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steddiemas · 4 months

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steddimas prompt fill - vacation destination

🍍 eddie tries to give steve a tropical vacation, thinking he needs a break, but it doesn't really go to plan.

🥥 content/trigger warnings: couples fighting, (harmless) threats from wayne

🌴 word count: 2260

Winter isn’t all grand snowstorms and huddling together for warmth. Usually, it’s just really cold and dark and miserable. Sometimes it snows, maybe enough to cancel school but never enough to cancel work, and then everything turns into this gray, slushy mess. No one bothers to clean it. They carve out a path to whatever they need and carry on with blinders. Waiting for spring to do the rest.

No season was more depressing and Eddie had never figured himself one for sun and tropics. As he dragged his feet through the slush, making the shortest path from his van to the door, he really thought laying on a white sandy beach sounded good right now.

As tough as Eddie was finding, his only-thrives-in-the-sun boyfriend was shriveling up and dying slowly. Steve lacked the energy to get up and do much of anything and his fuse was shorter than when he woke in the morning. Eddie knew he could take the man in a fight but didn’t think it’d be good for their relationship if they found out for sure.

So he did what he did best and hatched a dumb and overly elaborate plan.

In something he almost didn’t want an explanation for, both Gareth and Dustin’s parents had thrown tiki parties in the last year. They both had leftover directions that had the kitsch meter exploding. Part of Eddie wanted to be a fly on the wall of these gatherings. They were either absolutely insane or so lame they needed to be witnessed.

Both Dustin and Gareth were willing to lend leis, thatched placemats, and grass skirts for everything. Dustin threw in far too many tiki masks. Eddie needed exactly zero, he didn’t know what to do with three dozen. Gareth put in those bobble hula girls, coconut cups, and paper palm fronds. His character was going to win so many battles.

Nancy came in clutch with a bunch of blue sheets and comforters. Apparently, the Wheelers have some gender issues they need to work out and Mike goes through a lot of bedsheets. Eddie didn’t ask any further questions and plugged his ears when she tried to offer details. Though he was able to return the favor tenfold since Nancy kept insisting this was all for “some sort of sex thing”.

It was prudish of her in a way that didn’t match anything Eddie had heard her say. Maybe it had something to do with that cutesy pastel room of hers that also didn’t match. No matter how much Eddie insisted it wasn’t, she did the same, plugged her ears, and sang a song to not hear.

Robin offered nothing because Eddie didn’t ask. She’d spill every last bean and then make up some more stuff. He did, however, tell her all about the “sex thing” Nancy thought he was up to. Making her gag and retch as he made up kinks. “Do you think Steve would prefer a green sheet situation?” It didn’t mean anything but the girls of Hawkins must have some code Eddie wasn’t hip to. That was fine by him because Eddie could have made Robin actually throw up if he’d gone into real detail.

A next-door neighbor, who later had a conversation with Wayne about Eddie’s mental stability, lent him a kiddie pool. Foolishly, Eddie asked Lucas if he had any portable heaters without cluing him into the whole plan. His parents bought Eddie two and Mrs. Sinclair added a few scarves she’d knitted. A gift Eddie wasn’t going to turn away and he vowed to shovel their walkway every day this winter. He promised to give one of the heaters to Max when he was done with this event.

After days of begging for (and hiding) all this stuff, Eddie took it one step further and went to the grocery store. Picking out fresh pineapples, a mango, and some real coconuts. He stocked up on lime Jell-o at Claudia Henderson’s recommendation. Gareth’s mom talked a lot about ham but Eddie didn’t have the first clue what to do with that, so he figured hamburgers were close enough. A couple of bottles of rum rounded out the food part of things and Eddie felt he was all set.

Waiting for Steve to work a late shift on a day Wayne also worked was the hardest part of this and out of Eddie’s control. Though he was getting impatient enough he almost called everyone’s bosses. He needed to give Steve a vacation but this was the best their budget allowed for. But if the man didn’t “get away” soon, everyone was going to pay.

Eddie wasn’t just doing this for him. It was for them too!! And they were making it very, very hard. Plus, there were only so many ways Eddie could keep Steve out of the closet where everything was hiding. It was starting to get too stressful but finally, the day came.

Hallelujah and praise satan!

The miserable, disgusting snow on the ground was being washed away by torrential rains. Nothing about the outdoors said good things and Eddie was about to sing around his porch like a nanny in the Alps. His time had come. Of course, he had to sit on his hands for four hours and wait for Wayne to leave but after that, it was all Metallica and thoughts of something tropical.

This wasn’t any real destination. Eddie wasn’t looking to mimic a real place here. He wanted to give the illusion of warmth, of the beach and water, and show he was trying. He’d noticed Steve’s crummy mood and wanted to do something to help. Not to look like he cared but because he cared.

Wayne would spontaneously combust if he saw Eddie putting a kiddie pool in the middle of the living room, regardless of the season. It proved that no matter how grown up he got, he was always going to be a little bit afraid of Wayne as Eddie kept an eye on the door.

Once it was half filled, Eddie filled four of the largest pans they had and left them on the stove to wait. No tropical beach had cold water.

The rest of the decorations were hung and rehung as Eddie stood in a pile of blue sheets, taking in everything and making sure it was all just right. As the hours ticked down to minutes, Eddie got burgers cooking. In the oven because he couldn’t handle the stress of explaining the grill to Wayne too and the burner was all trying to boil water. No one would care where they were cooked, as long as Eddie remembered to turn the oven off it’d be okay.

In Steve’s eight-hour shift (plus travel time), Eddie had done everything he could to turn the trailer into a tropical oasis. He spent the last few minutes admiring his work and debating if he should put on a grass skirt or not, Steve was so lucky to have him.

Barely remembering to turn the music off, Eddie made a mad dash to Wayne’s closet and dug down deep. Way, way in the back were a couple of god-awful Hawaiian shirts, Eddie grabbed them and was able to get back to the living room before Steve pulled into the driveway.

As Eddie ping-ponged around the room, careful not to disturb anything, to find the “right place” to stand, Steve came in the door with a welcome everyone wanted to hear.

“What the hell is this?”

It was impossible not to deflate, frozen in mid-climb, Eddie’s shoulders dropped and he looked at Steve. “Ta-da?”

“What?” he repeated, the disgust too thick.

Eddie slipped down off the chair, two feet on the ground, tiptoeing over to Steve. Approaching the wild animal who’d already shown claws and teeth, Eddie sighed and tried to remember the speech he’d prepared.

“Look,” he started, a little too defensive for his liking. “You’ve been miserable lately and I can’t exactly take you on vacation. It’s, like, really fucking expensive, man. So I did the best I could.”

Steve took his shoes off and put his lunch and jacket on the table, same as every day. Leaving Eddie to wonder if it was okay to flip your boyfriend off behind his back in the middle of trying to do something nice for him. The consensus was yes and Steve was given the double salute.

“Okay but why? This isn’t the beach, I mean, there isn’t even sand.”

“No shit there isn’t sand, Steven. Wayne would kill me if he saw all this, I wasn’t going to put sand in the living room.”

“So what was the point?”

“Great…fucking question,” Eddie said, gritting his teeth and moving to the kitchen.

If he didn’t start doing something he was going to explode. And if he did, Steve certainly wasn’t going to clean up this mess so Wayne would kill him. Eddie was mad but he didn’t want the guy murdered.

He clicked all the burners off to let the boiling water cool down. Moving to the drawer of lids, Eddie tried to find something to put all the fruit away before it attracted bugs. If it even could in this weather. The whole time biting his tongue to stop from saying anything.

Steve disappeared for a bit, coming back in house clothes. By that point, Eddie was standing in the living room folding towels. He’d turned the music back on but kept it at a reasonable volume.

“There’s burgers in the oven and all the fixings on the counter. Unless you’ve gone vegetarian since I saw you this morning.”

“Why would I do-”

“Not a fucking clue,” Eddie snapped. He couldn’t hold it in anymore and Steve’s shitty mood was ruining the coolest thing Eddie had done in a while.

“What has gotten into you?”

“Yeah because I’ve been a real problem before now.”

“And what do you mean by that?”

“You’ve been unbearable. Like you know I love when you’re kind of an asshole but it’s gone a little far. I did the dumb thing and tried to do something nice for you. It was weird, yeah, I know. That’s sort of my fucking thing but you walked in and turned your nose up at it.”

“Okay, sure. You put a pool in the living room.”

“Surrounded by blue sheets! It was a fake ocean. I got all this beach stuff and made you dinner, there were tropical drinks for later. I didn’t just put a pool in the living room, you're just being a dick.”

“I’m looking at it, you did.”

“Jesus Christ. Yeah, well once I get it out of the living room I’m going to bed. Fuck it and fuck you.”

The rest of the mess was going to be a lot to explain to Wayne but Eddie didn’t care. He couldn’t be in this situation any longer. So he dropped the sheet to the couch and focused on dragging the pool out the front door. Which took more work and feet shuffling than dragging it in did.

Eventually, though, he got it dumped out and stashed back under the porch. Tomorrow he’d return it. Perhaps with a thank you pineapple. From there he made good on his promise and went to his room. Not fully able to kick Steve out of the house but was confused as to why he was still there.

Eddie read until he fell asleep. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d fallen asleep angry like this. Hell, it probably had something to do with one of Steve’s stupid jock friends. There was something here about a leopard not changing his spots that Eddie really didn’t want to believe. They were too many months into this, he’d been too vulnerable. He thought Steve was doing the same but maybe he was still just some asshole jock.

The next morning Steve woke Eddie with a shake. “Wayne’s pissed and he wants you to clean all this shit up.”

“You fucking clean it,” Eddie grumbled, trying to wake up enough to even know who was talking to him.

“I’ll help but I don't know what half of this stuff is or where it goes. Wayne doesn’t even know where it came from.”

Bolting up in bed, Eddie glared at Steve. Sleep weakened the bit he wanted it to have but he tried to burn a hole through the man who had the nerve to perch on the end of Eddie’s bed after last night.

“Look who’s bright and cheery and helpful this morning,” Eddie said, trying to deepen the glare.

Steve pointed his thumb over his shoulder toward the open door. “Your uncle is out there, ready to toss us both to the curb. Can this wait?”

“No. It kind of can’t. Gimme the quick version.”

“You’re right. I was being an asshole and you were trying to do something nice.”

“And?”

“There’s no-what ‘and’?” Steve hissed, his head bobbing back and forth.

“Boy!” Wayne hollered.

“And…I wish I’d given it a chance?” Steve tried.

“You don’t,” Eddie deflated. “We can talk about that later, I guess.”

He’d really missed the mark on this. Steve couldn’t even lie…at gunpoint basically. Eddie needed to talk to Steve and find out why it didn’t work and maybe get a few ideas of what would work in the future. They’d have to do a lot of talking but first, they had to clean. There’d be nothing to sort out if they didn’t get Wayne his living room back in order.

#Steddiemas #day 28 #day 28: snow and/or vacation destination #take me there Thursday

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steddiemas · 4 months

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🥦 A steddimas fake dating prompted drabble

✌️ based off this post - rather than explain why she isn't dating steve and tell her parents she's a lesbian, robin says steve is dating a guy. they rope eddie into the ruse and have a family dinner with the buckleys.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 content/trigger warnings: period typical homophobia (implied but the opposite is what happens)

🍽️ word count: 2,405

“You guys can NOT mess this up for me!” Robin hissed, trying to keep her voice quiet as she backed the pair up against Steve’s car.

Steve already had his hands raised in resignation. The white flag waving without a single need. Eddie, on the other hand, didn’t give up so quickly. No matter how many terrified lesbians waved their fingers in his face. This night was going to be an absolute trainwreck and Eddie was here to see the carnage. Even if it meant sacrificing himself in the process.

“Tell me again how you two arrived at this plan,” Eddie said, purposely pouring gasoline on the fire.

“Munson!” Robin’s finger flew to his face, centimeters from his nose. Steve pressed his lips together to not laugh. “I don’t want to hear the word ‘plan’ out of your mouth again. Not ‘scheme’ or ‘idea’ or ‘proposition’!”

Eddie’s eyebrow quirked and he looked at Steve, mouthing “proposition” with a grin. Turning back to Robin he asked, “What about stratagem?”

“NO!” she said, throwing her hands up and walking in a little circle. Muttering to herself “I don’t know why I asked these two. Hiring the actual Three Stooges would have been smarter. Is it too late to get Martin and Lewis? It’d be less of a mess.”

“And probably gayer,” Eddie said.

“Stop winding her up, man,” Steve asked, leaning closer to Eddie.

“This is such a stupid plan. Somehow, with your combined brain power, you thought rather than coming out that it was easier to say Steve was gay? I mean, shout out to you for throwing your friend under a potential bus like that but wow.”

“We’ve been over this, she didn’t throw me under the bus,” Steve hissed, trying to keep that from Robin.

“No, she did. She took the risk that if her parents had any problem, you’d bear the brunt of it and she’d get off scot-free. Despite one of you actually having an interest in the same sex.”

“Both of us,” Steve corrected.

That was a shocking turn. One that hadn’t come up yet in all their round and round on the subject. Eddie blinked a few times and took that in. Good to know. “Alright, so the Hawkins branch of the Future Gays of America finally has enough members to hold meetings.”

“This is serious,” Robin whined.

“No it isn’t!” Eddie laughed. “It’s the opposite. The literal definition of a farce. If you wanted someone who was going to take this seriously, you should have said Byers was his boyfriend.”

“As if he’d agree to this,” Steve said in a way that made Eddie wonder if Jonathan’s name didn’t come up first.

“Okay, look, how about you just not be you for one night? A nice normal night with my parents and I won’t complain about your bullshit for, like, a week,” Robin pleaded. She looked so desperate it was painful to watch.

“A month,” Eddie countered.

“Yeah, okay, or I won’t. I’ll get worse, actually.”

Again, Steve stifled a laugh.

Robin got mean when she was tense. Eddie didn’t need to learn that or whatever "worse" was. “Fine, I’ll take the week.”

“Have you guys gone over your story?” Robin asked, pacing in front of them.

“Yeah, a million times! Eddie’s had a crush on me since we were freshmen and this whole end-of-the-world thing brought us closer.”

“Not my idea, mind you,” Eddie grumbled, hating how close to real life that was. Except for the actual dating part, of course.

“Didn’t ask,” Robin sneered.

Steve jabbed Eddie in the ribs, “We’re already here, we might as well do this.”

“Awww but sugar plum, I just wanted to set the story straight on how I became the luckiest man in Hawkins, Indiana,” Eddie cooed.

“We gotta cancel,” Robin said, deflating.

Steve physically put himself in front of Eddie, arm outstretched, and ready to take a bullet for his fake boyfriend. Leaving Eddie equal parts offended and turned on. Maybe this came with all the perks of a date.

“He’s just getting it out of his system now, Robin. Seriously. He’ll behave when we’re inside. Right?”

“I wouldn’t have said yes if I wasn’t going to nail the performance,” Eddie said.

“Fine, let's get this over with,” she huffed, heading toward her house.

“The chivalry,” Eddie whispered, doing his best overwhelmed damsel. Even fanning himself as he walked alongside his date.

“Take it easy on Robin, please. It’s a stupid mess we’re in but we’d do the same for you.”

Again, the chivalry was really working on Eddie. Something he didn't want to look too closely at. Yet not as much as knowing Steve was telling the truth. He could have asked either of them to pretend to be his date or help bury a body, they aren’t asking questions. They’re showing up with shovels.

Steve was also right in that Eddie wasn’t going to be a pain in the ass inside, he’d long learned the art of charming parents. It wasn’t easy to get a club together when the leader was rumored to be a satanic cult leader so Eddie knew how to be anything but.

Even after coming out of that insanity alive, even after seeing what demons are out there, and learning to be who he was but harder, Eddie was willing to hide that to help a friend. Robin wore pastels for him. Okay, it was more likely for Max but Eddie wasn’t going to split hairs. Not now, at least.

Before Eddie could make any last snide comments, a woman he could only assume was Mrs. Buckley was in the doorway Robin had left open.

“I just want to let you know how honored I am that you both feel safe enough to come here and be true selves. The hiding must be exhausting but know you’re always welcome here, any time,” She spoke softly, hands clasped at her waist until her speech finished and she pulled Steve in with one arm, Eddie with the other, and hugged them both while whispering thank yous.

When they were released, Eddie took a side step closer to Steve in hopes some of that chivalry was still there and he could fend off any other weirdly validating hugs. Of all the things they were prepared for, Robin’s parents weren’t on the list.

A heads up that they were walking into Woodstock would have been nice. If they wanted Eddie to behave, they shouldn't leave out major information. Eddie glared at Robin, trying his best to communicate that but she was busy settling the table and fussing with the flowers in the center. Or maybe they were weeds, Eddie wasn’t sure, they certainly weren’t answers to any of his questions.

Steve didn’t step in front of Eddie to protect him but did swoop in with manners far more practiced than Eddie’s. Shaking Mr. Buckley’s hand and talking about how pleased he was to be invited for dinner. He introduced Eddie with enough pride and award-winning smiles that Eddie blushed and couldn’t find anything more to say than “thanks”. For what? It was anyone’s guess.

Despite looking like he knew where the Grateful Dead was at this exact moment, Mr. Buckley sounded like a TV dad. With a clap of his hands, he said “I hope you boys like broccoli!”

Eddie turned to Steve, almost asking for confirmation of his feelings about broccoli. As they followed the Buckleys into the dinner room, Steve rubbed a hand between Eddie’s shoulder blades. Leaning close he whispered. “You’ve gone too far the other way, do you need help walking? I’m not sure you can anymore.”

“You didn’t wanna tell me they were hippies?”

Steve swallowed a laugh. “Whoops.”

“Fucking whoops,” Eddie whispered way too loudly.

Robin glared at them and Eddie understood the Medusa myth a little more. Steve, as always, was unbothered. He was some corporate schmoozing machine, everyone loved him. It was disgusting and Eddie couldn’t wait to watch a whole night of it!

“He just realized we forgot to bring something, y’know, to thank you for the meal,” Steve supplied and Eddie and Robin visibly relaxed.

“Steve, it’s fine. You know you don’t have to do that. You’re family here and, Lord knows, Robin didn’t bring anything,” Mrs. Buckley answered.

“Well, then we’ll have to help with dishes,” Steve offered. It worked perfectly, Mrs. Buckley was over the moon while making dismissive sounds. Something between camp and swooning, Steve really had an effect on people. Though not just middle-aged women. Eddie was in love. He also wanted to barf. Not to mention figure out what would get him out of dish duty.

Steve's improvisational skills mixed with survival in a way that had Eddie wanting to get him into a campaign. To see what he could really do. The club would never go for it but that never stopped Eddie before.

They were immediately ushered into the dining room, which felt odd. Eddie hadn’t been to a lot of family dinners but he’d imagined a lot more sitting around and talking first. It was hours before his “dinner time” and he didn’t know people ate this early.

On display in the center of the table was a large casserole dish, with some sort of goop in it. If Eddie had to guess it was something to do with cheese but he couldn’t get a good glimpse because the top was loaded with little broccoli florets. Each stuck in, lined up like crops, making it difficult to see the rest of the dish.

When Eddie was asked if he liked broccoli, he hadn’t been expecting this. A side dish alongside a nice piece of chicken, maybe? An edible forest was unlike anything he’d been served before. Fear rose but there were baskets of bread, so Eddie wouldn’t go hungry. He did wonder if there was a dog around to pass a few trees too.

“This has always been Robin’s favorite,” Mrs. Buckley explained, motioning to the forest resting in Pyrex.

"But clear the room afterward," Mr. Buckley laughed, waving his hand in front of his nose.

Robin was bright red and hiding behind her hands. Eddie couldn’t help but wonder if Wayne would embarrass him like this if the tables were turned. The mental “yes” came quickly and with a flood of stories he could tell to have Eddie hiding behind his hands. It was all followed by a note to never invite these guys over to dinner.

Attention focusing back on the Buckley’s, Eddie found himself watching as Steve pulled a chair out for him to sit. A simple gesture but something no one else had earned. His heart fluttered in a way he definitely needed to be ignored. This was all for show. It was for Robin’s parents so she could come out when she was ready. This was for Robin.

This was for Robin.

“I didn’t know we were going to be treated to Robin’s favorite dish,” Steve said with too much pride. The comment was dangerous and pushing a limit Eddie was told to steer clear of. A push only a best friend could get away with. However, Robin kicked him hard enough under the table that Eddie felt it, so he was glad it was Steve and not him.

“Oh we’ve been making The Enchanted Broccoli Forest for her since she could have solid foods,” Mrs. Buckley supplied.

Eddie couldn’t help but think, at this point, that telling her parents she liked to kiss girls was likely far less mortifying. She set this up and was doing nothing but losing. Meanwhile, Eddie, who had zero stakes in it, was winning. Twenty-one every hand here.

As Mrs. Buckley served each of them a heaping scoop of…forest, Mr. Buckley asked the question they all knew was coming. “So how’d you two meet?”

“One of his friends was having a pick-on-the-nerds sort of day, you know, and I was the winning nerd,” Eddie started talking, not sure where this was going. “I thought the arrival of more jocks meant I was losing my lunch money for sure but nope. Steve was all ‘you leave him alone’ and everything.”

Steve and Robin wore matching looks, each trying to tape Eddie’s mouth shut with their mind. Then bury him in the basement. Eddie couldn’t blame them, either. He did his best to look apologetic and thankfully the story was eaten up better than the casserole.

“So it was love at first sight from there?”

“Daaa-ad!” Robin groaned.

Ever the professional, Steve took over. “No, in fact, it took us three years to do anything about it. Which is kind of depressing but you can’t be too careful.”

“That and our job kind of exploded in that time,” Robin finally joined the conversation like a willing participant.

“True,” Steve said with a knowing nod. “It’s weird how much that got in the way of things.”

“Y’know, I used to live on a commune and no one there got all that hung up on gender,” Mr. Buckley said, looking at his wife with a lifetime of stories known only to them.

While the words upon arrival had been very affirming, that did more for Eddie and a soft smile sprouted. His shoulders relaxed and he felt like he’d got the first full breath into his lungs in hours. This had him more nervous than he’d let on. Not that it mattered now, the comfort was there.

Steve rubbed a gentle hand on Eddie’s thigh, just enough to get his attention. Maybe earning their supper a little too well, Eddie nodded. He was okay. Robin’s parents had moved on to share the story of how they met, something Eddie was certain he should be listening to. How could he though? He’d had a half hour of the Steve Harrington experience and his future was permanently damaged.

No wonder the girls at school were falling over themselves to be with Steve. Eddie was ready to fight these two old hippies just for being good hosts because it was cutting into this fake date. One where Steve paused things to make sure Eddie was okay and comforted him when things got weird. It was so over the top that it worked and was the most cared about Eddie had felt in a long while.

As much as Eddie liked bickering with the guy and purposefully picking fights, he didn’t mind a bit of kindness it seemed. He also wanted to return it but had no idea how so it fluctuated between just doing what Steve had done minutes before and overthrowing a country for the man.

Eddie had harbored a crush since Steve’s freshman year but tonight he fell for the man. Good thing their breakup had already been plotted. There was an end date to this show. Of all the dumb choices Eddie had made in his life, agreeing to this might be in the top ten. Working its way to the top five. But hey, he got a shit ton of broccoli out of the deal.

#Steddiemas #day 26 #day 26: second chances and/or fake dating #trope tuesday

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steddiemas · 4 months

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🎄 A quick little thing for the steddie holiday drabbles and steddimas Christmas / Christmas traditions

🎅 just some christmas traditions with the boys. the ending wasn't known to me at any point, I swear, but I love it.

🎁 content/trigger warnings: less than great christmases, poor family dynamics, family struggles

🎄 word count: 1838

Christmas was such a weird time of year. In truth, Eddie wasn’t a fan. Magical things like the elves being behind on presents, and not expecting Eddie to earn anything other than coal, so they had to take things back to the North Pole to make them work properly turned out to be the police taking back stolen goods. Al told him, at the ripe age of six, that Santa was a con. He didn’t exist and it was better for everyone if Eddie knew that.

It wasn’t better for all the kids Eddie told once they returned to school. Unknowingly, Eddie ruined a lot of Christmases. Al Munson was who ruined them, really, but it took Eddie a long, long time to realize that. To realize that man had ruined more than major holidays.

Wayne tried to repair the magic but in the years Eddie would have been gullible enough to buy in, he was too enamored with his father to think he’d do anything wrong. Never mind whatever he’d do to have Eddie with Wayne, that didn’t count. Year after year.

The other problem is that Christmas is for the rich. The Munsons couldn’t afford all that extra electricity to light their homes. Inside or out. A big bushy tree? Only that one year Eddie chopped it down himself. Al was proud but Wayne talked a lot about permits and private land. It was the first Christmas season the cops came for Eddie.

Worse than all the decorations, the family vacations, and the meals were the presents. Stealing them was the only way the Munsons could afford a Christmas like on TV. Other than that it was a knockoff GI Joe from the food basket because what else does one get “boy: aged seven”? It was a bit better than the football, at least.

New bikes and big old hams were for people with money and Eddie learned quicker than anything else, that did not include him. Still, he had friends who were in the same boat. They got together and made fun of the food that didn’t even have a brand and Barbie-like dolls with crooked eyes. They shared the pain of being too old to get toys, like hitting the teenage years meant one stopped liking things.

More importantly, bonding over the donated goods was Eddie’s first taste of “family is what you make it”. They may not spend the holiday itself together but why would a day on the calendar dictate a magical gathering?

By high school, it was cool not to care. Eddie cared passionately about so many things but glad tidings and stockings hung with care weren’t on the list. His home life was more stable though not entirely conventional. Still, it provided its own little attempts at tradition and Eddie kind of liked filling a stocking for Wayne to see when he came home from work.

Now he’d fight demons from another dimension. Santa Claus and a few reindeer almost felt believable again but more important than ever before. Wayne said it was that new lease on life and that he felt similar when he came back from the service. The first year, he said, he wanted nothing to do with holidays but the next five years had him pulling out all the stops.

Eddie skipped over the year of wanting nothing. He wanted to host the biggest Christmas gathering Hawkins had ever seen. All of November was spent trying to master cookie baking, something he managed to get worse at. Wayne put a stop to it when Eddie burnt through a cookie sheet.

Only December said the work was for naught. The Byers had plans as a whole blended family. The Wheelers were the picture of Suburban Happiness. The Sinclairs were actually a happy family, shopping for another town to live in. The Corroded Coffin boys had all moved away slowly after the town cracked and fell into the pits of hell, each gone before Eddie checked out of the hospital. It was smart and beyond their control. They all sent each other Christmas cards but it wasn’t quite what Eddie was looking for.

He now had money for the biggest, bushiest tree and everything to hang on it. Dinner could be purchased if not cooked. Gifts? He still bought them for everyone. Perhaps his first and last Christmas with these guys, he didn’t know, but it wasn’t going to stop Eddie.

Gifts were easy, Eddie could buy or make something for everyone. Almost everyone. In all his thoughts and fuss about the holiday, Eddie had glossed over Steve. To a lesser extent, Robin as well, and they were their own weird family but not lumped in with others. It was easy to think about The Wheelers because Eddie hung out with Mike. Not easy to think about Steve, a guy he only seemed to spend time with in big gatherings.

Not through Eddie’s doing either. He’d survived the Upside Down with a newfound respect for Steve and what he thought would be someone gunning for best friendship. Or maybe more but Eddie blamed that fantasy on the drugs they gave him at the hospital.

So Eddie showed up a few days before the actual holiday, generic gift in hand and ready to spread holiday cheer. Steve was shocked but immediately apologetic that he didn’t have a gift in return. Obviously, that wasn’t the point of the holiday but it stung the slightest bit. If Eddie had any clue what to get Steve beyond snacks and liquor, it’d have stung more.

They chatted on the porch for a while. Steve’s parents were home and not into entertaining company, Eddie understood. When he asked what Steve’s plans were for Christmas, he learned there weren’t any. Steve’s parents would go through the expected Christmas morning stuff but they were so burnt out from all the other holiday obligations that the rest of the day was spent separately. Something Steve said was a lot more fun when he was a kid. Hidden away in his room with mounds of new toys.

These days gifts were socks, t-shirts, and things he needed, things he wanted, but couldn’t play with. Occasionally he’d get a book or a movie but after the family breakfast, it became another day.

With Eddie’s changed outlook, that wouldn’t do. So, he did the only thing he could think of and invited Steve over. Wayne was going to work because no one was turning down time and a half, so Eddie would be all alone. They could watch movies, play cards, and eat the dozens of candy canes Eddie acquired throughout the month. An offer Steve wasn’t jumping at but Eddie wore him down and he agreed.

And when the time came, Steve showed up. Bags of chips and homemade cookies in hand. So, Eddie lived up to his promise. They watched cheesy Christmas movies and fought over whether Gremlins should be included in that. They ate way too much junk food and Eddie beat Steve at poker so many times he wished they were playing with money. The night ended with them passed out on the couch, woken up by Wayne returning from work.

Maybe not the most textbook of Christmases but it was about that jolly spirit and having a good time with others, right? Surely there was some good quote in that Muppets movie to apply here. Eddie didn’t care about caroling or eggnog or tinsel on the tree.

For a while, it brought him and Steve closer but they quickly fell back to the buffer of all their other friends. Eddie squashed that old crush and made peace with being acquaintances. Until December rolled around again. This time Eddie went over without a gift and invited Steve over. Nothing had changed in Eddie’s life and it didn’t look like anything had in Steve’s so why not hang out and not spend the holiday alone?

Steve agreed. No puppy eyes, no annoying pleading, just immediate acceptance. So they watched their movies, ate their junk food, and played fun little games. Wayne woke them up and this time he brought breakfast.

The next year, Steve asked “are we getting together?” and Eddie felt a warmth in his chest he’d never known. It was almost enough to make him cry, something he really didn’t understand, but he nodded and promised to rent some new movies this year.

It also brought them a little closer. The organic push they needed. Saving the world together was too high pressure, too overdone in Steve’s life. Eddie earned friendship through perseverance and bad jokes. They started hanging out without their common friends and Eddie found out he liked being around Steve. A lot.

So when another December showed up they didn’t even need to ask. Steve just showed up. Wayne left them a bottle of whiskey and two blankets a coworker crocheted. They watched the same old classic movies and played board games. Steve still brought fresh baked cookies and things felt like Christmas.

Snow started to fall and they paused things to go out and enjoy the peace and stillness in red and green. There’s a special way the world quiets down when it snows, even with all the family dinners and arguments. In that snow, Steve kissed Eddie for the first time. Leaving Eddie to wonder if Santa was really out there, reading his letters.

They fell asleep cuddled together for the first with an alarm set to wake up and make breakfast for Wayne. Eggs, bacon, toast, fresh squeezed juice, the works. The last pieces of the holiday had clicked into place.

By the next one, Eddie and Steve were living together. They had their own apartment, their own little lives they were cultivating, and they still went over to Wayne’s to watch movies and play games. He left them whiskey and blankets and they made him breakfast.

For years this went on. Unconventional but their own, this was what said Christmas to Eddie. Even with the tree set up in their apartment and the Christmas Eve Eve dinner with the other couples in their friend group, Eddie looked forward to cards, to board games, and the same VHS.

The same year Eddie and Steve’s family grew was the last one Wayne was going to work. He’d be retired by next Christmas. Which they all celebrated by going above and beyond. Everyone did a little extra to pretend they didn’t know how things would continue.

And things morphed, as they did when a couple turned into parents. Nowadays, the kids go over to Grandpa Wayne’s where they watch silly cartoons, play games, and eat too many cookies. Eddie and Steve drink and spread magic around their home. To keep with tradition, Wayne brings the kids back home Christmas morning to wake up a passed out Eddie and Steve. Only now it’s not the whiskey that does them in, it’s building dollhouses and bikes. They wouldn’t have it any other way.

#steddiemas #day 25 #day 25: christmas day #misc day

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steddiemas · 4 months

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☃️ A quick little thing for both steddimas AND the steddie holiday drabbles again!!

❄️ Steve isn't having the best winter, a snow storm keeps him from all his friends, but occasionally the universe smiles down on people. And then they're kind of shitheads about it.

☃️ content/trigger warnings: i can't think of anything, let me know if something needs adding though. barely edited, I will say that lol

☃️ word count: 1710

The universe hated Steve Harrington.

If there was one thing Steve knew for sure it was that there was a higher power and it had it out for him. And that higher powers didn’t work like Santa Claus. Steve had done plenty of good in his short life, he deserved a few good things every once in a while.

Not like he was asking for much here. Steve didn’t want a million dollars or a fast car. The hot girlfriend they were all trained to want as kids turned out to be a hot boyfriend, which would be way cooler if Steve could brag about it. He didn’t even complain when all his friends moved away to college. That was better for everyone in the long run. So what was four years of missing them?

The job at the grocery store didn’t help him believe any of that though. On days when it was really tough, the job was the icing on the shit cake that Steve was forced to eat. All his friends were off, probably making new friends and going to parties, doing everything from the movies, and Steve was arguing with a woman about whether or not they were hiding cans of tomato paste in the back of the store.

Today was one of those days. Not that anyone cared about tomato paste but that there was nothing good going on in Steve’s life because the universe hated him. It’d snowed last night. Enough to make it dangerous to travel, it was nothing new and Steve wasn’t worried. However, the folks at various airports in the area were. They delayed and canceled flights from all over the country. From all the places Steve’s friends were flying in from.

Winter break officially started and everyone was returning home. Everyone. Steve couldn’t remember the last time he was this excited for winter break. The gang was going to be back together and they could have movie-worthy parties of their own. Steve included.

The first call came in a little after midnight or after three in the morning where she was. Robin’s flight was delayed. She’d get in too late for dinner and sleeping in the airport was going to make her cranky so she just wanted to come right home when she landed anyway. It wasn’t the fun, tear-filled reunion Steve imagined but he understood.

Getting ready for his shift, Karen Wheeler called and said Mike would be on a later flight and wanted to know when and which airport Steve was going to in hopes of saving Ted a trip. None of it worked out but it was enough to plant the seed of worry. The weather was going to get in the way.

Looking out the window would have done the same though. The whole midwest was getting dumped on, it seemed and Steve was looking at too much snow to drive. Against better judgment, he went and woke Eddie up. Explaining he was going to walk to work and stay for his whole shift today. He wasn’t sure how they were going to get Robin but he’d call on his lunch break and they could brainstorm.

Steve took off as fast as he could by foot, with a few shortcuts and an apology, he was only five minutes late to work. Eddie ended up calling sixteen times during Steve’s shift. Something he would likely be written up for but in this weather, the phone never stopped ringing. All Eddie’s calls were doing was stopping the absolute flood of “are you open” calls.

Not a single friend was going to make it in today, most were hopeful for tomorrow but Erica and Dustin might not even make that. By the time Steve walked home, the cold couldn’t even bother him; he was so numb from the stream of bad news.

Eddie had made a special dinner, he knew what Steve would be like, and he didn’t try to force conversation or positivity. When Steve went and laid face down on the mattress for the night, Eddie took up the other side. It was Steve’s favorite part of the day.

The next day was more of the same. No one woke him with news, good or otherwise, but Steve went through it with the same amount of enthusiasm. The lack of calls from Eddie had him hopeful people were making it through but the snow outside the store was rising to levels that slowed the panic buying. This meant Steve had to spend his shift milling around, counting the seconds, and dusting the barren shelves.

He called Eddie at lunch but he wasn’t “available to talk”. Steve wanted to reach through the phone and punch him for that. Sure he was trying to deal with someone’s arrival but they could have waited five minutes. All Eddie did was burst that hope growing by saying Lucas was stuck in Phoenix somehow.

Layovers and getting any flight possible did have them ping-ponging through the country and it was probably more stressful than Steve’s miserable day. Still, it wasn’t too much to ask for his boyfriend to give him some burst of happiness to get through the rest of his shift.

Instead, he was left to wallow through minimum wage hell and walk himself home. He grabbed everything he thought could be of use for the coming days because he’d requested the week off and wasn’t coming in for anything. Unfortunately, the liquor store wasn’t open so Steve made his way home.

There was nothing left but to make the depressing walk home and wait for the news he could finally go pick up Robin. If the others didn’t make it, Steve would be crushed but not like if Robin didn’t show up.

It was out of the parking lots and onto the first street that Steve noticed the little snowman on the hood of a car. Maybe a foot tall, two snowballs stacked up. A little face made out of gravel and one sad-looking stick arm, it looked so out of place there but adorable. Steve tipped his head like he was passing a friendly face and carried on.

When he turned down the next street there were three more. They looked like the one of the car and we’re placed right in the middle of the sidewalk. Each had the correct number of sad-looking arms and one wore a frown. Steve figured the kids who built them must live nearby.

Even when he spotted the one built upside down by the lamp post not but ten steps away from the trio, though across the street. A few houses down there was a group of four and Steve could swear they were holding stick guitars. Continuing down the same street he spotted one in a driveway. Another perfect triangle of three was in the middle of the road and Steve asked them how they were still there.

In one of the spots he had to cross the street, there was a line of six that blocked his way. Two of them had cardboard shields and suggested the culprit wasn’t neighborhood kids banding together but maybe, just possibly, the guy Steve was going home to. Hopefully, Eddie would want to come out when Steve got home so they could take some pictures before all daylight was gone.

Another turn and Steve was on the same road as his place. Five blocks down but home was in his sights. So was an army of snowpeople. At first, Steve was weaving around one or two. He found a couple of trios but the closer he got to his place the more there were. Eddie had to have spent all day at this, it was touching and definitely lifted Steve’s spirits.

In something Steve should have expected, his yard was filled with tiny snowpeople. Not all of them had details, just two circles plopped together and adding to the masses. Standing on the sidewalk, looking at the overpopulated yard, Steve shook his head. He didn’t deserve Eddie. And Eddie didn’t deserve the version of Steve he’d had lately either. Some major apologies were in order.

Against better judgment, Steve put the paper bags he’d dragged through the infestation down. The snow would ruin the bottom but he only had a few more feet to go in. He took in the sights and tried to look at the ones that did get little personalities.

As he looked at two that could be described as kissing, he was attacked. A snowball smacked square against his chest. Immediately, Steve’s eyes scanned the yard. It took ten seconds before common sense kicked in and he remembered they weren’t real, they couldn’t hit him with snowballs.

Before he could look anywhere else, he was hit with two more while one fell at his feet. “The groceries!” Steve cried, like getting any more snow on them would be a problem.

His words were called back in more voices than just Eddie’s. Though each was mocking him. Scanning the area, Steve’s head bounced around as he tried to figure out where the voices were coming from and who they were. Deciding Eddie’s band was the most likely culprit, he bent down to grab some snow and fight back.

When he stood, people materialized among the snowpeople. Eddie, Lucas, Nancy and Jonathan, Will and El, Erica, and on the porch stood Robin. Steve stood there with his mouth open, desperately scrambling for any words.

Rather than his excitement filling the air, Eddie screamed “FIRE!” and they all lobbed snowballs at Steve. Most didn’t make it but that didn’t matter.

Groceries were forgotten, Steve scrambled his way up the slippery, snowy path left for him and was greeted by all his friends. Everyone was talking at once and Steve didn’t catch a word of it but he didn’t care. How could he? Though the holiday was a week away, he’d got his very own Christmas miracle, there’d be plenty of time for understanding conversation later.

“Jonathan and Nance brought us dinner, you’ve had a hard day,” Eddie half-mocked. “Let’s get you inside?”

“Will you get the bags?” Steve asked, trying to look as innocent and helpless as he could.

“No, but Will can.”

#Steddiemas #day 21: home and/or dinner #day 21 #take me there thursday

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steddiemas · 4 months

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Steddieholidaydrabbles: Day Six - Cooking Together AND Steddimas - baking and cookie decorating

🍪 Scott Clarke is not a baker. A fact he's learned the hard way. Though it's HOURS too late, he enlists the help of Steve and Eddie because what's Christmas without a gingerbread house, right?

🥼 content/trigger warnings: food

🧑‍🍳 word count: 1457

Eddie wasn’t the go-to guy for help. No one he knew looked at their address book and said “Yeah, Eddie Munson is the number I’m gonna dial”. It should have been! He was always helpful and knew how to do plenty. Something he proved time and time again when he was the last resort. Not the “I’m going to call Eddie for help” but the “well, Eddie is here so I might as well ask him too” sort of thing.

A fact he’d grown used to. At least until he found himself partnered up with Steve Solves-Everyone’s-Problems Harrington. People called him for everything. Major problems, minor problems, someone else’s problems, those in Steve’s life didn’t need an address book; they had his number memorized.

Dating Steve did change the number of phone calls Eddie received, the calls were still for Steve but now the Munson household was the first stop in getting ahold of Hawkins's own wonderboy. Eddie would hate it so much more if Steve didn’t like up like Times Square every time he was needed.

Then Steve went and made it worse by saying it was the only thing he had to offer. He wasn’t ever going to be able to help with homework or remember the weird names of all those elves but he could drive them places and sit with them when they were scared. He could fix a car, change a hard to reach light, or pick a few things up from the store.

As painful as it was that Steve thought those were his only skills, it actually had Eddie pushing their mutual friends at Steve more. Make the boy feel important please, no one has needed him in days. Eddie also stayed out of the way. He didn’t tag along or offer his two cents.

Eddie wasn’t sure of his place in this group yet but “the helping hand” was already taken. They had their Swiss Army friend, ready to fix anything that was broken. A talent that crossed friendship lines when Scott Clarke called in a panic, opening with a desperate cry for help. Eddie did what he always did and passed the phone off to Steve.

Like so many other “emergencies”, this one wasn’t life or death. Scott wasn’t part of the crew who’d literally stared down death or saw the pits of hell, he was allowed to be dramatic about it, but a…cookie emergency seemed like a problem the Care Bears should solve. “Oh no, we’ve put too much sugar in the cookies and ruined the bear's birthdays, golly gee, what are we going to do?”

Bake some new cookies. Buy some from the store. There were so many answers that weren’t "enlist Steve and Eddie like it was some sort of national crisis".

Of course, Steve wasn’t in agreement and spent the whole time Eddie looked for clothes to change into pacing the doorway, desperate to get out there and help someone who needed it. Which didn’t speed Eddie up any.

Steve felt weird going over to Scott’s alone. The amount of times he repeated “he was our teacher” almost went past annoying and into endearing. Scott wasn’t their teacher now, he was some lame-ass guy trying to impress Wayne with baked goods. A dumb waste of time because why would Wayne be impressed by anyone’s baking ability? He once ate an entire birthday cake Eddie burnt that one year. Without a single complaint.

However, an emergency might have been an understatement.

Scott ushered them into a gingerbread warzone. Complete with broken men and women lining the battlefield. Some house pieces were both solid and liquid, others were charred to a crisp, nothing made sense and every surface was covered with something.

Both Eddie and Steve stood on the only clean kitchen tiles with their jaws on the floor. Scott had clearly given up on aprons, there were a few among the mess, and his 1979 science fair tee was unreadable in spots. Flour handprints were all over his pants, along with crusted gingerbread batter, and Eddie didn’t know whether to laugh or get the man a drink.

“It’s just science, right? It’s a chemical reaction. You measure carefully, pay attention to what you’re putting in, and add heat. I think actual rocket science would be easier.” Shoving his hands through his hair, a path they’d clearly taken a few times, Scott tried to find something close to composure.

He wasn’t upset he couldn’t impress Wayne, he was bothered he got the formula wrong. This was the scientific process letting him down and it’d driven him to madness. Eddie wondered how many failed attempts there were hidden in here and what on Earth made him call for their help.

“No. Well yes, but it’s more than that,” Steve said with a soft confidence Eddie had never heard from him.

The tone slowed Scott too, he was willing to entertain whatever Steve had to say.

“You guys aren’t going to like the rest of it. Just let me try it out, it’ll be fine.”

Eddie muttered a quiet “What” and looked at Steve. Getting a “don’t ask” stare that ensured Eddie would absolutely ask. He’d be patient enough to get Scott out of the room but that was about it.

He thought getting Scott out of the room would be harder but he heard Steve offer to try, threw his hands up, and said, “I’m going to take a shower, kitchen is yours.”

For a full minute, Steve and Eddie stood in silence. Listening to Scott move through his house, still throwing a mild temper tantrum as he did. Eddie could only imagine the amount of exasperated scientist mumbling that was going on.

Once they felt they were in the clear, they let out a joint sigh and Eddie said. “Ho-ho-holy shit I thought he was going to stand over our shoulder and, like, grade you as you cooked or something.”

“Given the bar he set, it wouldn’t be hard to get a passing grade.”

That wasn’t kind and Eddie laughed for that reason. Mixed a bit with how truthful it was. They were staring down a ton of wonderful-smelling carnage. Much like the gingerbread people in the sink, Scott didn’t have a leg to stand on.

“Plus, who said I’m doing all the work?” Steve asked.

“Oh, me. I said you were because you’re the one with cryptic answers about what it takes to make a good cookie.”

“It’s not cryptic, I just didn’t want to listen to you and Scott mock me for the rest of time,”

The comment was followed by Steve’s trademark huffy little pout that Eddie loved. Arms crossed, he defended himself and braced for impact. Though his walls were made of cotton candy and the castle was guarded by two cardboard cutouts. Steve was horrible at this stuff.

And Eddie was persistent. He pressed into Steve’s space, enough to cause him to lose balance a little. Finding a stronger stance, Steve looked anywhere but at Eddie. Still, Eddie could see the smile. He’d made a few missteps on when to press for Steve to say things he was holding in but the lights were all green here.

Doing his best to look cute and innocent, something Eddie had likely never been, he lowered himself enough to have to look up at Steve. “We’d never mock you, for anything,” Eddie said.

“Yeah, well I’m still not telling you,” Steve raised his nose in the air, looking away.

As much as Eddie knew saying “I love you” for the first time was supposed to be some big memorable moment, it was little ones like these that always threatened to steal that from him. Standing in a mess that was likely making Steve’s skin crawl, creating something to bicker about, and playing their parts so perfectly comical. That’s so much better than some fancy dinner they’d never have or a beach vacation they’d not go on.

“Fine, I’m going to go add some more burnt cookies to the pile. Since I don’t know the secret to it,” Eddie mocked as he pulled away and went deeper into the kitchen.

Steve was so hot on his heels they almost collided. “Look, I know you can’t exactly do worse but lemme do this okay? I got it.”

“I do really like the challenge of doing worse.”

“Yeah, I regretted that as soon as I said it. You absolutely could do worse.”

“Thank you. That’s so sweet of you to say,” Eddie cooed.

“Who knew Scott was this bad though,” Steve said with a judgemental stare around the room.

“Wanna know something? A real secret?”

Eddie leaned in close and whispered through a giggle, “Wayne hates gingerbread.”

#Steddiemas #day 6: baking and cookie decorating #day 6 #winter wednesday

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steddiemas · 4 months

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Steddiemas - questionable christmas movies (day four)

went a bit backward and had the debate over why it's a wonderful life isn't a Christmas movie. mixed in with some stuff about vaguely Christmas movies being holiday classics

🎙️modern day au | podcasters au Steve and Robin host a podcast, Be Kind, Rewind, and it's the Christmas movie episode. The arguments on what makes a Christmas movie...a Christmas movie get a bit ridiculous.

🗣️ content/trigger warnings: none?

🧑‍🎄 word count: 1300

“Alright, everyone. It’s that time of year and Be Kind, Rewind - your favorite podcast about movies of the past - isn’t immune.”

Steve’s opening line was interrupted by Robin so smoothly it seemed planned. “Last week we tried to talk about all the great Hanukkah movies out there but the list is woefully short and painfully modern.”

“We did learn about the Hanukkah horror movie, though, and my life has been greatly improved since then,” Steve cut back in.

Off mic, Eddie can barely be heard throwing in his two cents. “It was a cheap rip-off of Halloween.”

“Exactly!” Robin said.

“In case you couldn’t hear, Eddie called it a rip-off of Halloween. He says rip-off, I say homage. Either way, it’s so much more like the movies we love here and, I don’t know. Eddie better get used to it. I’m watching it every year now.”

There’s no response from the producer that can be heard. The best the audience gets is Robin’s laughter as she leans off the mic.

With a hint of laughter still in her voice, Robin continues with the professionalism Be Kind, Rewind always tries to start with. “It’s gonna be more of that folks. Steve and I have been arguing non-stop all week as we prepared for this episode.”

“That’s becaus–”

“Save it! We haven’t even explained what we’ve been fighting about.”

“If we paused this to explain why every time, we’d never accomplish anything,” Steve’s voice was flat, his annoyance clear.

There’s a beat of silence, one that left the listener believing Eddie took chunks of it out for better listening pleasure. Eventually, Steve started the explanation. Pushed by forces that didn’t make for good “radio” but managed to be entertaining all the same.

“Everyone talks about the same Christmas movies. Home Alone, Vacation, the Polar Express and every time that list gets made, some wise guy who thinks he’s invented cinema brings up Die Hard. Calling it an underrated Christmas classic or pushing his glasses up to ‘well, actually’ us all to death with talk of John McClaine’s adventures.”

Robin continues on the only scripted portion of their podcast. Given it’s already fallen off the rails twice, the episode promises to be a good one. Listening to the diplomatic information is so much easier to bear knowing they’re going to come to blows over something in a few minutes.

“Bringing us to the age-old question: what makes a movie a Christmas movie? Is taking place at Christmas time enough–”

“No,” Steve interjected quietly.

“Or,” Robin hit the word hard. “Does it have to be about the Christmas spirit? Is it enough to have some Santas? A work Christmas party? Or does it have to actually be about Santa?”

“Like The Santa Clause,” Eddie says.

“That is a good movie,” Steve said, fondly.

“If you two don’t stop interrupting me, I won’t let you have opinions on this,” Robin grumbled.

In unison, Eddie's quieter but it’s clear it’s not just Steve, they make sarcastic scared sounds.

“Read your line, loser.”

Steve chuckles but does as he’s told. “So we’re going to embark on a spirited debate about the sanctity of Christmas and settle, once and for all, that Die Hard isn’t a Christmas movie.”

“Jes-No! We’re not going to settle anything,” Robin said with a growl. “Eds, I give up. Ring the bell. The official stuff is over and I’m taking the gloves off.”

Though not normally part of their podcast (and obviously added in post) a bell rings twice. Followed by Eddie saying, in a high-pitched voice, “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.”

“Oh, perfect,” Steve crows. “See that right there. It’s a Wonderful Life. A classic Christmas movie. I'm not so sure it’s as loved these days.”

“If you have a problem with George Bailey, you have a problem with me!”

“I don’t, I don’t have a problem with him at all. We’ve talked about my love for Jimmy Stewart so many times I can’t even believe you’d suggest that! HOW-ever. That movie could be set at any time and still work the same. It is not a Christmas movie.”

“What movie are you watching?! The whole thing is pure Christmas.”

“No, the whole thing is about how important we are to each other and how we all have purpose here. You could tell the same story on a random spring day or, I don’t know, Labor Day and it would still be the same story.”

“Absol-no. Nope. You’re so wrong.” Robin’s voice moves around in quality as she stammers to tell Steve how wrong he is.

“Sit down, we can’t hear you,” he laughs. “And I’m not wrong. Besides three ghosts visiting in the night, this is the most spoofed plotline. Possibly of all time. I don’t have the statistics here…because I couldn’t find them…but so many things do a version of here’s what the world would be like if you were never born.”

“At Christmas time!” Robin yells, still away from the mic.

“Not all of them.”

“Name one!”

“Oh, I’m so glad you asked. This is the plot of Shrek Forever After! Not a Christmas movie. I saw your list, it’s nowhere to be seen.”

“It’s Shrek," Robin's response comes dripping with disgust.

“Shut your mouth!” Eddie and Steve’s voices came within seconds of each other. Eddie’s was loud enough to be heard clearly, which was unusual.

There’s a quiet pause. “Okay, I’m sorry. We love the cinematic masterpiece Shrek in this house. Even when they’re used against me. It’s the lesser one, though.”

“We all know that but it’s still good and it’s still It’s a Wonderful Life. Ergo! That’s not a Christmas movie.”

“Who taught you-Eddie, stop teaching him words.”

“He used this one correctly. I’m talking the win, baby!”

“You two are insufferable,” Robin whined. Finally sitting back at her microphone.

“Oh, if you think the take on It’s a Wonderful Life is bad, ask him what is a Christmas movie,” Eddie said with a sinister laugh.

Robin didn’t ask.

“Which one?” Steve whispered.

Again, there was no audible response. However, this pause was quick and followed by sounds of realization from Steve.

“I don’t know if I can take this. We’re only twenty minutes in. We haven't even made it to th-Eddie! If I record the ads later, can you paste them in and we call it done here? I wanna stay friends with you guys. I think I do, at least. I'm scared.”

Eddie didn’t answer, instead, Steve exploded with “Edward Scissorhands!”

“It ends so sad!” Robin says and it’s clear sitting down didn't last long. She’s pacing the room again.

Long-time listeners are used to needing headphones for this podcast. It’s part of the charm, the quirks of it all. An annoyance one is willing to put up with because the content is so entertaining. Though there had been petitions for both more microphones and a YouTube channel.

“Okay, I’ll give you that. Is that a requirement for it to be a Christmas movie?” Steve said, the grin clear in his voice.

“Yeah! You have to feel all warm and fuzzy. They are cozy movies to watch with hot cocoa and fuzzy blankets.”

“By your own admission, you’ve ruled out everything on our lists!! What about Gremlins is warm and cozy? Die Hard? Die Hard Two? Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang?”

‘You know some of those movies are not Christmas movies at all. Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang? C’mon, be reasonable.”

“Christmas is…a focus?”

“See, you can’t even lie about it!”

“It was on some lists and it is a good movie.”

“Okay, look. We clearly gotta discuss some stuff and, I don’t know, maybe it really is time to do some ads. If we have any sponsors left.”

#Steddiemas #day 4 #day 4: questionable movies and winter songs #movie and music monday

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steddiemas · 4 months

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🎄rocknrollsalad spreads some holiday cheer 🎄

Day Four; Questionable Holiday Movies; tumblr; ao3;

Day Six; Baking and Cookie Decorating*; tumblr; ao3;

Day Twenty-One; Home and / or Dinner*; tumblr; ao3;

Day Twenty-Five; Christmas Traditions*; tumblr; ao3;

Day Twenty-Six; Fake Dating; tumblr; ao3;

Day Twenty-Eight; The Snow and / or Vacation Destination; tumblr; ao3;

*double fill with steddie holiday drabbles

huge, huge thanks to the folks at @steddiemas for putting this on. It's hard work and people like y'all are keeping the fandom alive, thriving, and growing!! and saving me from going insane over break so thank you.

#Steddiemas #masterposts #idk how I missed all of these will be going back and reblogging separately!

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steddiemas · 4 months

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Missed one of my Days of @steddiemas? The complete collection is now on ao3!

#Steddiemas #masterposts

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steddiemas · 4 months

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@steddiemas Day 31: New Year's Eve Traditions & Activities

Happy New Year everyone! Just a short little Steddie ringing in 1987 to round out steddiemas. Thank you so much to @steddieasitgoes for creating and hosting this event. I had so much fun writing festive Steddie things all month and I hope everyone enjoyed!

“Happy New Year, Stevie,” Eddie says as he shimmies under the covers.

He hums contentedly, curling a grabby hand up from under their blanket, beckoning Steve to join him.

“Is it twelve already!” Steve exclaims, one knee on the bed.

He stills, squinting at (his) clock on Eddie’s side of the bed but can’t make out the numbers.

“Nope,” Eddie hums, “It’s only 10 pm. A hard-earned early night, I’d say.”

He grins, his closed eyes crinkling at the edges.

Steve scoffs, folding back the plaid bed sheets.

“Who are we?” he mutters, “10 pm…”

He moves into position with ease, tangling his legs with Eddie’s and resting his head on his chest. Steve tucks his hand just under Eddie’s long-sleeved flannel sleep shirt, resting his palm against puckered skin that has only just started to feel like it’s healing. Well, as best as the half-chewed-up left side of Eddie’s body can heal...

He squeezes Eddie tight, greedily holding him as close as possible, wishing away thoughts of this past Spring.

Eddie must sense it because soon a hand is in his hair, gently scratching at his scalp. His eyes droop at the sensation.

“Plans for ‘87, sweetheart?” Eddie wonders aloud, breaking a long moment of silence.

His chest thrums with every word, a steady heartbeat going along with it.

“A year with you…” Steve sighs, letting his eyes fall shut.

“Sap,” Eddie chuckles, even though he still kisses the top of his head.

“And…” he yawns, “Not a monster in sight.”

“Sounds… good,” Eddie agrees, just as sleepy.

#steddiemas #day 31 #day 31: nye traditions and activities #misc day

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steddiemas · 4 months

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@steddiemas Day 31: New Year's Eve Traditions & Activities

We made it to the end!!! Tell me that picture doesn't look like Steve and Eddie's arms!!!

Tags: Established Relationship, Post-Season 4, Canon Divergent, Everybody Lives (obviously), New Year's Eve, New Year's Eve Kiss, New Year's Eve Fluff, Humor

wc: 1480 | Rating: T

Read on ao3 | ao3 collection

“Let me get this straight,” Steve says, resting his forearms on the candy counter of Family Video. After a quick glance around to make sure the store is still empty (it is and has been since their shift started four hours ago), Steve continues. “You won’t be my New Year’s kiss because you have to scarf down 12 grapes in 12 seconds.”

“That’s correct.”

“That makes no sense!”

“Maybe if you stopped whining and actually listened to why, you’d understand” Robin chimes in.

Steve looks up and scowls before flicking her knee that’s dangling off the candy counter. She shouldn’t even be up there in the first place — especially not with her damn shoes on. It’s going to take an extra ten minutes to clean the damn thing now that she’s scuffed it up.

“Fine,” he sighs, turning his attention back to Eddie. “Why do you have to scarf down 12 grapes instead of kissing me, your boyfriend?”

Robin snorts, nearly choking on a piece of licorice. Serves her right, Steve thinks as he wordlessly passes her a cup of water.

“I’m so happy you asked,” Eddie beams as he leans against the counter like Steve. Their forearms brush as Eddie situates himself, elbows pressing into the glass as he nestles his chin in the palm of his hands. “See an old wise tale in my culture says that eating 12 grapes at the 12 strokes of midnight brings good luck in the new year.”

“Do you even believe in luck?”

Eddie hums in consideration, “Not really, no. But I’m not going to tempt fate. Especially when I have too much to lose in the new year if I fuck it up.”

Before Steve has time to ask a follow-up question, his lips are on Eddie’s. Warm and slightly chapped. Tasting like tobacco and an overwhelming serving of cherry thanks to the stupid licorice he’s been devouring with Robin. He barely has time to close his eyes and lean into the kiss before Eddie pulls away with a simper and a cute flush spreading across his cheeks that he tries to hide with a lock of his hair.

“What if I said not kissing me at midnight is bad luck?” Steve tries.

“Well, then I guess I could try to do both.”

“Absolutely not,” Robin says, butting back into the conversation. “I am not calling the paramedics one second into the new year because you two decided to be major dinguses. Just let Eddie eat his grapes and kiss him after.”

“But it’s not the same,” Steve bemoans. He lets his body go slack, chest, and head thunking against the counter with a gentle force that should keep him from bruising. Looking up through his eyelashes, he gives Eddie his best attempt at making his eyes wide and innocent in a way that’ll make him break. “I haven’t had a midnight kiss in years. I just thought this year was going to be different.”

“Join the club,” Robin says, knocking her knee against his outstretched forearm.

“Oh no, trouble in romance land, Birdie?” Eddie asks, completely ignoring Steve’s terrible attempt at guilt-tripping him.

Robin sighs, tipping her head back until it thunks against the wall. The neon Family Video sign shakes under the vibration but thankfully doesn’t fall. That’s a mess Steve doesn’t want to have to clean up.

“I thought when Vickie broke up with her douchebag boyfriend things would fall into place but nothing has happened. There’s only so many hints I can drop before I accept the fact that she’s not into me.”

“But she is into you,” Steve says. If there’s one way to get him out of his own pity party, it's dragging Robin out of her own.

“Yeah well, my last four dateless weekends say otherwise.”

“Maybe you should eat the grapes too,” Eddie says. “Freak says if you eat them under a table it’ll bring good luck in your love life.”

Steve can’t help but snort. “How’s that working out for him?”

“Well, he has a girlfriend up in Maine where his grandparents live so you tell me,” Eddie challenges.

“At this point, I’ll try anything. I can’t go another year without kissing a girl,” Robin whines. “Any other good luck charms I should know about?”

“Argyle said his family wears different color underwear for different types of luck. Red for love, obviously.”

“Red underwear and grapes. Got it.”

Steve sighs, shaking his head. “I guess we’re making a stop at Bradley’s before we head home. Does it matter if they’re red or green grapes?”

“Nope. A grape is a grape. The important thing is eating them fast.”

“Right,” Steve nods as if he understands even though he’s still incredibly skeptical about this whole charade. Kissing Eddie sounds so much better than nearly choking on grapes, but whatever. If it makes Eddie happy, well, he’ll compromise. “Might be good to have the phone nearby then. Just in case we forget how to chew.”

“Wait we? Are you eating grapes too?” Eddie asks, already bouncing on his feet in anticipation.

Okay, yeah, eating a few grapes is worth the look on his face right now.

“Can’t let you and Robin take all the good luck,” he shrugs.

Eddie grins before launching himself at the counter. He practically vaults over the damn thing but his belt gets caught and he goes stumbling into Steve’s arms instead. It’s not the first time they’ve fallen together like this, and it definitely won’t be the last given his clumsiness, but Steve doesn’t mind. Especially not when Eddie pushes himself up and sears a kiss on his waiting lips.

“Promise I’ll make the first kiss of the new year worth the wait.”

🍇 🎆 👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨

As the kids start counting down from 30, Steve scrambles to pass out the giant green grapes he and Robin picked up the day before. The kids are uninterested in the tradition, but Eddie ropes Jonathan and Nancy into his antics. Argyle didn’t need convincing, already eager to cross off as many New Year’s superstitions as he could — which is why he ran around the block with an empty suitcase half an hour ago.

Robin b-lines for the dining room table the minute she has 12 grapes in her palm and it’s only a matter of seconds before Eddie’s tugging Steve after her.

“Eds,” he shouts, nearly spilling his grapes in the process. “What are you doing?”

“Getting us under the table!”

“I thought that’s for good luck in love.”

“It is,” Eddie says, ducking as he squishes in next to Robin.

“But you already have me.”

“Wow, Steve. Someone’s full of themselves,” Robin teases.

“That’s not what I meant!”

“I just want to make sure the universe gives me enough luck to keep you,” Eddie says, bashfully, before giving Steve’s wrist another yank. “Now get under here before you ruin the magic!”

Steve wants to tell Eddie that he doesn’t need some silly superstition to keep him. He’s not going anywhere, not if he can help it. But the kids are really shouting now, already down to five seconds and Steve can see the slight panic in Eddie’s brown eyes so he scrambles under the table instead.

“3! 2! 1! Happy—“

“Eat, eat, eat!” Eddie shouts, drowning out the cheers of the kids in the living room.

Steve shoves the first grape into his mouth and gets to chewing, watching as Eddie shoves at least three and Robin tries her best to work through her own pile of grapes as fast and carefully as she can. It’s a chaotic flurry, especially when one of Eddie’s grapes falls and goes rolling, but Steve saves it without getting out from the table and pops it in Eddie’s mouth for him. He wants to say “for extra good luck” but he’s too busy trying not to choke on his own mouthful of grapes.

Christ, why did they have to be so big and crunchy?

In the end, all three of them manage to successfully eat their grapes before 12:01 hits. To celebrate, Eddie drags Steve back out from under the table. Back on their feet, Eddie dramatically dips him in his arms before giving him the cheesiest kiss they’ve ever shared — loud “mwah” included.

“That’s the big kiss you promised me?” Steve asks, laughing as Eddie pulls him back into a standing position.

“Well, I had other plans but there’s too many witnesses for how I really want to kiss you,” Eddie teases, before leaning in closer. “I’ll show you later.”

Steve smiles as he gets his hands around Eddie. This time he’s the one who pulls him close, bodies flush as he stares into those beautiful brown eyes he hardly even looked at a year ago. “I think this is going to be a good year.”

“’87, baby.”

#steddiemas #day 31 #day 31: nye traditions and activities #misc day

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steddiemas · 4 months

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a quiet new year's eve celebration

Written for day 31. New Years Eve Traditions & Activities of @steddiemas. This was such a fun challenge, even if I began to lag a bit towards the end as my brain went full vacation-mode. | rating: M| words: 913 | cw: nsfw | tags: homebody steve, musician eddie, corroded coffin, the party, d&d, a quiet new years celebration, steve has migraines and ptsd, banter, making out, future fic, established steddie.

‘We’re so middle-aged!’ Eddie wailed from his spot on the sofa next to Steve curled up against his side and swaddled in a blanket, looking soft with his hair flopping all over and his glasses perched on his nose where a smudge of flour had been all afternoon, Eddie was waiting when he’d notice it himself. Part of him was trying to tell him that he was a rock star and should be out at a huge New Year’s party with the band and the boy beside him, partying until the wee hours of the morning.

‘What if we are?’ Steve turned to him, not quite meeting his eyes, but Eddie saw right through him, through his insecurities, feeling of inadequasy.

‘Baby…’ he cupped Steve’s cheek, all of his complaints forgotten, real or made-up, at the face of his boyfriend's discomfort. ‘You know I’d rather be here with you than anywhere else, right?’

Steve turned his face into the touch and kissed Eddie’s palm softly. ‘I know.’

‘And everyone else is coming soon, then we’ll play, eat and at the end of it all I’ll tuck you in with your noise-canceling headphones by ten.’

‘You don’t think that’s weird?’

‘Honey, sweetheart, light of my life, you need it, it’s not weird. I know you can’t handle the fireworks or the noises or a crowd because of your migraines alone, wanting to take care of your poor head isn’t bad. And we’ll have everyone here.’

‘But you said…’

‘I know what I said, baby, and I’m sorry.’

Eddie drew him into a tight hug, Steve’s hands wrapping around him and his head ending up buried against Eddie’s neck.

‘You’re not middle-aged, no middle-aged man would have had the stamina you had last night,’ Steve teased.

It startled a delighted chuckle out of Eddie and he just had to kiss Steve. ‘I’ll remind you that you said that in another twenty years, darling.’

The smile gracing Steve’s face was blinding and made Eddie wonder once again what he’d done to deserve the love Steve had for him. ‘I’ll hold you to that.’ Then Steve gave him a kiss of his own, which was far more heated than Eddie’s, which had been a just-because kiss, a kiss given because there were no words to express one’s adoration for someone.

Soon, Eddie had a lapful of Steve, whose hands were in his hair and it didn’t feel at all like they were middle-aged, although Eddie hoped that, if they got there, they’d still be as into each other when they were older.

The doorbell rang just as it was getting really heated and they were both getting hard and panting. Steve cursed under his breath, damning the kids and Eddie’s band mates to the lowest pits of hell itself. Eddie squeezed his absolutely perfect and fuckable ass, for which he had plans for come morning and the first day of the new year, or tonight, if Steve was in the mood, which he might be, given this interruption.

‘Come on, you don’t want to disappoint your gremlins by telling them the party’s canceled, you know they’ve been waiting for your D&D debut, as have the guys, especially Gareth.’

Steve dropped his head onto his shoulder. ‘Do I have to?’ He did that sinful grind with his ass that had Eddie swearing.

‘Fuck!’

A hot mouth worked on the hickey already on his neck, Steve really liked marking him for some reason and staring at his handiwork until Eddie was a bumbling mess.

‘Steve…’

Another voice was calling through the door, unmistakable as anyone other than Dustin Henderson himself. ‘Steve? Eddie? Is everything okay? Is it code red?! We’re coming if you don’t answer!’

The little fuck had a key, of course, so no locked door would be keeping him away.

Steve stopped tormenting Eddie. ‘That little shit.’

‘Yeah. Come on, up. The sooner we get this party started the sooner it’s over, yeah? I promise to tuck you in properly after.’

Steve caught him in a hot and filthy kiss that left Eddie so weak in the knees he was sure he’d fall over when he tried getting up from the sofa.

‘Steeeeeve! I’m coming in now!’ Dustin yelled.

The man himself got up from Eddie’s lap with a move that would have made him half-hard if he wasn’t already sporting a very interested semi-chub turning into a full chub, fuck his boyfriend was hot and Eddie was allowed to ogle. As he was doing now, appreciating the little jiggle of Steve’s ass as he adjusted himself in his jeans before going to the door., even when everyone would know what they’d been doing the moment they saw the state of his hair after Eddie had been running his fingers through it.

‘Alright, alright, I’m coming, cool your jets, Henderson, geeze! There’s no code red!’

Even if there absolutely was, kinda, as Eddie’s face was beet-red and he had a situation in his jeans that were actually a medieval torture device, it was bad enough he had to grab one of the pillows on the sofa as the kids and his old friends poured into the living room to set up.

A hot boyfriend who wanted to go to bed early and a D&D one shot with all their friends, food cooked by said boyfriend as a New Years celebration didn’t sound that bad, actually, and if that made him middle-aged, then so be it.

#steddiemas #day 31 #day 31: nye traditions and activities #misc day

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steddiemas · 4 months

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@steddiemas Day 31: New Year's Eve

There was always a certain magic in the air on new year's eve. Steve could feel the bubble of excitement in the countdown and it almost felt like a clean slate washed over you as the fireworks brought in the new year. When he was little his parents would often take him to New York for the big celebration, his father often hosting a party. After they stopped returning home as often, Steve brought in the new year with Tommy and Carol getting drunk on his father's whiskey.

1983 he spent alone and hoped that 1984 would be better, it wasn't, well except for the kids coming into his life. 1985 saw him cuddled up in the living room with Robin watching the fireworks on tv, he hoped 1986 would be their year.

"Stevie, do you have plans for new year's?" Eddie had asked at Christmas dinner, Wayne had insisted he joined them when he heard Robin and the Hendersons wouldn't be in Hawkins this year. "Not really, Robin won't be back, I might just turn in early." He was kind of sad to be spending it alone this year.

"No! You've gotta have fun Steve! Come join us here, Rudy a couple doors down always lights up the best fireworks!" Eddie explained excitedly and who was Steve to say no to that face.

Steve had gotten to Eddie's around 8, a pack of beer and a warm smile on his face when Eddie answered the door.

"We've gotta get you your own key one of these days, Stevie, you're here enough." If that warmed Steve's heart that was his business.

Wayne wouldn't be back from work until 11, getting that holiday pay to help them through the rest of winter. The boys didn't mind, curled up on the couch watching movies, laughing and drinking beer. Steve felt a soft buzz from the alcohol but the butterflies were certainly because of the boy sitting across from him.

When Wayne got home they switched the TV to the countdown of the final hour of the year. Eddie moaned about the pop music they played but didn't seem to mind as much when Steve was pulling him up to dance around the trailer. Soon it was time to head outside with all the other neighbours to watch the fireworks.

"Here, Stevie, I know the perfect spot," Eddie said pulling Steve up to lay down on the trailer roof. They could see Rudy setting up the fireworks on the hill, sleepy looking kids still just staying awake gathered with their parents. The radio crackled as the last song finished and the countdown began.

Ten!

Steve could feel the magic start to fill the air, the new year was so close.

Nine!

He hoped that next year they'd all be safe, that next year would be their year.

Eight!

Next year he's going to make sure he spends it with Eddie, this has certainly been his favourite new year's eve.

Seven!

He turns away from looking at the hill to the other boy to find him already looking at him, there's something in his eyes.

Six!

"I'm glad you're here this year, Stevie."

Five!

"I'm glad I'm here with you, Eds."

Four!

Eddie's face is holding a soft smile and his eyes flick down to Steve's lips.

Three!

Oh, that's what that magic was.

Two!

Steve took a chance and lent forward, pressing his lips softly to Eddie's who immediately pushed back against him smiling.

One!

Fireworks went off behind them but they didn't care as they pulled away, twin smiles on their faces. Yeah, 1987 was going to be their year.

#Steddiemas #day 31 #day 31: nye traditions and activities #misc day

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steddiemas · 4 months

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Happy last day of Steddiemas! December 31st's prompt is:

New Year's Eve Traditions & Activities

Staying up to midnight, drinking champagne, resolutions, eating grapes before midnight, going to NYC, etc.

Make sure you mention @steddiemas and use the tag #steddiemas so no one misses out on your amazing creations!

Masterpost | Introduction | FAQ

#i can't believe we've reached the end #steddiemas #steddie #steddie fan event #steddie fic #steddie art #steddie fan art #steddie fan fic #steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things fan event #stranger things

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steddiemas · 4 months

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phenomenal

Written for day 30. smut themed sentence starters 3. Who needs a sleigh when I can ride you instead of @steddiemas. rating: m | words: 100 | tags: perfect drabble, bisexual steve harrington, smut, topping from the bottom steve, eddie is just clinging on for the... ride (i'll see myself out)

Being fucked was something special, and Steve’s new favourite thing… But being in charge?

Phenomenal.

He sank down on Eddie, flexing his thighs and thanking his past self for his athleticism, which made it easier to fuck himself on his cock.

Edide whimpered under him, overwhelmed, gone.

‘You’re so fucking hot…’ Eddie gasped as Steve rode him, slow and steady and measured.Steve knew, but liked hearing it, was always up to giving Eddie a show, putting his hand on his cock and jacking himself off, practically squeezing Eddie’s orgasm out of him as he came, hard, shouting and messy.

#steddiemasnaughtylist #day 30 #day 30: smut sentence starters #sentence starter saturday

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steddiemas · 4 months

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Written for the @steddiemas challenge.

Permanent 99

Prompt Day 30: Smut Themed Sentence Starters | Word Count: 2811 | Rating: E | CW: Sexual Content, 18+ Only | Tags: Sports AU, Swimming AU, Modern Setting, Eddie & Gareth are BFFs, Olympic Swimmers, Heat Wave, Outdoor Fooling Around, Blowjob, Eddie POV

This follows my Sports AU drabble from @steddieholidaydrabbles where they were Olympic Swimmers, but can be read standalone.

This one is also available right here on AO3.

we're hot and sticky as we can get, don't need to go swimming to be soakin' wet, you lean in and you bite my lip, it's hard to be cool in heat like this, sweat drop at the end of your nose, makes you lose your mind and lose your clothes Christian Kane, Permanent 99

Eddie rests his forearm over his eyes, attempting to block out the way too bright sun and wipe the sweat away from his forehead at the same time.

The strips of cheap vinyl from the PVC lounger are sticking to his bare back and he can't seem to shift in any way to get comfortable with the feeling. Steve is worth millions, but he's dragged out some old as shit, tri-fold lounge chairs from last century. They had to have been stashed in his parents' pool house, left over from the eighties, faded from sun and years of disuse. If Eddie's going to be subjected to the summer sun, he's definitely gonna need a newer chair, because this is really not working for him.

He's sticking to it in ways that feel really gross.

That has a lot to do with the fact that it's so humid it's almost insufferable. The glare off of the water isn't helping matters. It's blinding him, even through his sunglasses. They've spent a lifetime looking at pool water, so Eddie's not entirely sure why they're still doing it now, on their own time.

“It’s hot as shit,” Eddie finally announces, moving his arm just enough to catch a glimpse of Steve next to him.

Steve smiles, seemingly unconcerned by the unrelenting heat.

He's tanned, and glistening in the sun, looking every bit of a Greek god. That bastard.

Eddie's actually seen Steve in Athens, at the fucking Olympiad itself, and he damn well didn't look anything like he does right now. Steve was only nineteen then, still just a kid chasing a dream. And, now he's a man. A gorgeous man.

Eddie is pretty sure he looks like an overheated, wet cat in comparison. A pitiful thing that probably just needs put down.

But Eddie grins, because retirement looks good on Steve Harrington. Damn good. Retired before thirty. That's quite the thing to wrap his head around.

But that's not going to stop Eddie's complaining.

“From now on, summer months will be spent strictly indoors. It's too hot, and I’m too pale for this,” Eddie declares, as if that is the final decision on the subject matter.

It isn't. Not if his perpetually sun-kissed boyfriend has a say in the matter.

Steve just rolls his eyes, and doesn’t look away from his magazine, "You made the worst dressed list, again," Steve offers, flashing the glossy pages in his direction. "They put you on the fug list."

Well, Eddie doesn't give a flying fug what that rag thinks. He's gonna wear what he's gonna wear.

"And let me guess, you're in the other column?" Eddie asks, but he already knows it. Ever since they went public with their relationship after retirement, they've been tabloid fodder. Everyone has been speculating on how long this has been going on (since Athens) and how long it will last (hopefully forever) and they've picked apart every last detail of their lives they can get their hands on. And their very different style choices have been a popular topic of conversation.

Steve retired, Eddie didn't. Until he did. And now, they're both out of the meat grinder, free at last to do whatever they want to with all this brand new free time. Eddie's had fun running swim clinics for kids, and Steve has been funneling his time and money into his charitable foundation.

The rest of the time, they spend lazing together, just like this. Finally getting to really build this relationship of theirs into something even deeper, and stronger, than ever before.

They can't leave swimming, not totally. It's in their blood. But it's nice to be away from the early practices and constant sacrifices you have to make to be an Olympian, not just once, but several Games in a row.

Their not-so-secret love went public at Eddie's last Games, when Steve showed up, but kept out of the announcer's booth, and refused to be interviewed. He wasn't there for his own promo. Everybody was pissy about it, wanting a piece of him, wanting the ratings boost his voice, his face, would bring in. But Steve was only there to see Eddie, Gareth and the rest of his friends on Team USA swim, that's it.

So, it didn't take long for rumors to reach a fever pitch, and instead of denying them. They just admitted they were together, and had been, for a very long time. And now, they were looking forward to retirement, together.

And that was that.

They've been holed up at Steve's house ever since, trying to keep away from prying eyes, to just be together. With no other commitments. No early practices. No strict diets.

They're just Eddie and Steve. No longer Harrington and Munson.

But, Eddie's getting a little stir crazy and a lot hot. He needs to be anywhere but beside a pool right now.

“I haven’t even set foot in the goddamn pool and I’m sweating through my trunks,” Eddie whines, just making sure his opinion on the subject has been heard by Steve, loud and clear.

“Shoulda rocked the banana hammock, bro,” Steve supplies with a shrug of his shoulders, laughing loudly, totally unbothered by Eddie’s constant bitching.

Eddie smiles, "Don't call me bro, dude."

Steve giggles, and it's the best sound. So carefree. All that weight of expectation just…gone. It was amazing to see. Retired from professional swimming, Steve doesn’t sweat the small stuff, not anymore. And Eddie is one hundred percent down for that.

"Speedos aren’t exactly casual pool wear, regardless of what you might think, Harrington,” Eddie adds.

“Sure they are,” Steve answers, waving his hand over his lap.

Eddie looks over at Steve, and lowers his sunglasses down his nose. Steve's wearing a tiny, all-white Speedo that Eddie can't look away from. It was a purposeful choice, Eddie is well aware.

Steve's baiting him.

And the white makes it basically see through. It’s nearly obscene and Eddie knows damn good and well Steve wore it on purpose, knowing he’d either sweat through it, and make it see through, or end up in the pool…and make it see through.

Eddie knows this game well and it sadly always, always works on him. He's an easy mark. Always has been when it comes to Steve Harrington.

Eddie pushes his glasses back up on his face.

“You're right, the Federation should have forgotten all about the tech suits and went back to those," Eddie says, licking his lips, wetting them. Two can play at this game.

There’s a sweat drop clinging to the end of Steve’s nose and Eddie reaches over to catch it with his thumb. Raking his eyes all over Steve.

"Is this seriously turning you on?" Steve asks, lifting an eyebrow. "I'm basically wearing an old work uniform."

Eddie just nods, looking at every inch of Steve's body. Still toned, but already going slightly softer in places. Not to mention all the body hair. Steve's hairy, when the fuck did that happen? After only knowing him as the shaved and waxed swimmer, this has been a fucking revelation of a magnitude Eddie can't even put into words.

Steve's a man. No longer the kid he was when they met, a million years and a million miles away from here.

"You're staring," Steve says, teasing him, and Eddie just nods. He's definitely staring and he'll do it some more.

Steve smiles and sets his magazine down and crawls over onto Eddie’s lounger, straddling Eddie’s thighs. It creaks and shifts under them, and Eddie holds his breath, and prepares for the little metal legs to collapse. It doesn't, miraculously, and Steve takes Eddie's stillness for an opportunity to lean in and bite at Eddie’s bottom lip before Eddie can, well, give him any more lip. Eddie groans a little at the feeling, hands settling on Steve’s hips. Steve deepens the kiss and runs his fingers through Eddie’s sweat-damp hair.

When they finally break apart, Steve is even slicker with sweat than he was before, but he just grins down at Eddie.

“Let’s go in,” Eddie urges, thumbs tracing lazy circles on Steve’s exposed hip bones. Running his thumb over Steve's Olympic rings tattoo that's just barely peeking over the top of the tiny Speedo.

Steve took Eddie to get his own rings tattoo after his first Olympics, and Eddie took Gareth after his. It's a sacred tradition.

Eddie presses his thumb into the slightly faded ink, then dips it lower, stroking until he feels coarse hair under his thumb. Then, he's sliding his other hand up and down Steve's hairy thigh. More hair. Hair for days.

In fact, Steve’s chest hair is damp and right in Eddie’s face. It’s driving him a little wild. Steve spent so many years shaved, that this has been a goddamn turn on. Eddie leans forward and buries his face in Steve's chest.

Steve just laughs, and pushes Eddie back down, nipping at Eddie’s neck playfully, “S’good out here.”

“Think of the air conditioning. And the big, big bed.”

“This is bed-like,” Steve insists, reaching over and hitting the lever sending the chaise flat. The unsteady metal legs wobble comically and Eddie laughs as Steve topples over on top of him ungracefully. It's a nice change of pace, since Eddie often feels like he's the ungraceful one nearly everywhere but in the water. Always one wrong move from a trip to the E.R., while Steve stands by, shaking his head.

Eddie’s fairly certain this flimsy-ass chair can't hold their combined weight indefinitely, even without Steve trying to fuck him through it. But he still runs his fingers through Steve’s hair, pulling him closer, encouraging him.

He'll ride this train into the ground, without question.

Steve closes his eyes, and grinds down against him.

Eddie grips Steve’s hips, resting his fingers against Steve’s ass, cupping him through the Speedo. When he squeezes his fingers underneath the tight material, Steve opens his eyes to meet Eddie’s, and Eddie just raises an eyebrow, questioning.

“By all means,” Steve answers, lifting up enough for them to work together to get it shimmed off his ass.

It isn’t easy. Removing a wet Speedo never is, and Steve’s wallering him in the process. Eddie almost takes a knee to the nuts, but they finally get it peeled off Steve's hips and tossed onto the ground.

Steve unties Eddie’s trunks and pulls the Velcro closure apart loudly. He snakes his hand inside and closes his fist around him, and Eddie can’t help but buck up into the tight grip.

“Fuck, Steve,” Eddie pants, leaning back further, enjoying the feeling.

Steve smiles and leans forward, chasing him, licking a path of sweat off of Eddie’s chest. It makes Eddie shiver unexpectedly and he can’t stop himself from tangling his hand in Steve’s hair. Urging him lower. Steve takes the hint. He always does.

He pushes apart Eddie's trunks, getting himself better access, and Eddie lifts up, to let him tug them down a little further, but not all the way off.

Eddie groans when Steve’s mouth makes contact with his dick.

He rests his hand on Steve's head, feeling every movement from above and below. Steve's a gold medal cocksucker, that's for goddamn sure.

"That's good, sweetheart," Eddie says, and Steve hums in acknowledgement, head moving up and down, hand doing the rest of the work in tandem.

Eddie slides his hand down to Steve's face, pressing his palm to his stubbly cheek, and Steve changes the angle, so the head of Eddie's dick now hits the inside of his cheek with every bob of his head, bumping against Eddie's palm.

Steve's teasing him, playing with him, but it's fucking hot.

So hot, and it's all Eddie can take, honestly, and he arches his hips off the chair, coming.

Steve pulls off, and makes eye contact as he swipes his tongue around his mouth, gathering up Eddie's come on his tongue, which he shows Eddie, before swallowing.

"You're gonna kill me," Eddie says, as he moves to wrap his hand around Steve's hard dick, but Steve holds up one finger, wagging it at him.

And then he slides fully on top of Eddie, and ruts into his hip. Using Eddie to get himself off.

Jesus H. Christ.

Retired Steve is his favorite version, so far. Even more than top of the podium Steve. Or secret locker room blowjob Steve.

This version? His to keep? This is the one.

Steve's breathing heavy into Eddie's ear, hot puffs of air and soft moans that make Eddie wish he could get hard again right now. Eddie digs his fingers into Steve's slick back, just along for the ride. Getting to enjoy the sights and sounds of Steve working hard. Breath catching with exertion.

It's so familiar, and yet, brand new.

Steve lets out a groan in Eddie's ear, and then comes inside Eddie's shorts, and that's a new feat, for sure.

Steve clearly doesn't give a fuck if he glues himself to Eddie's pubic hair, as he lays down on Eddie fully. Naked, sated and happy. This is the kind of hot Eddie isn't going to complain about.

He almost says so, when he feels the whoosh of air blow past his arm before there’s a splash in the pool. He freezes. He doesn’t dare open his eyes, even if he’s certain it’s only Gareth. Maybe Robin, if he's really unlucky.

Steve's house has a revolving door. You never know who's gonna show up, unannounced.

And Eddie can't help it, he flushes even further, cheeks red and hot, totally embarrassed.

When Eddie finally cracks an eye open, he laughs when he sees Gareth standing in the pool, right at the edge. Arms folded, head resting on them. Staring right at Eddie. Gareth has no shame and doesn’t get embarrassed easily, if ever.

Just like Steve, honestly.

How he's surrounded himself with these two, he's not exactly sure.

"Whatcha guys been doin'?" Gareth drawls out, like he can't see Steve's bare ass in his face and know exactly what they were doing.

Gareth's caught them fucking in several countries at this point. This is nothing. It's not even in the top ten most compromising positions he's seen them in. But still. Eddie could do without it, for sure.

Gareth's dog, Bonzo, is prancing around poolside, barking and jumping, just as hyper as his owner.

Steve just shakes his head, leaning over and picking up his discarded Speedo and walks back towards the house, like it’s no big deal to be walking around the backyard, totally naked. It's nothing Gareth hasn't seen before, to be certain. They've all spent far too many years together, in far too many locker rooms.

Still, Eddie lifts his hips, and gets his trunks back up and securely fastened. He’s not about to get caught naked if he can help it. Unlike Steve, he does have some shame, and doesn’t exactly desire his junk getting featured on TMZ.

Some days, Eddie thinks Steve's just daring them to run dick pics of him. Probably because he knows what he's packing, and nobody in their right mind is gonna give his dick bad press.

Definitely not Eddie. No way.

Eddie is about to get up, when Bonzo seizes the opportunity for the freed up premium seating, and jumps up onto Eddie’s lap.

Eddie hears the chair give way before he feels it. Soon enough they’re both falling to the ground. It’s a short fall, but Eddie still scrapes his elbow on the concrete and Bonzo shoots him daggers as if this whole mess was Eddie's fault, as the dog darts away from the scene of the crime, and towards the house, trying to catch up with Steve.

Steve clearly saw it happen, and he’s doubled over laughing near the sliding glass doors, still naked, and Eddie really doesn’t find it all that funny.

“Fuck you, asshole, that hurt!” Eddie yells across the yard as he awkwardly untangles himself from the wreckage. Steve just laughs harder, and as much as Eddie wants to, it’s hard for him to stay mad at Steve.

Eddie gets up and surveys the collapsed heap of vinyl and aluminum. It looks like it's a total loss, and that does make Eddie smile, fully thankful that the chair from hell finally met its overdue end.

He jogs to catch up with Steve, hoping to slide in the shower with him, where Steve will kiss his wounded pride all better, and maybe go for round two.

Notes: Song is Permanent 99 by Christian Kane. It's not on Spotify, or I'd just embed it. Gareth's dog is Bonzo, after John Bonham. Because I still like to think he's a drummer in this world, and that still plays with Eddie here, too. They just took their focus elsewhere.

This is the kind of chair I'm talking about, which they're still making apparently?! I had no idea.

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#steddiemasnaughtylist #day 30 #day 30: smut sentence starters #sentence starter saturday

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