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aschen-kiln · 25 days

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I was so waiting for Nancy to come in like "what the hell is going on" and both Steve and Wobin going full tomato-red because PWETTY. Of course only Stebe would say so to Nancy's face, but then he would also get her to play with them so, it's a win in Wobin's book.

Then Eddie comes in because he was supposed to get some tape from Steve, only to be met with Wobin buzy braiding Nancy's hair and Stebe running havok in the kitchen because Gods forbid the teens get bored without him to distract them. Mike being Mike would just dump him into Eddie's arms like "your problem now". And Stebe once again would go full red because PWETTY.

"What do we do? What do we do?!" Dustin panicked.

"Well, not panic for one thing," Max said.

"How are you remaining so calm about this?" Dustin hissed.

"Because they need us to remain calm, and it helps if you're holding one," Max said as she snuggled the bundle in her arms. "Pick him up off the floor, Dustin."

Robin's small hands wrapped themselves around Max's braid and tugged.

"Hair is wed, Maxy," Robin said.

"Yeah, my hair is red," Max said in amusement.

Dustin sighed and picked up Steve off the floor.

"It's Otay, Dusty, I wasn't going to bofer you," Steve said.

"He is pretty adorable," Dustin sighed. "How did this happen?"

"Well, you wanted to prove that the woman in the weird new occult shop wasn't a witch. You dug through her things, read a spell, and turned our favorite babysitters into kids!" Max shrieked. "The witch panicked, and now we don't know where she is or where the store is."

"Yeah, this is all my fault," Dustin sighed. "Does this make us the babysitters now?"

"Yes," Max replied. "We need to get them to Joyce and Hopper. Maybe El can find the witch."

"We can walk," Robin said as she wiggled in Max's arms.

"Alright, but we need to stick together," Max said as she set her down.

Steve wiggled out of Dustin's arms, and Robin took his hand. They started skipping ahead of them as they walked out of the building.

"Aw, even though they don't know each other, somehow they know they're best friends," Dustin said.

"They are pretty cute," Max agreed as she pushed her glasses up her nose. "Glad their clothes shrunk with them."

Steve and Robin were giggling as they skipped happily. Suddenly, Steve tripped and fell on the concrete.

"Oh, nose!" Robin yelled. "Stebe! Stebe! Don't cwy!"

Steve’s eyes welled up with tears, and his bottom lip trembled as knee started to bleed through his now holy pants. Dustin took off his pack and pulled out a first aid kid.

"Hey, buddy, don't worry, it's not that bad. Dusty's got you," Dustin said softly.

"Bone is sticking out, Stebe," Robin said and Steve wailed.

"That's not very helpful, Robin," Max scolded, and Robin giggled. "It's not sticking out, Steve."

"It's not?" Steve asked.

"No," Max said softly.

Dustin cleaned the wound and put a band-aid on it.

"See? All better," Dustin said.

"Wait!" Robin exclaimed.

She leaned down and kissed Steve’s band-aid.

"Now, all better!" Robin yelled.

"Dank Dou, Wobbie and Dusty," Steve sniffled, and Max whipped his nose with a tissue.

Steve took Max's hand while Robin took Dustin's. Steve and Robin joined hands in the middle of them.

"I'm already exhausted," Dustin said. "Even as a kid, Steve is always getting hurt."

"Well, now we know how Steve feels chasing us around. He usually gets hurt keeping us safe," Max pointed out.

"That's true," Dustin said. "Now I know why he's anxious all the time. It's stressful worrying about them."

Just as they left the parking lot of the little strip mall, Lucas and Mike finally decided to show up on their bikes.

"Well, finally escaped the house. Let's go check out the witch," Lucas said.

"You assholes are a little late," Max scowled. "The witch turned Steve and Robin into kids, then panicked before disappearing with her shop."

"So, Dustin was wrong. She is a witch!" Mike exclaimed.

"Let's focus on the fact that Steve and Robin have been turned into little kids," Dustin said, squinting his eyes at him.

"Are you a ghost?" Robin asked Mike.

"Max is nearly as pale as I am," Mike scowled at Robin.

"Cwanky ghost," Robin giggled with Steve.

"Ghost needs a nap," Steve laughed.

"Aww, man, they're cute," Lucas grinned.

"We were going to see Hop and Joyce. Maybe El could help us find the witch," Max said.

"Joyce is having a family day. That's why Will and El couldn't come with us," Mike explained.

"Okay, so, what are we supposed to do with them in the meantime?" Dustin asked.

"Take care of them like they took care of us," Lucas scoffed. "Obviously. Maybe they'll turn back by tomorrow."

"Okay, but if they don't turn back by tomorrow, then we're taking them to Hopper and Joyce," Dustin said. "I guess we should go to Steve’s house since no one is there and I have a key."

"They need clothes and food," Mike said. "Can they even go to the restroom by themselves?"

"I'm a big boy," Steve scowled, his little fists on his hips.

"Yes, that's right you are. Don't listen to the mean old ghostie," Max cooed at him and Steve beamed.

"Well, you know Steve always keeps the fridge and pantry stocked," Dustin said. "Let's go get them some clothes."

"Oh, yes, two menacing children in a clothing store, what could go wrong?" Mike rolled his eyes.

"You could could be a little more optimistic, Mike, jeeze," Dustin said.

Turns out Mike was being realistic. They were only in the store for five minutes before they lost both of them. Dustin, of course, panicked, as well as Mike. It was Lucas and Max who remained calm. They were the ones who found them hiding and giggling inside one of the clothing rack. It took one look from Max for them to settle down and look guilty.

"You aren't going to tell our Mama, are you?" Steve asked.

"We don't habe the same Mama, member?" Robin asked.

"Oh yeah. . .how come?" Steve asked.

"I don't know," Robin frowned.

"We should," Steve said.

"My mama can be your mama!" Robin exclaimed.

"Otay!" Steve exclaimed and then lowered his voice. "I don't like my mama. She leaves me all the time."

Max scooped him up and hugged him tightly. Robin tugged on Lucas's pants and held her arms up. Lucas smiled and placed her on his hip, laughing as Max doted on Steve.

"What kind of clothes we should get?" Lucas asked.

"No girly clothes for Robin, though," Max said. "She doesn't like pink."

"Can I has girl clothes?" Steve asked. "I like pink and blellow."

"Ooh, that yellow shirt with pink flowers would look good on you," Max said. "Let's do this."

They bought a couple of outfits, some pajamas, and underwear, as well as socks. They had to pool their allowances together, but they managed. If they needed them for any longer, Steve had a washing machine and dryer. They walked to Steve’s. Robin and Steve having nodded off on Max and Lucas, but they woke up the moment they walked through the door.

"Okay, I think you guys have this," Mike said. "I'm going to go. If I wanted to babysit, I would have stayed at home."

"Nooo! Ghost don't go!" Robin whined.

She wiggled out of Lucas's arms and held her arms up for Mike. He sighed and scooped her up, rolling his eyes.

"Fine, I'll stay," Mike said.

"Yay!" Robin exclaimed.

"They took care of us, we take care of them now," Dustin said pointedly to Mike. "Like Lucas said."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Hungy," Robin said and pointed to her mouth. "Ahhh."

"Mac and Cheese!" Steve exclaimed. "It's Blellow! I can make it. Mama says I don't need her, I'm a big boy."

"Yeah, you're a big boy but not big enough to make the food. You need us, okay?" Max said.

"Mama wrong?" Steve asked.

"So wrong," Max said.

"Can we watch toons?" Steve whispered.

"You deserve it," Max said and placed him on the ground.

Robin wiggled out of Mike's arms and took Steve’s hand before running into the living room.

"GHOST!" Robin yelled.

"TOONS!" Steve screamed. "PWEAASE?!"

"Ghost, you're being summoned to watch toons," Dustin said in amusement.

Mike flipped him off before walking into the living room.

"You guys can make the Mac and Cheese. I'm going to watch some toons," Max said and disappeared into the living room.

"MAX!" Robin and Steve screamed. "IT'S SCOOBY!"

It was left up to Dustin and Lucas to make the food, which wasn't that hard. Since they were so pleasant about it, they allowed Robin and Steve to eat in the living room. They sat on the couch with bed trays on their laps as they ate their food. Robin and Steve sat on the couch, bobbing their head to the music as they sang along to the Scooby-Doo theme song. Lucas couldn't help it when he found the Polaroid and took a picture of Robin clutching a lock of Steve’s hair gently in her hand while Steve did the same with her as they ate with their free hand.

"They're so cute," Lucas said.

"You so want a kid of your own," Max scoffed.

"I mean, not now. I'm 14, but maybe when I'm older and I get the chance to adopt a kid who doesn't have people to love or care for them," Lucas shrugged.

Max smiled and pulled him in for a kiss.

"Sweet," she blushed.

"Ewww!" Steve and Robin exclaimed.

"Barf," Robin said.

"You still want them, broody?" Max asked.

"They're not so bad," Lucas laughed.

TWO HOURS LATER. . .

"I LOOKED AWAY FOR ONE GODDAMN SECOND!" Dustin shrieked.

"Where's Steve?!" Mike asked.

"In the kitchen trying to make a cake for Dusty!" Max yelled. "Yeah, there is flower everywhere!"

"Where the fuck is Robin?!" Lucas asked.

"Oh, she's hanging around," Dustin said casually.

"SHE'S HANGING FROM THE DRAPES!" Mike screamed.

"Ghost! Watch!" Robin screamed. "I'm a bird!"

"NO THE FUCK YOU'RE NOT!" Mike screamed.

He managed to dive over the couch and catch her before she hit the floor.

"Good catch, Mike," Dustin said.

"I am never having kids," he said.

"Cwanky ghost," Robin said.

"Ghost needs a nap," Mike said.

She wiggled out of Mike's arms and ran into the kitchen. Max was lifting Steve out of the flour when Robin decided to dive in.

"SNOW!" Robin exclaimed. "Loook! Snow angle!"

"More like snow devil," Mike said, breathing heavily as he hurried into the room.

"Alright, guys, bath time!" Lucas exclaimed, clapping his hands.

"No baff!" Robin and Steve exclaimed.

"Yes, bath," Lucas said.

"The bath isn't a punishment. You have to get clean," Max said. "Or otherwise you're going to grow icky stuff on your bodies like spider eggs that will hatch and crawl all over you!"

"Max!" Dustin exclaimed.

"Baff! Baff!" Robin and Steve yelled as they ran to Max.

Max smirked as she led them to the bathroom. Lucas quickly followed.

"Mike, Dustin, clean up the kitchen while we clean up Double Trouble over here," Max said.

Steve and Robin babbled to each other as they splashed around in the bath, soaking the both of them.

"What language are they speaking?" Lucas asked.

"I think they're creating their own language," Max said.

"Don't twins do that?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah, they're soul twins," Max said and shared a grin with Lucas.

They managed to get through the bath without any accidents and kept most of the water in the bathtub.

"Alright, if you guys can get dressed for bed without any problems, I'll read you a bedtime story!" Lucas said happily.

Robin and Steve hollered before running upstairs to Steve’s room. When they came back down, they were wearing their new matching blue pajamas they were lined with red stripes. Mike and Dustin were sprawled out one couch looking exhausted. Max hugged the both of them as Lucas snapped yet another photo. He sat on the couch, pulling out a copy of the Hobbit. Robin and Steve sat next to Lucas, looking at the book as he started to read. Once again, they had a grasp of each other's hair, twirling it around their tiny fingers. This time, it was Max taking the picture. Pretty soon, Robin and Steve were fast asleep. Dustin grinned and picked up Steve, turning around to tell Mike to pick up Robin, but Mike had fallen asleep. Max rolled her eyes before picking up Robin. They walked up the stairs and tucked them into Steve’s bed. Steve stirred as did Robin.

"Wobbie?"

"Yeah?"

"Are we best fwiends?" Steve asked.

"Yeah."

"How long?"

"Forever, Stebe."

"Otay."

Their eyes fluttered close, and they were soon fast asleep.

"Oh, man," Dustin said tearfully. "I almost don't want them to grow up."

"Yeah," Max said softly.

They moved downstairs to find that Lucas had fallen asleep as well. Max grinned before snuggling into her boyfriend's side and closing her eyes. Dustin sprawled out in the recliner, putting his hat over his face. It wasn't long before they were all fast sleep. The next morning, Steve and Robin woke up to complete confusion. They were now back to their normal selves.

"What the hell?" Steve asked.

"Don't be so surprised. This isn't the first time we slept in the same bed," Robin yawned.

"Yeah, but I don't remember these pajamas," Steve said. "I feel like we're missing something. What's the last thing you remember?"

"Well, we were going to check out that witch's store with Max and Dustin," Robin said and they shot up.

"Max and Dustin!" Robin and Steve exclaimed.

They stumbled downstairs to find Max, Lucas, Dustin, and Mike fast asleep. Steve picked up the Polaroids that were on the table and showed them to Robin.

"The witch turned us into kids," Steve said.

"And they took care of us," Robin said softly.

"You take care of us. We take care of you," Dustin mumbled. "Lucas said."

"We got good kids," Steve said.

"They'll do," Robin shrugged with a grin.

They walked into the kitchen to make them breakfast, holding hands as they did so.

"Why are we holding hands?" Steve asked.

"No fucking clue!"

"Also, why do I have the sudden urge to call Mike a ghost?"

#stranger things #steve harrington #robin buckley #platonic soulmates #the party #someone write this please

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aschen-kiln · 27 days

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you know that feeling where you’re having a god-awful day and all you really want is a hug but you’re at work so, like, that’s not gonna happen, and you basically just have to stew in all those shitty feelings and wait out the clock? yeah, me too, that’s kind of where this came from.

Eddie had a tough day.

It had started early that morning when the girls missed their school bus – not a huge deal, honestly, he was already gonna be leaving early to go get his car looked at.

But then he got shitty news from the mechanic, and then a meeting with his agent didn’t go the way he’d wanted at all, and then Hazel ended up being a total pain in the ass after he picked her up from kindergarten, and during her relentless haranguing, she knocked one of Eddie’s favorite mugs off the counter. It shattered, obviously, and she cried about it so he’d had to deal with both of those things at once, and it was just a day.

None of it was anything he couldn’t handle – the problem was the compounding nature of it and the way he basically just had to stew in it all until the next obstacle came along and made shit even worse.

All Eddie really wanted was Steve, and how Steve being around made dealing with this stuff so much easier, even if every other circumstance was the same.

He has to share Steve, though, and today he’s sharing him with Steve’s work until four o’clock.

It’s fine.

He can wait until four.

The older two girls got off their bus at half-past three, and, seriously, someone must have put something in the water this morning because they are in rare goddamn form today. If Hazel alone was bad, all three of them together were…well, thrice that. It’s like the universe said I see your bad day and I raise you three elementary schoolers hitting their peak annoyance thresholds simultaneously.

And it’s not like Eddie can even fucking fold, either.

It’s cold and kind of windy outside, which is Eddie’s least favorite weather and he’d thought maybe the girls would want to go right inside, but no. Of course they want to dig out the chalk that got stashed away in the garage last fall, and while Eddie is stuck shivering outside breaking up dumb arguments about who’s allowed to use which colors (he figured the answer was an obvious everyone, but apparently that’s incorrect), Steve leaves a message saying he tacked on an emergency session onto the end of his day and now he’s not out until five.

Eddie doesn’t hear it until he’s back inside, obviously, but when he does it’s like someone ran a whole fucking dagger through his chest.

He’s halfway through making dinner when Steve gets home (he’d actually be done making dinner if the pot of water hadn’t boiled off while he’d dealt with yet another stupid argument), and he drops everything to meet him at the door.

It’s like Steve can tell in an instant the kind of day Eddie had.

“What happened?” he asks as he toes off his shoes.

Eddie shakes his head, “Everything…nothing…I don’t even know. Just…one of those days.”

Steve nods his understanding, and as soon as he’s got his coat hung up he’s pulling Eddie into a hug.

It ends up being kind of a bone-crushing one — that’s on Eddie, though. He’d just fucking needed it. He knows he’d needed it when Steve’s arms tighten around his shoulders and he feels that much better.

“You okay?” Steve asks without letting him go, the breath of his words hitting warm against Eddie’s neck.

“Just tired,” he answers.

Steve pulls away.

“You can take a break, Ed,” he says, and there’s something in his eyes – not concern, exactly, but more like awareness, “I’ll be up in a bit.”

Eddie just nods and heads for the stairs. As he goes, he faintly hears Steve asking, “What the hell did you guys do to Dad today?”, followed by the girls’ defensive protests.

In their room, Eddie makes it through one full rerun of Star Trek and then the first few minutes of a second before Steve joins him.

He notices that it’s quiet downstairs for the first time that evening, and he tries not to take it too personally. He’s always been comfortable in the knowledge that Steve might be better at the whole parenting thing than him (psych degrees and all that), but, shit, if he’s that much better…

“What’d you do, strangle them?” Eddie asks as Steve swaps his jeans out for a pair of faded plaid pajama pants.

“No, I told them that if I hear a single peep in the next hour I’m beheading all their stuffed animals.”

Eddie blinks.

Okay, maybe better isn’t exactly the right word.

“So they’re on verbal lockdown, basically,” Steve finishes.

“Jesus Christ, Steve,” Eddie shakes his head, “You’re kind of crazy.”

“Yeah, well, you were always gonna rub off on me one of these days — don’t.”

And Eddie couldn’t help the way he threw his head back and laughed.

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aschen-kiln · 27 days

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Someone write this please

I want a fic where Robin is adopted.

The only parents she has ever known are her own and the only time being adopted has ever bothered her was when Amanda St. James made fun of her for it in the third grade. But Robin told her that at least her parents wanted her and were not just stuck with her like Amanda’s parents, “And maybe that’s why your Mom and Dad are so unhappy all the time.”

She got in trouble for making Amanda cry and went back to never thinking about her birthparents. She had no interest in knowing anything about them and it stayed like that until she turned sixteen.

On her sixteenth birthday, her mom gave her a letter written to her by her birthmother. Robin doesn’t read it immediately, but eventually gives in to her own curiosity. She reads it over twice before her mind snags on a sentence, ‘I wanted to give you and your brother a better life…’ … you and your brother…. You and your brother…. You and-

“I have a brother.”

This eats at Robin, especially after her dad’s call to the adoption agency goes nowhere. It eats at her so much that she finally gives in – Fred Benson swears up and down that Nancy Wheeler is the best investigator on the school paper – and asks for help.

Nancy says yes and is maybe a little too invested in finding the truth, but honestly, Robin is having fun and she wants to find her apparent twin. She wants to know about his life. Settle the whole nurture over nature thing.

They hit a lot of walls, a lot of dead ends. They break a few rules and maybe commit a felony. They enlist Jonathan Byers to help and even Eddie Munson at one point because he knows how to pick locks, and it’s all for nothing.

One day when they have everything they’ve found spread out across the Wheeler’s dining room table, Steve comes over to pick up Dustin. He looks down at the whole mess and points at her birth certificate like, “Hey, we were born on the same day.”

#steve harrington #robin buckley #stranger things #siblings stobin

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aschen-kiln · 27 days

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Oh gods. What the actual fuck.

Where is the follow-up ? Where is the COMFORT ? Oh gods you can't do this to us

Ring

Warning: Angst, post breakup, Eddie's a little mean

"I see you moved on from freaky little Munson the minute you got the first chance on a better deal Harrington,"

The night is dark, his porch is wet from the earlier rain and a man he hasn't seen in years is currently swaying on the steps.

Steve's anger, long buried, bubbles to the top. For years he'd swallowed that acidic anger, pushed down, ignored like a simmering volcano ready to blow.

Years of shoving all of that down and now the thing that pushes the magma to boiling is one drunk Eddie Munson, showing up on his doorstep, three years after he'd disappeared disappeared like a ghost from Steve's life.

"What. the. fuck."

It burned, the magma boiling up, like the time he'd tried to swig the shit tequila straight from the bottle at Robin's.

Eddie swayed in the frame, eyes half lid and red, eyeliner a mass of webs down his cheeks and hair sweaty and limp, sticking to the sides of his face.

Steve hated that even like this, even looking this fucking shit, Eddie could still make his heart ache.

"Saw your little beau, pretty fella, smart-dressed and all preppy," he slurred, bottle in hand clinking against the wooden frame.

"What the fuck are you doing here Eddie?" Steve says, refusing to play this game. Eddie snorts, uglily.

"Talkin' bout your new butt boy, new pretty thing, that sandy haired y-youngin' you've 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 up with," Eddie sneers, it's ugly, so fucking ugly and Steve does not know what karmic retribution he's deserved to be witness to it. "Thought you'd be with J-whatever her face by now,"

"Not that it would be 𝗮𝗻𝘆 of your business what the fuck I did or who the fuck I do in my life, if you're talking about Gabriel, I should punch your lights out," Steve bites out.

"Why s'at? huh? So protective over your sweet- 𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙥

Steve's hand stung from the impact, but the stunned look on Eddie's face soothed it, if only a little. Steve hated violence, but he also hated Eddie right now. "Gabriel is my junior coach, he is Robin's baby cousin,

Eddie stares at him, bottled hand pressed to his face. His eyes are blown wide now, stunned into some sobriety. "It is none of your fucking business who I have in my life and this... what ever the fuck this is can get the fuck off my front porch,"

"I'll call you a cab and you can get to Nancy's so that you don't die in a ditch, but I need you to leave, what the fuck Eddie," Steve doesn't realise that his cheeks are wet, doesn't realise that he's panting or that his chest is so tight he feels like he might stop breathing.

"Steve..." Eddie tries, voice less harsh, softer now.

"You walked away from me, you took your shit and fucked the fuck off out of my life Eddie you DO NOT get to do this to me, the 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 time I see you after THREE years and it's drunk and accusing? Where the fuck do you get off Munson,"

For the first time since he'd opened the door Steve could see the Eddie he'd known. Sheepish and embarassed, it was a look he'd seen so many times before in the two years they'd had together.

"I only left before you left,"

What.

"What," he said out loud, voice hoarse in disbelief.

"I only left before you left me, because you were going to leave eventually. Going to leave me and have your Winnebago dreams with whoever Jess or Jessy was on that fucking ring anyway, so why the fuck wouldn't I have left Steve. What happened to her huh?" that sneer is back, even if it's less, muted. The bitterness of Eddie thinking he's owed something is there.

Steve has only ever been this furious once before and that had been because Dustin had tried something so dumb he almost died.

This anger, this furious rage that's been eating at his tomach is now scorching magma in his veins. The burning flame of a thousand suns rages in him as he says:

"Jessy was my grandmother."

It comes out like a firey whip and Steve can see exactly when it hits Eddie. It cracks across him like a real whip would and Eddie is knocked back, staggered by the statement.

It comes out of Steve with every bitter aciding feeling he's ever had for the last three years like the bit of a cat-o-nine-tails.

Eddie's eyes struggle to focus, brain still processing. But Steve can't stop it now, wants to hit harder. "Jessy was the only person in my life who loved me as much as my mother does, she was my everything when I was a child, and so I had her ring enlarged,"

Eddie's mouth opens, flaps uselessly as his eyes crumble in realisation.

"Had it resized to a men's size 9," Steve spits, angry and so fucking tired. Three years he'd cried, ring in hand, sitting now in the bottom of his closet. Three years he'd waited for anything.

Only to get 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴.

Eddie's mouth keeps flapping in disbelief, his eyes more red than they'd been before, arms hanging uselessly by his side.

"I don't know what I did Eddie to have made you distrust me so much you didn't even want to ask me what it meant, to even talk to me,"

"I'm size 9," Eddie says hoarsely.

Steve sucks in a shuddering breath. He can see Eddie trying to reach for him and the flinch back he does isn't even spiteful, just reflex.

"Yeah, what other fucking dude was I in love with back then huh Eddie?" Steve heaves another wet breath, swallows and says "It was always you Eddie, it's only ever been you,"

Steve scrubs his face. "I'm calling a car. You're taking it, and you're going to Nancy's and I hope you have a nice life Munson."

Steve looks at him, hair floppy and miserable, big eyes red and begging and closes the door, just like Eddie had three years ago.

---

I may or may not fix this, because I don't usually do hurt no comfort. But for now, it's pain. Enjoy?

#steddie #eddie munson #steve harrington #angst #breakup #steve and eddie #steve x eddie #theewrites

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aschen-kiln · 28 days

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Thinking about Dustin after Eddie's gone. Angry. Upset and nowhere for it to go he turns on the brother he still has and in an argument turns around and says "If you'd killed Vecna properly and come back sooner maybe he'd still be alive,"

Steve leaves, without a word.

Disappears for a week.

They're all frantic, and even though none of them blame him, Dustin blames himself, for letting his stupid mouth come first.

Until they're all at the Byers planning a search for Steve and there's a knock.

Dustin opens it to a bloodied Steve, one eye shut bruised to all fuck, and someone slung over his shoulder.

Someone with curly hair and a puffy green vest.

"Went back for the body, found him uh… alive? I think? Did it properly this time," Steve says hoarsely.

Dustin will remember to never say anything shit to Steve again. He'll never give him shit, he'll hug him till he gets sick of it.

Because Steve deserves so much better for how little he gets.

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aschen-kiln · 28 days

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the role of the person in the passenger seat is not only navigator but secretary as well. you have to type up the drivers messages to random ladies on facebook about cbd cream & google whether that billy joel song was the theme song for that show or not

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aschen-kiln · 29 days

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Oh my. Better play dead !

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aschen-kiln · 1 month

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Eddie, giving his followers way too much information: I love my husband but one time after we had sex, he gave me a thumbs up and then left for work. And that haunts me.

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aschen-kiln · 1 month

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Eddie posts a Tiktok that’s just a shot of Steve standing at their front door talking with someone you can’t see. You can hear Steve say, “Disrespectfully, Dan. I’m not doing to do that and if you ask me again, i’m going to walk across the street into your driveway, and then I’m going to break my own leg, and then I’m going to call my lawyer and sue you for all your worth. Get off my property.”

The caption says, ‘my husband is a bitch and I love him so much.’

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aschen-kiln · 1 month

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Steve grows up playing piano, absolutely hates it, but is so good at it. His parents aren’t around enough by the time he’s a teen to force him to his practices, so he slowly stops going.

His music teacher happens to be Robin’s mom, who studied at Juilliard, and traveled for nearly a decade with various orchestras and bands before settling down with her husband in Hawkins.

She can see what’s going on with Steve from day one, but knows better than to interfere.

Until he quits.

She can’t stand by and let someone so musically gifted give it up.

She shows up at his house with a violin, her own violin that she hadn’t used in years.

He’s hesitant at first, but decides to give it a try as long as she doesn’t tell his parents. The last thing he wants is for them to find out he picked up a new instrument.

She can’t give him official lessons, so she shows up to his house twice a week and hopes that he practices in his own time.

He’s a natural.

He takes to it like a duck to water.

She encourages him to perform in a local talent show, all kids under 18, most of them not half as talented as he is.

He only agrees when she says she’ll be front row.

And sure enough, for once in his life, someone shows up when they say they will. She’s sitting front row with her husband on one side and her daughter on the other. She smiles as he takes the stage, nervous about people who know him seeing him and reporting back to his parents.

He performs with heart, something he lacked with the piano. He performs with talent, something he may have with any instrument he picks up.

But most importantly, he plays with a smile. He’s having fun.

He sticks around to watch some of the other people performing: Tammy Thompson singing a very out of tune rendition of America The Beautiful, some kid from one of his classes playing piano miserably, and some band performing very loud, very angry music.

Steve wins, and for once, it feels better than when he wins at a swim meet or basketball game.

He spends the next three years secretly practicing, only performing in shows out of town, never saying anything to his parents.

He doesn’t want them to ruin this for him.

He applies to Juilliard, not thinking he has a chance in hell, not with his academic grades.

Luckily, they see that he’s “exceptional with the strings” and “plays with emotion that can’t be trained.”

He gets in.

He goes.

He thinks he may actually be able to do this, use a gift he has to make his life better.

His parents even find it acceptable, mostly because he got into the best school he could have. They still don’t bother showing up for his shows, but Mrs. Buckley always finds a way.

In his sophomore year, Robin gets in, and they both move into a small apartment off campus together. He promised to look out for her.

She tells him that music wasn’t really her passion, she was just good with a trumpet. She really wanted to be an engineer.

In his junior year, Robin transfers to Columbia, starts doing what she really wanted to do from the start. He’s proud of her, but misses having someone on campus during the day to have lunch with.

Until he stumbles, literally, into someone vaguely familiar.

“Sorry, man. Running late.”

Steve pats the man on the shoulder and turns to get to his class when the man stops him.

“Harrington? You’re a student here?”

He turns back and finally recognizes the man in front of him.

“Munson? When did you get here?”

“I got in this year. Kinda fucked up my first audition last year and they were kind enough to give me another shot.” Eddie smiled. “What on earth are you here for?”

“Violin. You?”

“Guitar and songwriting.”

“That’s great, man. I’m just really running late. Catch up soon?”

Soon was two weeks later, when Steve ran into Eddie again while leaving class.

“We should probably stop running into each other like this,” Eddie smirked. “The universe is trying to tell us something.”

“What’s it trying to tell us?”

“Not sure. Maybe we should go grab dinner and find out.”

“Now?”

“Why not? Got better plans?”

Steve thought about how Robin was barely at the apartment due to studying for midterms. He thought about how his only other friend from here was busy rehearsing for their senior showcase.

“Nah. Let me bring this home first,” he held up his violin case. “Actually.”

Steve was on a budget. His parents gave him money, sure, but they thought he was living on campus so the money they sent covered rent and groceries and nothing else.

“I could make dinner. If you want?”

“Steve Harrington cooks? And plays violin?” Eddie fake swooned. “Be still my beating heart. How will I not be seduced?”

Steve rolled his eyes. He remembered Eddie’s dramatics from school and knew better than to feed into them.

“I can make some spaghetti. Nothing fancy.”

“Spaghetti sounds great,” Eddie’s fake swoon turned to a soft smile. “You want some help?”

Steve didn’t need help, usually didn’t even want any.

But something about the way his stomach dipped when Eddie stepped closer, and the way he thought about having Eddie in his apartment, made him agree.

“Sure.”

They walked to Steve’s apartment in a comfortable silence, though Eddie kept tapping the back of his fingers against Steve’s hand.

Eddie fit next to Steve. They cooked together, they ate together, they even managed to clean up together. It was easy to find something to talk about. He’d never clicked with anyone like this, not even Robin.

By the time Robin came home, Steve and Eddie were both passed out on the couch, fingers laced together as if they hadn’t been brave enough to do anything more before they fell asleep.

By morning, Steve’s head was on Eddie’s shoulder, Eddie’s arm wrapped around him loosely.

Waking up to a soft kiss on his lips was something Steve couldn’t have imagined when he first ran into Eddie, but he was pretty glad it was how he started his day.

And almost every day after that, whether he woke up to a kiss, or met up with Eddie on campus for a kiss, he started his day with love on his lips.

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aschen-kiln · 1 month

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je suis sick of this shit

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aschen-kiln · 1 month

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Steve and Eddie get a little studio apartment in the queer section of the city, by virtue of Steve getting hired as the building’s handyman. Half the residents are drag queens and there are RULES.

They can flirt with Steve all day long. Eddie (literally) will hiss and spit like a jealous cat, all red faced and pouting, which is INCREDIBLY entertaining. While the flirting is harmless, Steve’s pleased smile about how possessive Eddie is over him can melt the most cynical old queen’s heart. (They all think a lil “you’re welcome, Steve” for getting Eddie all riled up ever night.)

However, anyone who flirts with Eddie better be prepared. Steve’s glare is cold and cutting, and the silence after is worse. And if you piss him off enough, Steve is all for revenge. Better hope your toilet does clog or your sink keeps draining. Worst case is he’ll MAKE issues for you, until you make it up to him. And the only way to do that is to go support Eddie’s underground metal band and spend your hard earned money on his merch. (Eddie thinks Steve being a stone cold jealous bitch is hot.)

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aschen-kiln · 1 month

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Famous musician with three daughters under the age of seven Eddie Munson hears that they’re making a Barbie movie and offers/peer pressures his agent to get him presented to the production team as a potential songwriter for the soundtrack. He meets with the team, and eventually the cast, and they all hit it off, and he writes and plays on the eventually award-winning song “I’m Just Ken.”

When he gets asked about whether or not it was hard to write this song, especially since it’s so different from Corroded Coffin’s usual output, he always laughs and says it was easy because he’s got a hell of a Barbie at home that he lives to worship.

(Which the internet finds hilarious because his Barbie is certified Normal Guy and Hot Dad Steve Harrington.)

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aschen-kiln · 2 months

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"Valentines Day is a capitalistic scam made to sell chocolate and flowers!" Eddie Munson bellowed, leaping to the top of a cafeteria table not even ten minutes into lunch.

"Do you think he was born like this, or just dropped on his head as a baby?" Heather asked, rolling her eyes as the super senior began waving his arms around, getting way too into his annual “anti-valentines day” rant.

Steve, who'd tuned out the dramatics in favor of trying to figure out how he could ditch school, only heard her because she’d begun running her foot up his leg.

Directly in front of Patrick.

As if half the school didn’t know he planned on asking her out after school.

Long over being a part of these kinds of games, Steve kicked out, forcing Heather’s leg off his.

He did it harder than he intended and immediately winced, as if he hadn’t meant to do it at all. Aimed a sad little look at her, softening his eyes in the way he knew ladies loved while murmuring a quiet "sorry.”

A pudding cup was offered as an additional apology--which Heather, thankfully, accepted.

Crisis averted, Steve used the movement of handing the cup over to get his legs well out of Heather's range. He had other things to think about today, and getting drawn into whatever drama Heather was trying to brew wasn’t on the list.

Particularly given the basketball team as a unit had started snubbing him out.

"Newsflash ladies! Your man isn't taking you to some shitty restaurant because he loves you, he's doing it because he hopes you'll give it to him in your car!" Munson continued, voice growing impossibly louder.

A crude gesture followed, involving hip thrusts and hand jabs.

Several of the cheerleaders shot him disgusted looks as he did it.

"Definitely dropped on his head." Carol said, glaring at Munson as his little group of freaks and geeks cheered him. "More than once."

Steve hummed an agreement, more on automatic than from actually listening. He knew how to look like he was paying attention, even if his head was deep in possible escape plans.

If he dipped at the last minute to the bathroom on the way to fifth period, Tommy wouldn't have time to stop him and he could make a break for his car…

That just left making up a plausible enough excuse as to why thee Steve Harrington, whose single status was the current hot topic of the school, left school early on Valentines Day.

("Candy, sex, the overwhelming affection of all the ladies." Tommy drawled out that morning, practically preening. "Valentine's Day is the best holiday man. Just look at all this!"

He waved a hand at his locker, which was absolutely covered in paper hearts.

"The rally squad put hearts on the lockers of everyone on the basketball team, Tommy." Carol argued, rolling her eyes. "Steve’s is practically buried in them.”

Tommy opened his mouth to respond, no doubt with something else teasing and rude, but Carol’s elbow caught him in the gut first.

“If you keep acting like this you're not getting any sex." She warned.

"Aww baby, don't be like that. You know you're the only one for me." Tommy teased, with a wink that prompted Carol to smack him on the shoulder.

Laughing, he added: "Besides we can't fight or we'll miss our favorite game. Which poor gal thinks this year is the year Steve will take her out on a date!"

Carol allowed Tommy to put an arm over her shoulder, the two of them turning knowing grins on their friend as a singular unit.

Even if Steve hadn’t felt like their friend in a hot minute.

Not in the way he used to.

"I do love watching them stutter through their little confessions.” Carol admitted, like this wasn’t something they’d loved doing since middle school. “I wonder if anyone will ever top Cindy Komer."

Steve almost wasn't fast enough to cover his wince--that particular incident had been painful for him and Cindy.

Steve still had no idea what he'd said to make the then-freshman cry.

He thought he'd been nice about turning her down, but judging by Carol constantly quoting what he'd said, Steve had a feeling he'd accidentally been an asshole again.

Not that anyone ever thought it was accidental.

“Steve? Hel~lo? Are you listening?” Carol said, snapping to get his attention and God did Steve hate that.

Never realized just how much until Nancy but after she’d pointed out that Carol treated him and Tommy both like her dogs, well.

It was hard not to notice--and be a bit resentful.

“God you keep doing this, you’re turning into such a space case.” Carol continued, the edge back in her voice. The same one she’d been using for a while, like Steve was on her last nerve. “Please tell me you’re not still mooning over Nancy fucking Wheeler.”

“No.” He snapped, only to know instantly that was the wrong move, and try to fix it before Carol blew up. “No--I’ve just already had to fend someone off today. Like first thing--I was barely out of my car.”

There, that should keep Carol and Tommy both off his back for being “angry” and it wasn’t even a lie. He really had been asked out earlier, though the girl had been gracious about his rejection.

Of course, this kind of instant redirection came with a price--and in this case, it was being absolutely hounded for more information.

“Oh shit who!? Was it that Buckley girl?” Carol perked up immediately, like a hunting dog scenting prey. “I swear she stares holes in your head, she’s so weird…” )

"This isn't about romance! It's about showing who has the most cash, gets the most sex! It's a pathetic social ritual you're all falling for!” Munson yelled, jolting Steve back into the present. “I bet none of you even enjoy it!”

"Tell that to all the girls Steve’s dated!” One of the younger basketball guys hollered, prompting a wave of laughter from the rest of the cafeteria. “They seem to enjoy it plenty!”

Steve couldn’t see who had said it, and should have felt the normal wave of smug warmth that the team had his back.

Except his team had already proven they didn’t.

Were in fact, siding more and more with Hargrove, just as Tommy was.

They were rapidly approaching a watershed moment. Steve could feel it, the same way he’d always been able to tell when a crowd was about to turn.

He was losing, but was still on top of Hawkins social spaces enough, had caught it early enough, that he could turn everyone’s favor--if he wanted.

Emphasis on ‘if.’

Munson spun to face his table, hair whipping to smack him in the face. The guy had clearly been trying to grow it out, but right now he looked like one of those poodles Carol's mom loved so much.

So said Carol, anyway.

"You sure about that?" Munson challenged, a crazed grin breaking across his face. "Rumor has it King Steve lost his groove ever since Wheeler dumped him!"

Steve grimaced, though he was secretly thankful Munson went with "dumped" instead of "cheated on" (or any of the other vile words Billy had flung around, spreading across the school in the sick, crawling way rumors moved.

Hargrove had been positively brutal about the whole Jonathan and Nancy thing, and the only reason he wasn't here now to spin this whole situation against Steve was because the guy always vanished at lunch.)

Tommy's face morphed into an affronted snarl, hands slapping down on the table. He turned expectantly to Steve, waiting for "The King" to get up and "handle" Munson.

Like Steve even cared about this dumb high school shit anymore.

It took him a moment to realize Steve wasn’t planning on doing anything. Was in fact, going to remain perfectly quiet, other than an eyeroll and half-assed middle finger in Munson’s direction.

Tommy let out a disgusted scoff in his direction and then decided to handle things himself.

(Like that had ever been a good idea.)

“Shut up, Freak. The only game you have is in the prison showers.” He snapped, half rising from the table. “Isn’t that why you keep your hair long? So all the boys will actually fuck you?!”

Whistles and yells lit the air, though Steve didn’t miss how the girls at the table looked taken aback at the sheer vitriol in Tommy’s voice.

Even Carol looked startled, eyes sliding to meet Steve’s as if to confirm she hadn’t just imagined it.

The three of them had always been good at this kind of mindless high school banter, but this over the top, crude shit?

It wasn’t Tommy’s style.

It was Hargrove’s.

(That was its own growing issue.

The way Tommy was gravitating towards Billy.

How Carol kept expecting Steve to act like he used to.

That she blamed his “outbursts” on Nancy, snidely mentioning that Steve had better have learned his lesson about “changing his personality for pussy.”

Even now Steve knew they were only defending him because Munson was the one saying it.)

“I didn’t realize Harrington still had his attack dog!”

Munson put a hand against his heart as though injured, staggering dramatically backwards.

“I thought you were too busy putting your tongue up Hargrove’s ass to bark at people!”

Tommy immediately fired back, letting loose an uninspired string of curse words and something about Eddie being queer again. Steve didn’t hear the specifics--didn’t care to hear it, even as things started to spiral out of control.

All he wanted to do was go home.

Ideally before Billy got back from lunch and decided to make a spectacle himself, because Steve could feel that coming just as he could everything else.

He was running out of time to come up with an excuse to get out of here without making a production out of it, and Munson wasn’t someone he wanted to piss off today, given he’d half hoped to buy weed off the guy before he ditched.

…Which was looking more and more unlikely given Tommy had just screeched some insult that had put Munson’s sights back on Steve.

“You sure? Cause Harrington looks like he’s just gonna sit there and take it, just like he takes everything Hargrove and Wheeler and anyone else throws at him.”

He leered, leaning forward as if to see into Steve’s very soul.

“I don’t know if anyone else has noticed, but our beloved King here hasn’t exactly been defending his crown. If anything, he’s abandoned it.”

The world stopped.

This was the first time someone actually called him out on the fact that he often let whatever crap Billy spewed go. That Nancy and him had a few awkward encounters publicly, with at least one of them starting a rumor that she’d told Steve to fuck off.

(She hadn’t of course, but Carol had stopped running damage control, and Steve was feeling the effects of her ire.)

Silence echoed, and Steve realized with a dawning sort of horror, that Munson was waiting for a response from him.

Just as the entire cafeteria was.

The catalyst was here, brought on early by one Edward Munson.

With a startling amount of clarity, Steve realized he was done.

With his so called friends, with the girls who’d tried corning him all morning, with Hargrove and just--everything.

He was over it.

If Billy wanted the crown so bad he could fucking have it.

(If Tommy wanted to pretend he was tougher than he was by mimicking the dick, then he could have that too.)

“This is stupid.” Steve announced, dropping the masks he so carefully wore. The ones he kept having to fix, because the Upside Down and its related demons (human and non) kept taking chunks out of it.

He stood, feeling the weight of the room press down on him as he faced them all down.

“Yeah--!” Tommy started to pile on, seeming to think Steve was about to unleash hell, and got the surprise of a lifetime when Steve turned and jammed a finger in his face.

“Shut up.” He snapped.

Knew instantly he only got away with it by the fact that he’d caught everyone off guard.

King Steve did a lot of things, but he rarely blew up.

“This is stupid.” He reiterated, voice booming across the lunch room, “ You wanna fight? Fine, but leave me out of it.”

“The King doesn’t want to play? Why I never thought we’d see the day!” Munson clucked his tongue, and without missing a beat Steve turned to him.

“For someone who is always screaming about nonconformity, you sure are happy to attack anyone who doesn’t do what you want.”

Steve’s voice was loud, but he wasn’t screaming. Wasn’t yelling or throwing his arms around.

He didn’t need to. Had never needed to.

“I heard you going off on that guy whose lunch you're standing on yesterday, because he wanted to watch the Colts play.” Steve continued, voice cold. “Half of your friends are terrified of you, because you’ll scream at them just like you accuse us of doing--and let’s be real here, Munson, you do it more.”

In a dramatic move that absolutely, 100% came from Dustin and his theatrics, Steve shrugged his letterman jacket off and bunched it into a ball.

“You might as well crown yourself King, because you’re the exact same as the rest of us. Here--you can start with this.”

Cocking back an arm, Steve let the jacket fly. Watched with everyone else as it landed neatly right at Eddie’s feet.

Shell shocked, Munson’s eyes drifted from Steve down to the letterman jacket and back. They were massive, those stupid eyes of his, but at least it meant Steve could see the realization wash over the guy in real time.

Steve should have felt smug about it. His past self would have.

Presently?

He just felt tired.

“You’re welcome to jam it up your ass.” He finished, before giving his own sarcastic half bow to the room.

The cafeteria was dead silent. Not a fork was scraped, or a loud piece of chip chewed. All eyes were on Steve, some waiting to see if Eddie would let him have the last word, others just shocked to see Steve lose his shit in front of them.

Idiot he was, he tried to rally anyway.

Even Tommy, who’d partly stood up, hands pressed against the lunch table looked shocked.

“What the fuck Steve!?” He sputtered, and it wasn’t long before half the basketball team was muttering similar remarks.

They were ignored.

Whispers ripped across the room when Steve turned on his heel, striding towards the exit and making it clear things were over, but Tommy didn’t give up.

“Fuck you Harrington!” He hurled at his back, Carol now standing and placing a restraining hand on his arm. “You’re not fucking better than any of us!”

Steve didn’t even look back.

"That's my point Tommy." Steve said, loud enough to be heard. "No one is better than anyone else. You lot are all just buying into your own bullshit.”

Then he was slamming through the doors, and out into the sunlight.

xXx

He didn’t want to go home.

Not anymore, which was ironic in a way that made Steve’s face screw up in a grimace.

Here he’d been dying to go to his stupid house all day, and now, after losing his shit and undoubtedly, the last of his social standing, he just didn’t feel like being by himself.

All alone, in a house too big for him, full of nothing but dark corners and a phone that never rang.

So instead, he wandered, reminiscing on how Valentine's Day used to be his favorite day of the year.

Steve loved the gesture of it all--the romance, the wooing. The butterflies floating in one's stomach, mixing with fear of rejection and a burning kind of hope towards starting something new.

Of course, Steve also had always had a girl in mind, when he celebrated. Now, after Nancy…

He did not.

It felt weird to go to Skull Rock--the place he himself had made into Hawkins hottest makeout spots. Likewise all the local restaurants were off limits--too many adults knew how much he loved the holiday.

Steve didn’t want to face that. The expectations, the knowing winks that would slide into uncomfortable frowns. Any possible advice given wouldn’t be appreciated, and the last thing Steve wanted was to get the “everyone has an off season, son” speech.

So he’d stayed away from his usual haunts. Explored some storefronts instead, the Beamer parked in front of Family Video as he wandered.

Had an entirely too peaceful two hours, which of course, meant he had to bump into someone.

At least, Steve thought dully, whole body tensing in preparation, it was Munson.

Not Hargrove, or Tommy, or hell--the children, demanding he help them fight some other fucked up creature the government had accidentally summoned.

“Hey Harrington.” Munson said, and it took a moment for Steve to realize the guy was embarrassed. “I uh, I need to talk to you.”

Steve just stared at him.

“If you couldn’t tell from earlier,” He warned, “I’m a little done talking for today.”

Or any day, for the foreseeable future.

“Yeah no--I, I got that. I--okay.” Eddie stopped rocking on his heels, before giving his entire body a shake, like the guys sometimes did while prepping for a game. “Hear me out, and then you can deck me or leave or whatever makes you feel better.”

“I’m not going to deck you.” Steve said, exasperated and frazzled and not wanting to do this whole song and dance a second time.

Not that it mattered, because Munson had already launched right into whatever it was he needed to say.

“There’s this book right? My Uncle got it for me. It’s a fantasy book all about this big battle and there’s these wizards in it, and--” He stopped himself, shaking out his hands.

Like he realized he was rambling and needed the movement to get himself back on track.

“I always--I guess I saw myself as a Gandalf kinda guy? Like I was this shepherd herding these lost sheep. A person who intimately knew all the dark forces of the world and could be a shield for them. Do not pass and all that.”

He chuckled, but it was weak, and he killed it almost immediately.

“...Okay?” Steve said, knowing he was supposed to say something here, even if he had no idea what.

Maybe something about how Gandalf the Grey wasn’t exactly a shepard given he’d led the hobbits straight into Mordor, but saying that meant admitting Steve knew what Lord of the Rings was, which wasn’t a conversation he felt like getting into.

Particularly not because he’d only read the damn things after losing a bet to Dustin and Mike both.

Munson nodded, as if acknowledgement was all he needed.

“I thought that’s what I was doing. I wasn’t and I didn’t realize I wasn’t until you pointed it out. You shouldn’t have had to point it out. You shouldn’t have had to say any of what you did.” He rushed to add, oddly sincere.

"Is this…" Steve might be confused but catching on, an uptick at the corners of his mouth as the tiniest spark of amusement leaked through. "an apology? Are you trying to apologize right now?"

Eddie groaned, flinging his head back. "No!”

Then immediately;

“Actually yes, but--”

Which caught Steve off guard enough that he laughed, and had to hide it with a cough.

“I am sorry, man. I shouldn’t have said that shit about you, especially not about you and Wheeler. It's more than that though.” Munson swallowed, before squaring his shoulders. “It’s that you were right."

“I was right?” Steve repeated dumbly, because fuck, he couldn’t believe it either.

Not that Munson heard him. Eddie always had been hard to stop once he started, and Steve had been in enough classes with the guy to know the train had left the station.

"I did yell at Jeff because he wanted to watch that stupid football game.” He began, and Steve got a front row seat to watch as one Eddie Munson word vomited his way through a myriad of emotions.

“I fuckin’ lost it on Grant because he missed band practice to drive his sister to some thing. Gareth looked like I was going to hit him when I asked if I had really been that bad--same exact look he gave Hagan and those other assholes that cornered him in the bathroom two weeks ago!”

“Tommy did what?”

Steve was promptly ignored.

(Or more likely, Eddie simply didn’t hear him, too lost in his own voice to realize Steve had said something.)

There were a lot of mentions of the Gandalf guy. Where Eddie thought he’d gone wrong, and even something about a glowing eye thing that had Steve a little concerned until he realized Munson was talking about Sauron (and also made Steve realize that he’d been pronouncing Sauron in his head wrong, oops.)

“I called up this friend of mine who graduated. She’s always been no nonsense, so I asked her for her advice.” Munson said, finally seeming to slow down a little. “She told me I might as well eat my own doctrine because I sure wasn’t living by it, and that if I wanted to fix it then I should start by apologizing. To everyone but--to you, first.”

Eddie took a step back, winging out his hands as if to present himself.

“So here I am. Apologizing.”

A pause wherein neither of them did a thing, which caused him to awkwardly add; “To uh, you. Harrington.”

“Yeah I got that.” Steve said, because what else was he supposed to do here? “Good for you? I guess?”

“Most people either forgive a guy or tell him to fuck off.” Munson pouted, and mimicked like he was kicking at a rock.

It made Steve want to laugh again, though he shoved the urge down.

“Someone once told me,” He said instead, speaking slowly to make damn sure he didn’t let slip this piece of advice came from a middle schooler. “that apologies without actions don’t really mean anything. They’re a start--they let people know you’re aware you screwed up, but no one’s going to trust you if you don’t follow through. So I can forgive you, but I think you’re better off doing this with one of your friends.”

Someone who would hug it out, or at least tell Eddie how he could be better, at least.

Rather than argue, Munson just titled his head back, eyes to the sky. Like he was really thinking on the words, before giving a sort of accepting sounding noise.

“Trying too.” Steve admitted with a sigh.

“That’s what you’ve been doing, isn’t it?” He asked, head coming back down so he could stare at Steve.

“The thing in the cafeteria was a good start.”

“Yeah?”

Eddie grinned.

“Yeah. Don’t think Hagan’s gonna see it the same way though.”

“We were falling out anyway.” Steve admitted, and hated how easy it was to say.

That they really were just going through the motions of friendship. Had been, ever since Jonathan had punched Steve in the face.

“Think you lost more than just him as a friend, to be honest.”

“Pro tip about the actions thing, Munson?” Steve said with a snort, once again unsure of where this conversation was going, “Nice people don’t typically point out when someone’s turned into a social pariah.”

“No, I get that. Say,” Eddie’s grin had grown, which Steve would have taken poorly except he invaded Steve’s space with a goofy little hop. “I think you might be in need of some new ones!”

“New…friends?” Steve hesitated, very unsure of what was happening.

Munson promptly stuck his hand out. “Yup! So--hello, my name is Eddie Munson, and I am here to apply for the position as your friend!”

Steve snorted, but the harshness of it was taken away by the grin on his face.

He took Eddie’s hand, noting how doing so made the older teen’s smile widen.

“Nice to meet you Eddie, I’m Steve.”

Excited, Eddie waived their arms up and down, with far more enthusiasm than the gesture required.

“How about we cement our new friendship by renting a truly terrible horror movie and drowning our woes with my other good friend, Mary Jane?”

Then he waggled his eyebrows, like that was something scandalous.

“Tempting me along with weed, huh?” Steve mused back, sticking his hands in his pockets once Eddie let him go. “Guess you’re a little like Gandalf the Gray after all. Just don’t send me on any missions.”

“Steve Harrington.” Eddie gaped, pure delight spreading across his face. “Have you read Lord of the Rings!?”

He got a shrug and a sly; “Maybe.” in response.

It was worth the barrage of questions, even if the rapid fire pace of them nearly gave Steve a headache.

(Just as it was worth it several months later, when Steve was comfortable enough to instigate wrestling matches with Eddie over the dumbest of things.

One particularly semi-drunk tussle over the remote led to an interesting discovery when Eddie popped a boner, and then frantically tried to escape when it brushed against Steve’s leg.

Instead of panicking--or letting Eddie bolt in his panic, Steve just dropped his whole weight down, effectively pinning the slimmer man to the floor.

“Steve.”

Eddie said it so quietly he almost didn’t hear it, the word filled with desperation.

The kind of tone someone whispered a prayer in, a sort of pleading that Eddie did better with his eyes than his voice. Or would have, given his own were firmly scrunched closed the second he realized he’d been caught out.

Except--

“Not right now I’m thinking.” Steve told him absently.

Which he was. Speed thinking even, if that was a thing.

Because if two plus two equaled four (which it did) then feeling the exact same, fluttering excitement about Eddie’s boner as Steve had Nancy’s breasts, equaled…

“The fuck? Steve--”

Steve shushed him.

That pulled a frustrated, embarrassed groan from Eddie that went directly to Steve’s own dick, not that it needed much help waking up.

“I think I’m having one of those crisis’s Robin is always accusing the basketball team of having.” Steve informed Eddie dutifully, the dots done connecting.

Eddie, still refusing to open his eyes, snorted.

“Whatever man. Can you at least be decent and hurry up with the beating? This is embarrassing enough.”

“I’m not going to beat you up.” Steve said, thankful that his brain managed not to add some shitty comment about the entire town being awash in rumors of Eddie’s sexuality. That he’d confirmed it here wasn’t exactly a surprise.

“I’m going to try something. If you don’t like it, let me know.” Streve added, before screwing up his courage and leaning down.

That of course, got Eddie to open his eyes.

“Wha--” He managed, before Steve’s lips were on his.

For one single, blissful moment, Eddie Munson’s mouth was too busy to talk.

“Yeah?” Eddie said, voice wrecked, and oh, Steve liked that.

“Huh.” Steve muttered, when they broke for air. “Well that’s new.”

Liked the way Eddie looked at him more, hesitant, but with heat in his gaze.

Steve had always been good about knowing what to do with heat.

He leaned back down, pecking lightly at Eddie’s lips, and was delighted to find Eddie not only let him, but kissed back.

“Not bad, Munson, but I think I could give you a few pointers.” Steve muttered, nose ghosting alongside Eddie’s. “Let me show you…”

One boyfriend, several weeks, and another interdimensional monster later, Steve found himself socked in the arm by none other than his coworker, Robin Buckley.

In her defense, she’d confessed her love for Tammy Thompson, still somewhat drugged on the Starcourt bathroom floor, only for Steve to tease her that at least his boyfriend could actually sing.

“God you and Eddie Munson.” She muttered after, smile on her face. “How did that happen?”

Steve knocked his shoe into hers, returning the grin unabashedly.

“So remember last Valentines Day?” Steve started, all too eager to finally tell someone who understood about the best thing to ever happen to him.

Robin of course, would soon also be ranked in that same chart, but Eddie didn’t need to know that. )

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