#i hate the harringtons sorry

[strawberryspence]

happy birthday, @stevesbipanic! i am glad you were born, you amazing human being. I hope you get to drink the coldest, most delicious, bougiest milo you can have. ILY broccoli! 💛

-

Steve has never had a birthday cake. He doesn't count the first six cakes his parents had for him, because he's pretty sure it was only for appearances.

He remembers his seventh birthday. How badly he wanted to have a Flintstones themed birthday party, and how his parents called it tacky. Instead, Steve had a lavish tea party with all of their investor friends. He remembers hating it.

After that, there's— nothing. There were Nannies or Babysitters that tried to make him feel better by bringing him to Benny's and he's thankful for that. But there's always that heart wrenching rip in his system when he sees a child. Surrounded by family, singing happy birthday as they wait to blow on a cake.

And the thing is if Steve never gets to have that, it’s okay. It’s really, really, really, okay. That also means he’ll do his best to give all the kids the best birthdays they can have, so they can never feel what he felt. If El wants a day just full of craft making? Sure. Dustin wants to visit this damn planetarium in Indianapolis? Okay. Mike wants to dress him like him for an entire day? Alright.

Steve is happy that way, until Eddie Munson comes crashing into his life with a broken bottle. And okay, maybe it’s not a great idea to lie in the biggest and probably the most important relationship he has right now, but he’s not going to tell Eddie his little sad secret.

What he forgot to account for is the fact that his boyfriend is the biggest snoop to ever exist.

“Wha— What’s this?” Steve stammers as he enters his house. It’s almost always dark when he comes home, the house dull and empty.

Tonight, it’s different. After having his birthday dinner with Robin, Steve drives them back to his house so they can have movie night. Supposedly.

Instead, Eddie’s standing behind the long wooden dining table that never gets used, with 20 different cupcakes, all lit with a candle. There’s food and banners and balloons with streamers.

Robin pushes him forward with a smile, “So…” Eddie walks towards him, “I found some of your childhood pictures.”

“Oh.” Steve breathes out.

“Look, maybe I am wrong. Maybe I got it all wrong. Maybe your parents just weren’t the kind of people that liked taking pictures and having to develop them. Maybe someday, you’ll tell me why you only have one childhood photo album or why there’s no pictures of your birthday parties past the age of six.”

Eddie says, hands nervously twisting around his hair, “But, on the off chance that I am right,” He shakes his head in disbelief, “On the off chance that you haven’t had a birthday cake or a birthday wish in 14 years, I got you 20 birthday cupcakes.”

Steve can barely hold himself anymore, tears threatening to spill from his eyes, “Why 20?”

Eddie smiles at him, and his eyes sparkle at Steve like he hung the damn moon and stars, like he fucking created the whole universe, “One for every year my favorite person has been alive.”

Steve chokes down a half sob, half whine as he slaps a hand on his mouth.

“Oh, sweetheart.” Eddie whispers as he wraps Steve in a comforting hug. They stay like that for a minute before Eddie says, “I am so happy you were born. There’s a few more people that are happy, they’re all hiding in the kitchen right now.”

“What?” Steve pulls back, hastily wiping his tears.

“The kids are all here. Nance, Jonathan, and Argyle.” Eddie tenderly wipes a stray tear off his cheek, “Even Wayne, Hop, Joyce, and Mrs. Henderson is here.”

Steve’s not sure if he wants to know, but he still asks, “Why?”

Eddie visibly softens, but before he can answer Robin answers for him, “Because we all love you, Dingus.”

“So, here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to sit behind the cupcakes and they’re going to come out from where they’ve been eavesdropping.” Steve laughs when Eddie emphasizes the word, and there’s a clatter in the kitchen followed by whispering, “They’re going to act normal. And we’re going to sing you a song. Okay?”

Steve smiles, nodding, “Okay.”

“Okay.” Eddie says as he runs to the kitchen and as Robin ushers him to sit in front of the cupcakes. She forces a birthday hat on his hair, and he doesn’t even argue.

They all come out from the kitchen, all smiling and wearing ridiculous birthday hats. Even Hop and Wayne are wearing them and it might actually be the funniest thing he’s ever seen. The kids have blow horns that fill the silent house with joyous sounds.

They sing him a birthday song. It’s loud and it doesn’t exactly sound good. Dustin’s trying a new other pitch and Lucas has never been a good singer. Max is drumming on the table and El has a small tambourine. Mike and Will are trying to do some kind of duet in their own little bubble. But it’s the most beautiful, harmonious sound to Steve.

And as they all urged him to make a wish, Steve is struck with awe and disbelief, a feeling of realization sparking in his veins. Steve’s got everything he’s ever wanted right in front of him. He just wants all of them to be safe and sound.

He smiles at his family, as he lets his eyelid flutter shut.

And for the first time, Steve makes a birthday wish.

-

Edit:

Steve smiles, happy and content, as everyone chitchats around him.

"Hey, Eds?" Steve calls out for his boyfriend who's busy stuffing his face with bread rolls.

"Yeam?" Eddie replies, still chewing on the bread.

"Can I have a Flintstone themed birthday next year?"

Eddie swallows his bread with water, before turning to Steve with a smile so bright it could blind him. He moves closer to give his temple a light kiss.

"You got it, sweetheart. I'll be Fred, you'll be Wilma. It will be perfect."

#tw child trauma #tw child neglect #happy birthday b! ofc i got you angst for your birthday. are you even surprised?????? #i hate the harringtons sorry #hope you enjoyed this #steve goes on and has 70 more wonderful birthdays #with his husband and family #steddie #steve harrington x eddie munson angst #steve harrington x eddie munson #steddie headcanons #steddie ficlet #dae writes #daeheadcanons

[bethsvrse]

why are you, a minor, writing nsfw fics? where tf are your parents kiddo??

I've had quite a few people ask me questions like this lately, so I'd like to clarify a few things.

Firstly, my mum is a fan of my writing. She reads most of my pieces (minus the smut although she's aware I write them). In fact, she often helps edit my one-shots because I have dyslexia.

Secondly, it's adults, much like yourself, who tend to treat topics like sex, drugs, and alcohol as these forbidden subjects for minors that will cause kids to explore these things in a way to rebel against their parents. When adults aren't open to discussing these matters and teaching kids how to approach them safely, it actually makes them more curious.

In my experience, having parents who are open and willing to have these conversations has built trust between us. They've allowed me to have a drink on special occasions and have been open about sex, rather than treating it as taboo.

So yeah, that’s where my parents are and that why me, a minor, am writing nsfw fics! 😁

#bethsvrse #thank you for listening to my TED talk #it’s such a silly question to ask #like babe there are bigger issues in the world #remus lupin x reader #steve harrington x reader #george weasley x reader #peter parker x reader #sirius black x reader #spencer reid x reader #stiles stilinski x reader #fred weasley x reader #I know I hate when people tag things that aren’t about the topic but I genuinely just want more people to be able to see this #sorry if I annoyed you :(

[doomsdaybby]

i’ve been plagued by the thought of steve cumming in your underwear and making you wear them for the rest of the day. so of course I had to write it 🤭🫶🏻 [1.7k words]

You had a bad habit of interrupting Steve at work. Not like Family Video had him rushed off his feet or bending over backwards, but he seemed to always point it out anyways.

“You’re gonna get me fired one day,” he’d jab under his breath, loaded with that honeysuckle sweetness that could make your teeth rot, not a hint of malice behind the words.

“Doesn’t sound too bad to me” you fired back, leaning over the counter with your chin propped up in one hand, elbows keeping you upright, busying the fingers of your other to twirl innocently through strands of your hair.

Somewhere between the shelves of the horror section, Robin was dry-heaving, having been forced into listening to your flirtatious conversations at least three times a week.

Which is how you ended up in the employee bathroom, Steve’s jeans and boxer shorts pooled around his ankles, your shorts discarded somewhere forgotten on the floor, panties peeled down your legs just enough for Steve’s weeping cock to slip through your slick folds without restriction.

Steve had already made you cum like this once already, having hiked up your leg so the back of your knee sat snugly in the crook of his elbow. A large hand cushioned your lower back, skating down to bruise the fat at the back of your thigh.

Steve had you standing on tip-toe, your hands buried in the hair at the nape of his neck, relying wholly on him to keep you upright. The odd squeak of your sneaker against the tile was the only noise that could be heard over the tangles of panting breaths and heated smother of kisses to exposed skin.

You were a moaning mess, the trust you had in yourself to stay quiet faltering, finding purchase in the juncture of his neck. You pressed hot open-mouthed kisses there, lungs working double time, the top of your ass burning where Steve had you anchored against the ceramic sink.

You would be bruised come morning, you could feel the promise of the blooming purple hues in every rut of Steve’s hips. Though the discomfort was drowned out by the sound of heavy huffing in your ear, his lips were so close he merely needed to whisper, the rhetorics flowing through his teeth with vulgar ease.

“You feeling good? I know, my girl, I know. You can’t get enough can you?”

Steve chuckled something wicked when a rather rough buck of his hips knocked your strained legs further apart, his bulging shaft running in and out of your slit at a pace that had you dripping down your thigh.

“God, Steve. Steve, please. Steeeve.” His name came out tightly strung, your pitchy mewls causing his cock to twitch at your entrance, dipping the head in just the tiniest amount, the lewd slip of your arousal making it far too fucking easy for him.

Steve could fuck you raw right here in the employee bathroom, but he couldn’t let you get away with being the only tease in this relationship.

How could he let you show up in your shortest shorts and cropped spaghetti strap shirts, making his work day all the more unbearable, just to give you exactly what you were after?

To his dismay, Steve was determined to show you that he had just as much power over you as you had him.

“Ssshhh, baby. You gon - fuck - you gonna get me into trouble, huh?”

Your mouth was then clamped shut, his palm pressing snugly against your lips, and Steve couldn’t help but roll his hips up that tad bit harsher to slide the head of his cock right over the bump of your clit.

“That’s it, pretty girl, gotta stay quiet f’me, okay? I know you can, you’re being so good for me” he cooed, tipping your head back away from the security of his neck to press his plush lips to your forehead, bestowing the gentlest of kisses there.

All you could do was nod your head dumbly, feeling the pull of his lips into a cocky smirk when you did so, glassy eyes rolling into the back of your head. The overstimulation was almost too much, causing tears to collect at the corners of your fluttering lids.

Steve’s breath was hot in your hair, stifled curses passing his kiss-bruised lips that were every so often interrupted by a hiss through the teeth.

You were burning all over, especially so where Steve had his hands on you, a blazing sun beneath each one of his fingertips. Steve was scorching twice as hot, cool waves of shaky exhale escaping your nostrils scattering goose-flesh down his forearm.

“Mmmm, mmm, mmmm” was all you could mumble over and over again behind the restriction of your gag, wiggling your hips to angle them up a little higher, lost in total euphoria when Steve’s cock slid down and the first few inches slipped in.

“Fuuuuck, baby,” he drawled low, sickeningly lustful, “You’re being a greedy fucking girl” Steve released your mouth then, inhaling a broken breath as he moved his hand down to grasp midway up his length, squeezing a little brutal. Your cunt fluttered, aching for him.

“This what you want, huh?” he teased your hole, the head of his cock barely disappearing into where you needed him most. Steve pressed further into you so you were chest to chest, pulling at your hips without mercy.

Forehead to forehead, shiny lips merely inches apart as Steve smirked when your mouth opened in a silent ‘O’, groaning a devilish rattle in his throat when your back arched somewhat grotesque as he slapped the tip against your sodden clit.

“This is what I want” you agreed, in complete mumbling nodding disarray, unable to change the angle of your hips now due to the threatening looming spasm in your calves, wishing that he would just give in already and fuck you like you both wanted.

“Please. Please Steve, I need you. I need you” your begging trailed off into fucked out drawls, air-headed demands dripping from your lips, another orgasm looming on the horizon as promising as the rising sun, cheeks flushed scarlett.

But obviously Steve wasn’t going to let you cum again. That would just be greedy now, wouldn't it?

Steve cursed, hitching your leg up even higher, marking the outline of a red handprint into the sensitive skin of your inner thigh. It took everything in you not to cry out, sobbing because it felt so fucking good. Too good, a shock rolling up into the pit of your stomach at every drag of Steve’s weeping tip over the hood of your clit.

“Gonna paint this pretty pussy, honey. Gonna keep my cum in these little panties f’me, yeah? Keep ‘em on until I can fuck you like you deserve later” Steve grunted, nosing at your hairline.

You watched as Steve hauls himself back, granting you some relief when his weight wasn’t crushing you against the bathroom sink. Both sets of eyes snapped down to where you met, mouths dropped open and heaving as he took his cock fully in his fist, ensuring you remained nice and spread open for him.

Steve flicked his wrist once, twice, three times. Swearing and whining something filthy, taking his bottom lip harshly between his teeth. The neediness in his moans had you squeezing around nothing, and Steve saw the throb of your entrance. That alone was enough to have him keening.

“Fuck, fuck. Oh my god, i’m cumming i’m cumming for you” Steve’s jaw falls slack, eyes squeezing shut in almost pained release.

Just as he promised, Steve’s warm seed spurts just above your clit, flooding down the seam of your slit to puddle at the center of your underwear.

You wrap your arms around his neck again, pulling him into you so you can press sloppy kisses into his neck. Steve is almost wheezing, short-winded and completely drunk on the buzz of his orgasm.

“Such a good girl for me” he laughed quietly, finally releasing your aching leg so he could pull your panties up. The feel of Steve’s release slick in your underwear felt foreign, strange. But you knew that if you didn’t follow through with his orders, you would face the consequences for it later.

Which was both a good and bad thing, but you enjoyed the fizzing giddy warmth that encompassed the space between your ribs when Steve showered you with praise. It was a high you never wanted to come down from.

After some soothing backstrokes, and when you felt secure in the fact that you wouldn’t topple over when Steve no longer held you upright, you both apprehensively filed out of the bathroom.

Your legs were wobbly, though you played it off rather well. Steve was still fixing the wild strands of his locks that were now uncharacteristically out of place when you approached the front of the store.

Back to the counter, arms folded and looking far from impressed, Robin watched as the two of you reappeared, her brow quirking when you adjusted the strap of your shirt.

“You guys are disgusting” Robin tutted, her top lip curling upstairs to bear her top row of teeth, button nose wrinkling in repulsion.

“Can you please refrain from covering any other surfaces in bodily fluids whilst I go on break?”

“Oh my goooddd, Robin!” Steve’s eyebrows sank, drawing his forefinger and thumb across his eyelids to pinch at the bridge of his nose, the tips of his ears dusting the prettiest shade of pink.

She tapped at the non-existent watch on her wrist, “Twenty minutes!! Twenty minutes ago I was supposed to be perusing a Bill’s Deli turkey sandwich!” her gravelly voice cracking slightly under the pressure, “And where were you? Sucking face and becoming parents in the bathroom? Life is good for some!”.

Your cheeks filled with a laugh you couldn’t hold in, between Robin’s blatant abhorrence and Steve keeling over from cringe-induced nausea, you could barely keep it together.

“We’re so sorry, Robs. It won’t happen again.” you assured her through a giggle, rubbing your legs together to feel the now cool collection of cum sitting snugly there, running a comforting hand up Steve’s arm in an attempt to resurrect him from his premature death.

It won’t happen again, will it?

#okay so sorry if this is meh #I get halfway through writing something and then I go 🤠 ‘oh I hate it’ #but I needed to rid this thot out of my head #my fics #steve harrington smut #steve harrington #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x y/n smut #stranger things #smut #steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington fanfiction #steve harrington blurb #steve harrington fic #steve harrington imagine

[odderevents]

I have had a thought. Steve secretly knowing how to play the piano bc he learned as a kid and had to stop bc his dad's an asshole is lovely. I've seen this floating around a few times and I love it. Eddie catching him playing the piano and being so fucking in love with him will never not be perfect.

But.

Consider

Steve playing the Harp.

It's definitely a rich kid instrument. Big ass fucking impractical instrument. Absolutely beautiful to look at and listen to. Hands playing piano is great. But have you ever seen an accomplished harpist? It makes you think impure thoughts about what those fingers can do.

So. Steve secretly knowing how to play the harp

Maybe his mom used to play it, so there's a big harp (the ones with the columns and super intricate base board, not celtic) that's just gathering dust in the basement. Steve started piano lessons, loved learning how to pull music out of an inert object. But his dad decides it's to effeminate, makes him stop. And sure, a harp is a different beast to a piano. But you've still got cords, and Steve's got a pretty decent ear, and he can barely remember seeing his mom play. So one day when he has the house to himself, which isn't an unusual occurrence at this point, he tries it out. And he's admittedly pretty shit at it, but so was he at piano when he started. Only difference is he has no teacher.

So maybe Steve discreetly finds a way to acquire a beginner's practice instructional book for harp. And works on it when he needs to get his brain away from things.

He's even more careful with it than he is with any dirty mags he might later acquire. He knows that worse, much worse than piano, harp is not a masculine instrument and under no circumstances should his father find out about his affinity for it.

It's still his go to when he can't sleep even years later, pulling out the now old and battered booklet of sheet music and exercises. Especially once the upside down bullshit starts. It's soothing and mindless at this point.

The harp that was much too big when he first started with it is now just the right size, it's weight against his shoulder comforting. He can close his eyes and his fingers naturally find where to land and pluck.

Even when he becomes friends with Robbin and then Eddie, both musicians who he knows wouldn't give a damn about him playing a woman's instrument, he can't bring himself to mention it. If he did, they would want to hear him play and he's self-conscious about being self-taught. Both of them play well, they play with other people and people come to listen. He doesn't consider himself a "real" musician. It's just something he does to keep his hands and brain busy on nights where the sheets feel like they're strangling him and the dark reminds him too much of when he can't see not because it's night but because something's hit him in the head again and he can't tell apart the sound of his heartbeat from something pounding through his walls.

So he goes to the basement. Finds his stool. Removes the dust cover. Goes through the meditative motions of tuning it by ear, because that's how he's always done it. And then he plays until the tips of his fingers feel numb. Somehow, he always comes out of it peaceful enough to pass out on the couch in the basement for a couple more hours.

Steve is so used to keeping it a secret he doesn't even think about it when he starts dating Eddie. It's just a thing that's always only been his, and most importantly, it's been vital to keep it that way for so long it's the natural state of things for Steve at this point. It doesn't ever come up. When Steve gets nightmares when he's sleeping with Eddie all he has to do is curl into his boyfriend's chest and feel the warm heartbeat that's not his own to settle back into himself.

The problem arises on a night when Eddie was supposed to stay with Steve but he got held up in Indianapolis when getting a new amp for his guitar. He would come back to Steve but it would be late in the night. Steve has been keeping himself busy all day so he passes out in the early evening on the couch in front of a shitty sitcom he put on to try to distract himself from the empty house.

Nightmares find him, which isn't terribly unusual, but he doesn't have his usual method of coping so he resorts back to his previous habit.

Eddie walks in bone tired after many hours of driving to and from Indianapolis, waiting while the clerk figured out they didn't have the amp he'd been assured over the phone would be available for pickup today, waiting some more while they had the amp driven from a sister shop an hour away because no way was he driving back and forth again to Indianapolis on another day. So yeah. Eddie is beat. All he wants is to dive head first into his boyfriend's impeccable pecs.

He doesn't find Steve waiting with a welcome kiss like he usually would when he walks in. Instead he's greeted with a hauntingly beautiful rendition of the melody of Master of Puppets in a way he's never heard before.

He drops his stuff in the entry hall and goes down to the basement where the music is coming from, curious to see where Steve might have found the recording. Eddie doesn't quite know what to do with himself when he finally lays eyes on Steve, with dried tear stains on his cheeks and his eyes closed as his fingers pluck and strum without hesitation. He's rooted to the spot as he watches Steve work his favorite song in a new and completely heartrending way. He hasn't been able to listen to it since he played it in the upside down. It always brings up the bitter blood tang of the air and the hair raising shrieks of the bats. But this is somehow different, it's soft and melodious but it's still got the same bones.

Eddie feels tears on his own cheeks. He's missed this song goddammit. And he couldn't be happier that it's Steve that's given it back to him

Queue tears and fear and confessions and comfort. Somehow much later in the future there's inexplicably a harp in some of the corroded coffin tracks. And it shouldn't work but it does

#steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #steve harrington plays an instrument #steve harrington plays the harp #this ran away from me #it was supposed to be a random idea #sorry if it's disjointed #it's midnight and the idea was not going to let me rest #I'll probably come try to clean it up at some point #i dont even want to imagine the typos #i hate writing on mobile #but once again brain latched on the the idea like a chewtoy and didn't want to give it back #so you unwitting internet denizen are now graced with the aforementioned mess

[unfinishedslurs]

prank gone wrong (viral!) (steddie)

Eddie’s been someone’s dirty little secret before.

He’s got a type, okay? Unfortunately hot jocks are often the type of asshole to get sucked off behind the bleacher and then turn around and spit in his face about it. Going right back to their friends to talk shit about what a freak Eddie is, never mind the fact that his mouth still tastes like their nasty fucking jizz. He’s used to it by now. Used to people who pretend they barely know each other. He’s not asking they parade their relationship for the whole town to see, just someone who doesn’t pretend they’re strangers. Is that too much to ask? 

He’s so fucking stupid. He really thought this time would be different.

Steve Harrington barreled into his life like a goddamn train and Eddie’s been derailed ever since.

The first time he met Steve he was six. Eddie still lived with his mom, and she took him to the park, where he met a little boy who wrinkled his nose and told him he smelled bad. Steve does not remember this, and turned red with mortification the first time Eddie told him

After that incredible hit to baby Eddie’s self-esteem, they didn’t interact much, existing on the periphery of each others lives. He figured it didn’t matter. Harrington was a year under him, and a douche besides. Was ready to leave town from the moment he learned to walk. As soon as he graduated, he could finally get the hell out of this place and never think about the assholes he went to school with again.

His mom leaves. His dad gets arrested. He moves in with his Uncle Wayne, who only has one bedroom in his trailer and won’t take no for an answer when he gives it to Eddie. 

Eddie doesn’t graduate.

(Harrington comes back to school different after Byers beats him up. Eddie doesn’t notice. He’s got bigger things to worry about.)

They don’t talk in Eddie’s second run of senior year either. He hears the gossip, sees him come to school with stitches in his forehead and no girlfriend. Still, it’s none of his damn business. He rolls his eyes at the rumors and stays far away from Billy Hargrove.

Steve Harrington graduates. Eddie doesn’t.

And this is where his careful distance falls apart.

It’s the mall’s fault of course. What isn’t? Businesses closing down, rent going up, his resolve crumbling. All over some fucking ice cream. God, Eddie should have just turned around. Left the store and the mall and the entire damn town behind. 

He’s aware he’s being melodramatic, but in his defense he’s queer in Indiana. He has a right to be. 

Anyways, the point is that Eddie saw Harrington’s little blue shorts and red lips and cannot be held responsible for what happened after. 

(They fucked. That’s what happened. They fucked, and kept fucking, and then after the mall burned down Steve showed up on his doorstep with suspiciously placed bruises and his coworker and looked at Eddie with pleading eyes. He didn’t even bring Robin home to her parents like a sensible person, just insisted on having her there because they were a package deal now and couldn’t be separated. Like puppies, Robin said when he looked at her. Last he checked, she wanted to bite Steve’s head off, and now they were attached at the hip?

He got used to it quickly. He had to. She comes on half their dates. Steve’s lucky he’s so cute.)

Now, nearly five months after Steve served him ice cream for the first time, he feels his heart shatter in the Hawkins High parking lot. 

“Harrington,” Dustin shouts, and it carries across the empty lot. Steve’s head jerks up and he waves, Robin standing beside him. “Steve, c’mere!”

Steve tilts his head. “What?”

“Come. Here.” Dustin repeats, enunciating clearly. Mike and Lucas look at him like he’s insane. So do Gareth, Jeff, and Chuck. 

Steve, who is standing a mere 20 feet away, turns to Robin and says something that makes her snort. Eddie can practically hear his bitchy murmur. 

“Is that Harrington’s girlfriend?” He hears Gareth ask. He has to swallow his laughter. 

“Yes,” Dustin says.

“No,” Mike corrects. 

“He won’t admit anything, but he always has a bunch of hickies and stuff after hanging out with her,” Lucas clarifies, because half the time when Steve says he’s hanging out with Robin he's actually with Eddie. The fact that Robin is usually still there is irrelevant. Marking up his boyfriend is one of his favorite pastimes. He refuses to let his boyfriend’s “soulmate” get in the way just because she refuses to sleep in one of the Harrington’s fancy guest rooms like a normal person unless he kicks her out. The way they both pout at him for it is fucking ridiculous. He ends up giving in half the time, and then lies awake and cold on the very edge of the bed because Robin starfishes her way across the rest and Steve is a blanket hog. 

The first time he tried giving Steve a hickey as some kind of dominance move for privacy, Robin stared him dead in the eye and didn’t back down. 

“I can do that too,” she said, and promptly bit Steve on the shoulder. Steve, who was shirtless and already slightly dazed from Eddie’s ministrations, let out an honest to God squeak. Like a dog toy. Eddie and Robin both stared at him before breaking into loud cackles that had a blushing Steve yelling at them before finally burrowing under the covers and refusing to come out. Needless to say, Eddie didn’t get laid that night. 

“Harring-ton,” Dustin whines. 

“I’m literally right here. You come here.”

He did, if only to grab Steve by the wrist and drag him to where everyone else was standing. Steve squawks. “When we’re late for dinner with Ma, I’m telling her it was your fault—“

“I want you to meet everyone!”

“I went to school with them!”

“Yeah, but they think you’re still a dick,” he says, as if they’re not standing right there. Steve is similarly engrossed in their conversation, not even noticing that Dustin’s stopped walking. 

“They can think whatever—“ he walks right into Eddie and lets out a startled oof. Eddie, who let it happen, catches him as he flails. 

“Well hello to you too,” he says, not bothering to hide his amusement. 

Steve looks at him with wide eyes, gaze dropping down to his lips before whirling around and snapping, “Henderson!”

“I didn’t do anything!”

“I didn’t do anything,” Lucas mimics under his breath, ducking behind Steve when Dustin turns around with the fury of a thousand suns in his eyes. 

He just stands there, hands on his hips as the kids bicker around him. 

“Oh, so now we can talk?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Steve asks, brow furrowed like he doesn’t know exactly what he’s talking about. 

Eddie can’t help but laugh, a sharp sound that makes Steve jump. “What do you think it means, Harrington? You never want to talk to me in front of the kids! Don’t want to dirty your hands with the Freak in public, I guess.”

“I…what are you talking about?”

[no talkie henderosn]

“What?” His eyes get wide, panicked, as he reaches for Eddie. “Eddie, that’s not—you have to know that’s not what I meant by that. I never meant it like that!”

“Then how did you mean it?”

Steve mumbles something he can’t make out. 

“Speak up, sweetheart.” It comes out mean, he knows it does, but he’s feeling a little mean right now. Lashing out like a wounded animal just because his boyfriend didn’t want to talk to him in public. 

Actually, when he puts it that way, he remembers he’s justified. 

Steve says something again, still incomprehensible. Eddie rolls his eyes. “If you can’t stop mumbling, I’ll just leave.”

That does the trick. “I thought we were playing a prank on Henderson together!” 

Eddie gapes at him. “What?”

“I thought,” he repeats, running an anxious hand through his hair, “we were pretending not to know each other to mess with the kid. Eddie, baby, you’ve gotta know I wouldn’t have done it if I’d known you were hurting. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Why didn’t I…” This can’t be real. He’s been agonizing for months, and for what? A prank? Just some stupid, shitty prank Steve thought he was in on? He’s going to jump off the quarry. “Why didn’t you tell me? I could have had so much fun with that!”

“I thought you knew!”

“How would I have known? I can’t read your mind!”

“You can sometimes,” he says, pouting. Eddie wishes they weren’t in the middle of an argument, he wants to kiss those lips so bad. 

He groans into his hands. “It’s significantly easier to tell when your boyfriend wants to fuck than it is to read ‘Hey, let’s play a prank on this twelve year old,’ on someone’s face, sweetheart.”

“I guess,” Steve huffs. Then his face softens. Eddie lets himself be drawn in by the wrist, helpless in the face of his sweet smile. “We can stop,” he promises, swaying in close enough for his breath to ghost across Eddie’s lips. “We could walk into Hellfire tomorrow holding hands, if you wanted to. Anything you want, just say the word.”

“How would we walk into Hellfire? It’s at your house.”

Steve pinches him for that. 

#prank gone wrong (viral!) au #steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things fanfic #steddie #i Did not end up writing the actual scene where Steve decides to prank Dustin by pretending to hate eddie #But just so you know he looks at Eddie and raises his eyebrows and in Eddie’s mind he’s asking how they should play this #in Steve’s mind he’s asking a series of convoluted questions that end ideally end with Dustin ripping his hair out in frustration #Steve I’m sorry but you need to use your WORDS your boyfriend things you HATE HIM #this goes from pre-s4 to post-s4 btw #Featuring stobin being weird as fuck friends bc I feel like they would Not Be Separated for the first couple of months after Starcourt #Eddie just has to deal with that #He’s also being dramatic they eased up eventually. enough for Robin to give them space to get their rocks off anyway

[morganbritton132]

I was thinking about your angst post and how it's a little precursor to the TikTok saga-

What if Eddie's doing a live stream and for whatever reason, Ozzy's not around. Potty break maybe, he's usually no more than 2 minutes. But of course all it takes is 2 minutes for Steve to slip into a seizure, one of his bad ones. And the live catches enough of it before Eddie frantically tosses his phone and ends the stream. How do you think fans would react?

I’ve actually had a similar thought to this!

Eddie has never sat down and been like, ‘this is what’s wrong with my husband.’ Why would he? Steve is not a celebrity. He has no interest in fame, he’s deeply private, and it’s no one’s business. Eddie has occasionally made comments or referenced Steve’s health issues just because it’s apart of their lives.

Dedicated fans who take all these little throw-away comments and create a profile of Eddie’s life will connect the dots between ‘Steve gets migraines’ and why the lights are low in a video or ‘Ozzy is a service dog’ to the thud you can hear on a live-stream that causes Eddie to run out of the room. There have been many times where Eddie has been live and will drop everything, leave the room, and not come back for minutes to hours. He never provides an explanation of where he went or why.

Eddie’s live streaming in his home studio. He’s got his guitar in his lap and a notepad next to him, and he’s playing this little interactive game he does with his fans where they’ll write a song together. Steve’s not a common feature to live-streams like this but he’s slightly in-frame tonight.

Eddie’s writing down a lyric a fan sent in the chat when he’s suddenly hit in the face by a hand. He startles and opens his mouth to complain but when he looks at Steve, all he sees in the jerky motion of Steve’s arm as it spasms.

And he freezes with his mouth still hanging open. He freezes like he always does when it’s a big seizure because his first thought is never seizure, it’s always Chrissy Cunningham. He freezes so he doesn’t think to move his phone away immediately. It’s only a half-second that he’s sitting there with his mouth hung open and terror in his eyes before he springs into action, but it feels like a million years to him and the chat.

Eddie bumps the table with his phone on it, and it falls so all the chat can see is the woodgrain, but they can hear Eddie talk to himself as he moves Steve into a safer position. They can hear him talk to Steve about how it’s okay, “It’s a big one but it’s okay. It’s fine. We’ll shake it out and go to bed, and – and where’s Ozzy? Oz?!”

It is a tense two and a half minutes and then silence until Eddie picks up his phone, ends the live-stream without a word, and calls Dustin. He’ll find out later that Steve had let Ozzy out into the backyard and forgot about it. He’ll make plans to install a doggy door that they’ll probably never do and when Steve wakes up exhausted and not all there, Eddie will repeat every reassuring word that he can think of until Steve falls asleep knowing that he’s safe.

In the morning, he’ll see the outpour of people worried, concerned, sympathetic with their own stories of seizures. He’ll make a short video letting people know that Steve is fine. He’s resting. He’ll let his students know that he won’t be at school, but that he’s already writing pop quizzes if they aren’t good for the substitute. But Eddie will never tell Steve that the twenty thousand people in his live stream that watched him have a seizure are wishing him well because he doesn’t think that it’ll go over well.

<- Last Post | Next Post ->

#I think that Steve would hate to be noticed. #Growing up everybody was always watching him and looking at him and forming opinions about him based on how he looked and who his family #was and he just hates it. Then once Eddie got famous it felt like even more people were staring at them and looking for flaws and making #opinions about him without even knowing him. And now he has these health issues and his body will betray him and people will think that #he's weak or not capable and they'll stare at him and he hates it so the thought that Eddie's fans watched him have a seizure would be #mortifying to him so Eddie is not going to tell him about it #steve harrington #eddie munson #eddie munson tiktok saga #sorry it took so long to respond to this one

[finntheehumaneater]

An Ego Thing (Part 2/???)

HELLO. I had a mini panic attack at the amount of notes on the first part of this, and then blasted Noah Kahan while I wrote this part, so PLEASE EXCUSE AN ERRORS BECAUSE IF I READ OVER IT I’LL SECOND GUESS MYSELF AND NIT POST IT.

I named this “an ego thing” after the song by Lizzie McAlpine because I love that song and I thought it fit (not really but still. I love that song so much. Music is important to me.)

a lot of you guys liked and reblogged, so let me know if you want me to tag you in the next part in the comments :)

@strangersteddierthings

Enjoy :)

—

It would’ve been better if Steve had asked anyone else to give Eddie back his jacket. Anyone but Robin Buckley. Because she was furious. 

“What the fuck is the wrong with you?” She snapped, shoved the coat at Eddie so hard that he stumbled backwards and almost tripped over his own feet, his now pressed against the side of his van. 

He felt all too trapped under her glare, and he did not like it all. She crossed her arms and her eyes narrowed even further—if that was even possible—and her words had far too much force behind them. 

“He told me that it was a bad idea to tell everyone, and I told him that it was fine! A-and look what you did! Now he’s upset, and you need to fucking apologize to him—preferably in person—before I—“

“Robin—“ He tried to cut in, tried to explain himself, but just like with Steve, he was met with more harsh words, more furious tone—except this was more livid and less hurt. 

“No, Eddie fucking Munson, you shut the fuck up and listen.” She said quietly, which made him flinch at how soft her tone sounded—yet still stinging at the same time. “If you tell anyone about this, I will fucking—“

“Robin!”

He didn’t have the guts to yell at Steve like that, and it was worse doing it at Robin, but he had spent the past two days feeling horrible, and he was done feeling like that. He took a deep breath, trying to stop his hands from fidgeting with the sleeves of the coat that he was still holding, his boots slipping slightly in the thin layer of early-snow that had already fallen, despite it only being early December. 

“I-I didn’t kiss Steve because I thought it would be funny, or because I was trying to be a dick, okay? I…I kissed him because—“ He cut himself off, not knowing what he wanted to say next. He didn’t exactly know what he felt about Steve, and maybe that’s why all he could do before was leave without explanation.

He didn’t just like Steve, it was more than that. But, then again, he wasn’t sure he was ready to call it love, either. But the only way he could get Robin to not melt him into the snow with her stare was to finish his sentence, and she looked even angrier than before, considering how he had snapped at her like that, so he had to say something—

“Because what?” She whispered, her arms dropping to her side, falling against her green patterned coat as she took a step back, and it made Eddie realize that he had been staring for far too long than he thought he had, and it was probably making her feel uncomfortable.

He cleared his throat and found his hands curling into fists in the soft fabric of his coat. “Because—because I wanted to.”

Gods, he was such a fucking idiot. Because he wanted to? Of course he wanted to, but that didn’t make the situation any clearer to Robin. He needed to just say it—

“A-and I wanted to, because…”

“Because…?” She prompted, her face softening into something more like confusion as she bent down slightly to meet his eyes, her head tilted. 

“Because…I…like him…” Is what he settled for, even though that didn’t feel right.

“You like him?” She said, much louder than she had been speaking before, and it was all Eddie could do not to flinch away from her, which would have resulted in his head smacking into the side of the van, seeing as she still hadn’t moved far enough away for him to step forward a good amount. Still, his hands twitched closer to him, which she seemed to take notice of.

“Oh.” Was all she whispered, lowering the volume of her voice a considerable amount, for his sake. 

“Yeah.” He whispered back, looking away again. “And I didn’t mean to make him upset, or to scare him—because I would never tell anyone, I swear—but…I just don’t know how to say it to him. And now he probably hates me—“

“He—He doesn’t. He doesn’t hate you. I mean—yeah, he’s upset, but he doesn’t hate you.” She muttered, sighing. “I should’ve known you liked him, because now that you’ve told me, you have been very obvious about your feelings in the past.”

“Shit—I have? Does—does he know already?” He hated the blatantly obvious panic that was crawling into his voice, clinging onto his words like smoke. 

“No, no. As much as I love Steve, he’s pretty fucking stupid when it comes to realizing stuff like this. You’re good.”

“Fuck…thank God..” He breathed, sliding down the side of the van and sitting in the snow, not even really minding the wet feeling that was seeping into his jeans, because his legs were already kind of numb, anyways. 

Robin sat down in front of him, tucking the bottom of her coat beneath her so that she wouldn’t get wet when the snow on the ground melted. “Are you going to tell him? Because I don’t think he'd be upset anymore if he knew…”

The way her voice trailed off let him know that she was withholding a very vital piece of information from him, and he did not like that. “Why? What am I missing?” 

She rolled her eyes and mumbled under her breath, “God, you guys are perfect for each other.”

And if that didn’t only serve to make Eddie even more confused.

“What I mean,” She continued, using her hands more like she needed to visually explain it for him to understand. Like he was some kind of child. “Steve likes you back.”

And oh, God, did Eddie feel dizzy, his head snapping up to meet her gaze, eyes wide, eyebrows pressed together. “You’re joking.”

“I never joke.”

That was a lie. But she seemed serious about this.

“So, Edward…“

“Don’t call me that.”

“Are you going to tell him?”

Eddie sighed and pulled his knees to his chest. “I don’t know if I can…”

“Well, if you do, let me know how it goes.” She said, standing up and brushing off the back of her coat.

“You—You won’t tell him, right?” Eddie said quietly, not liking how he had to look up at her, now.

“Of course not.” She said, holding out her hand to help him up, and he reluctantly took it, her skin cold and clammy from the gradually dropping temperature outside. This really was an early winter.

“Right…thanks, Buckley.” He dropped her hand as soon as he was standing up and stepped back, just wanting some time alone to process this information. Maybe a nice drive around the town with some music playing so that he could just think. “Did you walk here?”

“No, dumbass, I drove. Yes, I walked, what the fuck do you think?” She rolled her eyes again. Eddie really hated when she did that. “I’ll see you around okay? And I’m still pissed at you for running off on Steve like that. He was really upset when he called me.”

“Yeah, yeah…sorry…” He muttered—and he would’ve offered to drive her home, but he really just wanted to be alone. Just him and his music. “I’ll see you around?”

“Yeah, of course. Let me know how it goes—actually, scratch that, Steve will probably immediately call me afterwards, but—I still want your side of things!” She called, starting to walk down the road again, somehow not slipping in the ice that had formed in patches on the road, since the “snowplow” (some random ass guy with a scraper attached to the front of his pickup-truck) hadn’t bothered to spread the road-salt out evenly.

He waved goodbye and then leaned his forehead against the side of the van, giving Robin a few minutes to walk away before he got in and fumbled with a Cassette tape, before shoving it in the slot above the radio dials.

Now he just needed to figure out how to tell Steve…

#Again sorry if this is bad #I hate my writing #Just #Yeah #sorry #and sorry for any spelling mistakes/grammar errors #Sorry :( #stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #steddie fanfic

[stevesbipanic]

"You really haven't changed."

Sometimes, change is bad. Steve didn't like change when they moved to a bigger house when he was three, further from his grandparents. He didn't like when his mum stopped kissing his forehead goodnight. He didn't like when his dad started calling him Steven instead of champ. He didn't like seeing horrors behind his eyes where once were dreams.

Sometimes, change is good. Change can come in hugs from a fourteen year old instead of slaps on the back from a fellow player. It can come in your best friend joining in your dorky jokes instead of tripping kids. It's the walkie talkie beside his bed. It's feeling good for once.

Steve thought he'd changed for the better.

Eddie did too, or, at least Steve thought he did.

It had been a rough week for the boys, bills were due, tensions were high, hours were long and love was hard to find.

Steve had promised to pick up groceries on the way home, but he was so tired, and a shower and bed were so close, he's honestly surprised he even made it home the way his eyelids had been fluttering.

Eddie wasn't even supposed to be home til late but a part had to be ordered for the car he'd been fixing and wouldn't get there til tomorrow so he was home by dinner exhausted from a double shift to fix some rich wanker's car.

Eddie knows he should've understood. He should've seen Steve sleeping there and curled up beside him. But they hadn't had food for lunch so Eddie was starved and tired and his van's been acting up and Steve had promised that morning a sad look on his face when he knew Eddie would be missing lunch. The fridge is empty and Steve's asleep and he's so tired he should just sleep beside his boyfriend.

But it's not just the groceries.

It's the red due date on the bill on the fridge door.

It's the cold water in the shower he knows awaits him.

It's the fact that Steve didn't even kiss him goodbye since last Tuesday.

It's the cold part of Eddie's heart, the part Al Munson put there that no matter how much kindness Susie Munson put in would never leave.

It's the way they're screaming at each other now, over things they would've joked about last Spring when they first moved in.

It's the way they've been sleeping facing apart for three weeks.

It's the way Steve is crying and it doesn't make Eddie stop to dry his cheeks anymore.

It's the way Eddie knows how to hurt him.

"You really haven't changed."

It's the click of the door as Eddie leaves.

It's the way a slam would've hurt less.

It's the way the bed feels just as cold as the night before.

It's the crack in Steve's voice when he calls Robin.

It's the boxes in the driveway.

It's the word bullshit in his mind.

Sometimes change is good.

Steve thought he'd changed for the better.

It didn't stop the worst change of all.

The change that made them say goodbye.

#i normally hate writing eddie like this #but i got to to work through some shit #stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #stranger things s4 #st4 #stranger things season 4 #ficlet #hurt no comfort #sorry steve im projecting on u buddy #angst

[drowsyr]

robin’s relationship with el after starcourt hadn’t been bad, it just hadn’t been anything at all. in the haze of everything that came after, robin’s poorly timed comments on bones and where-they-may-or-may-not-have-been on the soccer field her sophomore year hadn’t remained important in el’s memory.

neither steve nor robin were that close to el, though. obviously steve had dustin and max, and robin totally thought erica was the coolest fifth grade she’d ever met; but with robin new to the game and steve usually subbing in with the twerps they weren’t particularly in with el. they still stopped by the byers in the days and weeks leading up to their departure. the party was congregating every day to eke out every minute of summer sun they could while they were still together, and robin was sitting out front in the passenger seat of the beamer nearly just as often. she hadn’t really been inside the house, but had sat up front while steve picked el and max up for the arcade. they’d probably play air hockey while el stayed slumped on the side of dig dug, watching max as she chewed her lip and focused on the screen.

air hockey was one of the only arcade games they could agree on after spending enough time there, surveying while waiting on dustin and lucas to haltingly show erica some pac-man. steve was a fan of the more physical ones, of course: he snagged tickets shooting hoops in the corner and racked up the highest pinball score on the karate kid-themed game. robin hadn’t really gone in the arcade that much before the summer, even though it was one of the only places in town with reliable air conditioning before the mall opened up. so she didn’t really have a preferred game beyond air hockey, which was fun with steve when they were both competitive and stagnating in finding a new job.

when max had slowed to a clunky pace on the dig dug cabinet, she and el wandered back to the air hockey table where she and steve were still sending the puck back and forth. they watched a round of the two of them trading goals and max half-heartedly heckled them. el drifted closer to the edge of the table, staring intently as they lunged and twitched their hands. she waited, and watched them slow to a stop when robin scored a point above steve and started cheering.

on their way out, robin trailed behind steve and max, trying not to eavesdrop on the little league soccer coach-style clap on the shoulder he gave her as part of his pep talk. el drifted up to her side, dragging her feet on the brightly colored carpet.

“what’s… your hand? you and steve. you match.”

robin startled in surprise and stared uncomprehendingly at the back of her hand. before too long el reached out a finger and pointed at the bracelet slowly loosening on her wrist from wear. it had been lime green and buttery yellow and a too-bright cobalt blue. now the yellow had gone a slightly sickly beige and the blue had dulled significantly, but it still gave her a little thrill to see steve’s matching bracelet.

they’d made them in that first awful week after the fourth, when steve hadn’t left the buckley’s house in four days and counting. they’d cycled through robin’s childhood collection of muppet movies and the old black and white classic she had grown up watching with her parents. mr buckley had come in from work one night when they had just started singin in the rain, and he had joined them for most of it while standing behind the armchair and resisting offers to sit down. they’d been snickering through bringing up baby, curled up on the couch in the middle of the day and still pretending they were A-Okay when robin realized they’d migrated through the entirety of the buckley’s front room furniture and most of the floor near the tv. robin liked the heavy comfort of being around steve, but her hands were starting to sweat where they were tucked up with steve’s, and she felt undeniably restless as she tapped her fingers on the back of his hand.

steve broke first. “it’s not that i’m like. uncomfortable. or even bored! but it is like ohmygod my legs are like lead weights right now.” with this, he flung his legs out in front of them, splaying out in front of the tv. 

robin had groaned and slumped down onto his chest, then thought of the play-doh she kept in her desk for when she was working on difficult homework. she dropped to the floor with another groan, then sat up and dashed to her room, coming back with purple and teal-capped play-doh jars. they’d made little figurines and stars and hearts with it while the movie played out, and had scavenged robin’s room for craft supplies before slumping back in front of the tv with their spoils.

steve had gathered up robin’s shockingly extensive collection of construction and scrapbooking paper and a pair of scissors. robin had taken the embroidery floss out of the pale purple trunk in her closet, and scotch tape and the glue stick she kept in her backpack. they’d snipped and shaped and tied, and had ended the night with mostly matching bracelets and cheesy out of season valentines for tammy thompson and nancy wheeler.

for the bracelets they chosen a kermit-y lime green, a pale but warm yellow, and a navy blue that felt grossly familiar. robin showed steve how to make simple stripes and it felt like tying off a birthday present, or locking a door. they’d traded bracelets, and worn them every day since.

that was what el was pointing out. “oh well, you know… me and steve, we’re like each others party so.. we just thought we’d do something to you know… commemorate. or something. to celebrate getting each other.”

robin cringed at the word choice, but el didn’t seem to notice the potential accidental slight. el nodded seriously at this and looked ahead at max and steve, her eyes flickering around steve’s bracelet where it hung around his watch.

“i could show you? how to do them, i mean! i’ve still got some stuff left over for it, and you could take it on the car ride so you’ll have something to do! i heard it’ll be, like, a forever car ride, so i hope it’d help.” el met her eyes and nodded seriously once, before thanking her and giving her a small smile.

robin had kept that pale purple trunk in steve’s car until the next time el was a passenger, and had showed her the two styles she’d learned from her mom as a kid. el had chosen shades of pink and yellow for her first try, before moving on to something like steve and robin’s, only with a vibrant orange rather than yellow. she added a bright pink, and knotted the string into a thin band. el had beamed when she finished her first one, and robin had felt just a little bit better about seeing her off so soon.

by the end of the first week of the byer’s departure, robin received a letter via steve. el’s name was printed neatly in the corner over an address in california, but it had been addressed to robin at steve’s house, the only address el had been able to get. the letter was short and sweet and ended with an embroidery thread bracelet taped neatly to the bottom of the page. it was lilac and dark blue and a fun light orange, and the letter was signed love, el with a doodle of a sweet smiley face.

#robin buckley #stobin #first fic and sry but i hate writing dialogue i’m sorry #was t sure how to end this but wanted to stop looking at it in the drafts #steve harrington #el hopper #anyways yeah. #<3

[qprstobin]

The exchange between Dustin and Steve about winning a fight is funny but I really hate that the Duffers included that gag in season 3. Like yes Steve lost the fight against Billy but he was holding his own before he took a plate to the HEAD and they had to use a TRANQUILIZER to put Billy down. Steve got really fucked up trying to protect the kids and then STILL got up again and went into the tunnels with them to keep them safe. He used his own body as a shield to keep the demodogs from attacking Dustin while suffering a grade 3 concussion. I know the kids are disrespectful, especially to Steve but I don't think they would just brush that aside? It doesn't make any sense to me that they would go through that together and less than a year later Dustin is like "have you ever actually won a fight?" in the bitchiest way possible like no fucking way. Like yes Steve's plan was kind of ridiculous but I just don't think that Dustin would use the Billy fight as leverage like that!

#st wank #steve harrington #dustin henderson #steve #dustin #sorry this is bothering me again i hate that gag! #i know its because the duffers just have no respect for steve as a character but difjgisrjgs #UGH

[strawberryspence]

Eddie Munson first falls in love with the water at the age of seven. On his seventh birthday, his Mom and Dad drives him to California. It was one of the few times he remembers being happy with his family. His father stole an RV, just for them. His mother wasn’t really happy with it, but had to let it go when Eddie lights up at the news of a road trip to California. He remembers seeing the beach, the feeling of the sand on his feet, the blueness of the Pacific Ocean and the warmth of the water against his skin. In his room, one of the few items he packed when finally ran away from home, is a small seashell. It’s small enough to hold with your fingertips. On bad days, Eddie holds it near his ear and tries to hear the soft whisper of the ocean.

Eddie Munson is thirteen when he starts hiding behind the bleachers to watch a boy swim. He knows he’s gay, has known since the age of nine that he doesn’t feel what the other boys feel for girls. Eddie finds the swimming stands by accident, he just wanted to find a smoking spot when he finds a screaming crowd. It’s nothing like the ocean, no sound of waves crashing against the shore, the blueness only reflects with the light. A boy swims, he swims like he was born to be in the water. When he comes out of the water, he shines against the sun, golden hair wet and smile bright. Eddie falls in love. Eddie Munson’s first love is the ocean, second is Steve Harrington.

Eddie Munson is seventeen when he learns how the water can be used as a cruelty. Wayne drives the both of them to help look for this boy, just a small boy, lost in the woods. Wayne tells him that if he sees a mother, looking for her son, don’t look away, don’t glare, don’t give her pitiful looks. Give her a gentle smile, a helping hand. They trek the woods, a few times for the next few days. Eddie will never forget that day, Wayne was driving them back to the trailer when they see flashing red and blue lights just below the quarry. They both stop, looking over the edge of the man-made water, watching as Chief Hopper pull Will Byers’ body out of the water. Only then did Eddie realized how dark and menacing the water could be at night.

Eddie Munson is twenty when he starts hating the water. He’s in a boat, again, after having the worst three days of his life. Steve Harrington is more grown now, Eddie’s not entirely in love with him anymore, not when he spent a few years in high school with a group that bullied Eddie. But he doesn’t deny the way his heart beats out of his chest when Steve dives into the water, because he was born to do so, always meant to be in the water. He doesn’t know why Robin and Nancy are scared, Steve can do this, he belongs in the water. He watches as Steve lunges, breaks the barrier, and a split second of relief before Steve gets dragged down. Eddie follows the girls down the water. It’s cold and dark and it pulls him into the mouth of hell.

Eddie Munson is twenty-one and he hasn’t been in the water in almost a year. He knows, the golden boy with the the heart of gold, the boy he knew who was born to be in the water, hasn’t been in a pool just as long. Eddie understands, after the night at Lover’s Lake and after learning that Barb died in the pool. He watches the kids, splashing water around and playing games. He finds Will, laughing and smiling as he floats in the water and Eddie forces himself to remember this moment and not his fake body floating around the Quarry. Steve’s fixing the snacks with Nancy and Robin’s reading a book beside him, her head on his shoulders.

The kids have been bugging him to get in the pool, but Eddie has been dodging their requests for almost a year now. It’s suspiciously quiet for a moment and before Eddie can understand what’s happening the girls are counting down as the boys hold him by the shoulder and by the feet and throw him in the water. He hears a stream of screaming before the water hits his ears, and it swallows him whole. It’s nothing like the soft and warm embrace of the ocean. It’s cold and dark and suddenly it’s pulling him back into the mouth of hell. He wants to swim up, he needs to swim up, but he sees the vines pulling him and tries to fight it, trash against it. It doesn’t budge, so he let’s himself be pulled in.

Steve Harrington hasn’t been in the water in 11 months, 24 days, and 8 hours. But at that moment, every thought and fear in his body vanishes when he sees Eddie sinking into the pool, fighting the water before letting it swallow him whole. Steve dives so fast, he forgets how much he’s hated the coldness of the pool. But Eddie’s down there, and no place with Eddie in it will ever be dark. Eddie’s eyes are closed, as he scoops him in his arms, swimming back to the surface and immediately laying him down on the poolside.

“Move!” Steve shouts, and the kids are so surprised that they pave a way for him, they’ve never seen Steve this mad at them. He gives Eddie CPR and suddenly, he’s back in the Upside Down. His hands are red with blood, Dustin’s begging him to help Eddie, Robin’s cradling Dustin as Nancy tries to stop the bleeding. He does the same prayer as he pumps at Eddie’s chest, please let him live please let him live please let hi— Eddie coughs water. The kids collectively sigh as Robin and Nancy both wrap them in towels. But in the chaos, Steve just cries, trying to remember how to breathe again because they’re in his backyard, not in the Upside Down. Eddie’s okay. Eddie’s okay. He’s not bleeding and in the cusp of dying.

“Oh, love. I am okay. I am okay. I am okay.” Eddie holds him, wincing at the pain in his chest, but still holds him in his arms. Eddie glares at the kids, looking up to Robin and Nancy to gesture for them to go in the house and leave them. When it’s finally just them, Eddie pulls away, wiping at Steve’s cheeks and cupping his jaw. Eddie preens at the fact that Steve doesn’t pull away.

“Hey, you good?” Steve laughs at the question, “I should be asking you that.” Eddie chuckles at the sound of his laugh.

“I am okay. I’ll live. How about you? You haven’t swam in a while and you gave me another CPR. I am sorry.” Steve shakes his head.

“Don’t say sorry. I’ll do it all again for you.”

Eddie does what he’s always wanted do since the age of thirteen. He kisses Steve for the first time, and it’s like falling in love with the water all over again. He remembers the light, the blue, the warmth. It's like being seven again and wiggling his toes in the sand for the first time.

Eddie Munson is twenty-seven when he gets married. Not legally, but married in the eyes of their family. Steve’s laughing with the kids as they play chicken, the water splashing around. Eddie lets himself enjoy the sand beneath his feet, the sound of the water crashing against the shore, the sounds of Robin and Argyle arguing about the snacks and the kids laughing.

“Eds!” Eddie looks up from his book.

Steve is calling him from the water, golden hair wet and smile bright, “Come in the water! It’s warm!”

Eddie smiles back at him, slipping a bookmark between the pages before running to Steve’s arms, making both of them fall into the water. There’s no fear, not when he’s in the arms of his husband, the boy who was born to be in the water. It’s warm and soft and it’s home.

Eddie will always come back to the water, always waiting for it, always watching it, will always love it.

Because Eddie Munson is the shore, and Steve Harrington is the ocean.

"Because there is nothing more beautiful than the way the [shore] refuses to stop kissing the [ocean] no matter how many times it [had went] away." — Sarah Kay

#LMOAOOOOOOOO THIS TURNED INTO A FULL FICLET IM SORRY #this was honestly horrible i hated this but here you go #steddie rants #daeheadcanons #dae writes #steve harrington x eddie munson angst #steve harrington x eddie munson fluff #steve harrington x eddie munson #steddie #steddie headcanons #steddie headcanon #steddie ficlet #steddie fanfic #tw trauma #tw ptsd

[steddieas-shegoes]

Modern Steve Harrington has a Lulu Lemon obsession against everyone’s (including his own) better judgment

But Eddie certainly doesn’t complain because he buys everything

Everything? Everything.

Including those stupid little tennis skirts:

And those stupid leggings that don’t hide anything:

#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #headcanon #sorry not sorry #he also buys those really fucking comfortable men’s joggers which I will someday own when I have $100 to spend on pants #because my GOD they really are SO COMFY #he has them in every color #even gets a pair for Eddie who hates to admit how nice they are

[jonathanbiers]

Argyle never gets frustrated with Steve when he doesn’t understand something. He doesn’t roll his eyes, or give That Sigh. He explains things patiently, if a bit abstractly, and when Steve is way off base Argyle runs with it. Is Vecna a vampire? Whoa that would be wild, man! Do you think he can’t have garlic? We could just take him out with a gnarly garlic pie, my dude!

the way you're seeing into my mind.... argyle being really soft with steve and taking the time to make sure he doesn't feel stupid when he's confused is something i've considered AT LENGTH (specifically in dms with @himbohohoharringtxn who has the unfortunate luck of being on the receiving end of Most of my argyle thoughts fdjghkdfj)

i would like to preface this by saying that i am firmly in "argyle and steve are both genuinely smart" territory. i think steve is very neurodivergent coded (i see the arguments for adhd/autism/dyslexia/ocd and as someone who might be autistic but is diagnosed with the other three....i see these arguments and i agree on all fronts) and there's also the head trauma of it all, though that's not what this is about. he's not fucking dumb, he just needs things broken down and explained to him in a very specific way. nothing wrong with that!

as far as argyle is concerned - we've literally seen him in action noticing small details no one else has(one of my fav parallels between them), which ends up being the reason the cali group finds nina and el. he's not fucking dumb either, just delivered to us as a comic relief stoner character with little dimension because the duffers need to be fucking stopped

BUT ANYWAY! you're so right! argyle would see the way steve sometimes gets brushed off and spoken over. the rest don't mean it to be hurtful and steve tries not to show that it does sometimes sting (because it's really not that big of a deal to him and it's not like they're being outright mean) but he would ABSOLUTELY "yes and-" whatever steve's off the wall question or idea was, if anything just to make him laugh, relieve some of the tension. AND IT WORKS is the thing.

it's not just, "duuuude, what if we just lure vecna into the sun? he'll be TOAST in five seconds flat, no fighting necessary. nancy, you can put the gun down, we're gonna hurl garlic cloves at him with a slingshot!" in one fell swoop, argyle is 1. making sure steve feels heard and not spoken over; 2. acknowledging steve's input and effort in a way that, let's be honest, the others don't do very often; 3. putting a smile on the group's faces for a while because fuck they're kids in a stressful situation and need a laugh; 4. putting himself in the line of fire so the others can rag on him instead.

argyle would do this when they aren't even dating yet and steve definitely would not be normal about it, he'd be smiling so big and soft and then argyle would catch his eye and smile back and they'd have this little quiet moment between them amidst all the chaos and dread.

after they're dating though? oh, they'd be INSUFFERABLE. they'd be such a pda couple, with the ridiculous pet names("what the fuck did you just call me?" "don't worry about it, my lil sweet potato pie."), and the open flirting until their friends are fake-retching, the whole nine yards. argyle is hanging off of steve's back with his arms around his waist and not even acknowledging it as he makes his argument to the rest of the group that, "no, no, listen. steve is onto something here, i just know. what if-"

and when they're alone, it'd be less of the theatrics and silliness and more of the gentle patience. they're both smart in really different ways and when argyle gets something steve doesn't and steve is getting a little frustrated about it, he'd take his hand or pull him close and just distract him with a little bit of affection to get him to cool down because he knows being frustrated isn't going to help steve figure out whatever it is. conversely, steve does the same when he's trying to explain something to argyle - though he's less likely to get as frustrated when confused, and more likely to pretend to take longer to get it than he actually does because listening to steve explain a subject he's knowledgeable about is fucking hot, can you blame him? they're just soft with each other, okay

#anonymous #just uh casually dumping a bunch of my stargyle thoughts that you didn't even ask for in your original message don't mind me lmao #if i'm honest the reason i haven't been posting many of my thoughts on this pairing is because there have been multiple times when #i've made posts about other pairings (won't say which bc then this'll show up in that tag and it's not about them. i hate when ppl do that) #and like almost immediately or within a day seen people copy my ideas/hcs about them in such a blatantly obvious way that i'm like #'damn if you're going to copy my homework can you at least change the wording my dude or like. cite your sources or smth' lmaooo #so uh. yeah there were also a lot of other things i wanted to mention but i specifically want to include those in fics and i've had enough #of putting my ideas out there as a 'wouldn't it be cool if' only to see a shittier version of it on my dashboard Within The Day so . #also i need you to know i YELLED when i got this ask sorry it took a bit to answer! bad nap brain again lmao coherent sentences are hard #stargyle #steve harrington #argyle

[plistommy]

I’m a sucker for Regency romance fiction. Steve Harrington, only son of Duke Of Hawkins, falls in love with lowly stablehand Billy Hargrove, and they must keep it secret, ESPECIALLY from Steve’s arranged fiancée Lady Nancina Byers. But what happens when Billy’s drunken lout father Neil figures them out? What if he demands his whore son bilk the young Lord of all he’s worth if they don’t want to be found out by Steve’s father, or worse… the Ton…

TW abuse!!!

The sun was shining for the first time after weeks of cruel rain. The warm wind was soft on Steve’s face as he walked through the courtyard to the familiar stable.

It was a beautiful day for a ride.

”Good day is it, Lord Steven?

”Good day indeed.” Steve smiled at the stablehand as he opened the heavy door.

Billy.

The man had been working for his family for years now. Steve had come to know the man, too pretty for his own good with those beautiful blue eyes and strong body.

He was really the only friend Steve had. Or a secret one, at least. Steve really didn’t have anyone else to talk to than his family and his soon to be wife, Lady Nancina by arranged marriage.

Nancina was a kind woman. He liked her. He even thought they could be great friends. But he didn’t want to marry her.

His heart belonged to someone else.

But… his father demanded it, like he always did with everything. He was the Duke. And you never disobey the Duke Of Hawkins.

Especially if you’re his only son.

”I’ve got your mare ready for you.” Billy said, that deep voice making Steve warm in all of the good ways.

”Thank you.” Steve said softly, loving how the younger man's lips turned into a smile. A real one.

Steve brushed past the other, bending down to pick up his helmet, shining like it always did when Billy had cleaned it for him after every ride.

He heard a groan coming from behind him and he turned around quickly, concerned if the blond man had hurt himself, but all he found was those piercing blue eyes staring right at his ass.

”Those… are a sin.” Billy murmured, gripping the shovel in his strong arms tightly.

Steve blushed red, but smirked and gave a small wiggle to the other man before he finally stood up.

”Just for you.” He said with his charm and Steve loved the reaction it always got from Billy.

Okay, so they weren’t just… familiar with each other. Or just friends. They were more than that, had been for almost years now behind the closed doors.

Billy huffed a little before dropping his shovel next to the wall. ”Only you today?”

Your family isn’t around? Your fiance? Is what it meant.

Steve smirked and took a step forward.

”Yes. Father and…. others are gone today. Only me present.”

Steve wouldn’t be at the stables like this with his wedding coming up in six days. There were rare times when he could, but never this close to an ’important day’.

And Billy knew that.

He didn’t even blink before the other man was on him, arms wrapping around Steve’s waist as he picked up the Lord on top of one the tables. Steve happily spread his legs to get the other closer to him.

”You’re a sinful man, my Lord.” Billy moaned and it made Steve laugh.

”My Lord? Please, call me Steve… you know that, Billy.”

Billy groaned into the kiss and squeezed Steve’s ass that still had those unbelievably tight jodhpurs on.

”My Darling…” And oh did that name make Steve whine as Billy purred it into his ear.

He felt rough hands, working hands slip inside his trousers and soon a thick finger was teasing his hole as the man between his legs moved closer.

”Wanna make love to you, Sweetheart. Please?”

Steve’s head hit the wall.

”Please…” was all he could get out before Billy was removing their clothes.

If only they would’ve known they weren’t alone.

—

Billy was walking back to his home, a small and cramped wooden house close to his Duke’s residence.

He didn’t get a room like their servants did, but he didn’t mind that, he liked his own space and it wasn’t a bother to anyone. He was always early at work, always respectful and always quiet. That's how the Duke liked him to be.

When he got close enough, he could see a figure standing on his small porch and not just any fucking figure.

His bastard father.

”Took you long enough.” A grumpy voice said.

”Wasn’t expecting you, Sir.”

The old man took a long drag of his cigar, keeping his harsh eyes on Billy as he came to stand before him.

Billy was waiting for the man’s usual cruel words. How he was such a disappointment as his only child, a son and how he wished he would’ve left him to die when his mother had left them for a man over the seas. How easy it would’ve been to take him into the woods for wolves to share.

He didn’t let those words get under his skin. Not anymore.

”So tell me, son.” Neil took a step forward, towering over Billy’s frame as he blew smoke into his face, but he didn’t react. That’s what Neil wanted.

Instead, he stood on his ground. He knew how this goes, every single time.

”How long have you been fucking the Duke’s son?”

Billy’s eyes widened. And Neil smirked.

”What do you mean, Sir—”

”Do not lie to me, son!” A slap ”I saw what you dirty fucks were doing at the stables. Don’t think I haven’t noticed it before. How that ’Lord’ looks at you everytime you walk by and how you…” Neil grabbed his collar.

”How you beg to fuck him. Like a whore.”

Billy was fuming. He felt his whole body shake as his father looked down at him, still feeling the sting on his right cheek. He wanted to punch him, hell, murder him, but Billy knew he couldn’t. Was too afraid to and all he could do was to fucking take it and look straight into the other’s eyes so he wasn’t disrespectful.

”Now…” Neil said, breath smelling like alcohol ”You have to do something for me, son. For me to forgive you.”

Billy gritted his teeth.

”You don’t want the Duke to know, isn’t that right? Or the young Lord's precious little Lady Nancina? Don’t want to lose that precious job I got for you or your… ’Darling’.” he mimicked Billy’s words at him, but with disgust.

Billy wanted to kill this man. Fucking burn him alive.

But, he nodded ”Yes, Sir.”

”Good.” Neil said and finally let go of him.

”For this to go away, you’re going to leave him dry. Take everything. It’s going to be easy, you already have the whore in love with you, so nothing but sweet little lies and your cock can do the job.” Neil grinned ”Isn’t that right?”

He knew his father was a cruel and a disgusting man, but he didn’t think his father would go this low. Especially for his own fucking blood. He always had hope, but he should’ve buried it a long time ago, because the man would never change and didn’t want to.

Billy was used to getting punished. He was used to the words thrown at him. He was used to getting hurt.

But he wasn’t going to hurt Steve.

Not the man he loves.

The man who makes him the happiest he’s ever been just with his presence. The man who holds him close as they kiss. Who praises Billy for just being him even if he was just a stablehand for the other man.

He would rather die than to do this.

”Son.” He heard. It was a warning.

When he felt a hand on his throat and his back hitting the wall behind him, he yelled out ”Yes, Sir!”

His father held the hand for a while, making Billy struggle until he dropped it and gave him a small pat on the shoulder like he wasn’t just trying to kill Billy.

”Good. I’m expecting you in six days. Do not disappoint me.” And then he was gone.

Six days.

Oh fuck.

The wedding.

Billy’s breath got caught in his throat and he wanted to cry as he slumped down to his porch.

How could he hurt his beautiful Steve?

#HOPE YOU LIKE! #Though this got awfully dark I’m sorry D: #I hate writing Neil BRUH GONNA PUNCH HIS FACE #I’m sooo unfamiliar with this trope! #the regency era! #BUT I HOPE I DID OKAY??? #Don’t know the best slangs 😳 #harringrove #my writing #steve harrington #billy hargrove #stranger things #prompt #ask #tw abuse #tw neil hargrove

[artiststarme]

What If Steve Were To Leave Hawkins? Part 7

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Ok so, I think the general consensus was for the angst to continue. I'm very sorry for the one person that asked for happiness. We're just not there yet, I guess. Anyways, here you guys go! As a warning, there is a poorly detailed panic attack towards the end. Enjoy!

~*~*~*~

For the next two weeks, Eddie and Steve would sit on the phone for hours a day talking to each other about both everything and nothing at all. Steve regaled Eddie with the horror stories of the coffee shop and its caffeine-addled patrons. Eddie provided him with tales of gruesome DnD deaths and the subsequent tantrums thrown by teenagers. They even start flirting through the phone calls, enough for each of the boys to blush and hiccup over their words. 

It was on one of these phone calls that Eddie finally found out exactly why Steve left. It was towards the end of one of their calls and Eddie had asked the forbidden question.

“God, I miss having you around. Why’d you have to leave, Stevie?” Eddie realized his mistake as soon as the words left his mouth. He froze in place and waited for Steve to announce his desire to never talk to him again. 

Thankfully for him, Steve just let out a sigh. He explained, “I just didn’t think anyone would care if I left. No one was around for weeks and then my parents came home. My dad didn’t want me there and no one else did either so I left.”

Eddie’s eyes widened with the new information. He thought about what we should say for a moment before speaking. “Steve, we never stopped caring about you. You started getting distant so we tried to give you some space. We were trying to help you but went about it in the wrong way. We’re sorry and we all regret it now.”

Steve let out a self deprecating laugh, “I started pulling away because I thought I made you uncomfortable. I’m sorry for that by the way. But then no one stopped me so I just… stopped trying.”

Eddie’s jaw dropped in shock. “No! You didn’t make me uncomfortable! I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable!”

“Why would I be uncomfortable?” Steve asked confusedly. “I really liked spending time with you.”

Well now Eddie felt even more guilty. But, he was already in too deep and had to land the final blow for Steve to understand. Even if it made him hate him.

“I’m gay.”

There was silence for a moment before Steve spoke. “Okay? Thank you for telling me. Why would you make me uncomfortable?”

Now it was Eddie’s turn for silence. “Um, most straight guys wouldn’t appreciate their gay friend having a crush on them.”

“You have a crush on me? And I’m not straight.”

“What? What do you mean you’re not straight? Stevie, have you been holding out on me?”

“I never said I was straight. I’ve known that I liked guys since Tommy kissed me in sixth grade. Why did you stop hanging out with me then?”

Eddie felt very confused. This conversation had spun out of control in a way he could have never anticipated. What the fuck was happening?

“Wait a second. You kissed Tommy? Hagan?”

“Yeah. If you had a crush on me, why would you stop hanging out with me?”

Eddie shook his head back and forth and tried to refocus. What was the matter at hand again? Oh yeah. “Because I was falling in love with you and I knew you wouldn’t feel the same.”

“I do feel the same! That’s why I thought you stopped wanting to hang out! Because I made you uncomfortable.”

“No! Why would I stop hanging out with you if I thought you felt the same? If I thought I had a chance in hell with Steve Harrington, I would’ve made a move!” Eddie passionately exclaimed. 

“Don’t say my name like that,” Steve laughed in disbelief. “We really messed this up, huh?”

“Yeah, I’d say. I ran you out of town, man.”

Steve smiled a shy smile in his empty apartment. “I mean, Chicago’s not that far from Hawkins. Only a couple of hours.”

Eddie’s brain malfunctioned. “Chicago?”

“Yeah. Remember when we talked about cities that day when we were high? You were right, it is a clean slate.”

“Maybe, maybe I could come visit you sometime or something,” Eddie stammered hopefully. Holy shit, he knew where he was.

“Yeah, you should. We could get dinner and you could stay the night with me.”

Eddie guffawed in surprise, “a little forward, don’t you think?”

Steve laughed in response, “I just meant you could stay in my apartment for a few days instead of driving all the way back!”

“Sure Stevie, I would love to. But-”

The trailer’s door slammed open at his words. Eddie jumped a foot in the air and let out an undignified yelp, still holding the phone in a white knuckled grasp. Dustin, Max, Lucas, and Mike were standing on the elevated porch of the trailer with murder in their eyes. “What. The. Hell.” Dustin hissed when he heard Steve’s name. 

Steve yanked the phone away from his ear and gave the receiver a confusedly concerned glance. It wasn’t the first time Eddie had screamed in his ear, the dude was impassioned, but it was the first shout not immediately followed by enraged squabbles. “Eddie, you there? Did you fall or something?”

“Fuck,” Eddie shook his head readied himself to deal with the upcoming argument. “Steve, call me back tomorrow, okay? The kids are here and they’re pissed. I gotta go.”

Steve didn’t get a chance to answer before the line disconnected. Shit, this was not going to be good. 

~*~*~*~

Eddie had been neglectful to the Party for weeks now. He’d been showing up late to Hellfire, new name yet to be determined, meetings and canceling preexisting plans for unknown reasons. The last time someone in the Party did that, their babysitter took off without telling anyone. So, the kids were understandably worried about their beloved Dungeon Master.

Dustin was at the forefront of the worry and convinced the kids of The Party, bar Will and Eleven who were having dinner at home, to check on Eddie at his trailer. They thought he might be hiding something. Really, it was only a matter of time until the rest of the Party found out about his dirty little secret. That secret being him talking to their missing babysitter without their knowledge. 

When he heard Eddie say Steve’s name into the phone, Dustin saw red. His anger only heightened when Eddie said it again when he hung up. 

“You’ve been talking to Steve and didn’t tell us?!”

Eddie sighed and raised his hands placatingly, “Dustin, I know you’re upset but-”

“I can’t believe you! We trusted you! We let you into the Party and you betrayed us!” Dustin shrieked, tears of anger building in his eyes. 

Eddie tried to defend himself but the enraged shouts of the other kids left his attempts muted in comparison. In a moment of silence, Mike took the chance to voice his dismay. 

“You should’ve told us that you were talking to Steve. We thought he was missing, maybe dead, and you didn’t tell us that he was okay. You betrayed us, friends don’t lie!”

Eddie jumped in to try to defend himself once more, “I didn’t lie! Steve wasn’t ready for anyone to know where he was and I didn’t want to betray his trust so-”

“You’re a coward,” Dustin spat and Eddie flinched back. “You never do the right thing! You tried to die when we were fighting the demobats and you made Steve leave. Now you’re not telling us that Steve called you. We knew Steve first, you have no right to keep him to yourself! You’re a coward and you’re selfish!”

Eddie stares at the seething teens in horror, his ears ringing and vision tunneled. He was a coward. Fuck. Was Vecna back? Because this was a scene from some of his worst nightmares. He couldn’t speak as he tried to control his breathing, the anger in the room stifling his ability to take in any air. 

Just then, Uncle Wayne opens the door to the trailer and steps in behind the gaggle of teens. He doesn’t know what he was expecting when arriving home from a long shift at the plant but it certainly wasn’t his boy on the verge of a panic attack being accosted by his group of his young friends. As Eddie’s body started to shake and his eyes began to water, the usually even-tempered man angrily turned to the kids. 

“I don’t know what the hell is going on but y’all need to leave my house now. Eddie’ll call when he wants to talk to ya. Get out. Now.”

The kids grumble and without a backwards glance to Eddie, they all take their leave. As soon as the last heathen is out the door, Eddie bursts into tears. His breaths are gasping and his fingers move to his hair to pull painfully on the strands.

Wayne watches the kids ride off on their bikes before he takes his boy into his arms in a comforting embrace. He doesn’t know what happened but for now, he will be there for his nephew like he has been since the bald-headed and knobby-kneed kid showed up at his doorstep all those years ago. Eventually, Eddie will find the words to explain to his uncle about the situation he stumbled in on today. But until then, he’ll hug Eddie and calm him down in the way only he knows how to.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 19 Part 20: Epilogue

Taglist:@nickavalens@conversesweetheart@themostunoriginalpersonever@swimmingbirdrunningrock@eddiethegreatteddybear @call-me-big-eyes @cornwallisandkerley @moonshadows-13 @glittergluekintsugi @cpidcupk @doubleb11 @mentalcyborg @amoris-no-smut-allowed @purple-lemonade @labels-are-for-the-weak @thebrazilianatheist @rajumat @livelaughlexa @5ammi90 @colorful565 @marvelousforlife @chaoticcoffeequeen @gregre369 @suddenlyinlove@thegreatmistake @stillfullofshit @nburkhardt @batxsignalsx @newunknowns @thosemessyvibes @tailsfromthecrypt@luciana-rowan @bird-with-pencils @adaed5 @lolawon @flustratedcas @iwillfindmyneverland @messrs-weasley @skoomy-doompy @yearningagain @darkwitchoferie @forest-fogg @bitchysunflower @stardust-era@newtstabber@bobatrash-queen @notjasontxdd @ohlook-afrog@00biscuit @grtwdsmwhr @oxidantdreamboat @the-witch-forever-lives @estrellami-1 @whatthemeepever @a-simple-gaywitch @imzadidragonfly

#yay reciprocated feelings! #Steve is having a great time #Eddie not so much #Dustin really went for the jugular on this one #sorry not sorry #stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #robin buckley #dustin henderson #steddie #fanfic #I still hate writing dialogue #I don't have much experience with happy so angst it is

[morganbritton132]

i wonder how steve’s neurological issues and eddie’s career interact. like obviously metal music is not gonna work with seizures and migraines, so im wondering if steve ever feels like hes not doing enough, like he’s a bad partner who doesn’t support eddie’s passion.. Plus i imagine the overprotective fans who notice steve is never at any concerts and how eddie keeps joking about how steve despises metal music, leading them to go on a whole tirade about how eddie deserves better yadayadayada ☹️

I have been staring at this prompt since you sent it, trying to articulate what I want to say because it’s so good. I think it really opens up the door to talk about parasocial relationships and fans who overstep, which I find endlessly fascinating.

Fans notice things.

They notice things and they think that they knows things, and then they tweet about it. They make YouTube videos and TikToks, and they post to their Instagram stories. Eventually articles are written about it and those articles make it into the Facebook algorithm and then mixed into Steve’s timeline.

So, he sees it.

A fan posts about how there are virtually no videos of Steve at award shows where Corroded Coffin had been nominated. They say that he was uninterested or not supportive, but not that Steve was just terrified of Eddie being outed and his career ending. Being in a queer relationship in the nineties could destroy your career and Steve never wanted to do anything that would jeopardize the band’s success.

Even after Eddie came out publicly, his record label’s PR team told them not to be seen being intimate with each other. They could walk side by side, but they couldn’t hold hands. They could hug goodbye but not kiss. It wasn’t just Eddie’s career. What do you think is going to happen when parents find out a homosexual was teaching their children?

A fan tweets about how Steve is never at Corroded Coffin’s concerts and when he is, he just hangs out backstage. Fans quote tweet it talking about how Steve doesn’t give a shit about the music, but say nothing about the noise and the lights that cause him to have migraines. They say nothing about how terrifying the thought of having a seizure in a moshpit is.

And it’s not just that.

It’s not just that everybody thinks that he’s an unsupportive husband or that he hates Eddie’s music.

Eddie live-streams in the car on his way to pick Steve up from work, spends the entire time talking about how he’s going to take him on a date. When Steve gets in the car, he turns Eddie’s music down. That’s a TikTok about how Steve refuses to show any interest in Eddie’s hobbies. Eddie tells him what he wants to do and Steve says, “Not today.”

That’s a YouTube video about how Eddie is a doting husband and Steve is an ungrateful bitch, and not that Steve had a seizure at lunch and a migraine pressing against the back of his eyes. It says nothing about how Eddie knows this, Eddie’s used to this. This is how it is with head trauma, some things falls through and they pick them up when they can.

None of these fans know anything and it ends up in the ads and the articles that Steve sees on Facebook, and it makes him feel like shit. It’s everything that Steve was trying to avoid when he told Eddie to break up with him in ’87.

He told Eddie then that all this shit in his head was only going to get worse and it was just going to hold him back when the band was just taking off, and Eddie had refused to accept that.

He refuses to accept it now and tells Steve that those articles don’t matter. They’re written by morons that don’t know shit, but it doesn’t matter. It’s like the whole world is looking at them and telling him that Steve is shit at loving Eddie when it’s the only thing he thought that he got right.

#I always think about those ‘fans’ that send hate mail to people’s girlfriends and how it would come into play in this AU #this was such a good ask so sorry it took me literal months to respond #eddie munson tiktok saga #steve harrington #eddie munson