written for @steddiemicrofic prompt ‘first’ wc: 336 | rated: T | cw: injury, hospitals | tags: hurt/comfort, hopeful ending
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The steady rhythm reached Eddie’s ears as he returned to consciousness. Eyes blinked open to see cream walls, a curtain, a tray and monitor. His last memory was bleeding in the Upside Down, thinking it was his end. Those beeps of his own heart’s rhythm combined with the pain he was currently experiencing suggested otherwise.
Something stirred to Eddie’s right. His gaze shifted to see Steve’s head lift from the bed. He’d fallen asleep leaned over in a chair. Their eyes locked. Steve’s widened causing Eddie’s mouth to curve into a sleepy smile.
“EDDIE!” Steve stood so fast the chair scraped the floor. “You’re awake!”
“How—“ Eddie winced, the word ripping through his dry throat like a razor.
Steve rushed to grab water, bringing a straw to Eddie’s lips. He sucked it down gratefully.
“Easy.” Steve cooed.
“How long?” Eddie rasped.
“8 days.”
“How’d I get here?”
Steve shrugged. “I might have carried you out.”
The soft look that Steve gave was going to be Eddie’s true end. No way he’d be able to keep his feelings in check. He’d thought Steve was handsome before he found out he was also a great guy.
Did he carry him out bridal style too? Jesus. Christ.
“Regular prince charming you are. Shoulda kissed me. Might have woke up sleeping beauty sooner.” Eddie wanted to gesture to himself but didn’t have the strength yet.
Steve pondered that. “I’d do it you know.”
“I have a concussion?”
“Nah.” Steve laughed softly. “I like you. And I thought I’d lost you before I could even tell you. Won’t make that mistake again.”
“Must be dreaming. You like me back? ’s a good dream.”
Steve’s whole face lit up. “Back?” His eyes drifted to Eddie’s lips. “Can I?”
“Please.”
Gently, mindful of Eddie’s wounds, Steve pressed a soft kiss to Eddie’s lips.
Their first.
Eddie only wished he could kiss him back like he wanted to.
“Get better. There’s more where that came from.” Steve promised.
“Consider me motivated.”
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Note: Not only is the prompt "first" relevant to the theme of the fic, it also happens to be the first time I've written Steddie and the first time I've participated in one of these word count based challenges. (It's probably not the last on either front.)
Written for the May @steddiemicrofic prompt 'door'
Words: 599
Rating: T
Tags: Near-death experiences, hospital, angst with a happy ending, some attempt at humor
On Ao3
///////////////////////////
Eddie’s fingers were wrapped around the handle of an ornate, beautiful door. It was open just a crack. Was he the one to do that? He couldn’t remember. How did he even get to this dim, black room? Where exactly was he?
He started to pull on the handle.
Then noises from behind Eddie made him pause.
Voices.
Muffled. Indiscernible. But voices nonetheless.
His fingers uncoiled from the handle revealing how tightly he’d gripped it. Suddenly, the door in front of him seemed ominous. He turned away from it.
There, across the dark room, was another door. This one wooden and plain. Eddie approached, straining to listen.
“How is he?” A familiar feminine voice.
“Wheeler?” Eddie ran his fingers frantically along the wood. There was no knob to turn. No way to grasp it. “WHEELER!”
He banged his hands on the wood.
“Still the same.” Came Henderson’s somber reply.
Memories slammed into Eddie.
The Upside Down. All of it.
That first door, Eddie knew what it was now, he looked back at it, only to find that it had somehow gotten closer. Still cracked open. Foreboding. And now the fear that he’d be sucked through gripped him.
He slammed his shoulder against the door between him and his friends. They couldn't hear him but if he could only break through!
Time was mind boggling here. The voices would go too fast, too slow, or sound muffled. Eddie could only decipher brief moments.
/////////
Uncle Wayne’s voice. “--And they got your name cleared and everything. Go on and wake up, son.”
Tears pooled in Eddie’s eyes, his fists slammed against the door. “I’m trying!”
The ornate door behind him loudly creaked open wider.
Eddie glared back at it, steeled himself, and stomped to the door.
“No!” Defiantly, he slammed it shut.
When he turned back, the plain wooden door had a knob. Eddie ran to grip it, only for his hand to pass right through. “Damn it!”
//////////
“Wake up!” Henderson’s voice broke. “Asshole.”
The pain in Dustin’s words shattered Eddie’s heart.
He desperately grabbed for the doorknob again, gasping when his hand made contact.
But it wouldn’t turn.
“Locked!” He frustratedly pulled at his hair.
///////////
“—just tell him how you feel. He’ll wake up for the sole purpose of giving you shit about it!”
“Something’s wrong with you.”
Buckley and Harrington?
“Maybe he’s like sleeping beauty!”
“Not kissing someone who’s unconscious…”
“Jesus! No! Just tell him! The doctors said he might be able to hear.”
“Yeah suuure that’ll do it. I confess—” Eddie could practically hear the eyeroll. “‘Hey Eds, you’re the first guy I’ve ever felt like this about and then you had to play hero, so I’m left to wonder about… everything. It pisses me off!’ And he just magically wakes up?”
“What a romantic confession.” Robin deadpanned.
Eddie already had plenty of desire to wake up, but…
He likes me back?!
Something clanged to floor.
A key.
Eddie scrambled to grab it and inserted it into the keyhole.
A perfect fit.
The door unlocked.
It opened.
///////////////
A pained grunt escaped him from the hospital bed. Everything hurt.
“Eddie!?” Robin exclaimed.
His eyes blinked open.
“You have GOT to be shitting me.” But Steve was smiling with watery eyes.
Eddie smirked as he rasped out, “Fall for me, Big Boy?”
“I am never living this down.” Steve sighed. “And maybe I did. That a problem?”
Eddie weakly grabbed Steve’s hand on the bed. “The opposite.”
He reveled in Steve’s blush as the realization of requited feelings dawned on him.
Rating: T
cw: injury, recovery
tags: hurt/comfort
prompt: guitar (Day 2 for @steddielovemonth)
Words: 3134
Read on Ao3
Summary: Eddie Munson survived the Upside Down, but not without a long road to recovery. He's been eyeing his acoustic guitar for a couple of weeks now, but hasn't been quite ready to try it. All the while people have been taking good care of him. Steve has gone above and beyond. Making Eddie's heart yearn for something he doesn't think he can have.
Eddie sighed from his spot on a bed in Hopper’s cabin. Hopper, who turned out to be alive and willing to let Eddie recover there. While Eddie was grateful to everyone for their help, he also felt like such a burden. Most of the people helping him were ones he’d just recently gotten to know, gone through the hell of the Upside Down together, and somehow made it out alive. Some group they were. A mishmash of different types all bonded by shared trauma.
He let out a groan as he shifted to a sitting position. Stabbing pains shot through him from different points in his body, stitches pulled uncomfortably, adding to the constant ache that was always there. Simple things were so complicated. Going to the bathroom was a whole chore in itself. There was a walker to help him along the way, but his grip strength was severely lacking. Whoever was checking up on him usually stood behind him for extra support as he walked the short distance. Then they waited for him to come out of the bathroom afterwards. The situation wasn’t exactly making Eddie feel the most capable.
It was a miracle that he survived the demobats tearing into his flesh, so he supposed he shouldn’t complain too much. Still, he wished the recovery would go faster. Wished every part of him wasn’t so stiff and sore. Wished the sharp pains would stop altogether. Wished he could just get up and do whatever he wanted. His healing was coming along decently all things considered, but sometimes he got impatient. One thing he finally had managed to do was convince the others he was stable enough to be in the cabin alone at least for an hour or two.
“You guys don’t have to babysit me 24/7! I’ll stay in bed like a good little patient.” Eddie had said a few days earlier.
It earned him skeptical looks from Hopper, Joyce, Steve, Robin and Dustin who had turned out to be the most regular of his rotating “babysitters.” But they relented and at least trusted him with not needing a constant watch. He’d heard them talking about clearing his name as well. So, he supposed, there was a chance he would actually heal up someday and be able to come out of hiding.
At the moment, he was in the cabin alone.
They had left it within his reach—his acoustic guitar. It was leaned up against the wall beside the bed.
Steve, of all people, had suggested it. Which was not helping Eddie’s growing feelings towards the other man. Because King Steve was not at all what Eddie expected. He’d had a crush on him when he was still in school, but it was something pretty easy to ignore with the tales of his personality and the jock group he ran around with at the time. Then later on, there was Dustin, insisting Steve was a badass and he’d changed for the better. All things that turned out to be true once Eddie got to know him.
Then when he’d asked Robin how he made it out of the Upside Down, she told him that Steve carried him. Because of course he did! The news had made Eddie’s heart flutter traitorously in his chest. It wasn’t fair really, Steve being a hero right out of a fantasy book. Also, Eddie reminded himself, Steve definitely was not into him. In fact, Steve might not even be aware that Eddie was into guys in general. But Robin on the other hand apparently noticed the flush of Eddie’s cheeks when she revealed Steve being the one to carry his nearly dead self out of the Upside Down.
“What’s that look for Buckley?” Eddie had huffed.
“Oh nothing, just think you might be feeling a little something.” She quirked an eyebrow.
Robin had just brought him food. Had been taking care of him like the others and he had long had a suspicion they might both have a certain something in common. Eddie had a lot of rumors swirl about him, and a lot of them were false, but there were some that were very true. He shot her a challenging glare and she glared right back. Until the corner of her mouth twitched up slightly. Oh she already knew then. They were reading each other too well.
“Okay, so what if I am? Would he stop—“ Eddie cut himself off. That fluttering in his heart happened again. What was he going to say? Would Steve not want to be one of the people checking up on him if he knew? Steve, who took extra care to make sure Eddie’s hair wasn’t getting all matted so that he could keep it. Steve who thought to bring his guitar. That Steve?
Robin’s look softened. “Eddie. Steve knows about me. He knows I like girls and he’s kinda my biggest supporter.”
“Jesus. Christ. He’s making this impossible.” Eddie had laughed at the audacity of the situation. Steve Harrington, on top of everything else, had a lesbian best friend, knew about it, and was supportive. “Steve Harrington, friend of the gays! But that doesn’t mean he still wouldn’t be weirded out that I’m falling for him, Buckley.”
She’d smiled impossibly wide at that then just shrugged and left the room. Eddie couldn’t exactly follow after her and was left with his thoughts.
Steve had helped him bathe for crying out loud. It was not too long after Eddie first woke up. At the time, Eddie was too busy trying to not pass out from the exertion to panic. He was even weaker then, but in desperate need of being clean. Eddie had managed to wash his most private areas but that was all he had the energy to handle. Steve handled the rest. And Eddie had promptly passed out in the bed afterwards. But he did have a full freakout mentally once he woke up next despite Steve doing everything in his power to not make it awkward.
It still felt so intimate. Even if it didn’t mean anything to Steve outside of helping a friend. Eddie needed to be clean, he needed food, he needed to get up and walk around and he needed help. Yes, more often than not, Steve was the one to help him with the more personal things. But it just made sense right? Hopper was older. Dustin too much like a younger brother. He didn’t want to make Joyce or Robin feel awkward. So, Steve stepped up. Naturally. It just made sense.
Eddie looked at the guitar again. He hadn’t tried it yet. The stiffness in his hands frustrated him and he didn’t want anyone to see him struggle with something he loved so much. Something he knew how to do and was a part of him. He wasn’t sure how long he had until the next person would show up to check on him, but for now the cabin was empty.
When he reached over to grab the instrument he hissed at the pain the movement caused in his torso, but he managed to get the instrument situated in his lap. Eddie never had been good at sitting still in the first place and being essentially bed bound did not suit him. The natural tapping of his fingers did help with the stiffness some, but at first it also meant he’d make the wounds in his hands rip open and start to bleed again. Now, he hoped they were healed enough to let him at least try to play.
The feeling of his hands sliding along the strings was such a comfort. Eddie gazed down at the instrument reverently. His soul pleading with it, and his own body, to let him play. At least a little. To make some pleasant sound fill the space. To let him feel a little more himself again. Then his left hand tried to form a chord. The shape formed as natural as breathing, despite the stiffness, but when he went to press the strings down a pain shot down his arm from the attempt. A deep gash stitched together in his tricep pulled. Every muscle involved in the movement furious at him for trying.
“Shit.” Eddie lifted his fingers and let the sharpness of the pain dull into something more manageable again. “This is pathetic.”
But his hand was still forming the G chord, just not pressing the strings down. Nothing had ripped as far as Eddie could tell. So, he pressed down again. The stabbing pain happened again but as he held held the chord down the pain eased a little. He brought his right hand around. Thankfully, it wasn’t as bad as his left. He didn’t have a pick, but that was just as well. Sometimes he liked to fingerpick, especially with the acoustic. It reminded him of water flowing. Hitting the strings one by one in a pattern, a different sort of dance. It may be the opposite of the metal riffs he’s known for, but there was something soothing about it. If he could just…
Eddie began to pick and the sound was plucky, muted, buzzy and not at all pleasant. He laughed at himself and his weak left hand. Despite the frustration, the instrument had at least made a noise. He just needed to press down on the strings harder. It made him feel like a beginner again. Although, the callouses on his fingers told a much different story.
“This is gonna hurt like hell.” He muttered.
But it felt worth it. So Eddie took a deep breath tried again. His left hand pressed down on the strings. His right hand picked at them and this time… this time the sound was right. There were stabbing pains in both arms, more in the left than the right. It hurt. It sucked. It was like they were screaming at him to stop, but he had to play even if just a little. He changed to a D chord, then to C, back to G. Each change sent the sharper pains again, despite the chords being close together and simple.
It was a far cry from the last time he played, shredding Metallica in the Upside Down, hand flying around the neck like a well trained dancer, but it was something. His left hand gave up on being able to press the strings down after a minute or two, forcing Eddie to stop. Baby steps. It fell limply onto the blanket below the guitar.
A tear plinked against the wood, surprising him. He hadn’t realized he was crying. Despite himself, Eddie smiled. As he lifted his right hand with a wince to brush away the tears, his eyes finally looked forward to see Steve standing in the doorway.
Despite the surprise, Eddie’s body didn’t jolt, something he was very thankful for.
“That was beautiful.” Fondness laced Steve’s words.
And there was Eddie’s heart again, fluttering in his chest for reasons completely unrelated to his injuries.
Eddie laughed wetly. “That was beginner shit, Harrington.”
Steve wiped at his own eyes. He was crying too. Oh.
“Still beautiful.” Steve put his hands on his hips stubbornly. He flicked his head to the front door of the cabin and then back to Eddie. “I walked in that door and heard you play. These past few weeks, I’ve been hoping I’d hear you play.”
“Yeah?” Eddie breathed out. His body began sinking back into the pillows behind him without him asking it to. His back muscles and injuries pissed that he’d sat forward so long. God he hated feeling so weak.
Steve rushed forward and gently grabbed the guitar as he helped Eddie settle back into the pillows. “Careful.”
“Jesus. I feel like I’m ancient, hundred years old or some shit.” Eddie groaned.
Steve put the guitar back in it’s place and sat down beside Eddie in the bed. “Everyone has been worried. The kids keep asking if you’ve played.”
“They do?” Eddie’s mouth turned up at the corners.
“Yeah. Playing guitar is a big deal for you right? I know it. The kids know it.”
“Well, that was a far cry from shredding Metallica…” Eddie starts.
Steve’s hand finds Eddie’s left hand sitting on the bed limply. He brushes his finger tips against the callouses. “You’ll get there. I know you will. And I know playing today means a lot to you. But it means a lot to everyone else too. It’s a sign we were all waiting for, I guess. And maybe, maybe I’m a little selfish for wishing all this time…”
Their eyes meet and Eddie swears he’s going to melt then and there.
“All this time, I was hoping it would happen like this.” Steve admits.
Eddie feels like butterflies are having a war inside his chest, so he deflects. “What with me pathetically not being able to play simple chord progressions for more than a couple of minutes.”
“No.” Steve huffs, then softens. “With me, walking in the door and being drawn in by the sound of you playing. For me to be the one that hears it first. It’s selfish, maybe it should have been Dustin really I don’t know. But I wanted to hear it first.”
Steve reaches up and wipes a tear from Eddie’s eye. The fondness, the softness, the care…
That’s it.
These past few weeks have been too much for Eddie’s heart. Jesus. Steve Harrington is trying to kill him. He’s being far too kind. Eddie’s soul is yearning for something that isn’t possible. He needs to put a stop to it. Steve should know.
“Are you trying to kill me?” Eddie asks bluntly.
“What?” Steve pulls his hand back, but remains seated on the bed. His head tilts a bit.
It’s cute. Eddie thinks before cursing himself internally.
“You! Taking care of me. Making sure I have my guitar. Keeping my hair from getting so matted I have to cut it. Thinking of things like that. Being there for me. Helping me with every little thing. Have you heard what they’ve said about me Steve?”
“The devil worshipping murderer bullshit?”
“Not that. The stuff they said about me that is true.”
Steve isn’t as stupid as some people like to frame him as, and Eddie knows it at this point.
“That you’re into guys.” A statement, not a question.
“Yeah, that little detail.” Eddie’s trying to read anything he can from Steve’s expression.
He’s looking for judgement, but not finding any. If anything, Steve’s expression grows softer.
“Not like I have a problem with it.” Steve shrugs easily and honestly.
“Well, maybe you don’t have a problem with me liking guys in general but…” Eddie fights the urge to look away. But his eyes and Steve’s are locked together. “You’ve been so ugghhh. You’re impossible you know that? Handsome. Badass. Kind. It’s annoying if you think about it. I’m afraid I’m not immune to your charms, Big Boy.”
Eddie notices the way Steve flushes slightly at the nickname.
Oh?
“You ever think, maybe I’m not immune to your charms either?”
“Don’t mess with me, man. It’s not funny.”
“I’m not messing with you. Apparently I’m into brunettes with curls and big beautiful eyes.”
“Gonna try and get back with Wheeler?” Eddie blurts out before he can stop himself. Still deflecting away from the possibility. Still unable to believe there’s a chance that maybe Steve might just… might just what?
“Stop it.” Steve scoffs. “Nance and I are friends. That’s it. Let me finish, you asshole. Jesus. Maybe that’s a part of your charm too. Maybe I’m into loud, theatrical, talented, asshole nerds who are willing to give anything to protect those they care about. The people I care about too. Someone who’s passionate about things, talks too much, leans into my space—”
“Even if they are you know…”
“A guy?” Steve laughs and shakes his head. “I’m finding that doesn’t really matter to me.”
“Oh.” Eddie breathes out the syllable. Letting himself take in what’s happening.
“I mean it, Eds."
Not Munson, not even Eddie. Eds. And Eddie loves it.
“I’m not immune to your charms either.”Steve says with conviction.
Steve leans in a bit and closes his eyes. Immediately, Eddie feels betrayed by his body’s exhaustion. There’s no energy left to lean in or to reach up and pull Steve close. Even though he wants it more than anything. His back muscles and torn skin just won’t.
“Oh, Is this not um…I…I’m reading things wrong?” Steve’s eyes pop open and he stops and stutters. “I-I thought maybe we’d… uh…”
Eddie laughs despite himself. Here’s Steve Harrington, tripping over his words thinking Eddie doesn’t want to kiss him? Please. He sets that right immediately.
“You’re gonna have to work for it this time. Playing that little bit took a lot out of me.” He has his voice even if his body is not all that cooperative. Eddie drops it low and sultry. “If you want these lips, you’re going to have to come over here and get ‘em, Big Boy.”
Steve shutters at his tone. Eddie stores that away for later. Oh, he can definitely work with that.
Then Steve leans in, one hand cupping Eddie’s cheek on the side that’s not wounded. His lips press against Eddie’s as his other hand finds it’s way under his curls. Gently, Steve holds them close together. Too gently, for Eddie’s liking. His arms may still be tired, but his mouth? It’ll work just fine. Eddie parts his lips and flicks out his tongue. Steve makes a little noise and parts his own, allowing Eddie’s tongue to dance with his own. Eddie sighs approvingly into Steve’s mouth when he pulls them closer together.
After a moment Steve leans back, face flushed and quite pleased with himself.
Eddie feels like he’s floating. Both from finally, finally, kissing Steve and from the exhaustion and pain he’s still dealing with. He can feel sleep threatening to pull him into it’s depths again. But before it does his eyes dart to the guitar.
“I’m going to absolutely shred on the guitar again someday.” He says. A determined fire blazing in his eyes.
Steve nods. “I’m sure of it.”
“And…” Eddie turns to Steve, that fiery expression still ablaze. His tone going into that low place he knows has the desired effect. “I’m gonna love you the way I want to. Treat you how you deserve. And ruin you for anyone else, Big Boy.”
Steve flushes even more. “Holy shit.”
Eddie smiles wide, dimples prominent. Then his eyes threaten to flutter closed.
A fond laugh escapes Steve. “I look forward to it. But for now, just rest.”
And Eddie drifts to sleep, knowing that Steve loves him back.
Ship: Ronance (Robin Buckley/Nancy Wheeler)
Rating: T
Words: 2275
Tags: Fluff, cuddles, morning cuddles, getting together, first kiss, literal sleeping together, good friend Steve Harrington, Robin and Steve friendship, Nancy and Steve friendship
Read on Ao3
There was an arm wrapped around Robin. An arm? Her eyes snapped open, heart speeding up in her chest. Because, well, she knew who’s embrace she was in. That was not Steve’s arm. This was either a very nice dream or some sort of torturous waking nightmare… one where she has to get out of the woman she’s fallen in love with’s embrace without making it super awkward for the both of them. She didn’t love her odds of success relying on her own grace and was pretty sure she wasn’t dreaming.
She tried to breathe normally while recalling how they ended up like this. They were at her uncle’s house for a meetup. It was just her, Nancy, and Steve in the house. Jonathan hadn’t been able to make it this time as he was busy with a film project.
The last thing Robin remembered was laying in the bed, talking late into the evening with Nancy after Steve had gone to his own room. It was a conversation that drifted from one thing to the next so easily that they lost track of time. Despite Robin being head over heels for Nancy, being with her was always so nice. Her crush never got in the way of their friendship. They always had plenty to talk about and had only grown closer as the years went by.
“Just gonna rest my eyes for a sec.” Nancy had yawned. The plan was for her to sleep in the other bedroom, but apparently both of them had fallen asleep around the same time with Nancy never making it to the other room.
And now, Robin found her self in a predicament.
Okay, Buckley how do you get out of this? She thought frantically.
Maybe she could just lift Nancy’s arm a little and shimmy out of the bed, sneak off to the bathroom before the other woman wakes up, and casually walk back in once she hears Nancy stirring. Then, she’d make a joke or something and it would all be just fine and back to normal.
Robin shifted a bit.
The arm around her tightened.
The sound that escaped Robin was more of a whimper. She stilled again, waiting for Nancy’s arm to loosen up. She tried not to freak out at the way Nancy was curled behind her. Chest against her back, cuddled there together so closely. It was wonderful and awful because she didn’t want to make Nancy uncomfortable. They were so close that Robin could feel Nancy’s breath on her neck.
How’d I wind up the little spoon in this scenario? Robin’s mind swirled. This is both the best and worst thing to ever happen to me.
Robin decided then and there just to get out, even if it woke up Nancy. It was an accidental thing anyway. They’d just ended up like this naturally. Which probably meant nothing. Don’t read into it too much, Robin. No matter what dingus seems to think. So she went to move Nancy’s arm, ready to jump up and give an explanation, laugh it off and move on. It was all so silly. It would be fine! She was just overthinking it all, right?
But when she went to move Nancy’s arm, she heard the other woman’s breathing change.
“Hmmm?” Nancy questioned as she woke.
Robin held her breath.
Nancy’s arm loosened slightly as she blinked awake.
“Robin?”
Not Nancy’s voice, raspy from sleep, right in her ear.
“God. You’re gonna kill me.” Robin breathed out in an exasperated sigh.
“Robin.” Nancy said softly. “This okay?”
“Well, yes and no.” The nerves beat Robin’s filter as the words tumbled out. “On the one hand this is a dream come true. Because well, you know I love, well women, and you are one of the most amazing women I know. I get it that guys lose their minds around you. Hopefully I’m not that much of a Neanderthal. It’s fine you know. You just like to hug a pillow or something at night right? So this could be a completely platonic thing.”
“Hmmmm?” Nancy’s response was dripping with amusement, not that Robin noticed at the time.
“But I’m making it weird. Because I wouldn’t be mad if it wasn’t platonic ya know? But I know that isn’t what you mean by this obviously, and it wasn’t even on purpose. Even if it was. Friends can cuddle! I cuddle with Steve sometimes! Oh wait no. Talking about your ex is probably not the thing to do here. I uh well I just mean it’s cool if you like to cuddle with your friends there’s nothing wrong with that obviously! I just really feel like you should know that I like… like you, like you? So waking up like this has kinda thrown me for a loop, honestly, man I just messed up I’m saying too much I—”
The sleepy laugh in Robin’s ear cut her off.
“Aaaand your arm is still around me.” Robin blinked.
She had expected Nancy to frantically pull away muttering apologies or something.
“Is that okay?” Nancy asked.
“Y-Yes? I’m telling you this is what I dream of waking up to. Wait no, ignore that. Oh my god.” Robin took a deep breath. “Uh. I’m, Well, not sure what’s happening here, but I’ll just…”
She shifted to get up.
Nancy tightened her embrace. “You dream of waking up like this? With me?”
Robin felt her cheeks flush. “Okay can you fill me in on how to take this please?”
“I like waking up like this too.” Nancy whispered in Robins ear. “With you.”
The involuntary shiver Robin felt caused her to jolt forward suddenly, out of Nancy embrace and gracelessly into the floor.
“Oh my god! Are you okay?” Nancy shuffled to that side of the bed.
A muffled reply from Robin’s face in the carpet. “‘m fine.”
When Robin managed to sit up on the floor her gaze shifted to Nancy.
On the bed the other woman was laying propped up on one arm looking down at Robin in concern, amusement dancing in her eyes at the same time. Her hair had grown out some, curls cascading over her cheeks on one side, while the hair hung down beneath her on the other. Her eyes might as well have held the secrets to life itself as far as Robin was concerned.
Nancy’s lips twitched up on one side.
“Jesus.” Robin breathed out. “You are so gorgeous, Nance.”
Pink bloomed in Nancy’s cheeks and Robin felt her heart flutter.
Then Nancy looked down at the sheets and picked at the fabric with her fingers. A brief moment of contemplation. One that was followed by a shift in her expression— the set in her jaw, the purse of her lips. Robin knew that expression well. It was decisive, confident. It was a woman knowing full well what she was about to do next.
Nancy looked back at Robin through her lashes. “So are you.”
“What?” Robin said brilliantly. Her jaw dropped. Could a look melt a person? Robin was fairly certain this one could. She had to be melting at this very moment, in fact.
“Gorgeous.” Nancy laughed a little, clearly directed at herself this time. “You’re gorgeous. And I’ve been too busy overthinking this. I’ve never tried, um, pursuing another woman. I wanted to be sure about what I was feeling. Didn’t want to mess it up. Was afraid maybe it was just some curiosity or experiment or something. I don’t know really, or I didn’t.”
“Oh?”
There was a shift on the bed as Nancy scooted back to make room for Robin. She tapped the spot with her hand. “Get back up here.”
Robin grabbed the extended hand and settled back into the bed hesitantly. They were face to face now, heads on the pillows. Nancy kept holding her hand.
“I like like you too.” Her thumb rubbed against Robin’s skin.
“Yeah?” There were tears welling in Robin’s eyes. “God. I’m such a sap.”
“I don’t think so.” Nancy blinked and a tear left her own eye.
They looked into each other’s gazes for a beat before breaking out into relieved breathy laughter.
“Never thought you’d want this too.” Robin shifted a little closer.
“You didn’t? Because I felt like I haven’t been hiding it all that well lately. I love being with you. I want to know everything I can about you. I love talking to you, spending time with you, all of it. And I know that’s all friendship stuff too… But Robin?”
“Yeah?”
“I want to—“ Nancy looked away timidly. “Is this too fast? I want to kiss you. Can I kiss you?”
“God, yes!”
Suddenly she found herself looking up at Nancy. The other woman tenderly brushed Robin’s hair from her face. A finger traced her jaw ending under her chin, tilting it up just so.
And then Nancy Wheeler leaned down and pecked her lips gently.
It was quick. Too quick, for Robin. She opened one eye curiously, lips still pursed.
Nancy had pulled back slightly and was looking at Robin’s expression with far too much amusement.
“You tease!” Robin’s mouth quirked up on one side.
Then Nancy leaned in again, kissing her lips and letting her hand caress Robin’s face. Robin’s hands reached up into Nancy’s hair, pulling her closer, earning her a content hum from the other woman. Their lips moved against each other with passion. Both of them in no rush to end it, memorizing the sensation of their first kisses, letting the contact linger. The next time Nancy pulled back, she eyed Robin’s lips with satisfaction.
“So pretty.” Nancy cooed. Her eyes impossibly fond. “You’re so pretty, Robin.”
Robin felt a shiver run through her body at the words, the love telegraphed in that gaze. All of it too much in the best way. She grabbed for the covers and brought them over her head.
“You’re gonna be the death of me, Nance!”
The covers were pulled back for a second as Nancy joined her underneath them.
“You’re a really good kisser, you know that?” Nancy complimented easily as she curled her arm around Robin again.
“Really?”
“Really. I’ve never kissed a girl before.”
“It is my deepest honor to be your first, my lovely lady.” Robin beamed.
Nancy pondered about the position she’d inadvertently put them in earlier. “Sorry you woke up like that. I really do like to sleep hugging a pillow and I guess it just happened.”
“I think I almost died. But it’s fine.”
Nancy breathed out a laugh.
“Told myself to not read to much into it, actually.”
At that, Nancy started to giggle. “Read into it as much as you want. Pretty sure I wrote the book for you, babe.”
“That was so—“ The joyful little noises escaped Robin too. “Ha! So damn cheesy.”
The giggles continued as Nancy cuddled closer into Robin’s side, planting soft kisses on her neck. Robin couldn’t remember the last time she felt this happy. It was several more minutes before they decided to actually get out of bed for the day. In their giddiness they shared one more quick kiss as the door opened, pulling back and looking into each other’s eyes with a joy that was palpable.
So lost in each other they were, that they didn’t notice the man at the end of the hallway.
“Well, well, what do we have here?” Steve had a dish towel over his shoulder, and his hands on his hips. There was a knowing smile on his lips.
“Jesus!” Robin’s hand flew to her chest like she was having a heart attack. “Dingus, don’t do that!”
“I didn’t do anything! I was just going to grab the rest of the dishes from the living room and I look down the hallway and there you are!” Steve narrowed his eyes at her, then added in a sing-song voice, “you owe me so many boppers.”
It clicked with Nancy instantly. “You bet on us?”
Steve just shrugged. “She said she didn’t think you liked her back. I said I thought you might. She said if that were true she’d give me twenty packs of boppers.”
“You two are ridiculous.” Nancy walked past him and whacked him in the arm playfully.
Robin stuck her tongue out at him. “I’m going to go find more dishes for our dingus housekeeper to wash.”
She turned on her heel and walked back into the bedroom to grab the glasses and plate from the night before.
“Hey Nance?” Steve turned to her.
“Hmm?”
“For the record…” He gestured his head towards the hall. “You and Robin? Not bullshit.”
Nancy looked that way, then back up to Steve with a smile. “Thanks.”
When Robin walked back into the room she rushed past Steve, sat the dishes in the sink and immediately grabbed Nancy’s hand. “I’m glad he was right and I was wrong this time. Even if I have to buy him his stupid boppers.”
She looked back at Steve, a wide genuine smile on his face as his eyes locked onto their intertwined hands. “God, look at that goofy grin he’s wearing.”
Nancy laughed at that. Steve did look completely over the moon about the new development.
“What?” Steve walked backwards to the sink to finish the dishes. “A guy can’t be happy you two finally figured it out? And also about boppers. I love boppers!”
“We know.” The girls both said at the same time, before heading to the couch for more cuddles.
And if a certain dingus made them a celebratory “finally figuring things out” breakfast, they weren’t complaining.
In the Riordanverse I know there’s vague ancient laws about the gods not interfering too much with mortal affairs. I just feel like after ToA Apollo really pushes that with being around Camp Half-Blood more but also with demigod quests. His favorite way to do so becomes apparent pretty quickly. Demigods come back from quests and random monster encounters with similar stories.
“The monster almost caught us but then, the sunlight reflected off of a broken piece of glass on the street at just the right angle. It temporarily blinded the slimy beast! Gave me just enough time to retrieve my weapon!”
“Oh really? That’s wild! A month ago on my quest there were several basilisks after me. I raised my sword and the sun glinted off of it. It seemed to disorient them. I took the opportunity to slash them to pieces.”
“Huh.” Percy chimes in. “Kind of reminds me of the other day. I was forming a wave to unleash on this giant, hairy, whatever that monster was and the sunlight bounced off of the water. Like you two said, it hit the monster right in the eyes. Not that I didn’t have it handled, but it did let me catch my breath and focus more on the attack and less on getting slashed again.”
Annabeth laughs. “And here I thought you made the water reflect the sunlight on purpose.”
Percy drags his hand across his face. “Is it too late to pretend I totally planned that because I’m just so smart?”
She elbows him and laughs. “Afraid so, Seaweed Brain.”
“Pretty sure I heard someone else talk about something like that happening too.” One of the other demigods remembers. “A random old mirror in the woods of all places. A bunch of crows flew through the trees, it moved a branch and beam of sunlight shined down through the opening. It hit the mirror and reflected right in the eyes of a monster. Gave the girl a couple of seconds, enough time to jab her spear into the monster’s head.”
Annabeth looks to Percy with wide eyes of realization. He meets her gaze. A few seconds later, he comes to the same conclusion that she did.
They see Apollo visiting with his children the following day.
“There’s been some interesting coincidences lately.” Annabeth starts slyly.
Percy joins in. “Yeah, don’t know if you’ve heard but monsters seem to keep getting the sun in their eyes during battles.”
“Oh is that so?” Apollo smiles mischievously. “How unfortunate for the monsters!”
Will hears the conversation and turns to them.
“Yeah Dad, most of the quest related injuries have been more minor lately. Seems campers have been getting just the distraction they need.” He smiles in a way that looks very similar to his dad and crosses his arms. “Almost like the sun is on our side.”
“Now, what would give you that idea?” The god winks and picks up a nearby guitar to join in with his other kids as they play.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Marvel, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four (Comicverse), Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man (Comicverse)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Peter Parker/Johnny Storm
Characters: Johnny Storm, Peter Parker, Susan Storm (Fantastic Four), Reed Richards, Ben Grimm
Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Relationship, Mentioned Ororo Munroe, Fluff, Injury, Fluff and Angst, Showers, No beta we die like Uncle Ben, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Naked Cuddling, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt Johnny Storm, Protective Johnny Storm, BAMF Peter Parker, BAMF Johnny Storm, Boyfriends, Digital Painting, Implied Sexual Content
Summary:
“SPIDEY!” Johnny reached him just in time to catch Peter in his arms. “Stay with me!”
Peter’s head spun, it was throbbing. But the sound of Johnny kept him tethered to reality. He wanted to say something smart in return but it just came out as a pathetic grunt.
/////////////////////
After a battle with alien robots, Johnny and Peter reunite to find that neither one came out completely unscathed. Luckily, they have each other.
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Robin Buckley/Nancy Wheeler, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington & Nancy Wheeler
Characters: Robin Buckley, Nancy Wheeler, Steve Harrington
Additional Tags: Fluff, Getting Together, First Kiss, Literal Sleeping Together, Sleepy Cuddles, Morning Cuddles, Lesbian Robin Buckley, Bisexual Nancy Wheeler, Nancy Wheeler Loves Robin Buckley, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington Friendship, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Supportive Steve Harrington, Good Friend Steve Harrington, Friendship, Romance, Robin Buckley-centric
Summary:
There was an arm wrapped around Robin. An arm? Her eyes snapped open, heart speeding up in her chest. Because, well, she knew whose embrace she was in. That was not Steve’s arm. This was either a very nice dream or some sort of torturous waking nightmare… one where she has to get out of the woman she’s fallen in love with’s embrace without making it super awkward for the both of them. She didn’t love her odds of success relying on her own grace and was pretty sure she wasn’t dreaming.
Chapters: 2/3
Fandom: Fantastic Four (Comicverse), Spider-Man (Comicverse), Marvel, Fantastic Four
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Peter Parker/Johnny Storm, Reed Richards/Susan Storm (Fantastic Four), Ben Grimm/Alicia Masters
Characters: Johnny Storm, Susan Storm, Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Peter Parker, Alicia Masters
Additional Tags: Soulmates, Love Confessions, Bisexual Johnny Storm, Johnny Storm-centric, Fluff, Johnny Storm Needs a Hug, Family Fluff, No beta we die like Uncle Ben, Idiots in Love, Pining, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Romantic Soulmates, Peter Parker is a Mess, Bisexual Peter Parker
Summary:
After The Fantastic Four save a planet from an Asteroid, an elder offers to show them a sacred garden that reveals things about soulmates. Johnny is concerned he might not actually have one at this point. When the Garden reveals that his romantic soulmate is out there and someone he knows well, he wonders who that someone might be.
CHAPTER 2 IS UP!
