Why Does It Correspond To The Riddler Im In Tear

POV: You’re working the night shift at your local Denny’s.

—

There’s a few other fan versions of Eclipse I’d like to doodle, so we’re starting with @bamsara‘s cryptid Eclipse from Solar Lunacy!

Thanks for reading!! I'm happy you like my stories that much! <3

Of course Ghostface wants you!

Gf!Ethan X GN!Reader

‼️CW/TW‼️: scar; manipulative E; yandere!Ethan

If there's others tell me.

Not satisfied with this one, like really not. I fell like this is pure shit. Sorry.

"I'm scared, E. I'm actually terrified."

Ethan tightens his hold around you and kiss your forehead. The both of you lying down on your bed after a movie and an argument with the group.

"Ghostface wants us, he probably wants me, too! I don't wanna die, not like this. And the group... They want to separate you from me. You're my only support. Don't leave."

"I won't leave you." He whispers in your ear. "I'd never leave you. Nobody'll ever separate you from me. We'll be together forever. I'll protect you from everything."

According to Mindy, Ethan was the main suspect. When the first attack occurred, he wasn't here. Everyone got hurt, and Anika...

A wave of sadness overcome you and you feel your eyes water again.

"Love..." Ethan whispers, concern in his voice.

His thumbs caress your cheek while a weak smile makes his way to your face. The first attack was so unexpected, nobody was ready.

You even got hurt, too. Ghostface plunged his knife into your thigh. The hit was directed towards Sam but, trying to push her away, you fell and got hurt instead of her. Badly. You'll never regret it though.

Ethan's hand goes down your shoulders, to your hips to finally settle on your thigh. Where your stitches remains. He does not put his palms directly on it since the scar is really fresh and not healed yet. But his hand was still close to it. He was feeling guilty ever since he saw you with Chad near the ambulance. He was blaming himself.

"It's not your fault, E." You say.

-Yes, it is. I should have been here.

-But you weren't. It's useless to think of what you could have done. I'm alive. That's what matters."

You feel water running down your head. A single drop. A tear. Ethan is crying. You take Ethan's hand which is on your thigh and move it to your hip. Your good leg sneak its way in between his. While the hurt one goes above them to frame him. But not too far in case you worsen your stitches by stretching it. Both of your arms go under his. Your chest is glued to his.

"It's my fault.

-It's Ghostface's fault. He's the one who attacked me. Not you."

Ethan stays silent. His hand caress your back slowly and you do the same for him. Both of you comforting each other in the almost religious silence of the room. Some cars could faintly be heard outside but you were not paying attention to them.

In this hug, you were protecting each other. You were telling him how much you loved him, how much you were grateful. While Ethan was telling you that everything would be fine. He was so worried... You were happy he had econ. You don't know what you would have done if you saw him get hurt. He's the only one who understands you. The last thing you want is to see him in danger.

"You're risking your live by staying with me, you know ?" You talk with a shaky voice. You were getting emotional again just by thinking of what could happen.

"I'm sure Ghostface won't hurt you. How could he kill someone as pretty as you?"

"That's not funny, E. I'm really scared.

"I know but I swear to you, from now on, I'll always be by your side."

You nod, burying your face in his chest. Your arms tighten around him. You feel him tense for a second. Worried, you look up at him to just see him smiling, all softened, at you. He was so pretty. How could the others ever think of him as a criminal ? He was the one massaging your back when you were tired. He was the one cuddling you when you were sad. He was the one litteraly apologizing to chairs when he bumped into them. He was the one crying watching romantics movies ! How could he kill someone?

"Did I hurt you?" You ask.

-No, love. Why?" He whispers back.

You took time to respond, chilling in the pretty silence of the room where all you could hear were your two breath. It was hot but a nice hotness. A calming one. It made you sleepy, you who had sleep issue.

"Your body contracted when I touched you.

-It's nothing..."

Still worried, you move in the bed. Your back now facing him. He's whining, missing your body close already. You grab your phone and quicky return under the blanket. This time though, your head goes underneath. With the flashlight of your phone, you move up his shirt and look at where you touched moment prior. Ethan sighs.

"I told you it's nothing."

But you ignore him and go back to the surface. Meeting his accustomed yet loving gaze.

"Did your hurt yourself? You have a bruise on your hip."

He laughs nervously, as if embarrassed. His big hands takes a good hold of your hips before moving you up until you're face to face. He then hides his face in your neck. He loved doing that, manhandling you. You never understood why. He sighs once in the comfort of your body.

"I bumped into the corner of the table yesterday."

You had doubts.

"You're not hiding something from me, right ?"

But Ethan never doubted himself.

"What ? You think I'm Ghostface, too?" He said in a ironical tone, knowing damn well he won already.

You were not laughing. You would never dare doubt your boyfriend like that. The only reason you asked that was because you were scared he got into a fight or simply hurt himself bad. It happens, after all. Never would the thought he was a murderer even cross your mind. So you push him away from you a little to see his face. Not even a shadow of a smile on your face.

"Don't say that. Even for a joke. You know it makes me angry. I don't like them saying that. You're not Ghostface. I think I'd knew it well if you were a damn serial killer." You said, gritting your teeth, your hands clenching around his shirt.

-Well, I don't like them saying that either. Plus, they imply that you'd be stupid enough to be in a relationship with someone you barely know. But you're not stupid. And we know each other. You're the cleverest person in the damn world.

The subject changed and you didn't even notice.

-I am stupid sometimes, though. There is lot of things that I don't notice. Like when that guy was following me home. If it weren't for you I'd be dead.

-And that's why I'm here.

It was his duty, after all. To protect you.

-But Ghostface is not just a creepy guy in an alley. He's much more dangerous Ethan. And he wants me dead. He wants me.

-Of course he wants you my love, you're so pretty. Everyone want you.

You move away from his embrace and stare at him angrily. You had already told him not to joke like that and he was still doing it. Your eyes were swollen and your cheeks were dry. Contradictory with the long minutes you spent wetting them.

-Seriously Ethan, don't joke on that subject. It's making me uncomfortable. Anika is dead because of that guy. I don't want to laugh.

You cringed internally mentioning your friend. Fuck, she wasn't even related to the group that much. She was new, like Ethan. Why was she targeted ?

-I'm joking on it because I know nothing will happen to you. You're safe with me." He was smiling. A reassuring smile. One you could pour all your trust in.

You could never stay mad at Ethan anyway. Less in a situation like this. You needed support. And your friends didn't want him around. You only had him to dry your tears.

"I don't want you to get hurt." You said, entering back your safe place: his arms.

"I already told you. I won't. I'm staying here until you are safe.

-And the group? Chad, Mindy, Sam and Tara ? What about them?

-I'm sure they'll be fine. Even if they threw you out of their house...

-They didn't throw me out of the house, Ethan. I know you don't like them but they're my friends. They're scared too, you have to understand that.

-Okay, I understand. But if I wasn't here, you would have been all alone. They shouldn't have kicked you out in a situation like this."

You found nothing to answer this time. Because it was true. If he wasn't here, you'd be alone. They didn't kick you out, you left with Ethan because you were angry with their accusatory remarks towards him. But still, no one tried to call you. To know how you were doing. To even check if you were alive. And realizing that, you start crying again. You were so sensitive since Anika's death. You were truly in edge. You were happy Ethan was here.

"I'm alone E. I'm so fucking alone..." You realized.

-No, of course not. You're not alone. I'm here. I'd die for you. I'll protect you. Nothing will ever harm you as long as I'm here. You'll always be seen with me by your side. I'll marry you one day. You know that?"

You weren't listening anymore. You were remembering every memory you had with your friends. Searching a way to come back to them, to regain their trust. You needed them, they were your dear friends. Maybe you were dramatic but you had every right to be. And Ethan was right. They had left you alone to die by Ghostface. They had left you knowing you were a target. But you loved them, you couldn't resent them.

"We'll live a life where you won't need anyone but me. And I won't need anyone but you. A house secluded where no one can come. After all of this is done, we'll be together."

Ethan was smiling. But you couldn't see it.

Eddie Munson has INCREDIBLY strong “survives off of cheap microwave dinners, gas station jerky, school fruit cups, and loose handfuls of sugary cereal” energy. Look at that dude’s face and tell me he has ever eaten a vegetable. He doesn’t know what an eggplant even looks like. Can’t cook for shit. If you say “gnocchi” he’ll say “bless you”.

I want a Wolfie

Wolfie's wanderings

Wolfie knew that the portal he’d been hurled into wasn’t one of the usual portals they chased the shadow through, but this was bad. He wasn’t in any of the Hyrules he’d been to before, and the world looked, felt and smelt so strange to him.

Roaring metal contraptions were going down roads, people walked on streets and entered mile-high buildings regularly, and he couldn’t sense anything that could get him home.

The best he could do was lay low and wait for the others to come looking for him.

If he could survive that long

.

When your best friend suggested getting another pet after your elderly pet had passed, you weren’t sure. You’d lived with Meatball for so long, knew all of his ticks, his preferences and the best way to brush him without being clawed that you didn’t know if you could even let another animal in your heart. That was until you met Wolfie – the aptly named huge dog looked so miserable and lonely in the rescue yard that you couldn’t help but go over and pet the poor boy.

He was resistant at first but eventually sank into a hug, whining quietly, and your mind was made up – he’d be coming home with you.

That was a few months ago, and you were so glad you took him in; he was such a strange and intelligent beast that you swore up and down knew how to read clocks and open packets of snacks that he couldn’t have gotten into easily – but that was beside the point: he was a lovely boy, and you loved him so much.

At first, he was unsure of everything, but now he’d settled into your home and had his own routine and little quirks – he woke up early, let himself out to play in the yard, and would come in to nudge you awake for breakfast. Wolfie was probably the only reason you woke up early at this point.

It was 7AM, and you knew Wolfie would be coming in any moment, but you wanted to sleep in just a few minutes longer – you really needed it. The door opened, and Wolfie boofed quietly, but you refused to indicate you were awake.

A moment later, the blanket was slowly pulled off you, and Wolfie barked, nudging you with his snout. You yawned, reluctantly opening your eyes to see the adorable dog sitting in front of you, panting happily at you now that you were sitting up.

“You and I need to discuss how important it is to sleep in on the weekends, Wolfie”, you informed him sternly before heading to the bathroom to freshen up.

Wolfie met you downstairs, crowding around your legs as you prepared his breakfast and waited for your toast to finish toasting before slathering it with a healthy amount of chocolate spread. Wolfie whined at you, and you giggled

“No, Wolfie, chocolate is bad for doggos,” you told him, and Wolfie pouted, giving you puppy eyes, but you refused to give in. “It’ll send you to the vet, Wolfie, and I doubt you’ll enjoy that.”

Wolfie huffed, following you into the living room and flopping across your lap. You didn’t mind this at all; Wolfie was incredibly fluffy and warm, so his warmth kept your legs warm, especially now that it was winter, but he was also heavy, though you weren’t about to tell him that.

Crunching on your toast, you scrolled through your phone, reading through the group chat and smirking as your friends roasted one another – you loved your friends; you couldn’t imagine them not being in your life.

Wolfie barked, moving off of your lap, and you raised an eyebrow as he spotted a cat in the yard and slowly made his way to it.

Wolfie was so weird. He loved cats even though they didn’t always love him, and you followed him to the backyard to watch him nuzzle a cat gently and curl up around it. Your boy was so gentle and friendly; he managed to get a lot of the neighbourhood cats to nap with him and could often be seen with a bunch of cats holding him hostage by sleeping on his tremendous floof.

You loved him so much.

.

Wolfie nudged the cat gently with his snout, and the cat sighed.

‘There’s no news about any portals or other worlds being opened on this side’, his informant meowed, and he sighed.

‘It must have been opened from the other side, then’, he surmised, and the cat nudged him gently.

‘Cheer up; you still might find your way home yet.’

Wolfie hummed, returning to sit by your chair as you wandered in after him, taking a seat and petting his ears.

This world was so strange – not only was the magic very faint, but almost impossible for him to track down, and this world was already difficult to navigate on his own – he was glad he had you to gently introduce him to the world around him. He was also eternally grateful that you were so kind to take him in when you still grieving your cat – Wolfie could still smell traces of the elderly cat around your house and knew you must have cared for him as profoundly as Meatball cared for you.

You were a good person, a little odd but well-meaning.

You also had a strange talent of giving him the best ear scratches, which he enjoyed but would deny if the others ever brought it up.

He missed home, and the strangeness of this world clung to his fur like that weird shampoo you’d used on him that he did not like – he’d given you the silent treatment over that, and you luckily didn’t use that foul-smelling concoction on him again. It was embarrassing to be washed down, especially in wolf form. Still, there wasn’t much he could do about it – he didn’t dare transform back into Hylia form just in case anyone caught him, and explaining his whole situation wasn’t something he was willing to do just yet.

He just wanted to go home, but at the same time, he didn’t want to leave you…

You were so kind and loving to him, and Wolfie just knew that you’d love his Hylian form too, and you’d fit into the chain so well, and they’d love you so much, and you’d learn to love the fair land of Hyrule too.

Wolfie noticed you getting up and followed you to your room, abruptly facing the corner and strictly staring at the wall as he saw you changing your clothes.

You laughed for some reason, “You’re so well-behaved, Wolfie!”

Wolfie huffed, and you giggled, reaching over to pet his ears, but he refused to look at you in such a state of undress, especially when you didn’t know his true nature and couldn’t consent to change in front of him like this.

“If you were secretly a human turned into a dog, you’d tell me, right?” there was a joking tone to your question, and Wolfie looked at you and barked, tilting his head, making his best impression of a regular dog.

Could you know?

No, there was no way you could know

You were probably just joking, but that didn’t stop his unease. He couldn’t let you know, not now! Yes, he had known you for months at this point, but he wasn’t ready to reveal himself to you just yet, nor could he prove anything about his world without transforming first and needlessly scaring you – he needed to handle the reveal with tact.

You headed out the door, giving a few pats goodbye before locking the door, and Wolfie wandered over to your bed and flopped onto it, taking in your scent.

He loved you so much and just wished this horrible nightmare was over so he could take you home with him; you’d live a charmed life in Ordon with him away from all the hustle and bustle of this confusing modern world – he’d take care of all the farm life and you’d just have to sit and enjoy life with him. Maybe he could adopt a dog, too, since you clearly loved Wolfie.

That sounded like a good idea….

But first, he needed to get home.

.

Hours had passed before you finally returned home, but you didn’t enter your house just yet, opting to stare through the window at what Wolfie was doing.

Sitting on the highest perch of the cat tower was Wolfie, completely at ease with the situation but staring morosely outside the window.

You couldn’t help it; you cackled.

Wolfie must have heard you because he brightened up and leapt down, barking up a storm as you giggled, unlocking the door and petting him as he attacked you with kisses and licks as you entered.

“Hi, baby! Hi!” you cooed, rubbing his ears as he snuffled about your legs, following you as you shucked your coat and boots before getting started on dinner.

.

Wolfie couldn’t help but be excited when you returned, he had been bored as he usually was when you left, and nothing you left him was entertaining enough – he wasn’t some simple dog that you could leave with destructible toys, but you didn’t know that, and he could never blame you.

He also loved watching you cook – you ranted about your day at work, sang some silly made-up song about whatever vegetable you were chopping, or simply sang to him as you cooked. You sometimes dropped scraps, and he was not above munching on them as they fell – sometimes, you even slipped him some extra vegetables that you didn’t need, which he happily crunched on.

“My cute little Wolfie,” you cooed, twirling around him, draining a pot and Wolfie’s tail wagged watching you; you were so full of life and love and were so adorable. “I wish I could talk to you and know what’s on your mind.”

Wolfie barked in agreement; he wished he could speak to you openly, too, to not be forced to hide like this until he found a way home. You poured out some kibble for him, and while he disliked such foods, it was apparently good for him, and he didn’t like seeing you upset at him for not eating.

The first day you had brought him home, you had poured out some kibble, but he refused to eat it, so you had sat there for hours, pleading for him to eat.

“Please, Wolfie! It’s really good for you!” you begged, looking at him with such an upset expression that he remembered feeling so bad. “Please just eat at least one bite! Please, I promise I’ll let you be afterwards!”

He remembered caving soon after, and you had cheered, scratching behind his ears and almost cried with relief when he continued eating. Of course, Wolfie would eat that disgusting food if it meant that you were happy with him, and he was so glad he hadn’t upset you like that again.

The only other time he’d seen you so upset was when an old boyfriend of yours had cheated on you, and Wolfie couldn’t help but feel bad for you. You were such a nice person, and he hadn’t known you all that long at that point, and he remembered crawling into your lap and simply comforting you that way. It had worked, and Wolfie enjoyed the snuggles and cuddles too, and they had become a regular fixture in your routine.

Now, Wolfie watched you wash the dishes, humming a song under your breath, and he simply sat there, watching you with his tail wagging. Being around you was so nice and calming, and he quickly followed you up to your room as you headed to bed, giving him a few pats as he laid down next to you to sleep.

He had dozed off, but his ears perked at the strange sound in your room.

Sitting up, his eyes caught the unmistakable sight of a portal opening up, and his senses instantly told him this was back to Hyrule, back to his pack, back to where he belonged.

Practically leaping out of bed, he transformed back into his Hylian form, stretching slightly to get used to this body again and paused, looking at you.

He had long debated about whether or not to bring you with him when the time came and has chosen to take you with him. Now that the moment was here, he couldn’t help but brush your cheek gently with a smile.

Link couldn’t stand the idea of not being with you – he had already been separated by worlds from Midna, and he wasn’t about to let this happen again with you! Scooping you up in his arms quickly, he grabbed a few of your blankets and hopped through the portal, the glowing doorway disappearing as he entered.

He was going home and would have his love with him this time.

.

A/N: remember that pic I posted a while ago captioned "Wolfie waiting for Y/N to come home", this is the fic that goes with itea[o[sgjph

@cloudninetonine @xynnia @times-bisoprolol

More Wolfie? More Wolfie!

Basically, Wolfie got yeeted to the modern world and was rescued. Reader adopted him and he quickly got attached so when the time came to go back to Hyrule, he took Y/N with him bc of course they'd love Hyrule and him and everything/s

In the modern world, Wolfie just looks like a wolf dog, not an actual wolf, and he is the best boi to Reader

LMK what you think please!

That's adorable

𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐢𝐟 𝐢 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝? | 𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧

Eddie asks you out on your very first date, indulging you in huge philly cheesesteaks, a vanilla milkshake (with two straws), a largely neglected bucket of popcorn, and a sugary first kiss. requested here. shy fem!reader, 3.2k

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

I'm actually going to die here, you think morosely. 

This was a very bad idea on your part, and perhaps a worse one on his. What possessed Eddie —ripped jeaned, silver-chained, aspiring heavy metal rockstar Eddie— to ask you on a date? Perhaps you'd appeared more formidable outside of Hawkins library than you usually did.

You were in a particularly bad mood after a chilly fall afternoon spent checking the quality of the returns, and the prospect of walking home in the cold was a dismal one. You'd been glaring at nothing when a big, hulking bucket of a van slowed to a crawl beside you, thumping bass leaking from the closed window. It rolled down, the music quieting with it, and out came a head of inky dark curls. 

"Hey, sweetheart," Eddie said, pet name rolling around in his mouth, "you heading home? Do you want a ride? It's a long walk." 

Somewhere between the library and your driveway, Eddie asked you on a date. You genuinely can't remember what you talked about or how it happened, your adrenaline high enough you could've used it to climb Everest. You do remember the quiet way he'd asked, as though he was waiting for an impending rejection, and his smile bordering goofy when you breathed out, "Yeah, okay." 

You rub at the seam of your cream sweater over and over, the pad of your thumb numb. The wind runs through you, ruffling the skirt of your black dress against your thighs. I'm an idiot, you think. Hypothermia might kill you if your racing heart doesn't. 

Eddie holds a similar sentiment, "What the fuck are you doing out here?" 

You flinch embarrassingly hard. He wasn't there a moment ago. Eddie cusses and holds his hands out to you before you can slip backward off of the low brick wall you'd been waiting on, his fingers shooting tingles down into the epidermis of your skin like wild golden sparks where they grab you, hoisting you up into a more secure standing position. 

"Fuck, I'm so sorry. Like, really really sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, just– it's like, minus ten out here? What are you doing?" 

"I–" You give him a more petrified look than you mean to. "You said to meet you here?" 

Does he not want you here? Was it a joke?

Eddie laughs out of the side of his mouth like he's holding a cigarette between his lips. "Well, yeah, but I meant inside. I've been waiting for you at the table." His amusement dissipates as he feels the chill emanating from your clothes. "Jesus, I'm sorry. Are you ready to come in?" 

Minus ten was dramatic. It's a solid 30 Fahrenheit, but the cold wind makes it feel colder. As soon as you enter the diner you're warm, heat nibbling at your fingers as the blood starts to pump. Eddie takes you to the side of the restaurant away from the noise of the games machines and the bathrooms, slipping into a booth where a worn paperback book is waiting. 

"I left that in case someone decided to steal our table." 

"What if they stole your book?" you ask, sliding into the booth seat opposite. 

"They'd love it," Eddie says. He leans forward with a mischievous air about him. "It's about a bullied teenage girl who loses her shit and gets psychic powers. I think she's gonna kill someone." He blinks. "Not that that's cool." 

"It's just a book, right? You're not a murderer."

You wonder why the fuck you'd say something like that, but he nods his agreement breezily. "Exactly." 

"Plus," you add, eager to say something he'll like, "it's hard not to root for the underdog." 

His smile twitches with an emotion you can't name. "Exactly," he says again. 

A waitress with thick rings of eyeliner comes to take your order. She has a sunny attitude, like Eddie in that way, an exterior some might say was intimidating and a bright smile. You're nervous from the get go and you have a cliche worry, watching Eddie interact with her from the corner of your eye. 

"For you?" she asks you. 

You stammer. What you'd thought about on the walk here this evening can be pinpointed into two simple lines of inquiry —what should you say to Eddie, and what should you say to the waitress. Shy to the point of aching, you'd rehearsed your order ten times, but all that comes out is hot air. 

"Um," you say, wishing you'd paid more attention to what Eddie said rather than how he looked at the waitress, "could I have, uh. Just the same? As he had, please." 

"Are you sure?" Eddie asks, nothing but patience in his tone. "Do you like pink lemonade?" 

You don't want anything carbonated tonight, nauseous enough. "Um, the same but with water instead, please." 

The waitress writes a short sentence with a big flourish. "Water," she reads, giving you and Eddie each a glowing smile. "No worries, I'll bring your drinks right out, food in twenty at most."

"Thank you," you and Eddie say together, in starkly different tones. 

Eddie waits for her to leave before he shucks off his jacket. He puts his elbows on the table and runs his knuckles up and down the length of the opposite forearm, smudging the whorls of his inky tattoos, the skinny silver chain around his wrist catching the light. "You know, I don't mind doing the talking, if you don't want to." 

You can't describe the embarrassment that bites at you, then. "It's– I'm sorry, I just couldn't think of what I wanted–" 

"I'm sorry," Eddie interrupts. "I should've told her to come back in a minute, I didn't give you chance to read the menu. I swear that's the only time I'll make a dick move tonight." 

You cough. He grimaces, teeth sinking into the pink of his bottom lip as he laughs it off. "Not like that. Or, not not like that. No dick moves," he says, "I just wanted to talk to you over a table rather than that pillar of a desk in the library." 

"It's a really tall desk." 

"It's so tall! I get that they want us to have somewhere to put the books but they have to go down to you guys anyways when you stamp 'em." 

"I don't know what the idea was behind them," you say. 

"Maybe they hired a bunch or very small librarians initially," Eddie says. He spies the waitress approaching with your drinks and leans back to accommodate her. He thanks her, but as soon as she leaves he's staring at your tap water with critical eyes. "It looks a little cloudy. You want my lemonade, instead?" 

"No, it's okay," you say, though drinking it feels like a bad idea. There's a whirlpool of scum at the top like clouds circling a mountain peak, ice cubes drifting in slow laps beneath. 

"I can take it back–" 

"Please don't," you say, "I'd be so embarrassed, it's only water." 

"I get you. Maybe I can get you something else, then. I'd say we should get hot cocoa but it's weird having hot cocoa with cheesesteaks." Eddie knocks the table. "I'm really sorry I asked you here." 

Your heart could be likened to a balloon popped by a sharp pin. You knew he'd regret asking you, knew it was too good to be true–

"We should've gone somewhere nice. Like Enzo's or Bullock's. Hey, we even could've gone into Indianapolis. And I have to say sorry double 'cos I should've asked you if I could give you a ride, I really messed it up." 

"It's not messed up," you say. "It's not." 

Eddie smiles at you, his most stripped back to date. 

Things are awkward and you theorise that it's your fault, but Eddie doesn't let you flounder in it. He asks questions, he says kind things. You have no choice but to relax and laugh at his ill-conceived jokes. You almost choke on your sub and he goes as far as to say, "Hey, you even make choking look good," having leapt up to pat your back. It's too much but it's weirdly nice at the same time. It's almost worth dying if it means Eddie's gonna rub your back with a big, unflinching hand. 

He wanders off when he's sure you're alive and you catastrophize: choking is far from attractive. He saw the way your nose wrinkled and your jaw went soft in your coughing and jumped ship. You dab the tears (from choking, though they could change at any moment) away with a napkin, sniffling. Your throat hurts and your sandwich doesn't look as appetising now. 

"Here," Eddie says, placing a tall glass in front of you grandly. 

"What is it?" you ask, though it could only be one thing. 

"Vanilla milkshake. Benny uses full fat cream, it's basically ice cream and nothing else. Is that okay?" 

You take a sip through a red and white striped straw without answering, the cold soothing your raw throat. A second straw stabs you in the cheek. 

"That ones for me," Eddie jokes. 

You swear you're gonna catch fire, putting the milkshake down with a thunk. "Oh," you say. 

"I'm kidding," he says. 

"No, I mean, if you want to share–" 

You're offering in the interest of being polite, but the look on Eddie's face reminds you of the more romantic connotations. "You sure?" he asks. 

You could say no. "Yeah. Of course." 

Between sips, you talk. Your conversation begins to feel like the unwinding a tight knot, unravelling defences you were unaware of, like a tapestry you never agreed to shaken out. Sure, you're shy, but you're interesting, and you have things to say. Eddie's eager to hear them; he won't stop pulling on the thread. 

Your throat tickles intermittently with scratchy pain. Eddie tucks a rather lustrous curl behind his ear, exposing a small stud earring and a hoop behind it. 

"I never noticed you have your ears pierced," you say, leaning forward to take another sip. 

Eddie pulls his straw from the glass to hit at yours teasingly, the slope of his eyebrows arching steeper. "Then you should look at me more often," he says. He stabs his straw into the glass and meets your eyes. To the outside observer, you're sure you look like partners getting gooey. "Notice anything else new?" 

Your pulse tangles in on itself, a snag in the thread. "Um, well…" You glance over his pale cheeks, their gentle caress of freckles. "You have freckles… and," —there, nestled between his lashes like a tiny dotted star— "a beauty mark under your eye." 

He doesn't smile, but some sweet softness plays in his eyes, his lashes kissing as they close ever so slightly. "You're prettier up close," he says quietly. "I didn't think you could get much prettier, but I've never been this close before, I guess." 

You take another sip to avoid further mortifying yourself with a stammering answer, but Eddie has a similar idea, leaning in. More awkward to pull apart, you share your drink and try not to bump his nose. The drink slurps and crackles as you finish it off together. Sitting back with twin smiles, awkward and flushed and not knowing what else to say, you fluster. There's a lot of stuff you want to ask him, but now he's finished his food and the milkshake is empty, you might not have time.

"Did you, like, wanna catch a movie or something?" Eddie asks, sounding for a second not quite as confident as he appears. 

You like metalhead Eddie, but you're starting to love this earnest version of him too. 

"Yeah, I'll see a movie with you," you say quickly. 

"Yeah? I know that's weird to plan more date in the middle of the date, I'm not trying to pressure you." 

"I've never been on a date before, so. This is setting the precedent." 

"The precedent," he says. "For future dates?" 

Is he hopeful? You open your mouth without thinking. "With you." 

His lips purse to one side, tamping down a big smile. Your cheeks hurt from how much you've smiled tonight. Is it always like this? Being with someone, dating, is it always unnervingly pleasant? You're eager to find out, and Eddie's eager to show you. 

"Let me go track down our waitress and we can probably get to the Hawk before the seven thirty," he says, clambering sideways out of the booth. 

You and Eddie are fifteen minutes late for a slasher movie, but you get there. Dark, two lone seats at the back are your only options, and you cram into them together with a frankly ridiculously huge bucket of popcorn to share. Eddie keeps whispering even when it's quiet and ticking off your rowmates, but he's being so sweet on you that you forget where you are. You forget to worry about what people are thinking. 

It's bliss. 

"Look at that," Eddie says, a handful of popcorn to his lips. "Ew, that's bloody. Shit, sweetheart, don't look at that." 

Sweetheart. "What do you think that is?" you whisper. 

"The fake blood? Isn't it pig's blood?"

"Is that legal?" 

Eddie almost drops the popcorn as something super gross happens, a silver flash and a spray of sticky orange movie blood coating the protagonist. "Holy fuck," he says, much too loudly as he puts the popcorn in your lap and covers your eyes. 

You laugh in surprise, "Woah, wait a second!" 

Someone shushes you loudly (and deservedly) from the row in front. 

"Sh, we're at the movies!" Eddie whisper-shouts. "Don't be inconsiderate." 

You peel his hand from your eyes. It doesn't drop entirely, long fingers slipping slowly down your cheek, turning your face to his. He's close, the nature of the small seats and your low conversation, his skin glowing with a red-pink and dappled white as the movie plays to your left. 

"Can I kiss you?" he whispers. 

On the walk to Benny's, your mind had drifted to the fantasy of a kiss. Eddie and his hands, the small silver bands of his rings and their heavier signets, how he'd offer to drive you home, walk you to your door, and peck you chastely in goodbye. He'd smell like his cologne that you tend to notice when he returns his borrowed books on Saturday mornings, chamomile and something deeper you've never been able to identify, no matter how long he stood there chatting. His lips would feel solid and cold from the weather, and here's where you stopped yourself from thinking any further, blood rushing to your wind-bitten cheeks. 

It's not so simply condensed, here. 

"I've never kissed anyone before," you whisper. 

"I'll have to set a good precedent, then," he says, rubbing the hollow of your under eye tenderly. "Or you can say no. That's okay, too."

You shake your head, "I want you to." 

The eagerness that's been simmering behind his eyes all night rears as he ducks in for a kiss. It's not what you're expecting, but it isn't bad; it's lots of things, his hand on your face and your elbow, your hands vying for him in startled delight, the popcorn between your knees tipping dangerously to the side as your lips give under his. 

He doesn't smell like chamomile at first, but hairspray. He presses against the seam of your lips and only as they part, forcing you to suck in a breath through your nose, do you smell it on him, close now. The cologne must linger on his shirt. 

He pulls away to shush you gently but urgently, Don't get us kicked out, it seems to say. 

And he's kissing you again. Nothing heavy, charged all the same, the barest taste of sweet popcorn shared between you. His hand does half the work, the tracing of his fingertips and the soft line they draw as he slots them behind your ear puttyifying you, like jelly in his warm palm. You make an unsure sound and he pulls away a second time, sugary brown eyes widened in concern.

"Bad?" he whispers. 

"Am I doing it right?" you ask. 

The concern becomes adoring. You feel like you've been injected with manic butterflies, having a guy like Eddie looking at you like that. "You're doing it super right," he says, so quietly you can barely hear him. "I'd tell you practise makes perfect 'cos I'm dying to do it again, but it was already perfect. You lying to me?" 

"No, of course I'm–" 

"I was kidding," he says, his side pressed heavily to the back of his chair as he drops his hand to your elbow casually.

"Oh. I knew that." 

He pats your arm, sympathetic, a tad condescending but he's hot enough to get away with it like this, lips kissed rosy and a glossy black curl falling into his eyes. 

You look down at his lips. Eddie doesn't make you beg, but he does gesture you forward, your hand landing atop his thigh as you angle up for another kiss. It's unlike you, but it's such a rush of feeling, you don't give your hokey-pokey brain time to consider the things you'd usually worry about. 

That being said, you pause just before your lips connect. You close your eyes too hard, head listing to the side self-consciously. 

Eddie must see it, whispering reassurances with a rough scratch, "Hey, it's okay. You can kiss me. You worry a lot for such a pretty girl, you know that?" He takes your hand. "Don't overthink it." 

"I can't," you say. 

"Take the night off. Let me worry…" His breath fans over your lips. "I'll take the lead," he suggests, closing the short gap between you. 

Your hand goes limp in his. 

—

The flowers are delivered to your desk sometime in the mid-afternoon. Pearly white lilies with green spots creeping toward the soft edges. Your chest yawns open and your lips curl into a smile like you've been hooked, rubbing a thick petal between your thumb and your forefinger. 

There's a long note folded and tied to one of the stems. 

Y/N, 

I am so, so sorry. So sorry. I am the sorriest boy who has ever lived, and I would love to make it up to you. Please call me when you get the flowers and tell me if they're a sufficient apology, or don't call me and I'll send you more. I know you said it was fine, but still.

Yours, Eddie Munson. 

P.S. did the flashlight guy have to be that mean? He pretty much blinded us with that thing. And did he have to make fun of my jacket? 

P.P.S I promise I will get you unbanned from the Hawk. Best date ever, yeah? 

You'll call him. Getting kicked out was a joint effort, after all, and you really want him to kiss you dizzy again, even if you found it hard to look at him on the drive home.

Maybe if he kisses you enough, you'll forget how it felt to be shepherded out of the movie theatre like a common criminal. 

You drop the note between the pages of your current read with a sigh. "Best date ever," you say. 

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

thank you so much for reading! i really hope you enjoyed ♡ if you did, please considering reblogging, it means the world and makes a difference :D 

Israel has bombed—and completely demolished—the Great Omari Mosque in Gaza, which is the second oldest mosque in Palestine. There was no purpose to bombing it. There was no advantage to targeting it. Israel simply destroyed it to make a statement: that Palestinian religion and culture not only mean nothing to them, but are something they’re actively working on wiping out. This was one of Palestine’s most sacred cultural sites. Now it’ll forever serve as proof of the horrifying death and destruction the world has allowed to befall Palestine.

Barry edit because he is so important to me 😥

Well… since he’s asking so nicely ♡