#Starting the Hawkins' Moms Support Club for Steve?

[candied-cae]

And Who Are We At The End Of The World? - Needing To Do Something

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Chapter 7/? - - - Read it on AO3

Word Count : 8,007

Summary: In the aftermath of their first throw down with Vecna, it's time everyone started trying to get ready for "normal" life. Considering normal would mean a state of constant fear for his return to ruin what's left of their broken town. But they've all got to start putting the pieces back together somewhere.

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The rest of the day passed in a bit of a blur for everyone.

Susan stayed with Max in the hospital. She was a wreck as she held her daughter’s hand and just sobbed by herself. Across the hall, Wayne sat in a chair by Eddie and quietly watched over him. It might’ve felt awkward for Steve if he hadn’t practically slept through the whole day. Praise be to good hospital drugs and the doctors who order them. But he wasn’t the only one who practically missed all of Friday. Most of the Party slept the day away at their own homes. Even if they hadn’t missed so many hours over the days they were trying to figure out the Vecna thing, just the day before had been so rough that each of them felt tired all the way to their bones.

While they were all out of commission, the police did their job.

They spoke to Ms. Kelley, who was willing to talk about Chrissy’s panic attacks, hallucinations, and lack of sleep with them. She mentioned how Chrissy never wanted to say much, would outright refuse to say who it was, but always talked about someone important to her saying terrible things. Things that made her believe she’d never be enough. Not pretty enough, not skinny enough, not good enough. Someone she loved making her hate herself.

She had suspected that it was Chrissy’s mother because that’s just the kind of things mothers are so good at doing to their daughters. But, it wasn’t impossible to say that her boyfriend could’ve instilled these same ideas in her. That she could’ve feared him if she wasn’t ‘enough’. They reviewed her files at the school and saw a record of growing anxiety and fear right there in ink.

They stopped by Gareth, Jeff, and Bruce’s houses. Each of them confirmed what happened when Jason and his lackeys showed up at their band rehearsal. It all happened exactly as Lucas had said it did, and their families assured that they haven’t seen any of the kids in the Party come to see the boys or call their houses. So it was unlikely they’d have been able to make up the story and tell them what to say. And Gareth still had marks on his hand from Jason’s shoes that were pretty damning.

After that, they tracked down Andy. Found him alone, licking his wounds, back at Benny’s with the very same black eye Erica had promised them. They had him recount how pissed Jason was when Eddie joked at the basketball team’s expense in the cafeteria. And how Jason behaved when Chrissy didn’t show up for the afterparty. Admitted that, the next morning, when he made a joke about the body of a Hawkins student found on the news being Chrissy, Jason didn’t have a single thing to say about it. And he confirmed the night at Lover’s Lake that he was still going through Reefer Rick’s things when he heard all the commotion outside and couldn't go on the record for what happened to Patrick.

They even went to what was left of the Creel House. It was a complete devastation of debris. Like someone had ripped it apart right down the middle and everything has just kept caving in since. But they brought in excavators, and they started to uncover a lot more evidence. They found Jason’s body practically buried under the foundation with a lamp that must’ve nearly burned right through him from the looks of it. Along with various blood-splattered boards which later matched Jason, Lucas, and Max’s samples. They even found the gun Jason had bought, covered in his prints and missing two bullets, as well as a crushed Walkman with a Kate Bush tape.

Every little detail matched what the kids had said.

They might’ve not been able to find perfect evidence that Jason killed Chrissy… but they put together a lot more of the story. And everything that came to light, along with Jason’s unaccounted-for time, did point towards a very different answer than they had been expecting. When they took a look from this angle and noted: Jason’s pious rallying, the manhunt he initiated, on top of Max’s identical injuries, and the proof of Lucas's fight with him? All of it led to an explanation that Jason was an emotionally abusive partner, with something of a god complex, and skill with leading mob-like - or cult-like - behavior.

When that blend of superiority was butted against Eddie’s “I don’t give a fuck about your social hierarchy” attitude? When he was otherwise an undisputed king of the high school to everyone but 'The Freak'? That bred a lot of rage. And when Chrissy came to Eddie for weed to help her escape her boyfriend’s demand for perfection, Jason was so enraged that he broke into Eddie’s trailer, killed her for the treachery, and tried to kill Eddie until he ran off. He probably heard about the Victor Creel killings when he was younger and, when he was blind with fury, they served as an inspiration for the kind of pain he could inflict on someone.

From there, Jason killed Freddie for investigating the murder when he went off alone. Nancy might’ve even been next if she wasn’t busy talking to Wayne Munson and stuck with the police after. Then he killed Patrick for getting in the way of Eddie when he changed his mind. And finally, he chased down Lucas for leaving their side and helping Eddie, nearly killing Max as his revenge against him.

It made sense. And it meant that they almost ruined Eddie Munson’s life because things got out of hand too fast. They wouldn’t be able to officially close down the case and make a statement until they could actually talk to the guy, but it was looking like they’d be able to drop the charges on Eddie as long as his answers matched up.

The police still didn’t like how weird all the murders were. The level of cruelty and disfigurement while leaving no fingerprints or bruising… it was still incredibly weird and didn’t seem like anything that could be possible. But the mortician said, even though he couldn’t figure it out, that the science is always evolving.

“This could be something that makes more sense in the next five years than it does right now”, they excused. And so Powell didn’t worry himself with it beyond that. Decided it was something he didn’t need to understand today.

By the end of March 28th, the world was quiet for what felt like the first time all week for any of the members of the Party.

When morning breaks on Saturday the 29th though, Steve finds it quite loud again. A nurse was at his door bright and early to decide if he was really going to get to leave that day. She poked and prodded and asked way too many questions. Then she called in a doctor, who did the very same poking and prodding and asking. When they were satisfied, they handed him a plastic bag with the clothes he’d come in wearing, but then the clock struck 8 am. And Dustin and his mother arrived.

The boy was in another graphic tee under an open button-up but was missing his current favorite hat, the Thinking Cap. His mother, on the other hand, was in a long dress. It was a pale lilac color, covered with floral patterns, with a necklace and big earrings that matched.

There was less poking and prodding from these two, but they did deliver another barrage of questions when Steve just wanted to get dressed back into his gross clothes from two days ago because it would at least be an improvement upon the robe he was wearing.

He pulled on his WarZone branded get-up - even though it smelled like something he’d rather throw in the wash than wear - except for the brown leather jacket. He didn’t put that piece on. When he looked at it, he saw the dried, crusting blood. It wasn’t even just on the inside from his own injuries. The back was splashed with it.

From Eddie.

Eddie, who was still unconscious.

The doctor said it wasn’t anything to get worked up about yet. His body had been through a lot of stress and just needed more time to rest before he’d be ready to get up. Which was probably a good thing anyway since he couldn’t mess up his stitches if he wasn’t moving around.

Either way, the thought of putting back on the jacket stained with Eddie’s blood churned something in the pit of Steve’s stomach. He chose to shove the thing back into the plastic bag and try not to think about it. He fished his watch out of the sack and put it on his wrist before pitifully looking at the state of himself in the mirror. He’d gone ahead and cleaned himself up a bit the previous day between his naps, but his hair… oh his hair. It was the flattest it’s been since he figured out how all the different kinds of hair products worked. He combed his fingers through the locks for a moment before he just gave up. There wasn’t anything he’d be able to do to improve his current situation until he was back in his bathroom at home.

When he emerged from the bathroom, he honestly expected to see Wayne in the chair by Eddie again. It was already 8:17. But the chair sat empty. Well, it was none of his business what time the guy's uncle was going to be by. And if his gaze lingered on Eddie for a moment longer than was casual, because he remembered being the kid with injuries from monsters who didn’t have his family by his side... well, it didn’t matter.

Steve turned his attention to Dustin, who was gearing up for another hug, and smacked his hand on his head to ruffle his hair while holding him an arm's length away. He had to at least try and protect this newly forming scar tissue. But just as easily as Steve dodged Dustin’s embrace, Claudia had him in hers.

Steve was helpless. What was he supposed to do? Push away the woman kind enough to drive him home? Push away the most recent hug he’s shared with someone who wasn’t one of his rotten kids? Alright, maybe that line of thinking was bordering on ‘too sad’. Steve returned the hug and looked over his shoulder to see Dustin sticking his tongue out in tame retaliation. Guess the little stinker at least tries to tone it down around his mom.

When she released her hold on him, Steve did wonder for a passing moment when was the last time his own mother actually hugged him. At least, hugged him beyond the kind of polite courtesy she’d provide as she was headed out the door. Beyond the quick squeeze and “Call if you need anything” before she was rolling her well-used suitcase away.

But again, Steve’s head reminded him that those themes are ‘too sad’ for right now. Thankfully, there weren’t any tears trying to burst through that he had to fight back, otherwise that would've just been way too awkward to deal with so early. He just needed to get home before he had a chance for any more embarrassing moments.

“Alright,” he sniffled nonchalantly,” Let’s get out of here. I am so tired of these white walls and all that beeping.”

They stopped at the nurse’s station so he could complete his check-out paperwork, and within the next fifteen minutes, they were exiting the front entrance. As they walked into the parking lot, it was the first time Steve really looked at the Henderson’s family car. It was this mustard-yellow color that honestly made a lot of sense for them. They seemed like a bright, loud bunch - without being too gaudy like the TodFather was - but just a little more toned down, a little more down-to-earth.

When they started to climb in, Mrs. Henderson playfully snapped at her son for trying to take the passenger seat,” Dustin! Steve is our guest, you go in the back.”

“It’s fine, Mrs. Henderson.” He tried to shrug it off to just get on his way home,” I’m alright with the back.”

“Nonsense. Dusty can wait until we get you home to hop up front.”

The two boys looked at each other and switched doors, both unable to fight against her.

As Steve got settled into the seat, before Dustin had lowered himself in, Claudia turned to him and said,” And it’s really Ms. Henderson, honey. Didn’t want to correct you yesterday with you still laid up in bed, but I haven’t been a Mrs. for a little while now.”

Steve nodded without reply and cast an eye to the kid in the back, trying not to be obvious. He’d noticed that Dustin never talked about his dad, he wasn’t oblivious enough about the little guy to have not. He figured there was something going on there, but never was really sure how to ask. But that answered that question, at least a little bit more.

Dustin closed the back door and Steve was about to start giving his mother directions, when their driver waved her hand at him,” Don’t worry about that, I know where is it. The Sinclairs and I looked it up in the phonebook when we went out last night and picked up your car from by the lake. Wanted to make sure it was at your house instead of out there in the sticks.”

“Oh, you didn’t need to-”

“Hush. I told you, if there’s anything you need, to just ask us. All of us parents are very grateful you’ve been keeping an eye on our kids these last few years. Especially after the scare we had last night.”

As Ms. Henderson pulled to a stop at the red light, she turned over to look at him,” There aren’t enough words in the world to say thank you. The news says there’s already been over a dozen casualties. Our kids aren’t a part of that number. So if we can pick up your car, drive you home, or drop off groceries or casseroles or cookies, we will. We want to.”

Steve is left just looking at her, silenced as she casually turned her attention back to the road just in time for the light to go green. They pull through the intersection and he doesn’t know what to say. It’s not like he doesn’t know how to talk to adults or parents, but they’ve never done this kind of stuff for him. They’ll sidle up next to his mom and dad at parties to comment on his success in sports, they’ll grab his chin and croon over what a handsome boy he’s been growing up into, and they’ll smile to each other as they wax on without bothering to talk to him.

He knew how to handle that. Knew how to paste a smile across his face while saying “Thank you, sir” and “Thank you, ma’am”. Just like he was supposed to.

Joyce and Hopper were a little different. They’d known about how involved he was with all the Upside Down stuff, so it wasn’t really the same when they saw him. Joyce bandaged him up after he’d faced fights with Jonathan and the demogorgon, Billy and the demodogs - though the paramedics handled him after the Russian affair - but that was it. She cleaned him up, said thank you, and maybe looked at him a second too long. Like, maybe she was deciding if she could do anything more. But Jim would always emerge about then, and clap him on the shoulder so hard he nearly fell over with how woozy his head had felt after the fights.

It was nice the way they had looked at him and saw something more than other people did. But even that was all just the immediately after terror, coming down from conflict, cleaning up stuff.

And here, Henderson’s mom was bringing up food like she planned to check in on him.

That concept was foreign to him. That kind of being cared for isn’t something Steve knows about. Much less knows how to handle and respond to.

Which is why Dustin was his saving grace when he quipped in,” Seriously dude, she went crazy yesterday. Our kitchen is overflowing. You have to take something off our hands, or we’ll never finish it before it goes to shit.”

His mother glanced at him in the rearview mirror and commented,“ Dustin! Language. And I didn’t have anything else to do while you slept until 6:30.”

“I was tired!”

“Yes, you were. And, I do appreciate that you at least fell asleep on the couch.” She nodded before leaning over to Steve,” Our kitten, Tews, curled up on him the whole time. It kept the little baby out of my way while I was cooking, and it was just so adorable. I took these pictures-”

“Mom!” he tried to deter her, but Claudia pushed through.

“My favorite is this one where Tews had rolled over on her back and ended up right on top of Dusty’s face-”

“She tried to suffocate me!”

“It was very cute, Steve. If you wanted to see any of those.”

“MOM!”

Steve couldn't help the smile that tugged at his cheeks.

So this was the Henderson’s? They talked to each other. And not just asking for a basic rundown of how work and school were going. They spent time together, looked at each other, laughed, and teased… It was interesting watching the way they were with each other. Steve might've gotten pretty attached to Dustin over the last two years, but there was surprisingly little overlap between him and Dustin’s mother to have seen it before now.

“You know, Ms. Henderson, I think I would like to see that one.”

The boy in the backseat erupted at the betrayal,“ STEVE!”

“It’s really a very sweet photo. When you get to feeling better, come stop by the house, and I’ll show them all off to you. You can also see the photo albums I have of Dusty from when he was a baby-”

“STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!” he screamed to stop her,” YOU’RE BOTH EVIL! THIS IS CHILD ABUSE!”

By the time Steve and Claudia were done teasing the poor boy and came down from their laughter, they’d arrived at the Harrington residence. It was time for Steve to be alone again. He didn’t let the fact reach his face and instead kept the smile up as he began to climb out of the car. He pulled the house keys from the hospital bag and watched Claudia wait to drive away until he’d unlocked the door and waved goodbye. It was a small detail, but it stuck. She bothered to make sure he was able to make it inside before she left, just like Steve does for the kids, but has never witnessed from this angle himself. But once they were gone, down the road, Steve was met with silence.

Just like usual.

He dragged his feet through the entrance, kicked off his shoes, and let the bag fall from his wrist to the floor as he made it to the hall table where the house phone sat. It was right next to the tape recording answering machine, which had a little red light blinking up at him. He still felt weird about it. He’s the only one he knows who has one at their house, most people don’t like the idea of leaving a message and would just call back later anyway. But his parents got one set up when his father started taking more business trips, and they got the thing updated to the newest model pretty much every New Year.

He took a breath in before he pushed down on the play button and listened to the machine wind the tape back.

“Hello, Stephen.”

It was his mother’s voice that played from it. Because, of course, it was. She didn’t sound tipsy at all, which is enough of a surprise, considering Steve can hardly picture her without a martini in her hand. So, it meant she probably called yesterday morning before she'd had time for a drink.

“I’m sure you’re still at the hospital right now. We heard from a nurse down there at Memorial. She said you got a bit hurt in the earthquake, came in with a few friends. It sounded like it was a big one. But I know you’re an adult, and you can handle yourself.”

Yeah, he was just a little beat up with a couple of buddies. Not a big deal. Nothing to get worked up about. Nothing to bother getting on a plane and coming back home over. Why would anyone think to do that for their kid?

“When you get home, give us a callback. I-” There’s a muffled sound which was probably Mr. Harrington talking to her.

Because why should he want to leave his own voice for his son to listen to fresh out of the hospital?

“And your father wants to make sure nothing at the house got broken, so if you could check around before you call, he’d like to know. Anyway, we're needed at a lunch meeting with a couple of chair members and their wives, so we’re heading off. Don’t forget to check in when you get this, baby. I don’t want to worry.” And then the machine clicked to let him know that’s the end of the recording. That’s all she had to say, so she hung up the phone.

He just stared down at it. His dad wanted to know if anything of his was broken, but besides that, he had nothing he wanted to say himself. His mom just wanted a call back so she didn’t have to feel guilty or think about him too much… The perfect image of parenthood.

In the back of his mind, he whispered to himself,” She didn’t even say ‘Love you’.”

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

It’s not like he expected one.

His father never said it, and even with his mother, it was a rare occurrence. She’d say it easier when she was intoxicated. So maybe it was just his luck she called before their lunch, where she surely got a few glasses deep. It wasn’t a surprise, but it still stung.

He bit his lip and just walked away. Took the stairs slower than he usually does, trying not to jostle his fresh wounds, and he grabbed a spare set of clothes from his room as he made his way to the bathroom. If nothing else, he wanted a damn shower.

It wasn’t incredibly eventful. He shucked off the clothes that’d been dirtied with blood and grime and decided he didn’t even want to look in the mirror until he got cleaned up. When he stepped into the warm spray, he leaned back until it was pelting right into the crown of his head. He didn’t even move. Didn’t reach for shampoo or soap. Didn’t run his hands through his hair. Didn’t wipe away the water as it trailed over his closed eyes. He just stood in it, letting it hit him in the otherwise silent bathroom of the far-too-empty house. He couldn’t tell how long he just stood there, but, after a bit, the water didn’t feel warm enough.

He was pulled from his trance to turn the handle up. Just a little bit at first, but it still wasn’t warm enough. A little bit more, but it wasn’t enough. He kept turning it higher as the water steamed. Once he might call it ‘nearly scalding’ he left the handle alone and let the water strike into his back like it’d be enough to work over the knots and sore muscles. Like its almost burning touch would soothe the open scrapes left behind from the Upside Down.

And it doesn’t. But it does help.

Eventually, the world didn’t feel like too much to handle. Eventually, he was able to make himself turn the temperature down and go through his usual bathroom routine. Shampoo scrubbed hard against his scalp and washed out, conditioner run through the length and left to sit, soap on a loofa against every surface of his body until he started to actually feel clean… he even spared a glance at the razor he hasn’t used since he did competitive swim. But Dustin’s pestering wasn’t going to make him pick it up. Even if his dates didn't love to rake their fingernails through his chest hair, at this point, it was Steve's little spot of rebellion against the little nerd. He rinsed out the conditioner and stepped into the steamy bathroom. The mirror was fogged over, which was probably a good thing because he really hated looking at his stitches. Something about seeing the way they go into his skin usually made him cringe.

He pulled on the clean clothes - a dusty blue sweatshirt and a pair of jeans - before he rubbed the water off the mirror to see himself. And he still looked like a wreck. He was a clean wreck now, but a wreck all the same. Tired eyes, bumps and bruises, messy hair hanging around his face. He grabbed a small hand towel from the closet and shook it against his head until his hair wasn’t still dripping. Then he descended the stairs back to the kitchen, very intently keeping his eyes off the phone as he passed by.

He shuffled through the fridge and cabinets until he ended up with a container of honey granola and laid on the couch to eat it by the handfuls. Was there really a reason to go through the trouble of bowls or spoons if there was no one around to see his less than mannerly approach to breakfast? Steve flicked on the tv, and every channel he tried was running updates on the earthquake.

Statistics of casualties, injuries, missing persons, mass exodus, property damage, and seismic magnitude.

All of which made him feel like shit.

They were supposed to make sure this didn’t happen. They were supposed to deal with Vecna so that everyone else could just keep being ignorant and happy. They failed. And no one was even running the good news of Eddie’s innocence because the police hadn’t done a new press release yet. It was only a few minutes before he couldn’t keep listening to the cycling news stories. He pulled himself up off the couch and started thinking about stuff to donate, but he honestly wasn’t really sure what he should be putting together. Surely, the struggling people of Hawkins have no use for his trophies and medals, probably not the knickknacks his mom's interior decorator had strewn about the house, and nothing in his father's office would be much use.

He returned to the phone set, and instead of calling his absentee parents, dialed Robin Buckley’s house.

“This is the Buckleys.” a man’s voice announced when the line picked up.

“Hello, sir. This is Steve Harrington, Robin wanted to make plans about running donations over to the high school.” he got used to speaking through his introduction and including why he was calling with her parents. They still didn’t like him all that much, so it definitely helped to have a good excuse to call.

“Alright…” her dad replied.

A few seconds passed, some sounds of muttering and muffled movement came through, and suddenly Robin’s voice was the one in his ear,” Mornin’ Steve. You don’t want to sleep in before we get everyone together? It’s not even 10:30 yet.”

“Nah,” he shrugged, not like she could even see it,” I was asleep pretty much all of yesterday. Ready to do something.”

Ready to get out of this big, quiet, empty house.

“Well, I’ve already got a box packed over here, so I’m ready whenever you want to come by. Nancy called yesterday and said she and Dustin already had their stuff together, so we can drop by to grab them too.”

“Yeah, yeah. So, quick question, Rob; what sort of stuff should I be grabbing?”

“Umm…” She hummed for a moment, mulling it over,” They’ve got people who don’t have anywhere to stay sleeping on cots in the gymnasium, so blankets and sheets would be good. Clothes you don’t wear anymore. I think Nancy said she was throwing in some toys and books. All that sort of stuff people could use right now.”

“Okay, give me something like half an hour to get stuff together, and I’ll be at yours,” he told her.

“Sounds like a plan. But, you’re going to fix your hair for me, right?” her voice took the familiar lilt of her teasing.

Steve didn’t even answer, just rolled his eyes.

“Because as much as I was honored to see your natural display, it is unnerving to bear witness to ‘The Hair’ as it was the other night.”

“Jesus Christ,” he groaned,” You’re too much.”

He could hear her smile through the phone,“ You love me, though.”

“Debating that decision now.”

“And you’ll still show up for me anyway.”

“We’ll see.”

“Yes, we will.” She snickered before adding,” In 30 minutes.”

“Goodbye, Robin.”

“Bye Bye, Stev-”

Steve rolled his eyes again as he set the phone back on the receiver a moment early, just to be a little mean.

While he walked around the house, he bothered to mentally inventory the rest of it. His father’s office? Fine, only a few things fell off the bookshelves, but nothing was broken. His parent’s room? Practically pristine considering how often it’s vacant. Guest rooms? Look just like they always do. Closets, the attic, the basement? Nothing to note. Every square inch of the place was, at worst, disheveled.

In between tidying up a little, he put together a pretty good pile of spoils. A couple of spare linens and blankets, old and still nice clothes were the obvious things. But he didn’t really have any toys or games or books, so he thought to raid his parent bathroom closet. They had a huge collection of unnecessary travel-size toiletries. Both things they themselves had bought for travel, as well as items they brought back from hotels and such. His mom originally got into a habit of making his dad bring them home with him before she started accompanying him on his business trips, so she'd know he actually stayed at the places he said he did. And now that she just went with him all the time, she brought them home herself. Because she’s always had sticky fingers for small things she doesn’t need.

Now, they’ve got a shelf covered in mini bottles of shower products, toothpaste, mouthwash, and even deodorant that no one uses. They seemed like the kind of things that would be smart to bring in. He was a little proud of himself for thinking of it. He stopped by his bathroom one last time, to brush his teeth and run some pomade through his hair. Then he tucked everything away into the trunk of his car before finally returning to the landline. He stared down at it with buzzing nerves before deciding to bite the bullet and get it over with. He dialed for his parent’s rental in Washington.

“Don’t pick up, don’t pick up, don’t pick up…” he muttered into his hand as his teeth worried against his bottom lip.

Eventually, the ringing ended, and he was greeted with a voice telling him to leave a message or try calling the front desk at his father’s office instead.

“It’s Steve. I got out of the hospital okay and checked out the house. Nothing’s broken or damaged, the water's running and the electricity is working fine. Everything looks good over here. Uh, nothing on me’s broken, and I just stayed the two nights, so the hospital bill shouldn’t be too bad. Anyway, I was just checking in while I’m here like you asked. Going to head out in a bit, so you might get the machine if you call back again…” he found that his voice faded off a second too soon.

He wasn’t sure if he wanted to punctuate the voicemail with an ‘I love you’ or not. He knows she’d probably like to hear it. Kids are supposed to tell their parents they love them, after all. But the pettier part of him says that since she didn’t say it in hers, he didn’t need to leave it for her in his.

“Bye.” he simply concluded before putting the phone back down and rushing to get out the front door in case one of them happened to call right back.

The drive to Robin’s is easy. It’s muscle memory for Steve at this point to flow through the suburbs away from Loch Nora down to her place on Redding Drive. As he parked his car in his usual spot just past her mailbox, he spotted her already waiting for him, seated on the steps of her porch. She stood up, bringing into her arms a box that looks light enough he didn’t feel like he needed to help her get it in the popped trunk.

She approached the car, but stopped a few feet away and looked at Steve like she was waiting for something.

“Well? Come on, let’s go,” he told her through the open passenger window.

A smirk found her lips,“ Told you you’d come for me anyway.” she chimed with that big smile as she dropped her items next to his and closed the compartment.

“Just get in. We’ve got places to be.”

“I know,” she said as she plopped herself into the passenger seat.

“So, how’re you feeling?” she asked, checking over him with searching eyes that made him feel like he needed to cover up more.

“I swear you’re probably the fifth person to ask me that today-”

She cut him off with a raised finger,“ Am I hearing you right? Are you complaining that people care about you enough to ask?”

He raised his own in opposition,“ I’m not complaining-”

“It sounds kind of like complaining,” she affirmed, connecting their raised fingers like they were Elliot and E.T.

He dropped his hand in defeat and simply told her,“ Buckle up, Buckley.” as he got ready to pull away from the curb.

“Yeesh, what’s got Steve Harrington tied up in knots?” she wondered as she clicked the seat belt into place.

After a beat of silence, Steve decided to just change the subject entirely as they drove away from her house,” So, have you heard anything from Keith about the state of our employment yet?”

”Not yet. My parents told me that the strip downtown looks fine, so there shouldn’t be any damage to the building itself. But I don’t know what the plan is doing to be about people going back to work right now. That new mayor had a segment on the news last night, said the city government was checking all the infrastructure in town before letting people back into the buildings and would take everything on a 'case-by-case basis to get Hawkins up and running smoothly again'. But there’s not even been a decision on if the school’s going to get back in session, and Monday’s only two days away, so I don't think that's really going to happen on schedule. Especially if people are living in the gymnasium right now. And he said the priority would be making sure the essential businesses kept up first; power plant, trash service, postal service, the bus route, and all that stuff. So I don’t know how quickly they’ll be getting to us kids with part-time-” she paused and motioned to him,” -or full-time jobs at the local video store.”

Steve was grateful for her rambling schpeel. It gave him a minute to get out of his head about his parents. He noticed that just listening to her talk could pull him away from a bad mood pretty easily.

“Damn… greatest Spring Break ever. There’s been half an apocalypse, we’ve got friends in comas, and now we can’t even save some more cash watching movies between customers.” he shook his head at the loss.

Robin sighed wistfully,“ You’re telling me. I had planned this week to finally get you to sit through Victor/Victoria…”

“That’s the Julie Andrews one, right?” he asked, pretty sure he remembered Robin saying she was the lead actress in it.

“Yeah”

“Well, if we still have jobs next week, I’ll let you pop the tape in, no difficulty from me.”

“Don’t make me a promise you won’t keep, Harrington. I can’t afford to have you break my heart right now, too.”

There was a somber tone at the end of the joke, Steve looked at Robin hanging her head out the window, and asked,“ We been thinking about Vickie?”

She nodded her head, but kept her eyes off of him,“ We’ve been thinking about Vickie. Vickie and her dumb, stupid boyfriend and the fact that he gets to give her dumb, stupid kisses. I know I said I was going to get over it because it was just my love life against the end of everything as we know it, but…”

“It’s not so easy to just get over it.” he knowingly finished for her.

She agreed,“ No, it is not.”

“Well, if it’s still bothering you, I’ll listen to you rant all night long.” she turned in her seat to look at him, so he shrugged and added,” I’ll even let you give me dumb, stupid kisses if you need to.”

He threw on a big pout and turned to her as Robin gasped and smacked his arm. He threw up a finger to add his condition,” Only on my cheek though! Because, no offense, but you’re a lesbian, Robin! I don’t like you like that! We are as platonic as platonic gets.”

She shook her head at him,“ Platonic with a capital P.”

“Platonic with a capital P,” he swore back.

“You’re so dumb.” she lovingly joked as she reclined back into the seat.

“So I’ve been told. But you still bother to keep me around anyway. Must love me or something.”

“Guess I must.”

By the time it was almost noon, Steve was pulling to the Wheeler’s driveway with Robin and Dustin in tow. They all go up to the door to knock and get greeted by Karen. She smiled at them and offered to have them inside to eat something, but they all noticed the other car in the driveway and the guests at the table, and just decided they’d rather be on their way than seated with some strangers while Ted grumbles about everyone eating him out of house and home. So Karen called her daughter down from her room. The girl came from the top of the stairs with an overflowing box of her own in her hands. Which, upon seeing, prompted the four of them to unpack their boxes and reorganize them all in the driveway. All the bedding went in one box, clothes in another, Steve’s toiletries sat on top of the canned food, and games and books were being put together when Karen came out with a final box of stuffed animals she said she just came across in the attic.

All four of them pile back into Steve’s car once they have the boxes sorted, Robin in the passenger with Dustin and Nancy looking mildly displeased in the back, and they started on their way. It was at the moment Steve was pulling out of the driveway that Nancy spoke up about something she noticed when she was brought home the day before.

“Did you guys see the government suits around town?”

“Yeah” Dustin answered simply.

“They came back?” Steve asked, looking in the rearview mirror for a second to catch Nancy’s eyes.

“Yeah. I didn’t think they would. El’s not even here anymore, and Hopper was, like, our only point of contact for them, so…” Nancy shrugged to Dustin and Robin who were looking at her,” I just figured we were kind of on our own. But I saw a few of them walking around a lot of the bigger damage sites while I was going home yesterday. The library, city hall, and I’m pretty sure one was waiting outside the hospital when we all left.”

“So how long have they been in Hawkins…” Steve mumbled, more to himself than anyone in the car.

Nancy started to answer anyway,“ No clue, but-”

“Why haven’t they tried talking to any of us?” Robin asked.

“I’m not sur-”

“Wait a minute,” Dustin interrupted, voice worried,” They’re not going to let Eddie take the fall to keep eyes off the Upside Down stuff, right?”

“Exactly why I brought it up, I think we need to talk to them and get them on the same page. To make sure they don’t start peddling some coverup story with falsified evidence that will mess things up for Eddie after we might finally have the cops on our side.”

“Yeah, yeah. Um, do we want to do that after we go by the high school or…?” Steve started to ask.

“Well,” Robin reasoned,” If they’re trying to keep an eye on things, they’ll probably have someone at the high school too, right?”

The two in the back seat nodded in agreement.

“Alright, so mission donate to the needy slash convince the government agency to not fuck us over?” Steve offered to make sure he knew where he was driving.

“Mission Supply and Demand” Dustin corrected.

Steve looked into the mirror and locked eyes with Dustin, a disappointed expression on his face. A little annoyed that the kid felt the need to one-up him, and a lot annoyed that he didn’t come up with the name. It was pretty smooth. The kid might have an inflated ego, but dammit if it isn't a little earned. Not that Steve’s going to say that to him.

“What? That was a good one!” Dustin argued.

The driver sighed and yielded,“ Mission Supply and Demand”

When they pull into the school parking lot, Nancy starts assigning them boxes. With his limp, she only let Dustin even look at the bedding, Robin got the food and hygienic items, Nancy took the stuffed animals, and Steve was piled with the box of books and games on top of the box of clothes. It takes practically no time at all for them to drop them off at the table and feel like they can’t just walk away.

Maybe they all felt guilty about not stopping all of this from happening… but, not even a minute later, they were all volunteering.

Robin walked the food over to the lunch station and starts helping out making sandwiches for pick up, Dustin trailed along to get a tray of water cups to pass out to everybody at their cots, and Nancy and Steve were shown to the apparel table to sort everything out by age. Nancy told Steve to keep an eye out for anyone who looked like the secretive government operative type, and they split the gym in half to make it easier. Leaving Steve the perfect view of one Vickie Nelson sliding up right next to Robin.

They were spreading peanut butter and grape jelly onto bread side by side, and for a second Steve was preparing himself to listen to Robin’s rant later. About how she should have done this, and shouldn’t have done that, and how stupid it is to hope… but then he saw her smile. Vickie was saying something, and Robin was smiling at her. A few seconds later and they were laughing together. Robin looked like she was stuck between being terrified out of her mind and thrilled beyond reason. But she was smiling in a special Robin Buckley way that said it was going really, really well. So Steve resigned himself to just smile back at them, and he’d ask Robin about how it went later.

“About damn time…” he hummed pleasingly to himself.

“What?” Nancy asked, having barely overheard the mumble, and not enough to be able to tell what he said.

“Nothin’. Was just happy Dustin’s managing fine without his crutch right now.” Steve answered with a nod to Henderson weaving between makeshift beds and asking if people were thirsty.

“Yeah, I was glad to see he wasn’t really needing it too badly today. That kid likes getting in trouble too much to be laid up in bed.” she agreed.

“That’s what I was thinking,” Steve replied with a warm chuckle, which brought a few of Nancy’s giggles to the surface.

And then Steve caught himself thinking about how comfortable it was, laughing with Nancy again. It was weird, the two of them. They were in fits of love three years ago, breaking each other’s hearts a year and a half ago, nothing to each other until monsters rose again last summer, and here they were now; organizing kid's clothes and laughing about Dustin Henderson.

It was weird, but it was right. He couldn’t figure any other way to think about it, besides it being right. He likes that he and Nancy are talking again. Perhaps, maybe just maybe, he likes-

“There!” Nancy whispered with urgency.

Steve turned to look over his shoulder and saw the person Nancy was pointedly looking at. It was a woman wearing sunglasses indoors, a navy blue pantsuit, with one hand permanently affixed in her pocket, probably holding onto a gun, while the other held tightly to a leather briefcase. She had a short cut of dark brown hair framing her face and bold red lipstick that, honestly, seemed like it would make her stand out a bit much for someone who’s supposed to be keeping a low profile.

Nancy put down the shirt she was folding on top of a stack and glanced at the team leader who told them to sort clothes.

“Cover for me,” she said quickly, as she stepped away from their station and towards the mystery woman.

Nancy took weighty steps across the gym floor to her. She set her face to look serious, determined to get the answers she wanted. As she closed in, the woman turned to her, but before she could speak, Nancy was starting.

“You’re with Doctor Owens’s team. Right?”

The woman paused for a moment and answered with only a recognizing,“ Nancy Wheeler.”

And for some reason, that just pissed her off more.

“I take it, that’s a yes.”

The woman looked around the room, pulled on an attempt at a sweet smile, and started to ask,“ Why don’t we take this outside-”

But Nancy cut her off,“ How long have you known?”

“Excuse me?”

She took a step closer to the woman and set her tone sterner,“ How long have you known we were having another situation in Hawkins before you bothered to show up?”

Her faux expression slipped a bit.

“We didn’t stop keeping an eye on this town after the girl left if that’s what you’re asking.” She breathed and, when Nancy didn’t speak up, continued to admit,“ We’ve known the whole time, dear. We’ve been here since the cheerleader-”

“The whole time? And you just- you just let it happen?” Nancy sneered the words out.

How dare they? How dare this staff who was supposed to keep things in check just do nothing? They didn’t step in, didn’t talk to anyone who knew, didn’t do anything to help them while they were left to try and fight off that monster Vecna-

“Let’s take this outside.” the woman repeated, insisting on the idea through her gritted teeth.

#This chap is doing so much #Diving into Eddie being confirmed not a murderer? #Starting the Hawkins' Moms Support Club for Steve? #Dipping into Dustin's Family Life? #Introducing Steve's Family Life? #The beginning of the Robin/Vickie that's going to be super cute (if for just a little while)? #Some more Badass Take-No-Shit Nancy time? #This chap did it all... BUT NEXT CHAP?!?!?! #Oh. Everyone needs to buckle in for the next chap. #I'm going to be doing some sad some happy some funny - and I swear on Dustin's mom... Eddie will get to talk! #And yeah - I'm adjusting the Everyone-Returns-To-Hawkins timeline a bit... don't worry. It'll be great. #Stay tuned ❤️✨ #Steve Harrington #Eddie Munson #Steddie #Steveddie #Steve x Eddie #Nancy Wheeler #Robin Buckney #Ronance #Robin x Nancy #The Fruity Four #Stranger Things #Stranger Things 4 #Stranger Things 4 spoilers #Stranger Things 4 volume 2 spoilers #stranger things fanfiction #ST4 fanfic #Steddie Fanfic #Ronance Fanfic

[stevie-petey]

episode one: the vanishing of will byers

Steve nods, as if you almost getting hit by his car makes perfect sense to him. When you walk over to your bike and inspect it for any damage, he follows after you.  “So,” he whistles, trying to pretend that this is all a completely normal occurrence. “You, uh, need a ride?” Honestly you don’t know why you’re surprised he hasn’t noticed the clear signs of you crying, your swollen eyes and red nose. Not only is he a boy, but he’s also Steve Harrington. It’s a miracle he even stopped to make sure you weren’t dead.

summary: jonathan smuggles you free food in exchange for friendship, will goes missing the one time you listen to jonathan, hopper doesn't really like you, and steve harrington almost hits you with his car as you're sobbing like a damn baby (in a cool way).

rating: general, although there's plenty of cursing and slight innuendos, so fair warning.

warnings: cursing, fem!reader, and use of y/n.

words: 7k

before you swing in: hello ! this is the first chapter of my come home series, where i plan on rewriting the entirety of stranger things because i really love a good rewrite fic and this is me just indulging in my ideal fic fantasies tbh. before we start: this is a steve x reader fic, however there will be some slight feelings between the reader and jonathan because, but it doesn't at all get in the way of steve and honestly just adds to the angst because i love a good tragedy. also, reader is dustin's older sister, but i tried to write her as neutral as possible in terms of physical features, so let's all just play along. that is all ! i'm very excited for this series and i hope y'all enjoy her as much as i do :)

-

November 6th, 1983

Your shift at Bookstrordinary ends at 8:30 tonight, so as soon as you’ve organized all the books within the store and cashed out the last customer, you say goodnight to your boss, Mrs. Waters, and clock out. Today had been a longer shift, and it didn’t help that you had to deal with a particularly eager bookclub mother who insisted that you had the latest copy of some obscure novel that she needed for her club. After several attempts to inform her that no, you really didn’t have some novel about a cowboy falling in love with a rodeo girl from Michigan, nor would you ever want to read that, the mother angrily walked away. 

You’re happy to finally be free from work though, excited to see Jonathan to tell him about the book club mom because you know he gets a kick out of those suburban middle class mothers that terrorize Hawkins. He works across from you, at The Hawk theater, and it’s one of your favorite things about the bookstore. Besides getting to be surrounded by books all day and reading Spider-Man, you get to be across the street from your best friend and share frequent breaks together. 

A bell signifies your arrival at the theater, alerting Jonathan to look up from the concession stand and smile at you. He looks tired, which you can understand. It’s been a particularly long school year so far with Jonathan having to work more shifts than usual to support his family. 

“Welcome to The Hawk, can I interest you in our specialty popcorn and candy corn mixture?”

You make a face, “No, thanks. Candy corn freaks me out.” 

Jonathan laughs, knowing you’d say that. It’s been a running joke between the two of you for as long as you can remember. You’re not picky with most foods, but candy corn? The bane of your existence. “Tough crowd, then.” 

You laugh as well, now standing in front of the counter, and you learn against it so that you’re in Jonathan’s space. After being friends for so long, personal space doesn’t exist between the two of you. You’re the only person that Jonathan lets get this close to him on a regular basis, which you’re secretly proud of. 

“So, you almost done so we can pick up our idiotic brothers?” Tonight, as usual, Will and Dustin are at Mike’s house playing DnD. They’d biked over as soon as school let out, while Jonathan drove you to work, so he was your ride back for the night. 

He shakes his head at you, wincing, “I picked up an extra shift tonight. Stacy called out sick, and it’s good money…”

You nod in understanding. He doesn’t have to explain himself to you, which he’s always relieved by. 

“It’s okay. Is my bike still in your trunk?” 

“Yeah, I can get it out for you since I’m kind of ditching you tonight.” 

You wave him off, already reaching across the counter to grab his keys from his coat pocket. “No need, I’ll get it out myself so you don’t get in trouble with your boss.” Jonathan’s boss is an older guy, extra scary. “I’m assuming that I’m taking Will home tonight?” 

“It’ll be late by the time you get the boys, and you’ll have Dustin. We only live a couple blocks apart, you can just bike with Will until you get to your street.”

“Are you sure? I know he’s scared of the dark.” 

“It’s fine, Y/N. You’re already doing enough being there for most of the ride; I’m sure Will can survive the last five minutes alone.” 

You give Jonathan an unsure look, but you don’t argue with him. He’s his brother, he knows Will’s capabilities, and it’s an unspoken fact that you baby Will a bit too much. He’s just so much tinier than the other boys, softer in a way that you want to protect. He’s special. 

Jonathan sneaks you a large peach lemonade and hot dog from the concession stand when you return with his keys. You’ve parked your bike up front, and you accept the food gratefully. You hadn’t had time to eat your usual dinner during your break due to the bookclub mother fiasco, so you inhale the food quickly and give his hair a ruffle. 

“You’re a lifesaver, bee.” 

Jonathan lightly hits your hand away from his hair. “Consider it your payment for dealing with Will and Dustin on your own tonight, bug.” 

Bee and bug were the names the two of you had given each other years ago. Jonathan had started it with bug, stemming from the fact that you love Spider-Man so much, and you had struggled to come up with your own nickname for him. Then it came to you: bee, or B, for Byers. It was perfect, and you’re still incredibly proud of yourself for the creativity, honestly. 

After your quick dinner, you say goodbye to your friend and head off. It’s late now, nearing 9, and you hope that Mrs. Wheeler and your own mom won’t be too upset with you for being late for pick up. You know they prefer to have the boys in bed by a decent hour, but in your defense, Jonathan did skip out on you.

You arrive at the Wheeler’s in a short amount of time and knock on the door. Your cheeks are flushed from the early November cold, and you’re regretting that you only put on a thin sweater and jeans this morning.

Mike answers the door, giving you a dirty look. “Did you have to come early?”

“I’m actually later than usual,” you sidestep him, making your way into his house; you’ve become used to Mike’s attitude. “I take it the campaign is still ongoing?”

“See, mom? Even Y/N understands how long a good campaign can go on for!” Mike waves his arms at you, as if to signify to his mother the importance of your understanding. 

Mrs. Wheeler ignores her son to greet you kindly, albeit a bit exasperated. “Hello, Y/N, please come in.” Then she turns to Mike, giving him a stern look. “Mike, why don’t you tell Y/N how you boys have been playing for ten hours? I’m sure she’ll be understanding then.” 

“You guys have been playing for ten hours?”

Mike looks down in embarrassment for a second before turning to his father for help. You laugh a bit at his enthusiasm and see a faint smile on his mom’s face as well. Quietly you excuse yourself to go downstairs to find the other boys, and Mrs. Wheeler wishes you luck. 

Everyone always acts like the boys are some giant pain; truthfully, you enjoy them. Sure, they can be a handful, but they’re just kids; it’s hard for you to ever stay mad at them. Plus they like you, so it makes dealing with them easier. 

Lucas, Dustin, and Will are running around the basement when you get down there, frantically searching for something. You hear Lucas inform Will that if Mike doesn’t see something, then it doesn’t count. The urgence in his voice amuses you; you’ll never fully wrap your head around why they take DnD so seriously, but you love that they can enjoy it with each other. 

Dustin is the first to see you. “Y/N!”

The other boy’s heads turn to you and they greet you with enthusiasm as well. Will rushes towards you for a hug, which you gladly accept. When you break apart, Lucas gives you a high five and asks about a comic you’ve put on hold for him at the store. 

“Any luck?”

“Sorry, Sinclair. It’s still sold out, but the second it’s restocked I’ll smuggle one for you.” 

“Sick!” 

Dustin walks over, now in his coat and holding a pizza box. “Want a slice?” 

You decline, informing him that Jonathan snuck some food for you. At the mention of his brother’s name, Will asks where he is. You tell him that Jonathan had to cover a shift and that you’ll be taking him most of the way home tonight. 

As you all make your way upstairs, you notice that Dustin continues up to the second floor. Lucas notices too, and the two of you share a knowing look. 

“Still have a crush on Nancy?” You ask, already knowing the answer. 

“Yup.” Lucas responds, smiling in disappointment. 

You wait for your brother outside, helping Will with his coat and listen to Mike’s rambling about the campaign. Lucas is already on his bike, ready to go. 

“There’s something wrong with your sister.” Dustin declares when he finally returns.

Mike looks at you, then at your brother, confused. “What are you talking about?” 

“She’s got a stick up her butt.” 

“Dustin!” You berate. Nancy isn’t your favorite person, but she’s always been nice to you the few times you’ve interacted. You guys used to be closer when you were younger, but high school has a way of distancing people.

“Yeah,” Lucas now speaks up. “It’s because she’s been dating that douchebag, Steve Harrington.” How the hell does Lucas even know about that? You didn’t even know about that until just now. 

“Lucas! Language!” 

“Yeah, she’s been turning into a real jerk.”

“Dustin, I swear to God-” 

The boys ignore you, which you’re honestly not surprised by. While they may like you, that doesn't mean that they listen to you. On a good day they maybe listen to you 25% of the time, but tonight was clearly not a good night. 

Mike finally cuts in, “She’s always been a real jerk.”

“Hey, she’s your sister. Give her some credit-”

Dustin is now the one who cuts you off. “Nuh-uh, only you get the sister leniency, Y/N. Nancy used to be cool, now she isn’t.” 

“Remember that time she dressed up as an elf for our Elder tree campaign?” Lucas asks, almost reminiscent. 

You shudder at the way he says it, and you shudder more when you see the dreamy look in your brother’s eyes. “Yeah, I remember…” 

“Gross,” you huff at your brother, now hopping on your own bike. 

Lucas and Dustin begin to pedal away, and you call after them to wait up. Will is still with Mike, and you promised Jonathan you’d get him home. You give the boys a bit of space, waiting a few paces ahead. Will has always been shy around Mike, something that you’ve tried not looking into too much, but to be safe you give them some privacy. 

Faintly, you hear Will say, “The Demogorgon, it got me.” 

Lights flicker a bit, but you’re too focused on the slight unease you feel by Will’s words. Before you can think too much about them, he joins you. “Race you up to Lucas and Dustin?”

“You’re on,” you tell him. 

Will beats you to the boys (which you let him do), and you’re out of breath. The four of you bike in silence for a bit until you reach Lucas’s turn into his neighborhood. 

“Good night, ladies.” He says, and you don’t need to be a psychic to know what your brother’s response is going to be.

“Kiss your mom ‘night for me.” Bless him.

You and Will giggle together, and Dustin smirks at the two of you, proud. He sits in the praise for a few moments before challenging you and Will to race home with the promise of a comic for whoever wins. 

“I call last year’s Black Cat issue of Spider-man!” You call out, already biking away from the boys. 

“We didn’t say go!”

Dustin and Will call after you as they try to catch up, and within a few seconds the three of you are speeding down the hill towards your home. You laugh gleefully, enjoying the way the wind whips through your hair and the way Dustin, though annoyed by your early start, laughs alongside you with Will. 

Somehow Will is the one who wins the race, which you’re impressed by. He may be small, but he’s surprisingly good at winning when it comes to a competition. Dustin shouts at Will that he’ll kill him, which makes you send a warning look at him. 

“I’ll take your X-Men 134!” Will retaliates, still flying through the street. 

You and Dustin are now stopped at your mailbox and you take a moment to catch your breath before shouting at Will, “Be careful, please! Stay safe!”

“I’ll be fine, I promise!” Will’s voice is distant, now a few yards away, and you stand outside for a few more seconds to watch his figure disappear into the night. Dustin has already gone inside but you wait to follow, only going inside when you can no longer see Will, hopefully home safe and sound. You feel fear creep upon you, but you chalk it up to your usual worry when it comes to the boy. 

He’ll be okay, Jonathan should be home within the hour. 

– 

The next morning you’re frantically biking to school, pissed off at Jonathan. He’s your ride every morning, or everywhere, really, and for the second time in 24 hours he’s bailed on you. Dustin left for school ages ago on his bike, so you’re thankful he doesn’t see you embarrassingly sweaty and gross as you race to school. 

It’s not that you’re pissed that Jonathan bailed again, you’re pissed because he didn’t even have the nerve to call you ahead of time to warn you. Now you have only ten minutes before the first bell rings, and your sweater clings to you uncomfortably as you sweat. 

You make it to school with a few minutes to spare, so you quickly make your way over to your locker to grab the necessary books for the day. You’re still sweaty, and you don’t want to even think about what your hair looks like right now. You look down the hall towards Jonathan’s locker, still not seeing him, and you begin to worry a bit. Maybe he overslept after last night’s shift? 

A body crashes into yours, sending your notebooks spiraling to the ground. Steve Harrington looks at you sheepishly, only saying a small “whoops!” before continuing his fast pace towards the girl’s bathroom. You scoff, now even more annoyed with your entire morning, picking up your stuff as you see Nancy enter the same bathroom a few moments later. 

“In a public school bathroom?” You mutter in disgust, collecting the last of your things and heading to class. 

You decide to give Jonathan until second period, sophomore English which the two of you share, before you freak out. You know you have a problem with over worrying about the people you love, so you try to calm yourself down. While Jonathan has never been the type to cancel without at least calling first, you reason with yourself that everyone has a bad morning. He simply slept in too late. When he wakes up, he’ll come to school and he’ll be sitting in the seat next to you in English. 

Except Jonathan isn’t in the seat next to yours when you enter the classroom an hour later. Now you officially let yourself begin to worry. Something about this doesn’t feel right. 

You’ve never skipped class before, school has always been important to you. You’re the top of your class with hopes of running away from Hawkins with Jonathan to a big city with an even bigger university. However, you don’t even hesitate to flee the classroom and find the nearest phone in the school to call the Byers’ residence. 

Jonathan answers after a few rings, and the words that leave his lips change your life forever. “Will is missing.”

You feel all the air in your lungs be knocked out of you. You can’t breathe and you sway a bit as your knees threaten to give out. This isn’t real, this can’t be happening. 

“What?”

“Will, he-he’s gone, Y/N. We can’t find him and-” 

You don’t hear whatever else Jonathan says. You struggle to get air back in your lungs. Will isn’t missing, you just saw him last night. Mere hours ago Will laughed next to you, face alive with joy, he hugged you and joked along with you. 

“He didn’t come home last night-”

“He didn’t come home?” Jonathan’s words catch your attention and you feel bile rise in your throat. Will didn’t make it home last night. You were the last one to see him, and the realization crushes you; it’s all your fault. 

“Mom and I just searched the woods, and there’s no sign of him and-” Jonathan is rambling now, his own fear and despair clear in his voice. 

“Jonathan,” you force his name out, now needing to be there for your best friend. You can worry for Will in your own time, right now Jonathan needs you. “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” 

“Y/N, you don’t-”

You hang up before Jonathan can argue with you and stumble towards the exit. Your limbs feel heavier than normal, and your ears are ringing. Will is missing. He’s so small, he’s scared of the dark… You left him alone in the dark. 

The bike ride to the Byers home is a blur. You don’t remember much, your body going on autopilot the second you hopped on your bike. You’re running on pure fear and adrenaline right now, too worried for your boys to focus on anything else. 

You don’t bother to knock when you arrive, instead you let yourself in. Joyce is on the phone, arguing with some woman named Cynthia. Your eyes find Jonathan’s, who is sitting on the couch hunched over something. You walk over to him and sit down beside him and your stomach lurches when you see the words “have you seen me?” he’s so neatly printed out on a piece of paper.

“Bee…” you exhale, voice cracking a bit. 

Jonathan doesn’t say anything, but you know him as well as you know yourself. He doesn’t want comforting words right now. You take his hand into yours and lean your head against his shoulder. Worry has made his muscles tense, but you feel him relax into you a bit as he rests his own head against yours. The two of you sit like that for a moment, taking in the comfort you bring each other. 

“Bitch!” Joyce slams the phone down, causing you and Jonathan to jump apart. 

“Mom,”

“What?” Joyce is a mixture of both rage and anxiety, and you feel awful looking at her. Her son is missing, you can’t imagine what she must be feeling right now.

“You have to stay calm.” Jonathan tells her, his voice firm but kind. You know it’s taking everything in him to be as stable as he is right now; he’s putting on a front for his worried mother. You squeeze his hand, hoping it conveys the support and love that you need it to.

He squeezes back, and you see Joyce finally recognize that you’re there as well. She sends you a weak wave, which you return, before she goes back to dialing and trying to reach Lonnie. Jonathan gives your hand one last squeeze and lets go, now returning back to the posters. You immediately understand that he’s doing this to distract himself, so you do the same and wordlessly help him.

You begin writing your own “have you seen me?” when Joyce once again slams her phone down. The sound makes you flinch, inadvertently messing up your writing, which you sigh at. Before you can ask Jonathan for another piece of paper, you hear a car pull up. 

Jonathan stands up to investigate, alerting his mom that the cops are here. You follow after them outside, your heart dropping when you see Will’s bike in the Chief’s hand. He ushers everyone inside, informing Joyce that he found the bike lying in the road.

“How far was it from the house?” You ask, your voice frail. 

The Chief looks at you, his nametag informs you that his name is Hopper, and raises his eyebrows. “And can I know who is asking?” 

You clear your throat, nervous under his scrutinizing gaze. “I’m Y/N Henderson. I’m close with the Byers, I biked with Will home,” your voice catches in your throat, snagging onto the guilt that has been clawing at you ever since you found out Will was missing. You clear your throat again, determined to continue. “I was with him last night. My brother and I live right off Mirkwood, a few blocks from here. He only had a few more minutes before he would’ve been home.” 

Hopper stares at you. “Mirkwood?”

“It’s where-”

“Yeah, those moron kids explained it to me. I just didn’t think someone your age would call the street that, too.” Then, as an afterthought, Hopper adds, “The bike was found a block from here.”

His words sting, but you ignore it. If the bike was found only a block from the Byers’ home, then that means that something had to have happened to Will only minutes after you last saw him. You feel the familiar churning in your stomach, wracked with guilt. 

“Did it have any blood on it?” Joyce now asks, and you’re thankful she’s taken the attention off of you. 

Jonathan sees your distress and grabs your sweater so that you fall back a bit from the cops and Joyce. “Do you need a minute?”

You can only nod, afraid that if you open your mouth you’ll either cry or throw up. He gently guides you to his room, closing the door. Once you’re alone, he wraps his arms around you and pulls you in tight. You’re shaking harder than ever now, Will’s happy and shining face from last night keeps flashing through your mind. 

You were the last one who ever saw him.

You’re the one who was last responsible for him. 

You.

“It’s not your fault,” Jonathan whispers, his voice muffled by your hair. You’ve always loved how you fit perfectly in his arms, your height difference being just enough that he always rests his chin against your head when he hugs you. 

“I’m the last person who saw him.”

“Y/N, I was the one who asked you to only bike him halfway-”

“No,” your voice comes out louder than you intend it to, and you push Jonathan away. He lets out a confused noise as you grapple at him, forcing him to look directly at you. “I should’ve been with him, Jonathan. It’s your job to support your family, and it’s my job to help you. I have to… I have to be the one who helps you.” 

You’ve always been fascinated by psychology, and you remember reading in one of the journals about codependency; the term was used in relation to addiction, specifically alcoholism, but it had caught your interest. To love someone to the extent that their actions make you feel responsible for them, to selflessly take on their burdens to a debilitating extent, well, it reminded you of your relationship with Jonathan. 

You’ve always taken on whatever Jonathan has had to deal with, ever since you were kids, and it’s always come so naturally to you. He’s never asked you to, and sometimes the extent to which you carry his weight angers him, but it’s how you love.

It’s who you are. You’re always the one who helps, it’s what you need to be able to do. If you can’t help the ones you love the most, then what good is your love for them?

Jonathan may not know about codependency, but he knows how hard you love those closest to you. “Bug, listen to me.” He grabs your face, almost aggressively, in order to cut off your rambling. “My mom, she-she’s already spiraling and I can’t… I need you. I need you to be here, with me, right now. If I lose you too, then I-I don’t know what I’ll do.”

His words cut through you like glass. He’s right, you know he’s right, and you feel another wave of guilt wash over you. This guilt is different from the guilt surrounding Will. This is mixed with shame for allowing yourself to spiral so far and forcing Jonathan to take care of you. Joyce is clearly unwell, you can’t fathom how much he’s had to deal with today. 

You gently remove Jonathan’s hands from your face and take a step back. If you’re going to help him, you need to collect yourself. From here on out, you have to be a wall for him to lean on, a shoulder to cry on, someone who will listen to him. 

“I’m sorry.” 

Jonathan shrugs at you, now allowing a hesitant smile to cross his face. “If it makes you feel any better, it took a lot less pleading to get through to you. I’m still working on my mom.” 

The joke is foul, one that should make you feel even worse than you already do, because what sixteen year old has to plead with their mother to remind her that he’s there, too? The joke is horrible, and it’s exactly what you need to find yourself laughing, and Jonathan joins. 

Codependency can be a bitch, but Jonathan understands you in ways that no one else can. 

“You think the cops are gone?” You ask, wiping away the remaining tears. 

Jonathan listens for any sign of them and shakes his head. “No, I think we’re all clear.”

He walks out the room first and you follow after him. Joyce is standing in the kitchen, staring at the counter with a far off look in her eyes. You and Jonathan look at each other and you motion for him to go talk to her. He nods, and then you motion to the living room to indicate that you’ll continue working on the missing posters. 

Carefully writing on the posters soothes you, in a way. It’s rhythmic, providing a sense of lull that you readily embrace. You faintly hear Jonathan talking with his mother, then you watch as he leads her to her bedroom and shuts the door. When he returns he sits next to you on the couch and begins to work on the posters as well. No words are needed. 

You work on the posters in silence for a few hours until it nears 3pm. Dustin will be getting out of school soon, and you have to be there for him when he’s home. While Will may be Jonathan’s brother, he’s also your brother’s best friend. You get up and head into the kitchen, long familiar now with its layout and usual contents within the fridge, and quickly prepare the ingredients for spaghetti. It’s a simple meal, but Jonathan and Joyce need to eat. Once it’s all laid out, you return to the living room and tap on your friend’s shoulder. 

“Hey, I have to head out now to check on Dustin, but I just put a pot of water on the stove along with some noodles on the counter. I also cut up some vegetables and put them in the fridge for the sauce. Start the meal whenever, I laid everything out for you.”

“Thank you, really,” Jonathan exhales, relief evident on his face. He hadn’t even thought about dinner, which you figured he wouldn’t. 

You bend down to kiss the top of his head. “Anytime, bee. I’ll call you tonight, okay?”

“Okay,” 

“Just…” you linger at the door, not fully wanting to leave him all by himself. “Be careful, please.” 

“Go, Y/N. I’ll be fine, I promise.” Jonathan reassures you.

“I’ll be fine, I promise!” Will’s voice is distant, now a few yards away, and you stand outside for a few more seconds to watch his figure disappear into the night.

It’s brief, but the flashback punches you in the gut. You close your eyes, holding onto the image of Will’s face in the moonlight last night, and when it fades you take a deep breath and force yourself to leave. 

The second you’re on your bike, pedaling away from the house, you let the sobs that have wracked against your throat all day out. It’s messy, the tears coming down your face faster than you can wipe them away. All the fear you’ve felt is now able to freely come out. It’s not the safest way to bike home, but you know that if you hold the tears in any longer you’ll collapse. You do your best to still be alert, but apparently you fail because a BMW honks at you to avoid you hitting it. 

“Fuck!” You yank your bike to the right, having no idea that you had been on the left side of the road, and topple over. The fall isn’t anything bad, but it definitely is your final straw for the day. You lay in the ditch you’ve landed in, staring at the November sky, and let the pain from your skinned knee serve as something to ground you to reality. 

“Holy shit, did I hit you?” 

Steve Harrington stands over you, a horrified look in his eyes. 

“Unfortunately not, otherwise I’d be able to sue you and get money out of it.” 

“Uh… okay?” He offers you his hand, although still very confused. “You didn’t like, happen to hit your head or anything, right?” 

You accept his help, albeit mostly because you have to, and brush yourself off when you’re up. “I’m fine. I just wasn’t paying attention, sorry.” 

Steve nods, as if you almost getting hit by his car makes perfect sense to him. When you walk over to your bike and inspect it for any damage, he follows after you. 

“So,” he whistles, trying to pretend that this is all a completely normal occurrence. “You, uh, need a ride?”

Honestly you don’t know why you’re surprised he hasn’t noticed the clear signs of you crying, your swollen eyes and red nose. Not only is he a boy, but he’s also Steve Harrington. It’s a miracle he even stopped to make sure you weren’t dead. 

“No,” you say, now repositioning your backpack so that you can get back on your bike. “Thanks anyways, Harrington.” 

Steve continues to follow you, even after you’ve started to pedal away. “You’re welcome, random girl I almost hit!”

You’re a bit further now, and you still feel like utter shit, but his words somehow make you laugh a bit. For a brief moment, you forget about everything, so you call behind, “It’s Henderson!” 

“That’s an odd first name!” The boy shouts after you, still following from a distance. 

“Y/N Henderson!” You’re fully yelling now, a good yard away, but you can tell that Steve hears you based on the way he begins to wave eagerly, finally stopping next to his car. Faintly you understand the boyish charm that makes him so loved by all the girls in the school; you understand why Nancy Wheeler has fallen for him.

“Bye, Y/N!” It’s faint, but you swear you can hear a smile in his voice.  

The good mood that Steve Harrington inexplicably puts you in vanishes when you near your house. Nothing has changed, yet it feels as if something has shifted. Will had been here only hours ago. You spot Dustin’s bike laying on the grass, haphazardly thrown as usual. 

Dustin is just taking off his coat when you enter, immediately running over to him to pull him into a bone crushing hug. 

“Y/N!” he squeaks in surprise. 

“Are you okay?” You know you’re squeezing your brother harder than you need to, but God. He’s safe, in your arms, and you’ve now learned that not everyone can say the same about their own loved ones. 

Dustin wiggles a bit, trying to break away from the hug, but you only pull him in tighter. “Geesh, no one died.” 

Normally you’d berate him, but you embrace his snarky comments. They’re what make Dustin so unique, his humor one of your favorite parts of him

When you don’t respond, Dustin stops wiggling around and finally accepts the situation. “I love ya too, sis.” 

You giggle a bit, now pulling away. “At least mom isn’t home right now. The minute she hears about what’s happened, we’ll be on lockdown.”

Dustin’s eyes widen. “Shit, you’re right.” 

“Lan-”

“Language, I know.”

You ruffle his hair, now feeling a bit better. Dustin is still Dustin, so maybe everything will be okay. You and your brother go into the kitchen for your post school snack, and you call your boss to inform her that you can’t make it to your shift. The words “family emergency” catch in your throat a bit, and Mrs. Waters is kind enough not to push it.

Dustin catches you up on his day, informing you about Hopper questioning him and the other boys. 

You scrunch your nose at that. “Is that even legal?”

“Unsure, but it was awesome.”

“Will went missing, Dustin. It isn’t ‘awesome’.”

Dustin tilts his head at you. “Well, I bet Will is going to have a blast hearing everything when we find him.” 

His words are so matter of fact, as if he already knows that Will will be found after all. His naivety worries you a bit, but you also can’t help but indulge in his hope as well. Then you think about what he’s just said. “Wait, who’s ‘we’?”

Your brother pretends he can't hear you, miming at his ears. “Dustin-”

“What?”

“Dustin, you and the boys can’t just-”

“I can’t hear you!” He’s running to his room now with you quick behind his heels. 

“Dustin, I swear to God-”

“I gotta do homework, Y/N, bye!” He slams the door in your face. 

You sigh. There’s no getting through to him, years of being Dustin’s older sister has taught you that, so you go into your room instead. You might as well get started on the assignments you missed today, and you have a huge chem test tomorrow, so you’ll focus on that and keep an ear out for Dustin. Whatever he’s planning with the boys, you won’t let them do it alone. 

After a couple hours of silence from Dustin’s room, you decide to call Jonathan. The line rings for a while with no answer, and eventually you give up. It makes sense that he’s not answering, he’s had a long day. You hope he’s asleep, but you know him better than that. He’s probably holed up in his room, trying to distract himself like you are right now. 

A loud thud from Dustin’s room breaks you from your thoughts. Then you hear a quiet “shhh!” that sounds suspiciously like Lucas, and you immediately throw on your shoes and a jacket and march outside. 

Dustin is halfway out of his window when you arrive, and Mike and Lucas stare at you, caught red handed. 

“Guys, I think she can hear us.” Your brother says, breaking the silence. Mike scoffs at him and Lucas groans. 

You eye the three of them, unamused. “Your best friend just went missing, what the hell are you guys doing out here so late and alone?”

Dustin awkwardly finishes his descent down, finally landing on his feet with a thud. He secures his hat back on his head and goes to grab his bike. You block his path. 

“I’m serious, one of you needs to start talking, now.” 

Lucas and Dustin look at Mike, who is their unofficial leader of the gang, and he huffs. “Look, Y/N, I like you-”

“How thrilling.” You say, voice monotone. 

The boy ignores you and continues to talk. “But Will is missing, and we aren’t just going to sit around and wait. He’s our friend, we have to do something.” 

You open your mouth to speak, but Lucas interrupts you. “You’re definitely our favorite sister in the group, so you’d be even cooler if you let us go.” 

Again, you try to respond, but this time Dustin beats you to it. “Yeah, you’re like, totally cool already. If you pretend that you never saw us, that’d be great.” 

“Guys-”

“And don’t give us a whole lecture about safety. That’s all bull.” Mike says. 

“Boys!” You scream. They all fall silent, not used to you ever raising your voice at them. You’ve only ever yelled at them once or twice, preferring to be the “cool” sister whenever you can, but right now they’re seriously pissing you off. 

“Let me speak.” When no one says anything, you continue. “I’m not going to stop you guys from looking for Will. In fact, I support it-”

“You do?”

You shoot Mike a death glare, which promptly shuts him up. “Yes, I do. However, I’m not letting you guys go alone.” 

The boys all groan at this, acting as if it’s the worst thing in the world to have you tag along with them. You ignore their complaining and head over to where your bike sits against the porch. You zip up your coat, the chill from the night making you shiver a bit. 

“No arguing, or I’ll call all your moms. Ours included, Dustin.”

“Why me?”

“Look, guys. I’m proud of you for stepping up, but I’m coming with. The last time I let one of you boys go off into the woods alone…” 

The boys shift uncomfortably now, realizing how heavy the guilt weighs upon you. After a few beats of silence, Mike finally gives in. 

“Fine,” he says, pointing a finger at you. “But the second you start to freak out, you’re gone.” 

You salute Mike, hopping on your bike as you all begin to bike away. The ride doesn’t take long, since you live just off of where Will was last seen. Thunder rumbles when you all approach the crime scene, and you shudder a bit. 

“It’s going to rain, guys.” You inform them. 

Dustin looks up at the sky with uncertainty. “I think maybe we should go back.”

Mike is quick to shut down the idea, urging the others to keep going. You admire his loyalty to Will, and you figure it’s why the two of you butt heads so often. Out of the entire group, you’re the most similar to him. 

Lucas and Mike go under the caution tape first, and Dustin hangs back. You place a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “We can go back, you know.” 

He clenches his jaw, jutting his chin out a bit. “No, Will needs us.”

Your brother puffs out his chest and follows after his friends, leaving you to take up the rear. More thunder rumbles and the rain begins to come down. You flip your hood up, thankful you remembered to grab a hoodie when leaving. 

Mike guides the way with his flashlight, then Lucas, then Dustin, then you in the back. You make sure to keep your eyes on the three boys, scared that the second you look away they’ll be gone. The woods have always creeped you out, but you push your fear down to keep them safe. 

“Will!” Mike calls out, the rain now pouring down on you guys. 

“Byers!” 

“Will, little bee!” You call out as well. He never liked when you called him that in front of the others, but tonight was an exception. 

“I’ve got your X-Men 134!” Your brother bribes, unintentionally making you laugh a bit. If Will is nearby, he’ll surely come out to claim his prize. 

Your foot catches on a tree log, and you slip in the mud before just barely managing to catch yourself. It’s getting hard to see given how dark it is and the rain surrounding you. Dustin voices his concerns, only to be called a baby, and you bite your tongue. If you defend him, he’ll only look more like a baby to his friends. 

“I’m just being realistic!” He retaliates, which you commend him for. 

“Dustin’s right, guys. It’s getting really bad out here. We’re surrounded by a ton of trees, don’t they attract lightning?” You ask, now paranoid that you’ll be struck down any second. 

“You guys are being sissies.” Lucas taunts, annoyed as well. 

You try to argue, but Dustin voices a thought that’s been at the back of your mind. “Did you ever think Will went missing because he ran into something bad?”

You think back to how Hopper seemed worried when he investigated the Byers home. From what you can recall, he suspected that Will had been running away from something, explaining why he’d abandon his bike.

“And now we’re going to the exact same spot where he was last seen, and we have no weapons or anything?”

Maybe Dustin’s right. This definitely wasn’t your best idea, and you’re regretting letting them follow through with their plan. For someone who claims to want to keep their loved ones safe, you really suck at it. 

“Dustin, shut up.” Mike voices, though he now looks a bit concerned as well. 

“He’s right, Mike.” You speak up, stumbling a bit in more mud. Your shoes are definitely ruined, now. “I was at Jonathan’s when Hopper showed up, he thinks Will was running from something.” 

The boys go quiet now, and when you’re about to suggest going home, you hear rustling in the bushes. 

“Did you guys hear that?” Mike asks. 

Your heart stops as the rustling continues and you all start to twist and turn, looking for the source of the sound. The rustling gets louder, almost as if it’s getting closer, and you tighten your hand around your flashlight, ready to use it as a weapon just in case. 

Then, the light flashes upon a little girl, drenched in an oversized yellow shirt, shivering. Her head is shaved, but her small stature suggests to you that she is indeed a girl. You all stare at her, no one saying a thing. She stares back, a terrified look on her face that breaks your heart. 

“Holy shit,” you whisper. 

Her eyes land on you; something about her reminds you of Will, and  you know that nothing will be the same again.

-

⌑ series masterlist

⌑ if you would like to be added/removed from my taglist, just let me know :)

#steve harrington x henderson!reader #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x you #stranger things #steve harrington fanfic #stranger things rewrite #slowburn #angst #wdtai #m's writing #honestly i just want to be jonathans bff #like its criminal that he doesnt have any real friends in the show until SEASON 4 #absolutely wild

[strangermarvelss]

second best- e.m (pt 2) 

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Cunningham!Female!Reader

Summary: with chrissy now off to college with her boyfriend, jason, eddie turns to you and wants to begin a relationship, making you feel a certain way about being his second choice.

Warnings: angsty angst, second choice, eddie being dumb, confrontation, crying, steve being the best mom friend

Request?: No

Word Count: 2.2k

A/N: i got the most amazing request to do like a little women type of thing between chrissy, eddie, and chrissy’s sister inspired by the jo, laurie, and amy relationship and i thought it was absolutely brilliant, so here it is! also i’ve aged chrissy up to about 19 and reader is 18, while eddie is 20 :) enjoy! -sava

part one | part two | part three

One week.

One week has passed by since you’ve seen your best friend. The man you’ve been used to sharing stories with during spontaneous sleepovers in his stain-filled bed and falling asleep on his shoulder during your movie nights. One week since that same man crushed your spirits, stomping and pulverizing them in front of you. No calls, no visits, just the empty house you’ve known since your parents brought you home from the Hawkins hospital. 

Your parents decided to extend their trip a bit with Chrissy overpacking and needing some more help getting adjusted to living on her own for just a little longer. You weren’t complaining, as with the circumstances that left you being alone overnight for the first time ever made you well adjusted. Plus, you felt as if you needed some more time to wrap your head around everything, and your parents finally coming home won’t help the headspace you needed to avoid. The comparisons would start the minute they walk in the door and the absence of Chrissy settled in.

As much as you loved your sister, it hurt to be constantly in her shadow. She was your parents favorite child, star athlete thanks to being captain of the cheer squad, and now going on to do great things at a great university, while you weren’t sure what it was you wanted to do with your life yet. You loved running the paper and being in debate club, but you weren’t sure if those would still stick with you once you walked the stage of the Hawkins High auditorium. That was what you admired most about Eddie, his determination and drive towards his ultimate goal.

He knew he was going to be a big rock star since he was in middle school, he would remind you and Chrissy of that any chance he got. He wand his band were going to take off any minute now, soar the charts and become overnight sensations, selling out a world tour and headlining every venue and music festival. You vowed the moment you became his best friend you’d be by his side and support him during his entire journey. Now, you weren’t sure that was still a possibility.

Being second best to Chrissy was something you had grown used to, but never did you think it would happen with Eddie. You had accepted the fact that a romantic relationship was never in the cards for the two of you, opting to stay happy and content with a friendship that couldn’t be broken by anything, at least, that’s how it used to be. But then he tried to kiss you and settle for you, as if it was just some thing that needed to happen now that she was off to college and out of Hawkins for good, settling for the crumbs that were leftover from the delicious Thanksgiving dinner. And it hurt.

It fucking hurt.

On top of everything, you felt as if you had no one to really go to about this. Only a few people knew about your crush on Eddie, and you had no desire to spill your guts about your dilemma at the moment. In most stressful situations you encountered, Chrissy was always the person you’d go to. Being your big sister, she always knew exactly what to say to get you to think clearly or point you in the right direction. But with this situation involving her directly, and her off at college living her new life, it wasn’t an option. So here you were, left to your own devices, a week of thinking and stressing about the future between you and Eddie, platonic or not.

You park the car in front of Family Video and make your way towards the entrance. The allotted time for the videos you rented to your movie night with Eddie was up, and maybe seeing your friends would cheer you up a bit. Steve and Robin always knew what to say to get your spirits high, or even higher if you just wanted to hang.

“Welcome to Family Video how may I-oh! Hey Y/N,” Steve greets you, his smile stretching from ear to ear. You return his smile, your lips tight and teeth remaining behind the barrier of your mouth as you approach the counter. You place the tapes in front of Steve and tap your nails against the surface.

“Just here to return those,” you say simply. 

“How’d you and Munson like them? I’ve been meaning to check out this specifically,” Steve asks, picking up the tape that had just began to play when everything went down between you and Eddie. You look down at your hands, trying to avoid eye contact with the man known as ‘the hair’.

“We, uh…we didn’t finish that one. Some stuff came up,” you let out lightly. You sigh to yourself as the silence around you and Steve begins to thicken. You hear the gears and ringing of the cash register as you continue to look away, all around the video store.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asks you. You knew Steve had grown into quite the understanding person within recent years, finally growing out of the asshole popular kid who only cared about reputations and looks. You knew it had something to do with the kids he looked after, the kids you had grown closer to since they became friends with Eddie last year through Hellfire. You always appreciated his advice, but you were still in a funk about the entire thing, not in the mood for talking much.

“Nope, just need a distraction. Any new movies come in since last week?” You deflect. 

“Unfortunately no, but I know you said you wanted to finally check out the Star Wars trilogy, and the person who had Return of the Jedi just returned it, so I saved all three movies for you,” He tells you, reaching beneath him and pulling the three tapes onto the counter. You gasp and jump a bit, excitement surging through your body for the first time in a week. You were so thrilled that you didn’t hear the bell to the door chime, alerting everyone that someone new had arrived.

“Steve! You shouldn’t have. This is going to be amazing,” you exclaim, beating your fists in excitement against the counter.

“What’s going to be amazing?”

Suddenly, you felt your blood turn cold and shivers run up your spine at the sound of that familiar voice. You turn slowly to see the frizzy curls that you to fill you with as much excitement as just felt with getting to watch Star Wars. All happiness that you were temporarily experiencing was gone, taken away by the sheer sound of his voice.

“Uh, Y/N is going to finally watch the Star Wars movies, that’s all,” Steve says, trying to break the tension in the room. 

“That’s great,” Eddie says, faking enthusiasm. You hear his heavy footsteps walk around the other side of the counter and off to the horror section. You let out a breath you didn’t realize you’d been holding in, shifting your attention back to Steve. His features soften at the sudden change in your demeanor.

“Y/N, are you sure you’re ok-“

“Just ring me up, Steve. Please?” You mumble out. He simply nods and begins to process of ringing you out. You keep your head low, but every so often you watch Eddie walk about the store. You had no idea what was going on in his head, but his lack of reaching out to you made your heart sink. Did he not realize what he had done to you? Or did he just not care?

“Alright, Y/N, you’re all checked out,” Steve tell you as he passes you the tapes. He gives you a soft smile and you just look at him as you grab the tapes.

“Thanks Steve. See ya later,” you tell him quickly, before running out the door and towards your car. You’re quick to open the driver’s side door and jump inside, tossing the tapes gently on the dash. You jump out of your skin when you see the passenger door flip open, but quickly calm yourself when you see Eddie jumping in and slamming the door shut.

“Get out of my car Eddie.”

“No, not until we talk,” he tells you, his body facing you and eyes boring into you. You know you have to be strong and talk things out with him. He’s been part of your life for so many years, but he also broke your heart when he called you by your sister’s name, essentially settling for you while still thinking about her.

“Spit it out then,” you say coldly. Your keep your eyes ahead of you looking out towards the hood of your car. You hear him sigh and the clanking of his chains as he shifts around a bit.

“I just wanted to say I’m sorry,” he begins, letting out a sigh. “I know you probably hate me for what happened last week, and I’m sorry for the way things went down. I shouldn’t have had that much to drink and I shouldn’t have put your feelings on the line,” he tells you. His voice was soft and you felt as though it was sincere. You turn to him and look at his big, round, brown eyes, the ones that always left you in a puddle on the floor. 

“I could never hate you, Eddie,” you tell him simply. You watch the serious look on his face creep into a smile, his eyes gleaming at your words.

“Really? Good, because I was thinking-“

“I’m not done,” you tell him, holding your hand out to try to stop him. “Just because I don’t hate you, doesn’t mean I don’t hate what you did. Eddie…you really hurt me. The feelings I had for you, they were real and strong and clouded all my judgement most of the time. I thought I could handle you having a crush on my sister and pushing my own feelings aside in order to be your friend-your best friend. But when you said what you said last week, it broke me in ways I can barely fathom into coherent words. You called me Chrissy for crying out loud Eds,” you explain to him. You watch him nod and look to your floorboard, the look of shame and guilt you hadn’t seen much from him seeping into his features.

“Had?” He asks, quirking a brow at you.

“I’m sorry?” You question, confusion smeared across your face.

“You said the feelings you had for me. Do you not think of me that way anymore?” He asks, turning his body towards you once more and looking back into your eyes. You let out a soft sigh and shake your head.

“I don’t know. I’ve been in pain for a week and it’s given me a lot of time to think about the situation, how it all went down, and so many outcomes from how we can go on from this,” you tell him. You feel your eyes prick with tears and you swallow down a sob, the raw emotions coming from this conversation really hitting you. “I don’t think I can continue loving someone who doesn’t truly love me the way that I love them. Hell, I’m not even sure I can move past it and be friends.”

You watched Eddie’s face fall at your words, his eyes full of sadness and his jaw hanging open. He grabs your hands and holds them in his own.

“Y/N, please. I-I can’t lose you, I need you. Please just listen to me-“ he begins to say, but you’re quick to cut him off.

“Eddie, I’m sorry I can’t. Not right now. A-and I’m not sure when. But I do know I need you to get out of my car because I can’t take this anymore right now,” you explain, letting the tears race down your cheeks as you choke out the words to him. You’re breaking your own heart at this point, but it might be better this way.

Right?

“Y/N, please-“ he chokes out, tears of his own welling in his eyes.

“Eddie, please let me go.”

He slowly lets go of your hands and sits in the passenger seat for a moment, his head hung in defeat. You turn to look out the driver window, trying to muffle your sobs by putting your hands over your mouth and choking them back more. The passenger door opens once again and you feel the movement spread throughout the car, and the door closes softly. You watch as Eddie walks around to your side and hops in his van that was parked in the space beside you, starting his engine and speeding off down the road, not caring if he’d get pulled over or crash the damn thing.

You finally move your hands away from your mouth a grip your steering wheel as you let the cries escape the barrier that is your lips. Resting your forehead against the wheel, your whole body shakes as you let your true feelings out, screaming and tears streaming down your cheeks. No one ever said heartbreak was easy. Maybe it would for the best that Eddie wouldn’t be in your life anymore. Or maybe it wouldn’t.

#eddie munson #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson angst #stranger things #stranger things fanfiction #fanfiction #fanfic #angst #steve harrington

[cowboythighs]

steve harrington found success at a young age, quickly making a name for himself in hollywood.

eddie munson runs a community theater.

their paths don’t cross until they’re meant to.

⬇️a steve-centric steddie ficlet below ⬇️

(cw: addiction)

——————————

It's 1977 and Steve’s leaving home. He’s landed his first acting role at 10 years old when he’s chosen to play an orphan on a popular show about life on the prairie. It's not a main role—just for one season—but he’s excited to be on one of the most popular shows on television.

It's 1977 and Steve’s sent to live in LA in the care of his agent while filming. His checks get sent back to his parents in Indiana.

He's happy to help them—he really is—but it’s a lot of pressure, knowing that his parents and his siblings are depending on him to survive. And he loves acting! But when his contract nears its end, he’s excited at the prospect of returning home.

He wants to sleep in his own bed; wants to spend his summer practicing with his best friend Tommy so they can be ready to try out for the school basketball team together in the fall. So when his agent tells him that the show wants his character to return next season, he politely tells him thanks but no thanks.

He's already got his bags packed. He's called Tommy and made plans to start training the day after he gets back to Hawkins. He’s ready to go home—wonders if his mom will make his favorite (breakfast for dinner) for his first meal back home.

He calls her to ask, but before he can, she brings up the contract. She talks about how his dads having trouble finding work—how much of a help it would be if Steve would renew his contract—stay in LA just a bit longer. Cries and says if he doesn't, she doesn’t know how she’ll be able to feed them all.

So Steve unpacks his bags, calls Tommy to cancel his plans, and renews his contract. Things don’t get better as time goes on. There’s always another show, a better offer. And there’s always a reason why he can’t go home—daddy can’t work, mommy can’t make the kind of money Steve can.

So he stops asking. Takes job after job; keeps his schedule packed so he can make enough money to support his family. He becomes a heartthrob as he progresses into his teens. Starts landing leading roles in movies that make magazines plaster his face all over their covers.

He finds out when he turns 17 that he’s broke. That his parents hadn’t invested his money like they’d said they would—had blown it all on bad business ventures (his mom) and gambling (his dad).

It's 1984 and his face is on billboards, he’s the star of three different summer blockbusters, and he’s broke.

His agent helps him sell most of his assets-the house in Malibu and the sports cars-helps him trim down his team to the bare bones and hires an attorney to ensure that final strings between Steve and his parents are cut.

He's 17 and for the first time in 7 years, he doesn’t have anyone to provide for but himself. He'd worked hard for so long, and now he was ready to play hard—make up for lost time. Instead of going home after a day of filming he’d go out to clubs he shouldn’t be allowed into with a group of young stars that also wanted to party.

It was the most fun he’s ever had. Steve was pretty sure he's almost happy. He's young, he has friends, and he’s a household name. Everywhere he goes there’s someone smiling and calling his name.

But it turns out he isn’t much better than his parents when it comes to managing his money. The big fat paychecks from the movies don’t ever seem to stretch far enough to cover the spending he does. It’s 1985 and he’s still in the red.

He takes the next job he can to help pay off his debts. He wasn’t enthused about the project, but it was supposed to be a guaranteed hit that would’ve been enough to put him back in the black—but it flops. And so does the one after that.

It's 1986 the party drugs Steve used to do for fun turns into a habit.

The name “Steve Harrington” used to carry a certain connotation in the business. hard-working, solid, dependable. They called him a workhorse. Everyone wanted him to work his magic for the camera, but they also praised him for being a good person off screen—a real team player.

It's 1987 and the name “Steve Harrington” has a stench that lingers around it. Unreliable, always late, often too high or too hungover to function. Another Hollywood's darling becomes a cautionary tale. The job offers dry up, and he can’t afford to pay his team or his mortgage. It seems like the nail in the coffin for his acting career.

It's 1988 and Steve’s back on the covers of magazines—pictures of his mugshot and the rehab facility the courts ordered him to.

It's 1989 and he has a handful of new mugshots to add to the collection.

It’s 1990 and his friends won’t call him back. His agent has dropped him and all he has left is a dingy little apartment in NoHo and a pack of debt collectors intent on squeezing every last dime from him.

It’s 1992 and Steve’s 25 when rehab finally sticks. It's his fourth time in almost as many years and he’s so tired. The twelve steps don’t feel so much like bullshit anymore, but more like a life raft in the middle of the ocean. He clings to it. And this time, it works for him.

It's 1994 and Steve has a job waiting tables at a diner and he thinks it’s the hardest work he’s ever done. It's the first time he’s been proud of himself in years. The clientele is older, so he doesn’t get recognized often. He likes that. It's easier that way.

It's 1995 and he makes enough money to move to a better neighborhood. Closer to the diner. Further away from the bad memories trapped in his old apartment. Benny's Burgers becomes his sanctuary. He met Benny in AA—he’s not Steve’s sponsor (Benny’s best friend is), but he keeps him straight. It helps.

It's 1995 and Steve’s happy. He has a cat. Has a bike that he takes up to Griffith park on his days off. Riding makes him think of his friend Tommy back home—wonders if he ever made the basketball team. He has dinner every Sunday with his sponsor, Jim, and his family.

Steve has regulars at the diner now—people that know his name (and his cat’s—James) and care about him. It's nice. One of his favorites is Wayne. He always asks after James (sometimes brings a little bag of treats or a toy for him) and leaves Steve a nice tip.

It's 1996 and Steve’s 29 and he’s happy thinking the world has forgotten him. He's almost at the end of his shift when Wayne walks in one afternoon. He sits in Steve’s section and tells him his nephew will be joining him. Steve’s excited to meet the man who Wayne’s spoke about with so much pride for the last two years.

He sets Wayne up with a coffee and goes back to the kitchen to knock out some of his side work. He gives it a few minutes before he pokes his head out to check—sees a man around his own age sat across from Wayne. He grabs a pot of coffee and a glass of water and makes his way back to their table.

It's been a while since he’s seen it, but he knows the recognition in the man’s eyes when Wayne introduces Steve to his nephew, Eddie. He wants to sink into the floor when Eddie says far too loudly, “Oh shit—Wayne, your Steve is The Steve Harrington??? From The Detention Club?” Steve hates the way people are turning to stare.

Steve makes an excuse—tells Wayne he forgot he needed to check on something in the back. Hears Wayne as he’s walking away, asking his nephew, “Do you know him?” He doesn’t want to hear Eddie’s response. Takes longer than he usually would in the kitchen before he calms his nerves and steps back out.

He tops off their coffee, nervous to look up. Manages to avoid eye contact while he gets their orders and disappears back to the kitchen. He convinces his coworker robin to take their food out for him so he can hide a little longer.

When he can’t wait any more, he goes out to check on them. Asks if there’s anything else he can get for them.

“Steve,” Wayne waits until Steve looks at him. “My nephew owes you an apology.”

Steve tries to wave him off—say there’s nothing to apologize for.

“Oh yes there is,” Wayne interrupted. “He’s obviously made you uncomfortable. But he promises he’s not gonna go blabbling your business to anyone else. Don’t you, boy?”

Steve glances over to find Eddie nodding his head rapidly.

“Scouts honor! Sorry if I freaked you out. It just threw me off because I'm used to seeing you on my bedroom walls—not now! Obviously—but back when I was a kid. It doesn’t matter,I just mean it was just exciting seeing you in person. But I won't tell anyone I saw you here- I'm sure it gets annoying, people trying to harass you all the time.”

Cautiously, Steve allows a little relief to settle over his anxious nerves.

“Not really,” Steve smiles. “Most people have forgotten about me at this point.”

“How could anyone forget you?” Eddie asked.

Steve shrugged. “I'd rather be forgotten than remembered for some of the stuff I've done. It’s easier to be an anonymous server in a random diner than a guy who had the world in the palm of his hand and managed to fuck it all up.”

It’s not the last time Eddie comes to the diner. Sometimes he’s with his uncle. Sometimes he’s alone. If they're not busy, sometimes he asks Steve to join him. Sometimes Steve does. He'll pick at Eddie’s fries and listens to him talk about the play he’s writing for the community theater he runs.

Steve’s not sure why he does it, but he asks Eddie if he can read it. Eddie’s thrilled—brings him a copy a few days later. Tells Steve he’s welcome to give Eddie feedback.

Pages in hand, Steve starts to doubt himself. He talks to Jim.

Steve worries that reading a script will trigger something in his brain that will undo years of hard work on his sobriety. Jim tells him to trust himself; tells him he can come over early on Sunday—before their regular dinner—and read it in the Hopper’s living room, where he can listen to the kids playing down the hall and smell Jim and Joyce cooking in the kitchen and be reminded that it’s not 1987 or 1990 and that he’s alright.

Steve does. He reads Eddie’s play. It's brilliant. It makes him laugh and cry and he finds himself making notes in the margins like he’s going to be the one performing it.

Eddie beams when Steve says he loves it. Invited him down to the community theater to sit in on auditions with him. It sounds painful, to Steve—an entire day watching amateur actors who will undoubtedly butcher Eddie’s work.

He's wrong. It’s one of the most exciting days he’s had in fifteen years—maybe longer. There are so many talented people auditioning—each with unique interpretations of Eddie’s words.

It's magic.

It makes him itch to be up there with them, auditioning.

He can’t. But his heart is quietly pulled towards the stage.

He gives Eddie his opinion when he asks for it. Helps him decide who would be a fit for what role. It's exhilarating.

It’s 1996 and Eddie asks him out for drinks. Steve says no. Asks him if he’d rather get pizza instead.

It’s 1996 and Steve’s 29 and there’s still cheese in his mouth when Eddie–with grease on his lips–leans over the pizzeria table to kiss him. He’s 29 and he thought he’d lost everything but is starting to realize he likes what he has now more than anything he’d ever had before.

It’s 1997 and Steve’s reading Eddie’s latest play. He's falling in love with a character and almost wants to scream because of how badly he wants to play it. He looks up to where Eddie’s been watching him. “Tristan.”

Eddie nods. “He's for you. If you want- when I wrote him, all I could think about was you playing him.”

It’s 1997 and Steve’s acting. He's on stage and it’s opening night. His family—Jim and Joyce and their kids, Eddie and Wayne, Robin and her girlfriend Chrissy—are in the audience supporting him.

It’s 1997 and Steve Harringtons is finally home.

#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things ficlet #steddie ficlet #cowboythighs #cw addiction #crossposted from my twt

[aloneinthehellfire]

Come Back Home

Season One | Season Two | Season Three | Season Four

Raining Hellfire: Season Four

Word Count: 3113 words

Warnings: swearing, bullying, mentions of death

[A/N: The introduction to RH4 is here! This season has been the hardest to write considering that this is where we find out all the truth behind Vecna. I'm excited to finally share this with you all :)]

Before we begin a new season, I just want to thank every single person who has supported my story. I'm not sure what will happen after RH4, if this will be the last season, but I've had a hell of a time writing this :)

Come Back Home

Dear Y/n,

High school hasn’t really been anything special. It’s kinda hard but at least the lessons are slightly more interesting.

The guys decided to join Hellfire Club. Eddie’s taking care of them. Just like you said he would.

Lucas tried out for the basketball team. I think he’s enjoying it, despite all the assholes he says are his friends. We’re not really seeing eye to eye lately. But it’s all fine. I promise.

Mike complains a lot about El and Will not being there. I think he forgets that we’re all missing them too. It kinda sucks that El and I got so close only for her to move away. But she calls me, telling me about her time in California. She tells me she’s enjoying it.

Steve and Robin seem to like working at the video store. I visit them sometimes, Steve always sneaks me any new releases. He thinks I’m lonely but I’m fine. He just overreacts. He also constantly asks about you, pretending like he doesn’t care. He misses you, even if he doesn’t admit it. We all do.

Mom and I moved into a trailer after Neil left. It’s nice, sometimes. Mom started drinking again but we get to spend time together and she’s trying her hardest. She couldn’t take Jack’s house. She misses her brother.

I miss you. A lot. I know we’ve done this before and at least this time I can talk with you but sometimes I wish you and I could just hang out together. The party are kind of acting like you’re on holiday. Like any day now you’ll burst through the door with souvenirs. But Nancy keeps telling them that’s not the case. They don’t listen. Of course they don’t.

I know why you left. You did it for us, even if the others can’t see that.

I’m doing okay. You’ve said in your letters that you worry about me but I’m completely fine. You should live a life away from Hawkins. You deserve that. You don’t need to come back.

I love and miss you,

Madmax.

You stuff the letter back into your drawer with a sigh. That was the last letter Max had sent you. It had been weeks now.

You couldn’t help but worry every single day you spent away from Hawkins. After hearing about Susan and Neil’s divorce, you felt guilty for ever leaving Max in the first place. Billy died and she needed you. But it was too dangerous.

The nightmarish figure hadn’t visited you in the eight months you’ve been away from Hawkins. It was a relief, really. You could finally sleep without fear of being pulled into the Upside Down.

But you still couldn’t close your eyes without seeing Jack and Billy die in front of you.

“Y/n?”

Your room-mate poked her head around the door, eyes wide.

“You okay?” You looked at Clara with a confused expression, setting down the pen you were using and slipping a half-written letter into a pile of work on your desk.

“She’s at it again.” She sighs and your lips purse.

Great, you thought, another fun day in Florida.

Clara patiently waits for you to sort out your things before you grab your keys and join her, walking quickly to the college courtyard where you could already see a crowd of students forming.

Yells and shouts could be heard as a trio of girls messed around with Emma Sanders. You suck in a breath. You wished you could say this wasn’t a daily occurrence.

Emma Sanders was a 16 year old girl who had managed to get into college early from her brains alone. She was a modest girl, very shy since everyone else around her was much older. You and her had shared a class together and it turns out Emma was much more sweet and funny than anyone seemed to notice. But, there was a rumour spreading that her parents were on the board and used their position to get her into college. She has claimed over and over that she just got an early scholarship but that’s the thing with the students at this college; they hate to see someone out-do them. They hate it even more when the girl they bully actually sticks up for themself and calls them out on their bullshit.

Which is why, almost every day since the beginning of the college year, poor Emma had to experience the very worst of what teenage girls are capable of.

“Move out of the way.” You sigh, shoving past a group of guys clearly enjoying the display. They protest but shift out of your way regardless, craning their necks for a better view of the fight.

It was a deja-vu moment for you; breaking up a fight. And over three years later, here you were. Being a ‘hero’, as someone would always say to you.

Clara shuffled up beside you as you pushed your way into the circle, coming face to face with the devils themselves.

“Okay, we get it. You’re upset you’re all dumb and had to pay to get in.” You retort, picking your friend from off the floor and she sends you a grateful smile.

You gently nudge her away from the crowd and Emma disappears, most likely to the library. Hopefully she’d be okay.

“Y/n Mayfield. Here to ruin the fun, like always.”

The shrill voice called from behind you and you clicked your tongue. She had the kind of voice that scratched your brain in the most excruciatingly painful way possible.

And it just so happens that you had years of experience blocking her out.

“Carol.” You purse your lips, turning to face the queen of high school herself, still taking advantage of those around her for her own personal enjoyment. “You realise this is college, right?”

She simply raises her eyebrows, edging you on.

“You’re not in high school anymore.” You sigh, shaking your head, “Maybe you should focus on actually passing the semester instead of proving that your daddy has more money than the rest of us.”

“Yeah, and can the rest of you stop acting like this is some crappy teen drama movie?” Clara yelled at the few students still standing around you, chanting as if something more than an exchange of words would happen. “Go to class or something! Get a damn education!”

A few sighs and groans sounded but soon everyone dispersed, leaving you and Clara with Carol and her new-found minions.

“Why, oh why, do you always have to annoy me?” Carol sighs, waving her hand in the air. The action caused the other two girls to stalk away. She really did have power over them.

“Look, Carol.” You take a step forward, shoulders slumped. You were really tired of this. “I had no idea we were going to end up at the same college. But here we are and honestly, I just want a normal college experience, okay? No fights, no stupid rumours. Is that so impossible to ask for?”

Carol shifted on her feet, chewing the gum in her mouth slowly as she pondered the thought.

“You know what?” Carol slowly nodded, smiling. “You’re right.”

You almost fall back in surprise. “I am?”

“She is?” Clara chimed in beside you, just as confused.

“Yeah.” Carol took a few steps towards you. “It really is impossible to ask for.”

“Oh for the love of-” You mutter and Carol glares at you.

“Why would I ever forgive and forget someone that slept with my boyfriend?”

Clara audibly gasps beside you. That was something you had left out of the room-mate introductions.

You roll your eyes, crossing your arms, “For the last time, I didn’t know! I was drunk and I would never have done that if he just told me you were dating.”

“Really?” Carol raised an eyebrow. “Cause it seems to be a trend with you lately. Stealing other girls’ boyfriends.”

“I doubt Y/n would do that.” Clara shakes her head and you smile to yourself. Good to know someone had your back.

“I heard a rumour…” Carol stepped forward, her pink lips stretched into a wicked smile. “That you ended up sleeping with Steve Harrington.”

“Who?” Clara whispered to you and you just waved your hand.

“That didn’t happen.��� You say. It was the truth, nothing more than an emotional shared kiss ever happened between you and Steve. Certainly not when he and Nancy were still dating.

“You should really rethink your friends.” Carol turns to the girl next to you, an innocent look on her face. “Y/n was notorious for being the whore of Hawkins.”

“Fuck you.” You finally spat and she smiled. She got exactly what she wanted; to get you angry.

“Hm, let’s see.” Carol held up her hand and started putting down fingers as she counted. “Tommy, Eddie, Steve. Oh, and let’s not forget Billy.”

You stayed silent, breath hitching at the sound of his name.

“All in the space of, what, three years?” She smirked at you. “And yet, little old Y/n Mayfield couldn’t manage to keep any of them. In fact, she ended up running away just when she realised that they could never love a girl…”

Carol’s eyes turned dark as she leant forward to whisper into your ear. “… who murdered her best friend.”

Your eyes widen with tears, breath caught in your throat. How did she know that?

“Don’t underestimate your enemies, Y/n.” She said, glaring at you, “Especially ones with friends in high places.”

She leant in again with a smile, chuckling lowly, “Or ones who end up snooping through the school shrink’s files. You should really be careful what you tell people.”

“What do you want from me?” Your voice was barely a whisper.

“I want you to realise that you deserve everything that’s coming to you. I want you out of Florida. This is my college, not yours.”

“I can’t.” You say, shaking your head slightly.

“You’re gonna have to.” She pouts, fixing the collar of your shirt. “Or I’m gonna tell everyone at this college exactly who you are.”

She let’s out a shrill laugh, tossing her hair behind her shoulder.

“Anyway, it was nice catching up. Let’s not do this again, ‘kay?” She looks to your friend with a grin, “Bye, Claire.”

“It’s Clara.” She mumbled, glaring.

“Whatever.”

And just like that, the infamous Carol Perkins reclaimed her power and left you stood in the middle of the courtyard, heartbeat running fast enough to blur your vision.

“Y/n?” Clara placed her hand on your shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“… yeah.” You nod, shaking away the burning nerves. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Don’t let her get into your head, Y/n.” She frowned. You let out a breathy laugh, shaking your head.

“It’s not that easy.”

Clara invited you out with her friends for lunch, claiming you needed to have some fun and actually explore outside of your room. You respectfully declined her offer, telling her to have fun without you. You weren’t in the party mood.

You pulled out the paper you had hidden away earlier, grabbing your pen and wiping away a stray tear. All you had done to forget your past, it always found its way to haunt you.

The paper was crumpled at the edges and you tried your absolute best to smooth them out, wanting it to be perfect. You took a breath, reading the very first line over and over until your brain hurt.

Dear Eddie,

For months now you had tried to muster up some kind of courage to write to him. Ever since the day you left, the metalhead never left your brain. But, at the exact same time, neither did Steve. Never in your life did you think you’d be stuck in some kind of love triangle that only you were aware of.

It’s always been hard for you to express your feelings. Growing up in a house with parents that thought being tough built character would do that to you.

Billy had come first but the feelings between you two had gotten muddled up along the way; you weren’t ever in love. He was your best friend, your closest friend and you were both too young to understand that love didn’t have to be romantic. Which made sense. You didn’t think you were capable of it.

Then Eddie Munson changed all that for you. He was sweet, and kind, and everything you could have hoped for. You finally got to feel what real love felt like. All the best and worst moments of it. Every time you were with him, you felt some kind of electricity you couldn’t explain. And those feelings never left you, not really. You just couldn’t admit it to him in the end.

The kiss you and Steve had shared the night of the ‘mall fire’ was far from meaning nothing to you. In fact, you had both confessed you liked eachother. You had confessed you loved eachother. Love was a word that barely left your lips. Steve made you feel safe, feel heard. Like he knew every part of you. But you were both still in love with the ones that got away.

You groan into your hands, throwing the pen back down. Writing this letter was impossible.

Maybe it was for the best that you’d never see them again.

And with Carol’s sudden blackmail, you were way too busy figuring out if you could transfer colleges. Maybe you could head to San Diego instead. Or Arizona. Or just flee to Europe.

Hopefully Max will get your letters when you move.

As you reach to switch off the table lamp, the phone at the edge of the desk suddenly starting ringing. You jumped in surprise, chair wobbling on two legs for a moment before you composed yourself. You frowned. Nancy only just called you yesterday evening.

You pick up the phone, holding it to your ear cautiously.

“Hello?”

“Y/n?” Robin’s voice called out and you breathed a sigh of relief. You and Robin had an occasional phone call now and then, just to catch up about once a month. But you had just spoken to her last week.

“Robin? Why are you-” Your question is cut short when you hear her shooing someone away, most likely a customer, plus some clatter as you assume she moves the phone to a more secluded spot.

“Have you seen the news?” Her voice was urgent and you frowned.

“The Hawkins news?” You let out a breathy laugh, confusion mixed with fear at her voice, “Uh, no, Robs. I haven’t.”

She’s silent for a moment until you hear her let out a sigh.

“Robin, what’s going on?” You started to panic, straightening in your seat.

“It’s…” She lowered her voice to a whisper and you wondered if Steve knew she was calling you. “It’s Eddie.”

Your heart leapt into your throat. “What-what about him?”

“Okay this really isn’t easy to say but I figured you should know that some freaky-deaky shit is going on. Like not exactly a monster made out of flesh and evil Russians but like-” Robin rambled and you shook your head.

“Robin! Rob- Just tell me!” You were out of your seat now, staring at the paper on the table in front of you.

“Someone was found dead in his trailer and the police think he did it.”

You gulped, chest a little lighter to know he was still alive. “What-”

“Chrissy.” Robin said quietly, “Her name. She… Max saw her go into his trailer and apparently the lights were all whack-a-doodle, but she didn’t think anything of it at the time since the trailers are always experiencing some kind of light failure.”

“Robin.” You say as softly as you can, reminding her to stay on topic.

“Right, yeah. Anyway, the police found her body in his trailer this morning. It was all snapped up and broken and-” She takes a deep breath as you hold your own. “There’s no way any kind of human could have done it.”

“But the police think Eddie did?” It wasn’t really a question. After all, the only policeman in Hawkins who had ever thought clearly was Hopper.

“He apparently ran away after it happened and we managed to find where he might be hiding-”

“We?” You ask.

“Me, Steve, Dustin. Max.” She adds with a knowing tone.

You take a moment to think through Robin’s information. She wouldn’t have called if she wasn’t scared. From her description, something very sinister was happening in Hawkins.

Again.

“Look, Y/n.” Robin sighs and you hear muffled voices, one clearly belonging to Dustin. “We’re gonna go find him and try to make this all right. The others… they didn’t want to drag you into this and neither do I but, I- I don’t know, I guess I just felt guilty if I didn’t let you know what was happening.”

“No, no. It’s okay, Robs. Thank you for telling me.” You assure, slumping back into your chair. “Just… if it gets worse…”

“We’ll be careful.” She tells you before you clearly hear Steve yell for her. Your heart tightens at the sound of his voice. You hadn’t spoken to him in eight months. “Okay, I gotta go. We have this handled and I’ll call you later. Bye.”

“Rob-” You try but she’s already hanging up the phone.

You go to set the phone back down, when suddenly something sounds from the receiver.

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

Then, a sudden flash of images burns your mind, eyes fluttering shut, as you envision a dark room.

Random objects littered about, like an attic of treasures. But that wasn’t what caught your eye. In the middle stood a grandfather clock, chiming methodically. You start to get a closer view, something about the glass seeming off.

Then, suddenly, it cracks, a single scar running across the face and everything plunges into a dark blue hue, specs of white dust fluttering around it. And vines...

You snap out of your vision just as Clara opens the door, a laugh leaving her lips.

“Bye, guys!” She calls to her friends before locking the door. She turns around to see you stood, staring at the phone while biting your lip.

“Y/n? Are you okay?” She closes the space and you slowly shake your head.

Every thought in your mind was telling you that they were fine. That it was all a misunderstanding. You weren’t in Hawkins, there was no reason for them to be unsafe.

But the shiver in your bones told you otherwise.

You finally meet Clara’s eyes, eyebrows furrowed. You take a breath.

“I’m going back to Hawkins.”

Chapter 1: Hunting Season ->

taglist: @gnnnne / @beepisbeep / @paintballkid711/ @eddiesbirdie/ @livasaurasrex/ @darktimelegends / @jackierose902109 / @mvrylee / @chervbs/ @eternallyvenus / @nervouscatsuit/ @f1nn-wolfhard/ @hereiamhereigo/ @ladybug0095 / @fangirling-4-ever / @astrolockley/ @mothmanatemycat

#stranger things #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things imagine #stranger things x reader #eddie munson #steve harrington #nancy wheeler #robin buckley #max mayfield #vecna #dustin henderson #lucas sinclair #eleven stranger things #erica sinclair #st4 #stranger things 4 #eddie munson x reader #steve harrington x reader #vecna’s curse #stranger things reader insert #fanfic

[statticscribbles]

Freak

Summary: Eddie Munson x ftm reader for the prompt of reader tries to buy weed off Eddie and Eddie can tell he is having a hard time and reader opens up about his abusive parent

”You just say the word and I walk away..” Eddie tries to smile, he knows Y/N shouldn’t be this nervous over a simple drug deal; no one would be surprised about him getting them. He won’t dig, he won’t pester him to find out what’s going on but he still reaches out for him; hand shaking and he doesn’t pull away, slowly leaning forward letting him spill everything that the drugs would have suppressed.

It’s not his problem that Y/N's parents use the wrong; the wrong pronouns; that he uses the weed to lessen the sting;but he still wants to help. It’s how he justifies the discount; but he knows he can’t justify inviting you back to his place; not when he’s shown you he clearly has the drugs in his lunchbox.

“So how does this work?” Eddie blinks at you; never in his life has he been happier to show someone how to roll.

You can see Eddie hesitating and you frown; worried that helping use the drugs is a step too far; instead he puts that soft smile back on that makes your heart flutter.

“Well it’ll be easier to show you at my place; I have everything there..”

“You’ve done this before right?” Eddie doesn’t sound annoyed; despite you asking him to explain everything again; you shake your head worried this’ll annoy him and he’ll kick you out. His place was comforting in a way you weren’t sure you could describe yet.

“Alright so the basic first step is…” 

You’re not really sure if you’re going to remember any of it; after finishing rolling; you had to restart twice. You’d smoked with him; it just made sense he’d half explained; already offering you the lighter. That way if anything bad happened he knew what to do and there was no risk of your parents getting pissed.

“What?” He comments when you laugh at that.

“My parents wouldn’t care about this.”

“Really? Their son using drugs? Seems like something a lot of parents would care about.”

“Nah; my mom’s more interested in who I used to be; anything to do with me before I came to high school and that exposed me to ‘all sorts of horrors and freaks’ her words not mine.” You laugh a little and Eddie grins.

“Mhm; well she got the whole freak thing down pat; I mean I don’t think you can get any freakier than me; the dungeon master of the hellfire club. Ya know?”

“Mhm; I’m pretty sure she’s convinced I’m the spawn of hell since all of this started.” You gesture down to your body and Eddie tilts his head, biting his lip a little to avoid blurting something out.

“Since I started transitioning; and wearing this style of clothing…”

“That’s just basically what I wear..”

“Yeah; guys clothing.”

“You’re a guy..”

“My mom doesn’t think so.”

“Well fuck her then; or don’t I’m not in to MILF’s Steve’s uh friend Billy was; you remember him right? Died in that fire…”

“Oh yeah; wait you’re friends with Steve?”

“Friends with everyone; perks of giving them grass.”

“Didn’t realize you were Hawkin’s high’s gardener as well.”

“Mhm; someone has to know how to grow things when the world ends.” He laughs again and you can pretend that the excitement you’re feeling isn’t because Eddie seems to have accepted your transition without so much as a stumble.

“So Billy.” You prompt again and he laughs.

“Mhm dude was crazy into mom’s. Think it’s cause his own fucked him up or something; never talked about it much. Just came by to unwind.”

“Doesn’t everyone come by your place to unwind?” You try to keep the hurt out of your voice; Eddie isn’t even your friend; you shouldn’t feel possessive over him.

“Don’t usually invite people back here.”

“Unless it’s they’re first time..” You counter and he shrugs.

“Nah; just people I’m interested in.”

“Interested?” You arch and eyebrow and Eddie smiles nodding.

“Mhm; I’m always interested in new freaks; especially ones that get branded that by their own parents.”

Support My Writing?

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x y/n #stranger things #stranger things reader insert #stranger things imagine #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson reader insert #eddie munson x trans reader #eddie munson x male reader #written #stattic

[okmack-22]

not so bad - eddie munson

not so bad - eddie munson x fem!byers!reader

summary; will asks his sister how she feels about his new friend eddie munson

warnings; none! Italics = flashbacks, lowercase intended

will came out of the school with a huge smile on his face. only one you normally saw when he was with you, jonathan, and your mom. you and your brothers had begged your mom joyce to stay in hawkins for the kids. especially after the shared trauma, you all endured together as a group. you being their co-babysitter with steve and all. she decided that you could stay hoping there would be no more issues with the upside-down and superficial activity.

will walked up to you and jonathan. he was wearing the infamous hellfire club t-shirt. he was introduced to the club after their leader eddie munson saw him, mike, and dustin, sitting in the cafeteria by themselves on the first day of school that year. needless to say, Jonathan wasn't okay with his baby brother being associated with eddie. after hearing all the bad rumors about him.

on the other hand, will was obsessed with his newest idol. and he loved the fact that he could play dnd with him, after all, that's what the club was about. you loved seeing will have new friends and loved hearing about all the stories from hellfire nights. but there were times when will would talk about them and jonathan no matter how supportive he was would say something about not liking eddie.

tonight was about the same, after watching tv with your mom, you had to go back to the school to pick up jonathan who was working on the school paper with nancy, and will was at hellfire. typically hellfire runs slightly later due to the small celebrations of the win or the slight moping of the losses, which wasn't a big deal to you, you had all the time to spare on waiting for your brothers.

will got in the car and immediately started talking about the newest hellfire campaign. you and jonathan making comments here and there about the campaign. you had only known small bits and pieces about the game but loved hearing about it.

"i think the next campaign will be so much fun, eddie's like a pro at being the dungeon master" will smiled

"i don't really like you hanging out with him bud, it's just the things i've heard i don't like" jonathan but-in

"eddie's not like that jonathan, why don't you try and talk to him he's so cool" will said defending eddie with his life.

"i don't know man i just don't like the stuff i've heard." jonathan said back.

"well he's my friend, you like him don't you y/n?" will looked you dead in the eyes through the rearview mirror. you smiled softly.

you looked around, your anxiety starting to slightly rise. it was one of the first times you had lied to your mom and older brother. you told them you were going to hang out with your best friend robin, with her covering for you even giving your mom a call saying that you were going to have a sleepover until monday and that you would be home monday night after your extracurricular activities. but in reality, you were going to see a special someone for those 2 nights.

"guess who?"

out of nowhere ringed hands covered your eyes slightly startling you. but you knew who it was by the voice that followed the action. knowing who it was you smiled and chuckled. the hands moved to your waist and swiftly spun you around.

"hey sweetheart sorry i was late, had a thing to deal with for the band" he smiled at you.

"eds you were only like 5 minutes late it's okay," you sheepishly mumbled.

"i know but you seemed fidgety and you get fidgety when your anxious, and when your anxious i get anxious, and-"

"eddie, baby it's okay i'm not anxious about you being late i was anxious about lying to my mom and jonathan" you fumbled with your fingers looking at your feet guilt washing over you.

eddie put his hand on your chin moving your face upwards and smirked slyly. he leaned down to give you a small peck on your lips and then your nose. you smiled once again not knowing what to do with yourself.

"i think we'll be just fine princess, robin has you covered."

you shook your head, knowing how robin was when she was anxious. a complete and total blabbering mess. but you knew your mom she trusted you with her life, and with that, she didn't give a second thought to you going to robin's for the weekend. only you weren't, you were going to be staying the weekend with eddie. jonathan was the issue, he had questions about where you were going and why you had been hanging out with robin and steve a lot more often than just work. but eddie was here, and that's all that mattered.

"now, let's go get a pizza and watch a movie, what did you get for us this time?" he smiled grabbing your hand and intertwining your fingers together.

"it's a surprise" you chirped.

he gasped dramatically and walked you to his van. this time it was silent. but it was a comfortable silence. you loved hanging out with eddie. he never failed to make you comfortable. no relationship you had ever had felt like this.

you two had been in a secret relationship for about 7 months ever since you had ran into him at the grocery store in the middle of the night when you were home alone. he was there to get some snacks and a new lighter. you were there to get snacks and some feminine products because it just so happened to be that time of the month and neither you nor your mom had any. you had accidentally bumped into eddie and he walked you home. you two then meeting up in the woods after school or during lunch. then it went to hanging out at his place and watching movies or listening to music or sometimes just chatting. you had also helped eddie with his homework a few times. after a few weeks, eddie expressed his feelings and you two began your relationship.

eddie opened the door for you and helped you hop into the passenger seat of his van. he then raced around to his side and got in. turning on the van and leaving the park you were at. he drove all the way to the pizza shop, you two going in to get a pepperoni pizza and some hot wings and then leaving.

eddie grabbed your hand and held it the whole drive to his trailer. when he parked in his usual spot he raced around to your side of the van and helped you out. he then led you to the front door where he let you in first.

when you got in you immediately walked over to the couch. eddie following suit after he locked the front door. you had the pizza and wings in hand along with the movie that you had decided on, or should you say movies. you had begged your manager keith to let you take the star wars series, for you and eddie to watch over the weekend and you would bring them back before you went to school on Monday.

"alright princess what movie did you pick for us tonight? gotta start it now or we'll never get to it," eddie smirked making you blush.

"uhm why don't you take a look at them they're in my backpack." you smiled pointing to your backpack.

eddie dramatically flopped onto your lap grabbing your backpack shortly after making you giggle your guts out. he unzipped the backpack and grabbed three vhs cases. looking at the covers he looked up at you. eddies normal smirk turned into a huge puppy grin. He sat up and kissed you all over. pure excitement radiating through his and your bodies.

"babe you had told me you never wanted to watch star wars, are you kidding me!!" he smiled.

"i decided to give it a chance, you know after hearing you and my little brother talk about it so much" you replied, taking in a few more pecks and kisses from eddie.

"i promise you, you'll love it" he smiled.

after giving you a few more loving kisses he got up and popped in star wars a new hope in the VHS player. He sat back down on the end of the couch. leaning over and grabbing you by your waist and pulling you onto him.

you two had finished your pizza and wings, by this time you were almost asleep on eddies lap. your head in the crook of his shoulder. eddie on the other hand was wide awake and so into the movie. you knew it was one of his favorite series. so you were trying so hard to stay awake. but you hadn't even paid attention to the movie, you were more focused on the boy holding you. his smile when it got to his favorite scenes or when he mouthed certain lines. all the while he was tracing patterns on your thigh or stroking your hair.

"baby are you even watching?" eddie whined when he heard you yawn.

"yeah, yeah I'm watching, luke just watched obi wan die, and now luke's running from darth vader. i promise i'm paying attention"  you mumbled into his neck.

"babe if you're tired we can pause for the night and go to sleep," he looked down at you.

"no, it's okay eds let's just finish it," you tried to stifle a yawn.

eddie chuckled and scoot you over and got up. he walked over to the tv and pushed stop on the VHS player. taking the tap out and setting it back into its case. he walked over and picked you up bridal style moving your backpack to the side, ignoring it. he'd pick it up in the morning and put the extra clothes in his drawer when he woke up. you nuzzled into his chest, his small chuckle making your heart flutter.

after kicking his bedroom door open he sat you down on his bed. as he walked over to his dresser to find you a shirt and sweats he kicked off his pants and t-shirt, leaving him in only his boxers. you were already half asleep but still watching his every move. he grabbed an old motley crue shirt and a pair of his old sweats.

knowing you were so fast to falling asleep he helped you stand up. setting the shirt and pants on the bed. he then helped you pull off your skirt and your sweater. he pulled the shirt over your head and you slipped your arms through. then he helped you slide on his old sweatpants over your thighs.

when you were done he let you lay down on his bed. he grabbed the blanket that you loved, it was big, green, and fluffy. he spread it over your body. you almost immediately fell asleep. but you were missing one thing, eddie. he was getting ready for bed but you were a whining mess. your eyes followed him everywhere he went.

"baby, come on just get in bed please" you whined rolling over to lay on his pillow.

"i am, don't you worry my love, i just need to do some things" he smiled at you.

"eddie i can't sleep without you here" you mumbled

"what do you do when I'm not with you then? what about all of those so-called naps that will claims you take?" eddie looked at you.

"what?! nooo, i don't take naps. i only take naps when we cuddle" you said jokingly.

"mhm sure you do" he shook his head.

after a few moments, eddie was finally done doing whatever he was doing. as he finished he walked over and slowly got in his small bed, trying not to disturb you. you immediately noticed his presence and cuddled into him. his smile growing as you nuzzled your face into his barren chest, and your leg snaking over his two. one of his arms wrapped around your waist, the other stroking your hair.

you looked up at eddie, he was just staring down at you. as he always did. you didn't say a word, you just pecked his lips. he then pulled you in for a small yet passionate goodnight kiss.

"goodnight eds i love you" you smiled softly

"goodnight y/n i love you more than you'll ever know" he mumbles into your hair planting a small kiss on your head.

"y/n hey you like eddie right?" will asked once again. snapping you out of your small trance.

your small smile never failed. all you could think of were images of you and eddie in your mind. knowing you couldn't tell will or jonathan about your relationship, without eddie's consent. after all, you weren't the only one in the relationship and you wanted him to be involved in a very important step, which was telling your family.

"he's not so bad"

#eddie munson drabble #eddie munson x reader fluff #eddie munson blurb #stranger things fanfiction #eddie x you #eddie munson gif #eddie stranger things #strangerthings #eddie munson is hot #eddiemunson #eddie munson imagine #eddiemunsonimagine #joseph quinn #joseph quinn fanfiction #joseph quinn fluff #will byers #willbyersedit #jonathon byers #jonathan byers #eddie munson st4 #st 4 #st4 #eddie munson

[dual1pa]

innocent (part 2)

(based on request!)

part one

content warnings: fluff, PDA, swearing

A/N: so this is broken up into two parts: "telling their friends" and "telling their parents." enjoy!!

steve harrington x reader (with she/her pronouns)

send requests :)

They kept their relationship a secret since their intimate night together. Steve had officially called her his girlfriend to one person, the employee at the grocery store. She forgot something in one of the aisles where she left him and the employee in awkward silence.

"that's my girlfriend," he smiled at the check-out guy.

he nodded in understatement, not that he cared or anything.

telling their friends

steve hasn't told any of his friends yet, neither did she. not that she was avoiding it, they both just didn't know how to break it to them.

during their joint shift at family video, it was an average summer weekday. it was a nice day out so the two expected little to no customers until later that night.

of course, the couple did their job. they made sure the store was clean and every returned videotape was put in its right place. the breakfast club played softly on the tv. you rested your hands on your cheeks as you watch the movie, hoping and praying that time flew by as she was planning to spend yet another night over steve's house.

after he was finished dusting off the film section that barely anyone touches, he threw the duster on the counter and cupped her ass, grabbing her full attention from the tv.

"hi, handsome," he turned around to put her arms around his neck.

he hummed at your compliment and pressed his lips to yours.

"i knew it!" someone said, scaring them out of their kiss.

dustin. along with nancy, robin, will, lucas, max and eddit. will, eleven and the others were in california.

she couldn't hide her giggle as her friends finally knew. her face was planted right in his chest.

"i have so many questions, first, did you bang anywhere in this store?" robin asked.

"robin, no!!" steve yelled.

she giggled, beginning to answer all their questions.

telling their parents

steve's parents had a reaction that was typical.

when the two of them walked past the living room. his father was on the big chair with his legs on the ottoman, reading the Hawkins Post. His mother sat diagonal from her husband on the couch doing her usual knitting.

"guys, y/n's my girlfriend now."

"that's nice, son," steve's father said, without putting down the newspaper.

steve's mother turned around to look at her, giving her a smile, "I knew you'd figure out you're perfect for each other someday."

steve, along with y/n was shocked by his mother's response.

*

her parents were a bit more... supportive in a sense of welcoming steve into the family. she loved that Steve's mom actually acknowledged his girlfriend.

"Mom, Dad. You know Steve right?" she had no idea why she was so nervous.

"Yes, we've known Steve since he was 7," her mom said.

"Well, we got to talking one night and... one thing lead to another and Steve is my boyfriend now."

Her mother and father looked at the two of them and broke into a smile.

"See, hun, I knew they would finally confess their love for each other at some point," her father looked at her mother.

She and Steve were confused, yet relieved that they weren't upset, but why would they be?

"The minute you started high school, we knew you had a thing for each other but you never told one another about your feelings. We just had a hunch."

"Better late than never, right Steve?" her father asked.

"I guess so, sir."

There was an awkward silence in the room.

"Okay well, Steve and I are going out, we just wanted to tell you guys about our relationship."

"Have fun, sweetie."

*

The two of them packed into Steve's car and sat in silence for a second.

"That went... well, I suppose," she said, reaching out for Steve's hand.

"I'd say so, too. I just wish my family had more of a positive reaction, kinda like your parents did."

"You know your parents, they aren't really the most... emotional people in the world. I'm sure they'll come around and hopefully wanna have dinner with me or something."

"I hope so," he leaned over to plant a kiss on her lips and started driving to their next destination.

#Steve Harrington #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington smut #steve harrington fluff #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x y/n #stranger things #st4 #stranger things 4 #joe keery #stranger things imagine #stranger things imagines #steve harrington imagines #steve harrington blurb #steve harrington one shot

[lavenderstobins]

MY OTHER AUS

Steddie Ghost (1990) AU

Steve finds himself as a ghost in a mugging gone wrong. After learning his attack wasn’t an accident, he’s desperate to warn Robin of the danger she might be in. Enter Eddie, a not-so-con psychic, who can hear Steve. [tag]

Ronance Life is Strange AU

Steve Harrington is missing, Chrissy Cunningham is acting weird, and Nancy Wheeler discovers she can rewind time after seeing Robin Buckley get shot in the school bathroom.  Or: Nancy Wheeler falling for a dead girl. [tag]

Until Dawn AU

Four years prior, Barbara Holland disappeared on the mountain at Steve Harrington’s parents’ winter lodge. After the whole ordeal with Vecna, Nancy starts looking into the mountain, suspecting Barb’s disappearance might’ve been related to the Upside Down. When she learns that several others have gone missing in recent years, she convinces Steve to bring them all to the lodge to investigate. [tag]

Modern Josieverse

Basically what it says on the tin. Single parent Robin but in modern day. [tag]

Missing Kid AU

Some years after everything, Holly Wheeler finds a baby in the boathouse. When the baby leviatates something in front of her, she takes her to Wayne Munson, who takes her in. Kat Munson grows up with no idea who her birth parents are or why she was dumped in the boathouse. When she turns twelve, she sets out to find her birth mom. Or: 11 years after believing her daughter to be dead, Robin Buckley comes face to face with her missing daughter. [tag]

Ronance Atonement AU

When some of the Wheelers’ valuables are stolen, Mike points the finger at Robin, who he had seen with Nancy in the library prior. This is something he regrets for the rest of his life.  [tag]

Ronance One Night Stand + Accidental Pregnancy AU

Nancy Wheeler and Robin Buckley meet for the first time in a club in California. They have a one night stand and don’t exchange their information. A month later, Robin discovers she’s pregnant. She knows it has to be Nancy’s but she can’t find her to tell her, no matter how hard she tries. Three years later, Nancy and Mike move to Hawkins and Nancy discovers she has a two year old son.  An AU where Robin and Nancy coparent their kid and slowly fall in love along the way. Featuring transfem Nancy, transfem Stevie, transmasc Eddie and (briefly) single mom Robin. [tag]

QPR Stobin raising their kid AU

Steve and Robin are platonic life partners, lavender-married and raising their kid together. When their daughter comes out as a trans girl in her teens, they do their best to be the most supportive they can be. [tag]

Ronance She-Ra AU

Robin as Adora, Nancy as Catra. Sometimes flipped around for fun. [tag]

Ronance Transistor AU

Nancy comes to and finds that her voice has been stolen and her girlfriend killed. Robin’s consciousness has been absorbed into the Transistor, the weapon that killed her, so Nancy takes it and embarks on a journey to avenge her, putting an end to Brenner’s plan for good. [tag] [art]

Ronance Stobin The X-Files AU

Agent Wheeler finds herself assigned to work with Agent Buckley, who is well-known for cracking after her old partner’s disappearance. Adjacent to novakiart’s AU. [tag]

Stobin Ghost Files AU

Steve and Robin as Ryan and Shane. [tag]

Stobin Russian Doll AU

The day of his 24th birthday, Steve Harrington dies. This seems to an event that keeps occurring. AKA Steve (and Robin) stuck in a time loop, based off the show Russian Doll. [tag]

Ronance Good Omens AU

Nancy’s an angel. Robin’s a demon. Follows seasons 1&2 of Good Omens. [tag] [art]

Murder Suspect Nancy AU

November of 1983, Nancy goes home with Barb, and everything changes. A plot rewrite in a universe where Nancy is accused of murder in 1986 instead of Eddie. [tag]

AUs I haven’t posted about yet

Ronance Wizards of Waverly Place AU

The Wheelers are wizards. Steve and Jonathan, Nancy’s best friends, know. Robin, who Nancy is nursing a huge crush on, apparently doesn’t, and isn’t meant to. How do you woo a girl without accidentally revealing your family secret? Nancy’s determined to find out.

Ronance mermaid AU

Nancy’s a mermaid. Robin’s the best friend of the kingdom’s prince. When Robin almost drowns sailing with Prince Steve during a storm, Nancy saves her, piquing her curiousity about the human kingdom. She makes a deal with Henry Creel to trade her tail for human legs. The condition is that Creel gets her voice… and some other conditions she doesn’t hear about until after she signs. Mermaid Nancy falling for human Robin, vaguely following the plot of The Little Mermaid.

The Hunger Games AU (ronance, stonathan, platonic stancy)

Nancy Wheeler is reaped for the Hunger Games. To her horror, so is her little brother–until Steve Harrington volunteers in his place. Everything is centred on getting home to Mike. She plays up a romance with Steve, thinking it’s fake to him, too. They survive, only to be thrust back into things. That’s where they meet Robin Buckley, a previous victor from another district. Steve begins to fall for their mentor, Jonathan Byers, and against her better judgement, Nancy finds herself falling for Robin.

ST Yellowjackets AU

The Hawkins Tigresses find themselves stranded in the wilderness when their plane crashes on the way to nationals. Centred on Nancy, Robin and Eddie.

Ronance Dishonoured AU

Nancy as Corvo Attano, Robin as Jessamine Kaldwin.

Evil Josieverse

An AU of Josieverse where Robin died when Josie was three and Steve is left to raise her.

Bucklair apocalypse AU

An Upside Down-related Zombie Apocalypse breaks out in Hawkins. Robin saves Lucas and Erica, managing to get them out of town, but they find themselves pushed further and further out. They have no idea that the rest of the group managed to set up a settlement. An AU of the three of them navigating a zombie apocalypse.

Lumax Ghosts AU

Max inherits an old estate while she and Lucas are house-hunting. They move in with Dustin, only for Max to discover that the house is haunted.

#long post #info post #disregard this im trying to set up navigation etc #and tumblr HAAAAATES pages i have discovered #my aus #my concepts

[sunnyie-eve]

37 | Freaks

Series: Trouble In Hawkins (Steve Harrington x Henderson! Eddie Munson x Henderson!)

Word Count: 2.6k

Warnings: Language, Fluff

Previous

March 20th, 1986

"You can turn your music back up after I get out and you're down the street." I turn Eddie's stereo down as we get closer to my house. "Right you snuck out." He laughs at me. "Plus it's past midnight and my mom will lose her shit, so try not to be loud when you pull up to drop me off." I tell him and he tries his best to not be loud as he parks. "See you in the morning, Ky." He waves as I get out. "By Ed." I giggle running around the house climbing through my window. As soon as I get in my mom turns on my light with her arms crossed, "It's past midnight on a school night. Where were you?" She points to my bed for me to sit down so I do. "I was hanging out with a friend and we lost track of time. I'm sorry." I mess with fingers. "What time did you sneak out?" She taps her finger on her arm. "After you went to bed so 9 o'clock." I tell her the truth. "I'm disappointed in you. You've been a mess since the break up with Steve. Get to bed now." She leaves my room so I change and go to bed.

The next morning I get up and get dressed for the day. I put on the Hellfire club shit Eddie gave me so I could support them, I wear some ripped jeans with converse and top it with Billy's jean jacket. "You taking the bus today or wanting a ride?" I walk into Dustin's room unannounced as he talks to Suzie. "What did I say about knocking?" He snaps at me. "You never knock on my door anymore. So?" I ask as I hear a blasting stereo and loud van pull up outside. "I'm busy fixing my one D minus. When the hell did you get a Hellfire shirt? You're not even in the club." He sees it. "Eddie gave me one of his extra ones. I sleep it it most of the time but I'm showing support today. My ride is here." I leave his room. "Bye mom." I rush outside hopping into Eddie's van.

-

"Then there's Heidi tomorrow night, but the problem with Heidi is that she's going out of state for college. Do I wanna start a another relationship that has no point other than sex? I mean, I don't know. Does that make sense to you?" Steve rants to Robin but she ignores him for three reasons. Wants to look good for Vickie; tired of him being stupid for not going back to Skylar; and she hates talking with him about other girls that's not Sky. "Robin are you listening?" He shouts at her. "Something about sex with Linda."

"No, I'm taking about Heidi!" He snaps. "Cut me some slack, please. Your love life is one of labyrinthine complexity. All because you decided to screw up the perfect relationship with someone who actually loves you. You abandon her when she actually needed you. Yes, she pushed herself away from everyone but you should have forced yourself to be there. You were there the first time so why not the second time? Plus it's 7 in the morning, we have a stupid pep rally, and I woke up looking like a corpse." She tells him irritated.

"You're worried about a pep rally? You expect me to believe that? We both know what this is about. Okay, I'm not buying that. This is about Vickie. You know what else I think? You gotta stop pretending to be someone else when you're around her. You just gotta be yourself. Also I get it I fucked up the best thing in my life but at least she doesn't 100% ignore me. We're somewhat friends still because of you and Dustin." He says making her laugh. "One; you're literally quoting me to me you do realize that. Two; you two are awkward when it's just the two of you near each other. There has to be someone with you both... you two aren't friends it's more like acquaintances now. It's been almost two months when are you gonna get your head out of your ass and get her back?"

"Maybe you need to listen to yourself. Ever think about that smarty pants? I listened. Look at me. Boom. Back in business because Sky moved on from me." Steve says making Robbin stare at him. "It's not the same thing... AND who said she moved on?" Robin says making Steve look over at her. "She hasn't?" He gets some hope. "You ask out a girl and she says no. Big deal nothing really happens. Maybe your ego's a little bruised and you don't help your case ever getting Sky back. But I ask out the wrong girl, and Bam, I'm a town pariah." She tells him.

"I'd buy that, expect Vickie is definitely not the wrong girl. She returned Fast Times paused at 53 minutes, 5 seconds. You know who pause Fast Times at 53 minutes, 5 seconds? People who like boobies, Robin." He explains to her. "Ew. Gross. Don't say boobies." She cringes. "Boobies. It's not a big deal, okay? I like boobies. You like boobies. Vickie likes boobies. Definitely." Steve says making Robin shake her head at him. "It's boobies." He adds so she rolls her eyes. "You miss Sky's boobies don't you?" She looks over at him. "Can we not talk about Sky's boobs?" He grips the steering wheel. "Why? It's boobies? You like boobies." She laughs at him. "I'm trying to be a good friend. Steve, it took you forever to admit you had feelings for Sky... you can't wait that long or longer to fix things. I know you still love her." She looks out the window trying to give him something to think about.

When Steve drops Robin off at the high school he sees Sky getting out of a van going over to the driver's side laughing and rolling her eyes. Steve knew he messed up and didn't know how to fix it. That day when she saw him on a date, he saw her heart break. He didn't even know why he did it. Maybe because Sky saying she needed space and ignoring him he took it as a break up even though it wasn't. He knew after each date for the past two months he was digging himself a deep grave to crawl out of to get her back and fix things.

-

"You're skipping the pep rally aren't you?" I walk over to Eddie's side as he sits inside. "You know I don't do that shit. See you in class." He give me a wink so I nod my head walking towards the gym. "Max." I call her and she give a small smile as we walk together and join Dustin and Mike. "Let's hear it for your Tigers!" The announce and the team comes out so I applaud slowly. "Good morning, Hawkins High! First off... Hey. First off, I'd like to thank each and every one of you." I roll my eyes as Jason gives his speech. "You know... I think I can speak for all of us when I say it's been a tough year for Hawkins. So much loss. And sometimes I wonder, How much loss can on community take? In dark days like this, we need something to believe in. So, last night, when we were down by ten points at half to Christian Academy, I looked at my team, and I said; Think of Jack. Think of Melissa. Think of Heather. Think of Billy." Max and I could feel a few eyes look at us. "Think of our heroic police chief, Jim Hopper." He says and goes on to compare their lost to some stupid basketball game.

Everyone cheers except Dustin, Mike, Max and I. "Tonight?" Mike asks realizing the game was tonight too. "How is that possible?" Dustin asks. "They call it a tournament. You win one game, you go in until there's only one team left." Max explains to them. When the pep rally was over we all head to class. "Sky." Robin rush to my side walking with me through the halls. "Morning." I give her a smile. Even though Steve and I are awkward right now it didn't change me and Robin. "You told Keith you refuse to work alone with Steve?" She makes me look at her. "Yes... because it's wired. Plus I saw him on a date last week so I don't want to really be alone with him. It hurts Robin because I kept and keep waiting for him to come back but he hasn't. It's been months he moved on and I guess I need to too." I close my locker.

"I'm not supposed to say this..." I put my hand up to stop her. "Then don't say it." I smile, "We made a deal a month ago no talking about Steve and I. See you later." I walk off. "But Sky!" She shouts but I ignore her. I walk into my first class taking my seat at the science table next to Eddie. "You look like shit." He chuckles as I dig throughout my bag. "Scale 1 to 10 how bad?" I look over at him. "Ten." He smiles so I roll my eyes, "Thanks, you look like a 10 on the shit scale too." I sigh. "What happened to change your peppy mood this morning? The pep rally suck out all of your peppiness?" He nudges me. "Yeah, Mason compared and used those who died in the mall fire to a basketball game."

Since Eddie knew I was close to Hopper and Billy, he could understand why my peppy mood was gone. "I hate him." He makes a fist. "You hated Billy too." I turn my head to look at him. "Very correct, he was a dick to everyone who wasn't his friends. But he made you happy so I'll give a very small percent of a pass." He says making me shake my head at him, "You say that like you knew slightly before I told you about our whole friendship relationship thing..." He moves his head around, "I kept an eye on you from a distance. You were a decent distant friend."

Later for lunch I make my way over to the were the Hellfire Club sat. As I walked up Eddie snapped his fingers for Jeff to get the empty seat next to him for me and put at the end of the table next to Eddie. "Thank you Jeff." I smile sitting down as he takes his seat. "Why are you wearing a club shirt? You're still not a member." Gareth asks me. "For support because it's an important day." I tell him. "I gave her one of my shirts." Eddie tells him taking my milk opening to take the first sip. "Really?" He gives me a smile putting it back in my tray so I snatch his bag if pretzels take it some. "I don't care." He smiles again before reading a magazine while the rest of us eat. "The Devil has come to America. Dungeons and Dragons, at first regarded as a harmless game of make-believe, now has both parents and psychologists concerned. Studies have linked violent behavior to the game, saying it promotes satanic worship, ritual sacrifice, sodomy, suicide, and even... murder." We laugh at the piece.

"It's the stupidest shit ever. It's a literally just a fantasy game. In all my years of watching and when I did play a little, never have I see my brother and his friends worship the devil or sacrifice anything living." I lean back in my chair. "Society has to blame something. We're an easy target." Dustin and Mike finally show up at the table. "Exactly. We're the freaks because we like to play a fantasy game. But as long as you're into band or science... or parties or a game where you toss balls into laundry baskets..." Eddie gets on the table so I move my tray as he shouts out. "You want something, freak?" Jason stands up making Eddie splutters making horns with his fingers and sticking his tongue out at him. "It's forced conforming. That's what's... killing the kids!" Eddie gets off the table yelling. "That's the real monster." He sits back down.

"So, uh, speaking of monsters, uh, Lucas has to do his, uh, balls-in-laundry-baskets games. So... he's not gonna be able to make it to Hellfire tonight." Dustin laughs as he talks to easy into it. "And I know there's no way we can beat your sadistic campaign without him. So, me and Mike, we were talking, shooting the shit, and we were thinking that maybe we might..." Mike cuts in, "Postpone." Making the group lose it. "Shut up! You saying Sinclair's been taken in by the dark side?" Eddie asks and I try not to laugh. "Uh, something like that." Mike tells him making Eddie upset. "And rather than find a sub for him, you want... you want to postpone The Cult of Vecna?"

"I...I don't want to postpone it. We don't want to postpone it. It's just that, you know, most of the subs will be at the championship game." Mike tries to explain making Eddie stand up. "On, it's the championship game? Can I level with you? Jeff graduates this year. Garth's got, what? A year and a half? Me, I am army-crawling my way towards a D is Ms. O'Donnell's. If I don't blow her final, I'm gonna walk that stage next month, I'm gonna look Principal Higgins dead in the eye, I'm gonna flip him the bird, I'm gonna snatch that diploma. I'm gonna run like hell outta here." He explains making Dustin laugh.

"Didn't you say that last year?" Granth asks. "And the year before?" Jeff adds. "Yeah, yeah, and I was full of shit. This year's different. This year is my year. I can feel it. 86 baby. You know what that means? It means you boys are the future of Hellfire. I knew the moment I saw you. You sat on that table right over there, looking like... looking like two little lost sheep." He bends between Dustin and Mike. "You were wearing a Weird Al T-Shirt, which I thought was brave." He tells Dustin making me giggle as he said thank you. "Mike, you were wearing whatever shit your mommy bought you from the goddamn Gap." We all laugh but the two stop when Eddie yanks them up. "And we showed you that school didn't have to be the worst years is your lives, right?" He walks them away.

"Eddie, you know I could help you in Ms. O'Donnell's, right. I'm passing with an A..." I say after he shoves Mike and Dustin off to find a sub for tonight. "You'll do some of my work for me?" He comes up behind me wrapping his arm around me. "Help as in help you do and understand things. Not help as in all do all your work for you." I laugh at him. "It was worth a shot." He sits down messing up my hair.

Next

#stranger things #steve harrington #stranger things 2 #stranger things 3 #dustin henderson #el #max mayfield #steve harrington x henderson #robin buckley #mike wheeler #lucas sinclair #will byers #jonathan byers #nancy wheeler #eddie munson #stranger things 4 #eddie munson x henderson

[cha0ticspacebi]

The King of the Hellfire Club: Chapter 13

Your dad promised this was the last move until after you graduate. You see Eddie Munson outside Nancy's house shortly after your arrival in Hawkins. Everyone tells you to stay away but you're sure there's more to him than he lets on. Now it's the day before spring break and you just have to work up the nerve to actually talk to him before you lose your chance.

Tags: 18+ MDNI,falling in love, full of cheesy cliche high school romance tropes, dungeon master Eddie, dom Eddie, rockstar Eddie, hurt/comfort, getting together, fluff/smut

dividers by firefly-graphics

Chapter 13/13 ☆ Previous chapter

☆ You can find me over on A03 as Cha0ticBi ☆ Master list link! ☆

5 years later. March 1991

“I don’t know Robin, are you sure?” you pressed the phone in between your shoulder and ear as you grabbed some clothes and tossed them in a bag.

“Yes girl! I’m telling you I saw him shopping with Steve and they were definitely leaving the jewelry store! He’s got something planned.”

You shake your head even though she can’t see you, “I thought for sure when I drove up for the holiday break that he would do it… honestly I’ve thought that the last few times I visited but nothing. Just marathon sex and then he plays guitar while I work on my homework. Which let’s be clear I am NOT complaining about but still.”

“I’ve got a good feeling about it this time! Did your mom tell you the submission letter came? She won’t let any of us open it until you get here.”

“She called me the second the mailman handed it to her! Ahhhh, I’m so nervous!”

“Hurry up and get here then so we can open it!” she yelled in your ear.

“I’d love to Robin! Stop talking to me and let me pack and maybe I’ll be there sooner,” your voice sped up as you continued haphazardly throwing things, “Eddie thinks I’m leaving tomorrow but I skipped my class this afternoon to leave today.”

“Tsk tsk, Munson really corrupted you. Skipping class? Who are you!”

“A girl who’s really horny and wants to see her boyfriend! Now I’m hanging up.” click

You ran down the stairs from your dorm room and all the way into the parking lot, tossing your bag in the backseat. The mixtape Eddie made for you blasting as always from your speakers. You ran both hands through your hair, shook your head out, and eyed Eddie’s guitar pick chain hanging from your neck in the rearview mirror before pulling out and making the familiar drive back up to Hawkins. 

College. As fast as it started, it was coming to an end. These five years have flown by in a tornado of sleepless nights, endless shifts at the coffee shop to pay tuition, tests, so many tests and long drives just to kiss your boyfriend when you were homesick. Long distance sucked but you and Eddie were making it work. You were busy at ISU majoring in English, working tirelessly on a fantasy novel. Eddie’s original campaign stories made great inspiration. Your hope was to find a company willing to look at your manuscript right after graduation and become a published author! Eddie had been busy back home too. Working as a mechanic he helped Uncle Wayne whenever he wasn’t playing shows. Corroded Coffin had made quite a name for themselves since winning that contest. They got offers to play all sorts of different places and they wouldn’t turn anything down. In the last few years they’ve even begun getting offers from all over the Midwest to play shows as far away as Detroit. You made it to as many as you could but whenever you couldn’t make it Dustin, who graduated high school already, and the former hellfire kids went to support them.  You still couldn’t wrap your mind around how he and Mike had were graduated! After making the decision to stay in Indiana, you’ve never once regretted it. 

Your first night away from home was rough and dorm life has been hard. You would lie there awake every night and miss your family, friends, and of course that lovable metalhead, who on more than one occasion would sneak away from work and drive up to see you. You smile at a memory as you pull your car onto the freeway.

You had just left class after receiving a low score on a test. Your mood was in the dumpster as you walked across campus, the sky darkened and it started raining. Perfect. You didn’t even bother trying to run, you just let the rain soak through your clothes and right to your bones. You were just about to start walking up the steps into your building when you heard loud wet footsteps behind you.

“Hey sweetheart,” Eddie smiled at you, curls flat and wet, “Come here often?”

Words caught in your throat, unable to speak you just started sobbing. Your tears blended with raindrops as you fell into his arms. Your breathing quickened as you cried harder into his already soaked shirt.

“Hey, hey you ok?” he did his best to wipe your face, “I’m hoping those tears aren’t because I’m here.”

“No!” you cried out, burying deeper into his warm chest, “No no of course not Eddie.”

He pulled off his jacket and covered your head, “Come on love, let’s get you dry.”

The two of you went to your dorm room and you offered him a towel. Once you had finally dried off you showed him the wrinkly, smudged test.

He chuckled softly under his breath, “My sweet thing, you know you don’t have to be perfect ALL the time right? You’re allowed to make mistakes.”

It was really hard to remember that sometimes, but Eddie made it easier. You wiped your face again, eyes threatening to spill over once more, “I’m really glad you’re here.”

“Me too love, me too.”

And then there was the time you got Corroded Coffin a chance to play at the school of music and threater’s festival. Eddie packed up all their gear in his van and drove down to play. Everyone loved them and playing away from Hawkins really helped them build a reputation but after the show you got your first taste of what dating Eddie might be like in the future. 

You went to meet them after their set and Eddie was talking to a girl. You knew you could trust him but that wouldn’t stop the green eyed monster. You watched as he laughed at something she said and she touched his arm. You walked up listening to what she was saying.

“I bet you need some serious muscles to play guitar.”

Eddie rubbed the back of his head and laughed, “Yeah I guess. If you want to talk muscles though, Gareth, our drummer’s biceps are way bigger than mine. Seriously, that guy is ripped!”

You walked right up to Eddie and wrapped your arm around his waist,  ignoring everything else around as you kissed him, “Great job as always my love.”

The girl gave you a look that could kill and walked away without another word. 

Eddie called out after her, “I’m glad you liked the show!” He didn’t get a response.

“She definitely wanted to sleep with you,” you say flatly.

He looked puzzled, “Are you sure? She was asking a lot of weird things.”

“Definitely,” you pulled him by the vest closer, “You’re very good looking darling. I bet all these girls would sleep with you if they had the chance.”

Eddie grinned playing with your hair, “Do I detect a hint of jealousy my queen?”

Your cheeks flushed, lips curling into a pout, “No.”

“I don’t believe that for a second,” he laughed, “Listen to me princess, you are the only girl for me. There’s nothing for you to be jealous over. Even when I’m a world famous rockstar with millions of fans, tell me, who’s still gonna be my girl?”

You fight back a smile, still attempting to look upset, “Me. I’m your girl.”

“That’s right sweetheart! You,” he pulled you against him, “Don’t you doubt for even a second that my feelings will ever change. You’re my girl and I’m your guy.”

“Prove it!” You grab him by the hand and drag him all the way back to your dorm room.

You open the door and make sure you are alone before locking the door. Eddie looks around, smiling at the Corroded Coffin poster hanging by your bed. You surprise him by pushing him playfully onto the bed.

“Oh, careful love, I have no problem spanking that ass even if your roommate comes in.”

“She won’t be here anytime soon. She’s always out until at least 1 on the weekends. We have the place to ourselves. Now,” you got serious and crawled on top of him, “I said prove it! Prove you’re my guy.”

“What’d you have in mind?” He looked intrigued.

“Do you remember that time you told me I should have tied you down? Well,” you pull his bandana off his head and wave it in his face, “I think I need to remind you that if I’m yours, you’re mine. This works two ways master,” You wrap the bandana around his wrists and kiss his cheek.

He smirked, letting you continue, “Wow that girl really got to you didn’t she?”

“You’re incredibly sexual Eddie. You’re basically a walking wet dream,” you ran your fingers through his hair and kissed him some more, “As you get more well known more people are going to want to get their hands on you, but I don’t like to share.” You put his hands up above his head as you pushed him flat on his back. Sliding your hands down his chest you pull his zipper down and easily take him in your mouth. He brings his hands back up into your hair. You stop.

“Leave your hands up, I’m going to take what’s mine.”

You rolled the window down in your car as you tried to cool yourself off as you relived the memory of the one and only time Eddie let you take control. Driving back to Hawkins had become your time to destress and think. It was nice. Except times like this when you got yourself all worked up thinking about Eddie, you press harder on the gas.

This trip was especially exciting because of the letter waiting for you at home. You pulled off at the Hawkins exit and drove the last stretch of the drive with the top down. 

Mom and dad were both home when you pulled in, you grabbed your bag and ran inside, “I’m home!”

You hear a bowl clatter to the floor, “Oh shit!” Mom’s voice echoes from the kitchen. You hear her pick up the bowl and come running into the living room to give you a big hug.

“I thought you weren’t coming until tomorrow!”

“I wasn’t but I was too excited to open that letter that I skipped my afternoon class today to get here tonight,” you set your bag down and hug dad who joined you.

“I’m pretty sure Robin tried to sneak in here one night and open this without us. I had to lock it up,” she goes to their room as she talks and returns quickly with an envelope. 

You fidget with it in your fingers, “I can’t open this yet. I want everyone else here.” As if on cue a knock is heard from the front door. Steve, Robin, Mike, Dustin, Gareth, and Jeff were all standing on your doorstep.

“Were you all just waiting outside for me to get home?” you laugh.

Robin snatched the letter from you, “I’ve wanted to open this thing since it got here last week! Come on, we have time for hugs and all that shit later!” Even Steve looked excited to open this letter. Dustin, Mike, Gareth, and Jeff were praying, hands clasped in front of their faces.

You grabbed the letter back from her and took a deep breath, “Here we go!” You pulled a paper out, letting the envelope fall to the floor. Thank you for your submission. We are thrilled at your interest and we are pleased to offer… You finished reading and before anyone could react you grabbed your keys and ran back to your car.

Your heart was racing the whole way to Eddie’s. Your nerves were literally causing your whole body to shake with excitement. You found yourself laughing there in the car alone as you drove. Smacking the steering wheel to help expel this extra energy coursing its way through you right now. Eyes glazed over as you fought back tears. You whipped the car into the empty space next to Eddie’s van and didn’t even bother closing your door as you ran at top speeds into the trailer. Eddie’s eyes shot up as you didn’t even knock.

He was sitting in the living room reading on the couch drinking a beer, it spilled a bit as you startled him, “What the hell are you doing here? I thought you weren’t coming until tomorrow.” He got up to hug you, “Are you alright, you’re shaking? You look like you took something, hah, college that rough?”

Your legs bounced as you held the letter in your hand, “So I’m sure you heard that Metallica is going on tour again in the fall right?” 

He nodded, his voice sounded shy, “Yeah I actually thought we could go together when they came here.”

You grabbed his bicep and shook, smacking the leather covering his arm, adding to his confusion, “I’ve got a better idea!” You hand him the letter to read. He looks quizzically at you but begins to read out loud.

Thank you for your submission. We are thrilled at your interest and we are pleased to offer Corroded Coffin the opportunity to be featured as one of our rising metal stars… Eddie’s voice trailed off as he struggled to believe what he was hearing. Despite having come from his own lips. You held his waist and kept reading for him . Based on the details of your submission we’d like Corroded Coffin to be the opening act for our Indianapolis show. More details will follow. Thank you again for your submission and we look forward to working with you.

You screamed jumping up and down, “Eddie this it! This is your big break!”

Eddie’s body quivered in your arms. At first he was speechless but you felt his control melting away as his breathing changed and his shoulders jostled up and down. His voice breaking into just a crackle of a laugh. You held him in your arms as he cried into your shoulder. His hair pressed up against your skin as he lowered his head. His hands gripping his own forearm from around your head. You’d never seen Eddie cry like this, not once in the five years you’ve been together has he ever shown you this side of himself. You rubbed his back as he continued to cry, you felt your shirt getting wet but you didn’t care.

You whispered to him as you continued to hold him, “Before they officially announced their tour they put out a contest looking for local metal bands. Afterwards, they confirmed that the contest was to look for up and coming groups to be featured at some of their concerts. As soon as I read about the contest I sent in a tape of one of your shows.” He lifted his head. You smiled at his puffy red eyes and wet cheeks. He wiped his eyes with the heels of his palms, sucking in a deep breath of air, exhaling sharply.

“When will you cease to surprise me, my fair maiden. This. This means the world to me. More than I can even explain with words. I saw that contest but I never even dreamed that we would be good enough for it so I didn’t bother.”

“You need to believe in yourself like I believe in you Eddie.” You nuzzled your head into his chest.

“Fuck, you’ve out done me again, I had a big plan tomorrow - ” you cut him off with a kiss.

“I have been thinking about that delicious cock of yours all day and I’m so horny I can’t stand it anymore. I held it together long enough to give you the good news, but I’m gonna need you to fuck me like now. Or I might die.” you pretend to faint but he catches you before you fall.

He bites at your neck in between laughs, “As you wish fair maiden.” He scooped you up into his arms and carried you to his room where he proceeded to toss you onto his bed and shut the door. 

“You’ve got my blood pumping already love, I don’t think I’ll be able to hold back,” he pulled his shirt over his head and you shuddered at the sight of his perfect chest with those fucking tattoos that drive you crazy. 

You begin unbuttoning your blouse, “Don’t hold back then. I know our safe word and I trust you to stop. Give me all your love Eddie.” You pulled your shirt off, the red of his guitar pick shining against your skin. You lowered yourself down back against his headboard, taunting him as you raised your hands above your head clawing at the edge. Chewing on your lip, you rubbed your legs together in want. Your mind was clouded with desire. You and Eddie were no strangers to being together but for some reason this time felt different, being with Eddie was easier than breathing. He knew your body and every little thing he did that drove you crazy. He worshiped your body, leaving love bites everywhere he went as he finished the task of getting you naked.

“I love you so much, I’ve loved you since the first moment I laid eyes on you. I want to be with you every day and night for the rest of my life.” His hands caressing your breasts, teasing your nipples with the tips of his fingers. He hovered over you, knowing that he drives you wild when his hair falls in just the right way and tickles your skin. His lips took your nipple into his mouth and he smiled around you as your body arched, moans escaping your mouth. You encouraged his work as your moans got sharper and less controlled. Your eyes closed, allowing him to slowly unravel you. Methodically taking you apart one touch at a time. Keeping his mouth busy he reaches down between your legs and teases your entrance. He swirls his fingers around getting his hand covered in your mess before bringing those fingers to your lips and biting down as you suck your wetness from his fingers. Your tongue feels between every space, licking them clean.

“You’re such a good girl. Although,” his brows twisted, “I know you had a class today that you must have skipped in order to be here right now. Do you think you need a punishment?” You groan out of frustration as he purposely avoids your pussy with his touches.

“I don’t know how much I can take master, I need you!”

“I believe in you sweetheart,” he sits up and looks down at you as he pulls his handcuffs from his back packet, “Be a good girl and put those wrists together.” He cuffs you and then makes his way down, lower and lower, his breaths ghosting over your cunt. He pushes your legs back.

“Keep those legs back sweetheart. I don’t want you to hold back either, you come as many times as you need to,” his long tongue licks up your entire surface, moving in every possible direction as he eats you out. His hair touching the soft skin of your inner thigh is almost as enjoyable as his mouth sucking your clit. You cry out over and over again, your voice getting louder and louder. His strong hands leave marks as he grips your legs tighter and tighter. You beg for release as you get closer. Screaming as it finally comes but he doesn’t stop. He is merciless as he works you over, drawing every ounce of pleasure he can from your weak body. Your fingers dig into the pillows above your head, straining for any sort of sensation. He doesn’t stop no matter how loud and pained your cries get. Your sex pulsates and overflows, squirting all over his face. His hand presses under your ass and feels the soaked sheet. 

His head lifts up, extremely pleased with himself, “You’re gonna stain my mattress love. Look at you, you’re such a mess,” he admires your form before going to grab a condom.   

“Eddie?” you somehow manage to whisper, you cuffed hands grabbing at him in protest, “I want to feel you…all of you.”

“Are you sure princess? You’re so fucking wet I don’t think I’ll be able to stop and pull out.” 

“Then don’t”

His gaze is downright sadistic. His hand wipes his mouth and jawline, as he hastily works to get out of his jeans, “Beg pretty thing.”

“Eddie please come inside me, cover my insides with your mark,” you never look away from his big brown eyes, “Please, I need you so badly. Wanted you every day since I left last time.”

He brought his mouth to yours and you tasted yourself on his tongue, “More. Convince me. How badly do you want this sweetheart?”

You squirmed beneath him, lips crashing against his, “So badly Eddie. I want you to be my first like this. I would think about this moment everyday in high school even before we got together. I used to wonder what kind of lover you’d be, when I’d touch myself you were all I’d ever think about. Please Eddie, let me feel you.”

He bit your lip, “Eddie’s not here love, who am I?”

“Master! Master please,” he sucked your neck, toying with the line between pain and pleasure as he left his mark, “I want your cock master! Fuck my pussy, use me to come!”

Without missing a beat he bit your neck and slammed his bare cock into your dripping cunt. Your cries and pleads turn to mindless words of affirmation. Eddie’s hips bucking deeper and deeper into you he groans and moans into your skin. His voice breaking as he fucks into you harder than ever before. His hand nearly breaks the headboard as you hear the wood splinter and crack under his hand. He whines that he’s close.

“I’m gonna come, ahh-” he barely finishes warning you before you feel his come rush into you. It feels warm and full. Oh shit I could get used to this. You think to yourself as he collapses on top of you, cock still inside you. You lay under him savoring the sensation of his sweaty skin on yours. You’ve never felt this close to anyone. Eddie was truly your everything in all aspects of your life. You felt your emotions rising as you looked at the ceiling of his room, briefly recalling the first night you spent together. Tears drip from your eyes as you blink. He brings such joy to your life and you can’t imagine a life without him. Whether he’s a famous rock star or you both end up working shitty jobs just to pay the bills, he’s the one you want. Whatever this life has in store you want him there with you, for all time.

He manages to lift himself up, his bangs curling wildly from the sweat on his forehead, “That was amazing love. You ok if I pull out?” You nod with an overstimulated smile. Even if you had the energy to move, there is nothing in heaven or earth that could get you to move. He reaches up and uncuffs your hands. Laying kisses on the red skin along your wrists. He kisses your forehead as he pushes himself up and returns with lotion for your sore wrists and arms. This was your favorite part of being with Eddie. Even after the most intense sessions, where he helps you explore even your most depraved fantasies, no matter how tired he might be he always takes such good care of you after. Warm baths, kisses, cuddles, massages whatever you need, he provides it.

“Talk to me princess, what do you need right now? You want me to run you a bath?”

You smile and nod, “Please. I’m kinda gross right now.”

He lifts you into his arms, “You’ve never looked more beautiful.” He sets you in the warm water and sits on the floor next to the tub, “I’ll never be able to say it enough but I love you…so much.” He grabs a cloth and washes you gently.

Once you are clean he helps you up and brings you one of his clean band shirts and a fresh pair of panties. You sit up on his bed as he brings you a beer. You lean your head on his shoulder as you drink slowly. You look up at him, he looks lost in thought.

“Hey handsome,” you nudge him with your shoulder, “What’s going on in that cute head?”

“I just still can’t believe it. It doesn’t feel real,” he said while taking a drink, “This really is my chance. Ever since I can remember I've wanted to play music, now I get the chance of a lifetime and I owe it all to you. Without you, hell I might be dead.”

“You earned his Eddie. You work so hard, every performance gets your all. Whether it’s a huge crowd or just 5 drunks…you bring all your passion into everything you do.” You feel your eyes get heavy as you yawn, “And in a few months you get to share that passion with the world.”

At some point Eddie pulled the covers over you and watched as you fell asleep. Longing covering his face as he watched you. He went out to the living room and grabbed the letter that had been discarded to the floor. He took it in his hand and grabbed his jacket before going outside. Shaking his head with a smile as he noticed your door still open. He carefully closed it for you, knowing that even after all this time your car was still your baby. Sitting on his stoop he pulled out a joint and reread the letter over and over again until the joint had nearly burnt out. With the last hit he pressed it into the ground and reached into his jacket pocket pulling out a small velvet box.

--

8 months later. November 22, 1991

“Holy fuck I’m so nervous!” Eddie jumped up and down backstage as his guitar bounced against his back.

You have been with him every step of the way in this exciting process! From meeting the crew, practicing, sound checks, and of course the headliner? A jam session with the legends themselves. Everything came down to this moment. You and Dustin were with him and the band as they got ready. You could hear the crowd even from back here and even though you weren’t the one about to perform for thousands of people you felt just as nervous.

“You’ll be amazing Eddie! Go show everyone who Eddie Munson really is, one hell of a performer!” You squeezed him tightly as the crew gave the signal for them to begin. 

“5 minutes!” one of them shouted. Eddie pulled a pick from his pocket and adjusted his guitar. 

Reluctantly, you lifted your hair and removed the chain from your neck where it has sat almost every minute of every day since the spring of ‘86, “Use this Eddie.”

He grinned, taking it in his hands. You and Dustin watched from the side lines as the three friends set up and took their places on the stage. Eddie’s signature look still managed to give you butterflies. His bandana wrapped around his head, that puffy green vest, and fuck those boots. Focus! Your brain reminded you. 

“60 seconds people!” the crew manager yelled.

“Hey Henderson?” Eddie called from center stage, “Are you ready for the most metal concert in the history of the world?”

“Is that a rhetorical question?”

You hear the crowd get hyped up as the lighting changes. The black curtain rises and you scream for him! He looks just off stage at you and lights up. He steps up to the microphone and goes right into their first song. His voice, the voice that made you melt from the moment you heard it was now being heard by the world. You cried as you and Dustin sang along with him. The song continued, your chest warmed as you peaked out and saw people that didn’t even know him cheering for him. The first song came to an ending, Eddie grabbed the microphone from its stand and spoke to the crowd.

“Hell yeah Indianapolis! Thank you so much for that warm welcome, we are Corroded Coffin. Local outcasts from the small town of Hawkins, Indiana. You all ready for a night of metal?”

The crowd screamed, Eddie’s nerves were gone. He was in his element. He ran back to the mic stand and started their next song. You and Dustin held each other jumping up and down screaming for them. Your mind is overwhelmed with a mix of emotions as your life so far with Eddie replayed like a movie in your head. Every moment from the good times to the bad. Every struggle and every triumph you faced together. Every argument or disagreement, utterly insignificant at this moment. Even in the changing stage lights, you can still see those beautiful brown eyes so full of life. They continue to play and engage the crowd. Before you know it their set is coming to an end.

“You’ve been one hell of an audience! This is our last song and it’s a song I wrote for my beautiful girlfriend so I hope you enjoy it.” He started playing a song you’ve never heard before. Your mind racing because you had helped him decide which songs to play and this wasn’t supposed to be the ending. Dustin grinned as he watched knowingly. Your eyes cried listening to the words Eddie was singing about you. You cried harder into your hand, one of the crew gave you some tissues with a smile. He looked away from the crowd and towards backstage at you. You tried to regain your composure. Cheering for him as you wiped your eyes. Gareth’s drumbeats changed and the song came to a faded end. The crowd erupted into cheers. Eddie wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“I’m sure you all are ready for the main event but, if I could have your attention for just another moment there’s something I need to do. We are only here because my incredible girlfriend believed in me. She gives me strength to keep going every day and there’s something I need to ask her. Would you guys like to meet her?” They cheered.

Your heart stopped. His eyes met yours. Your body felt paralyzed as Dustin pushed you towards him. Eddie’s hand beckoning you to join him on stage. Dustin shoved you out into the spotlight. Eddie grabbed the microphone and walked over to you with his guitar on his back. 

“My beautiful hellfire queen, the love of my life,” he bent down to one knee, the crowd gasping as he pulled a small velvet box from his pocket, “Sweetheart? Will you marry me?”

If you weren’t so fucking happy you’d be mad at him for making you cry in front of so many people. You looked deep into those chocolate brown eyes and your head moved first before you could speak, “Yes Eddie! Of course I’ll marry you!” The crowd celebrated for you as he hugged you. He took the mic up again.

“Thank you Indianapolis! Are you guys ready for Metallica?” 

Every voice in the building echoed YES!  

You walked off stage with Eddie’s arm around your shoulder, his ring around your finger, and his mark forever on your heart.

#eddie munson x reader #eddie x fem!reader #eddie munson #eddie munson fanfic #stranger things fic #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x y/n #stranger things fanfic #stranger things smut #18+ content #high school sweetheart eddie munson #dungeon master eddie munson

[hawkinsschoolcounselor]

Breaking down the “leak”

It seems the leak from back in April is on everyone’s minds lately. While I don’t really see anything to suggest it is legit, there’s not really much else to talk about. I think what I’d like to do is go down the leak, bit by bit, and give my thoughts. I’ll be going through the points in the order I see them in a series of screengrabs, so it may not be the order the original post had them. A lot of this seems like it would be from a single episode, likely the first one.

The first thing I see is Steve applying to Hawkins PD, but being rebuffed for his previous vandalism in Season 1. This seems odd considering we never saw the police get involved in that. Steve being a police officer is something born out of fan theory, which further casts doubt in my mind. While it could simply be a nod to fans, it still comes off as out of place. Steve was last shown getting a new job at a video store, and we’re going to see him going for another job already?

The next bit is that Max is depressed and sees the school counselor. She has a fight with Lucas and then dumps him. Working in the school counselor from the earlier reported new characters could have been an attempt to make it seem more legit. I don’t know if that casting report was truly legit since it had more info than I’d expect. Max and Lucas fighting is not terribly surprising. Their relationship was not shown to be all that great in Season 3. Saying Max would be depressed links onto the end of Season 3, so, again, nothing too shocking. This could just be good guesswork as opposed to a leak.

Next is a new character Fred (an orphan, but more on him later) talking to Dustin. Fred tells Dustin that he believes his dad, thought to be dead, is actually alive. He was allegedly experimented on by the lab and then thrown into a mental hospital after he went nuts and killed Fred’s mom. This is a rather big piece of info for a leaker to have. The idea that there were adult test subjects was covered in the Suspicious Minds novel, so it could be a tie-in to that, but this part of the “leak” could also just be fan theories based on that same novel. I can’t see Brenner taking any chances with his work being exposed by throwing a subject into a mental hospital.

Next, we have Dustin having lunch with Nancy and Robin, while Lucas and apparent new character Eddie watch Mike be friendly with a cheerleader. If true, then Season 4 occurs immediately after Season 3, otherwise there’s no way Dustin would be in high school with Nancy and Robin. I was never too clear on what grade exactly Nancy was in, but she could potentially be a senior now. Robin had mentioned being in class with Steve though, so I would’ve thought she’d be his age. Still, it’s possible I suppose. Dustin having lunch with them seems to clash with his Hellfire Club status though, unless this occurs before he joins. One would think he’d eat with his new friends, especially if he ISN’T eating with his old friends. Meanwhile, said old friends are also split, with Lucas hanging out with Eddie and watching Mike be “friendly” with a cheerleader.

The next bit is where we’re told Dustin joins the Hellfire Club (set photos confirm this). It’s described as an elite group of nerds formed by the previously mentioned Fred. Dustin apparently is interested when they play D&D, but Lucas and Mike decline. This both clashes and fits with Season 3. Mike is bothered by Will seeming to move on from D&D, but it could still fit if Mike just doesn’t want to play without Will. Still, this seems to be building a rupture of the Party right after Season 3 showed how good they are together. Yes, it’s normal for kids their age to look to reinvent themselves, but it also goes against what the show was apparently building. Each season does have elements where there’s strife in the Party that gets resolved, but this takes it to an absurd level.

Dustin is then described as being seen as a “runt of the litter” in the Hellfire Club. That’s not really unusual treatment for a freshman in a high school club. His D&D skills and link to Robin gain him cred, apparently. This leads to him getting close to Fred. There’s not a lot here, but this “leak” does spend a lot of time on the Fred/Dustin dynamic.

Next is the “shocker” where Mike and El have a phone/walkie call that doesn’t go well. Mike is losing interest, El picks up on it. She says “I love you” and he says “I know.” Considering the level of detail on some of the other parts, this is rather brief. The exchange is verbatim Empire Strikes Back, and, while that isn’t totally out of the ordinary for this show, it makes me see it as something more fanfiction-y. The idea of them having a “meh” phone call isn’t too weird since we saw at the end of Season 3 that they were definitely not on the same page. It wouldn’t be hard for a fake leaker to come up with something like this. Should it be true, then it could spur El to go back to her possessive and distrustful ways. She may be driven to find out how to get her powers back in order to spy on Mike.

The “leak” specifically mentions there being no plans to include Chernobyl. This is an odd thing to say. I’m not sure how popular a fan theory this is, but it’d be in bad taste to work a real-life deadly disaster into a show like this. I don’t know why the person who wrote this felt the need to specifically debunk this unless they just wanted to seem more legit.

A flashback to Joyce, Hopper, and Lonnie in high school. That’s reasonable, especially since we know Lonnie is back this season in some capacity. I have no doubts that Hopper will be having flashbacks/memories during his captivity. This being believable doesn’t necessarily make this real though, as it’s another thing that’s reasonable to predict.

Despite most of the leak seeming to be from an early point in the season, the leaker goes on to say that there’s 5 major deaths (2 new characters, 3 previously existing characters), one of whom is one of the kids who dies in the final episode. Now perhaps there’s parts of the “leak” that I just don’t see in these screengrabs, but this is very odd. Prior to this is just looks like maybe someone got their hands on the first script somehow, or parts of it anyway. I don’t know how many people would be entrusted with every script, particularly the end, for this very reason. A single script getting out is at least somewhat believable, but this is where I lose any faith in this “leak.”

Finally, the leaker mentions this season taking place over the course of months, ending with the end of the Party’s freshman year. This would indeed be a change from the usual storytelling, and it would have to mean a slowly growing threat as opposed to one already striking in the first episode. That would kinda sorta work now that there’s no superpowered character to fend off the supernatural, but it would leave a lot of skipped time that I’m not sure would work in a show like this.

Will is mysteriously left out of this “leak.” There’s literally no mention of him that I can find unless there’s missing parts I don’t have. Someone who knows who dies would have something to say about Will, but there’s just nothing. It’s especially odd considering that if this is indeed the Party’s freshman year, then Will would have started school with them. The Byers don’t move until sometime in October, so Will would have spent at least a month at Hawkins High. This would also make Season 4 start with the shortest potential time skip, or perhaps no skip at all.

So, IF this leak is genuine:

There is a small, if any, time skip, with Season 4 beginning shortly after the Byers move in October.

Given the above statement, Mike must quickly lose interest in El, possibly even before their planned holiday visit.

The Party falls apart despite them all seeing how good they are together at the end of Season 3.

Max is going through depression, likely related to Billy’s death and everything else that happened (the end of S3 supports this).

Max and Lucas’ relationship gets even worse.

Mike and Lucas don’t want to be seen as nerds

Steve is still just a lost man child, or at least suffering the consequences of having been one for so long.

Robin and Nancy hang out together, and with Dustin until he joins the Hellfire Club

Will is a nonfactor, at least in the episode the bulk of this comes from?

I really have trouble believing this “leak” simply due to how the poster claims knowledge of the ending while the details all seem to be from the first episode. I suppose it’s possible they did legit get the first episode and made up some other stuff, but that seems pointless. For now, I’m just going with the idea that ANY legitimacy in this would be that it’s a real fake “leak” created by someone on the show to mislead fans or create buzz.

#stranger things #stranger things 4 #stranger things leak

[yikesharringrove]

I love the last thing you wrote for Steve being out as Bi. Really heavy but heartwarming. I also loved the idea of him being kinda a queer mentor to little Will. That’s such a big bead canon I have or more like a wish that him or Billy could give some support to my gay son will. Do you have anything more you could write on that? -catharrington

@catharrington sorry for taking so long!

So I have this bad boy that I wrote a little while ago, but I can go for a modern version if that sounds good! So, no monster au, Tommy is a good friend bc I lowkey love him and don’t talk about that enough.

Will had always known he was gay.

He had always been much more inclined to look at boys than girls, had liked looking at the guys on the covers of Jonathan’s records. He had been sure the first time he played baseball.

The little league was during the summer, usually coached by the guys on the high school team that needed a little pocket money.

He had only done it to make his dad happy, make him proud, but the first time he was standing in the field, and Steve Harrington had shown up, just about fifteen, ready to coach their team. He had made varsity as a freshman, and had a bit of a reputation of being a douchebag.

But he was nice. He was kind to Will, took the time to explain things to him, show him patiently what he was doing wrong and how to fix it. He was gentle and had big kind eyes and Will knew he liked boys.

Steve came out later that school year, he’d been dating a guy from the University of Indianapolis. He wasn’t the type of guy people labeled queer in small town Indiana. He was a jock, a cool guy, a womanizer. But all of a sudden he was shrugging and saying I don’t really mind either way, I just kinda like people.

Will once saw Steve and that guy downtown. He was waiting for his mom outside of Melvald’s when they walked down the sidewalk across the street. They were holding hands, laughing with one another. The guy, Will never bothered to learn his name, spun Steve under his arm. He could hear Steve laugh, could see how brightly he smiled when they kissed.

He was mesmerized. It was the first time, he had ever seen two queer men together in public, just being together it made him so happy.

He heard later that Steve caught that guy cheating on him and slashed his tires.

The next time he was Steve with someone, he had his arm around Nancy, was making her laugh, whispering into her ear. He wanted, just once to find someone he could be like that with. So comfortable, so in love.

But then Nancy left him, and started dating Jonathan, and he was happy for Jon, had know about the crush he’d had for years, but he couldn’t help being just a little mad at Nancy, saw Steve crying in his car once, figured it was over her.

When Billy Hargrove showed up in town, Will felt the exact same way he had when he saw Steve for the first time. He knew these little crushes of his wouldn’t lead anywhere, were just little crushes on the only good-looking guys in this town, but he liked looking, and in looking came noticing.

He saw the way Steve’s eyes would light up when he heard the Camaro rumbling down the road. Saw the way Billy would brush their hands together, knock his shoulder into Steve’s, always touching in these really small ways.

When Steve was giving him a ride home, it all came kind of, tumbling out.

“Are you and Billy together?” Steve looked at him, one eyebrow raised.

“So what if we are?” Will shrugged.

“I just, I’ve noticing some things. The way you guys look at one another. Steve was quiet for a moment before sighing, pulling off to the side of the road.

“Look, Will. We are. We’ve been together for a few months now, but, you can not tell anyone.” Steve’s eyes were wide, will nodded vigorously.

“Is he, is he not out?”

“It’s not that, exactly. I mean no, he’s not out, but that’s more because he can’t be.” He took a breath. “His dad reminds me of yours. He’s kind of a huge asshole. It’s not safe for Billy to be out. So, we gotta hide it.”

“I promise I won’t tell! I can keep a secret.” Steve smiled at him, really soft. “I’m gay.”

He hadn’t registered he’d said it until Steve huffed a laugh. He could feel his face going red.

“Yeah? Welcome to the club! Not a lot of us Hawkins queers out there, I don’t think.” Steve winked at him and Will’s face burned.

“That’s the first time I’ve ever said it out loud.” Steve’s eyes softened again, he reached out to place a hand on Will’s shoulder. it was warm.

“Well, thank you for telling me. Letting me be the first to know.”

“How’d you, how’d you do it? Come out, I mean.”

“I’m not gonna lie, it was not easy. Sometimes, it really sucked shit, still does when someone wants to get shitty with me. I had good friends that backed me up, though. Just last week Tommy punched Aaron Rodgers in the face for yelling some shit at me.” He laughed. “Not that I’m condoning violence, it just makes all the bullshit a fuck of a lot easier if you’ve got good people that have your back.”

“I want to, I want to tell my mom and Jonathan. I have for awhile now, I’m just, nervous.”

“Well, they’re cool with me, so I know they’re not, like, huge homophobes, but I get it. Coming out to anyone is hard, and its so scary when it’s your family.”

“Did you come out to your family?” Steve took his hand back, gripping the wheel tightly.

“Yeah.”

“How’d it go.”

“It was shit. My dad hasn’t spoken to me in like, six months.” Will blinked. Steve usually seemed so carefree.

“I’m, I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“I know, but I’m still sorry.” He started the car again, continuing on to Will’s house.

“You know, you can always, like, come to me, if you need to talk or something. Between Billy and me, we’ve experienced pretty much everything a queer can experience.” He laughed again, clicking back into plucky, silly Steve.

“Thanks, I, I probably will.” He pulled into Will’s driveway.

“And there’s no rush with your family. It’s okay to keep your cards close to your chest. It doesn’t make you any less valid or mean that you’re like, ashamed of your identity, or whatever. Let it happen in the timing that feels best for you.” He patted Will on the back as he left the car, thanking Steve profusely as he went inside.

#should i do a part 2 #call in and let me know #harringrove #yikes writes #steve harrington #steve harrington x billy hargrove #billy hargrove x steve harrington #billy hargrove #harringrove fic #harringrove drabble #harringrove ficlet #will byers #billy and steve being wills queer mentors is one of the best things in the world ngl #also i know people like to have will have his gay awakening when billy sows up #but like #steve was RIGHT THERE the WHOLE TIME. #you telling me this baby gay WOULDNT look at steve and be like #😳

[darling-i-read-it]

Photographs

Jonathan Byers x plus size!reader

Word Count: 1k

Warnings: none

Author’s Note: I’m sorry this took so long I hope you like it though!

Requested: by @pizza-eater-i-ate-the-pizza , I really loved your Jonathan Byers fic, so maybe something where the Reader is part of the Hawkins Photography Club and helps Jonathan use the darkroom after hours?

Summary: the request

Genre: fluff

Song:

(not my gif)

You were the one who got Jonathan into the photography club. You had known of him but had never spoken to him until Steve Harrington ruined his camera and seeing that go down you figured you should lend a hand.

The club had a set of 10 cameras that everyone who didn’t have a camera shared. He always seemed attached to the thing and if you could help you were going to. You came up to him as Nancy and Steve and his friends left.

You had a brief conversation and you invited him to join. He seemed thankful that somebody around him cared enough to see he needed some support and accepted. You became quick friends after that, helping him look for his little brother Will and eventually getting caught up with the whole Upside down thing. You were a little worried when you first spoke to him that going to a bigger girl like you from Nancy Wheeler would make things weird but they didn’t at all. In fact he never once commented on it. You didn’t either.

It had been a month after the first Upside Down fiasco when he asked you if you wanted to help him out in the dark room after hours.

You knew Jonathan could handle himself with the photos but accepted nonetheless. You had developed quite a crush on the boy as time had gone on. He made you feel like yourself when he was around and like you didn’t have to fake your way into his heart. You were pretty sure he liked you and we're pretty sure he knew you liked him. It was just a matter of who was going to make the first move at this point.

You figured if he wasn’t going to make a move in the dark room you may as well. It was the perfect setting, an easy place to be together and sure no one would interrupt you confess your undying love.

You wore a good outfit to school that day with vibrant colors that he told you he liked. You didn’t see him that whole school day until it was late after school had ended. You made yourself a little bit late so you didn’t seem desperate.

You knocked on the door and there was a muffled, ‘come in!’. When you entered the room you were greeted with a familiar sense of comfort. You had always liked the dark room. It was always hanging up with fun photos that people enjoyed taking. Jonathan was leaning over one of the pictures and looking at it from a different angle.

“Hey! I just wanted to see what you thought of a few of the pictures I took at the last basketball game,” he said with a smile. You were sure he had gotten the smile from his mom. You had never met his dad, only heard rumors about how horrible he was but you could see Joyce in his smile.

“Sure! Which ones are they?” You walked along the edge and looked at the photos that were hung up around the room. There were some that were obviously not his, some from marching band, some from courtyard lunch, etc etc. When you landed on a picture taken of you you stopped. It was on the bleachers, across the room from where Jonathan was by the lense it was taken from. It was a picture of you taking a picture. There were a few more of you, waving at Jonathan from across the room, laughing, throwing up peace signs. You smiled softly.

“Oh they’re over here-”

“I didn’t know you developed these,” you muttered, looking at them. You looked so happy. You turned around and he shuffled on his feet.

“You weren’t supposed to see them.”

“I was going to see them if they made their way to the yearbook,” you told him. He shrugged, waking up beside you. He looked at the one of you laughing.

“They were for me, not the yearbook,” he muttered. You blushed although the red tint of the room hid it from Jonathans view. You looked at him looking at a picture of you.

“You wanna see my photos from the basketball game?” you asked. He snapped out of it and nodded solemnly. He was hoping that you would make a move based on the photos he had taken.

You had hung up your photos earlier today during lunch. They were in a small pile on the counter and you grabbed them, handing them to Jonathan. He started to go through them slowly a smile creeping its way onto his face. There were photos of Steve Harrington and other star athletes but there were mostly photos of Jonathan taking photos.

“Wow stalker,” he joked. You hit him. You both laughed and as that laugh fizzled out of the air you were left with a comfortable silence. You looked at him and he was still looking at the pictures a small smile on his face.

You kissed him without thinking, not wondering if he would kiss back only wondering what his lips would taste like. He kissed back immediately and placed his hands on your back. You could feel him smiling and then you were smiling and then you had to pull apart.

“I win,” you muttered. He chuckled.

“I think my pictures are better but sure. I’ll give you this one.”

#jonathan byers x reader #jonathan byers imagines #stranger things imagines #jonathan byers

[jupitermelichios]

So while everyone’s in a Stranger Things mood, I thought I’d share my personal headcanons of where the kids are going to end up in life (several of which have been made non-canon this season, but oh well). I was trying to work them into The Joyce Byers Home for Wayward Teenagers but they never quite fitted in.

Will doesn’t go to college, even though Joyce keeps saying they can afford it. (They can’t). He practices like crazy, and Jonathan puts him in contact with the art department at his college, and he puts together enough of a portfolio to start getting hired professionally, doing fantasy art for stuff like RPG rulebooks. He’s  one of the first artists working on magic the gathering for Wizards of the Coast, although he’s most proud of his contributions to the 6thE D&D rules. I think he’s going to be one of those people who gets really set into a routine the minute he gets a place of his own, and never ends up co-habiting with anyone. He probably does annual Desert Bus for Hope guest appearances.

Mike takes El ending their relationship hard. Of all of them, he’s been the closest to the upsidedown except for Will and El, and he has the least support network, since he wouldn’t know where to begin talking to his parents about any of this, and he hasn’t exactly been raised to be emotionally mature. He goes pretty far off the rails in college, drink, and then drugs that start out casual and get far too serious. Fortunately Nancy has had some therapy and decided that she’s going to step up where their parents have failed. She gets him cleaned up, gets him a job working with their dad in Hawkins where El and Dustin can keep an eye on him, and he finds that once he’s not so worried about being left behind all the time, he actually quite likes having a normal life. He’s godfather to two of Dustin’s kids, and while he resists dating for a long time, worried about how he’ll react, he does find someone in the end, and he’s exactly as sickening the second time around as he was the first, and his friends and family are all thrilled for him.

They all think everything the government did to do with the Gate was bullshit, but Lucas is the one of them who decides to do something about it. He gets a job at Town Hall, then an internship at the state senate. He falls in love with a brilliant driven woman. He’d never be able to pick one of the guys to be his best man, but that’s okay because he’d have picked Max anyway. He makes it to the House of Representatives by the time he’s 35, and he never gets asked at any point in his political career to okay any covert science operations, but there’s plenty of other things that need fixing. Erica and Dustin both have strong opinions on the state of education, especially in STEM, Jonathan Steve and Nancy have a whole lot to say about queer rights, and racism is everywhere, and sexism, and he can’t fix everything but by god is he going to try.

Dustin was totally going to be a science teacher, but then Steve beats him to it and he doesn’t want to seem like he’s copying. He gets a job at radioshack, which he’s sure is going to be a temporary position while he looks for the next big thing. 10 years later he’s now the manager of the exact same radioshack and none of his big things have gone anywhere, so he says fuck it and starts a computer repair business. Steve gets him to start a club for local kids, teaching them about radios and computers. That’s where he meets a single mom of three, and they hit it off right away. He takes to being a step-dad like a duck to water, and then he has a couple more of his own, and everyone gets used to seeing him with a toddler or two in tow at all times.

Max teaches herself to code, mostly because people keep telling her she can’t. She doesn’t go for a career - she’s happy to work a job that pays the bills with enough leftover for her hobbies. The game she makes in her spare time never hits minecraft popularity, but Will’s artwork helps plus the single coder passion project angle plays well enough to make it a bit of an indie darling, moreso when it gets out that she was the who made the ‘playable peach’ and ‘playable zelda’ mods that got super popular in the early days of homebrew console modding. She has a few boyfriends but they never really last, and she’s in her 40s when she meets the woman she eventually marries on a panel on woman in gaming.

El writes her autobiography, mostly just because it makes her feel better to have it all there in black and white, like a story. Like something that can’t hurt her. It’s Dustin who convinces her to try selling it. He and Mike help her edit out the incriminating bits, and it gets picked up pretty quickly. It’s never a huge hit, no movie or TV deals, and it doesn’t pay the bills, but she gets letters from little girls telling her how her story inspired them, and helped her be brave, and that’s worth far more than money.

Nancy spends a few years drifting, not really sure what she wants to do, before she finally admits that maybe she needs some therapy, and then she trains as a psychologist, specialising in young offenders because god knows where should would have ended up if she’d ever tried to tell anyone what happened to her. After her parents find out about Jonathan and Steve, she wants to get as far away from them as possible, and the boys are happy to follow her to New York. They get a crappy apartment with crappy neighbours and love really doesn’t make up for lack of sleep but they’re happy anyway.

Jonathan starts out doing newspaper photography, but after he gets to know some police officers through work he ends up training as a forensic photographer. He gets a reputation for being completely bullet-proof even by the standards of the NYPD. He does a couple of art exhibitions later in life and Steve and Nancy are super proud of him, but it never really goes anywhere, and he doesn’t mind.

Steve resists right up until the very last year of his degree, and then admits defeat and accepts that he was destined to be a teacher, probably middle school. He absolutely hates all the rules against being openly queer around kids, and threatens constantly to quit, but in the end he loves the kids way too much to ever do it.

#stranger things #stoncy #meta #headcanons #the kids are cute and all but relationships begun when you're 12 don't last for life

[thesestrangeimagines]

Not Your True Love (Steve Harrington)

Steve Harrington x Reader

request

Could you do a steve imagine where he hits you and and he cries and cries for you to take him back and you say no cause like bitch what the fuck,,,, anyways,,.,,, and it ends all sad and shit and you end up happy and he is like what and yeah... I suck at talking sorry:) ilyyyy!!:))

I like this idea, but I’ve always have a hard time writing sad things, but I’ll give it my best shot!!!

NOTE: if you are looking for Steve fluff THIS IS NOT THAT!!

Warning(s): abuse

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“What happens when you can’t love the love of your life anymore?” You said through loud painful sobs that hadn’t stopped since it happened.

Your mother who was standing in the door way, ran over and started rubbing circles on your back said this, “than he really isn’t the love of your life.”

That is the moment when things started to get better.

~the incident~

You we’re standing outside your front door, but there was no one home, and you and Steve were both a little drunk. You fumbled with your keys and Steve said, “Why don’t you just come back to my place?”

“My mom will be suspicious, I gotta stay here-“ you started.

“Why don’t you stay with me?” He said, more forceful this time.

Seeing Steve like this confused you, he was always so sweet and kind. “My mom would freak-“ you tried to explain.

“Do you not want me?” Steve said, in the most forceful tone you’ve ever heard come from his mouth. He started to slowly approach you, and you started to move back until there was no where else to go. Suddenly his hand wrapped around your wrist, tight. You couldn’t use your right arm anymore. Tears were already starting to pool in your eyes, threatening to fall any second. “Why don’t you want me?” He threatened, pausing between every word.

“I ummm-“ you were at a loss for words and every part of your body was shaking. Your brain was screaming get out of here. Tears began to fall. You scrambled to come up with the words you needed when you felt it. There was a hot sting coming from your left cheek. All emotion left your body as Steve’s eyes widened and he began to back up. He started crying, shaking.

“Please baby I didn’t mean it!” He cried. You stood their emotionless.

“Goodbye Steve,” You said in as clear of a tone you could muster while being to find the correct key, put it into the lock, turn it, and open in the door as fast as possible. As you ran in the door Steve started to yell again.

“Please, please I don’t know what came over me please!”

Now it was your turn to cry. You locked the door and check all the other doors. Closed the blinds in your room and climbed into your bed and sobbed. Horrible heartbroken sobs. Eventually Steve’s yells coming from outside stopped and you knew he was gone. You cried and cried until your mother came home. You were crying so loud you didn’t even hear the front door open or her footsteps approaching you. You only noticed that she was there when you felt a depression form in your bed and a hand begin to move circles in your back.”shhhhhhhh” she said making an attempted to stop your the loud contractions in my throat.”What happened sweetie, I can’t help if you don’t tell me,” she asked in the kindest voice.

At that you through your arms around her, and stopping the sobs for just enough time to whisper, “he hit me, I broke it off” and the sobs continued.

You could feel your mother’s heart quicken. She left your father because he has beaten her. It took her many years to come to that decision, but you one incident. Yes she was mad that anyone would lay a finger on her baby, but also proud that you stood up for yourself and left him. She continued to rip circles in your back, “the hardest part is over my love, you are stronger than I.”

A couple of months later things seemed to be back to normal. You could see Steve around town without nearly vomiting. Seeing him still put you on edge, but he didn’t try and talk to you anymore. Whenever he saw you smiling and laughing it hurts him, reminding him of what he fucked up. You were living your best life. In the fallout of your relationship, you confided with your best friends and together started a feminist club at school. Some people made fun of it, but all those girls in that club were your support system. You could tell them anything and they wouldn’t tell a soul and would try and help you find a solution. The club even helped another girl leave her abusive boyfriend. It was the best thing you ever started.

Years later and the impact of what Steve did still haunts. You were away at college but that just made it worse. You were always weary when you were walking home alone or going out on a date. You tried not to be irrational, but it was hard, you were still recovering every day.

Many many years later and the impact of what Steve did no longer haunts you. You’re married and have one beautiful child with another on the way. The fears no longer linger and you are truly happy. You never really hear about Steve anymore. You had very few contacts back in Hawkins. You were far away and happy, away from all the pain of yesterday.

——————-

Hey hey I hope you enjoyed and if you wanna request something like this lovely human did you can find the link to do so in my description or if you wanna read something else I’ve written you can do that from my masterlist whos link is also in my description, or you can do both, whatever floats your boat!!!

#stranger things #stranger things fic #stranger things imagine #stranger things reader insert #steve harrington #steve harrington fic #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington reader insert #steve harrington x you #i love steve #i love steve harrington #i love stranger things #request