#steddiefic chronicles

[hornedqueenofhell]

#thebardsbodyguard

“Hello and welcome back, we just got to hear a sample of the new single 'We Don’t Have to Dance' from Grammy winning group Corroded Coffin and we have here the lead singer and guitarist, Edward Munson.”

Eddie waves from his spot on the couch with a shy smile, he’s still getting used to all the interviews and stuff that come with the rockstar gig.

“Thank you for joining us, we are so excited to have you here.”

“That’s sweet, thank you. I’m not used to hearing my full name, made me think I was in trouble for a second.” Eddie chuckles and so do the others on the couch as well as the audience.

“I know right, everytime I hear my full name I just-” Chris Pine straightens and looks around like he’s waiting for a parent or teacher to jump out and Eddie laughs because it’s true. The couch also has Stephanie Hsu who Eddie met briefly during the break when she asked what kind of music he did. Overall it feels less stressful than other interviews, he just has to remember that even if a joke doesn’t sit well with him to just smile and nod or Jeff will strangle him.

“So Eddie, you and your band just wrapped your second tour a few months ago and you’re already putting out a new album soon. How do you find the time to just churn out music like that?”

“Well, every member of the band pitches in to write our songs. So everytime we’re home with our friends or families we always have stuff going on, things to experience or draw on to make music. And we’re very close so we’re always meeting up to bounce ideas off each other.”

“That’s right I hear you guys all play Dungeons & Dragons togethers and you have since-”

“Since high school, yeah. I had to repeat my senior twice before I found out I had ADHD and there were days where those games were the only things that kept me going.”

Graham turns to Chris and Eddie is grateful for a moment to take a sip of his drink and fix his sleeve which is just a smidge too tight. “Chris I know you didn’t play before but have you started since being in the Dungeons & Dragons movies.”

“We did a one shot…,” he trails off and glances at Eddie who nods in confirmation, “One shot to promote the second one with John running it and it was fun but there’s just so much to memorize.”

“And you Stephanie, did you do anything like that?” 

She shakes her head with a beautiful smile, “No, I heard about D&D growing up and it’s become so popular now. I tend to be outdoors- I’m still outdoors a lot, handling the farm and the gardens and such.”

“More power to you,” Eddie offers her a cheers with his glass, “I grew up in farm country but I’m terrible at keeping plants alive.” No, that honor goes to Steve who loves growing things in their apartment. 

“Before we go, Eddie I have one more question for you. I know you’re not on social media much but the internet is just dying to know about that gorgeous bodyguard of yours-”

“Bodyguard? What bodyguard?” Eddie interrupts as Graham pulls out his tablet and presses a button to pull up several images from social media. In them is Eddie and a very handsome brunette man holding open the door of a cafe and walking with him into a venue with a hand on Eddie’s back. The same brunette is pictured picking up Eddie after a speaker tipped over and caused Eddie to twist an ankle during a show. All of the images are tagged #thebardsbodyguard or some similar iteration. Eddie frowns and points at the screen, at the gorgeous man he knows like the back of his hand,

“Wait, you mean my husband?”

Twitter goes down for three hours after. Eddie and Steve are trending on Tumblr for days. People scrounge up photos of them from high school, pictures of Steve from the swim team and Eddie from Hellfire club surface and float around the internet. The length of their romance is speculated on as well as when they got married. Some clever fan notes the ring Eddie wears on the same chain as his guitar pick around his neck and the bat wing tattoo on his ring finger that appeared around the same time. The only thing no one finds is the wedding. It had been a close friends and family only event and none of their people would ever share Steve and Eddie’s personal lives like that.

Eddie does eventually give a single interview about his relationship with Steve but after that refuses any others with a request for privacy. He does however post a single photo of he and Steve in their wedding tuxes on Halloween that year. The two of them smiling side by side, foreheads tipped together, eyes closed. Steve is laying on Eddie’s chest when he posts it, having given final approval on the selected photo, while they share a slice of cheesecake for their anniversary. 

“Love you Stevie.”

“Love you too, my bard.”

#stranger things #eddie munson #steve harrington #steddie #steve harrington x eddie munson #steve x eddie #modern au #rockstar eddie munson #people think Steve is Eddies bodyguard #secret relationship #married steddie #steddiefic chronicles

[hornedqueenofhell]

Steddie Sick fic pt. 3

Pt 2

When they make it to the parking lot Steve is clearly having a time freeing himself from octopus Eddie who has decided to latch onto Steve with a single-minded determination. Gareth wishes he had a camera.

He can’t see what Harrington does to make Eddie let go but whatever it was was very effective as Eddie finally releases his grip and allows Steve to lay him down in the backseat. Dustin hands his keys back and accepts a hug from Steve before the freshman trots back over to them as Jonathan pulls into the parking lot. The boys wave to each other and then Steve is gone, taking Eddie with him.

“You think he’ll be okay?” Grant asks worriedly, they did just hand Eddie the Freak Munson, weak as a kitten, off to King Steve. The enormity of what just happened starts to hit them all and they start to panic.

“Oh fuck, oh god what if he kills him?”

“He wouldn’t do that right? The kids wouldn’t have called him if he would, right?!”

A sharp whistle cuts them off and they all turn to Lucas who pulls his fingers from his mouth, he gives them all a disappointed look, his hands settling on his hips like a small, angry soccer mom. “Steve is getting certified as an EMT. He’ll keep Eddie safe.”

“Why didn’t you just say so?” Gareth explodes, he was ready to tear his hair out worried about his friend.

“Steve doesn’t know that we know.” Mike says as he hands Dustin his backpack, Will is already off to go talk to his brother.

“Huh?” The band collectively replies.

“He’s scared he’ll fail. Doesn’t want to tell anyone until he’s sworn in, like there’s any chance he won’t be top of his class. He doesn’t know that we all know already, we’re planning a big party for him once he graduates. Of course Dustin has all the subtlety of a brick to the face so how Steve hasn’t figured out that he knows yet is the real surprise.” Lucas explains, giving Dustin some major side eye.

“Hey!”

Well that was kinda reassuring, didn’t people who did medical stuff have to take a vow to not hurt people or something like that?

“What’s going to happen when Eddie wakes up?” Oh boy.

~O~

Munson was scary light as Steve got him through the front door and onto the couch. He’d mumbled a few things into Steve’s neck when he got jostled as Steve kicked the front door closed behind them but settled down again shortly after.

“What was that?” He asked as he pushed Munson’s sweaty hair off his forehead.

“Had… dream…like this.” He mumbles and yeah Steve needs to get his fever down. He walks into the kitchen and finds a frozen bag of peas he used to use for sports injuries and after wrapping it up with a towel from the stove he plops the bag on Munson's face.

"Blindfolding me 'lready, sssso bold."

“You really never shut up do you?” He rests one arm on the couch arm, chin propped on the other with a slight smirk. He leans over Eddie and watches as the older boy drags the bag of peas to his chest to hold against his overheated core and blinks up at him with foggy, wet bambi eyes.

“C’n think… a feww ‘ays.” Munson tries to give him a flirty look back but his fever makes him uncoordinated so it looks more like his face just scrunches up uncomfortably. It makes Steve chuckle softly and Eddie lights up in response.

“Pretty… pretty boy.” He tries to reach up but Steve catches his hand and gently places it back on the pea ice pack. Munson was smart, pressing his wrists against it to help cool him down. 

“I know I’m gorgeous Munson but let’s get you feeling better before you try to kiss me okay?”

“Promise?” Well, Steve feels like he should be surprised but considering Eddie has been basically spilling his sexuality in his fevered state, he’s just going to wait it out and see if Eddie remembers any of this later. And if he doesn’t then he will keep the older boy’s secret.

“We can talk about it when your fever breaks. Do you think you could keep some food down for me or would you rather take some Nyquil and sleep?”

Eddie looks queasy at just the mention of food so it’s not a surprise when he asks for sleep. Steve stands and goes to dig through his medicine cabinet, he knows he stocked up when Dustin had a cold from all the stress after Starcourt. After filling up the little cup with the medicine he fills another glass with some gatorade mixed with ice for him to wash it down.

Eddie’s breathing is still a little shallow when he returns, but hopefully the medicine will help with the fever breaking. He is able to haul Eddie up enough to get him to drink the medicine but struggles with getting him to sip the juice. Eventually Eddie places his hand over Steve’s to steady him so he’s not feeling waterboarded. 

“Spose it’ss too late t’ ask, you di’n’t poison me right?”

Steve sets the glass aside since it seems like Eddie is done drinking. “No Munson, I’m not that jealous of you stealing my kids yet.”

“Nooo, not jel’uss. Kids luv you.” His slurring started to get worse as the meds kicked in.

“We can debate that in the morning, for now let’s get you in a bed.” He takes the melty bag of peas and sets them aside before scooping Eddie up again. Getting up the stairs leaves Steve huffing a bit, Eddie is light but he isn’t weightless. He says as such and gets a bite to the shoulder for his trouble.

“...u callin’ me fat?” He pouts and weakly tries to squirm away.

“No Eddie you’re the prettiest princess at the ball I assure you. I will search the whole kingdom to find out who could ever fit into your scuffed up Docs.” Steve snorts but Eddie looks pleased as punch at Steve’s proclamation.

“Damn straight.” Eddie sighs tiredly, his head lolling against Steve’s shoulder. “Don’ wanna wake up.”

“Wake up from what Eddie?” He asks as he lays Eddie in the guest bed, he kneels down to tug off Eddie’s boots and set them aside. Talking to Eddie is like conversing with a sleep talker at this point.

“Dream, you bein’ niccce.”

“What would you like me to say in this dream of yours then? Before you wake up.” He asks, looking up at Eddie from where he’s kneeling in front or the other, hands gripping his shins to keep his balance. He’s not expecting Eddie to reach out and touch his cheek with icy fingers.

“Ssssuch a crussh on you…school.” 

Steve’s cheeks explode with color at that admission and he quickly stands up to lay Eddie down and tuck him in. Eddie is out as soon as he hits the pillow. Steve runs a hand through his hair and sighs as he watches Eddie Munson curl around his pillow in his sleep and let out a loud snore.

Shaking his head he leaves the door cracked open and heads back downstairs to clean up and watch some tv before bed.

Pt 4

#stranger things #eddie munson #steve harrington #steddie #steve harrington x eddie munson #steve x eddie #dustin henderson #will byers #mike wheeler #lucas sinclair #gareth emerson #jeff stranger things #stranger things unnamed freak #corroded coffin #sickfic #emt!steve #steddiefic chronicles

[hornedqueenofhell]

Steddie Sick fic pt. 1

Pre s4 - Eddie is sick but doesn't want to miss Hellfire, until he collapses from his fever and the kids in a panic call Steve. Steve taking care of Eddie who while delirious calls him pretty and says he had a crush on him.

Eddie had been feeling off since he woke up, his throat was dry and scratchy and his body ached like he got hit by a bus. But he needed to maintain some level of attendance at the school and he was already pushing his limits so he downed some painkillers with a cup of coffee and grabbed his books and keys before heading to school.

He doesn’t remember if he managed to take notes or not, even if he did they probably wouldn’t be coherent. His head feels stuffed full of wool and he barely managed to keep down two of the crackers and the water Gareth insisted on nudging his way. When the last bell rang he trudged towards the Drama room to start setup, because of course he couldn’t just go home when he felt so awful, they had Hellfire tonight. He kept his head down, waiting for the halls to mostly empty before moving, and if he had to occasionally lean against the wall to get there that was his business.

A lesser DM may have canceled or postponed but he knew little Will Byers would be leaving them soon for California and that Wheeler, Henderson, and Sinclair were trying to spend as much time together as possible. Honestly it felt a little codependent the way that the others clung to Will, all of them insanely attentive to the smallest flinch the smaller boy let out. There was clearly a story there, one Eddie wasn’t in the mood to hear today. 

He got the minis set up and all but collapsed into his throne, everything hurt and the room was swimming a bit around the edges of his vision. He was breathing hard and shallow too, he needed to get it together. Gareth showed up earlier than everyone else, Eddie was fairly certain his friend could tell that he was under the weather. This was confirmed when the drummer pressed more painkillers into his hand and passed him a still warm cup of tea.

“You break into the teachers lounge?” Christ, was that his voice?! He quickly downed the pills and took a quick sip of the tea.

“You sure you’re up for this man?” Gareth asks instead, Eddie waves his worries off as he takes another sip.

“Yeah man I’m fine, just a frog in the throat is all.” It’s pretty clear neither of them were convinced by that but before his friend could protest or make him cancel the children arrived and the other boy was forced to retreat.

This wasn’t Eddie’s best game he’ll be honest. Between trying to sip the tea as little as possible in order to make it last and all of his npc voices still coming out weak and raspy he just wanted this session to be over. The kids were arguing and Eddie barely had enough strength to smack a hand on the table to shut them up instead of shouting at them. Will kept staring at him, intuitive little fucker he was, could probably tell Eddie wasn’t all there. Okay it was time to end this.

Eddie stood from his throne and tried to make it look like he planned it when he had to splay his hands across the table to stay upright. Black spots danced across his vision and he blinked hard several times to try and clear them. He shook his head when that failed and oh shit that only made it worse, now with spotty vision and vertigo Eddie had to swallow hard as bile climbed up the back of his throat. Just two more minutes damnit.

“Alright everyone, tha-,” he cleared his throat, why did it feel like he was swaying in circles, he wasn’t was he? “That’s all forrrr…” His knees started to buckle so he locked them, fat lot of good it did when they already felt like jelly. He straightened up to his full height and realized too late that was a very bad idea.

“Shit.” Was the last word that slipped from his lips before everything went black.

Pt 2

Follow the #Steddiefic Chronicles tag to keep track of this story

#stranger things #eddie munson #steve harrington #steddie #steve harrington x eddie munson #steve x eddie #dustin henderson #will byers #mike wheeler #lucas sinclair #gareth emerson #jeff stranger things #corroded coffin #stranger things unnamed freak #sickfic #emt!steve #steddiefic chronicles

[hornedqueenofhell]

Steddie Sick fic pt. 4

Pt 3

Eddie wakes up and immediately feels his hackles raise. This isn’t his bed, this isn’t one of his friends' houses, hell he doesn’t even remember leaving Hellfire last nigh… oh because he didn’t. He fainted, but where is he now? And why is he still dressed?

He cracks one eye open to assess his surroundings, the room is nice, the bed doubly so. The pillow smells dusty though, like this room hasn’t been used in a while. His wallet and everything are still in his pants, it had been too humid for his leather jacket today, yesterday now, but nothing lends any details as to where the hell he might be. His shoes are even tucked away nicely next to the bedside table.

The smell of food hits him and stops all thoughts in his tracks. He’s still sore and his throat feels like someone took sandpaper to it, but his head is clearer today than it was yesterday and his stomach is growling. He gets his shoes back on and laced up before creeping downstairs as quietly as possible. There’s no pictures or anything to indicate who lives here but he’s seen Harrington’s living room before when he’d dealt. Why he’s here is still a mystery, Harrington hasn’t thrown a party in years.

“Hey, you’re awake.”

Eddie jumps almost a foot in the air as the man in question appears through the doorway to the kitchen. He’s barefoot, wearing a pair of criminally low slung sweatpants with no shirt and when did Steve Harrington get chest hair?! He sucks on his lower lip so he doesn’t drool and excuse me was that a once-over? Did King Steve just check him out? Oh his poor queer heart cannot take this.

“I’m working on breakfast if you think you could keep anything down for me.”

I’ll go down whenever you want big boy. Eddie mentally slaps himself before giving the other man a weak smile, “I’ll never turn down food but umm, why am I here?”

“You don’t remember?” Either his imagination is going wilder than usual, fantasies of biting Steve’s neck and chest notwithstanding, or Steve Harrington is giving him a disappointed pout.

“I was at Hellfire, and then I woke up here.”

“Come eat and I’ll explain.” 

He trots after the younger man into the kitchen, ignoring the massive fuck off table in favor of grabbing a stool at the breakfast bar. He watches Steve cover a pleased little smile with his hand and he’s not sure what he did to earn it, he would like to so he can do it again, every day for however long it makes Steve do that. Steve makes up a plate for him with buttered toast and scrambled eggs, it’s not much but it looks good.

“There’s plenty if you want more, figured I’d start you off easy considering your fever was so bad last night you passed out at your game.”

“Christ, I did? Guess that’s why I don’t remember anything, maybe I got a concussion.” He shoves a bite of eggs in his mouth, they’re delightfully fluffy.

“I doubt it but I can check if you like, I’ve had several.”

“Umm, I guess?” Eddie shrugs and prepares himself to answer the usual questions that people ask when someone has possible brain damage. He is not prepared for Steve to come around the edge of the bar and physically turn Eddie to face him before lifting the metalhead’s chin with a finger curled under it and leaning in close to his face.

“Look right at me please.” He asks softly and Eddie resists the urge to blurt out ‘every damn day if you ask me like that’. Eddie can feel the warmth of Steve’s body so close to his own, the younger man almost close enough to have settled between his thighs instead. He barely holds back a whimper when Steve’s thumb brushes over his jaw, his fingers carefully tilting Eddie’s face as he examines his eyes for what feels like much longer than it probably has been.

“Your eye dilation looks normal, I’d ask if you see something you like based on how wide your pupils are but that’d be pretty unprofessional of me.” With a wink Steve steps back and walks back over to the stove while Eddie crosses his legs with a cough.

“W-what do you mean un-ahem-unprofessional?” His throat was scratchy from being sick, that's all.

“I’m going to EMT school. I know they think I don’t know that they know but Dustin is about as subtle as a bat to the face. And everyone keeps slipping me flashcards that are definitely not in my handwriting. It’s why they called me when you went down, I guess no one in your band could take you with them.” Steve starts eating eggs right out of the pan and tapping his fork over his plump, wet bottom lip and that should not be attractive what the fuck!

“So my van is still at the- school! Fuck what time is it?!” He starts looking around frantically even though he’s fairly certain no one thought to give Steve his backpack. Or his lunchbox.

“I already called the school, told a little fib about already being certified and that you’d be taking today and tomorrow off to recover from being sick. So you’re excused and Dustin or one of your friends can pick up your schoolwork.”

“Jeez man, thank you. I’d offer you a dime bag on the house or something if I had my lunch box.”

“How about you drop by movie night instead sometime? You could bring a few joints if you want.” Steve offers like they’re fucking friends or something, “You are good with the kids, they’ve been through a lot and the rest of us in the Babysitter’s club appreciate it. So you might as well join us for beers and movies and get the rest of the club package.”

“You need someone to help you veto the rest of the group's artsy movies don’t you?”

“Yessss,” Steve slumps against the counter with his head buried in his arms, “anything but another German expressionist film please!”

“Alright big boy I’ll give you a hand.”

Steve popped back up, cheeks flushed and a wide smile on his face, “Thanks Eddie, ugh I’m so happy I could kiss you!”

Eddie choked as Steve looked up at him, flushed and disheveled and barely dressed and he was not a strong man dammit!

“Never took you for the type to kiss boys Harrington.” Remember you’re straight and stop looking at me like that. Steve just shifts to where he’s leaning on his elbows, pushing his pectorals together in a way that would have made plenty of women jealous. He folds his hands and balances his chin on them, batting his eyelashes at Eddie.

“You’d be surprised.” He says slyly before nudging Eddie’s plate closer to him, “Finish eating before it gets cold, then I’ve got some pain killers for you and we can just crash on the couch for the day unless you want me to take you anywhere.”

“You, want me to stay?”

The smile Steve sends him feels undeserved, like he missed a chapter in this book somewhere. He and Steve had spoken maybe ten words to each other in high school and now he’s invited to have a movie marathon with the ex-king while he has a cold.

“Sure Eddie, I’d just be here alone otherwise.”

“Well, I wouldn’t want my uncle to catch this. Aren’t you worried about getting sick?”

The younger man shrugs, “Guaranteed the munchkins are going to get it, which means their siblings are going to get so one way or another I’m going to end up getting it too. Might as well get it out of the way now.”

“You’re not really anything like I expected.”

“Is that a good thing?” Steve asks softly, the first sign of insecurity Eddie has seen from him in their few interactions.

“Very Stevie.” He can only offer back honestly, the gentle smile he receives in return is like feeling the sun come through the clouds.

"Just no horror movies please, they can give me migraines sometimes." The younger man asks bashfully.

“That's fine by me sweetheart.” He goes back to his food and accepts the painkillers Steve hands him after.

He’s curious about what a day spent with Steve Harrington will be like.

Steve’s going to romance this cute nerd with a crush on him so hard. Thank you for reading!

#stranger things #eddie munson #steve harrington #steddie #steve harrington x eddie munson #steve x eddie #sickfic #emt!steve #steddiefic chronicles

[hornedqueenofhell]

Steddie Sick fic pt. 2

Pt 1

“Eddie!” The kids shrieked as they all ran to the unconscious Dungeon Master’s side. Dustin knelt down and reached for Eddie’s forehead, yanking it back seconds later. “Shit he’s burning up.”

“He’s sick.” Gareth huffs as he helps the kid shift Eddie onto his back. The metalhead’s breath is rattling in his chest and he’s covered in a layer of sweat.

“Why didn’t he cancel then?” Lucas asks, looking at the older kids.

“Because he’s a stubborn ass who doesn’t know how to ask for help.” Gareth turns to the others, “Can one of you get him home?” His mom had the car tonight.

“Jeff rode with me and we still have all those stupid boxes of my dad’s shit in the back.” Frank said with a shrug, “Besides he probably shouldn’t be alone if he’s sick man, you know Wayne works nights.”

“Okay but we can’t take him and what are the kids going to do, strap him to their handlebars?”

That caused all the kids to glance at each other before turning to Will, “Is Jon still coming to get you tonight?” Mike asks.

“Yeah, and I know he doesn’t have a shift tonight.” With that settled Dustin gets up and goes to his backpack. He pulls out a walkie talkie and after fiddling with it a moment he starts speaking.

“Steve, Steve come in, over.”

Steve? How was Steve Harrington going to help here?

“I’m heading out the door Henderson don’t worry, you guys ended early tonight.” Dustin normally would ignore Steve until he used proper radio etiquette but Eddie took precedence. And besides, Steve’s little ‘secret’ isn’t so secret when he leaves his books open on the Family Video counter.

“Actually we need your help, over.”

The response was immediate and tense, “Code red help?”

“No, no, leave Lola in the trunk. Eddie is sick and passed out, no one else can help him.” Dustin turned back to Eddie who now had a wet rag on his head courtesy of someone.

“Who’s Lola?” Jeff asked the other kids who just rolled their eyes, except Will.

“Steve’s melee weapon, he named her Lola.” Well that cleared up exactly nothing.

“Because you have lifeguard training dumbass!” Dustin says, the others having missed Steve’s reply.

“Lifeguard certification does not equal a doctorate Dustin! What about his bandmates, why can’t they take him?”

Huh, Steve Harrington knows they exist, and not just in a they’re also in Hellfire kinda way. This day just gets weirder and weirder.

“No one has a ride or space available. Please Steve, he’s got a bad fever and his breathing is really shallow. There’s no one at home to keep an eye on him.”

The line goes silent for almost a minute and a half before finally crackling to life again, “Low fucking blow Henderson,” The ex-jock hisses out, “I’ll be there in five. Who is taking you brats home?”

“We’re going to bully Jon into doing it. Thanks Steve.” He shuts the walkie off and puts it away before going back to Eddie. 

The older man had sort of regained consciousness by now but whatever he was mumbling wasn’t coherent. Seems he’d gone delirious from the fever.

Less than five minutes later, Jesus had Harrington floored it all the way here, the old King of Hawkins High strode through the drama room doors. He ruffled Dustin’s hair before quickly going to Eddie’s side. After also checking his temperature and his pulse the brunette turned to the band.

“Has he had anything to eat or drink today?”

The other two shrugged and turned to Gareth, “I gave him some water and crackers at lunch since he didn’t have any food with him, also brought him some tea before we started tonight. I don’t know about anything else.”

“Okay, thanks man. Dust,” He pulls out his car keys and hands them off to the other teen, “Get the back door open for me please.”

The kid runs out to do as requested, Steve turns back to the other kids, “If you haven’t yet, let Jon and Nancy know what’s happening. I don’t want one of you stranded here while I get Munson settled.”

Lucas nodded and went to do as the older boy asked. The Coffin boys knew Steve was a babysitter/overbearing sibling figure to the kids, the way they sang his praises, but this felt like a commander giving orders and everyone followed them like their lives were on the line. It was weird.

“Give my best to your families, I’ll be there for Saturday dinner kay?” He pats Will’s shoulder fondly and then turns back to Eddie.

“Okay Munson, are you with me enough to hold onto me?” Steve coaxes Eddie’s arms into looping around his neck, he’s not expecting one to immediately curl into his hair and tug weakly. Whatever face Steve made as he held back from making any kind of sound besides a pained grunt seemed to amuse Eddie greatly as he started giggling.

“Yes, yes you’re very funny.” Sighing, Steve digs his arms under Eddie and scoops the metalhead into his arms. Eddie lets out a very soft ‘whee’ in response as he’s lifted and his head tucked into Steve’s shoulder. There’s a small smile teasing the corner of Harrington’s lips. He stands and makes sure Eddie isn’t about to fling himself out of Steve’s arms before he starts walking back out to the parking lot. The rest of the group scrambles to pack their shit away and follow after them.

Pt 3

#stranger things #eddie munson #steve harrington #steddie #steve harrington x eddie munson #steve x eddie #dustin henderson #will byers #lucy sinclair #mike wheeler #gareth emerson #jeff stranger things #stranger things unnamed freak #corroded coffin #sick fic #emt!steve #steddiefic chronicles

[hornedqueenofhell]

Holiday in... Handcuffs? Pt. 2

Pt 1

“Okay Dustin, tell me one more time why you think Steve was kidnapped.” Hopper says while pinching the ridge of his nose. It’s not that he didn’t believe the boy, it's just, he highly doubts one guy would be capable of taking Steve down easily.

“He told me he was! I heard a struggle, he said kidnapped, I heard the kidnappers voice!” Dustin shrieks while waving his phone at Hopper. Will, Mike and Lucas had come to join him, they were staying quiet though, still in shock. The girls had been skeptical and refused to stop their girls day for what they thought was a cry for attention.

“Did Steve perhaps call you accidentally if he was… busy with someone?” He has caught Steve with his pants down too many times to assume the guy didn’t have varied interests in bed. Dustin just scowls and puts his hands on his hips exactly like Steve does.

“No, he was calling to tell me something. That he wasn’t going to be able to do something and then the struggle started. I heard swearing and panting like Steve was trying to get away, his speaker sounded like it had been hit because all his audio started getting really fuzzy. He was trying to say something about his kidnapper that he was weird or something like that. And then I heard the guy's voice really clearly, he said ‘in you go princess.”

“I understand Dustin, I'm just asking if there are any other possibilities. Steve is an adult man who doesn’t look like he’d be easy to kidnap, on top of that he was on the phone actively talking to a witness which is the last thing a criminal wants. Kidnappers go after people who won’t be missed, who they can convince to get out of the public eye.”

“He said goodbye to me, Hopper. He said goodbye and that he loves me.” Steve normally did this but he just had this gut feeling that something horrible had happened. “If you won’t help me I’ll go looking for him myself.”

“Slow your roll Dustin Henderson. I didn’t say I wouldn’t help, I just need as much information as possible. Did Steve tell you where he was when he was taken?”

“His phone tracking shows him around the corner from the shop when he made the call.” Dustin pulls up the map and shows him the screenshot he took of the dot in front of the corner bodega. “Now the tracking on it is spotty, wherever they’re taking him it has a bad signal, and they’re moving.”

Fuck that’s not good. Hopper stands from his desk and grabs his jacket. “Okay, I’m going to check out where Steve was last seen. You tell me if the tracking ever reappears and what direction it’s heading in, that could help us predict where they may be headed. Stay here. Do not, do anything stupid.” Hopper orders before heading out the door and getting in his cruiser to go by the bakery.

~O~

They had stopped at a gas station about twenty minutes out from the cabin because Eddie wanted s'mores supplies and some beers. Steve was kind of hungry so he picked up some snacks for them too. The two of them giggled and playfully shoved each other until the gas station owner, full of fond exasperation, said that she was going to confiscate their ID’s as fakes if they didn’t stop acting like children. Steve looked concerned while Eddie just snorted.

“Like you haven’t been letting me buy beers here since I was 19 Terry.” He winks and she flips him off. They set their haul on the counter and Steve insists on paying, smacking Eddie’s hands away when he tries to steal the other man’s card. Eventually Eddie just folds his arms over Steve’s shoulders and rests his chin on Steve’s head.

“Shall I give Wayne your best then?” He teases wiggling his eyebrows. Terry scoffs and reaches across the counter to swat him.

“You’ll be keeping your mouth shut if you know what’s good for you Edward Theodore Munson. And thank your young man for buying your groceries, what were you raised in a barn?”

“Oh trust me Lady Theressa I would like nothing more than to thank him, long and often but he has rebuffed my advances because all of you keep telling him I’m such a scoundrel!” Eddie dramatically swoons against Steve’s back, swooning a little in reality at how easily Steve holds his weight. “My knight in shining armor has rebuked me, leaving me without favor or token to get me through the dark, lonely nights!”

“Are you sure you want to be seen in public with this guy?” Terry stage whispers to Steve. Steve laughs and rubs his hand over Eddie’s forearms, the metalhead squeezing him tighter in response.

“God help me but doe-eyed, curly hair nerds are kinda my type.” That response has Eddie blushing and ducking his head to hide behind his curls against Steve’s neck. He meant it when he said he’d earn that kiss, whatever Steve needed to know his interest was in something real.

“That’s on you then. You boys stay safe out there, got it?” She gives them both an ‘I’m watching you’ gesture as they gather up their bags of snacks and offer her holiday wishes in return as they head out.

Eddie squeezes Steve’s hand once they’re back in the car warming up. Steve’s eyes are glittering and Eddie squeezes his hand again so he doesn’t lean over and accidentally steal that kiss. “If you’re not completely sick of me after this trip, and you’re willing to give this a shot, I’d like to take you to dinner.”

“I think I’d like that.” Steve murmurs. Honestly if Eddie asked he’d definitely kiss him right here and now. No one has made him laugh this much in a while, has listened to Steve talk about the bakery and the youth basketball team he’s an assistant coach for with such rapt attention. He hasn’t felt this seen since Robin, who is the other half of his brain cell, they are two halves of a whole idiot and they do just about everything together. She knows he’s thought Eddie was cute from the first time he walked into the bakery, with a grease smudge on his forehead and his hair tied up in a clip.

“Is there something on my face, you’re staring.” Eddie asks, he’s actually got a smear of chocolate from a cookie on his lip but Steve just smiles and shakes his head.

“Just think you’re beautiful, that’s all.” And as color floods Eddie’s face, prompting him to hide behind his hair again as he turns to watch the road, Steve can’t help but be unrepentantly charmed. It’s silly to think about but Steve feels like he’s fallen into one of those goofy Hallmark Christmas movies. The ones where unexpected circumstances end up bringing you exactly where you’re supposed to be to meet The One or something ridiculous like that. It’s silly he knows but he has a good feeling about this Christmas.

~O~

Most of the shops had closed by the time Hopper got there, the bodega included unfortunately. But there was a pawn shop across the street that was still open. He walked in and went to the counter where a nervous, sweaty little man stared him down.

“H-hello offfficer. What can I do for you?” He dabs at his receding hairline with a stained hanky.

“That camera out front work?” He asks and the man nods.

“Yes, I-I haven’t had many customers come in today and I have all the goods I’ve had sold to me today right over here if you need to see any of them for any reason. I do feel like I should inform you-”

“I don’t care about possible stolen goods at the moment, does that camera reach to across the street?” Hopper cuts him off not wanting to be here a second longer than he needed to. 

“A little. Um, right this way officer.” He scurries over to the door to lock it and switch the sign to closed before taking Hopper to the backroom where the camera controls were set up.

“I want you to show me just before 7 to 7:15 today.” Hopper says and the man is quick to comply. He wasn’t exaggerating about the little, Hopper couldn’t see faces or anything significantly higher than people’s waists. He scanned the footage intently for anything suspicious and then he saw it. An inconspicuous looking black vehicle driving too close to the curb, kicking up sludge as it goes. He sees sharp movements and then two bodies hitting the ground. They’re almost out of frame when the incident occurs but he catches a glimpse of Steve. The young man is indeed on his phone, the device clutched in his hand as a body with its back to the camera lands on top of him. The figure is wearing what looks like jeans and a thick, dark sweater, heavy combat boots and chains dangling from one of the pockets. So definitely not Steve’s usual crowd. He watches Steve’s feet scrabble against the icy pavement before he’s pulled up and out of frame. About a minute later a similar black vehicle drives back in the other direction. 

So that must be the play. Knock them off balance by driving too close, then while the victim is disoriented loading them into the vehicle and taking off back in the opposite direction. Unfortunately this camera angle didn’t provide plate details for the vehicle so that would have to wait until morning. He just hoped Steve could hold on that long.

“Rewind a bit, I want you to print out some of these frames for me.” Hopper says, pulling up another chair.

By the time he gets back to the office he’s frustrated and worried for Steve. And he knows Joyce has got to be getting worried about him too, he should have been home almost two hours ago by now.

The kids have all gone but they pinned a map to a whiteboard they commandeered and drew a trail of dots with each check in point where they could get a signal from Steve’s phone. It looks like the kidnappers are headed towards the mountains which is not a good sign for Steve’s life expectancy. He can’t despair yet though and adds the printouts of the attack to the board. 

Steve is his boy and if these fuckers have hurt a single hair on his head, they’ll never find the bodies. No matter how much his heart and mind rage though there’s no new information to gather right now. He needs to go home, to tell Joyce what happened. He needs her help to figure out what to tell the kids if the worst comes to pass.

~O~

Wayne is standing in the open door as they pull up. Eddie can barely help the child-like grin on his face as he dashes up onto the porch, ignoring the crack of ice under his boots as he pulls his uncle into a tight hug.

“I’ve missed you.” He groans as Wayne squeezes him back just as tight,

“Missed you too son, now get in here so I can meet your boy finally.”

And oh how Eddie’s heart soared at hearing Wayne call Steve his boy, but first he had to tell Wayne the truth about what happened.

“About that Wayne, this is Steve, he’s a friend of mine. Hector won’t be joining us because he decided to be a two-timing scumbag.” Steve, absolute gentleman that he is, has all their bags with him that he sets down before offering Wayne his hand to shake.

“Steve Harrington sir, Eddie has been telling me so much about you.” Wayne returns the gesture with a small grin, so similar to Eddie’s.

“Just Wayne please, you gonna make an honest man of my boy before these knees are too old to walk him down the aisle?”

“Wayne!” Eddie sputters, resisting the urge to throw himself in the nearest snowdrift and just stay there until the spring thaw. He’s burning up so much right now he could possibly melt through the ice on the lake and just drown there too. Steve barely seems phased though and just gives Eddie a soft look.

“Well, we were going to maybe start with dinner. Save the wedding plans for the third date you know.” He winks and Eddie buries his face in his hands with a whine, great they get along too well.

“I’m going to bed!” He declares loudly, he’s had a shit day and the drive up into the mountains always stresses him out. Wayne just gives him the stink eye.

“You drag this boy all the way out here and just plan on disappearing? Show him around at least!” Wayne turns back to Steve and pats him on the shoulder, “I really tried to raise him with manners I swear.”

Steve throws his head back and laughs, looking so radiant and happy that Eddie barely feels his heart slip from his chest and splat down at his feet. Freely offered to the gorgeous man who offered to come here for him, who looks at him like he’s hoping as hard as Eddie is that this thing starting to take shape between them could be something wonderful.

“I think he’s just the way he’s supposed to be.” Steve says, looking at him so warmly. Eddie flushes and reaches for Steve again, craving the way their fingers feel folded together already and starts showing him around the cabin. It’s not massive or really even anything special. Living room, kitchen, two bedrooms and a bathroom across the way. There’s a little gazebo outside right on the edge of a lake which was why Wayne wanted the place to begin with. There’s boxes of decorations sitting out but no tree, when Steve asks about it Eddie just grins.

“Munson family tradition, we have to go get one. Then we spend the whole day decorating and drinking and snacking on whatever we have on hand. Sometimes we stay inside and just read while Wayne plays his old records. Or I’ll take the kids out to go skate if my cousins are around.”

“That sounds really nice Eddie. I never really got to have traditions like that growing up.” Steve had talked a bit about his cold, lonely upbringing, and how he’d never had people to celebrate the holidays with until Robin and his group of shitheads. Eddie had suspected that Steve had to be at least a bit lonely to volunteer to go to a practical stranger’s house for Christmas but Eddie was really happy he had.

“Then I’m all too happy to share ours with you.” Steve’s lip wobbles a touch as he pulls Eddie into a gentle hug.

“I feel like a horrible person for crying when you’re the one who went through so much today, but thank you for having me.” Eddie wraps his arms around Steve and holds him back just as gently, fingers sinking into Steve’s thick waves.

“Thank you for offering to come. I feel so much braver, facing everything that happened today because I wasn’t going through it alone.” The held each other for a moment longer before drifting back to their own spaces. “Want some cocoa before we head to bed? It’s a queen if you don’t mind sharing, the couch is…” he inhales sharply, “not great.”

“I feel like we’re going about things in a very weird order. Haven’t kissed, haven't been on a date but going straight to sharing a bed. Yeah, cocoa sounds nice.”

“It’s from a packet so temper your fine artisanal drink crafting expectations.” Eddie says tugging Steve into the kitchen, 

Steve just shakes his head and giggles, “Just how pretentious do you think I am?”

Wayne watches them from his seat in the living room, two of them wrapped up in their own little world of new romance as they stand hip to hip in the kitchen, sipping hot chocolate and watching each other with stars in their eyes. They might actually start discussing marriage before their third date.

Pt 3

#stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #steve x eddie #steve harrington x eddie munson #dustin henderson #wayne munson #baker!steve #mechanic!eddie #modern au #no upside down au #comedy of errors #accidental kidnapping #steddiefic chronicles

[hornedqueenofhell]

Holiday in... Handcuffs? Pt. 4

Pt 3

They didn’t bother with any space between them that night, Eddie lays his head on Steve’s shoulder because that’s where it belonged, the same way Steve’s fingers belong on his lower back, tucked under the hem of Eddie’s hoodie. Their legs tangled together as Eddie trails a finger over Steve lips and asks to kiss him.

“Ask me again in the morning sweetheart. I don’t want to be half asleep when I taste you.”

Eddie groans at that, hips shifting against Steve’s, “Baby you can’t say shit like that to me and expect me to go to sleep.”

“Watch me.” He tips Eddie’s chin up and tugs his lower lip between his teeth, scraping until the tender flesh snaps back and leaves Eddie whining and arching under his hands.

“I’m going to fucking ruin you the second I get you in my bed princess.” He hisses and Steve laughs in his face.

“Try that one again when you can stop grinding against my thigh helplessly…princess.” Steve purrs right back. “Until I say so, you’re at my mercy and I’m going to enjoy it.”

Eddie wants to make him eat those words, wants to place his lips everywhere else since Steve’s own mouth is off limits. But Steve’s eyelids are drooping and he can feel a yawn behind his teeth, so he just presses a kiss to Steve’s forehead and whispers, “Enjoy it then big boy. Good night.”

They drift off tangled together while Steve’s family plans a raid on the Munson cabin first thing in the morning.

~O~

The Hopper-Byers house woke up solemnly and got dressed, their living room floor full of sleeping bags and piles of blankets. The kids were riding with Nancy and Jon in the station wagon while Joyce and Hopper took the cruiser. Robin was out of town and no one wanted to stress her out until they had safely gotten Steve back home.

Nancy was loaded down with her handgun and sawed off that Hopper was pretending not to see at this moment. Lucas was fiddling with his wrist rocket while El, Max, and Will talked quietly amongst themselves. Dustin had used his spare key to get Steve’s home defense bat which was tucked between his knees, hands gripping the end until his knuckles go white. Mike had been strangely silent since the news broke, guilt over everything he’d said to Steve eating him alive.

“We’re going to get him Hop, one way or another.” Joyce swears, their backseat has enough supplies in the back to make sure that the corpses of Eddie and Wayne Munson are never found again. They’d send Steve back with the kids, let them take care of him back at home base. Hopper would get his testimony later, after Joyce had put some good meals in him and let him rest off the trauma.

And then they’d get Steve whatever help and therapy he would need depending on what he’d had to live through. They would offer him all the support and love that his family had never been able to. Joyce would call Steve her son the way she’d always hesitated to, afraid she had been overstepping. Hopper would ask if Steve would like to change his last name, had wanted to since the Harrington’s had disowned him for being bisexual.

Everyone was making silent promises to apologize, to hold, to talk, to give Steve all the things they realized they’d been holding back or neglecting. Because it was either they got the chance to or they’d be begging forgiveness at Steve’s grave.

Joyce consulted the map they’d brought with all of the satellite dots from Steve’s phone as they passed a gas station about half an hour from their destination. “They stopped there according to the map, the last one before they got to the cabin.”

Hopper squeezes her hand quietly, “One way or another.”

~O~

“I know it’s not much because I’m afraid I don’t know you very well yet son, but I didn’t want you to be here empty handed so this is for you.” Wayne says as he nudges a box across the coffee table to Steve.

“Wayne, you didn’t have to.” Steve carefully slipped off the paper, something Eddie found so endlessly endearing. He looked forward to watching Steve do this with the rest of his gifts once they got back to town tomorrow. And then Eddie was ordering take out and making out with Steve in the other man’s apartment until Steve kicked him out.

The box contained a pair of slippers and a soft bathrobe, not Steve’s normal style but probably a soon to be necessity if he didn’t want Robin to murder him if Eddie ever stayed over. “I get the feeling this will be very useful soon. Thank you so much Wayne.” He offers sincerely as Wayne reaches over to pat his knee fondly with a warm smile.

“You’re welcome Steve. I’m so happy to have met you, and how happy you make Eddie… it warms this old man's heart.”

“You’re not even that old Wayne.” Steve snorts, making them all laugh. He shifts back against the sofa to tuck under Eddie’s arm, eyes closing with happiness as Eddie’s lips press to his temple.

“Do you want another cup of coffee?” He asks and Steve nods gently so Eddie gathers up their mugs and heads into the kitchen.

“Go get your boy.” Wayne encourages him with a wink. Grinning Steve hops up and follows Eddie into the kitchen. He grabs some snacks for them to nibble on while Eddie refills their mugs. Before he can step back into the living room Steve stops him.

“Look up sweetheart.”

Eddie looks up and sees a sprig of mistletoe taped over the doorway, “Really? Really Wayne?” 

Wayne just laughs at him and waves them off, “Just kiss the man Eddie, I’m sick of whatever weird mating dance you two are doing.”

Eddie looks to Steve who is grinning at him with his own little eyebrow wiggle, he grips Steve’s hips and reels him in close. “May I Steve, may I kiss you?”

“Yes, please Eddie kiss me.” Steve whispers against his lips, hands coming up to cup his face and tug him down until their lips finally meet.

And then the cabin door bursts open.

“Freeze!”

Steve and Eddie’s lips break apart, whipping towards the door in sync as Eddie’s arms tighten around Steve.

“Release him now!”

This time the voice registers and Steve’s jaw drops open. “Hop?”

“Steve! We came to rescue you!” Dustin bursts past Hopper branding his bat and swinging wildly.

“Rescue me? What the hell are you talking about?” Steve studies all their tense faces as he carefully moves Eddie behind him.

“Wait was this all a joke? Were you just playing a prank on Dustin, pretending to be kidnapped?” Mike spits, getting defensive now that they are on the backfoot.

“Kidnapped? Dustin, were you even listening when I called you? I told you I was staying with a friend for Christmas. I specifically said I wasn’t being kidnapped.”

“Your phone was breaking up, I heard a struggle. I heard the horrible thing he said to you!” Tears beaded in Dustin’s eyes as he gestured wildly at Eddie, “I thought I was never going to see you again.”

“Oh Dusty, come here.” Dustin drops the bat and sprints across the room, throwing himself into Steve’s arms with a sob. Steve squeezes him tight and lets Dustin wail with relief as he holds fistfuls of Steve’s sweatshirt.

“Thank you for coming to rescue me Dusty bun. You were so brave.” Steve tells him as he starts to calm down, he turns them slightly and offers a hand out, “Dustn, I’d like you to meet my friend and supposed kidnapper Eddie Munson.”

“...Hi,” Eddie offers gently, he awkwardly holds out a paper towel for Dustin to dry his eyes with, “Steve tells me you’re his little brother.”

“This is sweet and I’m sorry to interrupt but could the lot of you stop letting the cold in and maybe see if my front door can still close?” Wayne interrupts and the rest of Steve’s family blushes before shuffling into the cabin and doing their best to close the door. The handle was completely fucked but the deadbolt hadn’t been pushed so they just used that to hold the door closed. The frame was ruined but at least the draft was minimal.

“Thank you, now someone explain to me why my nephew is being accused of kidnapping.” Everyone continues to fidget awkwardly until Wayne gestures for them to sit.

Wayne has one armchair while Steve and Eddie share the other, Dustin leaning against Steve’s legs. Joyce, Hopper, Nancy, and Jon all squeeze together on the couch while the other kids scatter on the floor. There’s still wrapping paper from their gifts scattered around.

“Why didn’t any of you just call me to ask if I was kidnapped? Or Robin for that matter, I texted her everything about where I was.” Everyone winces at the mention of Robin since they’d left her out of the loop for her own safety, turns out she was the loop.

“Since you didn’t reach out again after the kidnapping message we weren’t sure if you or your kidnapper had the phone and we didn’t want to risk them getting angry and killing you.” Hopper says taking lead on this debacle. Joyce is squeezing his thigh tightly so she doesn’t run over and snatch Steve into her arms.

“I texted Dustin a picture of the cabin yesterday after we finished decorating.” Steve points out, Dustin hasn’t released his sleep pants since they sat down.

“With the other evidence we had gathered it looked more like you trying to help us find you.”

“Other evidence? I’m sorry but what fucking evidence are you talking about?” Eddie snaps, more scared than angry. This man burst into his home and pointed a gun at him so he’s a little on edge right now, even with Steve’s hand in his.

Hopper clears his throat uncomfortably and holds his hands up in surrender, “Sorry, sorry. When Dustin reported the abduction I went to the ‘scene’ and there was some video footage of what appeared to be a large black vehicle driving too close to the curb, and then you pushing Steve to the ground. You went out of frame but another camera shows you driving another black vehicle with Steve in the passenger seat shortly after.”

Eddie huffs, looking very much like he wants to go one one of his tirades until Steve leans more into him and Eddie deflates. This is Steve’s family, who thought they were protecting someone who means a lot to them. Eddie can be justifiably angry for feeling profiled and accused but he won’t take it out on his not quite boyfriends loved ones.

“There was a truck,” Eddie says through gritted teeth. After another glance at Steve he manages to take a deep breath and the words come out a little easier, “it was taking the corner too fast and kicking up a lot of icy road slush. I pushed us both out of the way so we wouldn’t end up soaked. And last I checked, owning a black vehicle wasn’t a crime.”

“It’s not honey and we’re so sorry that this happened.” Joyce speaks up, intervening and diffusing the attention with her genuine warmth, “This was all an unfortunate misunderstanding but what matters is that Steve is okay and that you’re both happy. And we’re sorry for messing up your sweet moment.”

This time Steve and Eddie were the ones blushing, Steve’s entire family had burst in on the two of them kissing after all.

“Could we maybe start over?” Joyce continues, “Would you all like to come over for Christmas dinner? And we can have a repair guy come out and fix your door tomorrow.”

Eddie and Steve glance at each other before looking at Wayne who just shrugs, “I’ll follow along with whatever you boys want.” They turn back to each other and Steve offers him a small smile.

“I know it’s a little fast, and certainly not how I would have planned for this to go. But since I’ve met your family, would you like to meet mine?”

Eddie lets out a snort laugh and squeezes Steve’s hand, lifting it to press a kiss to his knuckles, “Sure Stevie. At least this time I don’t have to worry about somehow making a worse impression than the one that’s already been made of me.”

“They’re going to love you, I know they will.”

With the new plans set Steve, Eddie and Wayne go get dressed while Hopper uses the tarp they brought the tree in with to try and keep the elements from seeping into Wayne’s cabin. Steve’s family goes back to their cars with the exception of Dustin who choses to clamber into the Range Rover with Steve and the Munsons. 

“Is Eddie your boyfriend Steve?” He asks bluntly as they head out, their vehicle taking up the rear of their little caravan.

“Not yet, but I think we’re getting there.” Eddie throws him a cheeky wink as he flicks on some low music to fill the background.

“Cool, hey is that a dungeons and dragons tattoo?”

The older man grins and with a faux annoyed groan Steve settles back in his seat as his family starts to get to know his soon to be boyfriend. This might be the strangest Christmas Steve has ever had but it’s also one of the happiest.

#stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #steve x eddie #steve harrington x eddie munson #dustin henderson #joyce byers #jim hopper #wayne munson #baker!steve #mechanic!eddie #modern au #no upside down au #comedy of errors #accidental kidnapping #steddiefic chronicles

[hornedqueenofhell]

Holiday in... Handcuffs? Pt. 1

A Steddie Christmas AU where Steve volunteers to spend Christmas with Eddie and Wayne, but due to a series of errors the Party thinks Steve has been kidnapped.

Eddie groans as he wakes up, the sun hitting his square in the eye. He rolls over to escape it and squints at his clock for a moment before the swimming numbers register as him being very late.

“Oh fuck!” He throws himself out of bed and scrambles back into last night's jeans and a t-shirt before pulling out his boyfriend's black cowl neck sweater to wear. He tucks his nose into the hem and inhales as he shoves his feet into his boots and grabs his jacket, wallet and keys before tearing out of the apartment. The day might have gotten off to a bad start but he knew it would get better.

It does not get better. He got a lecture about being late and grease on his shirt from a car that had poured antifreeze in the oil tank. He ended up skipping lunch because he had to help one of the other guys after a car’s engine made a valiant effort of falling out. Then his boyfriend broke up with him over a text message and not even two hours later said he was in a relationship with someone else. If it wasn’t freezing cold outside he’d burn the stupid sweater he was wearing and be done with it all. The worst part was, that afternoon they were supposed to drive up to his Uncle Wayne’s cabin to spend Christmas together.

In the face of all that Eddie thinks he’s earned going to the bakery owned by this cute guy he enjoys trading witty barbs with just before closing, to get a cinnamon roll and a cup of coffee. He catches said owner, Steve, right as he’s shooing out the last of his customers and really hopes he isn’t about to have another door shut in his face.

“H-hey man.” Eddie asks shakily, he’s on the verge of a sniffle and he knows he doesn’t know Steve all that well outside of his ownership of the bakery. He thinks the guy might have a brother? There’s always a group of pre-teens hanging out there.

The taller man looks him over head to toe and steps aside to let him in, “Come on in Eddie.” He offers softly, like he can already read everything in just the slump of Eddie’s shoulders. Eddie tries not to tear up at the first bit of kindness he’s had on this frustrating day and instead finds himself curling up in an armchair in front of the electric fireplace and wrapping his arms around himself miserably.

“You wanna talk about it?” Steve asks gently as he sets a cinnamon roll and two cups of homemade apple cider on the coffee table before taking the chair next to him.  When Eddie hesitates, biting his lip as he tries to keep it together, Steve backtracks instead, “It’s okay, you don’t have to, I know we aren’t friends man. I can wrap this up to go if you want to-”

“Steve,” Eddie says softly, the word crackling through the air between them like ice. “It’s not… I… I just had the day from hell and was trying to figure out how to put it into words. He picks up his fork and stabs a piece of the cinnamon roll off to eat before spilling his guts to the brunette. He ends up talking for almost two hours, going beyond this one day to how his life has always felt like a series of wrong turns and how it all leads up to this moment. Steve is a good listener and really easy to talk to when he offers up his own experiences in response to Eddie.

“...and the worst part is I was so excited to finally introduce a good man to my Uncle, to let him know that I’m doing alright. That I’ve got someone in my life. And now…” Eddie swipes roughly under his eyes before taking a sip of his now cooled cider, “now, I feel like showing up alone is just going to prove that I’m an absolute failure in every fucking way to him. He’d never think that of me, I know he wouldn’t, but I think it of me.”

Steve’s hand covered his as soon as he’d set the mug back down, squeezing his fingers gently until Eddie glanced up at him, “You’re not a failure Eddie. You have persevered through so much, been through things that would turn lesser men into cruel bastards like our parents, but instead you turned around and offered a hand to those who needed you, you gave them a safe place to be themselves.”

“That means a lot coming from you sweetheart. Thank you.” He lets himself flirt lightly as he squeezes Steve’s hand and leans back in his chair, the leather now warmed and soft. After a glance outside reveals the start of a flurry he looks at his watch again and sighs. “I better start driving if I want to get to the cabin at a reasonable hour.” He stands and scrubs his hands over his face with a sigh, “Don’t know what the fuck I’m going to tell Wayne.”

“Well, what if I went with you?”

Eddie’s fingers are still tugging his lower lids down as he turns to look at Steve. “What?”

Steve is sporting a faint blush and rubs the back of his neck shyly, unable to meet Eddie’s gaze as he repeats himself. “What if I came with you, to your Uncle’s?”

“Don’t you have plans for the holidays? Family or friends to see?” Eddie folds his arms around himself and worries that he might have complained too much if Steve is offering to ditch his plans for him.

“Well I don’t speak to my parents so I usually bounce between my kids places for dinner on Christmas Eve before spending the 25th in my underwear watching tv and eating leftovers. Going up to your Uncle’s cabin sounds more like a vacation in my opinion, and you said you didn’t want to go alone so…” Steve trails off with a faint shrug.

“Uhh If you’re sure then yeah, you’re welcome to come. What about the shop though?” He gestures at the building they’re in and Steve just grins.

“We’re closed tomorrow and the 25th, Robin can run the shop on the 26th and I know some of the kids are dying to try their hands at taking on more responsibility too. I can let them have that for one day.” Steve stuffs his hands in his pockets with a bashful grin that has Eddie tugging his hair over his mouth with a small smile of his own.

“Well then, I guess if I’m your last resort besides eating stuffing in your underwear...” Eddie teases before breaking down into giggles as Steve shoves him before laughing as well, “Do you need a ride to yours to pack a bag?”

“Nope, come on back.” Steve tugs on his sleeve before leading him behind the counter and up a flight of stairs into a comfortable loft apartment above the shop. There were plants and pictures everywhere, which Eddie decided to snoop through while Steve walked through the door to presumably his bedroom. There was Steve and a pretty blonde girl in a lot of them, birthdays and cookouts, with a bunch of teenagers and a couple other adults around them. He recognizes most of the kids as frequenters of the shop, or in the blonde’s case, his co-owner.

“Your family is lovely.” He says as Steve watches him snoop from the doorway, turning to look he sees the younger brunette blushing lightly.

Steve steps over to Eddie, joining him at the wall of memories that he and Robin so meticulously put up, his hand brushes across Eddie’s shoulders and Eddie has never seen him look more comfortable. “They’re all incredible pains in my ass but I love them so much. How long of a drive is it to your Uncles? Should I bring anything?”

“Bring anything? Darling you’ve been invited for like ten minutes you don’t have to bring shit.” Eddie chuckles but Steve gets that stubborn set to his pouty lips and Eddie knows he’s losing this one.

“I have a bottle of wine in the kitchen, I’m bringing it.” He thumps his fist lightly between Eddie’s shoulder blades, before sliding it down to scratch his nails over Eddie’s lower back and drifting towards the kitchen. Completely heedless to how he’s turned Eddie’s knees to jelly as he pushes the straps of his bag up onto his shoulder. 

“Yes dear.” Eddie teases, turning to watch him as he goes. Those jeans do great things for the baker's ass. “Should be about two hours by the way.” He calls to the other man’s retreating back.

“Do you think your uncles has the stuff to make cinnamon rolls?” Comes from the kitchen and just the mention of them has Eddie ready to fall to fall to his knees and worship Steve. Would Wayne kill him if he hooked up with Steve at the cabin? Steve certainly seems interested in him at least.

“If he doesn’t then there’s a market about twenty minutes from the cabin where we can get ingredients. You really don’t have to go to all this trouble though.” Eddie says as Steve walks back over to him and pushes a bottle of wine into his hands with a soft smile.

“I have to make your Uncle like me somehow, since you told him you were bringing a good man home to meet him. Gotta live up to those Munson standards somehow.”

Eddie catches Steve’s hand before he can flit away to grab his keys to lock up. Steve gives him a curious look as Eddie reels him back in and dips to brush a gentle kiss across Steve’s cheek. “You are already a far better man than the shitbag I was going to bring with me, and I know Wayne is going to love you.”

Steve reaches up with his free hand and touches Eddie’s jaw, thumbing over the start of a five o’ clock shadow, and leans in until their lips are inches from each other, “I want to kiss you, so much. But I don’t want to be your rebound, that wouldn’t be fair to either of us.”

Eddie exhales loudly, can practically taste the sweetness of Steve’s mouth on his as his hands curl around Steve’s hips and pull him in even closer, “You will never be a rebound to me, but I understand your concerns. Don’t think for a second I’m not going to play as dirty as possible for that kiss though.” He can feel Steve shiver under his grip as he nips the tip of Steve’s chin, just barely brushing against his lower lip.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less, I hope you’re ready to play though because I’m a romantic at heart.” He bops Eddie on the nose and finally gets his keys while Eddie resists the urge to slam Steve against the wall and bite down on his pretty neck. He growls and chases Steve back downstairs into the shop, both of them giggling like loons all the way out onto the street.

Steve locks up the shop and slips his hand into Eddie’s after tucking the wine bottle away in his bag, fingers sneaking into the flap of his gloves that cover the tips of his fingers and twining them together. Eddie gives his fingers a squeeze as he starts leading them over to his truck, “Do you need to tell your kids about your change of plans? Because service up by the cabin can get spotty, we have a satellite phone but it’s mostly for emergencies.”

“Oh shit yeah, thank you. Wouldn’t want anyone to think you’re kidnapping me.” They snicker and shoulder check each other again, sliding around on the icy concrete as Steve pulls out his phone and dials Dustin.

“Hey kiddo!” Steve says, the words come out a little breathy as he almost slips on the ice and Eddie catches him, tugging him in close.

“Steve, you good?” They can both hear through the phone's speaker as Steve finds himself leaning into Eddie again.

“Yeah kid I’m fine, just slipped on some ice. I just wanted you to know that I won’t be able to-”

“Move!” Eddie shouts as he yanks Steve away from the curb. A truck takes the corner they’re standing on too hard and kicks up a bunch of muddy slush. They both go crashing to the pavement, Eddie’s pants now soaked and freezing as the asshole has the audacity to honk at them. “Fuck you asshole!” He snarls before checking on Steve.

“Jag off.” Steve huffs, accepting Eddie’s hand to get them back to their feet. Eddie’s starting to shiver so he encourages the older man to get them to his car, the sooner they can warm Eddie up the better. Their breathing comes heavy over the phone and Steve can hear Dustin freaking out, trying to shout something about details and descriptions to him. His screen is cracked now and wet from landing in the snow.

“Steve? Steve! Where are you?!” The call is starting to crackle a bit and Steve swears lowly, speaking louder in hope Dustin will be able to hear him.

“Relax Dustin! I’m not being kidnapped or anything. I’m going to a friend's cabin a few hours away for Christmas this year.” Eddie opens the door to his Range Rover and offers Steve a hand up.

“In you go princess.” He purrs low in Steve’s ear, making the other man blush.

“Goodbye Dustin, I love you!” He hangs up as Eddie swings himself up into the car as well.

“All good?” Eddie asks as he gets the car started and the heater going. Steve tucks his phone away with a gentle smile and lays his hand on the center console, an offer Eddie accepts once he’s pulled away from the curb and they are officially on their way.

“Yeah, he can tell the others that I won’t make it this year. I left a note for Robin too so she knows what’s going on.”

“Good, wouldn’t want your family to think I actually kidnapped you. At least not without your permission.” He winks and lifts Steve’s hand to his mouth, pressing a kiss to his knuckles.

“Oh, and what would kidnapping me with my permission look like?” Steve teases as they both laugh.

“How do you feel about handcuffs princess?”

Meanwhile Dustin stood in his room, a hand clamped over his mouth as tears began to stream down his face. The horrible sounds replaying in a loop in his head, “...in…I’m-...eing kidnap-...goin…cabin…ew hours…his…ear.” Steve, his older brother, his best friend had just been kidnapped. And he’d heard the kidnappers' voice too, the condescending and predatory growl coming through crystal clear as he took Duston’s family away, “In you go princess”. Swiping his sleeve across his face Dustin starts messaging the rest of the Party before calling Hopper, he was not going to let those be Steve’s last words.

Pt 2

#stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #steve x eddie #steve harrington x eddie munson #dustin henderson #robin buckley #Baker!Steve #mechanic!eddie #modern au #no upside down au #comedy of errors #accidental kidnapping #steddiefic chronicles

[hornedqueenofhell]

Blueberries and Iron Pt 2

Pt 1

1983

“Jonathan! It’s Steve, look man I just wanna talk!” Comes through the door startling both Jon and Nancy. She gets up and goes to the door to try and convince him to leave.

“Steve, I need you to leave.”

“Nancy, what are you…?” He trails off, wide hazel eyes softening at the sight of her, “No, I’m not trying to start anything okay?”

The sweet scent of blueberries drifts through the room and Jon turns towards the door confused. He’d smelt blueberries faintly earlier too.

“I don’t care about that you need to leave.” Nancy insists, keeping her foot against the door to keep it closed.

“Listen I messed up okay! I messed up, I messed up okay. Please, I just want to make things right.”

Nancy hadn’t presented yet so her nose couldn’t pick up the specifics of what was happening unless her nose was close to Steve’s scent glands but Jon could tell from across the room. He could smell distress and affection and pain. Which meant that Steve could also smell them now.

“Is that blood?” Bitter blueberries and dead grass from the summer heat curled around them like guilt. “Are you guys hurt?”

Nancy tries to stop him but the scent of their pain and blood has Steve pushing through the door and catching sight of Jon with a matching injury on his hand. Nancy couldn’t tell but Jon, Jon who had presented as an omega the summer before entering high school, who had dealt with so much bullying for his designation and for coming into it so young. Jon could smell what was happening to Steve, knows how overwhelming it is, as all your senses are ramped to 11 without your consent.

“Easy easy,” Jon says, stepping closer to Steve. He carefully reaches out to the other man, thumbs brushing gently over his forearms in an attempt to sooth as he whispers to not overstimulate the other omega further, “Hey man, why aren’t you at home if you’re in heat?”

“Heat? What do you mean?” Steve mumbles, leaning closer into Jonathan to chase the smell of fresh orange juice and peppermint. He had been feeling off all day, short tempered and almost bloated, sweaty too especially around his thighs. But he’d shoved it aside in favor of wallowing in his grief until Tommy and Carol had strolled right into his house and bullied him out of bed to buy spray paint after they found out why he looked so pathetic. And then his face got beaten in and the painkillers he’d taken for the minor concussion he’d gotten dampened everything in his system.

Jon can see that Steve is swaying, overwhelmed with hormones and the smell of distress and blood and gasoline. “You need to get home Steve, don’t stop anywhere, just get home and lock all your doors. Make sure you have water and snacks okay?” He gently rubs his thumb over one of the glands on Steve’s wrist, trying to put out some soothing pheromones for the new omega.

And then Nancy loses her patience and points a gun at Steve. “Steve, get out!”

“What? What is going on?” Steve asks, he’s wilting from distress as his girlfriend, the person he probably unconsciously thought of as his alpha, threatens him.

“Nancy wait!” Jon tries to reach out and push the gun down but also really doesn’t want to get shot himself.

“You have five seconds to get out of here!”

“Nancy? This is a joke right?” Fuck, fuck. This is not good. Nancy is counting down and Steve is on the verge of dropping from the violent rejection.

And then the lights start flashing.

“Nancy! The lights!” It gets Nancy’s gun off of Steve but does nothing to help the situation. And now the demogorgon is trying to break into his house. Jon pulls Steve behind him, trying to protect the other omega who is now whimpering softly, fingers tangled in Jon’s jacket. And the guy probably doesn’t even understand why he feels like he does, why he’s in so much pain right now. Had probably expected to be an alpha, hell no one would have put money on Steve fucking Harrington becoming an omega. 

The ceiling starts to cave in, snarls emanating between crumbling sheetrock and wood. Nancy starts firing but Jon reaches out and wraps an arm around her waist, pulling her backwards towards their trap. As soon as she takes off Jonathan grabs Steve’s hand and yanks him along too. 

“Jump!” He orders as they run and Steve springs over the trap with ease, reclaiming Jon’s hand as they make it into Will’s room.

“What the hell was that? What the hell was that?!” Steve shrieks.

“Shut up!”

Steve flinches back like he’s been hit and lets out a low, pained warble. If he knew how Jon was pretty sure Steve would be purring to try and self-soothe, but he didn’t and his girlfriend was systematically shattering his heart at the actual most vulnerable moment of his life.

“Do you hear anything?” Nancy asks, snapping him back to the present. None of them had heard the monster fall into their trap, in fact they couldn’t hear the monster at all anymore. 

Jonathan was the first one out of the room with Nancy right behind him, Steve glassy-eyed taking up the rear. Shitfuckdammit the jock was dropping hard.

The ceiling was perfectly intact, like nothing had ever happened. If he didn’t have two other people here witnessing this he’d think he’d just lost his mind and hallucinated it. Jon turns to Steve who’s sweating and taking shallow breaths, swearing he crosses the room back to the other omega, “Steve, Steve you need to go home. You’re dropping, you need to go find a friend or someone to take care of you through your heat. You need your nest Steve.”

“A nest, what the hell are you talking about Jon?” She turns to Steve, “And you need to leave.”

“Nancy stop! Stop, Steve’s in heat and you’re not helping.”

“Heat?” Nancy tries to reach out to Steve but Jon stops her.

“He’s dropping and you yelling is not helping. Keep an eye out to see if it comes back and I’ll walk Steve out.” Nancy holds her hands up and goes back to the living room, reloading her gun on the way.

Jon makes a soft trill to get Steve’s attention but the older boy barely responds, Jon finds himself reaching out to rub Steve’s arms gently instead hoping the physical contact will settle him, “Come on Steve. It’s not safe here, we gotta get you home okay? You need someone to take care of you and a nest okay? Nancy can bring you something later if you don’t have anything of hers for it.”

He carefully starts walking Steve to the door once he sees his eyes start to clear, it’s not a great idea sending Steve off still on the verge of a drop but it’s safer than here with a monster trying to kill them.

Steve finally trills back, it’s awkward and sounds a little garbled but it’ll get better with practice, “But it’s not safe, you can’t… come with me.”

“That thing took my brother, I’m not letting it get away with that.” They’re almost to the door now, Jon decides to push out another round of calming pheromones which Steve breathes in and curls farther into Jon.

“Will? That monster took him? Fuck Jonathan I’m so sorry I really am. About everything I said, that was the entire reason I came here was to apologize.” And with awareness came panic, adrenaline flooding the omega’s system telling them that there was danger, pushing for an extreme fight or flight response. “Please just, you guys can’t stay here either, call the cops or something!”

“Hopper is helping my mom get Will back, we’re trying to buy them time now please go, before it comes back!” Jon carefully but firmly nudges Steve out the door, watching as the omega chooses the much simpler flight option. He shuts the door behind him and turns back to Nancy as the lights start to flicker again.

“Come on. Come on you son of a bitch!” Jon shouts at the ceiling, “You see it?”

“No! Where…” And then the lights go out.

Jon remembers a growl, and Nancy screaming his name. The sheer panic of feeling this creature on top of him, rancid drool falling in his mouth. The ear ringing bangs of Nancy shooting at this creature while he choked and vomited up what had spilled into his mouth. And then the smell of blood and alpha rage. 

Nancy and Jonathan were the only two people who knew what Steve’s original scent was like, not even Steve himself really got a chance to process it before everything happened. When the kids ask them about it they’ll say Steve smelled like summer, like fresh cut grass and blueberry pie. It took a week for Jonathan to realize that the lingering scent of blood wasn’t because they’d missed a spot cleaning up the house.

#stranger things #eddie munson #steve harrington #steddie #steve harrington x eddie munson #steve x eddie #nancy wheeler #jonathan byers #omega steve harrington #omega jonathan byers #alpha steve harrington #a/b/o verse #steddiefic chronicles

[hornedqueenofhell]

Blueberries and Iron Pt 1

Steve was supposed to be an omega, started his heat in the Byers house during season 1. But when he ran back in to save them, his protective instincts overrode his omega biology and shifted him into an Alpha in self defense.

1986

Eddie stirs to the smell of blueberries and iron. 

It’s a scent that’s puzzled him for some time now, sweet scents were generally attributed to omegas, usually for pup rearing. Alpha scents on the other hand were generally woodsy and warm and sounded like the description on a cologne bottle. Iron wasn’t a secondary gender scent. Unless you were like a serial killer or wore people like skin suits maybe. It wasn’t a scent that should belong to Steve Harrington.

The metalhead cracks his eyes open to find that he is not in heaven or hell or even Hawkins fucking General. The room he’s in is much larger and far too quiet. He can hear the beeping of a heart monitor and it’s echoing. The ‘hospital room’ has enough room for twenty beds, all of them unoccupied except for his and the one next to him, currently in use by the owner of that strange scent.

“Steve?” His voice cracks from how dry it is and the alpha immediately whips to look at him.

“Eddie, you're awake!” Whatever Steve was reading is quickly set aside in favor of Steve tossing his covers off of him and crossing the few feet of distance to hop up onto Eddie’s bed. Eddie always liked that about Steve, he didn’t do that Alpha-y posturing bullshit, trying to act like he was bigger and tougher than every other alpha in the room. Not even in the boathouse with Eddie. Steve took care of everyone, provided protection and care to every member of his pack. If anything like Prime Alpha’s existed anywhere outside of romance novels, he thinks Steve would be one.

“Where are we, where are the others? Is Max okay? How am I not dead?” Steve places his hands on Eddie’s arms and rubs over the scent glands on his wrists, offering out his calming scent. It makes Eddie think of summer, like cobbler and the smell of hot playground equipment. Whenever Steve walked past him after he’d had a smoke Eddie always thought he smelled like the fourth of July.

“We’re at some government facility where they helped Will when he was possessed by the Mind Flayer. Most everyone is at home, we just got cleared from quarantine so they will definitely be coming to harass us soon. Max is here too, she’s going to be mostly blind and have to use a wheelchair on her bad days but she’s alive. And you’re not dead because well…” Steve scratches his cheek shyly, “I was able to resuscitate you with CPR and then I uh, got you to bite me. The half bond was able to kick on your protective instincts and kept you fighting until we were able to get out.”

“But, you’re an alpha, how is that possible?” Eddie asks with a furrowed brow.

“Well, that’s complicated.” 

Steve describes what happened to him as something similar to a feral state. Like Alphas during a mating fight or omegas protecting their pups. Owens had added on when he came to check on them that the combination of him starting his heat in such a high stress situation, the subsequent drop/adrenaline spike pushing his hormones into overdrive and the protective instinct that overtook him when he felt cornered caused his body to decide that it wasn’t safe to be an omega. 

Since the hormones had just activated and were still being ‘written’ they instead forcibly made him an alpha for his own safety. Apparently it happens to soldiers who present in combat zones extremely rarely. Something something contributing factor to why more alphas are born during wartime something something long medical terms that Eddie couldn’t understand.

So Steve had presented as an omega, and because of this shit was forced to become an alpha. Because his heart was just too damn big. People had treated Steve differently after he presented, despite being an alpha his scent had freaked people out. Because Steve Harrington smelled like blood and sickly sweet decay. Billy hadn’t even needed to take the crown from Steve, the former king had gladly punted it to the side in favor of hanging out with his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend. And then the kids attached themselves to Steve as well.

None of them seemed bothered by Steve’s scent, possibly because they had been told about why it happened in the wake of getting Will out of the Upside Down by the government. The lot of them wore Steve’s scenting of them proudly, ferally. It added an element of steel to their still faint family driven pup scents, Steve Harrington’s pack bond was strong and anyone who approached the group did so warrily. 

And that was just the kids. Robin’s scent was deeply intermingled with Steve’s, the pair living in each other's pockets giving them a scent that almost came across bonded. Nancy’s scent with Steve’s added in made hers feel terrifyingly powerful, the ozone of a lightning strike combined with Steve’s iron scent made her smell like a gunshot. John brought out the blueberry elements more strongly, the omega tempering the iron with minty fruit, which made a lot of things make more sense now.

Steve and Jon were surprisingly close for an alpha and omega who weren’t seeing each other, but Nancy had never snarled at him or shooed him off. Rumors began to fly about Steve planning on stealing Jon as revenge for Nancy breaking up with him. Steve did not help those rumors as he playfully snapped his teeth at Jon when they rough-housed in the grass near the bleachers while Nancy looked at them with a mixture of fondness and exasperation. Steve and Jon had been playing like nest mates, like siblings. Looking back Eddie would bet good money that Jonathan Byers had probably single handedly stabilized Steve after the switch cut him off from his should have been omega instincts. 

Eddie knew through getting a couple slaps on the wrist for dealing that Steve’s family had kicked him out for his less than desirable scent and Chief Hopper had been the one who took him in. He learned from Steve that the man had got them a small house near the woods where he had lived with not only Hopper but Eleven as well. He’d become her big brother and flourished helping her catch up on school work and learning to speak clearer and read and write. The support and love Steve received had changed the young man, his insecurities about his scent batted aside by the people who cared about and supported him.

By the time he’d met Robin at Scoops the two of them were already halfway to sharing a brain cell. Robin was the first person his age he’d ever gotten to tell the truth about his designation to. She had rolled into Scoops the next day with several library books with information about the phenomenon and then held Steve when he cried because no one had ever offered to do anything like that for him. Dustin’s research apparently didn’t count because it felt too much like the curly haired boy wanted to dissect him at times. 

When Hopper had ‘perished’ after Starcourt, Steve learned that the house had been left to him. And that any and all money he had would be split equally between his two children as college funds for when or if they decided to attend a university. 

All of this Steve told him with his head tucked under the metalhead’s chin while Eddie stroked fingers down his back.

“I think you’re the bravest person I’ve ever met, Steve Harrington.” He says after he’s sure Steve is done.

“Nah, just in the wrong place at the wrong time and too stupid to do anything else.”

“Hey now!” Eddie rubs his scent gland over Steve’s hair, he notes that his own scent makes Steve smell like the fourth of July again. Smoke from sparklers and burning cedar in a metal fire pit. “It might only be until the bite heals but no one is allowed to talk bad about my mate, not even my mate.”

A shiver runs through Steve at those words, the idea that someone would still ever want to claim him with his biology so fucked up… “Mate huh? You propositioning another alpha Munson?”

“We’re going about things very very backwards but, I’d like to court you Steve, get to know you more outside of running for our lives. You’re beautiful and strong and the most amazing person I’ve ever known. I don’t care whether you’re an alpha or an omega, be whatever your heart desires and I’ll be halfway to falling in love with you no matter what.”

Steve hadn’t expected that to hit him so hard, to have Eddie say he wanted Steve whatever his designation. He felt tears well up in his eyes and he burrowed in close to the oth- his alpha’s scent. “I-I’d like that a lot Eddie.”

Eddie presses a kiss to Steve’s head and starts up a low purr in contentment, Steve responds with a rusty chirp before purring as well as they settle down for a nap.

Pt 2

#stranger things #eddie munson #steve harrington #steddie #steve harrington x eddie munson #steve x eddie #robin buckley #dustin henderson #stobin #nancy wheeler #jonathan byers #alpha eddie munson #alpha steve harrington #omega steve harrington #alpha nancy wheeler #omega jonathan byers #a/b/o verse #steddiefic chronicles

[hornedqueenofhell]

Steddie Anastasia AU

There's a new rumor in St. Petersburg, the young prince Stephan Nickolai Romanov may be alive and his cousin Christina Cunningham is offering a substantial reward for his safe return to her estate in Paris. And Eddie Munson and his best friend Robin Buckley have the perfect scheme in mind, with the young prince's music box in hand all they need is a suitable young man to play the part.

Steve has no memory of his life and a fondness for the other children at the orphanage he's come to see as his siblings. When a job offer becomes available that will help him buy the kids better clothes and decent food he volunteers immediately. ...even if it means giving up on the locket that calls for him to go to Paris. He doesn't have the time to deal with a handsome con artist and his endearing friend, who seem to be under the impression that Steve is a royal and want to take him with them to Paris.

Steve agrees to go in hopes that when it's proven that he's not Stephan he might be able to ask for a position in the Duchess's home. It would pay much more than the factory and maybe if she hears him out she could make a donation to help the children, he's heard that Duchess Cunningham has always helped out people in need.

Henry Creel was once the spiritual advisor to the Romanov family, until he was found to be a traitor and banished. In revenge Creel cursed the entire Romanov bloodline with destruction, and now all these years later it turns out that the last Romanov prince still lives.

Eddie, Robin and Steve make their way towards Paris, dealing with Steve's vivid nightmares, freak train accidents, and the young man questioning their teachings with every step. Robin is also deeply disgusted watching Eddie and Steve dance around each other but can't find it in herself to toss them overboard, she's entirely too fond of her dinguses.

In Paris the trio meet up with Robin's lover Vickie who is the Duchess's right hand. She grills Steve on his favorite things from childhood and his family history to determine if it's possible that Steve could be Stephan. Everything seems to be coming up aces until Vickie asks Steve how he escaped. And Steve tells a story that makes Eddie's heart sink through the floor, because there's only three people in the world who would know that story and he never expected two of them to be in the same room. Another snag hits as Vickie reveals that Chrissy has stopped seeing potential prince's due to how often people have tried to scam her.

When it's suggested that they attempt to meet up with the Duchess at the ballet everyone agrees and goes shopping for new outfits. While they are out Eddie pulls Steve aside and tells him the truth, he offers the music box to the prince who asks him to meet the Duchess with him and help tell the truth, especially since Eddie was the one who got them out of the palace. Eddie agrees knowing that this will be the last time he ever sees his beloved prince again.

At the ballet they meet up with Chrissy who recognizes Eddie as the young man who saved them. He pulls Steve forward and tells Chrissy about the amnesia and about how he used his knowledge from the palace to make sure Steve was approved before Eddie figured out the truth. Steve shows Chrissy the necklace and the two are officially reunited.

Knowing that Steve is home now and after learning that Robin plans to stay to help Steve readjust to royal life he packs his bags to go back to Russia. Prince's don't marry con artists and Eddie has an uncle that needs him. He doesn't get far before getting kidnapped by Creel who plans to use him to get to Steve.

As Eddie lays there dying, chunks taken out of both him and Steve who fought tooth and nail to rescue him, he begs for his prince's forgiveness. He asks Steve to please take care of his uncle for him, tells him that he knows Steve will be the best ruler anyone could ask for. Steve wasn't taking that for an answer as he smashed Creel's phylactery against the concrete with his bare hands and dragged his almost corpse to safety.

With some help from Chrissy, Steve and Eddie purchase a lovely estate in the countryside where they adopt and raise all of Steve's kids from the orphanage. Even Vickie and Robin come live with them, the four living out their lives with their significant others peacefully. And the children love hearing Uncle Wayne's stories about the missing prince and his beloved, steadfast guard and all of the adventures they have together.

#stranger things #eddie munson #steve harrington #steddie #steve harrington x eddie munson #steve x eddie #robin buckley #chrissy cunningham #stranger things vickie #robin x vickie #stobin #steddiefic chronicles

[hornedqueenofhell]

Holiday in... Handcuffs? Pt. 3

Pt 2

Steve woke up on the 24th to Eddie scrubbing the sleep from his eyes before blinking owlishly at him. They were both bundled under a heavy quilt and a few blankets scattered over them, a quick flex of his fingers shows that his hand is still tangled up with Eddie’s.

“Morning,” Eddie offered softly after stretching out like a cat with a yawn, fingers curling in Steve’s because he still refuses to let go.

“Morning sleepyhead.” Steve reaches out to tuck some the wild, sleep ruffle curls behind Eddie’s ear. Eddie places his hand over Steve’s and nuzzles into the touch, kissing his palm tenderly and looking at him with hooded eyes.

“I wish Hector had better timing for breaking up with me, then I could have woken you up in the way I really fucking want to.” He nips at Steve’s fingers, soothing the small nips with openmouthed kisses that make Steve want to whimper and pull Eddie over him.

But he’s a glutton for punishment so instead he asks, “I get it’s easy to say stuff like that now that you know he’s an ass but you were going to bring him here to meet your family, I’m guessing that means you felt pretty seriously about him.” 

Eddie sighs and shifts to sit up in the bed, plucking at Steve’s fingers because he still refuses to release his hold on the other man. “I definitely felt more serious about it than he did. I wanted commitment and he apparently wanted an easy lay. I was the one talking about leaving things at each other’s places, wanting to do double dates with our friends and he’d always skirt around it or change the subject or kiss me. I’d hoped that this trip would make him realize how serious I was about us. And instead I found out how serious he wasn’t.”

He scrubs his hand through his hair before folding his arms over his knees and laying his head on them. “So I guess the short answer to your question is sort of. I was more serious about wanting a real relationship than I was about wanting him I think. Because I’m feeling really hard pressed to find anything even remotely warm and fuzzy feeling about him anymore.”

“That makes sense, I went through the same thing a while ago. And it was hard getting partners to understand why I wake up so early to start at the bakery or thinking I’m a workaholic because I live above my job. It’s been about two years since my last relationship because of that.”

Eddie props his chin up on his arms, looking over at Steve, “Is that why you volunteered to come? You’ve only really known me for a few hours as someone besides another customer at your shop. Then I offer you my big sob story and you saw …a kindred spirit? Was it just to not be alone on Christmas? You just got into a stranger's truck and let me drive you two hours out of the city to meet my family who you know nothing about and now we’re sharing a bed. How did you end up here?”

Steve folds his hands behind his head and stares up at the ceiling with a sigh, chewing on his lip. “Besides the fact that I know I could take you in a fight easily? Well, I feel the same way around you that I did when I met Robin. I feel like even if we don’t work out romantically, I just know that you’re supposed to be part of the rest of my life.”

“Hey now I’m scrappy!” Eddie protests petulantly before his expression melts into something contemplative, “But on the same level as your platonic soulmate huh? I think I can live with that.”

Steve’s hand wraps around his ankle and tugs him back down to the bed, bullying him into his arms until Eddie is tucked under Steve’s chin. “You were saying? I haul bags of flour darling, you’re like air to me.”

“Oh am I, you sure about that?” Eddie strains against Steve’s hold, wiggling around until he manages to get one arm free. Which Steve just grabs and uses to flip Eddie onto his back, straddling him and pinning his arms above his head.

“What now pretty boy?” Steve coos meanly. Eddie whines in response, legs trying to buck Steve off but only turning himself on more. Steve leans down to nibble along his jaw, up to his ear. “Come make cinnamon rolls with me and maybe I’ll give you a little extra sugar after.” And then he slides from the bed, dragging Eddie to the edge of the bed with him.

“You’re taking advantage of meeee.” Eddie groans as he’s manhandled about so easily.

“It only counts as taking advantage if I can’t tell how much you like it.” Steve says, pressing a kiss to his cheek, “We can cuddle on the couch while the dough proofs, come on.”

~O~

Hopper went by the bodega first thing in the morning to ask about their footage. They only had a camera towards the parking lot so he still couldn’t see the kidnappers face clearly, but it was enough to get a plate from the guy's car.

Dustin had texted him updates whenever he could from Steve’s phone, it looks like the kidnappers had stopped for the night near a couple of very isolated cabins. It was the start of a location though, hopefully the plate would be able to lead him to a specific one before anything could happen to Steve.

Hopper pours himself a cup of black coffee and immediately updates the tracking board before starting to run a check on the plates. The waiting is harder than ever, knowing it’s his kid he’s trying to find. What if they’re too late? What if Steve is gone without ever knowing how much he means to the party? What if Hopper never gets to tell Steve that he thinks of him as his son?

The results come in a few hours later which is both great and terrible. Great because he’s one step closer to finding Steve, terrible because it means the kidnapper already has a record. Hopper clicks to open the file and now he has a name. Edward Munson. 

His rap sheet is mostly petty stuff from a few years ago, possession of marijuana, loitering, a parking ticket he’d paid off. Nothing here even remotely hints at a jump to kidnapping but the curly haired figure scowling from the booking mugshot looks similar enough to the guy he saw tackling Steve that he feels comfortable with his conclusion. He prints out the mugshot and tacks it up to the board as well, resisting the urge to shoot the image and pretend it’s the man responsible. Before he can get too lost in the emotions threatening to bubble up inside him his phone rings, it’s Dustin.

“Hey Dust-”

“He’s moved again.” Dustin cuts him off abruptly. Hopper feels a chill run down his spine.

“Where?”

Dustin sends him another screenshot that shows the blip of Steve’s phone deep in the woods. Hopper swears violently when he realizes there’s an abandoned quarry nearby.

“Do you think he’s still…”

“We can only keep hoping Dustin. I just got a bead on who the kidnapper might be. Has Steve ever mentioned an Edward Munson?” On a whim Hopper types the man’s name into their database search bar.

“Umm, there’s an Eddie who comes by the bakery occasionally. Do you think he was stalking Steve, he’d seemed nice according to him.”

A handful of results pop up and Hopper finds himself absently saying goodbye to Dustin as he starts reading. Edward Munson’s mother died in a fire when he was six, his father Al Munson was currently serving 15 years for vehicular manslaughter and child endangerment. Eleven year old Eddie had been in the car when his drunk father crashed and killed two other people. Custody of the kid fell to his uncle Wayne Munson, Al’s brother. Forget kidnapping, this guy had budding serial killer written all over him. And now he was heading into the woods with Steve.

Hopper files a request for housing records for the Munson family and a search warrant for the apartment on Munson’s license.

~O~

Wayne loved the bourbon pecan cinnamon rolls that Steve made. Loved seeing Steve curled up on his nephew’s chest, Eddie reading softly to him, even more. The record player in the corner had some classic Christmas songs playing while a fire crackled in the hearth. Wanting to preserve this sweet moment, Wayne couldn’t resist pulling his phone out and taking a picture of them. The shutter sound caused both of their heads to snap up as they realized they weren’t alone.

“You taking pictures of us old man? You perv.” Eddie teases and Wayne flips him off before going to get another cup of coffee.

“Maybe Steve needs to take you outside and let you run around, burn off some of that attitude of yours.” He calls back out to them, Steve flushes as Eddie shouts back, eyebrows bouncing salaciously.

“He doesn’t need to take me outside for that.”

Wayne rolls his eyes before settling into his armchair and taking a deep drink of his coffee. “Okay, it’s time for you to go wear yourself out. Go take your boy and find us a Christmas tree. And if you’re lucky I won’t lock you outside after you animal.”

Eddie cackles but does encourage them to get up with a soft kiss to Steve’s hair. Steve nuzzles their cheeks together before complying, helping Eddie up off the couch. The two of them are disgustingly cute as they help each other into their jackets, using scarfs and hats as excuses to casually touch each other and pull the other close. Wayne just hopes they can keep it down tonight, an old man needs his beauty sleep.

They gather up an axe, a tarp, and rope from the shed before tromping out into the forest. It only takes about an hour of wandering before they find a suitable tree, Eddie teaching Steve how to make the proper cuts so that the tree falls over safely.

“How did you learn to do that?” Steve asks as they get the tree loaded up on the tarp.

“Wayne, he taught me a lot of this stuff to help me find better outlets for my emotions after my father got put away. Best thing he ever did though was teach me to play guitar.” Eddie threads the ropes through so they don’t rip the branches off the tree before handing one hand off to Steve and keeping the other. Their free hands thread together sticky and smelling heavily of pine but neither seem to mind the idea of being stuck together.

“Will you play for me sometime?”

“Of course sweetheart,” He presses their sides together and squeezes their fingers, “I’d love to.”

Wayne has already started unpacking the bins when they get back, the tree stand ready to go as the excess needles are shaken off and any broken branches are trimmed. Wayne directs Steve on which way to tilt the tree while Eddie grabs water for the base and then tightens the holding screws.

“She’s a fine tree boys, now let's get her dressed up.”

They decide on the lights and Eddie pulls out a lot of garland that he starts winding around banisters and the fireplace and even around Steve to peck him on the nose. Wayne huffs at them and swats Eddie away to stop distracting Steve unless he plans on actually doing anything about it.

Steve laughs and blushes, he’s never seen a parent be so blase about relationships with their child but considering what Eddie’s mentioned about his childhood he gets the feeling that Eddie and Wayne are a very unique case. They all hang the ornaments on the tree together, weaving in and out of each other’s spaces as they find the perfect spot on the tree.

Once the tree is decorated Eddie hauls the last two bins outside and get Steve to bring out the ladder as he starts untangling.

“We have clips drilled in along the frame of the house to make this easier so hopefully this won’t take too long. It’s gonna be getting dark in a few hours.” Untangling the lights probably takes longer than putting them up, true to Eddie’s word the clips do make things easier. And getting to watch Eddie’s thighs work as he moves up and down the ladder while Steve holds it steady really is the gift that keeps on giving.

Eddie feels worn out by the time all the lights are in place, he does not go to the gym often for a reason. Seeing the shine in Steve’s eyes though as he takes in the beautiful colors and warm glow of the tree through the window tells him it was worth it though.

“Merry Christmas Steve.” Eddie whispers, hugging the other man from behind as the brunette snaps a picture of all their hard work, and after a few tries, gets it sent off to Dustin.

“Thank you for bringing me with you Eddie, and Merry Christmas.” They stand there together, admiring their hard work until Wayne calls them in for dinner.

~O~

The warrant falls through. The judge refuses to sign due to a lack of evidence, he’s also frankly pissed that Hopper yanked him away on Christmas Eve to try and harass a guy whose record has been clean for years. And the request for residence records is still processing.

Before Hopper can start shouting or seeing if there’s any other judge who owes him a favor he can call in Dustin calls again.

“Steve sent me a picture. I think it’s where he’s been taken; there’s no caption, no call, nothing.” The boy has been beside himself with panic and grief but this, this is proof that Steve is alive. At least for now. It’s a breath of air for the party, knowing that all is not lost yet.

“Send it to me now.”

He rushes back to the station and pulls up the cabins on the map, trying to use the picture to figure out which one it is. He thinks he’s got it nailed down to two and one the second search he hits paydirt. A cabin owned by one Wayne Munson. He scribbles down the address and texts Dustin to have everyone meet at the Hopper-Byers place tonight. They’re going to get Steve back.

Pt 4

#stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #steve x eddie #steve harrington x eddie munson #dustin henderson #jim hopper #wayne munson #baker!steve #mechanic!eddie #modern au #no upside down au #comedy of errors #accidental kidnapping #steddiefic chronicles

[hornedqueenofhell]

Mind if I Drop in? Pt 1

Crossposted from AO3

Eddie wheezes as he spins around another corner, praying he’s put enough distance between him and the rest of the guards for this to work. Stupid fucking castle hallways always looking the same, like would it kill you to put out any artwork? Or just stick one of those directional signs you see at a fork in the road somewhere. Something like ‘dungeon two lefts then a right, thieves of valuable family heirlooms take a right, two lefts, then go up two floors to escape with your goods’. Eh that one might be too wordy.

He shoves the stolen crown in his bag and fishes around in the worn leather for the scroll he needs. Loose papers, no. Song lyrics on scraps of paper, no! …Aha! Bless Dustin he thinks as he pulls out the spell scroll.

“Alright Henderson, let’s hope this works.” He huffs as he lifts his bag onto his back.

Eddie can hear the footsteps and clanking armor get closer as he carefully breaks the seal and unfurls the scroll, taking great care not to touch the sigil until the paper is flat on the ground.

“Freeze!” He hears as the guard catches sight of him. Eddie just grins and gives the man, who is sporting a fantastic mustache in the bards opinion, a cheeky salute as he slaps his hand to the sigil and lets the Teleportation spell activate.

Now, Eddie’s not used to teleportation spells so he doesn’t exactly expect to stick the landing, he is just a simple bard afterall. But he’s definitely not expecting the spell to dump him on his back in a familiar tavern, right into the arms of a stranger. A stranger with very familiar hazel eyes that he must have passed at least three portraits of on his way in. A stranger whose crown is currently sitting in Eddie’s bag.

“Umm, who the hell are you?” The stranger… oh who the fuck is he kidding, Steve Harrington the crown prince asks him. Eddie scrambles out of his arms, knocking over not only the princes’ full cup of beer but also the empty stool next to the prince which falls with a loud clatter and only draws more attention to them.

Steve cringes at the display and tugs his cloak tighter around him. Eddie kind of wants to point out that he’s drawing more attention to himself by keeping his hood up but he was supposed to be in the next town over where his horse and his friends are waiting for him, not here in the arms of the man he just stole from. What the fuck Henderson?!

“Just a bard, got a wonky teleportation scroll is all. I deeply apologize your Highness.” Eddie sweeps into a bow sinking low enough his curls brush the ground. He kinda figured Steve would be pissed about the rough landing and the spilled drink but he’s not expecting the hand over his mouth as Steve manhandles him back to standing.

The prince now has him pinned to the bar, his eyes wild as he glances around to see if anyone heard Eddie, which they very much so did. Eddie never had much of an indoor voice. Steve's hood is slipping off and Eddie reaches out to fix it, not that it matters much. He is surprised though to see Steve flinch when Eddie’s hand comes into view, and not in the ‘oh you surprised me' way.

Before he can ask Steve to unhand him the door to the tavern opens. Several palace guards storm in, weapons drawn.

“Nobody move!” The leader shouts, unfortunately Eddie recognizes him too, and so does Steve from the way fear leaks into his eyes. The guard almost immediately clocks their awkward position and it only takes a second more for the guard to recognize them both. “Freeze!” He shouts and Eddie rolls his eyes.

“Why do they always say that?” He mutters behind Steve’s hand, Steve turns to look at him again in the same moment Eddie grabs a fistful of the inside of Steve’s cloak. Perfect. With a twist of his fingers and a few words Eddie snaps his fingers, sacrificing the handful of fleece he’d grabbed, and causing an illusionary fog to fill the tavern.

Now the entire tavern is shouting and shifting around as Eddie ducks from Steve’s grasp.

“Come on, this way.” Eddie says, grabbing Steve’s arm and pulling him past the stools and out through the back door with ease. Why Eddie did it even he’s not sure, but he’s made his bed now. Sending out a mental apology to his uncle for making a mess in the man's tavern he pulls Steve down the street and through a few more alleys.

Steve struggles against him a bit, “Where are you taking me, let go! Let go of me!”

Eddie yanks them into the mouth of an alley and this time he’s the one throwing Steve against something.

“Unless you want to get us both in trouble I suggest you shut up right now, with all due politeness your Highness.” Eddie hisses, his fingers are likely bruising the hinge of Steve’s jaw but he doesn’t let up. Steve has one hand wrapped around the wrist gripping him, the other he barely notices until the silver glints in the moonlight and Steve swings at him.

“I’m not going back there.” Steve is just as venomous as Eddie springs back before the prince can gut him.

“I don’t give a fuc-” The guards clanking closer causes both of their eyes to widen. Eddie reaches for his belt and lunges at Steve. Metal clashes as their daggers meet between their bodies. Eddie bodily forces Steve back into the wall, panic giving him enough of a burst of strength to catch the younger man off guard.

“Now, either you behave like a good little princess or I’ll fucking gut you right here and now.” Eddie’s lips brush against Steve’s as the lie spills between them. Eddie hates killing, is barely capable of hunting for himself when the moment calls for it. Stevie doesn’t need to know that though.

“You even try and I’ll scream. You’ll be hanged by sunrise.” Steve bites in response, their daggers grinding against each other but neither of them willing to try anything risky to disarm the other.

Eddie’s free hand flashes out and grips a fistful of Steve’s hair yanking his head back harshly. He isn’t expecting the breathy cry that leaves the prince's lips, he clearly wasn’t either going by the flush crawling across his face.

“Oh princess, if you wanted me to make you scream. All you have to do is ask.” Eddie purrs, placing a kiss to the side of Steve’s throat.

Eddie is ashamed to admit that he was distracted enough by the feeling of Steve going boneless in his arms that he didn’t see the prince move. He’s placing an apology kiss to the hinge of Steve’s jaw, fully intent on working his way further in when Steve shoves him off.

They go crashing into the other side of the alley, it’s really not a very wide space, and this time it’s Eddie’s back against the wall. He can feel the points of his stolen prize digging into his back. Before he can make another snarky comment or threat Steve has Eddie’s curls wrapped around his fist and is returning the favor. Eddie moans out, dagger slipping from his grasp as he scrabbles at the wall under Steve. The prince presses the tip of his dagger to Eddie’s abdomen, Eddie thrashes around and manages to get his hand around Steve’s wrist between them. Trying to force the point of it away from his squishy parts, thank you very much. Steve yanks on his hair again, taking advantage of their position to leverage his height against Eddie.

“Well, it looks like you have the same weakness.” Steve smirks, his tongue darts out to wet his lips and brushes over Eddie’s lower lip. They’re panting in each other's mouths now, hands not fighting for the dagger between them gripped onto each other's person.

“I’ve never minded a little pain with my pleasure, your highness.” Eddie pulls against the grip on his curls to capture Steve’s bottom lip between his teeth and give him a sharp nip. He tugs on that sweet fullness as Steve pulls him away, his skull cradled in Steve’s fingers instead of colliding with the brick.

Pt 2

#stranger things #eddie munson #steve harrington #steddie #steve harrington x eddie munson #steve x eddie #dustin henderson #bard!eddie munson #prince!steve harrington #prince steve harrington #bard eddie munson #teleportation scroll gone wrong #steddiefic chronicles

[hornedqueenofhell]

Mind if I Drop In? Pt 2

Pt 1

Steve’s eyes flicker to his lips and with a sharp inhale the crown prince yanks him in, their lips meeting sharply as they both moan. Eddie releases his grip on Steve’s cloak, instead sliding it up to wind back in those thick brunette locks and yank the younger man's head to a better angle for Eddie to devour his sweet mouth.

Steve’s dagger joins Eddie’s at their feet. The prince’s fingers gripping his hip instead, pulling him in tightly and pressing them together lips to hips. Eddie groans and shifts his weight, curling one leg up Steve’s calf until he can hook his thigh over Steve’s hip.

Eddie honestly feels bad about this, the prince is a damn good kisser. But like he said, he’s not going to jail. He tightens his grip around Steve, making sure he won’t kill Steve when he spins them around and cracks Steve’s skull into the wall. Normally he’d rely on Command or Blindness spells rather than physical violence but Steve is keeping his mouth a little too occupied for verbal spell components. Do both of those spells only require single word activations, shut up.

Both of them were more distracted than they thought, Steve’s hand dragging up his thigh to pull them in closer together while Eddie whined and ground their hips together, meaning that neither of them heard as the guards approached.

Eddie’s face was tilted away from them, hair serving as a veil for them both; while Steve’s mouth was glued to Eddie’s throat, biting and sucking marks that left Eddie gasping into the night.

The guard clears his throat uncomfortably, “Ahem, sorry to interrupt sir but you and your wife,” they all can hear the quiet cringe at the assumption, “need to take this out of the public eye.” Both Steve and Eddie hide their faces in what the guards assume is embarrassment over getting caught during an intimate moment. Nevertheless the guard presses on after coughing uncomfortably, “It’s probably safer for you to head inside anyway, there was a thief in the palace earlier and we believe that he could be a danger to civilians.”

Eddie nods his head with a high pitched ‘mm-hm’ and he and Steve carefully share a look before deciding to ditch the daggers and just run out of the alley gripping onto each other’s sleeves.

They circle around until Eddie leads them to the barn where Wayne lets his guests’ horses stay. Eddie helps Steve climb up the seemingly haphazard stack of crates until they can lift themselves through the hayloft window. Eddie has a little hideaway spot behind the hay bales he uses when he needs to lay low for a night. Eddie isn’t even considering the implications of bringing Steve here until they’re sitting face to face once Eddie has lit his lantern.

“So, a thief in the palace huh?” It’s cramped back here, tighter than the alley. Eddie can see beauty marks littering Steve’s neck now, as well as a darkening bruise in the shape of Eddie’s fingers along his jaw.

Eddie rubs at the back of his neck self-consciously, “I really am a bard I swear, I just took the job to support my uncle.” He pulls his knees up and rests his chin on them, “What about you, what’s a prince doing in a random tavern in the worst disguise ever?”

Steve flushes this time and blows his hair out of his face, “I like seeing the town, and the tavern owner there is really nice to me. I know he knows who I am but he just lets me drink in the corner and get away from everything for a bit.”

Eddie hides his smile behind his knees, that’s Wayne for you taking in strays whether they’re dirty street urchins or the crown prince of the kingdom. “If you just wanted a drink then what was with the whole ‘not going back’ thing, why’d you run with me?”

“I was going to run away.” Steve admitted quietly, “I hate being prince.”

“Pull the other one,” Eddie snorts before catching the heartbroken look on Steve’s face. “Okay, I’ll bite. Why do you hate being a prince?”

“I’ve never been anything but a disappointment to my family. They decided to marry me off to someone who’d ‘make a man’ out of me. They sold me, like I was a piece of furniture. I have no right to the crown anymore.” Eddie watches as Steve picks up stray pieces of hay to pick apart, he refuses to meet Eddie’s gaze.

“Well, that makes this a little ironic then.” Eddie removes his bag from his back, and at Steve’s curious look pulls out the stolen crown. Steve barks out a wet laugh that sends Eddie into a fit of giggles as well.

“What are you going to do with it?” He asks as Eddie fiddles with his prize.

“Well the guy who hired me wants it. Not sure why, let’s just say he’s not fond of your parents' kingdom.”

“Steve snorts, “Well, he can definitely have it.”

“What will you do now?” Eddie asks, tucking the crown away again. It’s getting late and all of the excitement has left him sleepy. Steve chuckles as Eddie yawns before involuntarily copying him, he rubs at his eyes tiredly.

“I don’t know. I left my bag in the tavern when we ran. It’s probably not safe for me to go back and get it, which means I’ve lost my clothes, my supplies, my sword. I’m screwed.” The brunette buries his face in his hands miserably.

“I bet Wayne has your bag safely tucked behind the bar, we’ll get it in the morning.” Eddie chews on his hair nervously, “You could come with me? Meet my group.”

“And do what?”

“Whatever we want, we take whatever jobs we like and I make a fair amount of coin performing. You could come see the world with us, with me.” Eddie blushes under the considering look Steve is giving him.

“And what do you want in exchange? This seems like quite the generous offer.” Steve is leaning in closer, his voice dropping lower. Eddie licks his lips and tries not to groan as Steve’s gaze drops to watch.

“Who says I’m not getting anything out of it?” He murmurs tilting his head to dip in closer. Steve meets him, their eyes slipping closed as they press their lips together. This kiss is gentle, full of hope and promise. There’s a moment when the kiss ends, their eyes meet and it feels like the world holds its breath.

“Ask me again tomorrow?” Steve whispers, leaning back in as his free hand comes up to caress Eddie’s cheek.

“Whatever you say, my prince.” He murmurs, nipping at Steve’s lip again making him groan.

“Just Steve, please just Steve.” They’re panting in each other’s mouths again. Just waiting to see who will break first.

“Steve, Steve. Kiss me.” Eddie yanks Steve down into his lap, pulling on his hair again as they pick up where they left off in the alley.

Somewhere in the distance Dustin is getting scolded by his magic teacher for mistranslating the part of the Teleportation scroll that sends you to where you want. Instead of sending it to where the caster wants safely, it sends you to where the writer of the spell thinks is safe.

#stranger things #eddie munson #steve harrington #steddie #steve harrington x eddie munson #steve x eddie #dustin henderson #bard!eddie munson #prince!steve harrington #bard eddie munson #prince steve harrington #teleportation scroll gone wrong #steddiefic chronicles

[hornedqueenofhell]

All month long I've been writing for Kinktober, and here it is the (hopefully) completed series! Enjoy 😊

#stranger things #eddie munson #steve harrington #steddie #steve harrington x eddie munson #steve x eddie #robin buckley #stobin #hellcheer #buckingham #steddieth #Corroded King #Eddie is Kas #steddiefic chronicles