m3talmunson - Tumblr blog

m3talmunson · 10 months

Text

It shouldn't have been that big of a red flag to Steve. It really isn't that big of a deal, right? It's a completely normal habit. It could even be endearing if you thought about it enough!

No. Nope. It's all bad.

Steve cannot fathom how the fuck Eddie sleeps with socks on. It's almost impossible to comprehend.

Eddie is a human furnace. He radiates all the sunshine from his eyes, turning into heat.

Eddie being warm is one of Steve's favorite things about him. It makes every passing touch all the more important, more impactful. It ensures that the cold lonely nights of Steve's past were left firmly there. It was an endless source of comfort for Steve. Even at it's most annoying, when Steve is throwing off all of the blankets in the night so he can continue to cuddle Eddie without overheating. A small price to pay.

But somehow, Eddie himself is always cold. He keeps none of his body heat for himself. His skin always feels like the sun was just bearing down upon him, but even in the sun he could still be shivering.

And he sleeps

with fucking SOCKS on.

Normally Steve wouldn't really mind. It's not like they're dirty socks. Surprisingly enough Eddie was generally hygienic when it came to his clothes. Eddie had always hated the feeling of dirty clothes. It's why he spent more time watching Steve in gym than actually participating. So it's not a smell that bothers Steve, it's not anything like that.

And if you ask Steve, he's all for supporting Eddie finding ways to keep himself warm. Steve worries, naturally. He encourages Eddie to seek warmth at almost all times. Why else would he wear a long-sleeved Hellfire shirt when it's the middle of May.

No, the problem isn't smell, or warmth, it's the fact that Eddie loves physical contact when he's asleep. He loves to be all over Steve, loves breathing in his smell even in his dreams. He also happens to love slowly trailing his leg up Steve's own. He loves slow, tender, sleepy movements. Eddie is always gentle, always barely grazing Steve's skin.

Steve does not love feeling like there's spiders crawling up his leg in his sleep.

Too many times Steve has woken up and immediately flung Eddie's foot off of him only to realize it was just Eddie, and apologize profusely. Too many times those stupid fuzzy socks have ruined a night's sleep.

"Babe, baby, sweetheart, dollface, PLEASE forgo the socks tonight. I am begging." Steve asked. He had an important day of taking care of the kids coming up, and he needed his beauty rest.

"What's in it for me?" Eddie teased.

"Have you ever heard the phrase 'Happy wife, happy life?'"

"Touché, darling." Eddie contemplated. "Maybe, for one night, I can forgo the socks."

And if Eddie found himself having more fun sticking his cold feet up the back of Steve's shirt, it was nobody's business but theirs.

#this is rly silly but i needed it out of my system #pure fluff #steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #steve stranger things #eddie stranger things #steddie blurb #steddie drabble #steddie fanfic #stranger things #steddie ficlet #my pookies #theyre also totally fluffy garfield socks. like 100%#a little prize for those of u who read the bottom of the tags ^

418 notes · View notes

m3talmunson · 11 months

Text

The Last In Line, Ch. 1/6

AO3 :)

Okay. Maybe, just maybe, Steve's bites were worse than he wanted to admit. I mean what are you supposed to do when you're fighting to the death so the world doesn't end. To save your town, your country, your planet- you can't just give in to some injuries.

That is, until those things are saved. Until you've carried your fallen soldiers across the finish line, until the kids are safe, reunited with the people waiting for them. Nance has Johnathan, Dustin has his mom, Max has her mom, she has Lucas and his family too. Eddie has Wayne, who's even crying. Robin's parents are flinging themselves around her shoulders in the most passionate of hugs. Everyone has reunited, so Steve stands off to the side. He didn't have anyone to reunite with, so he just stood there.

That is, until the pain sets in and he couldn’t stand any longer, until he's doubled over onto his knees gasping for air, his sides stinging and stabbing violently. He vaguely heard Robin yell for help as he grabbed at the ring around his throat, the shock of his sides knocking all air out of his lungs. And then he went blank.

He woke up with another gasp in a hospital bed. The oxygen mask on his face wasn't so forgiving though. He was held back by the IV attached to his arm and the cords of the mask behind his neck, combined with the searing pain in his sides.

Just as quickly as he sat up, he was pulled back down by the pain.

His lungs felt full again, but his side were still searing. He could feel new bruises on his knees from toppling onto the gravel. Steve was so completely confused. He was fine a moment ago. He was beaten and bruised and a maybe little eaten, but he was fine, right?

"Mornin' sleepyhead," A familiar voice said next to him.

Steve finally started to look around.

"Eddie?" The word just spilled out of his mouth.

"Hey hey hey, Stevie," Eddie said pretending like it was actually anywhere near morning. "Robin just headed off to the vending machine, she's gonna be pissed that she missed you waking up."

"Eddie- Eddie did I not get to you soon enough? Why are you in here?"

"Oh don't worry big boy, you were the hero," he chuckled. "You got to me just fine, still, these government guys wanted everyone who got injured down in the battle checked out. Kept throwing around the name Dr. Owens like it meant something to me. You're the one who needed it. You and Max are the only ones from our little group staying very long I'd think."

"Me and Max..? Who else is in this place?"

"You and Max are here for treatment, Dustin, Robin, Nance, and I are all just in for 'observation.' Although, I've got another night in this place" He put air quotes around the word observation like he didn't trust it. "Dustin , Robin, and Nancy all got off lucky though, they didn't even get put in a bed like us. Dustin's needs a cast, he's being put after 'priority patients', but that's it. Robin and Big Wheeler are just in to get a look at their lungs since they were held up by the vines and all."

"And Max?" Steve asked.

"She took quite a fall, but she's ok. Already started making sarcastic quips about it anyways. You saw her in her wheelchair before you... crumbled. Honestly you're in the worst state out of all of us, how did you do it Harrington? We've got matching scars, you've got a friendship necklace with Robin in the form of a ring around your neck, and you weren't even planning on getting any of it checked out, were you?" Eddie propped himself up on one elbow to level with Steve. "Why wouldn't you tell us it was so bad?"

"Can I be honest with you Eddie?" Steve began. "If any of you were more injured than me I think it would have killed me. It had to be me. It's better that it was me. And- and I wasn't hiding the pain, I was so... I was so focused on everything and everybody else I think I just... forgot to feel it?"

With that being said, Eddie turned onto his back as he scoffed.

"'Better that it was you,' Christ Harrington. Weren't you the one who told Dustin and I not to be heroes?”

"What, are you mad at me?"

"Take a wild guess, Steve. Have you even looked at your fucking sides? They almost started to get infected, and wounds that big with an infection could have killed you!"

So, Steve finally looked down. He instinctively sucked air in through his teeth at the sight.

"Yeah, they couldn't even put a shirt on you after they took the makeshift wrappings off. You couldn't stop wriggling even through the sedation. They cleaned them but the nurse is coming back with bandages soon. I'm not sure Robin didn't leave just because she can't bear to look at them anymore."

Eddie was right. The demobats took more than just a couple pounds of flesh. Steve's entire torso was red, even where it wasn't bitten, just from the aggravation. Steve tried to sit up some more, but he could only wince and fall back onto the pillow.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about Harrington, we're both on the same drugs and you can't even sit up straight. And you carried me right out of hell like it was nothing. You ignored your own pain like a madman. I'm starting to believe you had a death wish!” Eddie rolled over completely.

Before Steve could respond the nurse came back in, Robin in tow.

"Oh my god Steve, Stevie, you're awake!" Robin immediately went to hug him, catching herself last minute. "Hold on, bad idea."

"Yes, bad idea," The nurse responded. "Let's get these bandages on you, huh? They've got a numbing agent, but the morphine has barely touched the pain I assume?"

"Barely knew I was on it," Steve retorted, Robin wincing at his comment.

Steve demanded Robin's hand as the nurse put on new bandages. Every new sensation on his inflamed skin made him inhale sharply and squeeze the shit out of Robin's hand. If she walked out of that room with a bruise on her right hand, she wasn't going to tell anyone.

"Numbing agent my ass, holy shit." Steve pressed his face into Robin's hand, apologizing to the nurse under his breath.

"Dunno how you're getting away without stitches." Robin muttered. She had a hard time taking her eyes off of the red puffy patches of Steve's abdomen, and yet she wanted so badly to look anywhere else.

"Oh, we would have stitched him up if it wouldn't heighten the chance of infection." The nurse didn’t look away from her working hands as she talked.

Robin and the nurse passed a couple of pleasantries, a couple jokes thrown in there to lighten to mood, but Steve could only peak out from under Robin's hand at Eddie's back, his hair up in a bun over his head. Even with the searing pain at his sides, Eddie's cold shoulder was somehow felt worse. He only moved when Robin followed some joke up with 'Right, Ed?'. He didn't laugh, only muttered some iffy response and nodded his head. Steve looked back up to Robin's face in time to see her roll her eyes and turn her attention back to the nurse.

Steve only pressed into Robin's hand harder, until she traded which hand was in Steve's and combed newly freed hand through Steve's hair.

"Rob, the hair-"

"Hasn't been styled for a day, cool your jets Dingus."

"Wait wait wait, how long was I out?" Steve started. "When did I fall?"

"Two days ago Harrington," Eddie piped in from his bed.

"You were out pretty good." The nurse went back to cleaning around the bandages, making sure they'd stick down. "You're probably gonna be around for a while, sorry about that."

"Nothin' I didn't do to myself, I guess." Steve threw that one in just to appease Eddie. It got the older boy to at least turn his shoulder back, so Steve would call that a win.

"I have to go soon Stevie. Once Dustin gets his cast on, Nancy and Dustin and I's observation ends, and we're considered visitors. Visiting hours ended an hour ago. Promise me you'll be ok until morning? I'll be back first thing; you'll barely have missed me." Robin shared the news reluctantly. She didn't really want to leave his side.

"Don't worry about me Robs, I'm in good hands, or whatever." The nurse shrugged politely at his comment. "Besides, I've got Eds here to keep me company tonight." Steve nodded in Eddie's direction, the most physical exertion he was willing to do.

As if on cue, Dustin burst through the door, immediately fumbling on his crutches to rush to Steve's side.

"I'll be out of your way, but head out soon, okay?" The nurse asked and headed out down the hallway.

Nancy held the door open as the nurse walked out. She hung around in the doorway.

Steve's attention on Nancy allowed Dustin to sneak attack. He punched Steve in one of the only visibly-unbruised spots on his arm. Previously unbruised, that is.

"Don't you ever. fucking. DARE. do that to me again!" Dustin tapped Steve's arm with his fist on every emphasized word. "I thought we were losing you, you dick."

Dustin's head sank down to Steve's arm where his fist splayed out to hold onto Steve like a buoy in a storm. Steve opened his mouth to speak and Dustin immediately cut him off.

"No, no, no! You don't get to apologize until you've gotten out of this place. I'm not accepting an apology until you're okay- until you’re out of here. It's not happening."

"Ok, Henderson. I'll write a real good one while I'm stuck here. Don't you even worry about it." Steve wrapped the arm that Dustin hadn't laid his head on around the smaller boy, hoping it was worth the pain it sent shooting up his side.

"C'mon Hendy," Robin used her new favorite nickname for the freshman. "We gotta get going. We promised your mom you'd be back by nine."

Steve rolled his head over to the clock where the hour hand was just past eight, and maybe Robin was right. Steve slunk his arm back to his side. Maybe the numbing agent was doing something. Nancy stuck around for a second as Dustin and Robin headed out the door. She stepped farther towards Steve, stopping a couple feet from the end of his bed.

"Look, Steve. I'm not gonna say you didn't scare the shit out of me with that collapse, but... I know you Steve. You're going to bounce back. Make sure you bounce back, please." She put a hand on the guard rail on the side of Steve's bed as she begged for Steve to get better. It sounded more like wishing than knowing.

"I'll bounce, Nance. Promise." Steve rested his hand over Nancy's. "Just needed that thump on the head, ok?"

That seemed to put Nancy's mind at ease, so she slipped her hand away and nodded a goodbye to Eddie before walking out. Steve saw her pass Dustin a crutch and head off as the door closed. After the loud crash of the door closing, Eddie didn't waste one second to comment on it. Steve had barely noticed Eddie turning back to face Steve.

"Once again, these cynical eyes..." Eddie muttered.

"Stop it, Eddie. I'm over it, like I told you. It's nothing. We're over."

"Sure thing, sweetheart. Just, bounce back. If not for her, then me."

"For you Eddie, for you."

#to be continued!#this is only one of six PLANNED chapters... there might be more #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #steve stranger things #eddie stranger things #steddie fanfic #stranger things #part one #post st4 #st4 fanfic #the party #stranger things season 4 #stranger things 4 #first go at a real multi-part stranger things fanfic! wish me luck!

21 notes · View notes

m3talmunson · 11 months

Text

Steve Harrington except his mom comes from old money, his father new. So while Steve's mom took his father's last name (reluctantly. She was doing her best to promise that her son would have a good life ahead of him), she got to choose Steve's first, which just happens not to be Steve.

His name is actually Esteban Eberardo Ortiz Harrington, because by God, Maria Harrington would never let her son have an English name since she had to give up her own to promise her son a decent life.

Somewhere along the way she got lost in it all. She chased Mr. Harrington around to make sure he wasn't sleeping with whatever floozie secretary he had at the moment, and in doing so she forgot to be a mother - as much as somebody can just forget that duty.

So, one day Esteban got dropped off at his grandpa's house and became Steve. Then one day Steve's grandfather died and Steve didn't even see his father at the funeral. His father, the dead man's son, sent Maria with flowers to the funeral. Flowers she didn't have a destination for. So, the moment it was over she dragged Steve and the flowers back to the dust-covered Harrington home. She makes some dinner and has a nice night with her son, but as they curl up on the couch and try to settle for the night, she brings him up.

"Mijo, your father. I have to go back to him tomorrow. I have a plane ride in the morning. I have to go sweetheart." She blinks back the tears in her eyes as she delivers the news.

"It's ok mama! I'm 10 now, double digits." He holds out both of his hands, all of his fingers splayed out. "I can take care of things here." He put on his best brave face, something Grandpa Harrington taught him.

"Grandma is going to visit you as much as she can, but she doesn't live near here. You'll be on your own a lot, my sweet sweet boy." She let the tears run at this point, ignoring the musical she had put on the TV to occupy their thoughts.

"Don't cry mama," He curled up into her side. "Wait, Grandma? But she's been gone for longer than Grandpa?"

"No, no, my mama. She'll be up here every so often for you. My brave boy." She kissed the top of Steve's head, peppered a few more against Steve's complaints of tickling.

"Come on mama, Dolly's singing!" He said, and drew his attention back to the TV like it was nothing. They fell asleep on the couch that night. Mr. Harrington never would have approved, but maybe he just didn't need to know.

And that began the life of Steve being alone. At least, most of the time. His grandma did come up every so often. She taught him how to cook, clean, where the stools were, and which ones were tall enough for him to reach the cookie jar. The same cookie jar that stayed in place just incase his parents did come home and happen to give half a shit about it.

When she couldn't be there, over the phone, she taught her little Esteban Spanish. His father never allowed it in the house, but the moment she insisted she be called Abuelita and not Grandma, she piqued Esteban's interest.

He was interested until he got made fun of for the accent. He continued to learn it, but insisted that he be called Steve, the same way she insisted he call her something else. That set the record straight for him.

During high school, she got too frail for him to visit. The Harrington's put money in the bank for Steve, so he began to visit her. He'd fly down to where she was staying, drive once he could. Steve got his license the very first day he could, just to visit her. He planned her funeral when the day came, just a month before Will Byers went missing. That kept him in contact with quite a few of his cousins that way, checked in on everyone and made the rounds while he tried to remain a normal teenager, have a normal girlfriend, live as King Steve, or Steve "The Hair" Harrington. Anything that kept his life nice and neatly in place.

Then, a stupid nail bat was his lifeline. Screw normal, he couldn't trust anyone or anything anymore. Two years later, he got tortured by Russians and then, maybe he could trust someone.

Somewhere between his fall from grace and saving the world for good, he grew to trust a lot of people. Grew to have people at his house all the time, filling that god awful empty house.

He had Eddie over one night when he got a call from his cousin Mariana, she had just finished her freshman year of college in the US, so her English was getting pretty good, but she greeted him in Spanish so he can only return the favor. Steve guessed it was only a matter of time until Eddie and the others found out about him anyways.

So, he responded to Mariana. He had an entire conversation with her, back to the couch that Eddie was sat on. Last he knew Eddie was flipping through movies, but all the noises stopped. At least Steve could assume that maybe he just picked a movie, and maybe get hurt or yelled at or something after the call. He just had to get through this conversation with Mariana.

He heard the crash of tapes falling and had to end it.

"Sorry Mari, I've got to go." He said abruptly in English, and tried his hardest not to slam the phone back into the receiver.

When he turned around, he didn't expect what he saw. Sure, Eddie's jaw was basically on the floor, but he didn't seem angry, not like Steve had expected.

"You- you speak Spanish, Stevie?" Eddie had almost a shocked rasp to his voice, clutching onto the tape in his hand, the one that managed to not fall.

"Yeah, have for about 8 or 9 years now."

"You, Steve Harrington, are fluent in Spanish?"

"Esteban Eberardo Ortiz Harrington, actually. And yeah, my mom is Mexican."

"Est- Esteban???" Eddie laughed out. "Good God Stevie-"

"I know, I know, I should have told you sooner. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hide it, I just- it's hard walking around Hawkins with a Spanish accent, it's just so-" He interrupted Eddie.

"Steve, Stevie, no." It was Eddie's turn to interrupt. "I'm not mad at you sweetheart. Definitely not mad." Eddie hinted at something else.

"You're not mad? What- I-" Steve raised his eyebrow. "What's that look about then?"

Eddie had been out to Steve for a while, and vice-versa. They hadn't exactly not been flirting, so Eddie didn't feel too crazy saying this next part.

"If I'm being so honest, Stevie," Eddie stepped closer into Steve's personal space, "I wouldn't say completely platonic feelings."

"Oh, that's what does it for you, Munson? Really?" Steve teased. Back with the bravado charm.

"I dunno... want to say some more?"

And, of course, the moment he hears it again -the accent Steve's voice works itself into- he's basically frothing at the mouth. He drops the tape he was holding and swings his arms around Steve's neck, only a little awkward considering the lack of height difference.

"I guess it is, Esteban."

"You don't even know what I said!" Steve pretended to act shocked, or pissed or something, but he really didn't care.

"Tell me later," Eddie cut Steve off with a swift kiss, and maybe Steve would settle for later.

Maybe he'd have a lifetime to tell Eddie that all he said was "I really want to kiss you." He had his wish fulfilled anyway.

#guys i did so much research on the meanings of hispanic names for this bc i needed his names to have meaning. it was so important to me #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #steve stranger things #eddie stranger things #steddie blurb #steddie drabble #steddie fanfic #steddie ficlet #stranger things #steve harringtons parents #steve harringtons mom #latino steve harrington #bc i said so #pls excuse any typos i am 👍🏻 stupid #theo if u see this i will sob

760 notes · View notes

m3talmunson · 1 year

Text

gone are the days of my old username (the irls found me)

#hi theo

2 notes · View notes

m3talmunson · 1 year

Text

Any reasonable person would think, with the sheer length of Eddie's hair, that he would have the slightest idea of how to care for it.

If you thought that, you'd be wrong. He was flying by the seat of his pants, with a bonus of simple luck. It was astonishing that his hair didn't get matted throughout day to day life, let alone the end of the world.

Yes, Eddie obviously went to a hospital after it all. Nobody could have survived that level substantial of injuries without it. But no matter the NDA's, or the "freedom from prosecution," as Dr. Owens puts it, it didn't come with a clean-wiped slate in the public eye.

So Eddie chose to lay low. He got the treatments that were deemed necessary by the doctors, and then he got the hell out of there.

At least, from all of this, Eddie learned only to run when he needed to.

Part of him was scared he and Wayne wouldn't be able to swing the bill. That part of him was satiated when Owens's team swung the bill and replaced the... mangled Munson trailer. These government reparations didn't anywhere near touch the damage that was done, but Wayne and Eddie would take what they could get. Like they always had. Of course, the universe saw fit that Eddie take a little more.

Eddie was told -putting it politely- to stay the fuck out of that trailer park. Just because his name was cleared legally doesn't mean he should be anywhere he would normally go about his business. Not for the next couple weeks, at least.

And Steve Harrington, ever so giving, offered up his home as sanctuary.

And of course, Eddie was immediately trying to find a way out of it. When that didn't work, he started asking how soon he needed to leave. He didn't want to feel like a burden, especially not to Steve.

"Stay as long as you need, Eds. Forever, for a little while, on and off, literally anything as long as I don't have to carry you out of hell again. That's the one condition."

Sure, living with Steve had it's perks. He had some semblance of privacy, walls with ANY soundproofing, and company. What more could a boy ask for, you would think.

Not living down the hall from his crush while looking like a walking nightmare, Eddie thought, was a perfectly reasonable thing to ask for. He did not get that.

Despite living in the same house as him, he avoided Steve like the plague. Steve had made it clear his 'what's mine is yours' attitude was open to Eddie, but Eddie preferred his room. His boxes from the old trailer were there, his guitar, his sanity (or what remains). The moment he limped his way out of that door, he was in the realm of Steve. And he did not feel up to the task of being presentable in front of his literal crush.

Still, Steve came into his room every so often. Eddie went to the hospital, but he wasn't magically better. Steve changed his bandages, helped him when he needed it, brought him homemade soup? Because, somehow, Eddie is in an alternate dimension where Steve Harrington is making him his grandma's chicken noodle soup recipe for him. And it is PHENOMENAL.

Eddie could have never expected any of the past month's events. He was still grappling with the fact that life would just... return to normal somehow after the end of the world.

He had enough on his plate. However, the universe thought fit to throw some more on.

During one of his Steve-check-ups™, Steve just absentmindedly mentioned something Eddie was dreading.

"How have you been dealing with all that hair? I mean it's been in a new bun every day this week but you can barely lift your arms?"

"Well, actually Steve," Eddie started, "I haven't. This is the same bun you put in on Wednesday." He tilted his head down, he didn't really want to look Steve in the eye when he said that.

"Well shit Eddie, what can I do to help?"

And wasn't it oh so nice when Steve looked up at him with those big eyes, knocking on the door of his soul. How could Eddie turn his gaze from that?

"What can be done? I can't wash it until these fuckers-" He pointed at the sides of his abdomen, to the bandages that Steve had just finished replacing, "have healed enough for me to lift my arms, which should be almost any time now. Then, we can take these bandages off, I can get out of your hair, and I can clean my own."

It was pretty obvious that neither of the men liked that agreement, but Eddie saw it as the only option. Wait a week, lift his arms, get the hell out of dodge. Easy enough.

"I could wash your hair. You know I know how to." Steve replied, a genuine offer, not a throwaway or handout that was just a kind gesture.

"No, Stevie, you don't need to worry about m-"

"Checkmate, I already do. You lock yourself in here except for food, I don't even feel like you're enjoying yourself! What's the point in breaking out of hell, fighting tooth and nail, just to sit in your room? C'mon Eddie, let me do one thing to make your life easier." Steve was interrogating him, but for his own good? And only two weeks ago he thought Steve was just some highschool douche that he just had a little crush on once upon a long time ago. Here he is, caring for him like they've known eachother for years.

"You do enough for me." Eddie hid the blush building on his face by looking to the ground across from Steve. Steve just moved his head there.

"I want to do more. I'm offering to do more."

"You're not going to let me say no, are you?"

"It's your hair, your body! But no, not really."

"Let's go," Eddie said, swinging his legs carefully over the edge of his bed.

And that's how Eddie ended up in a T-shirt and boxers, head laying back in the kitchen sink. He hadn't really gotten to the standing-for-long-periods-of-time point of recovery, so Steve pulled up a stool and a towel for Eddie's shoulders, and got ready to work above his head.

"I'll tell you when to put your head back, don't want to freeze you with the water."

Steve turned the faucet to the hottest setting, then throttled back a little. He carefully took Eddie's hair out and brushed through the ends. It had been in a bun for ages, so at least it didn't get knotted.

"I don't really know much about how curly hair works, but-"

"Oh me either," Eddie interrupted. "Barely even knew I had it. Don't worry about me big boy, no special treatment needed."

"Oh you're getting special treatment, whether you like it or not," Steve said. "Tilt your head back."

And so Eddie did. And he would be flat out lying if he said that he didn't love how gentle Steve's hands felt running across his scalp. He would be lying if he said he didn't like being pampered, just a little. He would be a liar if he told you that this wasn't somehow sensual, or that he wished it had more meaning.

Something about the way Steve was massaging his scalp made him think there could be.

"I'm gonna block your forehead from the water, just warning you." Steve used a cup to get the water to the base of Eddie's scalp, he was thorough with the details and everything.

It made Eddie feel loved. That's new.

Eddie nearly blacked out until it was done. He just soaked it all in, feeling cared for. He had felt cared for before, but never loved, not by someone who wasn't obligated to.

"Why do you do all of this for me?" Eddie truly wanted to know.

"Why shouldn't I?" He replied, as if it was nothing.

"Nobody does." Eddie wanted to say more, but now wasn't the time to throw a pity party and cry in front of Steve Harrington.

"All the more reason to."

"Harrington," Eddie tried to sit up as he talked, "you don't-"

Steve pushed him back down by the chest, conditioner and water soaking into his shirt.

"Don't strain yourself, seriously. Let me rinse this out, then you're free to go back to whatever you were doing." He left one hand on Eddie's chest, not keeping him down, but just resting there. Like he forgot about it, but it felt intentional.

Eddie dragged his hand up to Steve's on his chest.

"Thank you. Really," was all he could muster up without those tears rushing back.

"Of course, Eddie. Wouldn't rather be anywhere else." He continued to work around the ends of Eddie's hair, slowly turning the water off and doing some final slow scrunching motions with the towel not around Eddie's shoulders. "You're all done. Let me help you up."

Taking Eddie's hand in one of his and lifting from Eddie's back, he got Eddie sitting up right. The hand on his back let go, but not the hand in Eddie's.

"Well? Anything you usually do that I can help with?" Steve asked.

"You've done enough," Steve got ready to cut him off, but Eddie beat him to the punch, "I can't do any more without bending over, which is off the table. Seriously, Stevie, you've done more than enough. You've been insane amounts giving and patient with me. You've given me enough."

"I wish I could give more."

"I know."

"I could give more." Steve offered, ready to give all he had in the world.

"Steve," Eddie said, some type of begging look in his eyes, "I don't want to read too much into this but you've offered me more than I could reasonably take. You've given me sanctuary, food, care, what more is there?"

"Love."

Steve laid it all out on the table. All he had left to give was hope that Eddie would take it.

"Can I kiss you?" Eddie asked.

"Please."

And when Eddie took it, it was magical. Just for a moment, all the pain, and bad memories, and nightmares, they just stopped. Suddenly, for a second of time, their was no ring of pain around Steve's neck, no searing, or scorching, or stabbing in Eddie's sides.

Maybe Eddie won't live in Steve's house forever, but he might live in this moment forever.

~~~~~

Thank you to @warlordess for giving the prompt in the comments of my last post! SO sorry it took so unbelievably long, but my show finally closed! Everyone, feel free to leave any prompts in my asks from now on! All of my previous posts as well as this one will be on AO3 soon, then I'm going to make a pinned post with my account! Thank you all so much for the patience you graced me with, hopefully it won't happen again!

#steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #steve stranger things #eddie stranger things #steddie blurb #steddie drabble #steddie fanfic #steddie ficlet #stranger things #st4 spoilers #st4 fanfic

476 notes · View notes

m3talmunson · 1 year

Text

if u pick another platform, tell me which one!

#not a fic #i would still post here #but definitely teasers more than these super long oneshots #mostly so readers can see the word counts 😭 i write so much LOL

4 notes · View notes

m3talmunson · 1 year

Text

Steve Harrington is incredibly smart. It's not his fault nobody believes him. Or, well, maybe it is.

Steve used to be his parents pride and joy, everyone knew that. When he was young, doing his piano lessons, his mother would show him off at their house parties.

"Look at my Steven!" She'd say, and all the other mothers around would parrot something like "What a sweet boy!" and he would just keep playing. That night his father would commend him for keeping the ladies occupied, that he'd grow up to be a real ladies' man, and how great it was that he kept the women out of the men's hair. He'd never said "I'm proud of you," or "I love you," but that was as close as he got.

And for a while, Steve LIVED for it. He'd come downstairs, see his mother in her good pearls, her party pearls, and know that he'd be good for them that day. Be needed for something.

And then it got old. So he learned cello. That kept them entertained for a while, until it didn't. Then he learned flute. That one kept them occupied a little longer, Mr. Harrington could stand the fact that it was a "girly" instrument because it kept Steve's mouth shut. He got too good at talking while he played the other instruments.

Then he tried guitar, and well all the instruments just stopped impressing them, because they stopped having house parties. Instead, they'd started going out to them. Started going out and not coming back, for weeks upon weeks at a time. Steve was determined to give them something to show off, something to praise.

He had always been quite book smart, but he started really putting the effort in. Steve gave it a year and a half of straight A+'s, until he realized that his parents would never care. So he tried a new approach, called 'skating along right above failing'. It didn't get their attention one bit.

Even when Steve came home beaten and torn, from the upside down or a fight, they weren't even there to ever notice.

And sure, people like Joyce or Hopper would notice, check in on him until the black eye went away. But after that, they had lives to live.

So no, the adults in Steve's life didn't really give him much attention at all.

Of course he didn't mind it all that much. Some small part of Steve just figured 'I deserve it,' and he rolled with the punches.

He found solace in his instruments, still. He learned more and more. Piano was his best, but once you had learned piano you could learn just about anything else with some dedication. His guitar he could whip out at a couple of his high school parties. In private, alone in his room with a girl, he could strike a few chords and they would just obsess over it. Got him the companionship he so desperately needed for a while.

Even so, he never showed Nancy. She made it clear to him that she loved watching him swim, loved his muscles. The more masculine parts of him. So he never brought it out. When she asked about the shiny grand piano in his living room, he'd just say his mom played. He stashed away his other instruments in a spare room, so she wouldn't see them.

That's not to say he didn't want to show her one day. He wanted to, but once you get called bullshit once, you're pretty much over the vulnerability.

So he continued to hide it, hide his smarts. He skated through until graduation, nursing the wounds in his body and mind all alone. Then he met Robin.

And he was just too scared to show her that part of himself. His instruments had become his little secret, and he just wasn't keen on sharing.

Not until after the events of Vecna. He had lost enough by then. He didn't lose any friends this time, but he was close. Max regained some of her eyesight, wearing thick glasses that Steve paid for. He'd never let Max's mother do it. Eddie got his new government-supplied trailer, and walked the long road to recovery. And near the end of that road, Steve threw one damn good party.

It was early August. Steve and Robin had already celebrated a year of being best friends (and being free of Russian torture), but Max was having a harder time, so they waited a little longer, until the Byers-Hopper group had settled in, but before school started. It was pretty much a "Hey Hawkins is (Relatively) Safe!" party. Everyone had mostly recovered from the events of spring break, the Byers-Hopper clan had finally put the finishing touches on their home in Hawkins, getting a nice big house that someone left behind in the "Great Escape From Hawkins of 1986". Eddie had finished high school, a little bit with the pity of teachers who were sorry that they thought he was a murderer, combined with the pity that he was nearly killed in the "earthquake", but who's counting? It was his year.

It was all of their years, finally over with this upside-down business. So Steve threw a party.

The adults had left, calling in their bedtime at 9. The kids and the older teens were sleeping over though. Steve had more than enough space, and of course, the moment Joyce Byers closed the front door with her last "Call me if you need anything!" they had to break out the good old party games.

The kids insisted on truth or dare, and they got a couple rounds in before Dustin decided to single our Steve for once.

"You haven't been called on much, it's my turn to fix that." Dustin said. Argyle was the only person who had chosen Steve so far, since he was on vacation from California for the summer, staying at the Byers place after helping them move in.

"Yeah yeah just spit it out kid," Steve retorted, taking the last swig of his first-and-only beer for the night, always playing it safe in case he had to drive one of the kids home unexpectedly.

"Truth or Dare?"

Steve contemplated for a moment. He picked dare earlier with Argyle and it had been pretty simple. A truth might make him spill some of the secrets he was content to keep in his brain. Within the kids group half of the truths so far had been about crushes. It left Will stammering earlier, and he wasn't about to let the same thing happen to himself. He could admit he had... new feelings when it came to romance that he'd rather not let out in THIS room. What's the worst that could happen if he chose dare anyways?

"Dare. Hit me with your best shot kid."

"Damnit, I had only thought of a truth! Give me a second." Dustin fumbled, turning to Lucas and trying to think of a good dare.

"All that talk..." Eddie whispered into Steve's ear.

That was a new habit the older teens had gotten into. Whispered secrets behind flexed hands, like a little kid's game of telephone. Something that made them feel like kids again. Though if we're being honest, it was mostly Steve and Eddie.

"I know, right?" Steve whispered back. Admittedly, something about the whispering made the hair on Steve's neck stand up on end. It made him feel like he and Eddie were the only people in the world.

He always had to come back to reality though.

"I dare you-" Dustin interrupted, " -to show us something you've never shown anyone before. Like a hidden talent or something."

Steve thought about it for a second. Maybe he could finally be vulnerable with the group. He had gone to hell and back with these people, multiple times. Surely he could play some piano.

So Steve got up, passing his empty bottle to Nance who eyed it with a raised brow and set it on the side table next to her. He stepped over the boys' sleeping bags, all of them sticking around in the living room that night so the girls could have the basement. Steve chose to ignore when Mike fussed, saying that he got stepped on.

He sat down at the piano bench and cracked his knuckles, looking down at the keys before snapping his head up and asking, "Any requests?"

"Wait Steve you can-" Nancy started, before Robin blurted out a song.

"Take Me Home Tonight!" Robin shouted. It had become their collective favorite song recently, both of them singing it every day on the drive home from work.

"Yeah, I can do that one. Be my backup Robs?"

"You don't have to ask twice!" She swung up from her place next to Nance, stepping over the sleeping bags the same way Steve had.

When she made herself a comfy spot on top of the piano, swinging her legs back and forth, Steve started the intro.

Steve thought it sounded a little dinky on classical piano with no synth. He winced to himself as he played the intro, looking up to Robin for comfort. He just saw her jaw drop, and her mischievous smile go wider. He didn't have to look at anyone else, Robin's nod for him to start singing was all he needed to look back down at the keys.

Steve had never been a confident singer, always putting on a bit of a show, carrying a tune -but never doing his best- so if someone said it was bad, he could say he wasn't trying. This time though, he gave it his all.

By the first chorus he was throwing his head back and closing his eyes, putting on a show for a different reason, smiling as wide as he could whilst singing.

He took some liberties: embellishing a little on piano, changing "Ronnie" to "Robbie" because, honestly, who wouldn't have. He got to her solo and, playing the supporting chords with his left hand, held out his right hand and his fake microphone to Robin, who took his arm in her hands and let out her most dramatic "Be my little baby," straight from the heart.

Playing the intro to the next part, Steve remembered that there were people in the room besides him and Robin. He looked around at the faces of his friends. Lucas and Max were bopping along on the floor, Will, El, and Erica had been dancing haphazardly in the corner the whole time, El dragging her brother up by the arm. Erica followed; she had recently taken an admiring to the bitchin' girl with superpowers, plus both El and Max enjoyed having another girl at sleepovers. Dustin's jaw was still on the floor, although Nancy was more subtle about her shock, her mouth hanging in a little "o" . Jonathan and Argyle were nodding their heads along to the bass chords, having just the time of their lives. It was Eddie's face that made Steve's heart jump. He was marveling at Steve, and anyone could tell. It was enough to make Steve sing the next verse directly to him. It became all too real all of a sudden, and he wouldn't change it for the world.

Soon after, the game was ditched, all the kids rattling off songs for Steve to play for them, so they could sing along. After some Loverboy, Blondie, Grease, and their more-than-fair share of ABBA, the kids tired themselves out. Will and El made a point to thank Steve for his playing, Lucas, Max, and Erica whooped and hollered after every song, and the rest of them showed their thanks in other ways, in hugs goodnight or simple looks, eye contacts worth a million words. Then all the older teens headed upstairs. Jonathan and Argyle headed to their room early, but Robin and Nancy stuck around in the Steve's bedroom, where he was sharing with Eddie.

"When were you going to tell us you were a musical GENIUS?" Eddie asked.

"I'm no genius, I just- My mom wanted something to show off at parties when I was younger, I started learning when I was seven so I could be their free entertainment."

"Thirteen years, Steve?" Nancy felt pretty awful not knowing about something so personal to him.

"Yeah, this is my first time showing someone who wasn't at those parties though. Well, on the piano at least."

"What do you mean 'on the piano?' Do you play other instruments dingus?"

"Well, a couple others! Cello, flute, guitar, french horn, and drums a little. I can carry a tune on harmonica, but I mainly picked it up to learn Piano Man. Thought it'd be kinda funny."

"You are magical Stevie, did you know that?"

Those words, Eddie's words, bounced around in Steve's head for the rest of the night. Magical. Him? Magical.

"Seeing as we know a girl with superpowers, I doubt that I'm the magical one." Steve brushed it off.

The girls took their leave a while later, leaving Steve and Eddie to stew in their awkward nature around eachother.

"I guess I can give up on being the only cool guitar player in the group." Eddie said, faking a heartbroken look.

"You can still be the only cool guitar player, I'm just a guitar player."

"Oh c'mon Stevie! You know these kids think you're the coolest person on the planet."

"I think you've got that one covered, I'm just their ever-so-giving host and chauffeur." Steve tried to make a joke out of it, gave his best self-pitying chuckle and everything. Eddie saw right through it. Saw the tears cloud the edge of Steve's vision before he blinked them away.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey," Eddie stopped Steve, "You're so much more than a ride home and a place to stay to them, okay? I mean it, they think you're the coolest person on the planet. And they're not the only ones who think it."

"Ha, like you think it."

"I do, Steve. I do think it."

"I mean, come on Eds! There's really no redeeming factor," Steve let the tears fall freely, moving off of his bed where Eddie sat, and gesturing to himself,"I have a nice car, a big house, and a shit personality. I'm not good in conversation, I don't know any of their nerd games. I'm no good at keeping them safe from anything that isn't an interdimensional monster. I'm just kind of here. I'm not smart, or nice, or even funny, or magical like you said. I'm just here."

"Steve," Eddie started, this look in his eyes, trying it's hardest to tell Steve everything he means to them, means to Eddie. But Steve just closed his eyes, bowed his head, like Eddie had some power over him.

Steve just stood there, head bowed, flexing and unflexing his fists.

"Come here." Eddie commanded, patting the bed next to him. And, just like the little kid who learned piano to entertain his mom, Steve listened.

Steve sat down and Eddie immediately scooted him closer, putting Steve's chin in both of his hands. Making Steve look him in the eye.

"You are so much more to those kids. And even if I'm wrong, you're so much more to me. You are smart, you are kind, you are generous, and loving, and you care for each and every one of us more than anything or anyone in the world could reasonably ask you to." Eddie wiped Steve's tears as they fell, but he never broke eye contact. "You've saved their LIVES Steve. Many of them wouldn't be here without you. I wouldn't be here without you. You carried me out of that hell hole, and you've been here for me since. If there's anyone in this world qualified to tell you how much you mean to them, I think it's me."

"You really believe all of that?"

"Every syllable of every word."

See, Steve Harrington is incredibly smart. It's not his fault nobody believes him.

Not even himself.

But maybe, for the first time, he was about to make a smart decision.

So he learned forward, into Eddie. Pressed his lips into Eddie's and didn't doubt that Eddie would kiss back. And when Eddie did, Steve's heart soared. He put all of his gratitude, all of his feelings into kissing Eddie.

After he finally pulled away, Eddie just had to bring some light into the situation. He wiped away one of Steve's tears, and said:

"I hope I don't have to see those pretty eyes cry for that to happen again."

"You don't-" Steve leaned in again.

And if Robin found them suspiciously close in the morning, it was nobody's business but her own.

2K notes · View notes

m3talmunson · 1 year

Text

Eddie didn't really mind pointing things out to Steve, things that the other boy easily missed. He did mind the fact that Steve wouldn't admit he didn't see them though.

Eddie would point out an upcoming speedbump when Steve seemingly wasn't slowing down, and Steve would swear up and down that he was getting there, that he knew. Eddie would point out a tape that had fallen to the ground at family video, and Steve would parrot back the same "I know, I know!" like he wasn't just about to step on it. Eddie would point to a cabinet of the kitchenette in his trailer, asking Steve to grab something from it, and just watch as Steve reached for the wrong cabinet before saying "your other left" like nothing happened. But he wouldn't get complacent.

He couldn't bare the thought of 'what if Steve misses something on the road' or 'what if he trips and gets one too many blows to the head' and god forbid 'how could he ever navigate the upside down if it reopens'.

Eddie was going to make sure Steve got glasses, hell, even those new extended-wear contacts that he knew Steve could afford. Eddie was going to make Steve see, if not for Steve, then for his own sake.

Steve wasn't necessarily thrilled with the concept. He was at work when

"What if I look dinky with glasses? I feel like they'd throw off my charm." Steve said, doing his best to keep a joking tone.

"What if your eyesight keeps getting worse and you can't see what you look at all, dinky or not?" Eddie retorted back, playing the trump card, "Look, I'll even go with you to pick them out if you want. Get a pair of 20/20 eyes to help out."

"Would you really go with me? Robin's been pestering me for ages but I've never actually committed to even getting my eyes looked at."

"'Course I would Stevie, there's no way I'm letting you see anyone else face before mine. Gotta be the first." He joked, giving a bow, "How's next Thursday sound? You have no work, I have no plans."

"Aw you know my work schedule, how sweet." Steve replied sarcastically, "Yeah, next Thursday works."

And then, the next customer came in, and Eddie wandered off to pretend he actually came in for a tape.

When Steve came out of the optometrist's room, he seemed pretty dejected.

"Severe hyperopic astigmatism in both eyes, just like my dad."

"It runs in the family? And you still never got glasses?"

"Oh it gets better." Steve chose to ignore the question, "They've never seen it this bad in someone so young unless they had severe head trauma."

"Steve, you have had severe head trauma-"

"What they don't know won't kill them, hopefully. You wanna explain the Upside Down?"

"Got me there, Stevie."

"Anyways, they say the prescription is fairly common, so depending on the pair I pick I could walk out with them today, if they have the lenses." Steve walked to the front of the shop, looking at the wall of glasses, hunting down any wire-rimmed pairs, the ones the doctor said would most likely have lenses in his script.

"So what are we looking for?" Eddie asked.

"Anything other than circles. That's what my dad wore. Or, wears. I don't really know. Oh, and also wire framed, the doctor said those were more likely to have these lenses." Steve waved the paper the doctor had given him with his prescription as he squinted at the display.

"Let's get to work then!"

Luckily for Steve, he could make out the thumbs up or thumbs down Eddie would give him when he tried on a pair. He sat down with one of the hand-held mirrors and his pick of five frames. He held the mirror as far as possible so he could see them, even getting Eddie to hold it when he was narrowing down the final two, squinting at himself, picking apart his reflection in the mirror. Just when Eddie was about to tell Steve which pair was his favorite, he got cut off.

"Can I help you two?" The attendant in the room finally asked, making Steve jump a little.

"Uhm, no, thank you! Just trying to narrow down which pair to buy."

"Let me see your script and the glasses, I'll look at the tag and see if we have those lenses in." She said, pulling out a little clipboard with a list of the common scripts, those with none left crossed-out.

She stared at it for a moment, adjusting her own glasses in the process.

"Looks like we have the lenses for only one of these, my dear. Of course, you can still get the others! You'll just have about a week's wait until we have those lenses."

"Which pair has the lenses in stock?" Steve asked.

The lady passed him the navy blue square framed pair with the nice and neat rounded corners. Eddie's favorite out of the two.

"Hmm. If I get this pair, I can walk out today with them right?"

"Yes! If you get this pair I can have them done in about 20 minutes, just need to pop the right lenses in and tighten some screws."

"I'll take this pair then, thank you!" Steve said, following the rest of her instructions to go ahead and pay for them while she rifles through the drawers for the farsighted lenses, finding his exact prescription.

"Lucky boy, got the last pair of these lenses in stock!"

"Lucky Stevie!" Eddie nudged Steve.

"Yeah, lucky me." He smiled.

Still though, Steve let his mind wander wild as he waited for the little old lady to finish his glasses.

"What if they really do look silly?"

"Steve you're not gonna look silly. I promise you looked amazing in the display pair." Eddie did his best to sound reassuring.

"Amazing? Like. How much on a scale of 1-10?" Steve regained his flirty nature.

"Like, an eleven, Stevie." Eddie looked away, not willing to let Steve see the blush rise to his cheeks.

"11/10? He does have a nice bone in his body." Steve teased, before the lady called Steve up to the counter with a mirror and his case, his glasses in her hand. Eddie followed in tow.

"It might take a minute, to adjust. Try to look around, read the liscense plates in the parking lot, or something like that." She held her open hand out to Steve and he picked up the glasses, closing his eyes before sliding them on.

And then he opened his eyes. He saw the detail on the counter, not a blank flat color but a salt-and-pepper spattering of greys and blacks. He read the lady's name tag, Caroline's name tag, before realizing that he didn't know her name until then. He looked at his hands, seeing detail that he had never seen before, saw the littler moles that peppered his arms.

He saw Eddie, saw that little smirk he wore in all of it's detail, saw the long eyelashes that framed his eyes, saw the crinkle in his nose.

"Oh my god-" Steve said, his hands dropping to his side, "The world is so much more beautiful than I remembered." He stared for a second longer at Eddie's eyes, the dark brown glowing a little in the setting sun through the windows.

"Thank you, so much for all your help," Steve told the lady -Caroline, he knew her name now- as he grabbed his case, not stopping to look at himself but striding out the door, to look at the detail of the sidewalk, see the little scratch on his beamer that he had never been more excited to see. He turned around to look at Eddie again, see the pride in his eyes.

"Let's get you home, shall we? Since you can, y'know, see this time."

"Let's."

He drove Eddie home, pointed out every new thing he could see, and stepped out of his car to walk Eddie to his door.

Eddie stopped before the stairs to his trailer.

"So, Stevie, did you have a good day?"

"I feel like the world is so much brighter now." Steve said, his eyes flicking to every movement in Eddie's face at that response. His eyes settled on the strand of hair that fell as Eddie shook his head.

"Feel like it's so much softer too." Steve pushed the hair back behind Eddie's ear as he talked, letting his hand linger just a second.

"Weirdly, enough, me too." Eddie pressed his hand against Steve's.

The sun was setting, nobody was out in the trailer park, and in the June heat of Indiana, no windows were cracked either. Behind the privacy of Eddie's van, parked to the left of where Steve's car was sitting, Steve couldn't help himself.

"Eddie, today was wonderful, even when I was slightly panicking. Thank you for being there, you have no idea what it means."

"I think I might." Eddie noticed Steve staring at his lips, and, hopefully not misinterpreting a sign, finally asked, "Steve, can I kis-"

"Please." Steve cut him off, before giving Eddie the kiss he so desperately had wanted since the moment he saw his face that afternoon. Steve was so glad Eddie's was the first face he saw.

~~~~~

baby's first tag list!

@henderdads

thank you for having faith in my work! still learning about tumblr and I thought I could tag people in the comments of my last post, but this is a side blog, so I can't :( anyways now I'm officially building a tag list 💪🏻

#steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #steve stranger things #eddie stranger things #steddie blurb #steddie drabble #steddie fanfic #steddie ficlet #stranger things #i did so much research on contact lenses and glasses brands of the time to make this and it doesnt show 💀

659 notes · View notes

m3talmunson · 1 year

Note

Congrats on landing that dream role, dude!

OMG thanks friend! I wish I could respond to all the comments but, alas, this is not my main blog (and my other blog is VERY intertwined with my personal life) but I appreciate all the kind comments! Thank you all so much!

#ive been wanting to play ado annie in oklahoma for so long #because i think the underlying story of anti-isolationism from a jewish american's perspective written DURING the holocaust is SO IMPORTANT #basically im very excited #so thank you all for the very kind words!

2 notes · View notes

m3talmunson · 1 year

Text

It started with babes. Babes is completely platonic right? Nothing out of the ordinary there. Eddie was known for being over dramatic, why would nicknames -or in this case, pet names- be any different?

Babes wasn't even that over the top, so why was Steve blushing like a school girl after it was said in passing?

Steve definitely knew why, although, he was going to pretend he didn't. But he knew, about himself, about Eddie. A couple months after spring break '86 Steve had a very enlightening talk with Robin about his feelings. Towards Munson. Those completely and totally platonic feelings.

And a couple weeks later, as though Eddie was so in tune with Steve's discovery, Eddie came out to Steve at a campfire with Robin and Nance. Those two had wandered off, Eddie made some comment about "Good for Robs," before realizing his mistake. That was, until Steve said "Yeah, good for Robs," and Eddie just had to ask.

"You know about her? Y'know..."

"What? Eddie? Of course! She's my best friend."

"And you're ok with it?" Eddie was kind of shocked. Great 'King' Steve wasn't going to sick the dogs on Hawkins Local Lesbian? And it seemed like he had known longer than Eddie?

"Yeah, when you survive hell and back enough it's pretty hard to hate anyone for being gay." Steve left off the part where he was also into guys. He knew Eddie was ok with that, clearly ok with Robin, but Eddie might not be ok with being the guy Steve was into.

"Oh. Well," Eddie didn't know if it was the couple beers he had downed, or his newfound safety with this big ol' group of misfits, but he was comfortable asking Steve, "What if I was like Robin too?"

"Are you?" Steve asked. He wasn't going to get his hopes up over hypotheticals, but he could admit he had feelings for the older boy. He wasn't sure what feelings to be honest,but he was figuring that out as he went. He just knew they were more than platonic.

"Well, technically I'm the opposite of Robin, y'know. Not attracted to women. But yeah, I am." Eddie stared into the camp fire, torn between hoping that it would eat him alive, or that it would simply stare back.

"Okay, thanks for trusting me." Steve responded, plain as day.

He had asked Robin, if someone were to come out to him (granted they were not just drugged by Russians), what would she have wanted to hear. And he finally got the chance to use it, seeing the way Eddie's shoulders dropped in relief.

"So you're like actually ok with it?"

"Like I said, been to hell and back with you, who you love doesn't mean a thing over that."

" Yeah," Eddie said,"But most straight guys don't like it when gay guys flirt relentlessly with them."

"We'll keep that one between us then, won't we?" Steve wasn't entirely ready to correct Eddie on the straight thing, so he just didn't acknowledge that part. He chose to ignore the blush rise on his face, blaming it internally on the heat of the fire.

He also tried to ignore that at that point, the nicknames picked up.

It started with babes. Then baby, which made Steve's brain flutter. Then sweetheart. Eddie only used that one when he wanted something, and yet Steve still loved it. Stevie was one of the fan favorites. Not really a pet name, but used just as lovingly as one. Sometimes Eddie held out the end, in a sing-song voice. Made Steve weak in the knees. Eddie knew what he was doing.

It was babe that made Steve do something about it. Eddie used sweetheart, baby, Stevie, around everyone. In front of the kids, on his various trips to Family Video (whether to buy or annoy, who knew). But babe. Babe was just for Steve and Steve alone.

So of course, the only logical order of events was for Steve to start using them back.

It started with babe, the obvious choice. Fight fire with fire, or whatever. The meaningless pet names ended with babes too.

Because after Eddie kissed Steve to shut him up, they suddenly had meaning.

#short n sweet cause ive been gone for too long #in more personal news! just got cast as one of my lifelong dream roles in theatre yesterday!#steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #steve stranger things #eddie stranger things #steddie blurb #steddie drabble #steddie fanfic #steddie ficlet #pet names

4K notes · View notes

m3talmunson · 1 year

Text

WORD COUNT: 2,296 (just warning u <3 enjoy loves)

Steve didn't expect anyone to remember. It's not like his parents ever remembered to leave a message. It's not like Nancy remembered (although, a couple months later she called him bullshit, and well, that takes the cake). He never bothered to tell the kids, and he didn't blame Robin for not remembering when the day they told eachother they were still coming off of those Russian drugs. He remembered hers though. He remembered that her birthday was March 10th. He threw her a surprise party, invited her band nerds, invited Eddie, fresh out of the hospital, invited Dustin and Erica, their whole trauma bonded troop.

And somehow in the mix, a month later when it was his turn, nobody remembered his.

That was, at least, what he believed. But one person remembered.

A week prior, Dustin had got his grubby little hands on the information of Steve's birthday. He needed to know and wasn't willing to ask Steve, not willing to expose that he didn't know the older man's birthday. So he asked around.

After going down the list, through most of the other kids, through Robin, and even Eddie, he ended up slinked over at the Byers-Hopper residence, quizzing El on how far her powers go, if she could maybe find a way to figure out his birthday. El explained that she probably can't do that, but she was willing to try for Dustin's sake. She rushed into the living room, Dustin in tow, finding the nearest radio and trying to rush out with it before getting stopped by Hopper and Joyce, who were on the couch watching the TV, which those two gremlins so unceremoniously cut in front of it twice already.

"Woah woah woah! Slow down there, what's going on?" Hop asked. He knows when El frantically needs access to a radio, that something's going on.

"It's Steve." She says, not offering any context. That immediately gets Joyce into defensive mode. Nobody messes with her boys. Or any of her kids, for that matter.

"What's wrong with Steve?" She asks, jolting up out of her comfortable position.

"Woah hold on, he's ok!" Dustin explains. At that, Joyce let's out a relieved sigh and lays back into Hoppers arm that was just wrapped around her.

"Yes! He is ok, we just need to see him." El finally explained.

"Yeah! About early June a year ago I said something about his age and I was wrong, which means his birthday is some time soon and I don't know it! And El said she might know a way to find out!"

"Oh you don't need to go through all that! Steve's birthday is next Thursday. I was gonna make him a cake and bring it to his house, like I did last year! Why didn't you just ask around?"

All three of the others in the room were confused by her response, even Hop, who had never even thought of the idea of doing something for the Harrington boy's birthday, even though he's the closest thing to a father figure the boy has got.

"Next week??" Hopper asked, suddenly feeling bad for not knowing that about the boy, or that Joyce has been the only one caring for him the year prior on his birthday.

"No I did ask around! You just happen to be the only person in Hawkins to know it!" Dustin said, cutting off any answer that might have come to Hopper's question.

"Not even Nancy or Robin or Eddie?"

"Nope. You're the only one." El said. El didn't really have a birthday, so they threw her a 'Found You!' party every year. It gave Will something better to focus on that day every year, so it made everyone pretty happy. She knew how much birthdays meant now.

"Well that just can't be. We'll have to throw him a party. Everyone needs a good send off into year 20." Hopper said, standing up and getting Joyce and El and Dustin to the dining room table, pulling Will away from his painting too, to plan how they were doing this.

One game plan, a thoroughly scribbled-on napkin, and a couple of phone calls later, Robin and Eddie were in on it, finding a way to get Steve from work to the Byers-Hopper house on a random Thursday. Robin wouldn't be working that day, so Steve wouldn't need to drive her to work. Eddie was fresh out of high school, (it really was his year!) so he did actually have a job, but he was pretty used to spending his lunches at Family Video.

They decided that Eddie would offer to hang out after work, shoot the shit or whatever, and pick Steve up from his house after work, bringing him to the house where the kids and everyone would be waiting.

This year, Steve was going to feel valued, no matter what.

~~~~~

Steve woke up, dreaded his shift ahead, and got ready as per usual that day. It didn't really matter that it was his birthday, there was no red dot on the receiver saying anyone else knew it was his birthday and might have called, so he pretended it was just a normal day, exactly like the rest of the world was doing.

The real crime is that his birthday fell on a Thursday. Thursdays, even over summer, are the slowest days for Family Video, so they don't even bother scheduling two people for the day. So he couldn't even hope Robin had maybe remembered his birthday, because he wouldn't see her all day. He would at least see Eddie, who he thought didn't know his birthday, so he couldn't feel bad for not telling Eddie, and Eddie couldn't feel bad for forgetting.

He had grown to love Eddie's lunch visits, sitting behind the counter talking to someone who understood him, who he could lower his mask around. Not all the way though. There are some parts of Steve that are for Robin's eyes only. Like the fact that he has feelings for Eddie. Feelings that he intended to keep hidden away. Where they were safe. Where he was safe.

Nonetheless, he lit up when that bell above the door chimed at 12:35, accommodating the quick ride from the record store Eddie worked at.

And, so what if Eddie didn't know it was his birthday, Eddie still asked to hang out after work, said "I found a spot you'll want to see," in that voice of his that eludes mischief, and Steve was in. He was going to go home, put on a nicer shirt and the watch he forgot on the bathroom counter that morning, and he was going to hang out with Eddie for his birthday.

He kept that dinky little smirk on his face for the rest of the day, and clocked out the moment Keith walked into those doors to pick up the closing shift, not sticking around for chit chat. He had 20 minutes till Eddie was off of work, which meant he had 30 minutes to get home, change shirts, spray on fresh cologne, and then pretend he wasn't waiting by the door to hear Eddie knock.

When he did though, Steve was not prepared to see a Eddie's bandana wave at him.

"You're gonna want full shock value for this one, big boy." Eddie said, whilst Steve hoped Eddie didn't see the blood rise to his cheeks at the nickname.

"Can I at least put it on in the van?"

"I'll settle for that if you don't gripe about the music!" Eddie joked. He had actually gotten a tape from Jonathan of Tears for Fears, so he knew Steve wouldn't.

"How am I supposed to do that when you blare it loud enough for Indianapolis to hear?"

"I think you'll like it today Stevie." Eddie said, opening the car door for Steve and giving a little bow, then watching Steve tie the bandana around his eyes as he walked around to the driver's side.

"Feel like I'm getting the full El treatment." Steve chuckled, as he heard the car door open.

"Hardy har, just make sure you can't see. I mean the shock value thing." He said, turning the key in the ignition. As the music started, Steve let out a little gasp, and reached blindly for Eddie's arm beside him.

"Is this?? Tears for Fears?? Aw, Eds, you don't hate all of my music after all, how sweet." Steve joked.

Eddie was thankful that Steve was blindfolded, so he couldn't see the pink tinge to his face.

"Just for you Stevie."

Steve relished in the quiet music, the bumps in the road, and the comfortable silence between him and Eddie with a smile on his face. It was a miracle, to Steve, that someone cares for him on his birthday, even unknowingly, because it hadn't happened in so long. Steve was even contemplating telling Eddie it was his birthday, thanking Eddie for the best birthday he had in a long time, when the van stopped, and the music right after.

"We're here!" Eddie told Steve. "Ah ah ah, don't take the blindfold off, I'll help you where we're going. Full. Shock. Value."

"I'm beginning to think it's a special occasion or something." Steve said, like it wasn't one. That hurt Eddie's heart a little, but it's ok, he thought. Steve will know how loved he is soon.

"C'mon, I'll help you up the steps." Eddie offered, grabbing Steve's hand for completely platonic reasons.

"Steps? Eddie where are we?" Steve asked.

"Full shock value, remember?" He said, opening the door for Steve and guiding by the shoulders into the Byers-Hopper living room, where the party, Jonathan, Nancy, Robin, Joyce, and Hopper were waiting behind a cake that Hopper haphazardly stuck 20 blue and green candles on. Lucas even dragged Erica along, when she pretended she didn't want to go wish Steve happy birthday.

"Blindfold off Stevie." Eddie said.

Steve didn't expect anyone to remember. Didn't expect to peek from behind the blindfold with one eye and be serenaded with a chorus of "SURPRISE!!!"

He stepped back into Eddie at the loud noise, Eddie grabbing back on to Steve's shoulders.

Steve didn't expect Joyce to be holding up a cake with 20 lit candles, didn't expect Dustin to rush to his side, didn't expect Hopper to clap him on the back after he stepped forward.

"Happy birthday kiddo." Hop said.

"How did you- when did- guys!!" He said, looking down at the cake.

"Red velvet and chocolate icing, with blue and green candles, your favorite." Joyce told him.

"Just like last year-" He was cut off by Joyce putting down the cake on the coffee table and wrapping Steve up in a hug. Which caused the rest of the group, even Mike, to wrap Steve in a huge group hug. When they all pulled away, Lucas held up the cake.

"Make a wish, man." He said.

"Guys- I don't deserve all this, how can I-"

"Oh cut the shit Steve, we love you. Now, you heard him, make a wish."

And so, Steve closed his eyes, thought for a second, and blew out the candles. And then, just like that, the big old sheet cake was getting sliced into enough squares for all of them.

As the party went on, and they all laughed, and drank an obscene amount of soda, Steve slipped into the silent outdoors offered by the Byers-Hopper back porch swing. He stared off into the treeline, hoping nobody would notice his absence. He would be back inside in a minute or two, he just needed to catch his breath after it all. Then he heard the squeak of the screen door, and saw Eddie's leather jacket sleeve before looking back into the tree line.

Eddie took a seat to Steve's right, and placed a little wrapped package on Steve's lap.

"Oh Eddie, you didn't have to-"

"Open it." Eddie cut him off.

Steve carefully tore the (oddly enough, very neatly done) wrapping paper away, revealing a hellfire shirt.

"You? You got me a hellfire shirt? But I'm not a part of the party?" Steve failed to stop the smile from leaking into his face.

"Of course you are? Considering how since school got out you've let us use your house, you drive the goblins around, and you've been doing it for years! It's about time you have one." Eddie explained.

Now, Steve couldn't stop the tears from gathering in his eyes.

"Yeah but, I don't deserve any of this. Anyone can drive those kids around, anyone can lend you a space, it's the least I could do. Hell, I'm not even going to college, I'm just another a high school has-been asshole working at a barely above minimum-wage job. There's so many better people you guys could have chosen to care about." Steve settled his eyes back on the treeline, trying his best to hide the tears that his voice revealed, that were now slowly streaming down his face.

"Steve no. Absolutely not. You're so much more than that to all of us. To me." That got Steve to look back at Eddie. Eddie held Steve's face in his hands, let the tears run down his arms."You're our warrior, you keep those little misfits safe, you saved my life. And we all know you would take bullets for those dorks. You heard Little Red. We love you, Steve..." Eddie hesitated, looking away for a moment. "I love you, Steve. Even if none of the other assholes in this world will, I do."

Steve couldn't let Eddie go on any longer. Not when he was saying stuff like that. So he closed the distance. And when Eddie kissed back, he knew everything would be alright.

He didn't expect people to remember. He didn't expect people to care about him. But now he finally understood, the unequivocally did.

#for plot purposes imagine S4 took place early february #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #steve stranger things #dustin henderson #eddie stranger things #steddie blurb #steddie drabble #steddie fanfic #oneshot #joyce byers #jim hopper #jopper

758 notes · View notes

m3talmunson · 1 year

Text

Nobody had ever payed Steve much attention. That was, until Eddie.

Eddie saw right through him. His piercing stare questioned every fibre of Steve's being, picked him apart and put him back together.

So, I guess, to say NOBODY had ever payed attention to Steve would be an exaggeration. He had Robin, and Dustin, and once upon a time Nancy. But Eddie was the first to pay attention in the way Steve so desperately needed.

~~~~~

Eddie noticed things. Eddie had always read people, it had been the one thing he was good at that he didn't get from his father. And being thrown into this upside-down-situation gave him many new people to read.

By far, the most intriguing was Steve.

There's a lot you can see in someone's face when you're about three inches away from it. There's a lot more you can see if you're holding a broken bottle to their neck, but the one thing you should absolutely see is fear. Not relief, and definitely not understanding, not acceptance? But those are the things Eddie saw in Steve's face, despite the sharp green glass dangerously close to grazing his adam's apple.

Eddie noticed how Steve was almost begging for a chance to dance with death, as long as it helped his friends. Steve seemingly didn't care if it would kill him, didn't care if he took the fall as long as all of his friends got out safe. He was almost relieved to be the one dancing with death. Eddie hoped it was because it meant none of his friends were walking the line between life and death, and not because Steve was no longer afraid of dying, not because it meant he was almost free from life and it's woes. Eddie also knew he was wrong in that hope.

Eddie saw, afterwards, the avoidance Steve exhibited. Eddie noticed how Steve only saw himself as a shield for those children. Plus a chauffeur, a bonus when they didn't need shielding. Eddie noticed how Steve only saw himself as a sacrificial lamb, how all of his contributions to the group were either services or monetary. Steve never let himself do anything he enjoyed with the group, he only was there to make sure the rest of the group members were enjoying themselves.

Steve had coached Lucas in basketball, even though he hadn't been able to pick up a basketball before that point since Billy Hargrove's death. He had filled that brother-shaped-hole in Max's life after it too.

Eddie noticed how the kids gave Steve a reason to live. And Eddie was determined to become on of those reasons.

#this was supposed to be so much shorter than it ended up #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #steve stranger things #eddie stranger things #steddie blurb #steddie drabble #steddie ficlet #SELF SACRIFICIAL STEVE MY TRUE LOVE #steve harrington needs a trillion hugs.

334 notes · View notes

m3talmunson · 1 year

Text

Deciding to recoup at Reefer Rick's after... the graveyard, Dustin had a little bit of what he would call, one of his typical strokes of genius.

"If what Victor told you is true," Dustin started, nodding to Nancy, "And we combine it with Max's... well, situational evidence, then we need to get to making a list."

"Of what, exactly?" Steve asked. These kids had better stop assuming that people can read their minds.

"Are you kidding Steve? Of everyone's favorite songs, what else? Groceries?"

"Watch your tone you silly little genius." Eddie chimed in.

Though nobody would admit it out loud to the kid, Dustin was usually right on top of the solutions. He didn't need to be so rude about it though!

"Ok, that is actually really smart, I'll give you that." Nancy agreed. "Let's get started then! We'll go in a circle, I'll write them down, and we can find tapes for any songs we don't have. I'll start." She laid out the game plan, and started the list, writing down her favorite song.

"Care to share with the class Nance? Since we should really all know. Y'know. Just in case." Lucas asked.

"Oh, right. Don't you dare bring up the morally questionable undertones to the movie, but it's Don't You (Forget About Me)."

"Solid choice!" Robin muttered absentmindedly, clearly at least a little lost in thought.

" Your turn Robs"

"Oh! Uhh. In classic theater kid fashion, I guess it would have to be One from A Chorus Line." She said, as Nancy scribbled away. That was definitely one they would have to buy.

They continued to go around clockwise, skipping over Max, who was already listening to Kate Bush during the conversation. As long as everybody their own walkmans before they recouped next, everything should be fine. In all this, it's kind of wild that a walkman has become armour, but stranger things have happened to the lot of them.

"What about you Eddie?" They were reaching the end of the circle.

"Easy, You've Got Another Thing Coming, Judas Priest. You don't have to worry about buying that one though, it was in my van when I came here so it's around somewhere."

"Got it," Nance said as she put it under the 'owned' column. "Lastly, Steve?"

"Y'know what I don't actually think anything is going to happen to me. I think we're all good and safe on this one and I don't think we need to worry about-" He started.

"Steve-O you know that's not how this works!" Robin retorted. She knew Steve's favorite song, she had been waiting for this one.

"C'mon Harrington it can't be THAT bad." Eddie backed Robin up. Damn those band kids.

"Ok. MAYbe. Just maybe. it's lastchristmasbywham."

"What was that Stevie?" Eddie piped up again.

"Yeah, what did you even say?" Dustin asked.

" I SAID... ugh. Last Christmas by Wham! And none of you are allowed to make fun of me for it until we all fucking survive this." He yelled the last part over a chorus of giggles from Max and Lucas, who were doing their combined best to find just a little bit of joy in this all, plus Dustin who yelled back "Language!"

"Harrington. No. There's no way your favorite song is a Christmas song from two years ago there's nO WAY-"

"What did I just say about making fun of me Munson? None of you would be complaining if George Michael saved your life. Last Christmas is iconic. Shut your mouth." Steve rolled his eyes. There was no malice behind his words, he KNEW this would happen when he said it, but this was no time to lie and save face.

"Boys, we've got bigger problems to yell about than George Michael," Nancy reminded, immediately switching topics, leaving Steve to wriggle under Eddie's questioning stare until he got distracted.

#taps steve on the head: u can fit so much embarrassment over little things in this bad boy #not rly explicitly #steddie #but u could interpret it as such #dustin henderson #nancy wheeler #steve harrington #eddie munson #robin buckley #lucas sinclair #max mayfield #last christmas #wham!#last christmas by wham! being the best christmas song ever part 16283729819198

76 notes · View notes

m3talmunson · 1 year

Text

Dustin wants to say something. Dustin NEEDS to say something. Like viscerally. He will DIE if Steve and Eddie don't stop looking at each other like that in front of EVERYONE.

Don't get him wrong, he knows that outing people is bad, and that if the knowledge of them -Steve and Eddie- gets out to the wrong people, that SO much could go wrong. And that is the only thing holding him back. But he is going to say something later, to Steve, to Eddie, to one of them because it's getting unbearable!

And that's exactly what he does. Dustin, ever the impossible to get rid of, was the last person to leave this movie night. They'd been having them since. Y'know. The end of the world, part four. And usually! Dustin would be out ASAP. He knows and respects how much his mom worries, but this time he just can't go home without saying something. So he made sure he was the last person left sitting in the Harrington living room. Well, besides Eddie, who had actually started cleaning up, like any boyfriend would, of course.

"Henderson! Hey Henderson!!" Steve calls, snapping Dustin out of his thoughts. "You gonna just sit there or are you gonna either clean up or get going? Wait- don't tell me you need a ride home."

"Nonono, Steve, I don't need a ride home don't worry about that I just- can I talk to you? " Dustin says, and of course, strikes that nerve in Steve, where his eyes go big and he gets all... motherly. Ew.

"Yeah kid what's up? You're not in trouble right?" Steve responds, as Eddie walks back into the living room with a trash bag, stopping his mumblings all along the lines of 'damn munchkins never clean up for themselves,' and 'god, could they not leave cans absolutely everywhere?'

"Woah hey haven't we had more than enough trouble," Eddie says, now also concerned for Dustin's safety which is NOT what this is about.

"No no oh my god guys I'm fine." He tries to ignore how far Steve's shoulders drop when he lets out that sigh. "It's just, well I know you two are happy together and shit, and I know you are used to being all romantic and shit, and I know Steve, your relationships have always been pretty public before, but do you two have to look at each other like you want to crawl into each other's skin? I am so happy that you guys are together and am entirely supportive but does it have to be all the time? Especially when someone in the movie is getting, like, brutally murdered? There's a time and place guys."

At the end of his tangent, Dustin finally looked up to see the absolutely shell-shocked look on Eddie and Steve's faces. Oh fuck.

"Dustin we're not-" "He and I aren't-" "You think we're together? Like dating?" Steve and Eddie say, speaking over each other and looking confused as all get out. But Dustin doesn't miss that blush on both of their faces, and the way they won't dare look at eachother, eyes glued to Dustin, just like they were when he started talking.

When they spluttered out all of their half-baked sentences and finished cutting off their own words, Dustin had easily settled into the silence, mostly amused by it all at this point.

"Wait wait wait-" Steve started, interrupting Dustin's amused peace and quiet. "Looking at each other like we what??"

'Oh boy.' Dustin thought. 'Its gonna take a while for them to shut up and kiss, isn't it.'

#i wrote this at 3 am im so sorry #steddie #stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #steve stranger things #eddie stranger things #eddie and dustin #steve and dustin #steddie drabble #steddie fanfic #steddie blurb #dustin henderson #dustin stranger things #Dustin's Murray era

44 notes · View notes