What

You retracted your hands the instant the embers made burning contact with your fingertips. You swore quietly to yourself, pulling your hand to your chest and squeezing your eyes shut.

You had been burned countless times in this house. Burned while tending the fireplace, burned while cooking, and pricked by splinters from the worn wooden broom. Your life was a cycle of being on your hands and knees, scrubbing every inch of the floor until it was spotless for your step-monsters.

While you nursed your finger to ease the burning pain, your stepmother’s voice, Beatrice, rang from the room just over. She was shouting at the top of her lungs about another party invitation.

“An invitation sent from the palace!” she announced, waving the paper around. “Girls, come here!”

You stayed where you were. You knew better than to approach; when she said “girls,” she meant everyone in the house but you.

The sharp, obnoxious clack of your stepsisters’ heels echoed from the top of the staircase down to the marble floor of the foyer. Their voices were already rising obnoxiously, high enough, you thought, to shatter every piece of glassware in the house. 

“An invitation from the palace?” one of your stepsisters, Agnes, squealed. “Prince Jamie is hosting a ball?”

Your other stepsister, Margaret, gasped so sharply she nearly choked on her own breath. 

“Has the time finally come? Is Prince Jamie finally looking to wed?” Her eyes were wide with excitement as she looked between your stepmother and Agnes. “Is it true, Mother?”

You tilted your head, catching a glimpse of them huddled in a tight circle. Beatrice’s red lips tilted into a wide grin. “It is true, ladies. Your moment has finally arrived. The Prince is looking for a bride—”

“I want to read it!” Margaret exclaimed, lunging for the parchment that Beatrice held just out of reach.

“No, I want to read it! I’m the eldest, it’s only fair!” Agnes argued, reaching over her sister.

“Now, settle down, ladies,” Beatrice cooed, pulling the paper back to her chest and holding it primly. “Why exclude your sister from the fun?”

Beatrice’s gaze drifted past the living room archway, where the fireplace glowed and the furniture sat in pristine order. The warmth she had held for her own daughters vanished the moment her eyes landed on you.

“Stop sucking on your finger like a common infant and come here,” she commanded, her voice suddenly sharp and cold. “Read the letter to us.” She added, waving the parchment at you.

You stiffened, slowly lowering your hand. You had seen this coming. Every time an invitation arrived, you were forced to read it outloud. It wasn’t that they couldn't read; it was about rubbing salt into the wound. 

These letters always went into agonizing detail about beauty, grace, and royal splendor—things meant to make any girl’s heart soar, and things you were never meant to have.

You were bound to this house, their maid for as long as they allowed you to live.

“Your father taught you well before he passed, didn’t he?” Beatrice asked, her eyes narrowed. It wasn't a sincere question; it was a reminder of what you had lost. “Read it clearly. I want to hear every single detail of the King’s requirements.”

You stood quickly, your legs wobbly from kneeling on the hard floor for so long. Wiping your hands on your soot-stained apron, you crossed the room. As you reached for the parchment, the coarse paper grazed your injury and agitated the burn on your fingertips, making you flinch slightly.

“Well?” Agnes prodded, leaning in so close you could smell her cloying floral perfume. “Don’t just stare at it!” 

You cleared your throat, your voice sounding small and raspy against the high-ceiling room.

“By Royal Decree of His Majesty,” you began, trying to focus on the elegant calligraphy instead of the throbbing pain in your finger. “To the noble families and citizens of the kingdom, you are cordially invited to a Grand Masquerade Ball at the Palace, to be held on the final Saturday of the Harvest Moon.” 

Margaret let out a squeal, but a look from Beatrice silenced her immediately. 

“The festivities shall begin at sundown,” you continued, “It is the King’s wish that every eligible young woman in the province attend, for on this night, Prince Jamie shall choose the one who will stand by his side as the future Princess of Brooklynne.” 

The room went deathly silent for a heartbeat before the sisters erupted. They squealed and hollered, clutching each other's hands and jumping in circles. But your eyes remained fixed on the final line, written in a large, aggressive script at the bottom. 

You read it under your breath, quietly to yourself.

“… attendance is mandatory for all households…” 

Agnes and Margaret were too busy celebrating to heed your words. “That means the entire province! Mother, we’ll have to stand out. We’ll need the finest silk and the most intricate masks!”

Beatrice ignored her daughters, her gaze fixed solely on you. She reached out and snatched the letter back, her sharp nails grazing your burned skin. You hissed a breath through your teeth, clutching your hand to your chest.

“Mandatory for noble households,” Beatrice corrected cruelly. “I’m sure the palace wouldn’t want the ballroom floor stained by the soot of a kitchen maid.”

“Mother, may we please go dress shopping now?” Margaret begged, clutching her mother’s arm and bouncing impatiently. “We must get the finest gowns before anyone else does! We have to absolutely stand out.” She turned to Agnes, her eyes gleaming. “Isn’t that right, sister?”

Agnes nodded quickly, her hair whipping. “Absolutely! We can’t risk looking like commoners. We need to be the center of attention the moment we step into that ballroom!”

“Very well,” Beatrice sighed. “We shall leave today. There is no time to waste if we are to secure the best seamstress in Brooklynne.” 

The sisters shrieked happily, already rushing towards the door to grab their cloaks. But before Beatrice followed them, she paused. She turned back to look at you, her gaze cold and belittling, as if you were nothing more than a speck of dirt on her rug.

Her eyes grazed over the room, landing on a stray speck of ash near the baseboards. 

“While we are gone, I expect the house to be spotless by the time we get home,” she demanded. “That means the floors waxed, the silver polished, and the laundry pressed. If I find so much as a single ember out of place in that fireplace when I return, you will find yourself sleeping in the stable tonight.”

When the doors finally slammed shut, leaving you alone in the silence of the massive house, that is exactly what you did. 

While your step-family was out hunting for the finest silks, you spent the day bent over a scrub brush. You deep-cleaned their bedrooms, waxed the floors until your knees were bruised and aching, and scoured the silverware until it shined like a mirror.

As you swept the house from top to bottom, your mind kept wandering back to that final sentence in the invitation.

Attendance is mandatory for all households.

You had read countless invitations in your life, yet none of them had ever included those specific words—much less a direct command from the King himself. If the decree was absolute, what would happen if you, a member of this household, failed to attend?

Beatrice had married your father before he passed, and despite her cruelty, the law saw you as family. You were a member of the household, not a servant. You weren’t just a maid; you were a daughter of the house. 

And if the King demanded every eligible woman be there… perhaps Beatrice’s ‘rules’ were no match for the King’s law?

No. 

It was silly to indulge in such foolishness. 

Beatrice would never let you leave this house unless you were hanging laundry, tending the gardens, hauling bags after their shopping sprees, or feeding the chickens.

But after spending the day scouring the house until it was immaculate, and considering the King’s explicit command, surely… she would let you attend. Even if it were just for one night. Right? You had been a good girl. You had done everything they asked of you.

With hesitant footsteps, you retreated to your basement chambers and dug deep into the shadows of your closet. Pushing past the clothes stained with soot and grime, you reached into the very back and pulled out a neatly wrapped box.

The moment you lifted the lid, the familiar aroma of dried lavender drifted up to meet you. 

Nestled neatly inside was your mother’s gown, a dress she had tucked away and passed on to you for a momentous occasion that had yet to arrive.

You pulled it out, the fabric shimmering even in the dim light of the basement. It was beautiful and uniquely your mother’s. You remembered how your father had lavished her with the finest gowns when you were young, and you had always dreamed of finding someone who loved you enough to do the same.

Stripping away your rags, you stepped into the dress.

You expected it to be too loose or too tight, but as you pulled up the bodice and fumbled with the fastenings, you gasped. It fit almost perfectly like a glove, though you struggled to lace the back properly by yourself. Still, the silk hugged your waist and flowed over your hips as if the gown had been designed for your body alone.

Standing before the small, cracked mirror, you didn’t see a housemaid. 

You saw a girl who rightfully belonged in this house—or even a palace, if only you knew how to do your hair.

You smiled softly at your reflection, your cheeks warming at the sight. For once in your life, you finally felt beautiful. And if the King insisted that every member of the household attend, then you were going. 

You were actually going to the ball. 

Suddenly, the front door swung open. Beatrice, Agnes, and Margaret burst inside, their heels clicking against the floor. Their obnoxious laughter echoed all the way down to the basement where you stood. 

“Where is she?” Beatrice barked impatiently, already expecting you to greet them at the door—likely to bring their bags to their room. 

You scrambled up the basement stairs, the long silk hem bunching in your hands as you moved. You rounded the corner into the foyer, nearly bumping into the wall, just as Beatrice was peeling off her leather gloves. Agnes and Margaret were already surrounded by a sea of colorful shopping bags, tossing aside the tissue paper like spoiled children.

“I’m here!” you called out, catching your breath. 

The three of them froze. 

The rustling of their shopping bags ceased instantly at the sight of you. Beatrice turned slowly, her eyes traveling from your face down to the shimmering hem of your mother’s gown, her expression cold and unreadable. 

“What,” Beatrice hissed, her voice unsettlingly low, “are you wearing?”

You looked down at yourself. “It was my mother’s,” you said softly, stepping into the light of the chandelier. “I’ve finished every chore you set for me. The house is spotless. And since the King’s invitation said attendance is mandatory for every member of the household…” you stood as tall as you could, despite the way your hands trembled, “I’ve decided I’m coming with you.”

The house went silent as they stared back at you, wide-eyed.

For a moment, you half-expected them to agree—to accept your declaration and welcome you with open arms. But the moment the sisters erupted into laughter, you realized just how naive you had been.

“You? In that relic?” Agnes laughed. “You look like a ghost that’s been trapped in an attic for twenty years!” 

Margaret scrunched up her nose. “And that smell—it smells like rotten fruit. Do you honestly think the Prince would want to dance with someone who reeks like that?”

“You’re right, sister. It’s unbearable,” Agnes agreed, nodding.

You bit your lip. You would think that for girls who lathered themselves in expensive floral perfumes, they’d at least recognize the scent of dried lavender.

“Now, settle down, girls,” Beatrice intervened. “There is no need to insult your sister when she’s spent all this time trying to make herself look... pretty.”

She began to walk towards you, the slow clicking of her heels sounding like a death knell against the marble. A taunting smile played on her thin lips as she circled you. 

“Turn around,” she commanded. “Let me get a good look at the bodice.”

You obeyed, your heart beating faster as you felt her cold presence behind you. 

Because you had scrambled to get ready in such a rush, the delicate lace in the back was a tangled mess of knots and uneven loops. You had tried your best to tie the bodice alone, but it was clear you had failed.

“Poor thing,” Beatrice cooed, her breath cold against the nape of your neck. “You can’t even get the dress on right. You look quite pathetic, actually.” She looked over her shoulder at her daughters, her eyes glinting. “Girls, be saints and help your poor sister, would you?”

Agnes and Margaret shared a look, their lips curling into identical, malicious smirks. “Okay, Mother,” they sang in unison.

They stepped forward, and your naivety got the best of you once again. You actually thought they might reach for the laces to tighten them. But as their hands clamped onto your shoulders, you realized for the second time just how wrong you were—and how low they were willing to stoop to make your life miserable.

A sickening tear echoed through the foyer as Agnes’s fist tightened around your silk sleeve, yanking until the seam burst.

“This lace is far too old!” Margaret hissed. She grabbed the delicate ruffle at your neckline, tearing it away with a sharp, violent tug. “It’s doing you no favors!”

“Stop! Please!” you cried, spinning around to protect the last piece of your mother you had left, but they were like a pack of wolves, their hands biting at you to shred the silk.

Both sisters refused to stop until the shimmering silk was reduced to hanging ribbons. They pulled and yanked frantically, their faces flushed with the thrill of destroying the only beautiful thing you owned. The delicate lace your mother had saved for years was now scattered across the marble floor like dead leaves.

Only when there was nothing left to tear did the sisters finally grow bored. They stepped back, wearing smug grins as you collapsed onto your knees.

You didn’t bother trying to get back up, because you knew they’d only kick you back down. 

You just stayed there on the cold floor, fingers trembling as you clutched the tattered scraps of the skirt to your chest, trying to shield the small bits of fabric that still smelled of lavender. The tears finally broke, blurring your vision as you sobbed into the ruins of your only treasure.

Beatrice stood over you, adjusting her pristine shawl. She looked down at your heaving shoulders with cold, clinical detachment. She wouldn’t even give you the pleasure looking a bit guilty; there was only the grim pleasure of a lesson well taught.

“I hope this will make you think twice before asking to attend the ball,” she said. “Or any ball, for that matter. We did you a favor by taking you in after your father passed. Do not mistake a few yards of silk for a change in your station.”

She turned to her daughters, her voice light as if she hadn't just destroyed a young girl’s heart. 

“Come, girls. Let’s go try on your new accessories.”

As the three of them began trekking up the stairs, their laughter echoing in the foyer, Beatrice looked back down at you one last time. 

“And don’t forget to clean up this mess.”

It was the day before the Grand Masquerade Ball, and Bucky found himself strolling through a narrow cobblestone alley, far from the gilded gates and suffocating comfort of the palace. He didn’t look like a King today. He had traded his heavy ceremonial robes for simple cotton clothes and a cloak to shield his face. 

Through a small window, he watched as an elderly woman— his late mother’s dearest friend—threaded a needle with trembling hands.

As he pushed the front door open, a bell jingled overhead. The seamstress didn’t even need to look up to know it was him.

“You shouldn’t be here, Bucky,” Martha sighed, pushing up her circular glasses. “The Royal Guard will have a collective heart attack if they find you’ve slipped away from your duties again.”

“They worry too much,” Bucky replied, his voice a low, tired rasp as he lowered his cloak.

He leaned forward, resting an elbow on her worktable. 

“The palace is suffocating, Martha. Everyone there is wearing a mask long before the ball even begins. I needed to see someone who would give me a breath of fresh air.”

“Ah, Bucky. Always the charmer,” Martha chuckled. “You and Rogers haven’t changed one bit. I bet Prince Jamie is starting to grow up just as you have.”

“My son,” Bucky groaned, dragging a tired hand over his face. He looked every bit the weary father and not the formidable King of Brooklynne. 

“He is moving far too fast to find a wife,” he complained. “My father always pushed me to wed as soon as I could—it was all about the line of succession and political alliances. Jamie should be lucky I’m giving him some slack, but instead, he’s rushing headfirst into it as if he owes the kingdom a debt.”

Martha smiled softly, her needle never stopping through the fine silk. “He’s just trying to make you proud, Bucky. He sees the way you carry the responsibilities of this kingdom alone, and he thinks having a Princess by his side is how he proves he’s ready to help you.”

Bucky scoffed. “The kid has no idea that the wrong partner is only going to be a burden. Half the women coming tomorrow wouldn’t know a plow from a pincushion. They want the crown, not the duty.”

He rubbed the tense lines between his brows, already agitated by the thought. 

“I made sure to state in the decree that attendance is mandatory for all households. I’m hoping to find someone who hasn’t spent her whole life rehearsing to wed my son. But I fear Lady Beatrice and her ilk have already decided the outcome. They’ve been flooding the palace with letters.”

Martha opened her mouth to speak, your father’s name on the tip of her tongue, but she was interrupted by the soft chime of the door.

You stepped inside, your silhouette framed by the sun poking through the open windows and doors. You looked utterly spent, your shoulders tense as your arm tiredly held up a heavy wicker basket filled with various produce. 

“I’m so sorry I’m late, Martha,” you said, breathless. “The mistress had extra chores for me today. I’m here for the gowns for Lady Beatrice and her daughters.”

Bucky quickly turned away, his shoulders stiffening at the dreadful and familiar name. He forced his fingers busy, brushing through the fabric swatches pinned to the wall to keep himself discreet. 

“It’s no problem at all, dear,” Martha smiled warmly. “They’re in the back. Let me get them wrapped up for you.”

She gave Bucky a small wary glance before turning away, pulling the heavy curtains aside to retreat into the back of the shop.

With Martha gone, an awkward silence took over the shop, aside for the bustle of the street outside. Your eyes subtly drifted towards the only man in the store. 

It wasn’t often you saw a man at a seamstress shop. He was a bit older, perhaps he was a butler picking up clothes for a household, or a father stopping by to commission a dress for his daughter?

Bucky’s gaze caught yours as he peeked from the corner of his eye, and you immediately looked away, your face flushing with embarrassment. 

Not wanting to be caught staring again at the stranger, you began to roam the small space, your fingers hovering just over the vibrant dresses on display.

You admired them quietly, your eyes lingering on a soft, almost sky blue fabric that reminded you of your mother’s dress—the one you had lost only nights before. A small, wistful sigh escaped your lips. 

To anyone else, these were just clothes. But to you, they represented a world you were no longer allowed to inhabit.

Bucky watched you, his heart tugging with sympathy at the way you looked at the dress. He cleared his throat, the sound feeling loud in the cramped room.

“Are you picking up a dress for yourself?” he asked carefully, his gaze still fixed on the fabrics in front of him. “For the ball tomorrow night, I presume?”

You jumped slightly, nearly knocking over a mannequin as you whipped around to face him. 

“Oh—no, sir. I’m just picking up the dresses for my step-sisters,” you said, forcing an awkward smile. “They’ll be the ones attending the ball. Not I.”

Bucky raised a brow, turning his body slightly to look at you. “But the decree said attendance is mandatory for all households,” he explained. “Does that not apply to you?”

You let out a small, breathless laugh that held no joy. 

“The Royal Barnes family is a busy lot, sir. I doubt the King or the Prince will notice if one woman from one house is missing. Besides, he likely meant the families... not the help.”

Bucky lifted his head slightly, amused. He paused, waiting to see if you would recognize the face on the coins in your pocket, or the man from the portraits in the village square. But your expression didn’t change; you simply looked tired.

“The help?” he repeated, his brow furrowing as he leaned back against the table. “But you said they were your stepsisters, did you not? That makes you family, regardless of the chores they set for you.”

You adjusted the heavy wicker basket to your other hip, raising a brow. You didn’t know who this man was, but his insistence on “family” was a luxury you couldn’t afford—and his assumptions about you only made him come across as hopelessly ignorant.

“I’m not sure how things are handled in your home, sir,” you said, a bit sassier than you’d like. “But not every household in Brooklynne can afford a fleet of servants. Sometimes, it is up to one of us to make sure the fires are lit and the floors are scrubbed. And that person just happens to be me.”

Bucky blinked, genuinely taken back. 

Usually, people spoke to him in hushed, respectful tones or with forced flattery. He wasn’t used to being corrected, let alone by a girl with a smudge of charcoal on her nose and rags for clothes. A low, rich laugh resonated in his chest—a sound that felt far too sophisticated for a simple stranger in a cramped tailor shop.

“Fair point,” he conceded, his lips curving into a genuine smile. “I suppose I deserved that. It was a foolish question. I apologize.”

As he tilted his head back to let out a soft chuckle, you caught a glimpse of his strikingly handsome features.

There was something hauntingly familiar about him—but with his slightly messy hair, tired eyes, and simple clothes, you couldn't quite place where you had seen him before. All you knew was that he was undeniably attractive, and that was more than enough to make your heart skip a beat.

You relaxed your shoulders and smiled back at him. 

“Kind of,” you teased, which only made his smile grow wider. “But you’re forgiven.”

The shop fell quiet again. You expected him to return back to his fabrics or even leave the store, but he remained rooted to the spot, his gaze still on you. 

Feeling a bit self-conscious under his stare, you turned back to the display, trying to keep your hands busy. You ran your fingers down the skirt of the sky blue gown, tracing the fine embroidery.

“That’s a beautiful dress,” Bucky said suddenly. “You should try it on.”

You glanced at him, brows raised in surprise. You couldn’t tell if he was poking fun at you or if he was being serious. You let out a short, airy laugh, shaking your head.

“You’re very funny, sir,” you chuckled respectfully, taking a step away from the mannequin and back to the counter, setting your basket down. “I don’t think a girl like me would do a gown like that any justice. Besides, I have a schedule to keep.”

You expected him to join in on the joke, but when your eyes found his again, his expression was completely serious. His eyes were blue, quiet, and intense, and it only making the tense air in the shop thicken.

Just then, the heavy curtains parted and Martha finally stepped out, balancing the three voluminous garment bags for your sisters. Before you could even reach for them, Bucky spoke up, his voice suddenly carrying an authority that hadn’t been there before.

“Martha,” Bucky said, gesturing toward the sky blue gown you had been admiring. “She would like to try this dress on.”

You blinked, stunned. “I’m sorry?”

“Oh. Let me correct myself,” Bucky cleared his throat. “I want her to try this dress on.” 

Martha paused, looking between Bucky’s stern expression and your panicked one. Then, a slow smile spread across her weathered features. She set the garment bags down on the counter and began to round the desk.

“Is that so?” Martha hummed, her eyes twinkling as she looked at you. “Well, who am I to argue with a gentleman’s request? Especially one with such good taste.” 

“Martha, please,” you whispered, catching her arm as your face heated up. “The mistress will be expecting me. I have to get back!”

“The mistress can wait ten minutes for her vanity,” Martha countered, already reaching for the dress and lifting it from the display. She turned to you, her expression softening almost motherly-like. “Let’s see you in the light for once, dear. No more rags and dull dresses that are too big for you. Just for one moment.”

“Martha, I couldn’t possibly—”

Before you could even finish the sentence, she seized your wrist. The elderly woman’s grip was surprisingly strong as she began dragging you towards the changing rooms in the back. She even hoisted the heavy silk gown over one arm as if it weighed nothing at all.

You found yourself stumbling along behind her, barely able to steady your footing as she steered you away from the shop floor and towards the back of the shop to the changing rooms. 

As you were being hauled away, you managed to look back over your shoulder, shooting a sharp glare at the stranger who had started this whole ordeal.

Bucky didn’t look even remotely guilty. He leaned back against the wall, crossing his ankles and folding his arms over his chest. As Martha dragged you toward the back, he simply let out a soft snicker, his eyes filled with mischief as he gave you a small, teasing wave until you disappeared behind the heavy velvet curtains.

Once inside, Martha wasted no time. She stripped you of your potato sack of a dress and began guiding you into the silk. 

“Stop wiggling, child,” she commanded softly. “You’ll look so beautiful in this, darling. I assure you.”

“That’s not my worry,” you muttered, your shoulders stiff. “The dress is gorgeous, and I know I’ll fall in love with it the second it’s on. It just hurts knowing I have no money to buy it—and no occasion to wear it to. This is all pointless, Martha.”

Martha didn’t answer; she simply helped your arms through the puffy, delicate sleeves. 

She didn’t even need to finish tying the laces for you to get the full picture—the gown was absolutely breathtaking. You shuddered as she laced the back carefully, the bodice molding to your frame as if the dress was woven specifically for your body.

That heart clenching realization, that you had neither the coin nor the freedom to ever truly own this, only returned tenfold.

“Seriously,” you sighed, a sad, bittersweet smile tugging at the corners of your lips as you looked at your reflection. “What was that man thinking?”

Martha chuckled softly as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear. She leaned in close, studying your eyes through the mirror’s reflection.

“I think,” Martha whispered, “that man was thinking that a beautiful dress is just fabric until it’s worn by the most beautiful girl in the kingdom.”

The compliment made your heart flutter, though you quickly tried to brush it off with a roll of your eyes. “He’s a stranger, Martha. He’s probably just bored and looking for a way to pass the time while his own clothes are being mended.”

Martha just smiled, shaking her head as she bent down to adjust the hem of the gown. As you stared at yourself in the mirror, your mind wandered back to the familiarity of the man in the other room. You recognized him—surely—though you couldn’t quite pin down where from, and the mystery was eating at you.

“Speaking of that man… how do you know him?” you asked suddenly.

Martha lifted her head to give you a knowing, secretive smile, and your face immediately flushed. You realized how hopeless you had sounded asking that. 

“I-I mean,” you stammered, “I’ve just never seen him walking the streets before, is all. I was curious.”

Martha gave the hem of the dress one last fluff and stood up with a small groan.

“How I know him?” Martha repeated, letting out a soft hum as if trying to buy herself time to come up with an explanation. “Oh, he’s an old family friend. A very long standing connection, you could say. He’s a good man—extraordinarily hardworking. A father, too. He carries the burdens of his entire household on those broad shoulders of his.”

A father?

Your shoulders deflated just a little, the magic of the blue silk losing a bit of its luster. Of course he was a father. A man that handsome, that observant, and that commanding was bound to have a wife and a brood of children waiting for him in some cozy cottage. It explained the tired eyes and tense shoulders you had noticed earlier.

You looked down at the faint burn marks on your hands, suddenly feeling foolish for the way your heart had been racing. 

“Oh. Well... his children and wife are lucky to have such a dedicated provider.”

Martha noticed the sudden change in your posture immediately. A small, reassuring smile spread across her face as she leaned in closer.

“He is quite dedicated. Though, he’s doing it all on his own these days. He’s a widower, you see. Quite single. And I imagine he’s been very lonely in that very big, and very empty house of his.”

Your head snapped towards her, breaking eye contact with the reflection to look at her face-on. Your cheeks burned hot in a matter of seconds.

“Martha!” you hissed, embarrassed by how easily she had read you.

There was a soft knock against a wall, and you went silent the instant you realized Bucky was standing just outside the curtains.

“Martha, I’ll be leaving soon,” his voice came in, closer than you expected. “But I’d like to see that dress on the maiden before I—”

Before you even had time to react, Martha reached for the velvet and swept it aside swiftly. She stepped out of the way, leaving you completely exposed to Bucky’s view. 

You immediately straightened your spine, your heart beating faster in your chest as you were barely mentally prepared to face yourself in the mirror, let alone reveal yourself to him.

Bucky felt like the air had been physically knocked out of his lungs once he saw you. He didn’t move an inch, nor even blink. And for a long moment, he didn’t even breathe. 

He was the King of Brooklynne—a man who gave speeches to thousands and commanded armies—yet, staring at you, his words failed him. You stood there with a faint smudge of charcoal on your nose and messy strands of hair framing your face, and he was defenseless. 

He had seen a thousand women in fine gowns, but he had never truly seen a fine woman in a gown.

Your hands came up to bunch the shimmering blue fabric of the skirt, lifting it just an inch off the floorboards. You looked everywhere but at him—the spools of thread, Martha’s shoes—before finally forcing your eyes back to his.

“Well?” you whispered, the word barely catching in your throat. “Is it as you expected, sir?”

Bucky finally blinked, snapping out of his trance. He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck, his face flushing a deep, sudden red.

“It’s, uh...” he started, his voice cracking slightly before he forced it deeper. “It’s very... blue.”

You tilted your head, a little confused. You had gone through the effort of putting this dress on at his demand, and all he had was to point out the color? 

“Blue?” you frowned.

“Yes. Blue,” he repeated, nodding far too many times. He seemed to realize how pathetic that sounded and tried again, gesturing vaguely with his hands.

“And it’s... it fits. The parts of the dress,” he motioned toward the bodice, “they fit your... body well. I mean—you look... not like a maid at all. Which is... good. Very good.”

You and Martha just blinked at him.

Bucky looked as though he wanted the ground to swallow him whole right up until a soft giggle bubbled up in your chest, escaping before you could stop it.

The sight of this large, commanding man, who looked so tired and overworked, being reduced to a stammering mess over the color of a dress was almost ridiculous. Yet, seeing him like this only made you fonder. 

“I’m glad you approve of the color, sir,” you teased with a bright smile. “I can only imagine the insults you’d say if the dress had been green.”

Bucky’s ears turned an even more embarrassing shade of crimson. He looked at Martha, who was shamelessly enjoying his suffering with a snicker, and then back at you. He looked completely out of his depth, his usual stoic composure deserted him entirely.

“Right. Yes. Well,” he muttered, taking a step back until he nearly hit the wall. “I must get going. I have... uh, matters to attend to.”

He turned to Martha, his voice suddenly regaining that same authority he had used when he insisted you try the gown on. “Martha, wrap this up for her. Make sure it’s packed carefully.”

“I’m sorry—what?” your eyes went wide, and you let out a disbelieving laugh. “Sir, you can’t possibly—”

The words—the protests that you couldn’t afford it, that your stepmother would never allow it—were immediately cut off the moment Bucky stepped closer. He caught your hand in his and brought it to his lips, pressing a soft kiss against your knuckles. Your breath shuddered in your chest. It had been a long time since a gentleman had greeted you with such grace, not since your father had passed.

“I…” you tried to break the tense silence, but your voice failed you as Bucky’s face pulled away from your hand and something else caught his attention.

Carefully, he turned your palm upward, his thumb tracing the old burn marks that tainted your skin with a gentle touch that made your heart beat even faster. 

With his head still bowed, his eyes slowly drifted up to meet yours. You felt goosebumps trail over your skin as he stared at you so intently. He parted his lips as if to speak, but he hesitated, and no words came out. 

What happened? 

How’d you get these burn marks? 

You figured he’d ask, but he didn’t. 

Instead, his grip tightened ever so slightly, a silent acknowledgment of a pain he seemed to recognize all too well. He finally broke his gaze, turning his head to Martha without letting go of your hand just yet.

“On my dime, Martha,” he stated. His tone was final, leaving no room for argument. “Everything. The gown, the alterations, the shoes. All of it.”

“Sir, please, I can’t accept—”

Bucky stepped back, his eyes searching yours one last time. This time, there was no more stuttering, no more awkward talk about the color of the fabric. There was only the confidence of a man who was used to being obeyed.

“I’ll see you at the ball tomorrow night,” he said. It wasn’t an invitation; it was a vow.

Before you could find the words to tell him you couldn’t even go, he turned on his heel. He moved quickly, pulling his cloak over his head as he pushed through the shop door and into the busy street. 

The bell rang out, leaving you standing in the center of the shop in a gown worth more than your life, blinking as you watched him disappear around the corner through the shop windows.

Martha let out a long, theatrical sigh behind you. “Well,” she spoke, her voice gleeful. “What a charming man, isn’t he?”

She walked over, her boots thumping softly on the hardwood as she began to inspect the stitching of your bodice one last time.

“I take it he’s rather fond of you,” she teased, her voice a little playful. “A man doesn’t pay for royal silk and French lace on a whim, dear.”

“Enough with your foolishness, Martha,” you shook your head, trying to keep calm despite your frantic heart beating. 

You looked down at your hands—at the skin he had just graced with his lips and the scars he had traced with such tenderness you’ve never felt before. 

“He’s only doing it because he pities me. He saw a girl in rags and felt a momentary lapse of charity.”

You smoothed the silk over your hips, the fabric cool and.. almost mocking beneath your scarred fingers. “Besides... a man like that? A man with that kind of presence, that kind of look? He belongs in the stories you tell children. A woman like me can only dream of someone like him.”

Martha stopped her work and stood tall, placing her hands on your shoulders. She looked at you through the mirror, her eyes bright with wisdom that felt older than the shop itself.

“A dream is a wish your heart makes, my girl,” she whispered, her voice warm and melodic. “And if you wish hard enough, the universe has a funny way of making sure your heart gets exactly what it wants.”

You looked at your reflection, feeling like a stranger in blue silk, and let out a tired sigh. 

“I’ve been dreaming for a long time now, Martha.” You forced yourself to look away from the mirror. “They don’t come true.”

It was the night of the ball, and the house was unnervingly silent only after the whirlwind of your sisters’ screaming and your stepmother’s frantic demands had finally vanished behind the rattle of a carriage.

They were currently dancing on polished marble floors, while you were on your knees, the scent of lye and old wood filling your lungs. When you had arrived home from the shop yesterday, it was a miracle you managed to sneak the dress into your closet without Beatrice and her gremlins noticing. They had been so preoccupied with their own vanity that they mistook your large garment bag for a pile of clean, pressed laundry.

With the dress hidden away and quietly taunting you in its small corner of the house, the memory of the man’s voice kept echoing in your mind, drowning out the scraping of your scrubbing brush.

“I’ll see you at the ball tomorrow night.”

You thought about his hands—how large they were compared to yours, yet how carefully he had handled you. 

He hadn’t looked at your burns with disgust. 

He had looked at them with pain and deep sympathy. 

It was a look you didn’t get often—not from your family, and certainly not from strangers.

You tried to imagine him in that crowded ballroom; a widowed father standing awkwardly by the refreshments, looking out of place in a room full of preened lords. You imagined him fumbling over his words while trying to flatter the high born ladies, just as he had fumbled with you. 

You couldn’t help but let out a soft snicker at the thought.

You looked down at your current state—dull dress, a darkly stained apron, hair tied back with a piece of frayed twine. 

The beautiful gown was sitting just a few feet away, a masterpiece bought on his coin, haunting you. 

If you went, you risked everything. 

If you stayed, you would spend the rest of your life wondering if he had actually waited for you near the entrance, looking for a girl who never showed up. You would spend the rest of your life wondering if you would ever see him again.

As the clock on the mantle ticked, it was like something clicked inside of you as well. 

You dropped the brush into the bucket with a splash. You knew you couldn’t stay. Even if it was only for an hour—even if you had to run back before the clock struck twelve and return to this life of ash and dirt—you had to know why a man like that looked at you as if you were something special.

You scrambled to the basement, your breath hitching as you hauled the dress from its hiding place.

You removed your dress with urgency, but the second you stepped into the blue silk, realization hit you hard. 

You didn’t know why you had expected the gown to fit as perfectly as it had in the shop. And without help, the luxury felt like a mockery. 

This wasn’t a fairy tale—it was a logistical nightmare. You couldn’t reach the laces in the back, and the more you tugged, the more the bodice sat lopsided and gaping against your skin. You tried to pin your hair up, but the strands were limp and dull, escaping the pins and falling into your eyes.

“No, no, no!” you whispered, hot tears of frustration pricking your eyes. 

You looked like exactly what you were. A servant girl playing dress-up.

Grabbing a heavy, hooded travel cloak, you threw it over your half fastened gown, cinching the hood tight to hide your disastrous hair and face. You burst out the back door and ran. You ran until your lungs burned and your feet ached, through the dark alleys and over the cobblestones until you reached Martha’s shop.

The ‘open’ sign was being flipped just as you reached the glass. Martha was reaching for the lamp, her coat already draped over her shoulders as she was preparing to leave. 

“Martha!” you cried in a panic, slamming your palm against the door. “Martha, please!”

The older woman froze, her eyes widening as she recognized you through the glass. She fumbled with the locks and pulled you inside, the bells on the door jangling frantically.

“Child, what in heaven’s name—”

You threw back your cloak, revealing the tangled laces and the disheveled dress underneath. “I can’t do it! I… I can’t get the laces right. My hair is a mess, and I look like a fool. Please, Martha. You said the heart gets what it wants, but my hands can’t even help make it happen!”

“Hush now,” Martha reassured. “We have no time for tears. Stand on the pedestal. Feet apart, shoulders back.”

The minute you stood on the pedestal, her hands wasted no time as her fingers flew over the laces, tightening the bodice until it sat perfectly against your waist. She did you hair into a neat, sophisticated style that was a far difference from how it was before. Then, with a damp cloth, she wiped away the tears from your cheeks and applied subtle touches of makeup that highlighted your best features, making your eyes shimmer in the warm overhead light.

She knelt before you, taking your tired, aching feet and slipping them into heels so clear and pristine that it looks like it could be made out of glass. 

Finally, Martha reached into a velvet-lined drawer and pulled out a pair of pristine, elbow-length white gloves. She took your hands gently, smoothing the cool fabric over your fingers and up your arms. She paused for a moment as she tucked the silk over your palms, ensuring the scars were completely hidden from view.

“There,” she breathed, patting your hands. “Can’t have these burn marks showing off at the royal palace now, can we?”

You stared at your reflection, breathless. The girl in the mirror didn’t look like she had spent the morning scrubbing a hearth or weeping in a basement. 

She looked like she belonged in a palace.

“Martha, I… thank you—”

“Oh! Before I forget…” Martha took a step back and hurried to the rear of the shop, rummaging through a hidden chest. You waited until she finally stepped back out holding a mask.

She had several masks displayed throughout the store, but you had never seen this one. It was ethereal, made with such delicate detail that it looked like it was made to go hand-in-hand with your dress.

Martha held the mask up to the light, its delicate silver filigree shimmering like frost against the dim shop interior.

“It’s a masquerade ball, isn’t it?” Martha asked knowingly, stepping forward to carefully tie the silk ribbons behind your head. 

When the knot was secure, she stepped back to look at you, her eyes softening. “My darling,” she sighed wistfully. “You look beautiful.” 

A lump formed in your throat, and you parted your lips to speak, ready to drown her in a sea of gratitude. But before a single word could escape, the clock above the dresser ticked—a sharp, metallic strike that made Martha’s head snapped toward the sound instantly.

“The late-arrival carriages are passing through the square right now,” she informed you, already ushering you toward the door with a sudden burst of energy. “If you miss them, you’ll be walking three miles in glass slippers, and I didn’t spend my after hours getting you dressed up just for you to ruin the hem in the mud.”

“Martha, I truly don’t know how to—”

“Don’t thank me, sweetheart,” Martha interrupted, her voice softening as she gave your gloved hand a final, affectionate squeeze.

She looked at you not as a seamstress looking at a client, but with the pride of someone watching a long held wish finally take flight. 

“Just go. Enjoy yourself—that’s the best way you can thank me,” she smiled with a wink. “And don’t you dare come back until you’ve danced at least once.”

Bucky stood on the dais, his back straight and his expression stern, though his mind was miles away from the gilded splendor of the ballroom.

He felt more restless than he usually did at these gala affairs. With one hand tightened around a wine glass, his eyes tracked his son, Prince Jamie, who was doing his best to look interested while cornered by a pair of sisters in the center of the dance floor.

Jamie was a good kid, and it usually wasn’t difficult for the average woman to capture his attention, yet Bucky could see the way his son’s jaw clenched as the two women flitted their fans and chirped in high, piercing voices.

Agnes and Margaret. Bucky remembered them from previous balls and the overwhelming mountain of letters they had mailed to the palace—all of which hadn’t bothered reading.

He knew it was his duty, not only as the King but as Jamie’s father, to see his son settled with a rightful match—especially one that offered political advantages. But tonight, his focus was fractured. His eyes began to wander, scanning the sea of masks and trying to look past the peacock feathers and velvet. Every time a flash of sky-blue caught his eye, his heart thudded in anticipation, only to sink when he realized the shade was wrong or the stature wasn’t quite right.

As the night wore on, Bucky’s impatience grew thinner and thinner.

“I’ll see you at the ball tomorrow night.”

Had he not been clear enough?

Now, he felt like a fool.

Why would you come? He had seen your hands—hands that clearly told the story of the life you lived and the hardships you endured. He knew the barriers that stood between a girl like you and a palace gate.

And beyond that, there was the gap in your years.

You were younger.

Much younger.

Bucky swallowed hard, before bringing the cup to his lips. He drained his glass in multiple long gulps. The wine was cold, yet it did nothing to douse the heat building in his skin.

He was a King, a widower who had long ago accepted that his heart—and his body—had gone cold. He was old, or… at least he felt it in the marrow of his bones. He had assumed the days of blood rushing desire were behind him.

But tonight, his body was making a liar out of him.

His mind kept looping back to the age gap. He shouldn’t be feeling this restless, yearning ache for a girl who was likely half his age. It was improper, and it was dangerous.

But as he watched the dancers, he wasn’t thinking about trade levies or Jamie’s future. He was thinking about the way your small hand had disappeared inside his. He was thinking about the way he caught a glimpse of you through the velvet curtain in the changing room, his eyes lingering on your bare shoulders and the curve down your lower back as you got fitted into the gown.

He shifted, the heavy fabric of his royal trousers suddenly feeling restrictive.

A self-deprecating laugh rumbled in his chest. He was a king, a father—and here he was, standing on a dais with a goddamn hard on because of a girl who smelled like smoke and looked like a dream.

“King Barnes?”

Bucky turned to the attendant.

“Sir Rogers and Sir Wilson are in the back gardens, Your Majesty,” he stammered, bowing low. “They sent word that they are... well, they’re waiting for a smoke with you. They said the night air might do you some good.”

Bucky let out a slow, heavy breath. His friends knew him all too well—they had probably caught the way he was gripping his glass and the way he was staring at the door like a starving man.

“Tell them I’ll be there shortly,” Bucky rasped, a little frustrated.

He took one last look at the grand staircase for good measure, several people walking in with fancy gowns and suits—yet none of them were you.

“She isn’t coming”, he told himself. “She has more sense than you do, James.”

He stepped off the platform, his boots clicking sharply against the polished marble as he turned his back on the ballroom. Several guests attempted to intercept him, their mouths opening to offer empty flatteries, but he gave them nothing more than a dismissive nod as he pushed past.

He needed that smoke. He needed Steve and Sam to humble him—to laugh at him for being an old fool pining after a girl who likely saw him as nothing more than a kindly stranger who had bought her an expensive dress.

He made his way through the arched side exit, the orchestra fading into the background as he stepped into the cool, floral scented air of the royal gardens. He spotted them near the center—two broad and tall silhouettes casting long shadows over the stone water fountain.

“About time,” Sam called out, sensing Bucky’s approach without even turning around. “We thought we were going to have to come up there and drag you off that throne ourselves.”

“Find your lucky girl yet, Buck?” Steve asked, finally turning to face his old friend. He held out a cherry-wood smoking pipe, the embers already glowing.

He gave Steve a sharp, side-eye look that would intimidate most people, but it just made Steve laugh.

“No,” Bucky grunted roughly, his voice dropping into a low gravel. “I haven’t found the ‘lucky girl.’” He took a slow, deep inhale from the pipe, letting a thick gust of smoke roll from his lips into the cool night air. “I just need Jamie to hurry up and pick a girl out of the crowd so we can get this ball over with.”

“The boy turns eighteen and the first thing he does is look for a woman to settle his crown,” Sam barked a laugh, leaning back against the stone fountain. “He’s a player—just like his father was at that age.”

Bucky rolled his eyes, the embers in his pipe glowing bright as he took another breath. “I was not. I wasn’t that restless—”

“You’re right,” Steve laughed. “You were worse. You just had the benefit of not being a King yet.”

While the three men shared a rare moment of peace, obscured by the shadows and the scent of pipe tobacco, the last carriage of the night finally pulled up to the palace gates.

It was silent and unassuming, no one would’ve cared for whoever was inside, yet it held the only person Bucky had truly been waiting for.

You stepped out of the carriage and approached the looming marble staircase. The palace was huge, making your heart beating anxiously in your chest like a trapped bird. You almost wanted to retreat back into the carriage and hurl all over your pristine heels, but you just sucked in a deep breath and kept pushing forward.

You gathered the shimmering hem of your sky blue gown, lifting the silk to keep from tripping on staircase.

The moment you crossed the entrance, the cavernous ballroom seemed to expand, the soaring ceilings and gold leafed pillars making the space feel even more bigger than it had from the outside. You stood at the very precipice of the grand staircase, your gloved hand tightening on the silk of your skirts.

As you stood there, the frantic gossip and the laughter of the debutantes slowly died into a collective whisper. One pair of eyes landed on you, then two, then several, until the entire sea of masks was turned upward, captivated by the girl in sky blue.

At the center of the dance floor, Prince Jamie froze.

You were beautiful.

Your gown looked rich, the fabric shimmering with the kind of quality that suggested a woman of high standing and ancient lineage.

You looked exactly like the kind of woman his father would expect him to marry—and exactly like the woman Jamie had been waiting for all night.

He had been trapped between Agnes and Margaret, half-listening to their desperate chirping, but the moment you appeared, it was like a new sense of determination flooded through him. He didn’t wait for a polite opening; he didn’t even offer the sisters a parting nod—a dismissive streak he had clearly inherited from his father.

“Excuse me,” Jamie murmured, his voice clipped as he stepped back, cutting them off mid-sentence.

The further you descended, the more the air suffocated you with the scent of expensive cologne and heavy perfume. Before your foot could even touch the ballroom floor, the path was blocked.

A flock of men swarmed the base of the staircase like vultures circling a prize. They were a blur of colorful sashes and different colored masks, their voices rising over the orchestra as they tried to catch your attention.

“A dance, my lady? I am the Earl of Hydra—”

“Pray, allow me the honor of the first waltz!”

“Ignore them, fair vision, look this way—”

You clutched the railings. You felt like an imposter, a trapped bird in borrowed feathers, as the crowd pressed in and closed off your exits.

You scanned the room frantically through the narrow slits of your mask, searching for a single familiar face—the kind man from the shop who had bought you this dress and insisted you come. But all you saw was a sea of strangers draped in silk and greed.

“Gentlemen,” a sharp, authoritative voice interrupted. “I believe you are crowding the lady.”

Your ears immediately perked at the sound of the voice. It was familiar, a resonance of the man from the shop—yet it wasn't quite the same as it was more youthful.

The men stiffened and turned, their expressions falling behind their masks as they realized the Prince of Brooklynne had arrived. They dipped their heads in respectful bows, scrambling to step aside to clear a path for him.

Jamie stepped into the center of the circle, the only man in the entire party not wearing a mask.

Your heart skipped a beat as you looked at him. There was something hauntingly familiar about his face—the same jaw, the same carved chin, and those stern cold blue eyes. But he lacked the weary, aged shadows beneath them.

“I believe the vultures have had enough of your time,” Jamie extended his gloved hand with a charming smile. “I am Prince Jamie. And while the tradition of this ball is for me to find a match, I find myself suddenly uninterested in anyone else in this room. May I have the honor of this dance?”

Every noble, every servant, and every debutante held their breath.

But you already felt as though you were suffocating.

You looked down at his hand, then out at the sea of faces. “A dance… with me?”

As you spoke, your eyes drifted to the edge of the ballroom.

There, standing near a marble pillar, were Agnes and Margaret. Their faces were twisted into masks of pure, venomous hatred, their glares so sharp they felt like they could pierce right through your silver mask and uncover the truth themselves.

Behind them, your stepmother stood like a looming shadow, her eyes narrowed like she could kill you alone with her glare.

The candles, the orchestra getting louder, the different wafting smells of perfume and cologne, hundreds of eyes watching your every breath—it all became too much.

You weren’t a princess.

You were an interloper in a silver mask who didn’t even know how to dance.

One wrong move, one misplaced step, and the dream of finding the man from the shop would be crushed like a bug beneath a royal boot.

“I… I cannot,” you whispered.

Jamie’s brow furrowed in genuine shock, his hand still suspended in the air. “My lady?”

“I am sorry, Your Highness. I need air,” you gasped out, barely audible.

Without waiting for the Prince’s word, you immediately turned on your heel and bolted to the first exit that wasn’t already blocked by people. Behind you, the silence of the room snapped into already gossiping whispers.

Jamie stood frozen, his pride wounded. He watched the shimmer of your skirt disappear into the darkness of the garden, but before he could take a step to follow you, the lady vultures were already making their move.

“Your Highness, she was clearly unwell!” a woman cried as she fluttered her fan. “Perhaps a dance with someone more... stable would clear your mind?”

You hurried deep into the greenery, the hem of your gown whispering against the gravel until you reached a thicket of towering hedges and blooming jasmine. As you leaned against a cold stone pillar to catch your breath, you heard deep, masculine laughter drifting through the leaves from a distance.

Your heart leaped. You knew that laugh.

It was the same sound of the man you had met in the shop.

Quietly, you crept through the shadows, peering through the dense leaves of a large plant.

Three men were standing by a stone fountain, the glowing cherries of their pipes lighting the darkness. Two were tall and broad, but it was the man with his back to you who caught your attention. When he turned to laugh at something the blonde man said, the moonlight hit his face, and your heart nearly melted.

It was him.

The man you had risked everything to see just once more.

Who also happened to be the King of Brooklynne.

He looked far different than he had in the shop; his hair was slicked back neatly and he was draped in heavy royal regalia that shimmered under the moon. But the face was the same one you had memorized. You took a small, hesitant step forward, your hand reaching out to part the branches, ready to call to him—to tell him that you were here, that you had come for him.

But as the conversation continued, the words that left their lips made you freeze.

“You’re brooding over nothing, Buck,” Steve said with a smirk. “You’re the King. You could bed any woman you’d want in that room, or ten of them. You’re rich enough to cover the tracks and powerful enough that no one would dare whisper a word.”

Sam barked a laugh, blowing a cloud of smoke into the air. “He’s right. One snap of your fingers and you’ve got a new ‘favorite’ for the week. Why settle for pining?”

You waited for Bucky to rebuke them. You waited for the ‘good man’ and ‘hardworking father’ to say he wasn’t looking for that.

Instead, a slow, dark grin spread across his face—a look of cold, royal entitlement you hadn’t seen at all in the shop.

“It would certainly break the boredom of this godforsaken castle,” Bucky—no, the King—replied. “There’s a certain thrill in taking what you want, isn’t there? The perks of the crown are the only thing keeping me sane these days.”

Steve let out a low whistle, pointing his pipe toward Bucky. “Ah. There he is. I was worried for a moment that fatherhood made you soft, but I see the old wolf is still in there.”

Bucky chuckled, a sound that lacked any of the warmth you had felt in the small tailor shop.

“Soft? Hardly,” Bucky scoffed so exaggerated, it seemed forced. “I’ve spent half my life fighting for this kingdom. If I decide to take a girl as a ‘prize’ for a night or two to pass the time, I think I’ve earned that much. Besides,” he added, a little lower, “most of the women in there would consider it the greatest honor of their lives to be used by their King, regardless of how quickly I forget their names the next morning.”

You felt like you were going to collapse.

The man you had met—the one who stuttered over his words trying to compliment you and kissed your hand with such gentleness—felt like a ghost. This man in front of you was a stranger, a cold-hearted ruler who likely saw you as a nameless ‘prize’ to be discarded at the shop.

Was that why he wanted to buy you this dress?

Was that why he insisted you come tonight?

The realization made your head hurt. You knew it was too good to be true. You felt the bile rise in your throat, and you instinctively moved to flee.

You took a frantic step backwards, but in your haste, you didn’t see the heavy iron watering can sitting at the base of the hedge. Your heel caught the edge of it with a loud, metallic clang that echoed through the quiet garden.

The laughter died, and Sam perked his head up.

“Who’s there?”

Bucky straightened up slowly, his gaze narrowing to the exact spot to the greenery you were hiding behind. The orange glow of his pipe illuminated the sharp, dangerous lines of his face.

There was no point in hiding. They already knew you were there. You forced your legs to move, stepping out from behind the heavy jasmine vines.

“I apologize,” you said, your voice brittle and trembling. “I… I must have gotten lost. Excuse me, Your Majesty.”

You bowed your head, refusing to meet his eyes, and hiked up the heavy silk of your skirts—the very fabric he had paid for, which now felt like a brand of humiliation against your skin. You turned to retreat towards the palace, desperate to vanish into the overwhelming crowd—so long as you get away from him.

Bucky stood frozen, the pipe nearly slipping from his fingers. The moonlight caught the shimmer of that familiar sky blue fabric, and the realization punched the air out of his lungs.

It was you.

You were the girl he had been waiting for all night, the one who had occupied his every thought since the moment he laid eyes on you in the shop. Even behind the silver mask, you were the most beautiful woman he had seen this evening. He saw the way your shoulders shook and the way you wouldn’t even glance at him, and a sickening dread made his heart cold.

You had heard it all.

Every arrogant, cold-hearted word he had spat out just to impress his friends.

Steve, completely oblivious to the internal collapse Bucky was experiencing, let out a dry chuckle and nudged Bucky’s shoulder.

“See? What’d I say, Buck? You’re the King. You’re powerful enough to cover the tracks of any little wanderer. She won’t say a word.”

Bucky didn’t laugh this time. He couldn’t even look at Steve. His face dropped from a mask of royal arrogance to one of unadulterated panic as he realized he had just destroyed the only real thing he felt in years.

“Excuse me, gentlemen,” Bucky rasped, his voice tight.

He broke into a stride, his heavy boots thundering against the gravel as he chased after you before you could reach the safety of the ballroom.

“Wait!” he called out, his voice no longer commanding, but a desperate plea. “Please—wait!”

You didn’t look back. The blood rushing in your ears drowned out his voice. As you passed the archway back into the ballroom, the sudden blast of orchestral music and chatter filled your ears immediately.

Behind you, Bucky skidded to a halt right before the doors. He watched as you re-entered the lion’s den, and for a split second, he nearly followed you in like a madman. But then he saw dozens of eyes—the eyes of his court and his people—turning toward the doors.

As much as he wanted to chase after you, he was the King.

He couldn’t chase a woman through his own ballroom without causing a massive scene.

“Dammit,” Bucky gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand straight and compose his features.

His eyes never left yours. He forced himself to remain calm, but the minute he saw a familiar figure weave through the crowd toward you, he felt his face burn with a sudden, hot anger.

His own son approached you before the other lords could, his youthful face lighting up in visible relief.

Bucky stood near the entrance, paralyzed. He couldn’t believe it. He felt betrayed by his own flesh and blood as he watched Jamie close the distance between you.

“I fear the night air had stolen you away forever,” Jamie said softly, bowing low before you.

Jamie—who you know now was Bucky’s son—seemed far kinder than the version of the man you had just overheard in the dark. The resemblance was striking and understandable now, but the warmth in Jamie’s voice made your heart ache for what you thought you had found in the shop.

“Please,” Jamie continued. “One dance? Titles aside, I’m the most competent when it comes to dancing in this room,” he joked, flashing a charming smile that highlighted his blue eyes.

You hesitated, the silver mask hiding your weary expression as you fought to keep your composure. You looked over your shoulder, and you could feel the King’s gaze glaring daggers down your back, almost making you second guess.

But as the nasty words he had exclaimed in the yard just a few seconds ago echoed in your mind, your heartache turned into a cold, sharp resolve.

You decided right then to spite him.

To him, you were just a ‘prize,’ but you wouldn’t be his.

Following Martha’s wish for you to have at least one good dance of this night, you turned your back on the King. With a steady breath to settle your racing heart, you finally placed your hand in the Prince’s.

Jamie’s gloved fingers curled yours gently as a triumphant smile spread across his young face. As he led you to the center of the gilded floor, you didn’t dare to look back—especially because you didn’t need to. You could feel Bucky’s eyes following you. It was heavy, but you were determined to ignore it as you used his son as your shield.

“I don’t know how to dance,” you admitted softly to the Prince.

“Don’t know how to dance?” Jamie blinked at you, slightly taken aback, before letting out a disbelieving chuckle. “A Lady who doesn’t know how to dance?”

You expected him to mock you, but instead, he gave you an encouraging smile and adjusted his stance, placing a steady hand on your waist and lifting your other to proper height.

“Then it’s a good thing you’re with me,” he reassured kindly. “Just follow my lead and keep your eyes on mine.”

As the violins grew louder, Jamie moved gracefully, his hand firm on your waist as he began the first slow rotation of the waltz. You stumbled almost immediately, your heel landing right on top of his polished leather boot.

“I—I’m so sorry,” you gasped, your face flushing in embarrassment beneath the silver mask.

“Don’t be. My boots have survived worse than a lady’s dance. Besides,” he leaned in, voice playful, “it gives me a reason to hold you a little tighter so you don’t fall.”

You couldn’t help but chuckle at how romantically corny he was. His words were smooth and charming—a miracle, considering he was the heir to the man you had just witnessed in the garden. As you finally caught the rhythm, a small, genuine smile spread across your lips. After the disaster in the garden, you had expected your night to be ruined, but this dance was almost enough to make up for it.

Then suddenly, the crowd near the edge of the floor parted like a wound opening up.

Bucky didn’t wait for the song to end. He marched onto the floor, his heavy royal mantle trailing behind him like a dark cloud. His presence alone was so suffocatingly dominant that the couples dancing around you slowed to a halt, watching him cautiously.

Bucky stepped directly into your path, forcing Jamie to stop mid-turn.

“Son,” Bucky greeted coldly. Then his eyes turned to you, cold and sharp. “My Lady.”

He extended a hand towards you—not as an invitation, but a demand. “The music is just beginning to peak. Shall I take over?”

Jamie’s brow furrowed, his hand tightening slightly on your waist. “Father? We are in the middle of a waltz. It’s highly irregular to cut in on the first dance.”

Bucky looked back at his son, his jaw clenched hard. The ‘good man’ from the shop deserted him entirely, he was acting like a man who knew exactly how to use his power to get what he wanted.

“Tradition is a suggestion, Jamie,” Bucky said, stepping closer until he crowded your space. “But a command from your King is not. Step aside.”

Jamie swallowed hard, and you felt yourself go stiff between the two most powerful men in the kingdom.

“I suppose I cannot argue with the King,” Jamie murmured, a little defiant sass seeping through his polite tone.

Reluctantly, he took your hand one last time and bowed his head low, his eyes never leaving yours as he pressed a slow, lingering kiss to the back of your gloved hand. It was the same hand Bucky had kissed at the shop just yesterday—and a gesture Bucky knew all too well.

It was the kind of goodbye a man gives a woman he fully intends to find again.

Bucky’s brow twitched violently. It took everything in his power to keep from snarling while the entire court watched. The sight of his own son’s lips touching your glove—the very silk he had held in his hands and bought with his own coin—was almost more than his composure could bear.

“That will be all, Jamie,” Bucky snapped.

Jamie ignored his father as he took a step back from you, eyes still never leaving yours. “My Lady,” he bid goodbye with a final, pained smile, before turning to disappear into the sea of masks.

The space Jamie left was immediately filled by Bucky’s suffocating presence. He didn’t wait for your permission as he stepped into the gap, his large hand slid firmly onto your waist—exactly where his son’s had been—except he pulled you so tight against his chest that the surrounding guests began to murmur.

He didn’t just want to dance.

He wanted to reclaim what he felt was his.

As Bucky slowly began moving you along to the music, your eyes trailed over his shoulder, where Jamie retreated into the crowd.

Bucky sensed it. His grip on your waist tightened, his body tensing as he realized your mind was still with his son.

“You look at me when I’m holding you,” he commanded, low and possessive. “Not him.”

You stayed quiet as you looked up at him through the slits of your mask. His gaze on you was almost cold and authoritative—the kind of look most people would be scared to meet, let alone break. But you looked down anyway, your eyes finding his chest as you forced yourself to follow his lead.

Bucky’s grip on you didn’t waver, but his voice softened just slightly.

“You look beautiful in this gown,” he murmured, his eyes still on your face despite you not looking at him.

You said nothing, and he continued on anyway.

“In the shop… you looked beautiful,” he admitted, his thumb gently grazing the back of your bodice, subtly playing with the laces. “But now you’re even more stunning. Absolutely breathtaking.”

He waited for a blush or a shy smile like the one you had given him just yesterday. Instead, he was met with a wall of silence. You kept your chin tucked, your eyes anchored firmly to the silver crest on his chest, as if you were constantly reminding yourself of his rank.

Bucky let out a deep sigh. He tilted his head down, trying to force his way into your line of sight, an act of vulnerability a King would never normally show.

“About what I said in the garden…” he started, guilty. “I was… my friends, they—”

“I heard nothing, Your Majesty.” You interrupted.

Bucky’s jaw clenched. He knew that as the King, he held the power to silence anyone in the entire kingdom of Brooklynne… yet, the one person he was desperate to hear from was treating him like a brick wall.

“I was playing a part,” he whispered with a desperation he’d never shown a soul in this palace. “Sir Rogers and Sir Wilson... they’ve known me since I was a boy. They expect a cold-hearted King. I said those things because—”

He choked on the words, his pride warring with his heart.

“Because I didn’t want them to know how much a girl from a tailor shop had actually shaken me.” He looked around warily, his eyes darting to the side to ensure the surrounding couples were caught up in their own movements and not eavesdropping on the King’s unraveling.

“Please, Your Majesty,” you said, and you couldn’t help but let out a sharp laugh that passed for a scoff. “I’m sure a maid you happened to come across in a dusty tailor shop is hardly a ‘prize’, as you call it.”

“You aren’t a prize,” he rasped, his hand tightening almost painfully around yours. “I shouldn’t have said it. I was a fool, trying to play the part of the man they think I am.”

“Oh, don’t be so modest, Your Majesty,” you countered sarcastically. You tilted your head, catching his pained gaze with a cold, mocking look of your own.

“I’m sure there are many other, more eligible, ‘prized’ women in this room who would consider it the greatest honor of their lives to be used and then forgotten by their King.”

The final note of the waltz hung in the air before fading into the polite applause of the court. You didn’t wait for the silence to settle or for Bucky to utter another word. You retracted your hand and gathered your skirts to drop into a shallow, perfectly stiff curtsy.

“Thank you for the dance, Your Majesty,” you said, though your voice held no warmth and even less appreciation.

You turned on your heel and began to weave through the crowd. You had gotten exactly what Martha wanted—one good memory, or at least a story to tell. You had danced with a Prince, and you had danced with a King.

That should be more than enough.

But as you neared the exit, all you felt was a deep, aching stupidity. You had risked everything and snuck out in a dress that felt like a lie, all for a man who had treated your heart like a parlor trick for his friends.

You were over the music, over the masks, and most of all, you were over him.

The grand staircase you had entered from was now a wall of people. Nobles stood in clusters, laughing and sipping wine, completely blocking your path to the main doors.

Panic flared in your chest. You couldn’t stand to be in this room for another second.

Searching for a way out, you spotted a narrow side corridor draped in heavy velvet curtains. It was dim and seemingly abandoned. You slipped through the fabric, your silk skirts rustling against the stone floor as you hurried away from the noise.

The air here was cooler, smelling of old paper and beeswax. You didn’t hear the click of boots on the marble behind you. You didn’t see the shadow that detached itself from the ballroom doorway, moving with a predatory grace of a hunter.

You only focused on the door at the end of the hall, desperate for the night air and escape.

Just as your hand reached for the brass handle, a heavy weight hit the door beside your head, pinning it shut. A gloved hand clamped hard around your wrist, jerking you backwards until you hit a broad chest.

“Did your King say you were dismissed?” Bucky growled, his voice a low, dangerous vibration against your ear.

“Y-your Majesty—?”

With a swift, forceful movement, he kicked open the door to a private study, hauled you inside, and slammed it shut. The click of the lock turning felt like the final snap of a mousetrap. Bucky leaned his back against the heavy oak door, his chest heaving as he watched you through the dim light.

“You’re not going anywhere.”

“Please move,” you snapped, no longer caring about pleasantries or protocol.

You tried to shove past him, but it was like trying to move a mountain. He didn’t budge, simply adjusting his weight to block the handle.

“I am not letting you walk out of here thinking those things.”

“Oh, so now the King is concerned with my thoughts?” you let out a harsh, mocking laugh and spun away, pacing the small room like a caged animal.

You tried for the window, but he was there in three long strides, his arm extending to block your path before you could even touch the latch.

“Stop trying to run away.”

You turned on him, your eyes blazing behind your mask.

“Was this just another one of your cruel royal games, Your Majesty? You buy a poor maid a gown, make her beautiful for a night, and then...” you choked on the words, your gloved hands balling into fists at your sides. “And then what? You get to boast to your friends about how easily you can sweep any woman off her feet? How lucky a commoner should feel to be bedded by the King?”

“It wasn’t a game,” Bucky rasped, reaching out to catch your shoulders, but you slapped his hand away.

“Your Majesty, if I were you, I’d quit wasting my time with a common peasant,” you spat, “and go find someone in the ballroom more suitable to bed—”

“I said those things because I was terrified!” he finally roared, the sound echoing off the wood paneled walls.

His chest heaved in frustration. He ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the strands until they fell messily over his forehead, obscuring the cold gaze of a King.

“I am the King. I am supposed to be calculated. I am supposed to be cold,” he confessed, his voice growing agitated. “And then I met you. Suddenly, I’m stumbling over a simple compliment. I’m staring at the doors, waiting for you to arrive, hoping—praying—that you’d actually show up.”

Bucky took a heavy step forward, the floorboards creaking under his shoes.

“You’ve been on my mind from the moment I laid eyes on you at the shop,” he murmured, humming so low that it made your skin prickle. “Every hour since then… until now.”

His hand reached out, slow and careful as he hooked his fingers under the edge of your silver mask, lifting it gently. As the silk and lace came away, he set it down on the mahogany table without ever breaking eye contact.

“I wanted you to try this dress on because I knew it would look beautiful on you,” he whispered, his eyes dark, hungry, and appreciating as they traveled from your face down to the curve of your throat.

Bucky let his hand trail down to your sleeve, his knuckles grazing the tender skin of your inner arm. The contact was light, yet possessive. His gaze followed the path of his hand, appreciating you from head to toe, admiring the way the silk hugged your body.

“And now,” he stepped even closer, his shadow completely swallowing you as he leaned down until his lips were inches from yours. “The only thing I can think of is how you would look with this dress off.”

Bucky pulled his gloves off, tossing them aside as his hands slid from your arm to your face. His large, warm palms cupped your jaw.

His thumb traced the line of your lower lip, tugging it down just enough to reveal the plump, wet flesh beneath. He leaned in until the tips of your noses brushed, his lips hovering a mere breath away from yours.

“Did you have fun dancing with my son?” he murmured, his voice a low vibration.

“Forgive me, Your Majesty,” your brows furrowed in confusion. “But I don’t see how this has anything to do—”

“Enough,” he interrupted. He gave your jaw a light, commanding squeeze. “You know this has to do with everything.”

You swallowed hard, nodding instinctively before you could even find your voice.

“Did you like the way he held you?” he pressed, his breath ghosting over your lips as he tilted your head back further, exposing the vulnerable line of your throat to his hungry gaze.

“Did you enjoy the way he looked at you? Because I hated every second of it. I hated that his hands were where mine should have been. I hated that you smiled for him when all you’ve given me tonight is the cold shoulder.”

His gaze dropped from your eyes to your shoulders. His hands left your jaw, tracing a slow, burning path down the sensitive skin of your throat until his fingers hooked into the delicate elastic of your puffy sleeves.

With a slow tug, he slipped them off your shoulders. The silk bunched at your elbows, leaving your shoulders bare and vulnerable under the warm glow of the candlelight.

“Tell me you’ve been thinking of me too, my dear,” he rasped, almost pleaful.

He stepped even closer, his body pressing nearly pressing against yours, pinning you between the heavy desk and his own body. One of his hands slid around your lower back, pulling you upward until your chest brushed against his.

“That’s why you came here tonight,” he whispered, his breath hot against your lips. “You wanted to find me. You wanted to show off the dress I bought you... isn’t that right?”

You looked up at him, your breath hitching as the heat from his body seemed to seep through the silk of your bodice. Being this close to him—without the mask, without the safety of the ballroom crowd—was overwhelming.

“I…” you sucked in a breath, “I came because I wanted to see the kind man I met at the shop yesterday. Not a heartless King.”

“How can you call me heartless,” he frowned, almost taunting, “when my heart only beats for you, my dear? It hasn’t known a moment of peace since I walked into that shop.”

Bucky’s hands began to wander more boldly. One hand stayed firm at your lower back, while the other slid up from your waist, his thumb grazing the undersides of your breasts through the thin silk of your gown. You let out a soft, broken whimper, your knees feeling weak as the friction of his thumb sent jolts of heat through your entire body.

“You’re so reactive, sweetheart. So innocent in the way you look at me,” he murmured, his hips tight against yours until you could feel the hard, undeniable bulge that pressed against his pants. “It makes me wonder.”

His thumb returning to your chin to tilt your face up, forcing you to meet his burning stare.

“Tell your King the truth,” he warned. “Has anyone ever laid a hand on you? Has a man ever touched you so… intimately in your life?”

You swallowed hard, the lump in your throat feeling like a stone as you struggled to find your voice.

“I’ve never been touched, Your Majesty,” you admitted softly. You lowered your gaze, unable to maintain the intensity of his stare. “Still pure.”

Bucky’s grip on your waist tightened, his fingers digging slightly into the silk of your dress as if he were already marking his territory.

“Like a flower,” he breathed, his voice sounding both awestruck and dangerous.

He leaned down, his nose dragging slowly along the curve of your jawline until he reached the sensitive skin just below your ear. He inhaled deeply, taking in your scent as if it were the only thing keeping him alive.

“A perfect, white lily,” he murmured against you, lips grazing your skin.

“And to think,” he rasped, his hand sliding up from your back to tangle in the hair at the nape of your neck, tilting your head back to force you to look at him. “That I am the first man to see you like this. The first to hold you so… closely like this.”

His gaze dropped to your mouth, his thumb dragging across your bottom lip again, more forcefully this time.

“It makes me want to keep you locked away in this room,” he confessed. “So that no other man, not even my own son, ever gets the chance to breathe the same air as you again.”

Before you could take another breath, Bucky leaned down and captured your lips with a hunger that was long overdue. For a King usually so poised, the kiss was a collision—hot, messy, and desperate.

Caught off guard, you met him with everything you had, but your movements were frantic and uncoordinated. Your hands clutched at his shoulders, fingers digging into the expensive fabric of his coat as you tried to keep up with his relentless pace, your kisses coming out sloppy and breathless.

Bucky let out a low, vibrating chuckle against your lips and gently pulled back. He didn’t go far, as his forehead was still resting against yours.

“So young and inexperienced,” he grinned, his thumb swiping a stray drop saliva from the corner of your mouth. He didn't sound disappointed; he sounded enthralled.

“But it’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll take care of you. I always take care of my people.”

Your body felt so hot, the dress suddenly felt suffocating. The way he said my people made it clear—you weren’t just any person anymore; you were his.

He took a slow step back, creating a sliver of space that felt freezing after exchanging body heat. His hands went to his waist, his fingers eager as he unbuckled his heavy leather belt. The entire time, his eyes were glued to you—his jaw slightly hung as he was breathing heavy in anticipation for whats to come.

He tossed the belt onto the nearby chair, his expression darkening.

“Now,” he rasped. “I want you to step out of that gown. Slowly. Let me see what I missed out on by being stuck on the other side of that dressing room.”

You reached slowly for the fastenings at your side, but you didn’t pull them just yet. You tilted your head, playing into the innocent maiden he thought you were.

“And tell me,” you whispered, voice low and sultry, “is this a request... or an order from my King?”

Bucky’s eyes flickered darkly with amusement. He liked the bite in your tone; he liked that even now, even after the cold shoulders and witty responses, there was still a part of you that wanted him. His hand moving down to firmly palm the heavy length of himself through his pants, his knuckles teasing his own fabric as he began to stroke himself with a slow pressure.

“Everything I say from this moment on,” he groaned, his gaze dropping to the curve of your chest, “is an official order from your King. And I suggest you obey it with haste.”

You swallowed hard, holding his burning stare as you reached for the hidden laces. With a soft tug, the structure of the bodice gave way. Despite his command, you moved slowly, letting the heavy, expensive silk slide down your body inch by agonizing inch.

The gown pooled around your ankles in a cloud of white and silver, leaving you standing before him in nothing but your thin, sheer chemise and stockings.

Bucky could see everything just shy under the white sheer slip. He let out a groan, hand moving faster now as his thumb traced the ridge of his length through his pants as his eyes raked over every newly exposed inch of you.

“All of it, my dear,” he commanded gently. “But keep the stockings on.”

Your fingers trembled against your thighs as you reached for the hem. Slowly, you gathered the sheer fabric and pulled it up over your head, the cloth grazing your skin one last time before you tossed it onto the growing pile of discarded clothes.

You stood there, flushed and completely exposed, save for the white lace topped stockings that clung to your legs.

“Like this, Your Majesty?” you whispered, small and breathless.

Bucky couldn’t wait another second. He let out another low groan, stepping into your space quickly as his hands made desperate contact with your waist. He tilted his head down and slammed his lips against yours once more, sliding his tongue that tasted of wine and pure need against your own.

You muffled and moaned against his lips, head spinning with equal desire. When he finally pulled away, his eyes were dark and blown out with lust. He reached down and grabbed your hand, his large palm covering yours as he guided it towards the center of his heat.

He pressed your palm firmly over the hard, throbbing length of him, trapping your hand against the rough fabric of his pants. With a shudder, he began to move your hand in a slow, rhythmic motion, palming himself using your smaller hand as a buffer.

“Yes,” he gasped, letting out a sharp hiss of pleasure as his head fell back. “Just like that. Feel what you’ve done to me. Feel how much your King wants you.”

Every twitch and pulse of him that you felt underneath your palm only made your heart beat faster.

“You…” you breathed, your eyes wide as you looked from his face down to where your hands were joined. “You’re… big.”

Tentatively, you gave him a small and light squeeze against his trousers, making him gasp.

It was true that as King, he could have had any woman in the kingdom at his beck and call, but the truth was much bleaker; he had been starved of a genuine touch for years. Despite his body’s natural withdrawals, he hadn’t bothered to seek out a woman just to ease his pleasure.

He didn’t want a body; he wanted a soul.

He wanted you.

Bucky’s hands were under your arms immediately. Using little strength, he hoisted you up, making you let out a sharp, startled squeal. He turned and pressed you onto the massive mahogany desk in the center of the room. He swept aside a stack of royal documents and a heavy inkwell with one forceful arm, the items clattering to the floor haphazardly.

You let out a sharp gasp as he laid you flat, the cool wood a shock against your bare back. Your legs dangled over the edge, and your hair spilled messily across the dark surface.

Bucky didn’t spare you a second to adjust. He stepped between your thighs, looming over you, his eyes dark with a hunger that needed to be sated.

His hands left your body and reached to zip down his pants, finally freeing himself.

Your breath hitched, a sharp gasp escaping your lips as you saw him fully for the first time. The sight of him—thick, pulsing, and bobbing with his need for you—made your head spin.

“Your Majesty…” you stammered, your eyes wide as you instinctively tried to press further back into the wood of the desk. “I never… I don’t know how— I’ve never done this.”

Bucky kept his eyes glued on you. His hand wrapped around his length, stroking himself agonizingly slow as he took you in. His gaze drifted down to where your thighs were parted, landing on the glistening, bare slit.

“It’s okay, my dear. Just relax,” he reassured deeply. He leaned over you, his free hand reaching down to find your wet folds. “I told you, didn’t I? A King takes care of his people…”

He began to rub the tip against your entrance, the slick friction making you cry out softly. At the same time, his thumb found your clit, circling it with an experienced pressure that sent tingling waves through your lower belly.

“I’ll take care of you,” he whispered against your lips, his forehead resting against yours as he watched your eyes flutter shut. “I’ll take goood care of you. Just let me in, sweetheart.”

Bucky retracted his thumb, his hand finding your waist to hold you tight while his other hand guided himself against your entrance, testing you with a slow push past your walls.

The sensation was already overwhelming—a relentless invasion of just the head of him that felt like it was already claiming every part of you. You were so incredibly tight, your body unaccustomed to such a feeling, and you let out a sharp, choked cry, your back arching off the cool mahogany of the desk.

“Your Majesty... it's... too big,” you gasped, your voice breaking as he pushed in further, forcing your body to accommodate him. “You’re stretching me already—! Please—”

Bucky gritted through clenched teeth, his body trembling.

It was taking everything in him not to lose his restraint and slam into you, breaking you open right then and there.

“I know it hurts,” he groaned, his voice vibrating deep in his chest. “But don’t worry... we’ll make it fit. Just breathe for me, my dear. Just breathe.”

You mewled, your hands frantically finding his broad shoulders for support, your fingers clutching his royal jacket. There was something deeply arousing about the contrast—the King, fully dressed in his regalia from head-to-toe, looking down at you while you were reduced to nothing but a pair of flimsy lace stockings and your own skin as he deflowered you.

He was much older, and the social chasm between you was so deep you could drown in it—a King and a commoner, a master and a maid.

But that’s what made this feel even dirtier, even better.

The fact that he was staining his royal reputation just to claim your innocence on the very desk where he signed his laws.

Bucky rocked his hips even deeper, feeling your walls clench and flutter, trying to accommodate him. You whimpered, fingers digging into his shoulders as a dark, prideful smirk tugged at the corners of his lips.

He leaned down, his lips brushing against the shell of your ear so his hot breath could coat your skin.

“You’re losing your virginity to a King, my dear,” he murmured, sheer arrogance in his voice. “Isn’t that such an honor?”

Bracing his weight on his forearms, he groaned lonely and gave you one final thrust.

“Oh my god—!” you whined.

He sheathed himself fully inside you, his heavy cock pressing against your womb. You let out a long, broken moan that could shake the high ceilings of the study, your toes curling in your stockings as the world seemed to tilt around you.

The stretch was absolute. It was unfamiliar. It was a heavy, throbbing fullness that made your head fall back against the wood of the desk.

Bucky froze, buried to the hilt, his eyes squeezed shut as his cock savored the tight, clenching heat of your innocence. His chest heaved against your breasts, the medals on his jacket feeling cold against your hot chest.

“You’re a maid…” he murmured, his thumb tracing your lower lip possessively as he watched your chest heave. “So you know how to take care of a home. You understand the responsibilities of keeping a house and a family afloat.”

You blinked up at him, your vision slightly blurred. Your brows furrowed slightly in confusion, your body still shaking as his heavy, thick length kept you completely plugged.

As you looked at him, his eyes told you everything. It wasn’t just lust, but the deep, yearning of a man who had everything except the one thing he actually wanted. The one thing he actually needed.

“Y-your Majesty?”

“I’m a King who has spent too long without a Queen to steady him,” he gritted out. His gaze drifted over your flushed face and the way your hair was fanned out across the table, a beautiful mess on his orderly desk.

“A man who needs someone soft to come home to,” he rasped, his hand sliding from your lip to cup your jaw, his thumb pressing firmly into your cheek. “Someone who understands the value of service... and the sacred duty of taking care of her husband.”

You swallowed hard, heart beating anxiously fast. “… Husband?”

Bucky rocked his hips forward in a painfully slow, agonizingly deep roll. He was buried to the very root, the girth of him making you wince and whimper. He pumped out deep thrusts, his breathing growing heavier as he fucked you slow against the desk.

“My son’s been lonely in this castle, you know?” he grunted, the suggestion sending a shiver down your spine. “The halls are too quiet. Maybe you can give him a sister… or a brother to protect.”

As those dark, possessive thoughts took over him, the slow rolls of his hips turned urgent and frantic. He reached down and caught your leg, his large hand firm behind your knee as he hiked it high over his broad shoulder. The new angle allowed him to sink to his very limit, his heavy cock bottoming out against your cervix so deeply it made your head toss back, your fingers scrambling desperately to grip the edge of the desk for balance.

Your entire body shook the moment he pressed his face against your inner thigh. The roughness of his salt and pepper beard tickled your sensitive skin as he trailed wet, worshipful kisses along your leg.

“That’d be so wonderful, my dear,” he rumbled against your skin. “Seeing you bred with royalty… carrying the Barnes bloodline.”

Every word was punctuated by a heavy, wet thrust of his hips as he drove into you.

Your mind was spinning with these depraved ideas. You couldn’t form a single coherent sentence as your body was being ruined by the King of Brooklynne.

“I can see it already,” he panted, his eyes snapping back to yours, dark and unfocused with desire. “You, heavy with my child, walking through these gardens… knowing that you’re the most precious thing in this entire kingdom. That you belong to me, and me alone.”

Bucky’s hand tightened on your thigh, his fingers digging into your skin as he used his thumb to circle your clit in a fast, circular motion. He was thrusting deeper and harder now, his rough movements making the heavy desk creak and groan beneath you.

The sound of his moans mingling with your breathless mewls, and the echoes of his scandalous promises still ringing in your head, finally broke the last of you.

Your vision blurred as your body reached its limit, your sensitive, well-fucked walls fluttering and clenching tightly around his shaft, already milking him.

“Your Majesty… I—” you gasped, turning your head away as embarrassment and shame washed through you. “I… it’s too overwhelming. I’m going to—”

“No,” he grunted roughly in disapproval.

He moved forward, his weight pinning you more firmly as he hiked your leg even higher, folding you back until you felt completely open to him. He reached out with his free hand, his fingers catching your chin and forcing your face back toward his.

“Don’t you dare hide from me,” he commanded, practically snarling. “Look at me. Look at your King while you take this. I want to see you come apart for me.”

As you completely lost control of your own, you let out a shattered, high-pitched cry. And in return, he let out a low, gravelly chuckle that was more a growl of satisfaction than a laugh. “Christ. You’re wet, my dear.”

Bucky watched as your face flushed with warmth and your eyes rolled back. Your body arched so sharply off the table that your spine barely touched the wood, your entire being coming undone all over him.

You were so incredibly tight, your walls fluttering and pulsing in a desperate grip that milked him, demanding his own release.

The feeling was the final blow to his crumbling restraint. Bucky’s smirk vanished, replaced a grimace of pained ecstasy as he reached his limit.

“Yesss,” he hissed through gritted teeth, his hands moving eagerly at your thighs. “That’s it. I’m close, sweetheart. You’re going to take every drop, do you hear me? I expect—hah—nothing less from my girl.”

With a final, deep thrust that made the desk groan one last time, he buried his cock completely inside and stayed there.

“God—take it,” he rasped, his voice breaking. “I’m going to pump you full.”

His body went rigid, his head snapping back as a roar of ecstacy tore straight from his throat. You felt the hot, heavy pulses of him filling you—the throbbing of his release pumping deep inside your womb. You let out a breathless gasp, feeling him claim you from the inside out, marking you with the Barnes bloodline just as he had promised.

Bucky remained draped over you for a long moment, his forehead resting against yours as you both fought to bring air back into your lungs. The study that once smelt like wood, paper, and ink was now heavy with the smell of sex and sweat.

Slowly, he shifted his weight to his forearms, looking down at you with a gaze that had softened from hunger into gentleness. His thumb reached out, gently caressing your warm cheek, tracing the line of your jaw before moving up to brush sweat dampened strands of hair away from your eyes.

“Beautiful,” he graveled with appreciation. “Absolutely beautiful.”

Slowly and carefully, he finally pulled out.

You let out a small, shaky exhale at the sudden absence of him. He stood between your thighs for a moment, his eyes lingering on the sight of you absolutely ruined on his desk before he turned to compose himself, zipping his trousers back up that seemed to signal the return of the King.

You mentally prepared yourself for a curt dismissal, expecting him to revert to the cold, distant man you had encountered in the garden.

But instead, he reached for your discarded dress, lifting the fine fabric from the floor gently.

He stepped close, sliding his large hands under your arms to help you sit up on the edge of the desk. The scene felt like a distorted, intimate mirror of the dressing room at the shop yesterday; only now, there was no Martha, no sooted clothes, and no rush.

Bucky dressed you slowly, as if he were handling a piece of priceless porcelain. He guided your arms through the puffy sleeves, his fingers grazing your skin with feather light touches that made you shiver for entirely different reasons.

When he turned you around to begin the long row of tiny buttons down your back, he leaned in, his lips ghosting over your shoulder before pressing a series of soft, delicate kisses against your skin.

“My God,” he said quietly, turning you around slowly as his hands rested firmly on your waist. “Stunning.”

His eyes bored into yours deeply, soft and vulnerable. “I want you here. I want you in this palace, by my side. I think... I think I’ve fallen for you, my love.”

Your eyes softened, your breath hitching in your chest.

A King falling for you was the very thing a little girl’s dreams were made of. After the way he had just made love to you—marking you with vows and promises to keep you safe—there was nothing you wanted more than to say yes.

But just as your lips parted to speak, a sharp, rhythmic knock echoed through the heavy oak doors.

“Your Majesty?” a muffled voice called from the hallway. “The delegates are requesting your presence. The midnight toast is approaching.”

You gasped, your heart leaping into your throat as you instinctively tried to pull away, looking for a place to hide. But Bucky didn’t flinch. He kept his grip on your waist, his expression remarkably calm.

“Relax,” he soothed, sensing your panic. “They know better than to enter without my word. They are my people. They are loyal to me, not the gossip of the court.”

He leaned down, pressing a warm kiss to the top of your head. “Stay here. Compose yourself. I’ll be right back to come get you, I promise.”

With one last possessive squeeze of your hand, he straightened his jacket, his face masking back to royal indifference, and retreated into the hallway.

You sat on the edge of the desk, the silence of the study feeling unnervingly tense now that his warmth was gone. You waited and waited, replaying the way he had looked at you—not as a maid, but as his future.

As the seconds ticked by, the grandeur of the room began to feel like a cage. When the ornate grandfather clock in the corner began its slow, sonorous chime for midnight, you were suddenly hit with restless anxiety.

You couldn’t just sit here and wait any longer.

Trembling, you picked up your mask from the desk and slid it back over your face, the silk cold against your flushed, warm skin. You stepped out of the study, your footsteps ghosting over the marble floors as you followed the distant, echoing sound of orchestral music and hundreds voices.

You peeked your head past the curtains to look at the ballroom, where Bucky had disappeared to, and it was like the King was a sun at the center of a glittering solar system.

Bucky was surrounded—generals in stiff uniforms, foreign princesses in diamonds that were nearly blinding, and advisors whispering in his ear. He looked untouchable. He looked like a man who commanded armies and decided the fates of nations.

You looked down at your hands—hands that spent every day red and raw from lye and scrubbing—and then back at the women dancing below in silks that cost a year of your life.

It wasn’t just a distance of wealth.

It was an impossibility of worlds.

He belonged to history.

You belonged in a basement.

As you stood there, watching him at a distance, a soft cough sounded just behind your shoulder. You jumped, spinning around to find one of the high ranking attendants—the one who had knocked on the study door earlier—watching you with a face as unreadable as stone.

“Miss,” he said, low and professional. “The toast ceremony is beginning. Would you care to join?”

You hesitated, your gaze flickering one last time to the ballroom floor. You looked for Bucky, but he was almost entirely obscured now, buried under a sea of medals, silk sashes, and the rich laughter of noblewomen.

The attendant followed your gaze, then looked back at you. His expression changed subtly, like hollow kindness in his eyes—the kind of look one gave to a guest who had overstayed their welcome.

“Or,” he added, a little quieter, “shall I fetch you a carriage in discretion? The side gate is clear this time of night.”

Discretion?

You looked over your shoulder at the attendant, your eyes widening as the realization of his offer sank below the depths of your already fragile heart.

He offered you a quiet exit as if he had done this a dozen times before for a dozen other girls who had been found in that study, breathless and glowing with the false hope of a King’s favor.

To him, you weren’t the future Queen Bucky had just promised you would be.

You were a mess to be tidied up before the morning sun hit the marble. You were a secret that needed to be swept away.

You realized then that while Bucky might have meant those words while his pulse was racing against yours, the world outside that study had no room for a maid with red, raw hands and a borrowed dress. You were just another body to fill his bed, another face to distract him from the crushing responsibilities of the crown until the next pretty thing caught his eye.

How could you have been so foolish?

“A carriage,” you whispered, your voice sounding small and fragile in the vast, echoing hallway. “Please. In discretion.”

“Of course, Miss. Follow me.”

Down in the ballroom, Bucky stood at the very center of the dais, raising his glass.

“To my son, Jamie,” he announced, voice forcefully bright with a smile that was sore. “May you find a woman who doesn’t just wear a crown, but one who truly understands the importance of a family.”

He held his glass steady, but his eyes kept flicking to the velvet curtains that hid the hallway to his study.

“May you find someone who knows the grace of a Princess, yet possesses the heart to steady you as a Prince when the world grows too loud. Look for the soul who has the strength to turn a cold, stone castle into a home, and a man into a husband.”

A roar of cheers erupted from the crowd, the guests raising their glasses in unison.

The moment the toast was finished, he didn’t linger for the pleasantries. He turned on his heel, his heart already racing back to the quiet sanctuary of his study where you were—or should’ve—been waiting for him.

He was stopped three times. First, by a General demanding orders for the spring campaign; Bucky dismissed him with a curt, icy nod. Then, by a Duchess who tried to lace her arm through his; he stepped away so sharply it was an insult to the poor woman. Finally, by his own prime minister, whom he practically pushed aside.

“Not now,” Bucky growled, his long strides eating up the hallway.

He had only one thing in mind—and that was to get to you.

Bucky reached the heavy oak doors of his study, his breath hitching in anticipation. He had a vision of you still flushed and waiting, perhaps curled up in his chair trying on his royal cloak.

A soft smile already formed on his lips by the time he pushed open the doors.

“I’m sorry for keeping you waiting, my dear. I’m—”

The word died in his throat and his smile faded.

The room was silent.

The fire in the hearth had burned down to glowing embers, casting long, lonely shadows across the desk where you once laid. Papers were still scattered about, and the scent of you still lingered in the air like a taunt, but the space between the chairs was empty.

Bucky’s heart didn’t just sink. It felt as though it had been physically torn from his chest.

He rushed to the window, searching the dark courtyard, but he saw nothing.

“No,” he whispered, his voice cracking. “No, no, no!”

He spun away from the window, his movements jagged and violent. “Goddamnit!” He roared.

His boot connected with a cluster of ink bottles that already fell on the floor during your lovemaking, shattering and staining the expensive rug in deep, mocking blacks. He didn’t care. He began to pace like a feral caged animal, stomping over the very papers he had been working on earlier, his heavy footfalls ground the royal decrees into the floorboards.

He shoved his hand through his hair, pulling at the strands until his scalp stung.

“How?” he hissed to the empty room, his chest heaving. “How could she just go?”

He thought of the way you had looked at him on that desk just a moment ago—the vulnerability, the way you had clenched around him as if you never wanted to let go.

Did you not believe a word he said?

The thought was like poison. No. You couldn’t have not believe him. He remembered the look of shame that had crossed your face when you tried to turn away from him. He remembered the way you had trembled when he called you his girl.

Did you still think he was that kind of man?

Did you still think that he was that cold-hearted rake you overheard in the garden? That it was all just a game to him?

Bucky’s gaze fell to the floor, his eyes catching a white shape near the leg of the desk. He reached down, his fingers trembling as he retrieved the familiar glove.

He brought it to his face, inhaling deeply. His eyes fluttered shut as your scent—that intoxicating mix of rosewater, soap, and the warmth of your skin— filled his senses.

It was the glove for your right hand. The very glove that hid the burn marks on your palm, the marks he had kissed with such gentleness at the shop just yesterday. The marks that proved you were a woman of hard work and sacrifice, everything he admired and everything he wanted to protect.

By the time he opened his eyes, the vulnerability and sadness had been completely replaced by a cold resolve. His fingers curled tightly around the delicate glove, crushing it against his palm as if he were already reclaiming the skin it once covered.

He was going to find you.

He would tear the city apart stone by stone, he would burn down every basement and scour every shop until he found you. He didn’t care for your hesitation or your social standing.

Bucky had marked you as his on that desk.

And the King was going to do whatever it took to bring his property home.

Bucky pushed out of the study, his heavy royal cloak back on and billowing behind him. He didn’t get far before he spotted the same attendant from earlier. The man stopped, bowing low, but Bucky didn’t offer him the grace of a greeting. He stepped directly into the man’s personal space, his towering frame looming over him.

He held the glove up between them, snarling.

“Find her,” Bucky seethed. "I don’t care who you have to threaten or what doors you have to break down. Find what is mine and bring her back to me. Now."

19.6K WORDS I AM SO SORRY SHE'S SO LONG but if you've gotten this far, thank you so much for taking the time to read my work and i hope you enjoyed it 😭♥️

again, i've made a playlist for this fic that i listened to nonstop while writing. if you'd like to listen, here's the link!

“Look, I’m gonna tell people we fucked, so you might as well just come upstairs with me.” The idiot crooned, as if he were making a tempting offer.

Eddie’s brows furrowed in disgust, a sinking feeling settling in his stomach, a scared voice in the back of his mind telling him to intervene before the situation in front of him got out of hand. But the sound of a bitterly sarcastic laugh stopped him in his tracks.

“If you tell your friends you fucked me, I’ll tell the entire school how small and useless that thing between your legs is. And I can be very detailed.”

The jock flinched, finally taking a step back from the girl and allowing Eddie to see the fiery look on her face that made even him take a cautious step backwards. 

“Come on baby-”

“Don’t fucking try me, Dave. Piss off.” She interrupted sharply, staring venomously at the jock, as if she could will him six feet under with a mere gaze. 

The jock scoffed as he finally backed away, muttering a petulant curse at her expense under his breath as he sulked back to the party. 

Eddie was left to stand in the dark backyard, his face slack with shock at the way the situation had turned on its head, at the way she so effortlessly stripped the douchebag of all spirit. 

In the darkness of the dimly lit patio recognition settled over him. He remembered when she moved to Hawkins, when his awkward, seventh grade self developed an even more awkward and childish crush on the shy new girl, one that never developed into anything but had merely retreated to the back of his mind.

He found himself blushing as he looked at her a little too long, her beauty making his already loud mind go a little crazier.

He remembered the moment he heard her quiet voice tell him ‘good job’ as he and his band walked off the stage of the talent show, leaving behind a symphony of awkward and unsure claps and scattered boos. 

She was someone he had admired for years and her venomous tongue was one he was both enamored by and terrified of. She was fiercely sharp and while it turned him on to no end, it was also what made him keep his distance in fear of ever finding himself on the receiving end of one of her cold scowls. 

She was icy and standoffish, the reason he never invited her to join his ragtag group of outcasts like he normally would for someone sitting alone and rejected by the popular crowd. It was something he toiled with for years.

He cleared his throat and stepped forward slowly, mustering up the courage to finally speak to her. “Are you ok?” 

Her eyes met his and he froze, his breath catching in his throat. He didn’t even think she knew he existed and to have her full attention on him so suddenly made his stomach twist with nerves. 

“I’m fine.” She replied coldly as she crossed her arms over her chest protectively. Her eyes fell to his hands and she shifted slightly. “You mind sparing one?” 

“No, no, of course not.” He fumbled for his pack of cigarettes and stepped closer to her to hold one out to her, close enough to smell the intoxicating scent of her perfume. 

“Thanks.” She mumbled quietly, her gaze averting from him once again, though his heart continued to race.

He watched, feeling completely out of his element, as she lit up one of his cigarettes. He watched the delicate way her lips curled around the cancer stick and as they parted enticingly with a puff of smoke. 

He cleared his throat and forced himself to look away. 

“I’m sorry about what that guy said to you, it’s fucked up.”

Her expression turned cold again and her gaze turned icy as she glared up at him. “I said I’m fine.”

With those stern words she turned on her heel and stomped back into the house, leaving him alone in the dark backyard. 

Eddie let out a long breath and hung his head. 

She was complicated, more complex than he was qualified to ever figure out. But even knowing his chances with her were most likely in the negatives, it didn’t lessen his affection for her. 

He admired her fire and he was drawn to it every time he saw it ignite. Despite her icy demeanor, he was intrigued, wanting nothing more than to attempt to get close to her, to gain her attention that he’d been craving since he was an awkward twelve year old who felt seen with one little compliment from her.

He’d probably make a fool out of himself in the process, but that wasn’t exactly new to him.

By Monday, his eyes fell effortlessly onto her - like they did most days - as she made her way through the crowded cafeteria, ignoring the judging looks from the table of cheerleaders she passed by. Eddie watched, irritation suddenly washing over him as some douchebag from the basketball team approached her, his smile charming as he schmoozed her.

Eddie’s expression twisted, the harsh reminder that there were much more popular guys who wanted her making his shoulders slump in defeat. 

“Dude, you good?” Gareth asked, staring up at his Dungeon Master in confusion at what had put the sour look on his face.

Eddie just hummed vaguely in response and his eyes torturously fell back to her.

He watched as the jerk’s hands fell to her waist and slowly lowered, tantalizingly close to her ass in some idiotic form of flirting. Irritation quickly turned to rage and he felt his foot twitch, seconds from getting to his feet to storm over and rip that asshole's hand from her - most likely getting his ass beat in the process, but he wasn’t exactly thinking that far ahead. 

He hadn’t even been able to stand before she had taken matters into her own hands - as she always did - and tilted her lunch tray, letting the food fall to the floor carelessly and smacked the obnoxious jock across the face with the tray.

Eddie could’ve sworn he was in love there and then. He was sure if anyone had been looking at him he would’ve had hearts surrounding his head and stars in his eyes. 

He watched, absolutely smitten as she was escorted to the principal’s office and his plan was in motion. Skipping the next period, he made his way towards the front office, pulling a sharpie out of his pocket. He looked up and down the hallways, usually to make sure he was in the clear and wasn’t about to get caught, but not this time.

He coughed loudly, gaining the attention of the secretary at the front desk. He smiled cheekily and quickly turned on his heel, hastily drawing devil horns and a forked tongue on the portrait of the captain of the basketball team that was displayed proudly.

“Mr. Munson!” A shrill voice cried out. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Eddie turned around and pointed to himself as if to say ‘who, me?’, feigning innocence. 

It was almost too easy to land in detention nowadays. 

As he strolled into detention at the end of the day, he was delighted to see her slumped in a seat in the back row, staring out the window with a scowl. She looked up as he took the seat directly beside her, causing her to look at him coldly.

The dots connected and her brows furrowed further as she realized the one sitting next to her now was the same guy from the party who’d given her a cigarette. 

He smiled widely, his expression a direct contrast from hers, and held his hand out for her to shake.

“Hey, I’m Eddie.”

She looked at him incredulously before scoffing lightly. “I know who you are, Eddie.”

His chest tightened and his eyes widened in surprise and his hand fell to the desk in front of him. The thought that she’d known of his existence for all those years and hadn’t just ignored him completely like everyone else suddenly made him nervous. “Y-you do?” 

“We’ve been in school together since we were kids. Of course I know you.” 

He laughed and prayed to god it didn’t sound as pathetic and nervous to her as it did to his own ears. 

“Well, I’m a big fan of yours.”

She felt the urge to laugh, only allowing a brief twitch of her lips. She hadn’t really been thinking too clearly when she’d decked Jesse Parker in the middle of the cafeteria, she just wanted to get his hand off her ass as quickly as possible. 

“You saw that, huh?”

“Wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Honestly, I’d pay good money to watch that on a loop for the rest of my life.” 

She laughed slightly, though it was more of an amused sounding scoff, but the sound made his head spin.

She looked over at him, her eyes roaming over him curiously. Based on his outward appearance, she hadn’t been expecting such a charming smile to follow. 

She knew the bad rep he got, she knew the rumors that were whispered behind his back in crowded hallways, she knew he was public enemy number one in the eyes of the preppy popular crowd.

And she knew it was all bullshit. 

Seeing how Eddie was treated by the people at this school made her blood boil. It was exactly how people treated her and every other person who didn’t fit the traditional mold. It made her want to slam each and every one of those pompous assholes’ heads into lockers. So far she’d only done that to two cheerleaders this year and it was nowhere near enough.

For the duration of detention, Eddie tried to start a conversation, bringing up anything and everything he could think of in an effort to talk to her. 

But the one word answers and noncommittal hums she gave in response were making it difficult. 

He had asked her about her favorite movies, what music she listened to, what she thought of Mrs. Elgin’s latest assignment in history class and he was no closer to getting to know anything about her.

He was so desperate he was ready to ask her what her favorite color was. 

They had been sitting in silence for the last few minutes, Eddie anxiously tapping his fingers against his desk annoyingly. He felt the pull towards her, his eyes drinking her in as they did in every class they had together.

She could feel Eddie’s eyes on her. From the corner of her eye she watched as he looked at her and then moved his gaze back down to his hands at his desk and then, mere seconds later, looked back over at her. She felt her spine stiffen straighter each time until she finally turned her attention towards him. 

She felt something inside her soften at the way he cowered slightly at the sight of her hard glare. She didn’t mean to act like such a bitch, at least not to everyone, but she didn’t regret it enough to open up to anyone, so the fire inside her, the fire she threw at everyone around her, remained.

“What do you want?” She asked abruptly and Eddie’s eyes widened slightly, knowing he had been caught staring at her.

“Uhh…nothing… I-”

“Look, I don’t care if I ruined your chance at being a hero at that stupid party and you feel like you need to make it up to me, but you don’t owe me anything, ok? And I sure all hell don’t owe you shit either.”

Eddie’s eyes narrowed in confusion at how quickly her neutral tone towards him had turned so cold. He didn’t understand what exactly she assumed he wanted from her, it certainly wasn’t to prove some masculine power over her. 

While he wouldn’t have minded knocking that asshole Dave on his ass for what he’d tried to do to her, he was more than happy to see that she had handled it all on her own. It had made him admire her even more. 

“No, no, that’s not- I wasn’t - I don’t need anything.” He stammered, his mind racing wildly as he tried to put a sentence together, but it was hard with that steely scowl of hers locked onto him.

He felt like she could melt his soul… and not in a good way.

Her eyes moved behind him to the clock and seeing that her time in hell was finally over, she hastily grabbed her things and stood from her seat, striding out of the room like it was on fire. 

“Shit.” Eddie hissed under his breath and scrambled out of his seat after her. 

He jogged down the hallway to catch up to her, ignoring every instinct that told him to leave her alone, lest he allow her to smite him to hell. 

He caught up to her and the second he placed his hand on her shoulder, her head snapped over to him and he was lifting his hand from her the second he saw the warning in her gaze.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to… I was being a creep, I’m sorry.” 

She almost stopped in her tracks in pure confusion. The admittance that he had made her uncomfortable and was apologizing for it gave her pause. No one in this hell hole had ever apologized to her. It made her glare soften and she slowed her quick pace so they were walking beside each other in tandem, much more casually.

“You’re not a creep.” 

Eddie looked surprised at her words and he flushed slightly. “I mean… I was staring at you. I wouldn’t exactly say that isn’t the behavior of a creep.” 

“Compared to the other guys at this school, you’re practically a saint.” 

Eddie remembered Dave’s words and the way Jesse had grabbed her ass in a cafeteria full of people who had done nothing but watch. The unease that swelled inside him made him begin to fiddle with his hands anxiously.

“Does that happen a lot?”

“What, guys thinking they can do whatever the fuck they want with no consequence? All the time.” She spoke bitterly. 

It was tiring dealing with petty boys that were dying to finally crack the Ice Queen’s heart, or at least get the chance to see if they could fuck the attitude out of her.

Eddie sighed with a wince. “I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry, you haven’t done anything.”

He stiffened at the confrontational manner of her voice. He wondered if she ever didn’t speak to people that way. Hawkins was a small enough town that everyone knew everyone’s business and he’d certainly heard about her childhood. He knew that her past wasn’t the easiest and he wondered if that was why she was the way she was, so on edge and cold all the time.

“No, I just stare.” He shrugged shyly and was relieved when he saw that smirk back on her lips, knowing she had realized his jest.

“Well, that’s better than grabbing my ass.”

He smiled lightly and nodded. “Noted.”

She looked over at him again, the coldness back in her eyes and he straightened, his eyes widening slightly. 

“That was a joke.” He defended quickly before she could strike for his blood. 

She stared at him incredulously for a moment, as if she couldn’t understand just what this conversation was or why they were even having it. This was probably the longest conversation she’d had with a guy from school that didn’t broach the subject of a possible date or romp behind the bleachers.

She was hoping this conversation wouldn’t lead to a kick in the dick like most did.

No more words were said as they approached the parking lot and she saw her dad’s car sitting in wait. She bit back a curse, having forgotten that he would be driving her home today. 

She began to push the door open when Eddie’s voice stopped her.

“Hey, I uhh, I really liked hanging out with you.” 

She looked over her shoulder at him and noticed how he shifted on his feet, how his eyes couldn’t meet hers, how he hung his head so his long hair would cover his face, most likely to cover the reddening of his cheeks. But she still saw it.

It only confused her more.

“You think having detention together is ‘hanging out’?” 

He looked like a deer caught in headlights and his mouth opened but he didn’t have any words. A braver man would’ve taken their shot, ask her to hang out properly, ask to take her on a date, but the calculating way she was looking at him kept him quiet, knowing rejection was imminent. He wasn’t about to make her uncomfortable like the dumbass jocks do.

He cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head nervously. “Well, no, but I, I dunno, I still had fun.” 

Her eyes narrowed, as if waiting for the punchline, waiting for the inevitable moment he treated her like every other guy at this school did, like an object to conquer for notoriety. 

But it never came.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” He smiled and he hoped she couldn’t tell how fast his heart was racing. 

“I guess.” Was all she said before turning and leaving the school. 

Eddie let out a harsh breath as soon as the door closed behind her. He felt like he had said something wrong, but his nose was still intact so that was at least a good sign.

“Could’ve been worse.” He mumbled to himself. He moved to leave before realizing he had walked with her all the way to the exit and not in the direction of his locker where he had needed to go.

~~

Jim Hopper was stern as his daughter jumped into the car.

“Did you forget what time school got out? I’ve been waiting here for 45 minutes.”

“I got detention.” She said plainly.

“What?”

“I got detention.” She said again, much louder than was necessary. “Do I need to buy you a hearing aid for Christmas this year?”

“Zip it. What did you do?”

“I hit a guy in the face with my lunch tray.”

Jim’s face fell slack for a moment before twisting with a mixture of disbelief and anger. “What?!” 

He stopped himself before he could fly off into a ten minute rant and pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing heavily.

“Why?” Was his only question, already sounding exhausted and she had only been in the car ten seconds.

She slunk further into her seat and crossed her arms over her chest, allowing a few seconds of silence to pass as she mustered up the courage to inevitably spike her father’s rage. “He grabbed my ass.” 

Jim Hopper was never known to be a patient or gentle man and the way his face reddened and his jaw clenched in anger was exactly why. He was seconds from scouring the town to murder whoever touched his daughter.

“Who was it?”

“Dad-”

“Who?”

“I’m not telling you.”

“Why not?” He yelled back, his rage palpable. 

“Because you’re going to kill him and I don’t have enough money to live on my own if you go to prison.” 

“Don’t make jokes right now.” Jim warned, looking at his daughter sternly. 

“I’m not.” She defended. “You don’t need to get involved, I took care of it.”

“You took care of it?”

She rolled her eyes and looked over at him plainly. “Did you not hear the part where I hit him?”

Hopper huffed, his face still twisted with anger. “Punk deserves to be six feet under.”

She rolled her eyes again, as she always did wherever her dad was so blatantly protective over her. 

Sighing heavily, Hopper started the car and began to pull out of the parking lot. 

“Was there at least blood?” He asked after a long moment of silence.

She snickered, a genuine smile finally breaking out over her face, the sight warming Hopper’s damaged heart. 

“A little.” 

He smiled proudly and looked over at her fondly. “That’s my girl.” 

~~

The next morning was hectic, as always. 

After spending so much time together, the father and daughter duo still could not figure out a productive morning schedule and it almost always ended up in a fight over who got to shower first, who used up the last of the eggs, or who forgot to put the pot of coffee on.

“You’re such a slob.” She muttered as she cleared up the empty cans that littered the living room. 

From his spot in the kitchen, Hopper glared at her, though he knew it could never measure up to hers and he quickly turned back to his coffee to avoid getting one thrown his way in return.

“I’m gonna be working late tonight so make sure you tell your mom she needs to drop you off here, I don’t want you walking home in the rain.”

She paused, the can in her hand denting slightly in her tightening grip. She felt her throat constrict and a sting in her eyes as a familiar wave of disappointment settled within her.

“She’s not coming.” She choked out quietly.

“What?” Hopper asked in disbelief. “What do you mean, she’s not coming?”

“It means she’s not coming. What else could it mean?” She snapped back at her dad who sighed and gave her a pointed look, one that told her to cool it with the attitude.

He was the only one who could successfully navigate her demeanor and she deflated quickly, the tensity of her shoulders falling in defeat. 

“She called last night.” She explained, her voice quiet.

“Did she say why?”

She just shrugged in response, all fight left from her. There was only a feeling of abandonment left, one that made her feel empty. She didn’t want to tell her dad that Diane had canceled because she was too busy with her new baby. She didn’t want to be the one to break his heart with the news. 

Hopper chewed on his lip, not knowing exactly how to handle her sudden sadness. It wasn’t an emotion he saw her with often and he felt way out of his element to be the one to comfort her.

But he had been her father since she was four and he would be damned if ever let her down. 

“I can call her and-”

“No, don’t bother.” She interrupted quickly, her voice back to that usual sharp edge.

He said her name softly and winced as she resumed throwing the cans into the trash, now with much more force than before. 

As soon as she finished, she tossed the half full bag to the side of the room and quickly stomped to the back of the trailer to her room to get dressed for school.

Left alone, Hopper hung his head and felt an inkling of failure creep upon him. 

His heart broke for the kid. His heart broke for what she’d had to endure in her short life. 

Hopper had loved her the moment she was born, even when she wasn’t his. He was only the godfather, a mantle he never thought he’d actually have to step up to.

His best friend from highschool had knocked up his girlfriend and it was clear how terrified they both were. The two of them were not fit to be parents, that much was clear. They enjoyed partying, they were young and reckless and the birth of their baby didn’t change them. They didn’t want to change their ways, even though they had a young life that depended on them. 

When she was only two years old, her father disappeared. He skipped town, not even bothering to leave a note.

Her mother was devastated. They were highschool sweethearts. In her mind, they were soulmates, and he had left her behind. 

She blamed her daughter for it.

Hopper had always been in her life and the moment he saw the state she was living in, the neglect her mother showed her, he knew he had to step in. 

He began spending more time at their house, looking after the kid when her own mother refused to, when she would rather go out with friends or lay on the couch watching tv, stating that she needed her rest. 

When it became clear that her mother was unfit to look after her child, Jim had begged Diane for them to do something, practically getting on his knees to convince her. 

But he barely got the chance to persuade her. 

That night, as he pleaded his case to his wife, there was a knock on their door. Jim opened the door to see the four year old sitting on the steps of their porch as the headlights of her mother’s car sped out of the driveway.

“Hi, Jimmy.” Her young voice spoke sadly and Jim could’ve sworn he felt his heart break into a million pieces.

He knelt down to her height and opened his arms. “Come here, Sweetheart.” 

She wasted no time in jumping into his arms. Hopper swore in that moment, as he felt her little body shaking against his, his neck becoming wet with her tears, that he would do anything for her. 

The couple got legal custody quickly and her last name had changed to Hopper. From then, she knew her dad was Jim and her mom was Diane. He could still remember the moment she called him dad for the first time. He couldn’t control his tears and all he could do was bring her into his arms, hug her tightly and tell her how much he loved her. 

Things were wonderful, they were a real family. Their lives were filled with happiness.

Until Sarah. 

Jim knew his first daughter felt slighted at the birth of Sarah. He knew at the birth of their biological daughter that she suddenly felt like she didn’t belong, like she was an imposter in their family.

He tried his best to show her that he loved them both equally, but it was Diane that made her favor clear. She doted on Sarah hand and foot and left their first daughter in the dust, treating her as if she was only a visitor in her own home, as if she wasn’t actually their daughter, only a placeholder until they got Sarah, their real daughter.

Despite the feeling of neglect that once again fell on her, it did nothing to diminish the relationship she had with Sarah. She loved her little sister with all her heart and her little sister loved her. She was seldom seen without the little blonde attached at her hip. 

But their perfect little family didn’t last. 

Sarah got sick and Diane spent even more time by her side, leaving her older daughter to mourn the time they used to spend together. 

Sarah succumbed to her sickness and her best friend was gone. Their family fractured. 

Diane stopped speaking to her all together, claiming it was too hard to even look at her - her pseudo-daughter - when she couldn’t have her real daughter. 

Eventually Diane left, just like everyone else in her life. 

But Jim stayed. He was the only one she had left. They moved to Hawkins and she began to build her wall, she began to bite back at others, shielding herself from ever getting close to anyone in fear that they would eventually leave her like everyone else did. 

Jim regretted the last few years, wishing he could have dragged himself out of his funk, his own grief for Sarah, to save his first daughter from growing so cold. 

They were both changed after losing her, both of them devolving into people they never expected to become. Where she had her harsh words and sharp attitude, he had his drinks and his one-night stands. 

He wondered how long they could keep going on like this and he feared it wouldn't be for much longer. 

He didn’t want his daughter to feel lonely, he didn’t want her to keep pushing people away.

But he was at a loss as to how to help her when he couldn’t even help himself.

~~

Her pencil moved quickly across her notebook as she wrote her essay, but stilled suddenly as the chair across from her pulled out with a harsh noise.

She looked up with a glare, barely containing her confusion as she saw Eddie taking a seat, his smile blinding as he looked at her excitedly.

“Good morning.” He greeted her happily as if they were long time friends. 

She could only stare back at him blankly, her eyes briefly moving to the many empty tables in the library, the many other seats he could’ve taken instead of the one across from her. 

His smile faltered slightly at her silence, as her calculating gaze moved back onto him before falling to the paper in front of her, her pencil moving again as she focused on her schoolwork.

“So,” Eddie started, dragging out the word annoyingly. “Any plans for tonight?”

She breathed deeply before answering, her annoyance clear. “Nothing important.” She replied stiffly, keeping her eyes down on her essay.

“What, no wild parties or elaborate heists to carry out?”

Sensing that he wasn’t going to stop pestering her until she gave a real answer, she sighed heavily and relented.

“I’m babysitting.” She answered coldly.

Eddie hummed, leaning back in his chair. “I can see why you didn’t wanna tell me. That’s pretty lame.”

Anger was quick to rise within her and her eyes looked up sharply, her mouth opening, ready to tell him to fuck off, before she saw the amused smirk on his lips.

She faltered, realizing he wasn’t demeaning her or making fun of her, he was just joking around with her. 

Confusion washed over her like a wave, sweeping away her anger and leaving her to question just what he was doing with her, why he tried so hard, why he spoke to her like they were long time friends.

Seeing her face smooth out, no traces of her retaliating viciously, Eddie leaned in closer, his eyes taking in every inch of her face. 

“I gotta admit, you’re pretty brave for voluntarily looking after some demonic kids.”

She smirked lightly and rolled her eyes, a gesture that came across more playful than she ever intended it to be. She had a soft spot for the group of boys she babysat and the mere mention of them had her hard edges retreating ever so slightly. 

“They’re not so bad. I mostly just sit there while they play D’n’D.”

Like a dog called by their owner, Eddie perked up, his face alight with intrigue. He opened his mouth but quickly closed it, stopping himself from tumbling into a rant she surely wouldn’t be interested in and ruining the little rapport he managed to build with her.

He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat in a mockery of casualty. 

“Do you ever play?” He asked, hoping his voice didn’t sound as eager as he thought it did. He knew the extensive time he spent on the game was a big part of the reason he was ridiculed and looked down on. It had a lot to do with the fact that this was becoming the longest conversation he’d had with the opposite sex that didn’t lead to mocking laughter. 

“They tried to get me to play once. I guess all my questions were too annoying for them because they haven’t asked me since.” 

The small smile that adorned her face as she spoke captured his attention like a colorful sunset. He couldn’t look away. 

She had him hook, line and sinker and all it took was yet another genuine smile.

“I could… I could teach you. I mean only if you want me to.” This time he was positive he couldn’t hide his eagerness. 

“You don’t have to subject yourself to that.”

“No, I wouldn’t- I would love to. I mean, I’d be happy to. It’s a long game and you’d have to develop your character, which could take some time. And, I mean, your reputation is probably gonna tank if anyone sees you playing, especially with me.”

Her eyebrow raised at his ramblings and she looked at him inquisitively. 

“Why would I give a shit about my reputation?”

He paused, his mouth open but no words escaping him. 

“It’s not like mine’s much better than yours, anyways.” She continued and Eddie was perplexed by the way she shifted her focus back to her essay so easily, as if she couldn’t care less about what people thought of her.

The miraculous thing was, Eddie truly believed she didn’t care. He’d watch time and time again as she walked through the hallways of hell - or Hawkins High as others called it - with her stern gaze forward, paying no mind to those she passed, to those that whispered vile things about her.

It was a damn gift he wished she could share with him. 

He tapped his fingers against the table mindlessly, his thoughts still spinning aimlessly. The sounds of laughter suddenly caught his attention and he looked over to find two girls sitting at the other end of the table.

They were giggling not-so-quietly, their judgmental gazes drifting over to Eddie every few seconds.

“He lives in a trailer.”

“You couldn’t pay me to step foot in that thing.”

“He’s so trashy.”

She flinched slightly, the words they definitely weren’t trying to keep between themselves breaking through her concentration. They infuriated her and without wasting a second, she slammed her pencil down, turning towards the two girls, her face a mask of annoyance.

“Are you two just about done?” Her loud voice interrupted their mocking, causing them to turn towards her, their eyes wide with surprise, the beginnings of fear overtaking their features at her blunt call out.

“What?” One girl spoke dumbly. 

“I live in a trailer. Do you think I’m trashy too?”

One of them audibly swallowed and looked to her friend, as if begging her to say something to save her from speaking to the notoriously bitchy and feared girl accosting them. 

“No, of course not, we didn't mean-”

“You did mean to be completely fucking ignorant?” 

The two friends were speechless and with a shared uneasy glance, they both silently picked up their books and moved to a different spot, desperate to get away from the infamous ice queen’s sharp tongue. 

Eddie watched them go, his lips parted in surprise at how easy it was for her to call out the preppy kids who looked down upon them. His wide eyed gaze moved back to her and he was amazed to see her pick up her pencil and continue with her essay, as if she hadn’t just left the two girls shaking in their boots.

A feeling he couldn’t describe and had never felt before began to creep through him, it was exhilarating. No one had ever stood up to people when they said awful things about him. 

“You... that was…holy shit, that was amazing.” He spoke with a wide, delighted smile. “You didn’t have to do that for me.”. 

“I didn’t do it for you.” She snapped back defensively. But when she saw how he flinched slightly at the fire in her tone, she allowed her rigid shoulders to slump just the slightest. “People like that… they get on my nerves.”

“I think that’s a bit of an understatement.” He joked and immediately regretted it as she sent him a fiery glare that told him she didn’t appreciate the moment of levity.

“Well… still, I appreciate it.” He spoke genuinely, his voice lacking its usual charm and sarcasm, causing her to eye him carefully, noting the change.

She just sent him a nod, her silent gesture of acceptance, the proverbial lion laying its head down, choosing not to devour the antelope before it.

That night, as she sat on the lumpy couch in the Wheeler’s basement, she watched as the group of boys laid out their pieces to prepare for another long haul of D’nD. 

A smile came to her face as she heard Dustin arguing with Lucas about their next move, their passion for the game clear in their loud proceedings. She laughed to herself and for reasons she couldn’t explain she thought of the curly haired man who was seemingly trying hard to befriend her. 

~~

By Monday morning, she was in her first period class, arms crossed over her chest as she willfully ignored the groups of students walking in. She sneered at a passing jock that mockingly winked at her, her mood souring instantly.

It was already shaping up to be a terrible day. 

A backpack slamming down on the seat beside her made her look over to find those shaggy curls that were becoming all too familiar. 

“What are you doing?”

“What, is this seat taken?” Eddie asked with a smirk, knowing it sure as hell wasn’t.

“You never sit this close.”

He looked behind him at the two rows that separated him from his commonplace in the back row where he could goof off in peace and shrugged. 

“I guess I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.” 

She eyed him, as if trying to figure him out, but she was coming up blank. She couldn’t think of any reason why he was always showing up, why he was seemingly trying so hard to talk to her. 

“Hey, Hopper-” 

The obnoxious voice caused them both to look up and saw the captain of the basketball team looking at Eddie incredulously before moving his gaze back to her, the fake concern on his face turning her stomach and making Eddie frown and shift in his seat anxiously, sensing where this was going.

“Is he bothering you?”

“What makes you think he’s bothering me?”

The jock laughed, looking back at his group of friends, who were all watching and entertained. 

“Come on, it’s Munson.”

“You know what would really bother me?” She started, the seething tone of her voice making Eddie slink in his seat, his eyes looking back and forth between her and the cocky jock. “Someone who keeps asking me out and trying to hook up with me even though I’ve said no at least 15 times and won’t take a fucking hint. And between the two of you-” She pointed at him and Eddie, making his cheeks heat to have the groups of jocks’ attention on him.

“-It sure as hell isn’t Eddie who’s bothering me.”

The jock smiled, trying to brush off her rejection and leaned closer to try his luck again.

“Aww, come on, you don’t know what you’re missing.”

“From what I’ve heard in the girl’s locker room, I’d only be missing three inches and 20 seconds of action.” She bit back and smiled slyly as Eddie made a choked noise and promptly slapped his hand over his mouth to stop his ensuing laughter.

The others in the classroom who had been eagerly listening in all erupted in laughter and the jock who’d poked the bear was left with a red face, fuming at her insult, his group of friends behind him left attempting and failing to stifle their own laughter at his expense.

“You fucking bitch, you really think you can talk shit-” 

Eddie got to his feet, intercepting the guy charging forward and stepping in front of him to block his path to her, his face now serious, all traces of laughter gone.

“Whoa, whoa, relax.”

“Get the fuck off me, Freak.” He pushed Eddie’s arms roughly and stepped forward, getting in his face threateningly. 

Behind Eddie, she found she couldn’t move. She was frozen in her seat, completely stunned at the way Eddie had gotten to his feet so quickly, at how effortlessly he had put himself in the line of fire to protect her. 

Thankfully, the teacher stepped into the room and the threat of detention was greater than the idiot jock’s need for revenge and with one last scathing glare to both of them, he went back to his seat. 

Her eyes stayed on Eddie as he took his seat beside her. 

“What the hell was that?” She asked quietly, not understanding the feeling swelling within her. 

Eddie smiled and she found that thing inside her she didn’t understand jumped and reveled in the sight. 

“Just returning the favor.”

“You don’t have to get yourself beat up for me.” 

“Hey, look at this pretty face-” His finger circled around his face as he smiled exaggeratedly. “Does it look like I got beat up?”

A quiet, protracted laugh left her lips, her eyes still narrowed in disbelief as she shook her head and turned to face the front of the room. 

But for the rest of the class, she found her eyes drifting back to him often, the feeling inside her stomach making her wonder if she was sick. 

The next day, with a seeming understanding between them, she found her gaze fall on him as she walked through the crowded halls, his tall stature making him stand out among everyone else.

He met her eyes from across the hall and the smile that grew on his face was dazzling. He sent her a wave and she stifled the urge to laugh at the excited gesture, one that reminded her of a hyperactive puppy. 

She sent him a nod, her normally stoic - and frankly bitchy - expression shifting into one more neutral as she passed him.

Eddie found himself watching her as she retreated down the hall, getting lost in the crowd.

“What the hell was that?” Jeff asked in disbelief, having watched the strange interaction. 

“What?”

“You just waved at Hopper.”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“And she didn’t kill you.”

Eddie rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to his locker, fighting the urge to defend her to his friend. She didn’t need it and he couldn’t exactly refute it. Her reputation was well earned. 

“Dude, are you hooking up with the Chief’s daughter?” Jeff whispered excitedly.

“What? No!” 

“But you want to.” 

Eddie opened his mouth, but floundered for a response. 

“It’s not- I’m not - she’s-” He stammered exasperatedly, his mind in shambles at the mere insinuation, one he couldn’t deny he had fantasized about many times. “She’s cool. We’re… I dunno, getting to know each other.”

“Holy shit, dude. Little preteen Eddie would be so proud.” 

Eddie rolled his eyes again and shoved Jeff playfully. “Shut up.”

At the end of the day, by some sort of miracle - an overdramatic explanation Eddie was running with - they both ended up in detention together again.

He smiled as he took his seat beside her and, unlike the first time, she smiled back at him and they spent the next half hour talking quietly in the back of the classroom, passing the time all too easily.

Eddie was amazed that she was actually initiating conversation. She still kept her arms crossed over her chest, her face neutral, revealing no emotions, every aspect of her outward appearance screaming that she would rather be alone, but her interjections in between his rants about Metallica’s latest album and his hopes if they ever made a live action Lord of the Rings, meant everything to him.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been so jealous.” Eddie dramatized as they walked down the empty hallways when their time in detention was finally over, the two of them still glued at each other’s side.

She rolled her eyes at his words and scoffed. “It’s really not as big a deal as you’re making it out to be.”

“Come on, you’ve punched almost half the basketball team. I know the entire Hellfire Club would kill to have those kinds of stats.”

“Half of your little club would be dead in a ditch if they had the stats I had.” She teased, making him laugh, feeling - for the first time ever - that he wasn’t being made fun of when bringing up his club he was so proud of.

“I think they’d be the first to admit that you’re entirely more badass than any one of them.” 

She smiled, the sight sending Eddie’s stomach flipping pleasantly.

Before they knew it, they made it to the parking lot and she tensed, her eyes falling on the car waiting for her, knowing their time together was at an end. She eyed her father’s car and swallowed thickly, knowing he would’ve seen the two of them together, walking side by side.

“So.. I was thinking-”

Eddie’s nervous sentence ended abruptly as she turned to him quickly, her face drawn tightly with apprehension, all traces of the more laid back version of her gone as quickly as it had come.

“I’ll see you later.” She spoke quickly and was gone from his side the very next second, leaving him to watch her walk away in a stunned silence. 

He tensed slightly when he noticed the police cruiser in the parking lot, the reminder that her father was the chief of police crashing over him like a ton of bricks. He knew his reputation in this town and he knew any father, let alone one who was a police chief, would string him up on a cross for getting near their precious daughter.

He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair before turning on his heels lazily and skulking towards his van, his mind replaying the sound of her laughter over and over again.

As she stepped into her father’s car, she kept her head down, avoiding his calculating gaze. But it wouldn’t save her from his questions.

“Who was that?”

“Who was who?”

“Don’t play dumb, Kid.” Jim countered quickly. “Who was that boy you were walking with?”

“No one.”

“No one?” He questioned sarcastically, earning a fierce glare from his daughter who didn’t find his teasing half as funny as he found it. “Have you finally made a friend? Do I have to call his mom, schedule a playdate?”

“You know, you’ve never been funny, I don’t know why you still try.” She snarked, markedly avoiding his lingering question.

“What’s his name?”

She sighed loudly, making a point to let him know she was annoyed. 

“Eddie.” She gritted out.

“Eddie what?”

She rolled her eyes and leaned her head against her fist, knowing what was coming. “Munson.”

Jim paused, his hand hovering over the gear shift, stopping himself before he could pull out of the parking lot. 

“You’re making friends with Munson?”

“I didn’t say he was my friend.”

“You were smiling.”

She turned towards her dad, her face alight with a stubborn ferocity. “So that means he’s my friend?”

“I hardly ever see you smile, as far as I’m concerned you two are practically engaged.” Jim argued, his fear that stemmed from his protectiveness over her overbearingly apparent.

She rolled her eyes and leaned back to look out the window, pointedly shielding herself from her dad’s gaze as she felt her insides flutter at the insinuation of her feelings.

She would be dead before anyone knew she had any kind of feelings for anybody on this planet. 

“He looks like a punk.” Jim’s words broke the minutes long silence that had overcome them as he drove them home.

“Dad.” She admonished harshly, feeling the strange need to defend Eddie from stupid stereotypes she knew affected him.

“What? He could stand to have his hair cut.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t judge people for the way they look or what people in this stupid town say about them.”

Jim looked over at his daughter, knowing he had touched a nerve, knowing she wasn’t talking about the Munson kid anymore. Her own past was a slippery slope that even he, the one who had been in her life the longest, didn’t know how to navigate. He sighed and reached out, placing his hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

“I’m not trying to tease you, Kid.” He told her softly. “You know you can be friends with whoever you want. I’m not gonna stop you.”

She stayed quiet, her eyes locked onto her hands that fidgeted restlessly in her lap. She couldn’t explain why her insides were twisting the way they were.

She didn’t know if she liked it or not.

~~

“You are absolutely insane, Wheeler!”

“I’m just stating a fact!” 

“It’s not a fact! Wolverine could never beat Professor X!” 

She laughed under her breath as Dustin and Mike went back and forth with their argument and continued to eat her ice cream. It had been an amazingly sunny day and she decided to treat her little gang of rascals to ice cream, a feat that made her the best babysitter to ever exist according to them.

She fell into step with Will, the quietest of the group and the one who had captured her heart the quickest. His shy nature, his ability to fade into the background made her protective instincts rise. She saw pieces of her own childhood self in him and she would do anything to make sure he never became as jaded and mad at the world as she became.

“How’s the cone, Will?”

“Good. I’m glad I went with the chocolate.” He answered, his chocolate stained lips curving into a bashful smile.

She smiled and wrapped her arm over his shoulder as they walked. 

As they turned a corner onto the street just a block down from Mike’s house, they could hear the dull sound of music that became louder the further they walked. 

Her eyes fell onto an open garage door, the blaring sounds of heavy metal reaching their ears as they stood just a house away from the scene. 

Her pace faltered slightly, her stomach twisting with something she soon realized was excitement when her eyes fell onto the unmistakable head of shaggy hair.

“That sounds awful.” Lucas commented with a sneer and continued walking. 

“You wanna take one of their guitars and show them how it’s done?” She teased, making Lucas smile bashfully and nudge her lightly in teasing admonishment. 

The sound of her name being called and the music stopping abruptly made them all look up. Her smile vanished, her eyes widening as she caught sight of Eddie waving at her excitedly from the garage. 

“Who’s that?” Dustin asked and by the teasing smile on his face and the way he wiggled his eyebrows she knew she was never going to be answering that question.

She gave Eddie a small wave back and quickly urged the kids to keep walking, ignoring how the sight of the guitar slung over his shoulder made her heart beat quicker. 

“Is that your boyfriend?” Mike asked with a smirk.

“Do you want me to steal your ice cream?” She asked and he immediately recoiled from her, taking an obnoxiously long lick of his cone. “Good, then no more questions.”

~~~

“Hey!”

She flinched as a body thudded next to her locker and she wasn’t surprised to see Eddie smiling down at her. 

“Hi.” She replied monotonously, a sharp contrast to Eddie’s bright demeanor.

What are you doing on Friday?”

“Nothing. What are you doing?”

Her flippant response made his nerves rise, realizing this was going to be just as difficult as he feared it would be. He cleared his throat and stood up straighter. 

“Well, I was wondering if you wanted to go see a movie with me, maybe eat some greasy food at Benny’s?”

Her movements paused and she looked over at him, her expression growing cold as she feared he was just like all those other guys at school that tried their luck with her, that played nice just to get into her pants.

“Are you asking me on a date?”

He balked slightly at her harsh tone. He didn’t want her to think he was like those assholes who just wanted to use her. He truly loved his time with her, he looked forward to seeing her everyday at school. She was the sole reason he hadn’t skipped a day in the last few weeks.

“I just thought it’d be cool to hang out with you somewhere that wasn’t…  hell.” He said, looking around at the surrounding students with disdain.

Her eyes stayed on him and he shifted under the scrutiny, as if she could suddenly know all of his secrets just by looking at him. 

Her instincts screamed at her not to trust him, that he was only going to break her heart for the fun of it, but as she looked into his eyes and saw that giddy, puppy-like excitement and the way he fiddled with his hands anxiously, it told her all she needed to know.

He was nothing like the rest of them.

“Sure.”

He perked up, his slumped body straightening as if he had just been electrocuted. A wide smile bloomed on his face and for the first time he could ever remember, absolutely no words came to mind, his brain miraculously silent. 

“Really?”

“I’ll meet you at Benny’s at 7.” She said and with another word, slammed her locker shut and turned on her heel, walking away from him. His eyes followed her, as if in a daze.

He punched his fist in the air in glee, ignoring the looks of disdain from the girl three lockers down who mumbled a quiet ‘freak’ under her breath.

~~~

Friday at exactly 6:35 found Eddie sitting at a booth at Benny’s, his knee bouncing up and down excitedly.

He had never been on time for anything in his life, but for this, Eddie was twenty five minutes early and he felt absolutely zero shame for it. His eyes were glued to the door, despite the fact that she wasn’t expected to arrive until 7. 

His fingers tapped an obnoxiously annoying rhythm on the table, earning himself a look of disdain from the couple sitting at the booth in front of him.

But he paid them no mind, his attention focused solely on the door, eagerly and anxiously awaiting her arrival.

At just one minute before 7, the door opened and she strolled in, her face drawn tightly with her usual cold demeanor. His entire frame perked up, his eyes alighting with delight, slightly from the fact that he was so relieved she’d actually shown up.

He stood from the booth and waved her over, his heart racing as she gave an awkward wave back and a small smile began to grace her lips. 

The fact that he could make her smile never failed to send him reeling. Screw passing a class, that was his biggest accomplishment.

“Hi.” She greeted as she slipped into the booth and Eddie suddenly realized he was still standing like an idiot.

He tripped over his own feet as he rushed to take a seat across from her, breathlessly spilling out a greeting.

“Sorry, I guess I got a little ahead of myself.” He started with a bashful smile when he noticed her confused gaze on the two milkshakes already sitting at the table. “I remember you said you liked the chocolate milkshakes here so I ordered you one.”

“I said that like two weeks ago.”

Eddie remembered the exact conversation they had while sitting in detention together. He remembered everything she told him and from the surprised look in her eyes he could tell she wasn’t used to his eagerness.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, suddenly fearing he’d done something to cross a line.

Her face gave nothing away. He could have never known just how touched she was by the gesture, by how easily he could show her he actually listened to her words, by how he had made her feel seen.

“Thanks.” She said quietly, a swirl of emotions more intense than she had been expecting to feel over something so simple overtaking her.

He let out a breath and smiled, his body relaxing as he realized he hadn’t done something to make her uncomfortable, that he wasn’t scaring her off with how genuinely excited he was to get to know her better.

They shared a look, both of them feeling a slight unease as a moment of awkward silence settled over them.

They’d never had this outside of school before. It was different, it was moving into territory that could be perceived as something other than platonic.

“How’d you find O’Donnell’s test?” She asked the first question that came to her mind in an attempt to break the strange silence.

Eddie groaned dramatically and slumped against the booth as though she had just shot him. Her eyes frantically looked around at the patrons beside them, her heart racing as she found a few pairs of eyes looking their way with judgment. 

“I finally get to see you outta that hellhole and it’s the first thing you bring up?”

“Well, what else is there to talk about?”

He straightened his posture and she found she suddenly didn’t like the way he was looking at her with intrigue. 

“You. I don’t know anything about you.”

She rolled her eyes and sent him a scowl. “You know about me.”

“Yeah, you always give such riveting insights to my thousands of questions.” His sarcasm earned him another scowl to which he just smiled, used to the gesture by now. “Come on, we’re friends, right? I just wanna get to know you.”

She stayed quiet for a contemplative moment, her fingers wiping at the condensation on her milkshake to distract herself from Eddie’s unwavering gaze. 

“I’m sure you already know what there is to tell. I’ve been the hot gossip in this town for years, everyone knows about me.”

Eddie’s features softened, understanding what it was like for his complicated homelife to be the topic of conversations for those who didn’t know a single thing about him. He heard about her deadbeat parents that abandoned her, he heard about her little sister’s untimely death, he heard how unsteady her remaining parent was.

It was no worse than what he was sure she had heard about his life.

“Not that stuff.”

“Then what?” She snapped defensively and then immediately sighed and slumped in her seat when she saw the flash of hurt on his face.

“I dunno, anything, everything. I just wanna get to know you better.”

Fuck this man, she thought as her stomach began to swirl with butterflies at how earnestly he looked and spoke to her, like he truly meant it.

She looked back down to her milkshake, taking an aggressively long sip to avoid having to reply. Eddie smiled softly, sensing he was going to have to take the lead if he was going to get anywhere with this conversation.

“What’s your favorite chip flavor?”

She looked at him incredulously. “Seriously?”

“What? When I said everything, I meant everything. So spill, favorite flavor.”

Her mouth opened, ready to give him a verbal lashing for trying to push her about something so stupid, but she found there was no burning fire inside her, at least not one stemming from rage or hatred.

“Sour cream and onion.” She finally answered, her voice barely a mumble.

Eddie’s face twisted dramatically, which she was soon realizing was his default setting. She scoffed, though it was not the usual sound for those she was ready to shun, it was filled with amusement.

“Ok, genius, what’s yours?”

“Barbeque, all day long, baby.” He smiled cheekily and she had to ignore the way her heart fluttered at the pet name and the charming smile that made his dimples poke out.

“Favorite musician?” He fired another question at her, feeling much more confident now that she was looking at him with at least a little bit of interest and not slumped in the booth with a glower on her face.

“Nina Simone.” She answered after a brief moment of contemplation. Based on the blank look on Eddie’s face it was clear he had no idea who the hell she was talking about and she rolled her eyes halfheartedly. “Really?”

“I’ve heard the name!” He defended eagerly. “Just… couldn’t name a single song.”

She laughed slightly and Eddie couldn’t help but smile even wider, leaning forward so the inches between them shrunk, the both of them with elbows rested on the table, completely engaged with each other.

“Let me guess, yours is Metallica? Or Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Dio?”

I love this woman, was the immediate thought that bounced in his brain. He shook himself of the thought quickly, but couldn’t deny the fact that she even knew who those bands were, ones that he worshipped, was the hottest fucking thing he ever heard.

She watched as his smile turned bashful, as his eyes moved down to his rings because looking into her eyes was just too fucking much for him. 

“Uhh, yeah, you hit the nail on the head.” 

There was a pause in conversation, the both of them sharing small, shy glances that held so much more than either could vocalize. Eddie suddenly cleared his throat, desperate to move past the wave of intense feelings that overtook him when he was with her.

“What was the last movie you watched?”

“The Jungle Book.” At Eddie’s questioning raised brow she sighed. “It’s my comfort movie, don’t judge.”

He raised his hands in defense. “I would never. It’s a pretty sick movie.”

She smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her hair, not noticing how Eddie’s eyes followed every motion. 

“What about you?”

“Uhhh, Alien.” He answered. “Made the mistake of getting high before I watched it. I had to sleep with my lights on, it scared the shit out of me.” 

The laugh his quip earned him made his chest tighten and he would do anything, say anything, to get her to make that noise every second of the day if he could.

“Favorite sport?”

“I couldn’t give less of a shit about sports.”

Eddie laughed at her bluntness. He found it refreshing, at least when it wasn’t directed at him. He liked her simple outlook on life, there were no shades of gray with her and he found it calming to look at things her way. His brain usually tormented him with an onslaught of thoughts he found difficult to decipher.

But she quieted all of it. 

“Glad we’re on the same page.” 

He bit his lip, wondering if his next question would ruin the easy rapport they had going, if he was going to push her too far. 

“Where do you wanna go after graduating?”

She looked at him curiously and he could see in her eyes that the wall he was slowly breaking down was building itself back up defensively at his question that had unintentionally triggered her infamous temper.

“What makes you think I’d leave?”

“I mean, you don’t exactly… I just thought that - you know - Hawkins kinda sucks, especially for people like us and-”

“People like us?” She interrupted sternly and he knew he was losing her.

His heart raced and he cleared his throat, his mind racing to find the right words that wouldn’t lead her to thinking something completely different than what he meant.

“People who are misunderstood.” He started cautiously. “People who deal with way too much shit from stuck up people in this town that don’t matter.”

The fire in her eyes dimmed, leaving a contemplative, yet downtrodden, look on her face. Eddie’s heart ached as her defenses came back down. He wondered how exhausting it would be having to keep everyone at arm's length and he didn’t want to ask her why she felt she had to. 

He knew the answer would break his heart.

“I don’t think there’s much out there for me.” She answered quietly.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t have any special talents, I don’t play sports, I’m not part of the drama club, my grades are nothing to write home about. There’s nothing special about me. I’m frighteningly average.”

Eddie scoffed. “I don’t believe that for a second.”

She rolled her eyes and he fought the urge to mimic the gesture.

“Come on, don’t start with that.” He admonished gently. “There’s nothing average about you.” 

“Eddie-”

“I’m being serious here. I’ve never met anyone like you.”

“You mean you haven’t met anyone who’s as big a bitch as I am.”

Eddie’s face twisted with derision. “Don’t call yourself that.” 

“Why not? It’s true. It doesn’t bother me when people call me that.”

“Well, it bothers me.” He admitted quietly. “I think there’s a million things in this world you can do, a million places you can go. You deserve way better than Hawkins.”

Her heart raced and she valiantly ignored the heat that bloomed in her cheeks. His words hit her way too deep, forcing her to hear things she couldn’t believe about herself which made her fight the urge to hightail it right out of the diner.

But she found her feet wouldn’t move. 

She found Eddie had a way about him that made her go against all her natural protective instincts.

“I don’t know.” She mumbled. “I’m not really passionate about anything. I see so many people who know exactly what they wanna do with their lives or they have insane dreams they wanna chase even though there’s zero chance it’ll ever happen. I just… don’t have that.”

“Then we’ll find it.”

“We?”

Eddie smiled widely and she found her own lips curling upwards at the sight. “Yes, we. You’ll need a ride, won’t you?”

“You mean that death on wheels you drive?”

“Hey, insult her all you want, but you won’t be complaining when it’s you and me out on the open road, getting the hell outta dodge.”

She laughed and shook her head. “You’d really do that with me?”

“Of course I would.”

Neither one of them could deny the spark that ignited between them that night. From then on, she began to let herself relax around Eddie day by day. She began to talk more, opening up about the trivial things she enjoyed in life. She even began to sit with him at lunch, choosing a spot at a rickety picnic table out next to the football field, sitting close enough to him that their arms brushed against each other every now and then. 

And even more, she began to look out for him. Something that Eddie was sure was making him fall head over heels, even more than his moon-eyed, pre-teen self could have ever comprehended. 

~~

“Watch where you’re going, dickwad.” 

She looked up in time to see Tommy H slam some kid into the lockers and knock his books from his arms. She recognized the kid to be the freshman Eddie hungout with. The Hellfire logo on his shirt was unmistakable and put a big red target on his back.

She grit her teeth and slammed her locker shut, beginning to make her way down the hall angrily. As Tommy passed her, still laughing in triumph, she discreetly kicked her foot out, making contact with his shin, hard.

The idiot cried out and crumpled as his leg gave out from the hit. 

She continued walking, her eyes finding Eddie and his friend who were crouched to pick up his books from the floor, their wide eyes and slack jaws indicating that they had seen her little display. As their gazes met hers, she sent them a sly smirk, a silent gesture of solidarity. 

Eddie’s expression was one of awe, he looked up at her as if she were a goddess and from the way he was kneeling it looked like he was practically praying at her altar, something that totally wasn’t out of the realm of possibility - at least in his mind. 

He smiled brightly and sent her a salute, the gesture making her laugh softly, the smile lingering on her face as she continued on her way down the hall.

Eddie was left to kneel on the ground, watching her retreating form as Gareth collected all his books. He looked over at his friend, prying the one book Eddie managed to pick up from his hands and rolled his eyes as Eddie continued to stare down the hall.

“Dude, you are so whipped.”

Eddie snapped his attention back to Gareth and could only smirk, not at all attempting to deny his claims. 

“She just played your knight in shining armor. Can you blame me?”

Gareth let his eyes fall to the woman’s retreating form and suppressed a shiver. She was attractive, but terrifying as all hell. By all accounts, only an idiot would approach the Chief’s daughter. He looked to Eddie again and shook his head when he saw the awe that lingered on his face and his goofy smile.

Turns out his friend was more of an idiot than he thought.

~~

Eddie slumped in the uncomfortable chair, the pull on his interlocked wrists making him wince. 

“Really, this is just a huge misunderstanding.” He spoke again to the officer that was blatantly ignoring him.

“Son, it’d be a good idea to keep your mouth shut.” The officer at the desk across from him spoke up without even sparing him a glance.

“All the bathrooms were taken, where else was I supposed to go?” He defended himself, earning a set of twin glares from the officers, making him shrink in his seat once again.

He looked up at the crotchety old woman sitting at the receptionist’s desk to find her staring back at him unimpressed. Eddie blew out a long breath and inwardly cursed, the deck was certainly stacked against him. The Hideout was flooded with drunk idiots doing stupid shit, yet he was the one to get taken in.

 His uncle was going to be pissed.

He was left to stew in his misery for a few minutes until a gleeful voice broke him out of his thoughts.

“Hi, Honey! Oh, look at you, you’re more beautiful everytime I see you.”

Eddie looked up to see the grumpy old woman exuberantly leaving her desk to wrap someone in a tight hug. He recognized her immediately, sitting up straighter, his expression brightening, before suddenly realizing his current predicament. 

He didn’t want her to see him like this. He quickly slumped in his chair again, as if it would make him invisible. 

“Hey, Flo.” She greeted the old woman she’d known since childhood. “Is he in his office?” 

“Of course.” 

She moved to make her way to her dad’s office, but suddenly stopped in her tracks when she noticed the familiar mop of curly hair across the room. Her eyes widened briefly before narrowing dangerously.

Eddie smiled sheepishly, sending her a feeble wave. When she saw the cuffs on his wrists, she stormed towards him.

“What the hell did you do?” She barked and before he could even open his mouth, she was continuing with her tirade. “If my dad sees you here, he’ll flip his shit. He’ll kill you the next time he sees you with me.” 

Eddie’s eyes softened at the worry he heard in her voice. 

“Is that fear I hear in your voice?” He teased and when her eyes blazed with fire he swallowed thickly, his body tensing as he realized she wasn’t in a playful mood and now was not the time to tease. 

She turned to officer Callahan who had been watching their interaction with interest, his eyes flitting between the two of them eagerly, as if he were watching a soap opera.

“What’d you book him for?”

“Public urination.” 

Eddie wanted to ground to swallow him whole. He felt his cheeks burning with embarrassment as she turned to face him once more, an incredulous and slightly disgusted look on her face. She sighed deeply and turned back to the officer.

“Jesus christ, Phil, it’s 9 o’clock. You really wanna be doing paperwork all night ‘cause some stupid teenager took a piss?”

“Uhh, well, no, but-”

“And the cuffs, really? You think he’s some dangerous psychopath you need to chain down for your own safety?”

“It’s protocol-”

“They’re on way too tight, you’re cutting off his circulation. You’re lucky if he doesn’t file a complaint against you.” She ranted, fighting off the urge to smirk at the way Callahan shrunk under her heated glare. “Just let him off with a warning and let him go home.” 

With that, she turned on her heel and marched her way to the back office her dad resided in. Eddie turned to the stunned officer and wordlessly held out his wrists, grinning cheekily. 

Officer Callahan sighed loudly. He wasn’t about to let some teenage girl dictate his job, but she wasn’t exactly wrong. He probably went a little overboard with the Munson kid and the last thing he needed was the girl - who he was frankly terrified of - to get her dad involved - who he was also terrified of.

He didn’t need another verbal lashing from any other member of the Hopper family today. 

Within a minute of her divine intervention, Eddie was a free man. He stood outside the station, taking a deep inhale from his cigarette when the door opened and she stepped out, not surprised to see him still lingering. 

“Hey. You ok?”

The question and the caring nature to her voice caught him off guard and he was glad he was leaning against the wall or he literally would have swooned.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Her eyes narrowed when she noticed the cuffs sticking out of his back pocket. “I really don’t think you’re allowed to take those things.”

He shrugged, a devious smirk gracing his lips. “I wanted a memento.”

“You want to remember this moment?”

“Do I want to remember you reaming out a cop for me? Fuck yeah, I do. That was the most badass thing I’ve ever seen and you’ve done some pretty badass shit, Sweetheart.”

The pet name made her eyes widen slightly and she crossed her arms over her chest, looking away from his brown eyes that were making her insides twist strangely. 

“Right, well… you should probably get going. My dad’s gonna be out any minute and I’d rather he not see you here.”

“Aww, worried about me?”

“Just don’t want anything to happen to your pretty face.” She teased him right back, patting his cheek affectionately, gaining the upper hand immediately as his face blanched, not having expected the turnabout. She smirked triumphantly and moved from his side to waltz back inside, leaving him to stand dumbly watching the spot she had just been, his cheeks flaming. 

He let out a long breath and leaned back against the wall, a goofy smile on his face. 

He was falling hard.

~~

“Bedtime is 8:30. We should be back before 10. Emergency numbers are on the counter. Just call if you need anything.” Karen Wheeler went on with her familiar spiel.

She’d been the loyal babysitter to the Wheeler’s and by extension the whole gang of nerdy boys for years, she’d heard the instructions a million times. 

But tonight, she was only looking after little Holly. A much needed break, if anyone were to ask. She loved those boys, but they could get rowdy and way too passionate about shit she couldn’t care less about.

As the Wheeler’s were preparing to leave, Nancy flounced down the stairs, her hair perfectly coiffed, her eyeshadow immaculate, her dress wrinkle free. 

The sight made her shift on the spot as she immediately began the insecure comparisons. She looked down at her drabby outfit that consisted of jeans she got from the Goodwill, a worn out t-shirt and her dad’s flannel with the way too long sleeves rolled up.

She was no Nancy Wheeler.

Behind Nancy was her loyal best friend, Barb, the two of them giggling quietly to each other as they got their shoes on, preparing to leave for some party for the night. The moment they looked up and met her gaze they both went quiet, their faces blanching at the sight of her.

She was pretty sure she even saw Barb gulp, as if she were facing the killer in a slasher flick.

Ignoring the lead that felt like it had just settled in her stomach, she turned her attention to Karen, giving a polite wave goodbye and torturously avoided the two teens' gazes as they quickly filed out the door, desperate to be out of her company. 

She blew out a long breath and turned to face the toddler in her care for the night. 

“Can we watch Muppet Babies?” Holly’s cute little voice broke the silence.

Kill me now.

“Of course, Sweetie.”

The next day, as she and Eddie lazed on the lone picnic table in the woods behind the school, her mind was a mess of thoughts, her face drawn tightly as she ruminated on all the things that made her insides clench with distaste.

“What’s got you thinking so hard? I’m the one failing algebra.”

“Do you think I should change?” She asked quietly, sounding more demure than he had ever heard her.

He looked at her quickly, his brows furrowed as he quickly took in the state of her. He felt his cheeks heat slightly as he couldn’t help but picture her figure under the baggy clothes she wore. 

“No, you look great.”

She rolled her eyes in annoyance.

“Not my clothes, idiot. Me.”

Eddie looked back at her in surprise and quickly closed his notebook. The topic at hand much more pressing than school. 

“Of course you shouldn’t. Why would you ever think that?”

“Because literally every person at this school looks at me like I’m gonna murder them.” 

“Well… I mean… you would, wouldn’t you?”

“Eddie!” She raised herself to slap his arm. 

“Whoa, hey! Don’t shoot the messenger!” 

“I’m being serious.”

“So am I. Like an hour ago you said you would love to run over Devon Goode with your dad’s car.”

“Well, he’s an idiot, he doesn’t count.”

“And Tommy H? You threatened him and Carol with a scalpel in bio yesterday.” 

“They are the most insufferable cretins on the planet. I’d be doing the world a favor.” She defended in all seriousness, making Eddie laugh. He moved to sit next to her atop the rickety table.

“I’m not disagreeing, but, you’re not exactly proving that you aren’t a potential murderer.”

She rolled her eyes, her gaze locked onto her fingers that fidgeted in her lap. 

“You never bothered about your reputation before. What brought this on?”

“Yesterday, I was babysitting Nancy’s little sister and she was there with her friend, Barb. God, they looked at me like they were in danger.” She admitted quietly. “I know I’m… difficult-”

“Hey, stop that. You’re not difficult.” Eddie interrupted immediately, not standing to hear her talk down on herself for one second. 

“Eddie, come on. I’m a huge bitch, everybody knows it.”

He protested immediately, his face scrunched with annoyance. “I thought I told you to stop calling yourself that.”

“It’s the truth. I’m horrible to people. Yesterday I grabbed Stacy’s ponytail and used it as a pulley to bash her nose into her desk.”

“Ok, yes, that’s… a lot.” Eddie agreed tentatively. “But what did she do before you did that to her?”

She paused, looking up at him knowingly. He just widened his eyes, silently forcing her to answer the question.

“She called me an orphan.”

“See? That’s a terrible thing to say to someone. You only react to how people treat you, you’ve never been the one that started any shit. Every single person you’ve yelled at or punched, none of them have ever given you a reason to be nice to them. They don’t deserve your kindness.”

She laughed bitterly. “I didn’t realize I had any kindness.”

Eddie guffawed and turned from his position sitting beside her to look at her head on. “Are you serious right now?”

“What?”

“You really think that?” 

By the look on her face and the pitiful shrug she gave in response, Eddie knew she truly believed that she had no ounce of kindness or good within her and it made his stomach turn.

“You seriously- ok I have so much to tell you.” 

She continued to stare back at Eddie with confusion, watching with narrowed eyes as he was practically bouncing in excitement where he sat.

“Do you remember the middle school talent show?”

“Why would I wanna remember that?”

Eddie rolled his eyes, though when he did it it was a lot less volatile of a gesture than when she did it.

“Well I remember it perfectly. I pretty much haven’t stopped thinking about it so allow me to jog your memory.” He began emphatically. “There was a totally kick ass band that consisted of a few misfits who decided doing an Iron Maiden cover in front of a bunch of stuck up middle schoolers and their parents was a good idea.”

A flash of realization hit her like a bolt of lightning. Her face suddenly morphed from confusion to understanding, a smile beginning to crawl across her lips.

“Corroded Coffin.”

Eddie swore his heart skipped a beat and the beaming smile he gave her was blinding. He tapped his nose in acknowledgement.

“Well, we thought we killed it. Twelve year old me was ready to play the Garden.”

She let out a small laugh, the noise stopping his train of thought for a moment, causing him to have to physically shake his head to get back on track.

“Turns out, the rest of the audience didn’t exactly agree. Well, that’s putting it lightly, they hated it. It was tragically embarrassing. Feared I’d never recover.”

His dramatic retelling had her biting her lip to stop her growing smile. 

“But, as we left the booing crowd behind, there was an angel standing backstage with a glowing halo.”

She rolled her eyes, pushing his shoulder. “You’re ridiculous. The only reason I was there was because the principal told me I could avoid detention if I pulled the curtains.”

“Well, whatever the reason, I was glad you were there. It could’ve been the worst embarrassment of my life, but when I got off the stage you were standing there and you said we did great.” He continued, his voice lower, more serious now as his fingers began to trace anxious circles around the hole in his jeans. “I dunno, maybe it’s stupid, but, in that moment it felt like not everyone in the world thought I was a total loser.”

She watched him pensively, her stomach alight with a million butterflies at the way his big brown eyes bore into hers. 

“Did you really think we were good?” He asked, the question one he had been wondering since that night all those years ago. 

She bit her lip nervously, taking a long pause because too many words and explanations were circling around in her head. Ones that she was too shy to divulge.

“Yeah, I thought you guys were really cool.” She admitted quietly. “I thought it was pretty badass playing heavy metal at a middle school talent show, especially being the act right after Jessica Hart’s ribbon twirling.”

Eddie snorted and covered his face. “God we were such idiots.”

“No you weren’t.” She refuted him instantly. “It annoyed me how everyone else reacted and… I dunno, I guess I wanted you to know that I didn’t think the same as them.”

Eddie’s eyes softened, his heart racing wildly in his chest, the rush of emotions her words brought him making him feel antsy. He could picture himself grabbing her and kissing her until he passed out. He quickly looked away, a small smile lingering on his lips.

“So, what, I complimented you once when we were young and that proves I’m not a bad person?” She asked quietly, still cynical about his earlier words.

“You complimented me and I knew you were someone I wanted to get to know. I wouldn’t be friends with an asshole, I’m smarter than that.”

“Right, and how many classes are you currently failing?”

He barked out a laugh, his head thrown back, his smile beaming. The sight made her own smile grow and she quickly averted her eyes shyly. 

“Ok, smartass. You know I’m more about the streetsmarts not booksmarts.”

“Hmm, sure.”

Eddie looked over at her, his wide smile falling slightly. “You know I’m being one hundred percent serious, right? I don’t think you’re a bad person. And that compliment wasn’t just a compliment. It meant everything to me.”

The fluttering inside her became more intense, the feeling becoming so overwhelming her protective instincts kicked in and told her to run, to get as far away from this situation as she could. 

She let out a long breath, trying to calm herself and the instincts she always listened to that never did her any good.

“Why do you try so hard for me?” She asked quietly, a question she had been wondering since the first time he approached her in detention.

“Because you deserve it.” He spoke without hesitation, as if he didn’t even need to think of his answer. “You always look out for the little guys, you always stick up for yourself, which is insanely hard to do when those assholes never back down. I’ve always admired you and I thought you’ve always deserved better than this town. I guess I’m trying so hard so you can believe it.”

Her gaze rose to meet him and her breath got caught in her throat at the sincerity she saw in his eyes. The air between them suddenly became charged, the tension that had been bubbling for weeks reaching new heights.

Her eyes drifted down briefly to his plump lips, a gesture Eddie caught immediately, making him feel as though his heart would leap right out of his chest. He swallowed thickly and with every ounce of courage he could muster, he leaned in closer to her. 

Sensing what he was about to do, the giant step they were on track to take, her eyes widened and she instinctively moved back, furthering the space between them.

Eddie’s own eyes went wide with horror and he sprung to his feet, turning his back on her, embarrassment hitting him like a knockout punch. 

“Shit. Shit. I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t- I didn’t mean to-” He stammered, his flustered mind unable to complete a sentence.

“Eddie,” She called out to him, her voice softer than he had ever heard before. He slowly turned to face her and she felt her chest tighten pleasantly when she saw how red his cheeks were. 

It was terrifying, the thought of Eddie seeing her in that way. It was a thought she’d had for weeks but had been brushing off because it was too overwhelming. But there was a voice in the back of her head that told her she would live with regret if she didn’t let this happen. 

She knew she’d be keeping herself from experiencing something amazing.

“Eddie,” She said again, causing him to slowly raise his gaze from his shoes to meet hers.

“I’m sorry. Can we just forget that? I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“You didn’t.” She assured him, her voice just as breathless and riddled with anxiety as his. “I want you to.”

Eddie stood as still as a statue for a few long seconds, his brain trying to work out if he’d hallucinated her words, or if he was blissfully dreaming. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time he’d dreamt of this exact scenario. 

“You… what?”

“I want you to kiss me.”

His lips parted in surprise, mostly because he couldn’t believe she reciprocated even one tenth of his affection for her. He took a small step towards her and, making sure she was still comfortable and not running for the hills, he took a few more until he was standing in front of her. 

She looked up at him and he felt as if he were about to pass out. He cleared his throat nervously. When he pictured this moment, he was never this nervous or anxious. He wanted to throttle himself. 

Sensing his anxiety, one that matched her own, she smiled lightly and stood up. Eddie’s eyes widened as they were suddenly chest to chest, but before he could even take a moment to be overwhelmed by their closeness, she grabbed him by either side of his face and brought him down to her height, pressing her lips to his firmly. 

Eddie’s eyes widened before fluttering closed. His hands settled on her hips softly, his grip loose and tentative, not daring to do something to make her uncomfortable and end up on the receiving end of one of her infamous right hooks. 

They were both tingling with nervous energy. The tension that had been building for weeks finally bubbling over leaving them both feeling dizzy and delirious with excitement. 

They pulled away after a few seconds, but stayed just close enough for their noses to brush against each other. 

Eddie looked lost in a daze as he stared back at her, amazed they had even crossed that line he had been dying to cross for weeks. 

He cleared his throat, bowing his head bashfully. 

“Was that… was that ok?” He asked tentatively, knowing she had the power to destroy him with only a word.

“Yeah, that was ok.”

Her voice was softer than she intended. Her heart thumped within her chest, unable to tear her eyes from him. Her lips buzzed, a rush of adrenaline overwhelming every inch of her. 

“You could… kiss me again… if you want.” She said, her voice barely heard over the breeze that shifted the leaves above them. 

Eddie was sure he was seconds from dropping dead, her words enough to stop his heart for good, but he wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip away from him. He wasn’t that dumb. He stepped towards her again, this time more sure of himself and he kissed her firmly. 

His hands tightened on her waist, now holding her tightly to him, desperate to have her as close as possible, no longer fearing that he’d scare her off, more incensed by her shared want. 

Her hands tightened around his neck, her fingers pulling on loose strands of hair at the base of his neck, sending sparks tingling down his spine. He pulled away from the kiss abruptly, pursing his lips closed to avoid letting a sound of pleasure fall past his lips. 

He was breathing heavily, his eyes staring down at her cautiously, praying he hadn’t just ruined their friendship. While he was elated to finally kiss her - he was mentally high fiving his twelve year old self - he couldn’t help but worry that he had crossed a line, that he had pushed her too far too fast and treated her just like every other douchebag at their school.

The last thing he wanted was for her to think he only wanted her for one thing. 

“Did I just fuck up everything for us?” He whispered breathlessly.

She laughed lightly and shook her head, leaning into him, her head falling against his chest where she could feel the rapid beat of his heart. Butterflies erupted in his stomach, even more than they already were. He didn’t think he’d ever see her so carefree before and he was elated at the mere thought that he had something to do with it. 

“No, you didn’t fuck up anything.”

“Good, good.” He mumbled quietly, as if to himself. “So, if I told you I’ve been crazy about you since middle school, that wouldn’t make things weird?”

She looked up at him quizzically, a mischievous smirk of her lips. “I’d question your taste in women.”

Eddie rolled his eyes halfheartedly, his grip on her waist tightening inadvertently. “You need to stop with that.”

She opened her mouth, yet she found she had no words to respond to Eddie’s unwavering confidence in her. She had never felt this before, she had never had someone so staunchly in her corner. 

Seeing the unease, the disbelief on her face, Eddie gently grasped her cheeks in his hands, gently coaxing her to meet his gaze.

“Hey, trust me when I say this.” He started softly. “You have never been and will never be a bad person, not when it really counts. And I may be an idiot, but having feelings for you will never be why. In fact, I think it’s the smartest decision I’ve ever made.”

She laughed breathlessly, bowing her head bashfully, but Eddie followed her, bending down so his eyes could still meet hers.

“C’mon, I would never joke about this. You got me wrapped around your finger, baby.” 

She smiled widely and for the first time she could ever remember, she didn’t hide her face as she felt her cheeks heat. 

She wanted this. She wanted Eddie and everything that came with him, no matter the fact that she was so far out of her element. 

She was scared, but most of all, she was so excited for what came next, what her and Eddie could be. 

She didn’t want to jinx anything but she knew, maybe naively, that they would be something beautiful. That he was exactly what she needed in her complicated life. 

The next day at school, as she walked into her first class of the morning, she was surprised to see Eddie already sitting in the desk next to the one she usually sat in. Given that he was known for typically showing up at noon, she was more than confused to see him so bright and early.

The smile he gave her as their eyes met made her heart flutter and she had to bite her lip to quell her smile as she took her seat next to him.

“Good morning.” Eddie greeted her happily, his voice sickly sweet. 

God, he’s trying to kill me, she thought to herself. 

“Morning.”

She kept her eyes forward, though she could feel his gaze on her and when she turned her attention to him, he had no shame in trying to hide the fact that he was blatantly staring at her. He only smiled widely, the both of them thinking back to the day before, the kisses they shared and the feelings they finally revealed to each other.

There was no going back now. 

“You don’t have to be so obvious.” She muttered under her breath so the other students sitting close to them wouldn’t hear.

“You know I can’t help it, Sweetheart.” He grinned, leaning his chin on his closed fist, continuing to stare at her dreamily.

She rolled her eyes but by the smile growing on her lips, he knew it wasn’t a malicious gesture. 

~~

“Hey,” 

She turned in time to see Eddie smiling widely at her as he approached, leaning in to plant a chaste kiss to her cheek before leaning against the locker beside hers.

“Hi.” She mumbled, suddenly feeling incredibly bashful. His gesture, so easy and done for the entire hallway of students to see, made her face heat. 

The sight of her so nervous, taken aback by his gesture, made him smile and he wanted nothing more than to plant a hundred more kisses across her face.

“Are you ready for Friday?” Eddie asked her excitedly, his smile wide and giddy.

“What’s Friday?”

“Don’t tell me you forgot.” 

When she could only stare back at him blankly, he groaned and threw himself back against the locker, his hands covering his heart. 

“You’re breaking my heart, you know that?”

“Jesus, you’re annoying.” She told him and if it were anyone else they would’ve been offended by her words, but Eddie saw the light in her eyes, the amused smirk on her lips and he knew it was her strange way of showing affection. 

“Well, Little Miss Forgetful, Ozzy’s album comes out Friday and I have to be first in line at the record store.”

“You really think it’ll be that busy?”

“I’m not taking the risk. It’s Ozzy, baby, I can’t miss it.” Eddie stressed emphatically, not realizing how her eyes widened at the use of the word ‘baby’. 

Ever since they kissed, he’d been a lot more liberal with his stupid nicknames. For some reason, ‘baby’ was one that never failed to get her heart racing. She cleared her throat and turned her attention back to grabbing her textbooks. 

“I really don’t think you’ll have a prob-”

“Can I talk to you?”

They both turned abruptly, surprised to see Jonathan Byers behind them looking like he hadn’t slept in a week, his desperate and pleading eyes locked on her. 

“Uhh, sure.” She answered slowly, her voice laced with confusion. She wasn’t exactly close with Jonathan. She hadn’t ever given him a verbal lashing which meant he was at least a sort of acquaintance. She really only spoke to him when he came to pick up Will, relieving her of her babysitting duties.

“I’ll talk to you later.” She told Eddie before leaving his side to follow Jonathan to the less crowded area of the hallway.

“Were you babysitting the boys last night?” 

That certainly hadn’t been the question she was expecting him to ask.

“No. The Wheelers were home so I was off duty. Why?”

Jonathan sighed deeply, clearing not having heard the answer he wanted. He pinched the bridge of his nose, the control he had on his emotions hanging on by a thread.

“Will didn’t come home last night.” 

Her heart dropped to her stomach, her throat going tight as she pictured a thousand horrible things happening to that sweet boy she adored so much. 

At seeing the look of horror on her face, Jonathan continued. “He wasn’t in his room this morning. My mom’s at the station now, talking to your dad. I’m gonna check out his fort. Do you know any other place he likes to go?”

“No, he’s only talked about the fort.” She told him, her voice monotonous, feeling numb by the news.

Jonathan nodded sadly and cleared his throat. “Well, uh, thanks anyways.” He moved to leave, but she grabbed his arm tightly, stopping him.

“I’ll go with you.” 

“You really don’t have-”

“Jonathan-” She stopped him immediately, her voice hoarse with emotion, clearly shaken. “I’m going with you.”

He hesitated for a moment before nodding. He knew how much Will loved her and another set of eyes might be just what his tired ones needed. 

As the bell rang, Eddie closed his locker, his eyes moving to find her to get one last goodbye in, knowing he wouldn’t see her until the end of the day. His face twisted in confusion as he watched her walk out the doors side by side with Jonathan. 

~~

Hope you enjoyed! I've been slowly working on this story for so long, it actually feels wild that I'm finally posting this.