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upsidedownwithsteve · 2 months

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A soulmate AU: Steve Harrington x fem!reader [4.6K]

THE TIMELINE

"Oh, won't you stay, just a little bit longer. Please let me hear, you say that you will, Say you will."

- Stay By Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs

IV. MOUNTAIN LAKE, VIRGINA: 1963

The man in front of you was not part of your vacation plans. He was half naked, sweaty, annoyed and scowling. The man in front of you was a stranger.

Except he wasn’t.

Was he?

You knew his name by now, something you’d only learnt on Monday, or perhaps the day before. Steve, Steve Herringbone or Barrington or something. He didn’t like it when you called him Steven and he certainly didn’t like it when you argued back.

But this was supposed to be a getaway, a small summer break where you could maybe sneak a smoke by the lake when everyone had returned to their cabins and the geriatric morning yoga was done. Except your dad knew the owner of the summer retreat, a huge house settled in the Virginia countryside, the forest greener than it was back home. Bauman’s Mountain House was host to many golf courses, a fencing team, seventeen rowboats, an archery club, the best water aerobics in the state and an award winning dance show.

The very latter included the man in front of you.

Tall, broad shouldered and tanned from the summer, Steve Harrington was handsome and painstakingly so. Brown hair that he always tried to tame by pushing his hand through it, brown eyes and too many freckles to count. He wore a gold chain around his throat, black slacks and a leather jacket on his days off, driving around the resort in a BMW that made too much noise, but he didn’t seem to care.

He cared even less about his bad reputation and loud ways when his partner broke her foot weeks before the final show, a tiny girl called Nancy that you were unreasonably jealous of at first sight. You watched them both on your first night, sat between your mother and father as they took to the stage, dancing flawlessly, fluidly, like they were one whole person. You watched the way she touched him, an easy familiarity that had your stomach feeling unsettled and something inside of you burned when her hand brushed the man’s neck, holding onto him as he dipped her low, her fingers trapping two little moles and hiding them from sight.

You’d blamed the cheap cocktails and called it a night.

But then your father found him arguing with Mr Bauman about the show and suddenly you were volunteered against your own volition, your parents talking loudly and proudly about talent shows and dance lessons when you were much younger, boldly exaggerating about how must’ve been a dancer in another life as you shook your head and tried to escape back to the gazebo by the shoreline.

Now you were left spending your evenings with Steve Harrington and his tight trousers in a cabin that was much smaller than your own. There was a leak in the corner, a consistent drip from a missing nail in the roof and rainwater splashed against the wooden floor as if it were counting down the seconds.

As if it were counting down to— something.

It had rained every night since you had started seeing Steve, the stifling afternoons giving way to humid evenings that always started to smell like rain by six o’clock, sweet tea and lemonade taken over by the scent of a new downpour. There had been threats of storms, chattering of it during breakfast in the main dining hall, grumbles of it from groundskeepers during bowling on the green.

But nothing wild, not yet.

Steve had scowled the entire time he was with you, minutes and hours spent with a frown on his face as he did his best to avoid touching you, mumbling something about getting the timings right, about learning the steps and the footwork before putting it all together. It was tedious now, repetitive and too warm in his small room and even with the bed pushed to the wall, there was barely space to avoid brushing up against him when you moved.

You were flushed, skin shining with a thin layer of sweat and the same sheen made Steve’s lips look glossy, his hair sticking to his forehead in curls and flicks. You rolled your eyes when he hit rewind on the tape deck, a silent order for you to take it from the top. But you didn’t move as he made quick work on his buttons, undoing them one by one until his short sleeved shirt hung open, showing off far too much skin. Lean muscle and a smattering of hair across his pecs, more skating down the line of his navel and you sucked in a breath, pretending you hadn’t stood on your own foot.

“It’s too fuckin’ warm,” he complained, circling you as he spoke, watching you for more errors, inspecting your footwork, your posture, the way your held your head up and squared off your shoulders.

“No shit,” you couldn’t help but bite back. “How’d you think I feel?”

You wore denim shorts to his black slacks, but your cotton T-shirt was sticking to your torso now, the baby pink material too heavy and restricting for the heat inside the cabin. You pressed your lips together and moved, eyes on the wall ahead of you, your right foot moving in front of your left before you twisted your hips half a turn and—

“Take it off, then.”

You blinked, your framework going slack as you dropped both your arms and your jaw. You were hardly prudish, but something about this man had set you on edge since you’d first seen him. An electrical buzz every time you looked at him, fizzing through your bones, an invisible string tied to your insides pulling and pulling and pulling you closer. You’d ignored it until these dance practices, always turning in the other direction, putting the entire resort between you both.

But now… now?

He was standing all of three feet away, cheeks flushed from the heat and his chest on show, his hands behind his head and his fingers buried in his hair in frustration as he stared at you. Like he was challenging you. The muscles in his arms were flexed, taut cords and lines that showed off how hard he work at his job and you couldn’t help but stare.

“What?” You demanded it, a bite of an answer.

“Your shirt,” Steve nodded to the pink material, brows raised like it were obvious. He almost rolled his eyes. “Take it off.”

Above you, the rain outside fell a little harder, a consistent din against the thin roof.

You didn’t say anything. You just hoped you didn’t lose your cool as you reached for the hem of your t-shirt, untucking it from your shorts. The cotton stuck to you uncomfortably, dragging against your skin as you raised it up and over your head, the brief second where your eyesight was blinded a terrifying prospect.

Was he looking? At you? Was he watching? Did he care?

By the time you’d balled up the offending fabric and tossed it in the corner, Steve had turned his back to you, pressing some buttons on the tape deck until the song - some kind of mambo - played for the beginning again. You couldn’t see his face but you wondered if he’d caught sight of your bra, as plain as it may have been. White cotton, thin with scalloped edges and a tiny pink bow between the cups. Hardly sexy, nothing near scandalous, but there was certainly a lot more skin showing now.

Slick, damp skin that you wondered if he’d touch. It was like he wasn’t allowed to, the way he skirted around you all of the time, his hands shoved into his pockets when he wasn’t demonstrating the next step, a fist pressed to his chin as he watched you repeat his instructions, a wide palm always hovering just out of reach of your lower back when he scolded you for slouching, like he’d went to put his hands on you - only to pull catch himself at the last second.

“You gotta loosen your hips,” Steve’s voice interrupted your thoughts as he turned back around. His eyes were on the floor before he finally dragged them up your legs and over your bare stomach. He sucked in a breath. “You’re too rigid.”

“You told me to hold my shoulders,” you retorted, knowing fine well that he’d bitched about your ‘noodle arms’ for days.

“Yeah, your upper body needs to be squared off. Hold yourself tight from here up,” Steve gestured to your waist with the side of his hand. He didn’t touch you, but you could feel the heat radiate from him. “But from here?” He tapped at the button on your shorts.

You froze.

“From here down, you need to put a bit of swing in the hips, alright?” He spun, putting himself behind you but you could see him in the mirror that leant against the cabin wall, an old looking thing that was too ornate to be here. Once gold, it had carvings of cherubs on the frame, tiny wreaths and rosettes intertwined with ancient style busts. “It’s a mambo, sweetheart, put a little heat into it.”

The tape begun again and Steve leant against a dresser, arms folded across his bare chest, his open shirt plastered to his skin. He watched you, waiting. The intro played and you counted the beats, nodding your head to each note and before you could hit the mark. Thunder rumbled somewhere outside and you were suddenly reminded of a man that looked like Steve, standing and watching you like that in a room much smaller than this, lit by firelight, dressed like a fighter.

“You missed the count,” Steve sighed, exasperated.

His hair had been longer, his face bruised and bleeding, but it looked just like him. A familiar scene, like you’d maybe seen it in a movie, but it felt more like a dream you didn’t recall having. You looked down at your feet, chest heaving, lips parted in confusion and you were only more dazed when you saw your bare legs and not the long skirts you expected. Your body didn’t feel like yours, not really.

Like it was borrowed, or broken.

You turned, facing Steve as if you expected him to be dressed differently, in leathers and studs and pleats, but he was still the same, just looking at you as if you’d suddenly fallen ill. Maybe you had.

“Drink some water,” he ordered, and yes, that sounded like a really good idea. “Then we’ll go again.”

You chugged the bottle, the water tepid and hard to swallow but you gulped it down greedily, praying against heat stroke or whatever else it could be that could be plaguing you with such hallucinations. You swiped at your lips and closed your eyes before you turned back to the boy and when you did, he looked the same as he always did.

Annoyed, tired, pretty.

“C’mere,” Steve said briskly, crooking a finger at you. You stepped towards him, unsure of what he was asking you, lingering awkwardly with a few feet of space between you. Steve huffed and rolled his eyes. “Jesus, I mean— here.”

He touched you then, his hand reaching out to grasp your own as he pulled you forward, closer than you’d ever been. There was barely space for a prayer between you both.

You thought that his hand in yours would’ve made you feel something, a spark, a fizz, that buzz that you felt in your bones around him. But something else settled over you instead, a strange familiarity, a longing for a home you didn’t know or didn’t remember, like Steve touching you was hardly anything new. His touch made you think of the sea, of vast gardens, of islands and storms and great wars, ruby wine and promises that seemed impossible to keep.

From the unsettled look in Steve’s eye as he stared down at you, you thought that maybe he felt the same thing.

But then he was fussing, moving his feet into the right position and mumbling about your stance. His hand took you with him as he moved, less than an inch separating your bare stomach from his and you let him direct you as he pleased, waiting for the song to reply from the top. The drums began, a cacophony of instruments you’d never be able to name joining in.

And then Steve was counting, his eyes suddenly fixed on yours as he nodded to the beat. “And five, six, seven—”

Steve’s other hand was on your waist.

His palm felt huge, big enough to envelop your side and his thumb was pressed into the soft of your belly, just below your ribcage. His fingers were splayed out over your bare back, his skin warm against your own and you’d never felt so completely consumed by just one touch. You were reminded of white sheets and hazy mornings, the taste of fresh bread and an open window that looked out to blue skies and you could hear a fountain spraying water.

But you were moving before you could consider it, what it meant, what it was, if it was possible to have someone else’s memories trapped in your head. Steve moved and you followed, your feet chasing his step by step as he walked you back and forth, his hips turning into yours on each beat, his shoulders set and his chin held high, ever the professional.

“Don’t look at your feet,” he murmured, barely heard over the music. “Chin up. Look at me.”

You didn’t know how to tell him it hurt to do so, how looking into his eyes this close felt like giving in, it felt like being stitched back together without any medication. You had never been aware of any wounds in your body, but this man you barely knew seemed to fill the space very well.

So you did, holding your breath until your chest burned, your eyes meeting Steve’s as you clasped his hand in your own and gripped his shoulder, letting him lead you around the cabin floor. The storm raged on, louder than before, more threatening now, like it was arguing, fighting, scolding.

The rain poured harder and what little evening light there had been was now dampened, the setting sun hidden behind navy and violet coloured clouds - but the heat was just as oppressive. Steve turned you, a twist of his body that led into yours as you spun on your toes, and when he caught you— when he caught you, his hand moved lower, slipping down your overheated skin until his fingers grazed the denim waistband of your shorts.

Maybe he saw you falter, maybe he saw your lips part, but Steve sucked in a breath and kept moving, his chest brushing your own as you stepped into his space as he danced into yours, torso meeting, separating, meeting, separating, meeting—

“Keep count,” he reminded you. “Keep counting the beats.”

You nodded, Steve’s face startlingly closer than before, as if he’d forgotten his boundaries, the box he created with strong arms, the one that kept him professional as a dancer, standing tall and strong. Now his elbows were bent, his hand falling from yours so both of his palms could bracket your hips and it was too much, it was everything you’d ever wanted, it was something you felt like you’d once had.

You just couldn’t remember who had taken it away from you.

Lightning lit the cabin, the storm over the resort, the sky black.

“Remember your hips,” he whispered, and god, god, his forehead was almost touching yours, his nose drawing a line against your own as his eyelids dropped and his lashes fanned his pink cheeks. His hands guided your waist, moving you from side to side, following the rhythm. “Listen to the beat.”

You were sure he meant the music, but it was impossible to ignore the thud of his heart against your own chest. You could feel yours even more so, a constant drumming that seemed to seep into your bones, making them crack at the edges, something blooming between them, something new and old and familiar and exciting.

Like driving into your street after a long vacation, like falling into your own bed after too many weeks away, smelling the laundry detergent that clung to everyone else that you loved. It felt hopeful, like the beginning of the morning when the only thing that had entered your thoughts was the way the sun looked in the sky, how pink it was, how the clouds seemed softer than the day before.

Steve pushed at your hips, holding them as you swayed from side to side, your hands leaving the safety of his shoulders to slip up, holding the sides of his neck, the heat of his skin scalding your palms and he nodded, pupils blown wide and lips parted as he stared down at you in amazement, like he was seeing you for the very first time.

Like he was seeing you for the first time after a very long time apart.

“Good,” he told you softly, like he was still teaching you, like this was still professional. Like he hadn’t put his hand on your lower back and obliterated whatever wall someone else had built between you. Something that had once seemed so strong was knocked down so easily, like not even a god could keep it between you. “Good. Like that, just like that—”

He swore when you moved closer, emboldened by his pretty eyes and the way his gaze tracked down your chest, down your bare stomach. His fingers flexed on your hips, blunt nails tattooing your skin and you hoped the marks would stay there, you hoped they’d be there tomorrow so you could remember that this wasn’t a dream.

His leg found its way between yours, the song finally slowing to the last few drumbeats and you knew this was the time where you were supposed to spin in Steve’s arms and raise your hand in a grand finish. But Steve tucked your hips close to his instead and let his thigh push into the seam of your denim shorts.

The song that came on next was slower, lazier, languid.

The singer had a deeper voice, the drums rolling with a dirtier beat and this wasn’t the mambo, this wasn’t a salsa and it certainly wasn’t anything you’d do in a ballroom never mind on stage in front of others. You’d seen this kind of dancing once before, the night after you first arrived at Bauman’s. You hadn’t meant it, but a walk along the lake after the sun had set had led you to a larger cabin at the back of the resort, where the lights were on and the music was loud.

Music like this.

A guy at the door with long curls and an unlit cigarette hanging from his lips had appraised you, one eyebrow lifted at your little white summer dress and tennis shoes.

“You work here?” He’d asked and you had shaken your head, ready to walk back the way you came. “You a snitch?” He asked after a pause.

Again, you shook your head ‘no’ and listened as the music inside got louder. The man, who you were sure you’d seen on stage during dinner, playing the guitar for the dining guests, just shrugged. He’d nodded to a stack of beer crates at the side of the building.

“Grab a case and keep your mouth shut, alright?” He’d opened the door for you, the music louder than ever, the smell of smoke and weed and sweat pouring out. You remember how’d he grinned at you as you took in the sight. “Have fun, princess.”

It’s where you’d seen Steve for the second time, in the middle of a makeshift dance floor with the bow tie and dinner jacket he’d worn during his evening performance long gone. Moving with a girl with his shirt buttons open, his hair a mess, grinding and manhandling her in a way you weren’t sure you would even call dancing. Everyone was doing the same, hips gyrating, skirts too short, men’s chests bare, the smiles meeting in an almost kiss.

It was nothing short of scandalous.

You’d left, dumping the beer on a table beside a watermelon that almost rolled to the ground in your panic, turning from the crowd and walking out the way you’d came. The curly haired man had snorted at the sight of your wide eyes, calling out a goodbye between laughs.

And here you were, not even two weeks later, doing the same, if not worse. Why worse? You and Steve were alone.

Thunder cracked again, louder than before.

It didn’t feel wrong to be doing this. In fact, for as much trouble as you’d be in if your father had had to catch you, everything about it felt right, like you’d done it before, like this man was yours to touch. But something that felt like danger lingered in the air, a threat far more serious than your dad or Mr Bauman.

But still, you let your body move with Steve’s, a slow grind of your hips into his and when your hand found the nape of his neck and your fingers twisted into his hair, Steve’s palm cupped your ass, pulling you into him, making you feel how affected he was.

It should’ve scared you. How this man was touching you, this person you barely knew, alone in a cabin and who you were so sure had hated you only a mere ten minutes before. But Steve looked as gone as you felt, eyes filled with longing, a passion that was visible, his brows knitted together as he stared down at you hungrily, lovingly, adoringly.

It was almost too much to bear. So you let your head fall back, body slack as you kept dancing, trusting the man to keep you upright and against his own chest and you heard Steve let out a breath at the sight of your exposed neck, the long line of it offered to him like a sacrifice.

“That’s it,” you heard him murmur. “You feel the beat now?” His words fell on your throat, your bare skin, the top of his nose drawing a line from the base of it to your jaw, his mouth following and you were so sure he wasn’t talking about the music anymore.

But you nodded, clinging to him when he dipped you backwards, his hands holding you like you were precious, like you were made of marble and gold and suddenly you felt like Steve could’ve been. Like someone had taken a piece of the earth and grown this man from it, just for you. Like he had something ancient in his bones, like whatever he was made of you, you were created from the same thing too.

When he pulled you back up, effortless and graceful, you were closer than before, impossibly so. Chests meeting in the middle as you both panted into each other's parted lips, noses meeting and foreheads touching. Steve’s hands were curled around your waist, fingers splayed across your naked back as if he couldn’t bear not to touch every part of you. Your hand was on his neck, your fingers brushing over two moles on his tanned skin, the ones you’d watched Nancy touch before you.

But as you pressed your fingertips to them, your lips buzzed and Steve let out a sigh, like you’d unravelled a knot in his spine, like you’d found a magic button that fixed him. Like you’d touched a place that you’d once touched before.

“You’ve never touched me before,” you whispered, voice cracking on each syllable because it suddenly was too much.

Steve looked pained, lashes fluttering as his gaze dropped to your lips and he struggled to find the right words to give you. “I— I shouldn’t be doing it now,” he murmured. “I’m not allowed.”

“Why? Because of your boss? My dad?”

He grinned, a smirk that faltered too quickly and he shook his head, still not moving from you, his nose nudging yours as he struggled to keep himself from shifting closer still. “You’d think that should’ve been enough to keep me away.” Steve licked his lips and you tracked the movement, so sure that he’d taste like summer and salt and the peach tea from the diner. “Not even the threat of losing my damn job and house can keep me away from you.”

His words had an effect on you, breath hitching, chest aching. “Then who said you’re not allowed?”

The song was still going, a lazy beat that was easy to sway to, Steve’s leg still wedged between your thighs and his hands were wandering, sensual and slow, a whole other kind of dance over your skin. Fingers gripped at your waist before one hand trailed down your hip, over your bare thigh, ghosting over the line of your torn off shorts. He brought your thigh to his hip, hitching your leg high, pressing you both together until you could feel him all, until he could feel all of you.

Laid bare enough for you to feel like he could take the very soul of you from your body.

You found that you didn’t mind the idea of it at all.

“You’ll laugh at me,” Steve murmured but he didn’t sound embarrassed at all, like he didn’t actually believe that you would.

You shook your head, nose brushing against the tip of his and if you moved another inch, just one, you could’ve been kissing him, mouth slotting against his. “I won’t,” you promised.

“I started having dreams when you came,” Steve told you. “Dreams where it always rained and the sky was always dark. And there was a man there, a thing, maybe. But he felt ancient, older than the fucking world and he told me to stay away, to keep away from you.”

You didn’t laugh. No. No, in fact, you didn’t say a damn thing.

Steve laughed, breathless and without any humour, and his hand trailed back up your thigh as your leg dropped slowly to the floor. He spun you both, lazy and languid, but the world around you both still blurred. The cabin faded away, a mix of the low lights and the colours of his quilt on the bed.

You could barely hear the storm, but god, it was the loudest it had been.

“I want to do ungodly things with you,” Steve confessed and he sounded pained, his throat tight with the same kind of emotion you felt, like you were both sharing the same heart. “I want to do ungodly things to you.”

“Steve--”

“I know it sounds crazy, but there’s somethin’-- somethin’ in the sky or in the goddamn cracks of the earth that’s telling me I shouldn’t.” His bottom lip grazed your top one, an almost kiss, a whisper of one, a mere idea of it. Hardly a touch. “That something real bad will happen if we do.”

You couldn’t explain it, just like you couldn’t explain your sudden proximity to the man, the achingly familiar closeness you felt. But you knew, somehow, some way, Steve was right.

Tears stung your eyes, a fiery nip that you tried to blink away and when the music slowed to a stop and the next song began, Steve kept moving, your body melted to his, no space between either of you to be able to determine where you ended and he began.

Your voice cracked when you spoke. “What should we do?”

Steve took a breath before he answered, one hand coming up to push against your hairline, his palm coasting down your cheek, holding you, cherishing you. His touch was hot with adoration.

“We can keep dancing.”

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strawberryspence · 1 year

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Eddie’s never been in a serious relationship. He’s used to kissing in the dark alleys of a bar, murmured lies underneath bleachers. He was never the one to be shown off, to be proud off and celebrated. No matter how much he yearned for it, he was never meant to be that person.

Not until he meets Steve Harrington. And god, to be loved by him really makes Eddie rethink all of his preconceived opinions. Maybe Eddie is serious relationship material.

But Steve… Steve’s a hopeless romantic. He gets him a set of D&D dices just because he thought Eddie would love them. Opens the door for him, opens the car for him. Tries to learn his hobbies, learns to like it. The first time they slept together, Eddie woke up with breakfast in bed. Which was fucking ridiculous because Steve should be the one waking up with breakfast in bed. He buys Eddie flowers for every date, even though Eddie teases him for it.

And Eddie— Eddie’s a newbie in this. He’s been trying his best to catch up in the romance department. He resolves to do something when Steve got him some tulips for a date once and Eddie brought it up.

“I love it, Stevie. It’s so nice to get flowers, hmmm?” Eddie smiles, a little bit dazed with affection as he smells the flower.

Eddie would like to think he knows Steve’s expressions pretty well. So when he sees that beautiful smile drop from his boyfriend’s face, it all clicks for Eddie.

Steve Harrington has never gotten flowers.

Eddie starts with those flowers in Melvald’s. Joyce has very nicely informed him that they are called Gerberas. Eddie got Steve a bunch of different colors. It’s not that big, just a small bundle. He didn’t want to over do it, just wanted to test the waters. Find out how his boyfriend feels about getting flowers.

It’s embarrassing walking with a bunch of flowers, with his whole metal thing but all of that vanishes when Eddie picks Steve up for a date and he sees the flowers in Eddie’s hands.

“What’s that for?” Steve looks at the flowers warily.

Eddie smiles, trying to hide the nerves he’s been feeling since he got the flowers, “For you, sunshine. They reminded me of you so I got them.”

Like everything else he’s offered Steve— his friendship, his life, his heart— Eddie holds out his hand with just enough courage.

Steve takes the flowers with reluctance, staring at it with fondness and some other emotion Eddie can’t pinpoint.

They sit in silence for a minute, as Steve just stares and as Eddie just stands with his nerves. Eddie opens his mouth to take it back, and to just swallow the embarrassment. Maybe flowers just ain’t for everyone.

But then, Steve starts tearing up, sniffling a little, as he blinks at Eddie, “I love it, baby. It’s beautiful. Thank you.”

Eddie stares in shock as his boyfriend runs back into the house to put it in a vase. Steve’s eyes are still red around the rims when he finally comes out, his nose scrunched up from the sniffling.

Eddie doesn’t bring it up, he knows Steve won’t want to talk about it. But if they’re a little clingy with each other in the coming days, who’s gonna be mad?

Since then, Eddie’s made it his life mission to get Steve flowers on the randomest days. He’ll get Steve some sunflowers on bad days, maybe pick him some daisies from the field for when Steve picks the kids up from Hellfire.

Till to this day, Steve gets a little teary eyed when Eddie gets him a random flower. It melts Eddie’s heart into a goo, that this simple action makes his boyfriend tear up with joy. He thinks, in a few more weeks, he’ll garner enough courage to buy flowers and just tell Steve that he loves him.

It goes on for a few weeks before it comes to a halting stop one random summer day. Steve’s car had to go into the shop for maintenance, so Eddie picked him up and dropped him off to work. When he’s about to pick him up, Eddie goes and picks up some carnations Joyce had reserved for him.

“Hello, to my favorite lesbian.” Eddie greets when he enters the Family Video store, only seeing Robin at the counter. He closes the doors behind him, flipping the sign from open to close.

“Hello to you too, my favorite gay.” Robin lights up, throwing away the magazine she’s reading.

“I am here to pick you and the majesty.” Eddie dramatically bows, the flowers still in his hand.

Robin laughs, making grabby hands at him, “You could’ve just picked us up. No need for flowers, you know?”

Eddie laughs. Whoops, maybe he should’ve gotten something for Robin too. “I am sorry, Robin. This ones for my Stevie. I’ll get you something next time.”

Robin stares at him, blinking in surprise, “Those flowers are for Steve?”

Eddie nods enthusiastically.

“Steve? Our Steve?”

Eddie squints at her, “Do we have any other Steve?”

“Our Steve… who is… very much allergic to flowers?”

Eddie blinks at her with owlish eyes.

“No, he’s not!” He exclaims.

Robin looks at him, and back to the flowers, then back to him again. She gets this look on her face, like she holds the key to the universe. If Eddie squints really hard, he can see the bulb lighting on her head.

But then she bursts out of laughter. Bend to your knees, hitting the floor, aching ribs kind of laughter.

Okay, Eddie’s kinda offended now.

“What’s so funny?” Eddie asks, unable to hide his frown.

“What’s happening?” Steve comes out from the backroom, confused with Robin’s laughter. “Oh, hey Eds!”

Robin turns to him, pointing and red on the face with laughter, “Oh my god. Steve— you’re freaking whipped!”

“What?” Steve turns to her with confusion.

Eddie and Steve just stare at her as she takes her time to calm down.

“I thought…” Robin takes a breath, “I thought you were having a very extreme allergic reaction to spring. I was this close to booking you an appointment with the doctor! You didn’t tell me you were getting flowers from Eddie.”

Eddie turns to his boyfriend, “Stevie? Are you allergic to flowers?”

“No!” Steve exclaims. He grabs the flowers out of Eddie’s hands, “See! I am fine!”

“Steve.” Robin warns.

“I am fine! I love getting flowers from you, Eds. It’s— it’s the best.”

They stare at each other. Steve squints, his nose scrunching up when he gets a whiff of the flowers.

“Achoo!”

“You are allergic!” Eddie exclaims, points an accusing finger at him.

“I am sorry!” Steve says, his eyes watering again.

“Why didn’t you tell me?! What kind of boyfriend am I?” Eddie pulls on his hair in frustration, bringing it into his mouth, “Jesus! I was giving you so many flowers! You must’ve felt awful! How could I have not seen that?!”

“Eddie—“ Steve moves closer.

“I thought you were crying with joy when I gave you flowers. It was allergies! Why didn't you tell me?!”

“Oh my god!” Robin shouts, making both of them freeze. She turns to Steve, “Steve! Why didn't you tell your boyfriend you were allergic? That’s dumb and made you sick!”

She then turns to Eddie, “And Eddie! Steve's extremely, insanely, in love with you to the point that he’ll accept the flowers from you! It’s nothing against you! He wants the flowers, his body doesn’t!”

Huh?

“What did you say?” Eddie croaks out, breathless with disbelief.

“Robin.” Steve gasps.

Robin rolls her eyes, “I said Steve is extremely—“ She stops, her eyes widening in realization, “Uh-oh. Uhm.”

She perks up, cupping her ears, “What’s that? Did you guys hear that? I think there’s a raccoon in the backroom. Let me check. You guys stay here.” Robin basically zooms out of the room. Eddie has never seen her move that fast, and they fought an evil wizard together.

Eddie turns to Steve when they’re finally alone.

“Give me that.” Eddie says, pulling the flowers away from Steve.

“That’s mine.” Steve pouts.

“Sunshine, you’re allergic.” Eddie keeps the flowers away from him, tucking it on the table. They stand awkwardly around each other, not knowing what to say.

“Did you hear—“

“What was Robin—“

Eddie smiles at him, softening when he sees Steve chew on his lips nervously, “You first, Stevie.”

Steve nods, gulping as his eyes finally meet Eddie’s, “I am sorry for not telling you. I really loved the flowers and I honestly thought the medication would be enough. Maybe next time, you can tell me beforehand so I can take some and actually enjoy being around them.”

“I am never getting you flowers anymore if it gets you all sniffly.” Eddie chuckles at Steve’s headstrong perspective, “So— Uh— About what Robin said…”

Steve straightens up, stammering to spit the words out, “You don’t have to say anything! I am not forcing you to say anything, Edd. We could forget it even happened. Who even is Robin?”

Eddie moves closer, pushing Steve in between the aisles of the store where no one from outside can see them.

“I just want to know if it’s true, Stevie.” Eddie whispers, his own voice quivering with anxiety and anticipation.

Steve stares at him, sensing his boyfriend’s own worry. The nerves in his face melted into an affectionate smile.

“Eds, baby. I kept all the flowers you gave me till they died even though it gave me the worst allergies. Of course, I am," He scoffs, "As Robin has said, extremely, insanely, in love with you.”

Eddie breaks into a smile, “Well, I am also extremely, maybe even more insanely, in love with you. The flowers weren’t exactly fitting my metal image, but I was still out there picking out flowers in the field.”

Steve rolls his eyes, “Oh, you’re annoying.”

There’s no more words said after that. Well, because they started making out right there, all the newly found love and emotions all in the open. That in itself is enough for now.

After the night Eddie found out that Steve’s allergic, Eddie calls El up. The next day, El teaches Eddie how to make origami flowers.

Eddie never buys flowers for Steve ever again.

He makes it for him instead.

(No one tell Steve, but in a few years, Eddie will ask him to unfold the paper flowers. Only to find a question wedged between its stems and folds. Steve says yes to the question, with real tears of joy.

On their wedding day, Steve will walk down another aisle, a bouquet of handmade flowers made from Eddie's hospital discharge papers and NDAs in his hand.)

#i didnt proofread this sorry #PROOF I CAN WRITE FLUFF #ILL TAKE THIS AS A WIN #WEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHH #steddie #steve harrington x eddie munson #steve harrington x eddie munson fluff #steddie rants #steddie headcanon #steddie ficlet #dae writes #daeheadcanons

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steddielations · 9 months

Text

Dom Steve Fic Recs

Strange as Angels (soft dom steve) by @munsonkitten

Eddie hasn't been able to get himself off in months, and now he's high, sweaty, and horny, thinking about the very man sitting in his room in nothing but a wife beater and a pair of tiny athletic shorts, and he thinks he might die. Steve notices. Of course, Steve fucking notices, what, with all the squirming Eddie's doing. Steve offers to help get Eddie off. As friends do. (As long as those friends are completely in love with each other.)

Like The Hero Who Never Ran (dom awakening series) by callmejude

While Steve and Dustin are searching for survivors, they're surprised to find Eddie alive, hiding out in Rick's cabin. Steve takes up the task of caring for him while staying in his trailer.

Genius Loci (dom bottom, magic steve) by @sayesayes

It’s 1986, and Steve falls in love with a boy who is leaving. It’s 1990, and Eddie comes back home. The fic where Steve is a selectively mute, homesteading, truck-driving witch with head injuries and also somehow it's canonverse.

(Don't) cream your pants (soft dom steve awakening series) by @corrodedbisexual

“Don’t know how to cream your pants, huh?” Steve asks, unable to conceal a smirk. He hears a quiet whine as Eddie seems to try and make himself disappear inside the couch. “Want me to show you how?”

Gilded (dom steve, blindfolds, ice play) by @cheshiredogao3

Steve and Eddie are looking forward to a weekend all to themselves, but it doesn’t go as planned.

Trouble Looks Good On You (wip, spanking, kink discovery) by me indelicate

It happens like a fever dream. The first time Steve gives Eddie a swift smack on the ass, it’s obviously just an old jock habit that’s stuck with him. It wasn’t meant to have Eddie’s knees going weak, or turn his blood hot under his skin, or give him a brand in the shape of Steve Harrington’s hand, or— Nope, because Eddie’s not even into that. But then, it happens again. Or, Steve keeps accidentally awakening Eddie’s new kinks.

You Make Me Feel Like I Am Whole Again (wip, dom top and dom bottom steve) by @munsonkitten

Eddie has never felt like his body belongs to him. It gets worse after he's nearly mauled to death, left with scars and healing wounds, a lopsided chest, and more trauma stacked on top of everything already wrong with him. Steve Harrington finds out Eddie's trans by accident after the bats, and Eddie finds out Steve's surprisingly okay with it. More than okay with it.

Bite Through These Wires (soft dom steve's strap game series 🤭) by @steves-strapcollection

“Wouldn’t you be Ken, though?” Steve had hoped Eddie would ask a question like that and he had to refrain from punching the air and ruining his punchline. “I come with all the coolest accessories, so clearly I’m still Barbie,” Steve retorted, his voice going just a bit deeper as he leaned closer to Eddie.

Relax (Lay it Back) (soft dom yoga instructor steve) by @wynnyfryd

Five times yoga instructor Steve teaches Eddie how to chill the fuck out, and the one time he learns his lesson.

Melt Me On Your Tongue (soft dom, bathing) by me indelicate

“This okay?” “Yeah it’s— shit, it’s more than okay, Steve.” “… you’re crying, Eds.” Eddie can’t hold back a choked off noise then, somewhere between an overwhelmed laugh and a sob. “No one’s ever done this to me before.” He doesn’t know if he means no one’s ever given him a bath, or braided his hair, or just any of the things Steve does for him, really. Eddie's never had a Steve before.

Kiss Me (Beneath the Milky Twilight) (pleasure dom steve, virgin eddie) by @gorgeousgreymatter-x

Eddie has never been kissed. Steve apparently would very much like to volunteer to fix this.

Getting Lost in the Dark is My Favorite Part (wip, masochist virgin eddie, kink discovery) by queerontilmorning

After his near-death experience, Eddie decides it's time to get rid of his pesky virginity and heads to a gay bar. It leads to some... realizations... for both him and Steve.

You're a Sweet Shot of Kerosene (When I Threw it Back, it Poisoned Me) (wip, mob boss steve) by @gorgeousgreymatter-x

Whatever fucked up shit Eddie’s father had inadvertently roped him into simply by being what he was — a shit-stain excuse for a sperm donor who preferred sticking a needle in his arm to taking care of his family — well, Eddie’s pretty sure it’s about to be him that pays that price. And maybe Eddie’s delirious, because by the time it’s apparently his turn and they’re dragging him down some hallway (and yeah, it’s not like Eddie’s not trying to put up a fight, but it feels almost performative at this point considering he’s pretty much hogtied here), the only real thought he has when they deposit him on yet another cold, wet tile floor is this: Uncle Wayne is gonna be so pissed at me if I get shot in the head tonight.

closer to you (soft dom steve) by @natesfwl

“C’mon baby, where's my little rockstar?” Steve spanks him, groans when he feels Eddie tense up around him from the impact, “Perform for me.” “You let me penetrate you” Eddie stutters out the line as he lifts himself up with his knees. “There you go,” Steve whispers, watching as Eddie fights to keep his eyes locked onto Steve’s when he sinks back down. or the really self-indulgent fic of steddie fucking to the song closer by NIN.

Destroy The Silence (drummer steve) by @artaxlivs

Steve becomes the drummer for Corroded Coffin and Eddie can't handle his thirst

Trouble and Temptation (series wip, businessman dilf steve) by @heartharps

“Come on, Harrington. I’d lay you badly but I’d lay you gladly.” When Steve looked up, he was glaring, as stern and serious as ever. “Eddie, let me remind you that as far as I'm concerned, nothing has ever happened between us other than of a professional nature.”

Sting, and Other Brainworms (series with switching) by @riality-check

“Do you need to go down, baby?” Eddie gets like this, sometimes. Stuck between overwhelmed and incredibly bored. Steve watches until he remembers that they have a way to fix this. Eddie calls it a hard reset. Steve calls it fucking him until he can’t see straight.

Edification (sadist steve) by aristal

“Alright Munson.” She bares her teeth and grins like a wolf. “Tell the class: what’s your biggest sexual fantasy?” A slow smile creeps into his features, and his dark eyes flash. “Oh, you’re asking the good questions, Wheeler.” He takes another long pull of his joint, dragging the moment out for dramatic effect. Steve doesn’t care. He wants to know the answer. He needs to know. Eventually, Eddie blows out the smoke, eyes a little hazy as he grins at the ceiling. “I’ve always liked the idea of being slapped around and choked in someone’s car.”

In My Boxers, Half Stoned (dom bottom Steve) by eddywow

"You can," Eddie said, almost sounding like he was nodding along to his words. The image was too pure for Steve. "You could say anything you want to me and I'd- I think I'd be into it. Because I saw your pics and like, I know your face isn't in them but- but I really like them. Is it okay that I liked them?"

Insatiable (public, skirts, cages) by @cheshiredogao3

When their club ritual is rudely interrupted, Steve and Eddie make a point of proving their bond—rather publicly.

Done Deal (series with switching) by @morningberriesao3

Steve Harrington doesn't have any money with him, so he offers to pay Eddie Munson some other way.

Lovebite (sub vampire eddie) by hellcore

It shouldn’t feel so good, being tasted.

* The next few don't have the tag but in my opinion they have dom Steve vibes and I want to include them here (:

Cyclical (wip, time loop fic, rimming, switching, lots of smut with plot) by @cuips-not-cute

steve keeps finding himself back in the boathouse where everything started, wrapped up in the arms of a boy who can’t stop dying. he's desperate to rewrite the timeline, trying everything he can think of to fix it. including falling in love.

Dirty Words by @morningberriesao3

Steve gives Eddie a lesson on dirty talk, but things start to get carried away.

Memorize My Number, That's Why I Got A Phone (phone sex) by queerontilmorning

while on tour with Corroded Coffin, Eddie makes an important phone call to Steve.

My Right Hand Man (spanking, kink discovery) by @entanglednow

In which movie night takes an unexpected turn, and it's surprisingly easy to just let it happen.

Shot Right Through (pierced eddie) by @entanglednow

Steve overhears a conversation between Eddie and Robin, and then spends a few weeks trying to think of anything else.

Pleased To Meet You (demon steve) by midnightdrive

Eddie accidentally summons a demon who is bound to fulfill his every wish. He, somehow, gets more than he had bargained for.

#for the baddies that get it #i'm sure i missed some great ones please feel free to add on <3 #steddie #steddie fic rec #steddie fic #steve harrington #eddie munson #dom steve harrington #sub eddie munson

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ashwhowrites · 1 year

Note

STOP YOUR REQUESTS R OPEN AGAIN YAYAYYY!!!

ima put you one idea cuz i love it idk why ,

steddie x reader

she’s accused of cheating and they both believe it , shes obviously really mad and they hear jason talking abt how it was a bet and they have to apologize and fix it , fluffy at the end 💗💗💗💗💗

Angst to fluff :)

I wrote half of this whole thing and didn't include that it was a bet....my bad

Part 2

Never proofread

~~~

Steve Harrington wasn't the best at relationships, he tended to give his partner his whole heart and soul. And he struggled with being on his own. He was too dependent on feeling loved and wanted. He knew he was hard to love, and he accepted that. All he had to do was find someone willing to put in their time, maybe if they understood him, they'd know why he was hard to love.

Eddie Munson also wasn't the best at relationships. He didn't know how to communicate, once he felt unwanted, he'd shut down and disappear. He was independent, he was fine on his own. He doesn't need to count on someone to love him, that gets him nowhere.

Y/N wasn't bad at relationships. She didn't find Steve hard to love, loving Steve was one of the easiest things in the world. She loved that Steve gave her his all, that she's seen every part of his heart and soul. She wanted to be there for Steve every single hour, she knew his past and wanted him to feel he was worthy.

And she understood Eddie didn't know how to handle being loved. Steve was an affectionate partner, and Eddie only wanted to be touched in private. Eddie struggled to communicate when he was upset. He shuts down and hides away.

Y/N balanced out their relationship. Steve and Eddie were a bit too different, they needed her. She kept the relationship together. She demanded communication when Steve and Eddie got frustrated with each other. Steve craved touch, and Eddie doesn't. She'd provide Steve's need for touch and that allowed Eddie to have his personal space.

The three were perfect for each other. She loved both her boyfriends, she didn't love one more than the other. She treated them both how they wanted to be loved. And they love her. Steve was always holding her hand, and Eddie held her at night. She felt loved by both of them. She never felt left out and didn't feel as if she competed with either of them.

Many people didn't understand their relationship. How can three people be together? People expect their relationship to be filled with jealousy and insecurity.....people like Jason Carver.

Jason Carver had a thing for Y/N for years, she was smart and fit in with the popular crowd. With King Steve Harrington on her arm, she stood out. Once Steve graduated, Jason hoped the two would drift apart. But Jason watched as she drifted closer to the Eddie Munson kid. Now the Hawkins freak was on her arm, and she stood out again.

Jason didn't like the fact she bounced off of Steve and landed on Eddie, how did she pick Eddie when Jason was right there? He's way more like Steve than Eddie was. And once Jason learned she was dating both of them......he had a small idea that maybe she was always wanting more. One guy wasn't enough, why would two be enough?

Steve loved both his partners, Y/N gave warmth and comfort, and Eddie gave support and protection. Steve went from never feeling good enough, and not knowing what it's like to fall in love. Now, he fell in love with two incredible people, and they both loved him back.

At least, that's what he thought.

Eddie adored both his partners, Y/N and Steve, both, kept him grounded, and kept him motivated. Eddie wasn't a lovey-dovey boyfriend, but he knew his partners meant the world to him. He's learning what it feels like to be someone's first choice, learning how it feels to be loved unconditionally.

At least, that's what he thought.

Steve didn't attend high school anymore, he worked with Robin as his two partners worked through their senior year. Steve hated being away from both of them and was slightly jealous they got additional hours together. His mind always thought of what rings Eddie wore today, and how Y/N styled her hair. And sometimes, he thought of things that weren't too innocent. Like if Eddie and Y/N sneak off into the janitor's closet, panting into each other, Eddie's thick cock pounding into her tight cunt. Steve left work every night with his jeans tight and his cock throbbing. Arriving at his small apartment, both his partners were already home and waiting for him.

Y/N was with her boyfriends every second of every day, barely ever alone. That's why, she wasn't worried when rumors started to fly around that she was making out with Jason after a basketball game. She knew her boyfriends wouldn't believe something so stupid.

At least, that's what she thought.

Eddie heard the rumor first. Immediately felt his stomach turn and his body go ice cold. He couldn't feel any blood traveling in his veins, and he barely thought he had a pulse. He didn't mean to hear it, just passing to his next class. Ears listening to the second his girlfriend's name was announced down the hall. Her name came out of a random cheerleader's mouth.

"did you hear about Jason and Y/N? Chrissy found them going at it under the bleachers after his last game."

Eddie shut down immediately. His hands are already grabbing the bricks to build his wall back up. His sneakers will be worn out for how far away he was going to run from this. She cheated, and not just on him, on Steve too. At that point, Eddie didn't care about his heart shattering, his anger was building. How did Y/N have the nerve to betray Steve like that? Steve has been open about not feeling good enough, and she proved him right.

Eddie pitied himself, but the need to help Steve was more important.

Steve was filled with anxiety the second Eddie's van pulled into the parking lot. It was the middle of the day, he was supposed to be at school. And he arrived alone.

"Baby? What's going on?" Steve rushed out the front door, racing to Eddie's van.

"I'm sorry, Steve. I'm so sorry." Eddie mumbled he wasn't the one who needed to apologize but he felt awful. He couldn't look into Steve's warm brown eyes and break his heart.

She fucked up, she should be the one to watch Steve fall apart.

Steve was confused. Eddie showed up to his work, freaking out, begging Steve to get in his van. Driving them to Steve's apartment. Every time Steve brought Y/N's name up, Eddie flinched and his eyes glazed over. Steve grew worried, he's assuming the two got into a fight at school. But Steve knew they'd be okay. The love their relationship had, would overcome everything.

"Can we talk about it now?" Steve questioned, a hand landing on Eddie's knee. Steve was aware of Eddie's communication issues and was always prepared to be patient.

"she's going to tell you." Eddie sneered out, arms crossed over his chest. His heart raced from Steve's touch. He didn't want to allow himself to be upset, one of them had to be strong. Steve's heart needed protection, needed protection from her. And Eddie would never let anyone break Steve's heart.

Speak of the devil, and she will appear. Her worried face met Eddie's hard stare and Steve's anxious smile.

"where the hell did you go?" Y/N rushed out, throwing her backpack on the floor and racing to stand in front of Eddie.

"tell him" Eddie choked out, his jaw tight as he held back his anger. He could barely look at her. Just another person to leave him behind. Someone else didn't love him. And that familiar feeling of being unwanted was settling in.

"tell him what? What's going on?" She questioned, her eyes switching to Steve's. But Steve looked just as confused, maybe even more.

"no idea. This is all him." Steve answered her curious look. His hand still resting on Eddie's knee. His free hand reached for her but Eddie's harsh tone made Steve freeze.

"don't touch her"

Steve and Y/N were taken aback by his tone. They've seen Eddie pissed, but never at one of them.

"Eddie? What the hell is going on?" Y/N asked

"Jason Carver" Eddie answered, standing up and looking down at her. Eyes glaring into hers.

"what about him?" Steve asked from behind, Eddie talked a lot about Jason Carver. A bully that tried to make Eddie's life hell.

"did he say something?" Y/N herself grew angry. Y/N hated the way Jason treated Eddie and she never backed down from protecting Eddie.

"he couldn't say much, apparently his tongue was a little too busy going down your throat!" Eddie spat out, his forehead wrinkled as he clenched his eyebrows together.

Steve felt the dread fill up his body, from his toes to his head. His heart was pounding, his palms were sweaty, and he felt like he was choking.

"um, what?" Steve choked out, trying his best to swallow his spit, his throat felt like it hadn't received water in weeks. Dry and cracked.

"excuse me?" Y/N whimpered out, her head confused but her heart dropped seeing the betrayed look on Steve's face, her sweet boy hiding behind Eddie's broad frame.

"the whole school is talking about it. Jason and Y/N getting caught groping each other under the bleachers." Eddie explained. Trying to ignore the pain in his chest as he heard his own words. Standing tall so his boyfriend could shrink behind him. His heavy hand, filled with rings, reached behind to hold Steve's. Steve held Eddie's hand as hard as he could.

"Who said that?" Y/N gasped out

"that's all you have to say? Try a fucking apology" Eddie snapped

"I didn't! I would never! I'm not going to apologize, I didn't cheat on you!" Y/N panicked, never did she believe her boyfriends would believe she was unfaithful.

"yeah, that's what they all say. How could you do this to us? Ruined this whole relationship for what? A quick hookup with a fucking prick?" Steve could feel the anger rolling off of Eddie's body, his back tense and jaw clenching.

"Eds, let's calm down" Steve tried

"NO! SHE'S NOT DOING THIS TO YOU! SHE CHEATED AND IT'S OVER" Eddie screamed, head turning to look at Steve.

"Eddie, please believe me. Nothing happened. It's a rumor." She tried to explain. Her hands reach forward to grab Eddie's free hand. The way he flinched broke her heart.

"leave, now. It's over. Between us, and between you and Steve. We both know he doesn't deserve this. You are no different than Nancy. " Eddie spoke as softly as he could. Not wanting to upset Steve even more.

Steve and Y/N flinched at the low blow. Eddie knew that wasn't true, she was nowhere near as selfish as Nancy. But he wanted her to hurt, he wanted the upper hand.

"Steve, please. I wouldn't do what Nancy did, to either of you. Please let's just talk" Y/N whimpered, her eyes pleading to him. She understood Eddie was too far gone. His anger has already won, Steve was her only shot to clear the air.

"you are not talking to him." Eddie stepped in, blocking Steve from her eyes.

"I can talk to our fucking boyfriend Eddie. He can speak for himself" she argued. She was innocent, and if Eddie didn't want to hear her out, that was not her problem.

"he's my boyfriend. He doesn't want anything to do with you, the same way I don't want anything to do with you." Eddie kept throwing blow after blow.

"Steve is a grown man, if he wants me to leave, I wanna hear him say it" she argued back.

Eddie rolled his eyes, stepping aside to let Steve crawl out from Eddie's shadow. The anxious boy gripped Eddie's hand, and looked at his girlfriend....ex-girlfriend?

But all he saw was Nancy. A girl that made him feel worthless, left him alone, betrayed him, and didn't love him. All Steve had was Eddie.

Steve picked Eddie.

"please leave" Steve choked out, a drop of his shoulders. Eddie stood smug with a knowing look in his eyes. Steve picked him.

"Steve" Y/N sighed sadly, giving him another look. Her eyes are filled with tears. Steve was turning on her too?

"you asked and he said to leave" Eddie barked out

Y/N accepted the defeat. They wanted her gone, they turned on her before she even had the chance to explain and that's not on her.

"Okay, I'll go. Thanks for hearing me out before you decided I was just like Nancy" Y/N smiled bitterly, most of her attitude aimed toward Eddie

But Steve picked Eddie and that hurt.

Her back was to them as she opened the door, yanking her backpack off the floor.

"and Y/N?" Steve's quiet voice traveled through the apartment

She held her breath as she turned around, seeing his red eyes and teeth eating away at his lips.

"leave the key?" He added

She nodded sadly, digging in her pocket and slamming the key on the table.

Eddie and Steve watched her leave.

Eddie refused to cry until Steve went to bed that night. He fucking loved her and he hated how she made him feel.

It was strange to wake up and go to school alone. Y/N was used to Steve covering her face with kisses and Eddie's knee in her back. But she slept alone and woke up alone.

She knew school was going to drag on, and she wasn't ready to face Eddie. She wondered if he would even show up. It was Friday, chances are he'd skip and have the weekend. Maybe come back on Monday.

Her heart was heavy as she thought about her boys waking up together, cuddling and kissing. Maybe Eddie was so fast to throw her out because he just wanted Steve. Maybe it was a plan, make up a rumor and the two could be together without her.

Turns out she isn't what balanced them out. She was just an added piece.

Steve was in misery. He felt torn. His two partners were pissed at each other and he was a kicked puppy in the middle. A part of him didn't believe she would cheat, but a part of him was insecure. Nancy messed him up and he couldn't deny that.

But he also knew Eddie was quick to get angry and then focus only on that anger. He gets clouded and doesn't think clearly. Steve spent the night with Eddie, he could hear him crying but didn't want to acknowledge it. Knowing Eddie would hate to be seen crying.

Steve planned to talk to Y/N and hear her out. The girl he loves wouldn't cheat, their girl wouldn't cheat.

Eddie woke up and already decided to see her was not an option. And seeing Jason was not in the cards either. Cuddling into Steve's warm chest sounded a whole lot better.

"I think we should call her" Steve's tired voice filled the silence. Eddie groaned at the mention of her.

"no Steve. It's over" Eddie grumbled, shoving his face in Steve's neck.

"Eddie stop that, she's our fucking girlfriend" Steve snapped, sitting up as he looked down at Eddie's tired face.

"she cheated Steve" Eddie stated in a bored tone.

"you went based on a rumor! No actual proof. If you are so fine with throwing our relationship away without giving her a fair chance to explain, then maybe you don't love her the way I do" Steve explained, yanking the covers off as he stood up. Walking to his closet to find clothes

"you didn't seem to doubt me last night" Eddie threw in his face

"oh fuck you, Eddie. I was caught between the two of you. I didn't know what to do" Steve explained

"And yet, you asked her to walk out. She would have stayed if you asked. You can't just blame me" Eddie shrugged

Steve knew he was right. He let her walk out, no, he told her to walk out. He didn't let her explain, the same way Eddie didn't let her. He was just as guilty as Eddie. Eddie felt that one partner turned on him. Steve can't help but wonder how she felt having both her partners turn on her without a single thought.

Eddie couldn't believe Steve, but Eddie knew they both had a soft spot for her. Even sleeping through the night was hard without her, how was Eddie supposed to make it through the day?

Even though he didn't want to admit it, Eddie grew used to leaning on someone. He hated that. He never wanted to get used to someone, or feel dependent on someone, but here he was. His heart was only beating for two people, and now he has to learn to make it beat for one.

Eddie was scared of what he'd feel once the anger faded, once his eyes focused on the real picture. People don't leave Eddie, he makes it impossible for them to stay. And he chased her out of his life, and selfishly he chased her out of Steve's as well.

Just as she thought, Eddie was nowhere to be found. Neither boy tried to call her, and she wasn't surprised by that. She knew the truth and if they didn't want to believe her, fuck the both of them. They can suck each other's dicks and have a total blast without her. She's more than just an added piece.

She went on with her school day, head held high, and shrugged off any looks that lingered on her. She didn't even know it was a rumor and she doesn't know how many people have heard it. Or how many people may have believed it?

She wasn't going to let a rumour get the best of her......

Until Jason Carver opened his mouth.

Steve's walkie-talkie was blaring over and over. The sound mixes with Eddie's walkie-talkie. Dustin's panicked voice rang through Eddie's and Mike's excited tone rang through Steve's.

"MUNSON, WHERE ARE YOU? YOUR GIRLFRIEND HAS JASON ON THE FLOOR"

"FIGHT! YOUR GIRL IS IN A FIGHT!".

Tags!

@bmunson86 @mxcheese @ladymunson @michaelfuckinglangdon @z0mbie-blah @biittersweet @mirrorsstuff @slightlyvicked @micheledawn1975 @ago-godance @magnificantmermaid @tlclick73 @hargrovesswifee @cityofidek @manyfandomsfanvergent @silky-luxe @lokiofasgard616 @loving-and-dreaming @eddiemunsonsbitch69 @thegemaqua @ashlynnkennedy @strangerthingsstories5255 @harringt8ns @pleasinghellfire @whoscamila @manyfandomsfanvergent

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stevieschrodinger · 5 months

Text

for @gutterflower77

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Steve actually has all the stuff ready. It’s right there, but he needs a moment to gather himself, so he uses the excuse of retrieving the tube of antibacterial cream, the water, the snack bar. Because what the fuck. He wasn’t supposed to enjoy that quite that much.

Steve has to adjust himself a little in his pants, and he’s got no explanation for that, either.

Eddie is dressed and sitting on the edge of the bed when Steve gets back; posture a story of defeat.

Steve doesn’t want to compare what just happened to him, like, breaking in a horse, or something. But that is kind of how it feels. And it wasn’t even that hard.

Steve sits next to him, giving him the water and then, and he doesn’t know why he does this, opens the snack bar before he hands it to Eddie. Obviously Eddie can do that himself, but it was a reflex that had happened before Steve could stop it.

Eddie eats the bar and drinks half the water, and then he lets Steve dab a little cream on his lip; it’s probably not helping, it’s already well scabbed over, but Steve still feels the need to do it. Eddie won’t look at him though, tilts his head back with his eyes closed, twitching as Steve applies the cream carefully with the tip of his pinky finger.

Which is fine, Steve figures they’ve both had enough tonight.

“Okay, time for bed.”

Eddie doesn’t even say anything, no complaints, nothing, just does as he’s told and crawling into bed next to Steve. Steve waits, listening until Eddie’s breathing evens out, which actually happens really, really fast.

Eddie lying there trying to hide the fact that he’s awake and in pain, or Eddie waking up with nightmares and trying to cover it up was a regular enough occurrence that Steve can tell pretty accurately now if Eddie really is asleep or not.

Steve’s pretty sure he’s asleep.

Steve sleeps, too.

Steve finds himself in the city. He doesn’t really go into the city much, and never alone; it’s usually with Rob. Occasionally a couple of the kids. Rob likes to riffle through the thrift shops for clothes. The kids like to go look at Dorks and Dickheads and nerd shit, and then after hours of that torture, demand Steve buys them ice cream.

So.

He’s never usually here alone. And he’s doing something else he never thought he’d do; he’s trawling book shops.

He’s wearing shades inside, like that’ll stop people from seeing him in the adult sections. One thing he’s learned from Dustin Henderson over the years; if you need to know about something, there will be a book about it.

And it turns out, there is. One of them, as far as Steve can tell, is just a dirty novel, so he’s not sure how much use that will be. He picks up something by someone called Marquis de Sade, reads the back, and puts it down again. Definitely not.

He leaves with four books that he has wildly varying degrees of confidence in.

There’s an adult shop in the city; it’s got blacked out windows and everyone knows exactly what it is. Steve’s not expecting a bell to tinkle happily over the door when he walks in, and that’s almost startling enough for him to walk back out again.

He doesn’t though. He sticks it out. He needs to show Eddie he’s serious.

He needs to take care of Eddie. He needs to keep Eddie safe.

Also, he kind of needs to win.

He also needs to figure out how to fuck Eddie without having sex with him, since Eddie has made it pretty clear this is a sex thing. Not just a sex thing, the whole thing is pretty integral to Eddie getting laid, so. He’s going to have to do something. But that’s later Steve’s problem.

He walks past a very impressive collection of dildos and buttplugs and...very, very briefly considers the possibility. His brain stalls out a little bit, decides that this is...too much for right now, and keeps walking.

Steve’s not going to lie to himself. Out loud, yes, he lies all the time, but not in the privacy of his own head. And in the privacy of his own head...he was expecting handcuffs. Maybe like...fluffy pink ones.

He wasn’t expecting quite so much...leather. He sees a harness type contraption that he knows instantly Eddie would like. For the aesthetic, obviously. It’s just that it’s black leather with metal fixings and looks like it would form an ‘x’ over Eddie’s chest. That’s just, Eddie’s style. Or something.

“For yourself-”

Steve nearly screams. He swears his feet actually leave the ground. He thinks he maybe pee’d a little bit. He’s actually clutching at his chest, at the material of his shirt, like some scandalized middle aged woman clutching desperately at her pearls.

He takes a second to breathe through it, and to remind himself that he has been tortured by Russians and has beaten monsters from another dimension to death with a baseball bat and he is better than this, godamit.

It’s a diminutive woman that's speaking to him. She’s made a good six inches taller by the luminous green mohawk she’s sporting though, “sorry, you startled me.”

“I can see that, hon,” she pops her gum, “you’re like a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. First time, huh?”

There’s no point in denying it, “yeah. Yeah, first time.”

“Right, so, shopping for yourself, or someone else? You need any help?”

She’s so without judgement, so open about the fact that they’re squeezed into an aisle of the store with leather wear hanging on one side, and gags and…muzzles hanging directly in Steve’s eye line.

“Someone else and...yeah, I think I do. Kind of...new, to all this.”

“Uh hu, so what are you looking for?”

“Well, he wants to be tied up,” Steve blurts before his brain to mouth filter can intervene, “I’m not gay,” he tacks on, panicking.

Both of her eyebrows raise a little, and Steve can tell that she is absolutely fighting not to smile at him, “uh hu. Right. So you want some restraints for...platonically tying up your...friend?”

“Yes,” Steve nods like his head is on a loose spring, “yes, exactly that, yes.”

“Hon, either you are outright lying to me, or there is a story here I absolutely want to hear.”

Steve almost...he feels like he collapses in on himself. He bluffed his way through the last encounter with Eddie...and he fucking loved it, he did. But now he’s got nowhere to go, because this is a sex thing, isn't it? So what the fuck is he supposed to do?

Steve doesn’t know what his face is doing, but he guesses it must be bad when she tuts sympathetically and says, “oh. Oh wow, hon, come on, I’ll make you a coffee, yeah?”

“I bought some books about it,” Steve offers weakly as he trails after her through the store, and she laughs right the way through making them both a coffee. There’s nothing mean about her laughter though, and by the time Steve has a mug in his hand, he’s laughing along with her.

When Steve tells Maria that his name is Steve, she gives him this look, but doesn’t say anything. She thinks he’s lying about his name, he realizes. Apparently ‘Steve’ sounds like a fake name you give when you’re panicking.

Steve guesses she’s not wrong.

“Okay, come on then. Spill. Trust me, nothing you tell me will shock me.”

“But it might make you laugh.”

“Well...yeah,” she grins at him, and something about her kind of reminds him of Nancy, a no nonsense honesty about her.

Steve figures he has nothing to loose, it’s not like she knows who either of them are.

“So...my friend, he’s a...submissive?”

“You sound so sure hon,” but she’s laughing in that kind way again. Steve doesn’t feel like he’s being laughed at, he feels like they’re seeing the funny side together. It helps that this lady is probably old enough to be his Mom.

“Right, well, he is. And he’s...he’s a good friend. We’ve been through a bit together and we’re kind of close. And he’s been showing up with like, bruises, split lip and...dropping. He explained to me what that was,” she nods, “and I just...I can’t let him keep going through that. I’m not going to let people keep treating him like that if...if I can do it, for him. If I can look after him.”

Maria makes a face like that is the sweetest thing she’s ever heard, and she’s looking at Steve like he’s a basket of puppies. Which is weird, because if Steve were to lean too far to the left, he’d knock over a towering display of different flavors of lube and glow in the dark condoms.

Steve lays his purchases out on the bed. He’s just spent way more money than he initially intended, but he figured if he’s doing this he might as well do it right. Maria was a font of information.

First and foremost, this is not, necessarily, a sex thing. It’s a trust thing. And when Steve had really thought about Eddie’s brain going quiet when he’s restrained...yeah, he kind of gets it? He thinks?

He knows shit all about how to safely tie someone up with rope, so he bought handcuffs instead. Velcro ones. They’re soft inside and might not be what Eddie’s used to, but if they’re going to do this, then some things are going to be none negotiable. If Eddie wants out of the restraints, Steve is going to make sure he can do that on his own.

It just makes Steve feel better about the whole thing, knowing that Eddie could take his control back at any moment if he really wanted to.

And he’s got a plan. Sort of. To start small. Might be pretty tame by Eddie’s standards, but Steve’s happy to admit that he’s totally new to this, so that is where they’re going to start.

Maria was very opinionated on the importance of enforcing your own boundaries in a healthy relationship, and Steve soaked up everything she said.

If Steve does something he doesn’t want to, simply because he thinks it’s what Eddie wants...Steve won’t enjoy himself. Steve won’t like it. And if Steve grows to really not like it...then this will fall apart really fast and any stability he managed to create with Eddie will disappear.

Probably to Eddie’s detriment. Probably having some negative fall out.

Which, all of that, is hugely logical, but it wasn’t until Maria very plainly pointed it out that Steve saw it that way. But now that she has, Steve’s really thought about it. He feels like he gets it now, at least, in principle. So for Steve’s comfort, as much as Eddies, they’re starting really, really small. Super safe.

When Maria had said they have to build trust, Steve had scoffed and Maria had raised an eyebrow. He didn’t mean to make that noise...it’s just, they’ve saved the world together. Literally relied on each other when their lives were on the line. Steve can’t imagine building any more trust with Eddie, they’re already at maximum trust.

He doesn’t know how to explain that considering he can’t tell anyone about the alternate dimension full of monsters, or the kids with magic powers. So.

But he didn’t come to Steve with his split lip, did he? The thought makes Steve frown, a niggle of doubt. Maybe he was just embarrassed? Probably that. It isn’t that he doesn’t trust Steve with this, necessarily, it’s just he didn’t want to deal with Steve freaking out at him again.

Sure. Probably that.

Regardless, Steve has an idea of something he wants to try, and he feels better equipped to do that with Advice from Maria.

And if he did get half way to reading one of those dirty novels, no one needs to know.

Eddie eyes the cushion warily, “that’s it? You just want me to sit on the floor.”

Steve crosses his arms, “that is what I’ve asked you to do, yes.”

Eddie hesitates long enough that Steve wonders if he’s going to do it or not, but eventually Eddie does. He’s moving gingerly, like he thinks the cushions going to bite him. He sits just as Steve asked him to, back to the couch, facing the TV. Steve puts on ‘Born Free’ and absolutely does not react when Eddie snorts and rolls his eyes. Steve settles himself behind Eddie. Not shying away from pinning Eddie’s shoulders between his thighs, encouraging Eddie to settle back even further. He does, but he's sitting stiffly, and Steve can basically feel the tension radiating off of Eddie.

But this is step one. To get over this.

They might be incredibly familiar with each other at this point, and may have already built up a mutual trust...but this. This is something new they’re going to have to sort through and get used to if they want to make it work. And Steve does want to make it work. He can’t let Eddie put himself in one of those situations again if he can help it.

Not if he can do this a better way.

Part five

#eddie munson #steve harrington #stranger things #steddie #my fic #ficlet #dom steve harrington #sub eddie munson

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thegoblinboy · 1 year

Text

Ok so random thought, but what if Steve was trans (ftm) and no one realizes it. Not even Robin. Just hear me out on this.

The first question out of this I know I’ll get is “Why wouldn’t Steve come out to Robin as well? Why doesn’t Robin know?” Well in my head cannon I believe Steve is aware that he’s trans but just simply forgets. He’s just a guy being a dude in a very judgemental world. That and he’s under stealth mode, he doesn’t want to be treated differently. He’s proud to be trans but in his mind he’s like any other guy, he doesn’t stand out. He’s transitioned socially that he doesn’t even think to much about it unless he’s in the men’s bathroom.

(Also for this au that is being built from scratch this is going to be modern, because I don’t want to accidentally put my experiences as a trans man on a transguy in the 80’s. I’m fully aware that they are different which is why I’m turning this into a modern au.)

There’s loopholes in this idea but I don’t care. Just Steve Harrington who is still getting used to being treated like a man socially. He doesn’t understand the hand shake thing with Lucas or the other jocks and he’s still a bit nervous about all of it. Like he’s finally fitting what he feels and he loves it but hates it at the same time. Because now he has to learn how to be a proper “gentleman” in public, which is a lot easier then hoe he was taught to be a lady. Now both of his parents are not conservative. Shockingly. So they are more open to things then most. Though secretly his father has always wanted a son to pass the business down to and this is the perfect opportunity. His mother isn’t to happy but she finally gets on board. Once he’s sixteen he starts hormones and switches schools, where he becomes king steve. Where he falls into a toxic masculine group of Tommy’s so he can “fit” in.

But then things start to go down hill with the upside down. And everything goes by normal. He meets Robin and they are two pees in the pod. Just missing one, that they are not really searching for but are?

The whole trans thing comes up when they are all in the boat and Steve’s a bit panicked because this means he has to take his shirt off in front of them. This can go to so different ways.

A) He hasn’t had top surgery yet and is currently wearing his binder. Which is skin toned but doesn’t match. He’s beat red as he catches the curious eyes of all of them on the boat. None of them knowing what a binder is. Robin of course asks what that is, and avoiding the question he jumps in and goes under. (You aren’t supposed to swim with your binder on) and he regrets all of his life decisions before coming back up and then being pulled back down. Everyone of course follows along, and after all of it Steve is in a lot of pain. Between the bite and his ribs he has no choice but to pull his binder off. Everything is explained and he’s really embarrassed as he finally gets the damn thing off while holding his chest. Trying to hide his boobs, in which Eddie ends up coming over with the vest. Wrapping it around Steve carefully with the most awkward back pat ever. Like it’s not brought up, but Steve does end up wearing one of Eddie’s old baggy shirts from what’s “83” but really a different year because it’s modern. And his vest as well to help cover his chest and it’s the most gender euphoria ever. (Also he still has a hairy chest, so before he gets the shirt and the vest is covering most of his moobs Eddie nearly dies seeing his chest hair)

Or it goes B) where he’s had top surgery but it’s been a bit more recent. He’s still recovering and he has to awkwardly check his wrap his on properly before diving in. Like he shouldn’t be swimming either and he has to awkwardly explain what top surgery is to them. And robin who can’t help the jokes

“I thought you liked boobs!”

But just Steve being fully accepted. And after everything Eddie just sneaks some more baggy masculine clothes that Steve has been wanting to wear but weren’t preppy enough for his parents.

Like there is so much with this idea

(This all started because I pictured Steve with top surgery scars with Eddie’s vest, but also pre op steve with his vest is also equally as gender. Though do not feminize his chest or else I’ll bite you.)

#steddie #stranger things #eddie munson #steve x eddie #steve harrington #bxb #steveharrington #steveddie #eddie stranger things #steve and eddie #trans steve harrington #modern au #Steve and testosterone shots #trans steve in Eddie’s vest has me

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penny00dreadful · 7 months

Text

Comeuppance - Part 2 - Complete

Part 1 AO3

Dustin scoffed in offence. “I’m smarter than you, you know.”

“I know,” Eddie said through only slightly gritted teeth, “but that doesn’t mean you’re a grown up. You're sure you have all the relevant information? You know everything there is to know and there's no way this could go wrong?”

The little shit was gonna have to learn one way or the other that he couldn't keep sticking his nose in where it didn't belong.

Teenager or not it was going too far and Eddie had fucking enough of it. These kids had spent so long crash landing in government affairs and coming out unscathed, they seemed to think they were invincible. They seemed to think that consequences didn’t exist for them.

They seemed to think consequences couldn’t exist for them.

Well.

Time for a fucking lesson, kiddos.

Dustin looked at him like he was the biggest idiot in the world. “Of course I do.”

“Alright.” Eddie nodded, turning back to his trailer and pulling himself back up onto the roof. “If you’re sure. Now scram. I gotta get back to my sunbathing.”

He watched them all grumble, somehow believing themselves the smartest kids alive but somehow missing the barely concealed beemer, hiding behind Eddie’s van.

“Those little fuckers are getting too big for their damn boots, I swear to god.” Eddie seethed, flopping back down next to Steve who had been trying to keep his laughs silent this whole time.

“I think they just want what’s best.” Steve smiled over at him, brushing Eddie’s bangs out of his face while Eddie huffed.

“There’s a way to go about that and when the people in question have told them repeatedly to stop meddling, it no longer becomes wanting what’s best, it becomes wanting to be right.”

“They’re young.”

“Yes, they’re young but they’re not stupid. Or ignorant. They’re young but they’re not fucking toddlers who can’t understand why mommy and daddy aren’t living together anymore. And I refuse to continue to let them act like that. It’s borderline sociopathic.”

“Okay, I think that’s going a bit far-”

“Is it? Is it, Stevie? Really?” Eddie rolled his head to the side and plucked the joint from Steve’s mouth. “They don’t care about your feelings on this matter, nor do they care about Nancy’s. You heard them, they hadn’t even considered whether she even wanted you back. Like she was just some cardboard cutout in the shape of a woman who’d go wherever they lead. Have they even met her?”

He looked back up at the bright blue sky, a few dusty clouds drifting past and took a large inhale, holding it deep into his lungs, hoping it would help to chill him out, but it was doing nothing for him.

“And they’re walking all over you and your feelings. What you might want wasn’t considered and it doesn’t sound like it’s going to be considered. I’m just fucking sick of seeing it. It’s not happening. Not anymore. Not on my watch.”

Eddie continued to huff and puff, quite literally, in the silence that came after, glaring at the passing clouds like this was all their fault. He just couldn't believe the audacity of these kids, acting like Steve or Nancy weren't even sentient, just pieces to be moved on a chessboard.

He was still sulking and rigid and probably steaming out of his ears when he felt a hand on the side of his face. His head was tugged to the side and then Steve’s mouth was on his in a kiss so gentle and chaste and sweet, in stark contrast to how firmly Steve was now gripping the back of his head to keep him close. Every inch of tension immediately melted from his body.

“You’re so good to me.”

“I-” Eddie could only breathe out, a little dazed. “I’m really not. It’s just basic decency, to be honest.”

“Okay, then you’re basically decent to me.”

“I try my best.”

“My knight in shining armour.”

“I’m never the knight.”

“Well you are now. And you are to me. Always have been.”

Eddie blinked at him, sure that Steve could feel the thudding of his heart through his neck. Given the way he was nuzzling his nose into Eddie’s pulse and brushing his lips against his skin with small little kitten licks, he probably could.

Steve moved up, hovering right over Eddie’s ear. “And how does my knight feel about getting his dick sucked?”

“Pretty- pretty good. Yeah, pretty good.” He stuttered out, breathy and oh so eager.

“Good. But you’re gonna have to get down off this roof first.”

Eddie's descent was far less controlled this time, he nearly fell on his ass in his mad scramble to get back inside and into his bedroom, Steve following slowly with a lazy grin on his face.

Both Steve and Eddie knew that they had to strike before Dustin was able to do anything and potentially fuck everything up.

The first person they brought in was Robin, though that was less of a calculated move and more that she could tell just by looking at Steve that something was brewing.

He and Steve were supposed to be waiting for Nancy’s arrival at the trailer before they breathed a word but Robin had barely taken a step inside before it was all out in the open.

So now the three of them were waiting for Nancy, Jonathan and Argyle to turn up.

The six of them had a weekly standing date on Sunday evenings to chill the fuck out and while Eddie would have preferred to smoke the fuck up, Robin hated smoking of any kind.

And the smell stuck to everything.

So instead they usually ate the fuck up.

Argyle had taken it upon himself to be the resident weed baker of the group and he, Nancy and Jonathan usually arrived together.

It was kind of hilarious how the kids had never considered that the older teens talked regularly and therefore, that Eddie could spill their secret plan.

He was pretty sure the kids thought they all just sat at home alone, twiddling their thumbs and waiting around for the kids to call them up for the next get together or when they needed a ride.

Like they didn't have their own lives, or their own connections.

Like they needed the kids around to even see each other casually.

It wasn’t exactly like the six of them were the best of friends and Eddie’s trailer was definitely too small to host all of them, but they made it work.

It was the best place to meet up. Nancy, Jonathan and Argyle each lived with one of the kids in the Party. The kids called around unannounced to Steve’s house all the damn time, which was another thing Eddie needed to talk to him about. And Robin’s parents would have inevitably ended up eating some of their brownies, whether they knew what was in them or not, Eddie couldn’t say. But he didn’t want to take the risk.

The trailer was still a risk. Max and Eddie’s trailers were close enough together that she could easily see them all coming and going and she had.

Eddie knew she had.

She’d been outside feeding the neighbours dog once when they’d all arrived.

The rest hadn’t noticed, but Eddie had seen her look directly at them.

He’d been on edge for days afterwards, expecting to be chewed out by Dustin or Mike or any of them for ever dare thinking that they could hang out without the kids, but the bitch-fest never came.

He’d sent her a questioning look when it became clear she hadn’t said anything and she’d just glared at him, like he was being stupid to even ask if she’d spilled the ‘secret’ that shouldn’t even have to be kept a secret.

Well, okay then.

Immediate respect and trust gained there.

By the time the other three were pulling up in front of the trailer, Robin was pissed the fuck off.

Turned out, last time Dustin had tried to shove her and Steve together she’d snapped at him, bitching him out for guiltless manipulation and she had thought she had gotten through to him, considering he didn’t try again.

But now it was obvious he had just set his sights elsewhere.

Eddie had opened his front door, gesturing Nancy, Jonathan and Argyle in with a wide sweep of his arm and a smile. Nancy had barely opened her mouth to greet all of them when Robin stopped her pacing and declared to the newcomers “I’m mad!”

Nancy closed her mouth and blinked. “Okay.” She said slowly. “Who are we mad at?”

“The children.” Robin answered with a twisted up face. “Little fucking gremlins.”

Jonathan sighed, pulling six plates down from their cupboard in the kitchen where he and Argyle were dividing out a Tupperware container of brownies.

“What did they do this time?”

“They’re meddling little fucking…” Robin stood in front of Eddie’s couch, blowing a raspberry through her lips, trying to find the right words. “Meddlers.”

“Very articulate there, Birdie.” Steve smirked.

“Don’t talk to me right now, Harrington.” She pointed at him. “I’m mad on your behalf.”

“Alright, alright.” Jon walked forward with two plates, handing one off to Steve and then Robin. “Why don’t we chill out first,” he said to her, gently, “and then you can give us all the details.”

“I think we’re gonna need to work out the details before we have any of these.” Eddie said, picking up his own plate with a delicious looking brownie complete with rainbow sprinkles and settling himself on the floor against Steve’s legs, who was up on the couch.

“We can pause the brownies for a few, my dudes.” Argyle smiled, dropping to the ground, right next to Eddie. “No rush, they’ll keep.”

Nancy folded herself down into the couch on one side of Steve where Robin threw herself down on the other side, nearly taking Eddie out with her knee and accidentally driving her elbow into Steve’s side.

“I did nothing to you!” He squawked, jabbing her back.

“When do you not do something to me?” She retaliated, reaching for his hair. Steve grabbed her by the wrist and Eddie knew if he didn’t put a stop to this now, they’d never get back on track.

Between the four of them, Eddie, Nancy, Jon and Argyle had all learned the only way to break up a squabbling match between Steve and Robin was to make a sudden loud noise and the two of them would startle like cats.

At one point each of them had attempted to get in the middle instead but that only led to them getting caught in the crossfire.

He put two fingers in his mouth, pushing his tongue back and whistling so loud it set off the Murphy family’s dog outside.

Steve and Robin jumped back as if they’d been shocked but Eddie didn’t give them a chance to protest.

“Back to your original question, Jonathan.” Eddie continued on, even though he felt a short petulant little tug at one of his curls. He was pretty sure it was Steve pouting, but it could have been Robin as well, he didn’t know. He was already turned away. “They are attempting to set Steve up with someone. Again.”

Jonathan and Nancy practically rolled their eyes into the back of their heads. They’d heard it all before, they’d been there for the rants even before Eddie had joined the group. Argyle just smiled, looking between Eddie and Steve.

“That seems unnecessary. Unless you two are looking for a third to which I say more power to you, broskies. But should you be involving a child?”

“We’re not looking for a third, Argyle.” Steve’s hands were idly playing with Eddie’s hair. “The kids don’t know we’re together, remember? The children are involving themselves.”

Eddie nodded, leaning back a little against the grip and trying to get Steve to start scratching him.

“So tell the little dude you’re happy being single.”

“Tried that. Didn’t work. Henderson is convinced that everyone needs to be paired off to be happy. And there’s no convincing him otherwise once he thinks he’s right.”

“Who’s he trying to set you up with?” Nancy asked, turning to Steve.

“You, actually.”

Her eyebrows disappeared underneath her bangs. “Me?”

“Yeah,” Steve nodded. “Exactly. Says we’re perfect for each other.”

Nancy scoffed. “In what universe?”

Steve shrugged.

“We tried that already and it didn’t work out. How is Dustin hypothesising that it will work out this time around?”

Eddie turned, throwing his arm across Steve’s thigh to lean on. “I think he’s been a bit mind melted by movies and tv shows. And I think Mrs. H reads those romance novels. I mean, the two of you are the stereotypical couple and it always works out for them, so why couldn’t it for you?”

“Oh, I don’t know?” Nancy scowled, throwing a hand up in exasperation. “Maybe because I’ve blown up the two romantic relationships I’ve had with people in this room? Because I haven’t been able to be soft since 1983? Because I don’t know who I am outside of monster hunting anymore and being single and fucking off to college is the best way to find that out?”

“And because of this one.” Steve put in, giving Eddie a light tap on the head that he frowned at.

“And because of that one.” Nancy conceded, tapping him on the head as well.

“Okay, so what are we doing about it?” Jonathan asked from Argyle’s side.

Eddie sat up a little straighter. “I have a plan.”

Steve tugged on a lock of Eddie’s hair again. “He has a plan.”

“Well, okay then." Nancy's face told him she was already taking minutes in her head. "Fill us in.”

“Telling the kids to stop isn’t working. Hasn’t been working. So we’re gonna make them stop. Act like we don’t know this is going on behind our backs. Frustrate the shit out of him when it doesn’t work and when he starts to escalate, which we know he will, then we strike. Because we don’t know exactly what he has planned yet, we can’t make any solid plans ourselves. We need to be malleable. We need to be able to change tactics for whatever they come up with.”

“So for now, what? You want us to just go along with it whenever he…” Nancy cast her eyes around, trying to think. “Whenever he locks us into a closet or something?”

“For now, yeah.” Eddie nodded. “You don’t have to act like it’s working, just pretend you don’t know what’s going on. Stay friends. It’ll piss him the fuck off. And when he starts to get more dramatic about it, then we do too.”

“And how will we find out he’s getting more drastic?”

Eddie grinned, holding up the walkie talkie. “They’re very smart kids, but they’re not very clever. They seem to think they’re the only ones who know how to use these. They conspire all the time on them.”

Steve nodded. “They switch stations.”

“They switch between the same two stations and always announce it before they do because they want to stick to ‘proper protocol.’”

“Okay but here's the thing…” Steve dug his fingers into Eddie’s hair and Eddie could tell it was a need for touch, a self soothing motion that had driven it, so he tipped his head to the side, resting his cheek on Steve’s knee and giving him more access. He could feel Steve winding his curls around his fingers, almost nervous. “I think one last opportunity for them to back off wouldn’t go amiss. Just before we start fucking with them. It would make me feel better.”

Eddie exhaled, his body slumping back into Steve’s grip. He’d love to say no. He’d love to tell Steve that there was no fucking need. The kids had opportunity after opportunity to stop. They’d been told so many times that this was none of their business and to stop sticking their nose where it didn’t belong.

But he could never say no to Steve. If it was something that would make Steve more comfortable with the whole thing, Eddie would give it to him.

“Okay. One last chance for them to back off.” He conceded. “But when they don’t listen, then we move forward.”

“You know what helps with brainstorming, my friends?” Argyle lifted his plate into the air with a giant smile on his face. “Brownies.”

Eddie was pretty sure brownies and Little Shop of Horrors wouldn’t be the big help Argyle thought it would be but he was a little too wound up at the moment and needed to relax.

“Okay,” Eddie nodded. “Brownies. Little Shop of Horrors. Scheming.” He picked his own brownie up and took a giant bite.

Under different circumstances, trying to purposefully destroy the plans of a fifteen year old and make sure they failed would feel downright scummy. But under these circumstances it was kinda satisfying.

Dustin had decided to fuck with Eddie’s man again. After repeatedly being told to stop. So the kid dug his own grave, really. He’d been given plenty of chances. Steve had tried his best to convince the kid he was happy where he was in life and if the little defeated slump to Steve’s shoulders was anything to go by, it hadn’t worked.

So if the kid wanted to fuck with his man, he’d get fucked with in return.

Plus it wasn’t like Dustin couldn’t have figured out what the two of them were by now. They’d slipped up a few times and the kid had nearly walked in on them once or twice.

But watching Dustin get more and more irritated when Steve and Nancy only continued to be friendly together was ridiculously enjoyable. Especially as he watched Dustin practically force them together, no matter the clear signals the two were giving off that they didn’t exactly want to be stuck together, away from everyone else in the cinema.

Eddie sat next to Dustin with popcorn on his lap, giggling away as he watched Steve a few rows down, shift uncomfortably in his seat.

They’d seen this movie already. Gone on a date here only last week and Steve had told him after that he couldn’t remember a single thing about it, forever only being able to associate this movie with the feeling of Eddie’s mouth on him in the back of the dark and empty room.

Now he practically snorted out loud, earning a glare from Dustin. He retaliated by firing another piece of popcorn at Dustin’s head and continued to watch Steve uncross and cross his legs again while Nancy gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

“He told me ‘alcohol is a social lubricant, it shouldn’t be that hard.’” Eddie repeated, raising his voice over the din at The Hideout and making air quotes with his fingers.

Steve nodded, not really paying attention to what Eddie was saying apart from staring at his lips like he couldn’t wait to devour them, but that was to be expected.

Eddie had just come off stage after fingering and thrusting and grinding into his guitar for a full hour, Steve’s eyes glued to him the entire time while Nancy, Jonathan, Argyle and Robin all chatted amongst themselves. The four of them all knew that trying to draw Steve’s attention away when his boyfriend was playing on stage was a lost cause.

Usually Eddie and Steve hung around for a polite amount of time afterward but it was never that long. Nothing got Steve more horned up than Eddie performing on stage and if they didn’t want a quick and dirty in the bathroom or the back of Eddie’s van then they needed to get back to a bed before Steve snapped and tackled him wherever they happened to be.

Road head had happened more than once when Steve’s patience was worn particularly thin. Not that Eddie was complaining.

Eddie always made sure to park his van in the shadows of The Hideout, never quite sure when Steve would lose the run of himself and press him into the nearest surface, the two of them thriving off the risk.

Maybe the Upside Down had fucked with them a little more than they were willing to admit.

Eddie had Steve in his lap, exactly where he needed to be. The only place he ever needed to be. Sitting in the driver's seat of his van, Steve’s hands in his hair and his tongue in his mouth, digging so deep it was like he was trying to taste his stomach acid. His body was bouncing up and down in these tiny little movements, humping himself against Eddie’s body and using him like a pillow in between his legs to chase his own pleasure and god Eddie loved it.

He loved being used by Steve, just as much as he loved taking care of him, gently whispering to him as he cried out his own release, kissing away his tears or turning him into a hazy mess by keeping him on edge for as long as he could handle it.

He loved it. He loved him and if he was good right now, Steve would give him the orgasm of his life once they got home.

Which is why the two of them groaned in frustration, breaking their kiss with great heaving breaths when the walkie crackled from the passenger seat.

“Kas, this is Dart. We are still waiting on an update. Over.”

Eddie shook his head, trying to pull Steve’s lips back to his own. “Ignore him baby, ignore him.”

Steve shook his own head leaning back a little further. “We can’t ignore him, he’ll just keep going until he’s answered.”

Eddie slumped down in his seat, well aware his over exaggerated pout was probably a little on the ridiculous side.

Steve pouted with him, a little mocking, a little mean and he gave Eddie a kiss on the top of his nose.

“Hellooo? Kas?” Dustin sing-songed. “Kas. Earth to Kas. Oooover.”

“Answer the walkie. Tell him I was too busy watching you and I’ll bend you over the bathroom sink. Right in front of the mirror, just like you wanted.”

"You mean just like you wanted."

"Yeah." Steve leaned in, practically breathing over Eddie's lips as he growled out. "Just like I wanted."

All of the air left Eddie’s lungs in one fell swoop, one big whoosh, like he’d been punched (in a good way).

He kept eye contact with Steve, completely powerless to tear his gaze away as he fumbled blindly for the walkie and brought it closer to his face.

“Kas to Dart.” Eddie responded, swallowing, trying to get his breathing back in check, Steve’s gaze burning into his own. “Plan’s a bust. Sorry.” He paused for a second, almost forgetting what the kid was waiting for. “Over.”

The answer was immediate. “A bust?! How could it have been a bust?! Did you make them sit together? Over.”

“Yeah.” Eddie nodded, still trapped in honey-brown eyes. “They sat together. Over.”

“Were they drinking? Did you make sure they were talking? Did you play, like, love songs like I told you to? Over.”

Well.

If the way Steve had been looking at him as he played Grinder and Hell Bent For Leather, rolling his hips against his guitar and getting borderline indecent on stage was anything to go by… they were certainly a type of love song.

“Yep. Over.”

“Then what the fuck went wrong?! Over!”

Eddie shifted in his seat, trying to adjust so he was a tad more comfortable. It was a completely innocent movement, or it was supposed to be, but Steve’s eyes fluttered for just a second and his mouth pressed thin, trying to keep any noise from spilling out.

Eddie’s lips slid up into a smirk and that was probably the reason he was so flippant with his next answers.

“Dunno, Dart. Maybe I was shredding too hard. Stevie boy couldn’t keep his eyes off me. Over.”

“Jesus Christ Kas, that’s the exact opposite of what we wanted! Over.”

“Yeah well, I gotta go. I think I can hear Stevie coming.”

He didn’t even bother to say ‘over’, but he could hear Dustin’s scream of indignation in the second before he switched the walkie off.

He tossed it into the back of the van before all but bodily throwing Steve into the passenger seat and turning the key in the engine.

“Jesus Christ, Eddie.” Steve muttered, adjusting himself until he was more comfortably sitting. “Give a guy some warning.”

“Sorry baby.” Eddie said, peeling out of the car park. “I’m needed in front of a bathroom mirror.”

“Eddie, we need you to flirt with Nancy.”

Okay.

So not only was this kid trying to fuck with his man, now this kid was trying to manipulate his man by bringing in some competition? He was, in his own mind, trying to get Eddie to lead Nancy on? And Eddie was just supposed to be cool with that?

Because even if all of the older teens knew that Nancy wouldn’t believe a single flirtatious word that came out of Eddie’s mouth for multiple reasons, Dustin didn’t.

Dustin was willing to take the risk that Nancy might catch feelings or that Eddie might or that Steve could end up jealous and hurt or that neither Nancy or Eddie caught feelings and it was just awkward all around. Awkward and probably friendship destroying.

This was the fucking escalation he knew was coming.

No time for an older teens meeting now, Eddie would have to hope they’d just play along until he could implement as many DM skills into Dustin’s downfall as Steve would allow.

“Hey Nance.” Eddie greeted her, putting his back to Henderson and trying to ham it up as much as possible. Nancy was smart. She’d get that something was going on. “I'm glad you decided to come today. Don't know what I would've done if I had to go without seeing your pretty face for much longer."

He could feel the silence that descended over Steve and Robin but he didn’t dare turn, knowing Henderson’s eyes were tracking every micro movement. Though out of the corner of his eye he could see the amusement in Steve’s eyes as he watched his boyfriend attempt to fake-flirt with his ex-girlfriend.

Eddie grimaced a little at the bewildered look on Nancy’s face and he circled his index fingers around each other, silently telling her to go with it.

She gave him an almost imperceptible nod. Thank god for that.

“Just a pretty face?” She asked, blinking rapidly.

“Oh, of course not, Lady Wheeler. Everyone knows you’re more than just a pretty face.”

Nancy grabbed his arm, giving it a little squeeze almost as if to say well done.

“Dunno if I could say the same thing about you.”

Eddie pulled out one of his oldest flirting moves, clutching at his heart and stumbling back a few steps. “Oh! The Lady Wheeler has wounded me most grievously!”

Steve rolled his eyes so hard his whole head moved.

Eddie didn’t think Robin had blinked this whole time. Or closed her mouth.

“Oh, stop it, you.” Nancy swatted at his arm. “You’re still pretty.”

Eddie gave her a little pout. How sweet.

He could practically hear Dustin grinding his teeth behind him and he thought he could freak the kid out even more. Even if that meant breaking one of his own rules.

“Would you care to join us?” Eddie asked, sweeping his arm out towards the table where the rest of the Party who were all staring, fucking flabbergasted.

“I’ve heard this arena of play isn’t unfamiliar to you.” He continued, lowering his voice and leaning in close to Nancy but still loud enough for everyone to hear. “I’ve even heard you used to get into costume for the kiddies. You into a bit of roleplay, Nancy?”

Steve gave Eddie a look, motioning him to dial it the fuck back. Which was definitely fair. If he had been anyone else other than Eddie at that moment Nancy would have probably kicked him in the nuts. And the glare that told him exactly that would happen if he didn’t slow down.

Steve had a little frown on his face and Eddie knew he’d be making it up to him tonight, at least until his jaw started to get really sore.

So he left her off with a wink that was directed at Steve more than her, seating himself behind his DM screen and trying not to smile at the looks all the kids were giving him.

“Did you have fun?” Steve asked him from the couch.

Eddie hung up the phone, having just spent the last twenty minutes talking to Nancy, listening to her attempt to gush about him to him, all the while making sure that Mike was in earshot.

“Mhm.” Eddie smiled, practically skipping over to Steve’s side and throwing himself down in his lap. “I’ve never been so flattered before in my life.”

Steve hummed, running his hands up Eddie’s thighs, bringing them around to tuck into his back pockets and pulling him forward until they were pressed together. “Do I not compliment you enough?”

“I don’t know.” Eddie shrugged, trying to keep his air of nonchalance as Steve began to nose up his neck. “Why don’t you remind me?”

“Why don’t you tell me what the competition is first?”

Eddie lifted his hips, just a little, to take the pressure off, to tease, even as he gripped at Steve’s shoulders and leaned back. He loved the feeling of Steve holding tight to him. Loved knowing that Steve would never let him fall, no matter how far back he went. Loved when Steve would pull him back down with an aggressive yank.

He leaned forward, coming to a stop just a hair's breadth away from Steve’s mouth.

“Operation White Picket Fence, sound off.”

Eddie slumped down in Steve’s hold.

“The timing on these fucking kids, I swear to god.”

“This is a Code Orange, I repeat this is a Code Orange. Over.”

Steve kissed his cheek with a smile. “You and Nance made that call knowing you were gonna get a reaction. What did you expect?”

Eddie shrugged. “I dunno. Ten more minutes?”

“You think we would’ve been done in ten minutes?” Steve asked with raised eyebrows.

“If we wanted to be.”

“Yeah, but did you want to be?”

“No.” Eddie sighed. “No, I didn’t want to be.”

“Okay, let’s switch to our backup channel just in case he checks in. Over.”

“See this is what I’m talking about.” Eddie reached over to grab the walkie, relishing in the feeling of Steve’s big hands keeping him steady. “These little shits think they’re the only people who could possibly be listening in. Think they’re the smartest fuckers in the world.” He turned the dial on the walkie, tuning into the kids super-secret backup channel. “This is practically how you all intercepted the Russians.”

"We'll tell Kas to stop. Maybe get him to start talking up Babysitter instead. Over."

"I don't want to see my s-Emerson get hurt over this, Bard. Besides, Kas is way better than Babysitter anyway. Over."

“Oh, now they’re worried about someone getting hurt? That’s rich.” Eddie scoffed.

“And Mike’s letting his crush on you slip again.”

“Uh, pretty sure his whole deal is because he has a crush on you, sweetheart.”

"But they're not meant to be! And Kas doesn’t even like her like that! Babysitter and Emerson are meant to be! We'll just have to regroup. Start pushing them harder or something. Over!"

“Is he fucking serious?” Eddie jumped up out of Steve’s lap and stormed over to the phone. “Fine, if the kid wants another escalation, I’ll show him a fucking escalation.”

He snatched the phone off the wall, punching in the Henderson home number. It only took a few rings before it was picked up.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Mrs. Henderson. It’s Eddie-”

“Oh hello, Eddie dear. How are you?”

Steve left the walkie on the couch, where they could still hear it in the background and made his way towards Eddie, leaning on the wall next to him.

Eddie tipped the phone away from his ear, holding it between the two of them so they both could hear.

“I’m doing just dandy, Mrs. H. Thanks for asking. Hey, is Dustin in? I gotta talk to him about some campaign notes.”

“Let me go grab him for you, he’s just in his room.”

“Thanks.”

Eddie listened as the phone was gently set down and watched Steve watch him, quirking his eyebrow in question, asking what’s the plan?

Eddie just shook his head and rolled his eyes, telling Steve without saying it out loud that he was fucking done with this shit.

“Hello?” Dustin’s voice was already half accusatory

Eddie smiled, ready to put on a whole body performance and maybe trying to piss the kid off, just a little. “Hey Dusty-Buns.”

“I told you not to call me that.”

“But it’s so fun!” Eddie was already waving his hands around. “Listen, I need to talk to you about this whole Nancy and Steve thing-”

“Good, because I need to talk to you about it too. You gotta dial it back, man.”

Eddie paused, even going so far as to put a confused look on his face. “What do you mean?”

“You’re getting in too deep with her, you’re starting to pull her attention away from Steve and that was not a part of the plan.”

“Yeah.” He sighed, chewing his lip. “I’m not sure if I can really do that…”

“Wha- why? Why, Eddie, why?!”

“I dunno, man.” Eddie shrugged, taking Steve’s hand in his and meeting his eyes. “I kinda like her.”

“No! Nonononono! You can’t like her! You’re not allowed to like her, why do you like her?!”

Not allowed?

Who the fuck did this kid think he was?

“What do you mean I’m not allowed?” Eddie glared down at the phone. “And as for why, have you met her? You used to have a crush on her!”

“Yeah, when I was a child, you can’t be serious about this, Eddie.”

“I’m super serious about this, Dustin.” Eddie spat back, giving Steve’s hand a little squeeze. “I like her. I want to ask her out.”

“Jesus Christ this was not part of the plan!”

“And I didn’t want to be a part of the plan from the start!” Eddie decided to remind him because apparently the kid had forgotten. “You forced me into it! I told you it wouldn’t work.”

“It will work. It still can work! We're still doing this whether you like it or not. I’ll see you at Steve’s tomorrow. Don’t do anything stupid in the meantime!”

“Dust-!”

Eddie stared open mouthed at the phone, the sound of Dustin slamming it back down ringing through the kitchen.

“That little fucking-” he took the neck of the phone in both hands, squeezing and shaking it, “-demogorgon!”

Steve pried the receiver from his hands, placing it gently back in its cradle.

“Guys. Things just got so much worse. We need to come up with a new plan before tomorrow.”

“So,” Steve drew the word out with a hand at Eddie’s back, “clearly he’s not getting the message.”

Eddie sighed, resting his elbow on Steve’s shoulder and rubbing his eyes. “No, he’s not getting the message.”

“Well,” Steve nodded, picking the phone back up and beginning to dial. “It seems it’s time for the final act, then.”

Robin was pacing up and down in front of Steve’s couch.

“I’m nervous!” She said, grabbing at her hair.

“Why are you nervous?” Eddie asked, tracking her with his eyes from his position across the room. Nancy was sitting beside him, barely checked in, using any spare time she had to go over her flash cards for college, even though she didn’t start for another couple of weeks. They’d asked her if she wanted to put a stop to this, give her the freedom to stress just about college, rather than college and this but she’d just glared at all of them.

“You don’t even have to do anything.” Eddie continued.

“Yeah, but I have to be here. I don’t have the acting chops for this.” She pointed at him. “You know that. You remember what happened in Much Ado.”

“That wasn’t that bad.”

“I knocked over the wall during your gulling! You were supposed to be eavesdropping while badly hidden and then boom!” She smacked her hands together. “The garden hedges suddenly collapsed because I tripped over my own feet!”

“Oh, it was fine.” Eddie waved his hand. “No one noticed.”

“Everyone noticed! And it was fine because you played it off! I wasn’t even supposed to be on stage!”

“Birdie.” Steve grabbed her by the shoulders and steered her towards the couch, pushing her down. “You’re going to be fine because you’re going to sit there and say nothing.”

Robin huffed. “It’s impossible for me to say nothing, you know that.”

“I know, that’s why I got you this.” He plucked a lollipop from the coffee table, handing it to her. “When you hear them coming, stick that in your mouth. If you start to talk it’ll remind you to not talk. Just concentrate on that.”

She stared at the lollipop then looked back at Steve. “You’re giving me a pacifier.”

“Yeah, I am.”

“You know, there’s something to be said here about a man telling a woman to sit down and shut up. I’m only giving you a pass because it’s you.” She scowled, even as she took a seat.

“Wow, thanks Rob.” Steve rolled his eyes and patted her head. “Now you just sit there and look pretty.”

She fired the lollipop at him and he caught it with a raised arm, barely even trying and Eddie wanted to climb him like a tree.

Steve threw it back and even though it landed gently in her lap, she still attempted to catch it with flailing limbs like she was trying to deflect an arrow.

"Look alive." Nancy tucked her flash cards back into her purse and glanced out the window. “Here they come.”

The kids were cycling down the road towards Steve’s house, bickering amongst themselves, slowly getting closer.

“Come on then, my sweet little sugar muffin.” Eddie said, throwing his arm over Nancy’s shoulders as she stood. “We’ll put on a performance worthy of Shakespeare.”

“Don’t call me that.”

Eddie frowned. “My spicy pepper?”

“No.”

“My little prickly pear?”

“Gun or a blunt object, take your pick.”

“Alright,” Eddie held his hands up, keeping an arm around Nancy’s neck while Robin unwrapped her lollipop and stuck it in her mouth. “I hear you, loud and clear.”

“So how do you want to start-?” Steve began to say but was cut off as everyone in the room jumped when Eddie decided to project as loudly as he could.

“We have come to inform our friends of our torrid love affair!”

Steve rolled his eyes.

“Really? Really?” He asked, raising his own voice. “That’s how you’re gonna start?”

While they weren’t arguing, it would certainly sound like it from outside.

“We cannot help it! Our passions have simply taken over us!”

Steve sighed, hands on his hips. “Okay, fine.” He muttered before getting loud again. “I can’t believe you would do this to me!”

Just in time too as the kids slammed through the front door, barging in like they owned the place.

Well shit, Eddie thought. Time for a show.

"Steve, please! I thought you'd be happy for me!" Eddie shouted back, waving his free arm around. Honestly, he’d given better performances than this and Steve was trying his best.

"Happy for you? How could I be happy for you when you're stealing Nancy away from me!"

Nancy glared at Steve from Eddie’s side and the grimace he gave in return said sorry.

“I’m sorry Steve but-”

“You’re supposed to be my friend Eddie!”

Friend. That still ticked him. Friends didn’t have other friends tongues up their-

Nope. Stop. This was serious business. Could he not go five minutes with Steve in the same room without getting stupid horny over him?

“I am your friend! But you can’t expect me to ignore the pull of true love!”

“True love?” Nancy asked. Like she was saying Really? You’re going that far?

And well… Eddie never really knew when to stop pushing, did he?

“That’s right. True love, shnookums, my precious little rainbow cupcake.” When Eddie booped her on the nose, she dug her nails into his side hard and he had to put all his effort into not reacting.

Dustin was staring around at them like they’d all set his fucking house on fire or something.

“This is a complete betrayal! I don’t know if I can ever look at you the same way again, either of you! In fact, I don’t think I can look at you anymore at all!”

Steve had to turn to face Robin to hide his grin from the kids and Robin just chewed on her lollipop, trying not to react.

“I don’t think there’s anything more I can say to you two. I never want to speak to you again! I never want to see you again!” Steve cried, hamming up the drama in a way Eddie knew was adopted from his own mannerisms and Jesus Christ he was so in love. “Go on, run away together and leave me behind! I wash my hands of you two.”

Eddie sighed. “That’s too bad Steve, I’m sorry this is goodbye forever, never to see each other again, never to interact or even ask the kids about one another in passing. This is truly a terrible, irreparable breaking of the Fellowship, never to be fixed!”

Okay.

Maybe they’d gone overboard on the drama a tad, but who could blame them?

Dustin certainly looked like he was taking it all seriously, wide eyed and open mouthed as he and Nancy turned to face him.

“Eddie.” Dustin whined. “What have you done?”

Excuse me, the fuck?

“What have I done? I did nothing but follow my heart, struck down by Cupid's arrow!” Eddie sent the full force of his glare at the kid. “What have you done, Dustin? You started this.”

“This wasn’t the plan, Eddie! This wasn’t the plan!”

And now Steve was coming over, interrogating Dustin and Dustin was fucking arguing back like he wasn’t the one in the wrong, looking between all of them with something like realisation on his face.

"Wait."

He was staring between Steve, Eddie and Nancy, finally connecting the dots.

"Personally, I think I pulled off 'straight' rather well."

Being into girls wasn’t the issue, being exclusively into girls though? Pretending he wasn’t undressing Steve with his eyes every time he looked at him?

That had been the real challenge.

Steve was pouring his heart out, trying to get Dustin to understand why everything he’d done was so fucked up, but the kid was just looking for an escape route.

“Eddie?”

Like hell.

“Don’t look at me, I am not on your side here, Henderson. I told you how this would end when you first approached me and you wouldn’t listen.”

“But you were bluffing! There’s no way you could have known he wouldn’t want this! You don’t know Steve that well.”

“What happened to 'you're a friend his own age', huh? You’re still assuming you know everything without a complete picture. There’s a glaring puzzle piece you’re missing out on because, and I’m sorry I have to say this, you don’t look at things objectively like a scientist should. You let your emotions run you and again refuse to see past the end of your own nose.”

And even then, even after all of that, Dustin still wanted to demand answers out of them.

“What could I possibly be missing?” He pouted, petulant and childish.

“Oh no, you don’t get to bully that information out of us." Eddie said. "If you were meant to know, then you’d know. But you don’t get to decide what secrets people do or don’t tell you. Part of being a grown up is understanding that.”

“But why… why wouldn’t you tell me something like that?”

“This. This is why, Dustin." Steve answered, running a hand through his hair. He was getting more and more stressed by the second. While he spoke, his shoulders were becoming tenser, his face was becoming harder and Eddie knew that he was going to need a little while to recover after this. He’d be so emotionally drained and all Eddie wanted to do was scoop him up and take him away from everything, from all this.

Let him live his life outside the kids, outside Hawkins, be young again. Be carefree.

Even after all this, explaining to Dustin why this was so fucked up, he was still trying to deflect. Bring in the other kids in a hope his consequences would be lessened.

Fat chance.

Then he had to go and make that one last comment.

“So that’s it? You’re happy being single? Really?”

Eddie wasn’t even really feeling angry anymore. Just so incredibly disappointed. He put a steadying hand on the small of Steve’s back, out of sight and Robin’s hand came to join his not long after when Steve said “You still don’t get it.”

Dustin tried to defend himself one last time, but they were all done with him. At least for now.

While Nancy corralled the kids back outside Robin lifted her head, speaking to the two of them, the only two left in the house.

“So that went…”

“As well as we could have hoped?” Eddie asked, taking Steve’s hand in his.

Steve just shrugged, turning away from the two of them in the empty echoey house and silently making his way upstairs and Eddie felt his heart crack.

Steve loved those kids, so for something like this to happen, such a big fallout… it must be killing him.

And he was probably blaming himself for everything.

“What do you think?” He asked Robin. “Give him a few minutes or wait for him to come down?”

“We’ll give him a few minutes. I’ll go up to him then.”

Eddie nodded, watching the top of the stairs like Steve was still visible, standing there. “I think I might take him away. Just for the weekend or something. Take him to Indy. Have some fun.”

“And show him that he could get away from all of this, permanently, if he wanted to?”

“Maybe.” He finally managed to tear his eyes away from the stairs and back to Robin. “You’re coming, if it ever does happen. We’ve got a spot on the floor of the van with your name on it.”

“Wow, thanks.” Robin rolled her eyes. “What if I fuck off to college?”

“We’ll fuck off to college with you.”

Robin tried to bite down on a smile, punching him in the arm as she passed.

“What a fucking sap.” She muttered, disappearing upstairs while Eddie went to the phone, ready to order his weight in pizzas.

In the following weeks, Eddie got to watch as Steve slowly began to open up to the idea that maybe he didn’t need to be one of those who was born, lived and died in this shithole of a town.

The kids, though they had leaned on him an awful lot, mostly whenever he could do them favours, were starting to come to terms with the fact that they had legs.

Steve had refused every single request for a ride. He privately let Eddie know that of course he’d go out for them if it was an emergency but it never was.

This was a small town and they had bikes.

They should never have been able to get away with those demands in the first place.

The first time it happened, they couldn’t believe it. They almost believed Steve had gotten into an accident rather than follow through on his refusal to come get them.

Which led to anger.

Which led to Steve freezing them out for a solid two weeks. Not talking to them. Not interacting with them at all.

Until they learned he was a human with his own feelings and not a robot they could all walk over.

They’d been getting around on their own before they met Steve and they’d be getting around on their own after.

It didn’t take long after that for them to come back with their tails tucked between their legs.

Eddie had been having the time of his life, spoiling the shit out of his boy, taking him out to the city every chance he got and sometimes even further.

Just adventuring in the van as far as they could conceivably go before Steve had to be back at work and Eddie had to be back so Wayne didn’t lose his damn mind.

They’d gotten the travel bug and they refused to share about their adventures with the kids, no matter how much they bugged them for it.

Dustin was incredibly subdued.

It got better as time went on but it wasn’t until nearly a month later that Steve, cuddled up on Eddie’s couch, revealed that Dustin had called over earlier that day out of nowhere with a long handwritten letter that he’d been working on for a while.

The kid had read it aloud to him, having to pause multiple times to calm his tears so he could continue, but he got through it.

Steve hadn’t even bothered to hide his own tears from the kid.

It was slow going, but they were healing.

Steve had sworn that the contents of the letter were between the two of them and he’d never break that promise.

Dustin had stayed the night and things were getting better.

Eddie snuggled down, pulling Steve in tighter to his chest and couldn’t help but smile. The kids were learning to be more independent from Steve, no longer using him as a glorified taxi.

Steve was learning to love himself more, not allowing himself to be walked all over.

And they were planning.

Planning for a future. Their future.

Away from the soul sucking presence of Hawkins and everything it had taken from them.

Eddie couldn’t wait.

Part 1 AO3

@augustjustice @estrellami-1 @starman-jpg @hallucinatedjosten @pizazzmcjazz @hallo-spaceb0y @goodolefashionedloverboi

Big thanks as always to @hbyrde36 for her magnificent beta work and to the STWG for their motivation.

#steddie #steve x eddie #stranger things #eddie x steve #steddie fic #stranger things fic #fanfic #penny00dreadful #steddie fanfic #ao3 #dustin henderson #the party #comeuppance #pennys anniversary event

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steddieas-shegoes · 1 year

Text

Eddie likes painting his nails. He paints them any color he can, but usually ends up with black for shows since that’s his whole aesthetic.

Steve wants to try it. He likes the way El and Max and Eddie and Robin take turns picking colors for each other, how much fun they have painting each others’ nails, how relaxed they all seem.

But he knows that’s not what “strong men” do.

A strong man doesn’t walk around with pink nails, even if it does bring out the color of his eyes.

A strong man doesn’t let a teenage girl paint his nails purple because it makes his skin look a little more tanned in the winter.

And he’s let go of a lot of those ridiculous stereotypes his dad shoved through his head from the time he could understand words, but this is one thing he can’t let himself enjoy.

It’s stupid. But he can’t. So he watches from the couch as they gather on the floor once every two weeks to freshen up their colors, doing his best to hide his jealousy and sadness.

But he must fail because Eddie asks him to join them one night after the girls have already gotten their picks in for Eddie’s next color.

“Wanna paint them for me, Stevie?”

Steve searched his brain for any reason not to paint someone else’s and finally settled on allowing himself this one thing. If he couldn’t have pretty nails, he could give them to Eddie.

He nodded and sat cross legged in front of Eddie, waiting for further instruction.

“Doesn’t have to be perfect, okay? You’ll probably get a little on the skin around the nail and that’s okay too, it’ll come off.”

Steve nodded again.

The nerves were catching up to him now that he was holding the brush in between his fingers, leaning over where Eddie had placed his hand on Steve’s lap.

The girls were distracted, but Eddie noticed his pause.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to. Just looked like you wanted to.”

Eddie’s soft tone made Steve relax. He could do this.

So he started.

It was pretty easy on Eddie’s hand, his nails being big enough that he could mostly avoid getting any on the skin. He knew it’d be harder on the girls with their dainty hands or himself if he dared ever try.

Eddie was humming something while Steve worked diligently.

“This is a nice shade of blue. Did you pick it or did the girls?”

Eddie stopped humming and smiled. “I did. I could do yours next if you want.”

God, did he want.

But he shook his head.

“I can’t. Thanks though.”

Eddie’s eyebrows furrowed.

“What do you mean you can’t? Why can’t you?”

Steve shrugged.

“Well it’s just that like. Men can’t really paint their nails.”

Steve was so focused on finishing up he didn’t notice that Eddie was going through every emotion a person could.

Finally, he looked up with a smile that quickly fell when he saw the angry look on Eddie’s face.

“Am I not a man?”

“What? Of course you are.”

“So you would still be a man with painted nails, then.”

“It’s just different for me.”

“Different how?”

“Like, a real man who wants to be a provider or whatever can’t exactly walk around with his nails painted fun colors, ya know?”

“I guess I don’t know.”

Steve was feeling a bit overwhelmed at trying to explain the words his father had always said to him growing up. How any time Steve seemed too focused on his appearance, he reminded him not to cross the line into “what those queers do” as if maintaining self-image was at all based on a person’s preference in men or women. How when Steve said he liked Madonna, his dad told him she was an artist for girls and women who haven’t found a husband yet and to try listening to some classic rock.

“It’s just that you’re you. You’re confident and you can pull it off. Like it goes with your whole…thing. It doesn’t really work for me. Even if I wanted to.”

“Do you want to?”

Steve could’ve lied. He could’ve just said that he’d only thought about it out of curiosity, not that he actually thought about what color might look best on him or how he could maybe learn how to do designs.

Instead, he checked that the girls were still wrapped up in conversation before turning back to Eddie and responding.

“Yeah, I want to.”

Eddie gave him a smile that could only be described as proud.

“You wanna match?”

Steve felt his hands start shaking. He nodded despite the nerves.

“Alright. Give me your hands, sweetheart.”

Jesus. Eddie gave pet names to everyone, but he’d never called him anything but Stevie. That hit hard.

He placed both his hands on Eddie’s thighs, focused on watching him paint them the same blue as what was on his own hands.

It was over much faster than Steve wanted it to be, his brain finally quiet after months, no, years, of constantly fighting his own thoughts with worse ones.

He didn’t even notice Eddie was picking up his hands to blow cool air on his nails until he felt the breath against his fingers.

He couldn’t hide the shiver that wracked his body.

He looked up at Eddie, who was smiling softly at him between bursts of air.

Finally, he held Steve’s hands up between them.

“This is a good color for you. You like it?”

“Mhm. It’s pretty.” He gulped. “I feel pretty.”

He hadn’t really meant to say it aloud, but now that he had, he felt nothing but relief.

“Yeah, sweetheart. You are pretty.”

The girls chose that moment to crawl over to where they sat, exclaiming about their nails and how cute it was that they matched.

Steve agreed.

And he made sure to match every time Eddie painted his nails just so he could hear him say “You’re so pretty, sweetheart.”

#steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #stranger things #I am a baby girl Steve truther #and I will always find a way to make that happen #even subtly #headcanon #tumblr drabbles

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m4sonn · 13 days

Text

The Gang During Quarantine (the outsiders)

What the gang would’ve been doing during quarantine

(Thanks to my friend @peachyponyboyy whom I collaborated with with for this and the projects like it)

ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺ ᴳ : Ponyboy

• scared as hell of getting the vid.

• refuses to go outside.

• hoards hugeee stacks of books, he stole darrys old dvd’s from when he was a kid.

• reads every single book he can get his sticky little hands on.

• shut in his room most of the time bc “everyone else is a ‘distraction’ to his peace…”

• Went through the E-Boy 2021 phase.. Got a nose ring out of spite, Darry got piiiiissed but oh well, it kinda suited him.

• bought a bunch of strawberry cow shit and now hides them in his closet out of shame, he’s still relentlessly teased by everyone but especially Sodapop

ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : Sodapop

• tbh? He doesn’t really do much

• Just invites steve over and they get on everyone’s ass

• Sometimes when he’s really bored he’ll try on the clothes he doesn't wear much that sit in the abyss he calls his closet and pose in front of his mirror (Did I serve or did I serve?)

• Totally learned tiktok dances (still knows the renegade, even after 4 years..)

• Became one of the POV tiktokers like skyyjade but stopped in early 2023

ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : Darry

• cooks sooo much more than usual

• he’ll literally take out cookbooks from like 3 generations back.

• Does the “aesthetic” workouts if he’s bored

• grocery shopping a lot because he’s the only one who responsibly does it, he likes when Ponyboy goes with him but he barely does since Ponyboy is terrified of getting sick now.

• Got a pair of airpods during quarantine and loves listening to music through them, they're glued to darry now.

• He is a god at baking.

ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : Dally

• Ngl he didn't change at all

• sneaks out a lot though.

• darry knows but does not have any shits left to give.

• hates cops even more than he did before

• Would definitely go to the protests with a gun locked and loaded.

• Surprisingly he keeps a tidy space.

ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : Johnny

• watches a lot of tv

• and listens to music a lot

• scared as hell of getting the ‘vid

• Locks himself in his room

• Probably had a slight depressive episode, i feel like his brain needs to stay stimulated or else he just crumbles.

• Had a gacha phase during quarantine and had a semi-famous YouTube channel (also gacha), he never EVER told ANYONE. Not even ponyboy

ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : Two-bit

• very ecstatic because he can actually just watch mickey mouse clubhouse the whole day

• sneaks out sometimes to get beer and cancer sticks.

• if mickey isn’t on he’ll watch lilo and stitch

• eats like a goddamn pig, but everyone does so who tf cares

ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : Steve

• He tries to be helpful because he knows darry isn’t just gonna keep baking all the sweets he makes.

• so he tries to learn how to bake

• Bad idea (almost burned everyone alive)

• apart from that he just fucks around with soda

• That's when they found resident evil…and all the leon kennedy edits…they have gotten into arguments over this man.

#the outsiders #the outsiders ponyboy #ponyboy curtis #ponyboy michael curtis #the outsiders darry #darry curtis #darrel curtis #the outsiders sodapop #sodapop curtis #the outsiders dally #dally winston #dallas winston #johnny the outsiders #johnny cade #johnny cake #steve the outsiders #steve randle #sodapop headcanons

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hawkinsmethlab · 11 months

Text

Dustin is quiet on the ride to his house.

Unusual, but nothing unheard of, especially when he’s thinking hard about something. From what Steve had been able to pick up before he’d dropped off Mike and Lucas, there’s a lot going on in the Dumpsters and Dangers department.

Steve is half-tempted to ask him about it, even though he won’t understand a single word, just to see Dustin get excited about something. Not that he’d ever admit it to the kid’s face, but he’s missed him a bit. Ever since he started up Hellfire it’s been “Eddie this” and “Eddie that.” Give him a break.

But, it’s a bad listening day, and Steve’s really just trying to hear the commercial on the radio over the sharp ringing in his right ear. It’s one that plays a million times a day and he knows it by heart at this point, but that kind of makes it worse. Just means he knows when he’s missing a word or a sound effect.

But it’s fine. He’s handling it. The constant ringing used to make him feel like he was going insane, especially on bad days like this where it’s like a physical presence in his head that leaves him feeling lopsided, like the Upside Down itself is pulling on him. Coming and going in piercing waves that block out any other noise, no matter how loud or how close.

Robin thinks it’s a problem.

“I’m dealing with it,” he’d told her, both of them on her bed with her history textbook in his lap. She had a test on Monday and sure, Steve wasn’t the best student, but he’d helped Nancy study a million times.

“Sure,” Robin said. “Except that you aren’t. You’re avoiding it, and those are two very different things. Do I need to pull out my dictionary and beat you over the head with it?”

“Which one, you have like, seven in here.”

“Maybe we can try them all just to see what sticks.” Then, she’d folded herself over the edge of her bed to rummage around in her bag. “But also, I was just thinking, maybe we could give this a try?”

She handed him a folded up piece of paper, biting her lip. Steve took it, skeptical, and unfolded it to see a poster for the Bloomington community center that read American Sign Language Lessons.

At Steve’s extended silence of like, a second, she continued, “I thought we could do it together. For fun. Really up our trash talk game.”

Steve had just stared at it, dread settling low in his stomach like a sack of rocks. He dropped the poster on the bed. “Thanks, but neither of us are deaf. We don’t need it.”

She’d sighed. “Steve--”

“‘In which battle was Napoleon defeated?’”

“Waterloo, easy, but listen to me. ASL isn’t just for deaf people. Besides, you don’t have to wait until you can’t hear anything at all to start learning. I mean, you could, that’s the whole point of the language, but I don’t think you would handle it very well.”

“Rude.”

“I’m just saying.” She rolled her eyes. “Maybe we could even get some of the kids into it. I bet Dustin would--”

“No, Robin.” It came out a bit more harsh than he’d meant it, a little scared and he hated that. He crossed his arms just in case his hands decided to start shaking. “Just. Can we drop it?”

Robin, being Robin and he loved her for it but Jesus, leaned forward on her elbows. Steve raised his legs a little to hide the textbook. He wouldn’t put it past her to use this as some kind of con to cheat. Not that she needed to, she’s a genius.

“Steve,” she said, “you can’t just not tell them forever. Eventually, one of them is going to figure it out, and I don’t know about you, but I’d rather tell somebody something like that on my own terms.”

“I’m not not telling them,” he insisted. “It just hasn’t come up.”

“In five months? Or no, you said Billy is when it got really bad and that was a year ago. There hasn’t been a single moment in all that time where someone hasn’t noticed something different?”

Sure they had. A few different times. But, he’d always been kind of air headed and spacey, even before his concussions so it was easy enough for them to just brush it off as Steve being Steve. “I thought I was here to help you study.”

Robin looked at him like he was one of her crossword puzzles. “I’m just trying to understand why you told me and no one else. That’s all.”

“That’s...different.”

What did she want him to say? That to tell her had been one of the scariest moments of his life, had made him miss the demodog-infested tunnels, had made him feel like he needed a bat in his hands? That saying it, any of it, out loud had left him feeling like he needed to hurl? That the thought of telling anyone else who wasn’t her, as wild as that was for someone he’d met six and a half months ago, left him on the edge of a fucking panic attack?

Yeah, sure, he’d get right on that.

Robin stared at him a little longer before she leaned back, the fight gone. “Fine.” She reached over and grabbed the poster, folded it back up and put it back in her bag. “Just promise me you’ll give it some thought? Even just a little?”

“Scout’s honor.” He held up his hand.

“You were never a scout. And that’s the wrong hand.”

“I went to summer camp that one time!”

“That’s not the boy scouts, Steve!”

It’s been three days since then, and as much as he would like to forget about the whole thing, he’s been kind of agonizing over it. Over what Robin had said, about them figuring it out on their own. Would that be better? Worse?

Either option leaves a bad taste in his mouth. Makes him want to dig Billy up from his grave just to put him back in it. Him and those fucking Russians.

There’s a slap on his arm. “Steve!” Dustin’s glaring at him. “Jesus, finally. You just passed my house.”

Oh. Whoops. “My bad.” He pulls into a random driveway to turn around. “Don’t have to shout, man, car’s only so big.”

“I said your name like six times.”

Steve sighs and wishes for about the millionth time that his tinny-whatever-Owens-had-called-it had a dial so he could turn it down. Or off, really, that’d be great. “Sorry, I guess I’m a little distracted. Some--work thing that Keith’s on my ass about.”

He pulls up in front of Dustin’s house and debates getting out. On any other day he’d be happy to walk him to the door and talk to Mrs. Henderson, but that usually leads to her inviting (or ordering) him to stay for dinner, and while his stomach is more than on board for whatever she’s whipped up, his head has the louder argument.

“Alright, man,” he says and cuts off the radio. “I’ll see you later.”

Dustin doesn’t move. He’s got his backpack on his lap and a loose grip on the door handle, but that’s it. He almost looks...nervous?

He doesn’t think he’s ever seen Dustin nervous before.

“What’s up?” Steve asks. “Your mom pissed at you or something?”

Dustin scoffs. “Please, I’m an angel.”

“Only in her eyes. Come on, what’s bugging you? Something one of the guys said? A kid at school? Some sort of mathematical nerd thing that’s got you stumped?” He gasps. “It’s not Suzie, is it, I swear to god--”

Dustin looks almost scandalized at that. “No. What? No. Nothing like that. I’m just--” He’s suddenly back to nervous. He starts picking at the zipper on his backpack, takes his hand off the door. “I’m just not sure how to--”

After a few more seconds of stuttering silence, Steve rolls his eyes. “Dustin, just spit it out. Whatever it is, you can talk to me. I mean, I can’t promise how helpful talking to me will be, with all the stuff you guys get up to but hey, I can at least try, right?”

Dustin sighs and turns in his seat to face Steve more fully. He seems to steel himself before saying, “Okay. I just want to say, before we move forward, that I’m not mad.”

Oh. Not exactly what he was expecting. “...Okay? I’m not either.”

“And I still think you’re cool or whatever, and we’ll still be friends no matter what.”

Steve nods, completely lost. “Right.”

“Because society can say whatever the fuck it wants!” Dustin is yelling suddenly. “And they can go on and on about the bible and whatever the hell Reagan is talking about, but you’re my friend, dammit! You’re my friend!”

“Whoa, Dustin!” Steve raises his hands, both to calm him down and maybe to protect himself a little. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Dustin takes a deep breath. “I’m talking about how you’re--” He looks around, as if they weren’t alone in the car, then whispers, “About how you’re gay.”

Steve blinks, slowly. There was no way he heard that right. Right? “You think I’m what?”

“I know,” Dustin says. He puts a hand on Steve’s shoulder in what he assumes is supposed to be comforting. “I know that you’re gay and I just want to tell you that it’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with it.”

Steve leans back and stares at him. Dustin leans with him, keeping his hand on Steve’s shoulder. “I’m not gay.”

“You don’t have to hide from me anymore,” he says. “I love you, you’re my friend, one of my best friends, and nothing is gonna change that.”

“Well, that’s great and I appreciate it, but I’m still not gay.”

“Yes.” Dustin nods solemnly. “You are.”

Steve laughs. A short one, like a gunshot, and pinches the bridge of his nose. When Robin had told him about people drawing their own conclusions, she probably hadn’t imagined something like this. God, he can’t ever tell her about this. “Oh my god. Okay. What, uh, what gave me away?”

“Well, really, you shouldn’t feel too bad. I don’t think anyone else has noticed.”

“Hmm.”

“But you’ve just been kind of out of it lately. Distracted more, like right now, driving me home, or when we watch movies. Don’t think I didn’t see you staring at Harrison Ford. Raiders of the Lost Ark and Star Wars, dude.”

“Now hold on, that’s not--”

“And then, back at Thanksgiving, when my mom was telling you that story about me and Suzie and you just looked so uncomfortable--”

Because Steve hadn’t had a single clue what she was talking about.

“--plus, I’ve seen the way you look at Eddie so--”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait.” Steve scoffs. “How I look at Munson? The Freak.”

“Well, yeah, it’s like you’re being tortured or something.” He shrugs. “It’s kind of romantic, honestly.”

Jesus Christ. “Okay. Wow.” This is worse than every Upside Down encounter combined. “Dustin, I will repeat: I am not gay. There’s an explanation for all of those things, but it doesn’t involve my sexuality in any way. Got it?”

Dustin raises an eyebrow, totally not believing him. Finally, he leans back. Crosses his arms. “Alright then, I’m listening.”

Whenever he did let himself picture how telling one of the kids would go, this hadn’t been what he’d imagined. But really, this has already gone so terribly, so how could it possibly get worse?

(Dustin could look at him like he’s broken, like he doesn’t recognize him, could tell him that he doesn’t trust Steve to watch his back, could start treating him differently or avoiding him, he’s already hanging out with Munson more, why not just abandon him altogether--)

“Alright.” He runs a hand through his hair before settling it on the bottom of the wheel, gripping it so tight his knuckles go sheet white. “So. Yeah, I’ve been distracted and not...listening as well.”

“Because you’ve been thinking about--”

“Nope!” Steve closes his eyes. Deep breaths and quick prayer to not kill a child. “It’s because I literally can’t listen as well as I used to. I--I have hearing loss.”

His second time saying it out loud to another person and it’s met with a similar kind of gut-turning silence. Steve watches Dustin’s face go through several rapid changes before settling on something confused, his mouth slightly open and his eyebrows low.

“Oh.”

Then he looks mad.

“You have what? Dude!” He starts slapping Steve across his arm. “Since when?”

“Since--Jesus, man, stop! Since the mall fire, okay?”

Dustin freezes and Steve does too, the guilt like ice in his chest. He looks at Dustin and knows he’s thinking about the elevator and the bunker and the sizzling of human flesh under a fucked up cattle prod. It had been a tough summer for all of them, but Steve won’t ever be able to forget how Dustin had sat next to him in his car, just like this, trembling when he told Steve about how he was having nightmares. About how he thinks he might have killed that guy, and what did that make him?

A hero, Steve had told him. You saved our lives.

“If I hadn’t--” Dustin starts.

“Cutting you off there, Henderson. This,” Steve waves a hand around his face, “is not your problem. Okay? It has nothing to do with you.”

Dustin looks so small then, so lost, and Steve feels his heart twist. He reaches over and ruffles his hair. “It’ll be okay. I can still hear out of my right ear, so I’ve got that going for me.”

Dustin frowns. “Does anyone else know?”

“Only you and Robin. I just...haven’t found the right time.”

“The right time being when? It’s been months. If we’d known, we could have helped you.”

Just like with Robin, he doesn’t have a good answer. Doesn’t really have any answer, and doesn’t know when he will. “I’ll get around to it. Sometime. But,” he locks eyes with Dustin, “you have to promise me you won’t tell anyone until I’m ready.”

“Steve--”

“Promise me, Dustin.” He stares him down. “I’m dead serious.”

Dustin sighs, but nods. “Alright.”

“On your mom’s life?”

Dustin recoils. “Dude, you’re bringing my mom into this?” Then, “Alright, fine, I swear on my mother’s life. Cross my heart and hope to die and all that shit, I won’t tell a soul.”

“Thanks.” Steve claps him on the shoulder. “Now get out.”

“Does Robin know you’re gay?”

“What?” Robin can never know about this conversation. “Dude, no, I’m not gay!”

“So you are dating Robin.”

“I’m not dating anyone! Definitely not Robin, and I don’t have any kind of crush on Munson or anyone else!”

“But I swear, the way you look at him--”

“I hate his guts, now get out or I’ll hold your hat hostage.”

With a proper amount of grumbling, Dustin manhandles his backpack and steps out. He goes to shut the door, but pauses. “You know, you saved my life too. I’ve got your back no matter what. Okay?”

His eyes sting, so he itches his nose. Clears his throat to make sure it won’t crack when he says, “Yeah, Dustin, I know. You too.”

The next second he’s gone and Steve, alone in his car, is left to think that maybe...ASL lessons might not be so bad.

#stranger things #steve harringing #robin buckley #dustin henderson #hard of hearing steve harrington #hoh steve harrington #platonic stobin #steve later: I should talk to him about trying to get people to out themselves #also he FOR SURE tells robin about it #and regrets it immediately #cut to him and eddie dating and dustin just gives them the smuggest look #my writing

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fleshbarbie · 2 years

Text

more robin x bimbo!reader thoughts ...

okay so this is gonna be more of a headcanon’s type of post but i do really wanna write a whole imagine/fic for them one day !!! just lack of inspo / motivation rn :(

ANYWAYS <33

can definitely see everyone (the gang) being shocked when they find out you’re together (let’s just pretend robin has come out to the hawkin’s gang - not just steve) because you’re both just so different ??

like robin is all dirty converse and stevie nicks and you’re all madonna and pretty dresses. but somehow you both just mix perfectly and couldn’t be happier together.

there’s definitely been a few times you’ve tired to do robin’s make up, the whole lot we’re talking eyeshadow and blush and lipgloss, and though she admits yes it looked amazing (you’re very talented) she would never leave the house with it all on.

she’s in awe of how put together you look all the time, literally no matter what time it is or what day it is or if you have plans or not .. you’re always done up. not a hair out of place and it baffles her, because how is it 7am and you’re all done up with that breathtaking smile on your face?

though when she sleeps over at your house, she gets the pleasure of seeing you bare face with your hair thrown up and she falls for you even harder.

you definitely talk her through your skincare routine which has her furrowing her brows. “you really do all this? i just brush my teeth and call it a night.”

trying to coordinate your outfits !!! if she decides she’s wearing her checkered shirt, you’re 100% wearing your identical checkered skirt to match. if she’s at work, you’re definitely putting on your green leather jacket to meet up with her.

you mention your love for her rings once and she’s showing up to your house the next day with a bunch of identical ones for you to wear which almost has you crying at the sweet gesture.

your style definitely gets a lot of attention from the rest of hawkin’s, with your short skirts and dresses, you’re definitely confident with your body and don’t mind flaunting what you have which she loves but sometimes it attracts the wrong kind of attention.

and you’re so sweet and naive, you couldn’t sense someone’s wrong intentions from a mile away so robin definitely feels protective over you and she’s always keeping an eye on you if you ever drift away from her in public.

pulling your skirt down for you if it raises, coming between you and any guys who are either flirting with you or trying to take a peek down your shirt, happily handing over her jacket if your start to feel uncomfortable with all the attention you’re receiving.

you are constantly trying to take pictures of her / both of you together and she isn’t the biggest fan of it .. she always tries to hide whenever you point the camera her way so a lot of pictures you take have to be when she’s not aware. but your room is littered with polaroid’s of the both of you together, your favourite is taped to your mirror and you admire it every morning and night.

a little bit nsfw but i would definitely say you’re eachothers firsts. and the first time you do anything together it’s a little sloppy, a little messy but you both finish in the end so you count it as win. as time goes on you both get better at learning about eachothers bodies and it’s not long before your skills go from c- to a+.

going to visit robin at work and coming back from the break room with swollen lips and hickeys which has steve rolling his eyes but neither of you care, both sharing looks and giggling as you realise you weren’t being subtle at all.

omg driving robin to work when she sleeps over at your place the night before and leaving a big kiss on her cheek which always leave a lipstick stain which she never bothers to wipe off until keith starts lurking (because she knows he’ll make her wipe it off) !!!

i feel like once you begin dating and you become apart of the group, eleven definitely looks up to you because she’s more girlier than any of the other girls in the group. (max & erica are definitely more tomboy-ish imo ??). she’s not as girly as you of course but she’s always coming to you if she needs advice on outfits or wants to start learning how to do make up, etc.

nancy is also someone who comes to you whenever she needs advice, maybe she’s got a date with jonathan and isn’t sure what to wear or how to style the new dress she bought. you’re definitely her first thought !!! robin is always joking that you should start charging people for your time.

but overall the gang loves you (especially steve) because it’s so obvious you make robin very happy and robin deserves to have someone that makes her feel that way. they practically welcome you with open arms and you all grow very close so quickly.

last point i’m gonna make about the gang !!! but omg imagine will coming to you when he’s confused about his feelings for mike & you’re like the only person (besides his brother & mom ofc) that he feels comfortable enough with coming to with these thoughts. i <3 will so much.

ok back to you & robin ... she’s constantly helping you out with things that confuse you. you’re aware you aren’t the brightest but she’s so patient with you, never getting angry or annoyed if you still don’t understand things after she’s explained them 3/4 times already.

celebrating like every holiday together. on halloween you’re wearing matching costumes, on christmas you’re going to eachother’s houses and swapping gifts, on easter you’re buying a heap of chocolate and watching movies together, on thanksgiving you’re either at hers with her family or she’s at yours with your family.

sometimes she lays next to you in bed, watching you sleep (in a non creepy way) and can’t believe how lucky she got with you. she remembers how crushed she was when she found out vickie had a boyfriend, constantly ranting to steve about how her love life was doomed and she was going to be alone forever. but then you turned up and just ??? changed her life completely. she was forever grateful for you and planned on keeping you in her life as long as you’d let her.

now i need to write an actual fic because i’m so head over heels for robin buckley guys it’s so bad.

—

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@munsonslunchbox

#robin buckley x bimbo!reader #robin buckley headcanons #robin buckley x reader #robin buckley imagine #robin buckley fluff #robin buckley drabble #stranger things x reader #stranger things drabble #robin buckley

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munsonfamilyband · 1 year

Text

Part 5 of Different Meeting AU

This part is going to be very sappy, enjoy! The boys do imply a little bit more about their sex life so TW for this part: implied sexual content, discussion of torture, mentions of character death

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After Steve left the trailer park, he strapped the new bag of Eddie's things to his bike with the food, grabbed his backpack and started biking toward the lake. To stay out of sight he followed the train tracks, then split off from the woods when he reached Holland road. He pulled up to the house and hid his bike around the back, hurrying over to the boat house.

Steve carefully opened the door, peeking his head inside. "Eddie? I'm back, where are you?" At that, Eddie threw the tarp off and nearly ran to pull Steve into a hug. Steve could feel the anxiety thrumming off of Eddie like a physical thing and just held him tighter for a moment before finally pulling back to look him in the eyes. Eddie gave him a small smile, eyes still tight.

"Hey, did you get snacks?"

"Yeah, I grabbed you some clothes too. Went to see the guys, let them know what happened. I saw Wayne too, he was smart enough to hide anything illegal or incriminating before he called the cops this morning, so I have all of your drugs and my clothes from your place. He did leave the handcuffs and condoms though, probably figured they didn’t scream Homosexual too much." Steve quickly spoke up when he saw the almost feral grin on Eddie's face, "and I am glad he did, we do not need to be getting carried away while hiding from the cops." Eddie's grin dropped, practically pouting.

"Not even a little carried away? It’s not like we ever really use the condoms anymore."

"Eddie, we had sex like two days ago. And we don’t exactly have the ability to clean up around here.”

"Tell me about it, that's two whole days." Steve just rolled his eyes, ignoring the warmth he always feels in his chest whenever Eddie shows how much he wants him.

"C'mon, horndog, let's go into the house. We never cleaned up our picnic last weekend so all the blankets and pillows are still out. I brought our book too, so you can read to me tonight." Steve held out his hand, Eddie grabbing it quickly and pressing a kiss to the back of it as the head toward Steve's bike. They grab the bags and head into the house, setting them down on the kitchen table. "The food is in the duffle bag, can you put it away while I talk to Robin and let her know I'm back? I promised I would walkie to tell her." Eddie nodded, pressing a kiss to Steve's shoulder as he passed him to go put the food away.

Steve dug his walkie out of his backpack and tuned into the right channel. "Robin, are you there?"

"Steve! Did you get back to the lake okay?"

"Yeah, I just got back. I stopped by the trailer on the way here and saw Wayne, he had all my stuff packed up from the trailer, along with any incriminating items." Robin snorted through the walkie talkie.

"So he found all of Eddie's drugs and sex toys?"

"No!" Steve paused as he blushed. “We don’t leave that stuff at the trailer.” He only blushed more when Robin’s laugh came through the walkie.

“But he found all the drugs?”

"Shut up, Robs. Yes, Wayne found all of Eddie’s drugs. I just wanted to let you know I got back safe. Now can I get back to my boyfriend?”

"Good. Also, you're welcome, by the way. I managed to keep Dustin from outing you, I figured you would want to tell Nancy yourself." Steve sighed softly, so unbelievably grateful for his best friend.

"Thank you, Robbie. I'll have to find a time to tell he when we all meet up to plan, hopefully soon."

"Yeah, Nance actually was at the trailer park earlier. She said she had gone to investigate and ran into Eddie's uncle, he said something about Victor Creel? She said he was like a crazy murder from the 50s so I think we're planning on going to the library tomorrow to do some research."

"Alright, keep me posted on whatever you learn. I'm starving and I know Eddie must be too, so I'm going to go make us some food. Stay safe, Rob, over and out." Steve listened to her quick goodbye and pushed down the antenna of the walkie, setting it on the table before heading into the kitchen. "You hungry? I know I am." Eddie was sitting on the counter, flipping a butter knife in an attempt to look cool.

"I'm always hungry, and I have definitely missed your food this week." Steve smiled at him and got out the ingredients for quick goulash, knowing it was one of Eddie's favorites.

"I meant to tell you, Wayne wanted me to let you know that he never thought you were guilty." Glancing over at Eddie, Steve could see his shoulders visibly relax. Clearly, that had been weighing heavily on his mind.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, he knew you would be worried about him thinking you were like your dad, and he wanted you to know that he never did."

"I love that old man." Steve laughed, leaning his hip against Eddie's knee where he was still sitting on the counter.

"He loves you too." Steve cooked quickly, getting their food together so they could move into the living room to eat. Once their food was in bowl, he and Eddie went into the living room, sitting down on the blankets they left there.

After a few minutes of eating quietly, with only the sounds of the silverware and Eddie’s knee bouncing to fill the silence, Eddie finally spoke up. “So…. Tortured by Russians?” Steve sighed, setting his mostly empty bowl down on the floor. Without commenting first, Steve turned and grabbed the bag with his items in it, pulling it closer. He dig through the front zipper pouch and pulled out a small square box, opened it and pulled out a small blue piece of plastic that he carefully wrapped around his left ear. Steve saw the realization on Eddie’s face when he looked up, Eddie reaching a hand out to gently touch his left ear. “Sugar, why didn’t you say something?”

“I was scared, mostly. With the kids... I'm the one who keeps them safe, I didn't want to give them a reason to think I couldn't do that anymore." Steve looked at his hands as he spoke but was forced to look up when Eddie cupped both of his cheeks in his hands.

"Stevie, they are always going to need you around, it is okay to need help sometimes. So, from now on, you are going to promise that you will wear that hearing aid, understand?" Steve stared at Eddie for a moment before he nodded, placing his hands over Eddie's and just keeping him there. The moment was broken when a sharp pain radiated from behind Steve's left eye and he gasped, dropping Eddie's hands to push his palm into the eye socket in an attempt to stop the pain. "Migraine?"

"Fuck, yeah. Of course I didn't bring my good meds with me, shit it's bad." Steve squeezed his eyes shut to keep out the lights and he heard Eddie stand and walk away. Distantly Steve heard the stairs creak then footsteps on the second floor, before the stairs creaked again and Eddie was sitting in front of him once more.

"These aren't your good ones but I figured some motrin is as good as we can get right now. Here, give me your hand and I'll give you the pills." Keeping his eyes shut, Steve put out one of his hands and felt three pills be placed into it. After he popped them into his mouth, Eddie grabbed his hand and placed a glass of water in it so he could swallow the pills. "Good. Did something set it off? Normally you have a trigger."

"Well I would say I'm pretty stressed today so that would explain it." Eddie huffed a quiet laugh.

"Alright, that's fair. Let's lay down for a bit and once you're feeling a bit better we can keep talking." Steve let himself be guided to laying down and he curled himself against Eddie, using his chest to block out the light. Once the medicine kicked in Steve was able to shift backwards enough to look up at Eddie who was looking right back at him. "Meds doing their job, honey?"

"Yeah, you still want to hear about last summer?" Eddie nodded and Steve sighed, closing a fist around Eddie's shirt and gripping it tight. "Alright, well we told you about how we found out that the Russian's had a base under the mall but we didn't explain how we got into it. We had to drag Erica in, which I still feel so guilty for because she was only 10, and she went through the vents to get into this storage room they had on the loading dock. She opened the doors for us and we all went inside to investigate but the doors shut behind us and locked. Next thing I know the room is dropping because it was actually an elevator. We got stuck in that elevator for hours before some guards came to collect stuff from the room and we got out of there only to have to walk for miles. I think Erica actually knows how far we traveled but I wasn't there when she did the math so I don't know how far it was."

"Wait, Erica just did the math for how long you guys traveled?"

"Yeah, Dustin said she did at least. That's why he calls her a nerd apparently. Anyway, we got to the center of the base and Erica spotted the comms room, I won a fight against a Russian guard and then we found the gate they were opening to the Upside Down. At that point, Dustin and I knew this was really really bad. Then the alarms went off and we all had to run. We got cornered in a supply closet and Rob and I held the door shut so the kids could get into the vents and escape."

"You didn't..."

"I did. I couldn't let them get ahold of Dustin and Erica and Rob wouldn't leave me behind so we got captured. I knew Robin would start talking if she had the chance because she was nervous so I decided... I decided I would just be louder and more annoying so she wouldn't be their main focus. It worked and we got taken to separate rooms where I-" Steve cut off, his throat closing up from the memories of what he experienced in that bunker. "I would rather not go into detail, but, uh, they kept asking who I worked for and I had nothing to say other than the truth which they didn't like. I got knocked out eventually and when I came to I was tied back to back with Robin in a different room. She was yelling about needing a doctor and she said that she thought I might have been dead because she couldn't see me breathing. I'm pretty sure that was the broken ribs though."

"Jesus H Christ, Stevie. They nearly beat you to death."

"After I came to they asked us more questions before deciding that the best thing to do next was to give us some truth serum or something. They grabbed these syringes full of blue stuff and stuck it right in our necks. That's why I'm so spooked by needles now."

"Shit, that- well, that explains so much. sweetheart. I cannot believe you went through that and are still willing to put yourself in more danger."

"Yeah, well, the kids would get involved no matter what, and you're involved now. There was no way I would leave you to deal with this alone. There, um. There is something else. I think now that you know everything, it’s probably a good time to mention it.” Steve tilted his head up so his chin was resting against Eddie’s sternum and felt Eddie push a hand under his shirt to rest against the small of his back, radiating heat and comfort.

“What’s up? I thought I knew everything at this point, do you have another head injury to tell me about?” Steve huffed out a laugh, he could tell Eddie was trying to lighten the mood for both of them. He was so glad that he didn’t have to hide things anymore, even if he was terrified about Eddie being involved in the Upside Down.

“So, uh, I’m pretty sure we mentioned how after Billy beat me up in ‘84 Hopper took me to the hospital, right?”

“Yeah, someone mentioned it.”

“Cool, um, the thing is that wasn’t just it. After-after the hospital figured out my parents weren’t coming, Hop stepped in as uh, he said in loco parentis, but basically he was acting as my parent since I was still 17. He ended up bringing me back to his cabin after they discharged me, the hospital didn’t want me to be alone since it was a grade 3 concussion and I had the cuts on my head from the plate.” He felt Eddie’s hand curl a little tighter around his waist at the mention of the head injury again and Steve pressed a kiss to Eddie’s chest. “I’m glad he stepped up, I didn’t have anyone else. But, after that, I don’t know how it happened, somehow I sort of got absorbed into their little family. El and I got really close and that’s why I’m close with Max, and Hop-“ Steve paused as his throat closed up, it had been so long since he had even talked about Hopper’s death and it still hurt. “He became the first real father figure I had ever had. But then, Starcourt happened and he-“ This time Eddie cut him off, pulling him close so Steve didn’t have to push himself to say it.

“I know, I saw the news. I’m so sorry, princess. I had no idea you were close to him.”

“It wasn’t a long time, just around 8 months but it was enough for me to get attached to both of them. And now-now he’s gone and El’s in California, which is the best place for her but it still hurts. It’s why I was so emotional about Wayne just… accepting me the way he did. Hop had just… it had only been a few weeks and Wayne was so much like him. He’s- Wayne has helped a lot with that healing, he and Hop would have gotten along really well, I think.”

Eddie paused, just holding Steve close and rubbing his back gently. “Yeah, I think you’re right.” He hummed gently before shifting them around so he was pressed up against Steve’s back. “Wayne really loves you. Sometimes I think he loves you more than me.” Steve just laughed, holding Eddie’s hands in his own.

“No way, you’re his son, Eds. He does care though which I appreciate.”

They lapse into silence, just holding each other before Steve suddenly snorts a laugh.

“I don’t think Hop would have liked you very much.” Eddie pauses for a moment and then starts laughing.

“Absolutely not, you’re totally right. I don’t think he would want a drug dealer hanging out with his kid. Much less dating that kid.”

“I saw how he was with Mike, and that was just because he thought Mike was annoying. I think you dodged a bullet, possibly literally.” Eddie just laughed and held Steve closer to him. "Eds?"

"Yeah?"

"How are you doing? With all of this stuff." He can hear and feel Eddie sigh against the back of his neck and Eddie squeezes Steve's hand.

"Honestly?... Shit, Stevie, I'm scared out of my mind. For me, for you, for Robbie, for those god damn kids. I was prepared to have a spring break full of alone time where we got laughably high and fucked on just about every surface in this house. Now? I'm potentially on the run for murder and there's an evil wizard from another dimension that can possess people and kill them without leaving any evidence. If you hadn't shown up in that boat house, I think I would have gone insane."

"Eddie, it's okay to be terrified, you know? The first time, hell, the second time too, that I did this I thought I was going crazy. I couldn't stand having the lights off and any time I saw a bulb flicker I jumped. Even last time, you know what I did to just be able to sleep. You're allowed to be scared. So you and I are just going to lean on each other and we can make it through this." Steve felt wetness on his neck and knew Eddie had been crying at some point, so he turned around to face him and he pressed a kiss to Eddie's nose. He was smiling but when they were able to see each other's faces Steve saw Eddie frown.

"Is your nose bleeding?" Eddie asked before Steve reached a hand up and wiped under his nose, finding blood on his fingers when he pulled them away.

"That hasn't happened in a while. Don't worry though, sometimes it happens with the headaches."

"Alright, if you're sure." Steve just curled back up against Eddie without further comment as Eddie's hand carded through his hair. "You want me to read a bit before we go to bed."

"Yes please." He felt Eddie twist to grab their book before a kiss was pressed to the top of his head and Eddie started to read.

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And that's it for this part. I had the part about Hopper written days ago but I wasn't sure how to work it in until today. I'm obsessed with Accidental Parent Hopper who stumbles into being a father for two kids.

Also, there is a good bit of foreshadowing in this chapter, both from the show and some of my own

Taglist

@messrs-weasley @y0urnewstepp4r3nt @eddie-munsons-lunchbox @live-the-fangirl-life @nburkhardt @inmoonywetrust @henderdads @vlada-elya @grtwdsmwhr @spectrum-sceptre @madamonsieur-silvrene @abookisproofofmagic @knitsforthetrail @imzadidragonfly @blackholegladiator @maya-custodios-dionach @phantypurple @booksandsience @formacoon @gregre369 @beeing-stuupid @imsociallyanxiousgetoverit

#steddie #steve harrington #stranger things #eddie munson #different meeting au #Jim Hopper accidentally adopts people and he complains about it constantly but refuses to stop being a parent #Eddie is obsessed with Steve and he witnessed the “tell me about it” moment between Steve and Nancy #he regularly shows Steve how much he loves him by using that line #i don't know if I said it but they're reading through LotR together -> adding to my dyslexic Steve agenda

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rogerswifesblog · 1 year

Text

- Chapter 4 -

Warnings: mentioning of cannibalism (not from reader)

Series Masterlist

Previous chapter [ 3 ]

You spent most of your days very similar-it was nearly like a routine, the nights were a bit harder, you didn’t sleep a lot, then you ate breakfast with Steve and Bucky, sometimes with someone else, when they were already awake. And Bucky often brought Alpine, since you seemed to really like the fluffy cat.

After, you spent time with Natasha or Tony-which Steve regretted after the first time he heard you say fuck.

It happened when he dropped his phone after taking it out of his pants pocket. He wanted to pick it up, but stopped mid movement when he heard the quiet fuck. “Who taught you this?” He asked, grabbing his phone and crossing his arms. You turned your head to the side, pretending not to hear him. That was definitely something you had seen Clint doing.

He was really impressed how quickly you learned and adapted to this world, learning new words and behavior. Even though he definitely had to discuss with you, what words were appropriate.

Sighing, Steve just shook his head. “Don’t say that, Mer. That’s a bad word,” he mumbled, already planning on having a word with Tony about teaching you curse words. At least he could’ve taught you how and when to use them.

Someone entered the room. Steve already knew who it would be, Dr Cho. He had asked her to come to the living room, since he didn’t want you to feel bad in a lab or medical room. It could remind you of HYDRA and that’s really not the goal. You should feel safe here.

“Who that?” You asked Steve quietly, hiding behind Steve’s body. He was so big. You couldn’t stop your hands from slowly sliding them along his slim waist, up to his wide shoulders. Steve felt himself blush when you started touching him, trying to keep his breathing calm. You touched him a lot, even when someone was in the room. It never failed to make him blush. Sometimes he could swear it was close to PDA even though you two weren’t a couple.

But he tried not to interpret too much into it. Maybe this was the way merpeople behaved with friends.

It still didn’t make him stop hoping otherwise.

“It’s Dr. Cho, she’ll check your injuries,” said the blond, slowly putting his arm around your shoulders and making you step forward. He felt you were still a bit unsure, so he kept his arm around you, which he noticed you really liked. Steve could feel you relax immediately.

After sitting down, Dr Cho started taking off your bandages, cleaning your wound, which were mostly healed. She noticed your wounds were already in the last healing process-which wouldn’t be until a few weeks for a normal person. “Interesting…” mumbled the woman, while you looked again to Steve, holding your hand out to him.

He already knew his cheeks took on a rosy colour, but he grabbed your hand and squeezed gently. A small smile spread over your lips. You felt much more comfortable holding his hand, squeezing when you felt scared or uncomfortable.

This happened as soon as Dr Cho wanted to touch the bandage on one side of your neck, where your gills had been injured. You squeezed Steve’s hand so hard, he winced, stepping in quickly-but he was really proud you didn’t hiss. This was something he had also explained to you. No, no, Mer, people don’t hiss, that’s not very polite.

“I think I should do it-take of the bandages, I mean. She doesn’t like anyone touching it,” said the man and Dr. Cho nodded, stepping away a bit. Steve took her place, making you look up at him.

He brushed your hair back, which you were brushing all the time-or make someone else do it. Especially him. Sometimes Bucky took over, when he noticed Steve’s arm was hurting. Steve teased him about his metal arm being perfect for brushing your hair, since it didn’t go numb after a whole hour of hair brushing.

But Steve still really liked it.

It actually felt really intimate, when you asked him to do it, just the two of you, sitting in your room. You between his legs, leaning on him. Sometimes nuzzling your nose against his neck.

Natasha once walked in on you two doing it and you seemed slightly embarrassed, hiding your head against his chest. He didn’t really know why, but he felt like being caught in the act, even though you hadn’t done anything. So why did he feel so flushed looking into Natashas eyes since then?

“Is this okay?” Steve asked quietly, slowly taking off the bandage that covered the side of your neck. “Is okay, Steve can do.” You mumbled, looking to the side, so he had more access to your neck.

He didn’t know why, but he felt a warmth spread in his chest, feeling some kind of…happiness or pride. It didn’t make sense, but it made him feel good.

The wound itself looked much better. It wouldn’t take long for it to heal-and Steve hated himself for wishing, it could be otherwise.

Dr. Cho stepped a bit closer, making you pull Steve a bit closer against you. He brushed your hair behind your ear, gently scratching your scalp-he knew it relaxed you. “We should put a cream on the injuries, but I don’t think it needs any more bandages. It looks well healed.”

Within a couple minutes Helen left, leaving Steve to take care of your injuries.

He creamed every wound gently, making sure to be extra careful around your gills.

You noticed how gentle he was, which made your heartbeat quicken, while your gills fluttered slightly. Steve withdrew his hand, slightly scared he had hurt you, but you pressed yourself back into his hand. “Nice..” you mumbled.

“Why don’t you let anyone touch you here?” Steve caressed along your neck, sitting down close to you, which made you lean against his arm.

You let your own hand stroke over your gills, thinking. It was hard to explain everything to Steve, without having a complete vocabulary like him. “Is….hurts easily. Sensitive. Nobody touches gills, just me or family or close people,” you tried to explain it a bit more, even though you didn’t know if he really understood.

“I understand. Thank you for trusting me.” He said, gently stroking over your gills, not completely knowing what it meant for you, when he touched them.

You sighed happily.

The touches around your neck made your heartbeat quicken.

Even though Steve wasn’t completely aware of what he was doing, you still hoped he meant it.

He’d be a great mate. So gentle and careful…

Your mother would like him.

Well, besides the fact he was human…it’s not like your kind liked people. Merpeople never showed themself to humanity, not unless it was necessary, for example when their ships sank.

Steve thought for a while, still caressing your skin. “Do you miss your family?” He regretted asking this, probably knowing the answer. Everyone missed their family-and you were probably away for a long time.

“Wha’s miss?” you turned to steve, to be able to look at him. He wasn’t really sure how to explain the concept of missing someone to you, but he had to try, right? “It’s….it’s when you’re sad, because you don’t see a person for a long time and you really want to. You miss them…” he pulled his eyebrows slowly together, looking back at you, checking if you understood.

It seemed like you did, because you had a sad expression on your face. Steve put his arms once again around you, pulling you into a tight hug. “I miss family…friends and partner,” you had heard Natasha call Clint her partner on missions, just like Bucky and Steve-but what you didn’t know was the other meaning of it. You had a hunt partner, just like everyone else. Nobody was allowed to go alone, it was too dangerous.

You thought Steve understood you. But he didn’t. Partner. Steve’s assumption was you meant a lover, not a partner for hunting.

He felt his heart shatter.

Break into pieces.

Hundreds of small, sharp pieces, digging into his broken soul.

Why did he always fall for people he couldn’t have?

He was stupid to hope he could be with a mermaid.

It’s not like he lived in a fairytale and could make a mermaid fall in love with a boring guy from Brooklyn. He was nothing compared to a merman.

Tony was right. You needed to get back to your real home. Just because Steve had a little crush on you, it wouldn’t change anything about your being. You belong in the ocean, with your own species, not here with Steve.

No matter how badly he wanted you to stay.

“Oh, that’s…it makes sense you miss them. We’ll get you back home, I promise, Mer,” he whispered in your brushed hair, slowly letting go of you. He felt your grip tighten on his shirt for a moment, before finally letting go.

A small smile spread over your lips. “Thank you, Steve.” You brushed your nose against his cheek. It made Steve’s lip twitch into a smile, even though he felt a little tug in his heart. He couldn’t believe he was so stupid. Of course you had someone waiting for you at home.

Steve had no idea how dating among merpeople looked like.

Even though you had only heard people talk about it, mostly telling kids stories about finding true mates, there was something that never left your mind.

A legend.

There was a legend among your people, about being able to see your mate in dreams, especially before meeting them, but nobody knew if it was true or just a coincidence. It wasn’t uncommon for anyone to see someone in their dreams-but there was always this one person you saw often.

You had these dreams quite often, especially before and after you were captured by HYDRA.

You always saw rosy, plump kissable lips, sometimes in a more serious expression, sometimes with a little pout or a bright smile, making you want to smile, even in the darkest times during your captivity. This smile was the only thing, making you still want to fight.

The bright blue eyes that always made your heart flutter. You wanted to look into these beautiful eyes-and you finally did, luring the soldiers to free you. For a moment you had felt bad for using a song to find you, but you didn’t know how else to do it.

As soon as they entered the room, you knew you had seen these beautiful eyes before-but then everything happened so quick, you didn’t have much time to think about what to do next.

Normally you wouldn’t try to fight a starved siren. They were much more dangerous and unethical, more a beast than anything else. You were scared, but you would do it again and again.

Steve was good. He had a big heart.

You heard many stories from Bucky, Natasha-actually from every team mate. They loved Steve and it didn’t surprise you why. He was so good…so gentle…you were happy to have him as-

“It’s time for lunch, let’s go and get something to eat,” mumbled Steve, already standing up. Nodding you did the same, going with Steve into the kitchen, where Bucky was cooking with a girl you didn’t know, with a gentle voice and sweet smile. Ingredients flew around the kitchen, while a red shimmer surrounded them.

A little gasp escaped your lips, while you looked at the red lights, grabbing their attention. Wanda already had heard about you, so it didn’t surprise her to see a new face. Bucky had told her all about you.

“Hello, you must be Y/N?” Said the witch, gently smiling at you. Taking your eyes off of the lights, you nodded. “Yes, me Y/N, who you?” You asked, making everyone grin.

The whole team had noticed how quickly you had already learned to use words in a whole sentence-it wasn’t always correct, but it was impressive. You were a very quick learner.

Wanda shook your hand, when you held yours out. “I’m Wanda, I’m also responsible for the flying red lights,” she added, noticing you staring at her magic in the air. Hearing this you immediately lightened up. “Oh, nice! So pretty,” then you sniffed the air slightly, when a delicious smell filled your nostrils. “What food cooking?” With that she pulled you closer to the oven-quickly explaining that it’s hot.

“Is it okay if I take Bucky for a moment and you keep an eye on her?” Steve asked, already pulling Bucky out of the kitchen. Wanda waved him off, showing you how to help her prepare the food. It felt nice to do something and not only watch Steve and Bucky cook.

Steve had to go to someone-and this someone was Bucky, which was nothing new. They always talked about everything, especially about you in the last few days.

They sat down on Steve’s bed, not wanting anyone to hear them in the living room. Steve wouldn’t live it down, if Tony would hear him admit the billionaire had been right.

“Her injuries are nearly healed. I think…she wants to go back to her family…and partner,” he added the last part a bit quieter, sighing. Even Bucky couldn’t stop the quiet sigh escaping his throat.

Bucky put his arm around Steve’s shoulder, pulling him in a hug, not knowing what else to do. “We knew this would happen, Steve…I know it’s…god, I really don’t know what to say, I’m sorry.” Bucky brushed over Steve’s back, putting his chin on his head.

“Wanna watch Hercules?”

Steve grinned slightly, nodding. This would probably cheer him a bit up.

Meanwhile you were cooking with Wanda. She showed you how to cut some vegetables, how to use a pan, even though it took a bit longer till you understood everything-especially how to use the stove, but Wanda saw you enjoyed it.

“What do you normally eat? I mean, when you’re in water? Is it just fish or…?” Wanda asked, not even knowing what else there could be. Shrimps maybe?

“Everything we find, it not always easy. Sometimes weeks without big meals-but it’s okay. It’s normal,” you started explaining, looking up from the pan. “Some eat human-but not my…yhm..clan,” this time Wanda looked slightly horrified, but also relieved it wasn’t your family who did that.

You just seemed happy with being able to talk about your life, using more words and longer sentences, than on the first day.

Wanda watched you for a moment, while you added some more pepper to the vegetables. “And how is it possible for you to control someone just by singing? Is it because of your voice or do you control someone’s mind?” Asked the witch.

She was always curious about others abilities, especially about controlling other people’s mind. “We sing when ship breaks and humans die. We sing so humans forget, come to us… feel safe.” Wanda listened to your talking, slowly pulling her eyebrows together.

In myths mermaids were portrayed as beautiful creatures, who sing songs to lure sailors to crash into the rocks, but from what you’re saying it’s more like…you were making them forget the pain. Help them.

“Sirens are bad. Kill and eat humans. We want humans to find…mhm….peace?” “Yeah, peace, that sounds right,” mumbled the witch, putting her hand on your shoulder for a moment.

After finishing cooking, Wanda showed you how to set the table and then told you to go get the soldiers. Normally she just could tell Friday to inform them, but you seemed to like doing it yourself.

Walking to Steve’s room, where you assumed they would be, you knocked, waiting for someone to answer. Steve’s voice made you enter the room. “Mm, Bucky and Steve, come food?” You said, watching them entangle and stop the movie.

“You helped Wanda cook?” Asked the blond and you nodded immediately, with a big grin on your lips. It felt really good to be the one providing Steve with food for once.

Wanda had definitely done the most, but she still let you take some of the credit, hiding a little smile, even though both men noticed it.

Chapter 5

Thank you for reading

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carolmunson · 2 years

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the vacation diaries - entry two

entry one eddie keeps a journal from your time together at the inn in upstate indiana. a series of blurbs starting from the first morning after ’before there was a before’ in my steddieverse series.

warnings: 18+ themes, minors dni. mentions of seeing a therapist/being put on medication. otherwise, pure fluff.

dinner was a disaster. for me, at least. i think she thought it was pretty funny, and if i can get her to laugh instead of whatever wistful look she’s been pulling then maybe my suffering is okay. who fucking over cooks duck? it’s impossible to make duck dry. i wanted to send it back but i didn’t want them to spit in her desert. i’ve made better duck in wayne’s trailer! i’m so pissed.

don’t even get me started on the excuse for pasta primavera that was on her plate. of course she thought it was good — i thought maybe i made her palette a little more sophisticated over time. i guess not.

i think she felt a little better yesterday after she got out of the shower. a little refreshed. we mostly drove around to look at all the scenery out here — the snow makes it extra nice. we stopped by a diner for coffee and she held my hand the whole time again. i missed that. all those gentle touches. she got so reserved, i think maybe she felt like she had to earn them. she’s never have to earn gentleness from me. maybe it’s a learned behavior.

despite the awful food, dinner was fine-ish. i should've just jumped in the back and cooked everything instead. i promised when we got back home i'd make her something better. talking about home made her sad. she didn't say she was sad. but i could tell in her eyes that it made her think about steve. steve always orders pasta primavera when he goes out to dinner. it's always never as good as i make it at home.

she looked really pretty. she always does. she wore that lipstick i like and winked at me when she put it on in the mirror. i think sometimes when i look at her i'm gonna explode. she makes me want to fucking explode.

it was nice to kiss it all off after dinner. we came back here and hung out in the common area for a bit, made friends with some old folks and played checkers, they shared their bourbon with us. i taught her how to play chess. sort of taught her. she definitely still doesn’t get it but that’s okay. we played checkers with the old folks until they had to go to bed the way old folks do. she hasn’t smiled like that in a long time. her laugh is so genuine when she’s not trying to hide it from steve. the way the corners of her lips crease right before she’s about to giggle. i never see that anymore. i wanna make her laugh forever.

she kissed me up here and thanked me for dinner but she doesn’t have to. we made out a little a lot, and i know she wanted to fuck but i just didn’t feel like it was the right time. and like, who the fuck am i, right? when have i ever said no? but i don’t know, i just don’t want her to think i brought her up here to fuck it out of her. i want her to relax. i want it to be about her.

he called this morning. right when she left the room to go save us a table for breakfast. he's not sleeping, he called his doctor to find a shrink. he's scared they're gonna put him on pills, but maybe he needs pills. he sounds bad but he said he's not mad at me. i shouldn't care if he is or not, but it felt nice to hear him say it. he didn't ask to talk to her which i thought was brave but i know he was listening hard to hear her in the background.

i don't know what we're gonna do today, she's getting dressed and doing her hair. maybe we'll just drive around until we find something cool. take her shopping at some of the little kitchy stores that're over here. get some dumb christmas ornaments for next year.

i'm excited to kiss her again.

i'm more excited to hold her hand.

- ed

#vacation diaries #the steddieverse

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thruheavenandhighwater · 1 year

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Pairing: Steve Harrington/ Eddie Munson (kinda?)

Requested By: NA

Word Count: 2,324

Summary: Steve gets just a bit defensive when the people around him continue to insist that he's got feelings for Eddie.

Based on the song I Won't Say I'm In Love from Disney's Hercules.

Stranger Things Masterlist

Steddie Masterlist

~~~~~

Steve was cautious with his heart. Guarded it behind a brick wall ten feet tall, barbed wire around the top, and a moat full of alligators. Ever since high school anyone dumb enough to get close would get close enough to see all of his warding and immediately turn tail and run. Which was good. Great, even. That's how he liked it. That's how it had to be.

He'd learned young that the honeymoon phase was not worth the pain that came once it all came crashing down. The aggravation, the hurt, the heartache. There was nobody that Steve would willingly ever put himself through that for. Not again. He'd done it once, and that was enough. Ancient history. Been there, done that.

"You know, you're not as hard to read as you think you are."

Robin's announcement from the passenger seat of his beemer caught him off guard. He glanced over to her for a moment, the lines on his forehead deepening with confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

"Eddie," she answered plainly as she pulled the visor down to check her mascara.

Steve nearly drove off the road. Nobody had been talking about Eddie. He hadn't come up in conversation one time all day, yet here she is acting like she knows something because she name dropped him out of nowhere.

"You're cracked," he sighed as he signaled a turn out of town.

"Am I?" She asked as she slammed the visor back up. "You're like, in love with the guy and you won't even admit it."

Steve gawked. His jaw slacked as he stared blindly at the road. He wasn't in love with Eddie. He hadn't been in love with anyone for a long time. That wall was solid.

"You really think I don't know you well enough to know? I'll admit, it took me a while to figure it out but once I had all the pieces, it was easy enough to see."

"Oh," Steve scoffed. "I can't wait to hear what pieces you think you have."

"You're joking, right?" He simply shrugged, eyebrows raised as he silently urged her to continue. She rolled her eyes and shifted in her seat. "You talk about him like he's some… some fantasy super hero or something. Like he's your whole world. Which, honestly, kinda rude when you consider that I'm like, right here."

Steve rolled his eyes dramatically. He rolled down his window just enough to let a bit of fresh air into the suddenly too warm car. He didn't do that. He didn't look at Eddie any type of way, and certainly no differently than he looked at everyone else. Okay, so maybe he was kinda cute. If you were into guys with frizzy hair and dimples. Which Steve very much is not.

"All I'm saying is that I can tell, and I guess I get it. You're not as good at hiding it as you seem to think you are. Just say that you're in love with him and I'll stop."

"I won't say it because it's not true."

It was the most ridiculous accusation Steve had ever heard. In love with Eddie Munson. One of the more unfounded theories Robin had come up with since they met. Right up there with thinking the underpaid teenagers at Burger King were putting mind control substances in the burgers to make you buy more fast food. Absolutely incredible. In love with Eddie Munson. No. Absolutely not.

Steve's heart had learned its lesson. I would feel good at first. He'd spend a few months on cloud nine, floating blissfully through life. But for what? To end up losing a battle with himself and crying his heart out on the drive home? No. Not again. It had been drilled into his head quickly and painfully and mercilessly. Nancy would apologize, eventually. A few years later when they were on friendlier terms again. But it didn't make the initial sting any less harsh.

The very next morning Dustin gave him a very similar, but much more harsh talking to. He had "missed" the bus and called Steve for a ride. It happened once a week at least, and conveniently only on days that Steve didn't have to work in the morning. Funny how that always seemed to work out. They had just pulled away from the Henderson home when Dustin decided it was his turn to make his case to Steve.

"So you're still acting like you're not crushing on Eddie?" Steve nearly turned the car into the ditch from the shock of it.

"Not you, too," he groaned as he righted the car.

"Oh, so you know that everyone knows?"

"There's nothing to know. I don't like Eddie, or whatever it is you all think."

"You've been past like for months, Steve. You're full on in love with him at this point."

"No, I'm not."

Dustin looked at him from the passenger seat. Steve could see him looking pensive in his peripherals, but he refused to look at him. First Robin and now Dustin? There has got to be something in the water lately that's making all of his friends lose their minds at the same time.

"I'm not buying it," Dustin announced. "I saw you last weekend at my place when he showed up. Practically hit the ceiling, followed him around like a puppy with that stupid little smile."

It took everything in Steve not to pull off the road and make Dustin walk the rest of the way. But he knew it would be pointless. He knew Dustin would refuse to get out and he'd end up driving him the rest of the way anyway. So he tightened his grip on the steering wheel and focused on the road. Just a few more miles to the school.

"If it helps, we're all pretty sure Eddie feels the same."

Steve groaned again, even louder this time. He turned to face Dustin. "He doesn't feel the same. There is no same to feel." He all but yelled. Dustin didn't even flinch, used to Steve's mini outbursts by now. "Look, we've all been through some shit, right? So we're all like, weirdly bonded or whatever. But that's it. I don't feel any different about him than I do about you or Jonathan or Max, got it?"

"You're being kinda childish," Dustin said pointedly. "Just face it. Be a grown up for five seconds and own up to the fact that you got it baaad for Eddie so that we can all move on."

Steve was quiet. He was annoyed, but he was quiet. He knew that there was no point in arguing. For as long as he's known Dustin Henderson, the boy had never backed down from anything. And he certainly never even entertained the idea that he might be wrong about something. So the car stayed silent for the rest of the drive. Dustin sat there with an unearned sense of accomplishment. Steve drove with his jaw clenched and his hand too tight around the wheel.

A few days later the person who had given him the lesson in heartbreak was the one to shock him, first into speechlessness and then into anger. They found themselves alone together in the pharmacy on a sunny Thursday afternoon. The weather was just starting to change, shifting from winter to Spring. The sun was bright and warm, a cool April breeze keeping it from being downright hot. Steve had rolled all his windows down and turned his music up loud on his drive to the pharmacy after work. It had been a perfect day. Had been, until Nancy Wheeler appeared at the opposite end of the first aid aisle and decided to speak her truth.

"Ya know, the kids all have a bet going about you," she told him, blue eyes scanning the back of the Tylenol bottle in her hand. He gave her a quizzical look. "To see how long it'll take you to make a move."

"A move on what?"

She took a breath, finally looking at him. "A move on Eddie."

He rolled his eyes, not really trusting himself to speak. Rich of her to think she gets to have an opinion on his love life when she was the one who had broken him almost beyond repair. He crossed his arms over his chest and took a step back from her.

"I'm just saying, we can all tell you've got a thing for him. You were all giggly last month at Will's birthday, and you kept doing that little sigh of yours. You know the one."

It was all very cliche. They see him laugh at one joke and all of the sudden everyone is convinced that it means he's in love. Eddie's just a funny guy. Well, that's not exactly true. But he tries to be funny, and Steve finds it endearing. It doesn't mean anything.

"I know your tells, Steve," she told him, trying to connect. "I know what your 'I love you' smile looks like. And you've been giving it to Eddie for months."

"You are so far off base, Nance," he sighed. He could feel himself beginning to edge towards anger. And it wasn't her fault, really. Or maybe it was. He couldn't tell anymore. All he knew was that Nancy was standing in front of him, pushing him towards something she thought he wanted.

"Listen, I don't know if this is a pride thing or-"

"A pride thing?" He repeated, shocking her as he cut her off. He felt his skin get hot beneath his clothes, despite the cold inside the pharmacy. A whirlwind of things ran through his mind as he looked down at her. He cleaned his jaw, eventually deciding that it wasn't worth it to start in on her. Not today. "Just… get off my case. Okay?"

And with that he placed the bottles he was holding back onto the shelf in front of him and turned towards the door.

He spent the drive home white knuckling the steering wheel. He was so mad. How dare Nancy Wheeler of all people think that she knows anything about him? Sure, they'd dated. They'd dated for a while, actually. And he'd loved her more than she loved him. And it had hurt like a bitch when she ran off with Jonathan and left him to pick up the pieces of his broken heart alone. She might have known him then. But that doesn't mean she knows him now.

As he got closer to the apartment he shared with Robin he decided that he wasn't ready to see her. He wasn't ready to tell her that his sour mood was the result of Nancy cornering him with the same accusation she had leveled against him a few days before. So he didn't go home. He turned left, then two rights until he was out of city limits. Nothing but miles and miles of empty two lane road ahead of him. He just needed to calm down.

So he drove. He fished around in the glovebox for some music. He blindly pulled a cassette from the glovebox and shoved it into the tape deck just a little too hard. He turned the volume knob just enough to hear the chorus of Panic by Anthrax. It was loud and fast and it should have annoyed him. But it didn't. He couldn't be annoyed by it, knowing that this was the last song Eddie had listened to in his car. It was only two days ago when Steve had dropped him off at home after a get together with The Party. Eddie had one beer and decided he simply couldn't drive home. It was a flimsy excuse to use Steve's radio to listen to his angry metal music without having to worry about silly little things like stop signs or pedestrians.

As the song continued, he thought back to two nights ago. Eddie was in his now empty passenger seat. He pulled the cassette from his vest pocket like he was surprised to find it there. Steve simply rolled his eyes and allowed him to replace Bruce Springsteen with Anthrax. Eddie cranked the volume and alternated between air guitar and air drums through the first three songs. But Panic, he had announced, was his favorite. He sat back, almost still, as he listened. The only movement was his fingertips drumming against his thigh as they pulled into the trailer park Eddie called home.

As soon as the car was parked Steve stopped the tape. He'd moan and groan about having a headache. He'd lie through his perfect teeth about Eddie's music being too loud, too annoying. But he knew that he wanted to be able to go back and listen to Eddie's favorite song again. He wanted to learn the words and the melodies. He wanted to be the one to drum the tune against Eddie's thigh.

Steve took his foot off the gas pedal and allowed himself to idle to a stop. He put the car in park right there on the side of county road 14. There was nothing around for miles. Just Steve and the growing corn around him. He was in love with Eddie Munson.

He wanted to tap out melodies on his lap. He wanted to know what his hair smelled like. He wanted to spend every night learning new things about him. He wanted to pull him in by that stupid denim vest and kiss him until his lungs ran out of air.

He was in love with Eddie Munson.

But he wasn't going to say it. He'd never say it. He'd never put himself back in that position. The one where a single person has the power to break you.

He was in love with Eddie Munson. But he wasn't going to say it. At least, out loud he wasn't going to say it.

~~~~~

I feel soooooo much better about this fic than I did about Snowed In. Anyway, hope you all enjoy!! I literally wrote this over like maybe three days so it was wicked fast but ugh I loved it. Feedback is always appreciated!! 🥰🥰🥰

#steddie fanfiction #steddie fanfic #steddie fan fic #steddie imagine #steddie angst #steve harrington/eddie munson #steve harrington x eddie munson #steve/eddie #steve x eddie #steve harrington angst #steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington fan fiction #steve harrington #Spotify

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