itself.
Adam dreams heās on the beach with One while Johnās warmth heals his dying body and feeds his tropical dreams. Itās the first time he could fully remember Oneās face in a long time.
John heal Adam until heās stable enough to be moved to his home. His and Nineās home.
Maybe John holds Adamās body closer and tighter than necessary when he could move him with telekinesis. But John needs something to hold. His hands are shaking, and maybe his shoulders too.
Ella follows him closely, scared but not breaking the silence with her million questions. Everything would be explained eventually, probably when Adam wakes up since John obviously has no idea whatās happening either.
She hopes this isnāt the start of something awful, of more bloodshed and sacrifice. Her and all the people she loves have already suffered enough.