The Sunshot Generation as Babies/Toddlers
(And That One Story that was always told about them when they got older).
Wei Wuxian: Surprisingly, was a very good kid. There are shockingly few juicy stories.
Lan Wangji: By contrast, he was an absolutely feral toddler who terrified EVERYONE. Lan Xichen was the only one who could settle him down. It got so bad that Wangji got to attend class with his brother, because discipline did not work.
Jiang Cheng: Very cuddly baby/toddler. Was nearly kidnapped once or twice because he was offered cuddles. Developed his temper/paranoia/general prickliness later on.
Jiang Yanli: Accidentally kidnapped Wen Chao once. She wanted to give him soup because he looked sad. He was one year old and could not properly explain he was supposed to stay in place. They were halfway to Lotus Pier when it was discovered that the Jiang delegation had accidentally taken Wen-gongzi hostage.
Lan Xichen: Much better toddler than Wangji, but for a while refused to walk anywhere on his own. Surprisingly, the adult who gave in to his (very muted) temper tantrums most often was Lan Qiren.
Nie Mingjue: At his 100-day ceremony, he cried every time Wen Ruohan got close. His father was very apologetic. His mother thought it was hysterical and had to duck into antechambers to laugh in private.
Nie Huaisang: Normally too sick to do much, but bit Jin Guangshan one time at a delegation when he didn’t listen to the also-small Nie Mingjue’s warnings that Sang-er didn’t want to be held at the moment. Once again, his father was very apologetic. Mingjue was extremely proud of his didi.
Wen Xu: Made the mistake of shoving Yanli at a discussion conference. She tried to tell him to stop, but he didn’t listen. After the third time, she gave in and shoved him back, knocking him off the pier and into the water.
Wen Chao: Went through a period of time when his favorite adult was Wen Zhuliu, and he would throw a raging temper tantrum if anyone else handled him. This included servants, other sect leaders, his father and his mother. Neither he nor Wen Zhuliu were ever able to figure out why.
Wen Qing: While she did not cry very often, she scowled so fiercely at everyone that her parents had an exorcism performed on her at one point for fear that she was being possessed by a very unfriendly spirit. Nope, she just had enough of everyone’s nonsense before her hundredth day.
Wen Ning: Very nice baby. One time accidentally ripped the head off a doll and cried for hours until Wen Qing fixed it. She explained that he was giving it surgery.
Jin Zixuan: Very quiet baby. Was routinely taken to healers to ensure he wasn’t sick. Nope, he was just boring.
Meng Yao: Could climb before he could walk. Meng Shi learned this the hard way when she turned her back and found him on top of a table, clapping his hands and babbling excitedly at her. It was the only time she well and truly freaked out.
Mianmian: Was left alone in her parents’ garden one afternoon. When they returned, it was to find that she’d somehow dug up five worms and declared herself the worm empress. Once her husband heard the story, he teased her with it for weeks.
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Eddie notices it first at Dairy Queen.
It's the first time since leaving the hospital that he's been somewhere with the whole party that isn't Steve's house or the Hoppers-Byers cabin. The younger children crowd the counter, talking over each other as they count their money and decide what to get, while the older teens and adults hang at the back, looking at the menu. Then Erica steps over to Steve and says something Eddie can't quite make out. He nods, winds his way through the gremlins, and places his order. When his name is called, he picks up two cups of ice cream and hands one to Erica, who takes it with a smirk and a comment Eddie can't make out, although it has Steve laughing and shoving playfully at her shoulder.
Eddie turns then to look at the other kids but none of them even seem to notice that Steve has seemingly paid for Erica and not them. It's confusing because Eddie is sure Henderson, at least, would be kicking up a fuss about it. Not even Robin says anything.
But, then again, maybe Steve owes Erica money. Or he lost a bet. Eddie is aware how fierce the younger Sinclair is in collecting on her debts, having made the mistake once and once only of asking her to buy him a soda. So, if no one else is bothered, neither is he. He shrugs and enjoys his sundae.
But then it happens again the next week at Baskin Robbins.
And again two weeks later.
When the last ice cream truck left in Hawkins comes through Steve's neighborhood and the only one to get anything is Erica - at Steve's expense, of course - and the other kids don't even grumble beyond wishing they hadn't blown all their allowance at the arcade, Eddie decides he's had enough.
"Okay, what is it with this ice cream thing???" he bursts out as they all settle back down next to the pool.
The burble of conversation stops as everyone turns to look at him, then glance around at each other.
"What ice cream thing?" Mike finally asks, genuinely confused.
"What ice cream... the ice cream thing!" Eddie splutters. "The thing where Steve always buys Erica ice cream and none of the rest of you munchkins seem to care!"
There's a collective ohhhh of understanding, but Eddie is still completely in the dark. He gestures for someone to explain.
"It's because of Operation Child Endangerment," Dustin answers, casual, like it's a normal, non-question-inducing answer.
Eddie scrunches his brows together and lets out a confused bubble of sound at the same time that Steve buries his face in his hands and groans, "I thought we agreed not to call it that."
Erica laughs and wags her finger at him. "Uh, no. Just because you demanded we change it doesn't mean we agreed to."
"...little lost here. What's Operation Child Endangerment?" Eddie asks, glancing sideways at Steve. He can see, between his fingers, that the other boy's face has gone bright red.
Steve groans again and sinks forward to let his head hang by his knees.
And so Eddie finds out everything about the summer of '85 and Starcourt mall. He already knew the basics, but he's still fascinated. Horrified. Impressed.
He watches Steve through the whole retelling, jumbled as it is by the kids all interrupting each other to add something they thought was being forgotten, and feels his heart ache inside his chest for the beautiful boy across from him. Watches him hunch his shoulders when Erica explains the deal they made, the one that's got her free ice cream for life. Watches him puff up a little with pride when Dustin describes him knocking the Russian comms operator out cold. Watches him squeeze Robin's hand when she mentions the Russian torture and drugs. Watches him tug El into a hug when Jonathan talks about having to cut into her leg.
Eddie watches Steve - brave, loyal, loving Steve, who won't break a promise or a deal even after he most certainly could - laughing with their friends, taking their ribbing and teasing them in return, ruffling Dustin's hair and splashing Erica, almost starting a party-wide splash fight.
Eddie waits until everyone is distracted by Max chasing Lucas across the pool after his cannonball knocked her from her floaty, various advice being shouted to both, then moves to sit next to Steve on his pool chair.
"That was, uh, a lot," he says quietly.
Steve bites his lip, turns a little away from the chaos in and around the pool, although his eyes still track the chase, Max having almost cornered Lucas. "Yeah, yeah it was," he replies, just as quietly.
"Pretty impressive," Eddie tells him, knocking their shoulders together.
Steve shrugs. He snorts as Max finally catches Lucas and dunks him a couple times before they both dissolve into laughter.
Eddie bumps his shoulder again. "Seriously, dude, you gotta know how cool you are."
"I guess," Steve says, still not looking at Eddie, fidgeting with his hands instead.
Eddie thinks he knows what thoughts might be running around inside Steve's head, so he puts a hand over Steve's. The jittery motions still under his touch. "Hey, you got them out of there. You didn't know what you were walking into and you all got out alive. I call that pretty badass."
Steve finally turns to him. The look in his eyes makes Eddie want to pull Steve close, hold him until that look disappears. But he doesn't, just squeezes Steve's fingers.
The corner of Steve's mouth ticks up, just a little. "Thanks, Eddie." He looks like he might say more, but suddenly Dustin lets out a whoop and they both turn to the pool. Jonathan, Nancy, Robin, and Argyle have started a game of chicken, Nancy on Jonathan's shoulders and Robin on Argyle's.
They watch, laughing, as the girls wrestle until they both go tumbling into the water together and come up spluttering. Steve's head is thrown back, his shoulders are shaking with giggles and Eddie feels a grin stretch across his face.
He leans forward to rest his chin on Steve's shoulder, his hand still over Steve's, a teasing tone in his voice when he says, "So, hey, I was wondering. What would it take for me to get free ice cream for life from Steve Harrington?"
Steve turns his head and Eddie pulls back so they can look at each other. And that's all they do for a long moment, Eddie's breathing speeding up when Steve's gaze drops to his lips.
But all Steve does is turn his hand in Eddie's grip, so he can tangle their fingers together. He squeezes Eddie's hand, then stands, grinning, tugging Eddie up with him.
"C'mon," Steve says, pulling Eddie over to the pool before jumping in with a splash. Eddie ducks away from the water, grinning like a fool. When he catches Erica's knowing smirk, he just shrugs helplessly and follows Steve in.
Maybe he owes Erica some free ice cream, too.
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