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the-case-book-of-fanfiction · 9 months

Text

Bob Seger

Ship: Steve Harrington x fem!reader

Summary: Is there a handbook for what to do when your crush walks into your store to buy a gift for his girlfriend? There should be!

Word Count: 5,432 words

Warnings: Stancy, Steve being deeply in love and then getting his heart broken, brief mention of Steve's asshole dad, pining reader, hurt/comfort, Tommy & Carol, language, innuendo

Note: Inspired in part by Steve's rendition of Old Time Rock & Roll.

☟ Continue below the fold ☟

Nancy hadn't been herself, not since Barb disappeared, and her mood had only been getting worse every day. Steve could feel her retreating into herself, hiding from the world and from herself and from him. He could feel Tommy and Carol getting progressively more frustrated with her (and with him for putting up with it) with every passing day.

And it's not like Steve blamed Nancy. Her best friend had gone missing while Nancy hung out with people Barb wasn't the biggest fan of. And, to rub salt in an open wound, Nancy had been having sex with Steve while Barb disappeared.

Steve felt a little guilty, to say the least. He'd had the thought of If I hadn't wanted to sleep with Nancy so bad, she would have gone home with Barb and they'd both be safe. But after a while, he wasn't so sure about that. The longer he thought about it, the more he became convinced that if Nancy had gone with Barb, they both would have gone missing.

Whether it was through his own guilt or because he wanted to make Nancy feel better, he wasn't quite sure, Steve found himself driving to the record store just off Main Street after school got out. He'd blocked out the noise of Tommy and Carol bickering, Tommy in the passenger seat and Carol leaning forward from the back seat, too busy trying to remember which bands had played from the radio the night he was studying at Nancy's house, and whether or not Nancy had actually liked them. He didn't want to screw up his little surprise by getting her music she wouldn't listen to—or a vinyl she already owned. Maybe he should have discreetly snooped through her pile of records before he'd made up his mind to do this...

Tommy sharply elbowed Steve in the ribs. Before Steve could snap at him, he said, "You're overthinking this, man. She's either gonna pretend to love it and not actually care, or she's just gonna not care."

Behind them, Carol giggled. It sounded far more sinister than it should have.

Steve glared at him for a second before he made the turn into the store's parking lot. "You're no help, you realize that?" He parked the car and turned to the two of them. "You're gonna stay here and wait, got it? And don't do anything stupid, I'll make you clean the back seat this time."

Carol grinned. "What if it's the passenger seat?"

"Or the driver's," Tommy added, leaning back to kiss Carol, before Steve could snap that the passenger's seat was Nancy's seat. Steve felt his throat constrict.

"Do not get it on in my fucking car," he warned, "or I'm never driving you anywhere ever again."

He got out, slamming the door behind him, and sent a warning glare back over his shoulder. Tommy flipped him off through the windshield. Beside Steve, an elderly woman gasped in offense and Steve winced.

"Sorry about him," he muttered, but the woman was already scurrying off into her own vehicle. Steve sighed and pushed open the front door to the record shop.

A little bell above the door chimed once as he swung the door open, and then again as it closed behind him. Steve had only been in the store a handful of times, but he loved it more and more with every visit. The walls were plastered in old vinyls, displayed so that the name of each band was readable. No vinyl was the same color, some of them blue, some red, some multicolor, but all of them were different. A small gold plaque designated the oldest vinyl the store had on the walls, which was a reddish Vocalion from 1922 and was positioned directly above the door.

Rows and rows of alphabetized vinyls spread throughout the store, which was bigger than it looked from the storefront. In the lefthand corner nearest the door, a cashier's desk was set up, though there was no employee behind it. A plastic sign read I'm in the back! I'll be back soon!

Steve headed for the aisles of vinyls, then recognized what was playing over the speakers—Bob Seger's Night Moves.

Humming as he flipped through the stacks, Steve didn't notice the door to the back open, or you walk out of it and back to your desk.

"Mmm, sweet summertime, summertime," Steve sang, keeping his voice low, still embarrassed by his voice, an instinct his father made sure he would never shake.

But you heard it, even with the volume of the radio. You looked up from the desk, gaze scanning the rows. You spotted the back of Steve's head and recognized him immediately. That hair was unmistakable.

Heat burned in your belly. Suddenly, you really wished your coworker hadn't gone home just ten minutes earlier, complaining of nausea. If she'd just stuck around a few more minutes...you wouldn't have to face your long-time crush who was absolutely not available, happily dating Nancy Wheeler and unlikely to leave her any time soon.

You resisted the urge to hide your face in your hands. Sure, you'd liked him since middle school, long before he'd become part of the popular crowd and back when his hair was still a mess that hid his eyes from the world, and yes, you had two classes with him, but it's not like he'd know who you were, right? You'd keep relative anonymity and he would remain none the wiser of your long-standing admiration of him.

But then the song changed to The Fire Down Below and Steve was shimmying where he stood, singing the line "Here comes hot Nancy, she's steppin' right on time" with the hugest grin on his face.

You sighed. The school, your best friends, the entire senior year was right—Steve Harrington was down bad for Nancy Wheeler.

The tiniest bit of hope that he might one day notice you was dashed every time you heard that loving croon of his voice every time he sang Nancy's name.

This is why we don't get our hopes up, you told yourself, echoing a sentiment your best friend had drilled into you ever since Steve became the ladies' man that made him so popular in high school. Not that it erased the previous middle school years of drooling over Steve, back before anyone else had really considered him attractive.

You watched as Steve meticulously went through every record in the store, clearly searching for something specific. You normally would have gotten up and approached a customer taking this long, but it was Steve. You knew the instant you got up from your stool, your legs would give out underneath you. And if that didn't happen, you'd walk into a shelf on your way over to him. And if that didn't happen either, you'd start stuttering the moment you tried to talk to him. And if that didn't happen, you'd turn bright red and combust on the spot when he either asked for your help or turned you away.

Too stuck in your head, you didn't even realize the record had stopped playing until you heard Steve's singing stop. A pang went through you at the sound of silence—Steve's voice was almost more soothing than the music itself.

You turned around and dug through your pile of vinyls the store let you play until you found another Bob Seger—the album he'd released last year. Steve had been singing Bob Seger, and you desperately wanted him to keep singing.

You cleaned off the record before placing the needle down. A few bars into Even Now, you turned back around and squeaked, jumping in surprise.

Steve was standing at your desk, a pleasant but awkward smile on his face.

"Uh...hi," he said. "Sorry if I scared you."

You blinked at him and cleared your throat, hoping your voice didn't come out squeaky. "It's...it's fine. Can I help you with something?"

"Uh, please, I'm looking for—" He snapped his fingers. "You're in my chemistry class, aren't you?" You nodded, meekly adding that you were also in English together, and he beamed. "I knew I recognized you from somewhere!"

"Yeah, uh... Hi, Steve," you said. "You said you were looking for...?"

Steve shook himself out. "Oh, yeah, um... I'm trying to find a record for Nancy, my girlfriend, because I want to cheer her up after...everything. I'm sure you've heard about it."

The tiredness in his voice surprised you. But you nodded without bringing it up. "I have. How's she holding up?"

Steve sighed. "Not...fantastically. That's why I'm doing this, I want to get her something to take her mind off things."

You raised your brows. "So you decided on a record?"

Steve shrugged, his cheeks turning a soft shade of pink. "I thought it would be something we could dance to, and that that might make her feel better."

Your heart squeezed. How are you so sweet? "Alright, makes sense. What does she like to listen to usually?"

Steve shut his eyes as if thinking for a moment, then said, "She likes ABBA and Michael Jackson, she has a Fleetwood Mac tape but only ever listens to Rhiannon, but she sings under her breath every time Journey comes on the radio, doesn't matter what song it is. She's got Madonna, Bowie, Blondie, and The Beatles already as tapes and vinyls, so I don't want to get her those."

You blinked at him. "You really do pay attention to everything, don't you?"

Steve smiled shyly. "I...I guess so, when it comes to Nancy."

You left the back of the desk, hoping you weren't visibly shaking too much. "Let's go find you a Journey vinyl, okay? They just released a new album a few months ago, I'm pretty sure we've got it on vinyl..."

Steve followed you to the J section and the two of you started flipping through, both of you softly singing along to Love's The Last To Know as you did.

Halfway through the song and completely through the Js section, you interrupted the song with a gasp.

"I know where it is! Wait here," you told him, and hurried into the back room. You dug through the most recently delivered box of records until you saw the familiar blue album cover of Frontiers, letting out a victory cry as you grabbed it.

Steve was leaning on the shelf, still singing "We lost our way and our love's the last to know" so mournfully you wondered what heartbreak he'd been through before.

"I got it!" you said, grinning and holding the record aloft.

Steve beamed. "Thanks! I really appreciate it. I know I was kind of...out of my depth for a bit there."

You shrugged. "Eh, that's nothing. I've had people come in here demanding records we don't carry from bands that only just released music." You rolled your eyes. "'No, sir, we don't carry Metallica, and even if we did, the album came out last week, so we wouldn't have it yet anyway!'"

Steve snorted with laughter, handing you cash to pay for the vinyl. "Let me guess, it was the Munson kid."

"The Munson kid," you confirmed.

"Thanks again," Steve said, though he didn't seem inclined to head out the door.

"Any time," you said, instantly regretting the words because if you saw Steve at your workplace more than this, you were going to have a heart attack, but you paired the words with a kind smile anyway.

"See you in class tomorrow," he said, stepping out the door and waving goodbye. You watched him go, putting the record in the back seat, snapping at Tommy and Carol in his car, and pulling out of the parking lot.

You let go a tense, nervous breath. The pain in your chest eased. Well, at least Steve knew of you now. And even if his dedication to Nancy was unfailing, at least you might get to talk to him now, even if it only worsened the ache in your heart.

~❊~

Steve skipped third block.

The entire school seemed to be talking about why—or at least, his entire gym class, who had told a story about Billy Hargrove getting in his face the entire basketball game, and then Nancy dragging him out of the class to "talk" about something. At first, everyone had assumed they were banging in the locker rooms, until somebody reminded them Nancy hadn't been in first block, and she never skipped, and that Steve usually drove her to school—but he hadn't missed first block. Then when he'd come back, upset and angry, from his talk with Nancy, people started to put a story together.

You weren't sure you wanted to believe the story, or the many versions of the story, that were floating around you chemistry class. It didn't line up with what you knew of Steve, or what you knew of his relationship with Nancy, most of which you heard straight from him.

But then again...

You shook yourself out of your head, your gaze straying back toward Steve's empty seat. You sighed, pulling your notebook toward you and copying down the notes on the board as neat as you could—undoubtedly you'd need to give them to Steve when he decided to come back to class.

But when your best friend came into the class, handing your teacher a doctor's note, her wide eyes already told you Steve wasn't coming back today.

She sat down beside you, hissing your name. You looked at her. "What? What's wrong?"

"Is there a reason I just saw Steve Harrington crying in his car?" she whispered to you.

Your eyes went huge. Whatever had happened between him and Nancy, it wasn't good. "Keep your voice down and don't tell anyone else about that," you said.

She flipped her notebook to a blank page and started writing. "You better fill me in on everything I missed today," she said.

"Obviously, but only once I know exactly what happened," you said. "Which means only once Steve tells me what happened. However long that takes."

~❊~

It became painfully clear that Steve didn't want to talk—to anyone. He snapped at anyone who tried to bring it up with him, and his mood was waspish. The situation was made worse by the rumors spread by Tommy and Carol—that Nancy had only been with Steve for his money and the sex; that she left because Steve wasn't good enough for her; that she was cheating on him with Jonathan.

You knew that the jibes about Jonathan hit Steve a little too close to home. The same rumor had circulated last year when Will and Barb went missing, but this time, you were almost positive they were true.

Nancy was entirely unbothered by the whole thing. Seeing her prance around with Jonathan, not caring that doing so was hurting Steve more than anything, made your blood boil.

On your way to the record store for another one of your slow closing shifts, a week after Steve skipped chem class, you saw the two of them walking together along the sidewalk. You rolled your eyes at them. You had once thought Nancy to be the luckiest girl in the world: smart, pretty, and dating the hottest man Hawkins had to offer. Now you were certain she was the most careless, throwing it all away for a mediocre man.

Steve's car was in the store's parking lot when you arrived. You parked next to him, looking over to find him in the driver's seat, staring into his lap.

You got out and knocked on his window. "Steve? You okay?" He looked up, sporting red-rimmed eyes. You could hear Bob Seger's Comin' Home playing quietly on his radio. "Oh, Steve..."

Steve got out of his car. Voice quiet and rough, he asked, "Can I hang out for a while?"

"Yeah," you said. "Whatever you need."

His lip trembled. "A...a hug?" His voice as meek and barely there. But you heard it and the request made your heart break. You enveloped him in a tight hug, letting him soften into your hold. You remained that way until Steve decided he was done, not caring how many of your classmates walked by, staring in wonder at Steve clinging to you, new gossip already burning on their tongues.

~❊~

A good day meant boppier music at the record store as soon as you started your shift and shoved your coworker from the mid-afternoon shift out the door. So you swapped out all the mellow music in the stack of records beside your record player with music with a good beat that you could dance to while you restocked and reshelved.

Not even half an hour into your shift, the Naked Eyes record spun into Always Something There To Remind Me. You turned up the volume as high as you could without destroying the speakers and being chewed out by your managers, singing along and dancing by yourself while you worked.

"Well, how can I forget you, girl? When there is always something there to remind me!" You finished stacking your records in the aisle and turned back for a new pile. "Always something there to remind me. I was born to love her, and I'll never be free, you'll always be a part of— Steve!" You careened into his chest, grateful you weren't holding anything, because it all would have dropped to the floor. Steve's arms looped around you, stopping you from falling. "Don't sneak up on me, you scared me!"

"The doorbell rung!"

"Well, I didn't hear it!" You finally looked up at him, heart beating wildly out of your chest at the feeling of his chest against yours, his arms around your waist. You realized he looked downright miserable. "What happened?"

He sighed. "Remember how I said I was gonna try and patch things up with Nance?"

"Yeah..."

Steve's lower lip started to tremble. "It...it didn't go well."

Your heart dropped to your feet. "Oh, Steve, I'm...I'm so sorry."

He sniffled. "It's, uh, it's over. She...she doesn't love me, has never loved me, I'm still bullshit, and she's been sleeping with Jonathan. So..." He heaved a heavy sigh. "It's over. Completely, totally, officially over."

"Steve," you whispered. "I'm so sorry, honey. Is there anything I can do?"

He smiled, lips trembling and eyes watering. "Change the song?" The words came out with a little hiccup and a laugh.

You realized what the song was about. "Oh! Yeah, sure, right—sorry. It's such an upbeat song in the actual music, I didn't even think about the words!" You untangled yourself from his arms to change the record. "What are you in the mood for?"

"Nothing romantic, please," he said, sitting down on your stool. "And, after you're done..."

You looked at him, sensing his hesitation. "Yeah?"

"Can I have another hug?"

You smiled at him, looping your arms around his back where he sat. He fell into you, burying his head in your shirt. "Of course, Steve."

You held onto Steve as tightly as he held onto you, praying he wouldn't notice the fast beat of your heart while he wallowed in his grief. It was a strange feeling, for Steve to be hiding from the world, form Nancy, from his broken heart in your arms, all while you harbored a horribly deep crush on him and a secret, guilty delight that it was over with Nancy.

"I just..." Steve huffed, clearly trying his best not to sob into your shirt. "I don't know where I went wrong. I don't know why I wasn't good enough."

Without really meaning to, you put your hand in Steve's hair. "Does there need to be a reason? Some people just aren't meant for each other, Steve."

Steve looked up at you with his red rimmed eyes, tears on his lash line. He hesitated a moment and then said, "If I tell you something...promise me you won't just...laugh at me."

Your heart broke for him. How many times had he told Tommy or Carol or, what the hell, even Nancy something, only to be laughed at, for him to ask that of you? "Of course I won't laugh at you, Steve." You squeezed his shoulder. "Why would I laugh at you?"

He didn't answer your question. "I know it sounds...ridiculous, but...I just—" He sighed. "I thought Nancy was the one. I've never been happier with a girl before, and she was honest, she was smart, she was determined, she had goals, she was nothing like the girls I was with before, and she made me feel alive! I thought for sure that I was... That I was maybe gonna spend the rest of my life with her."

You bit your lip. "There was no maybe about it, was there, Steve?"

He sighed, letting his head fall back into you. You muffled your grunt as he hid his face in your stomach, his arms sliding up your back and hold you closer to him. "No," he mumbled into the fabric of your shirt.

You smoothed your hand through his perfect hair and kissed the top of his head. You froze, hearing his tiny intake of breath. "Oh, I'm...I'm sorry, that was kind of...automatic, I guess?"

Steve peeked up at you and tugged you closer to his body until your feet hit the legs of your stool he was perched on. "It's okay. Um... Can you...keep doing that? With my hair?" Pink tinged his skin. "If you don't mind."

"I don't mind," you whispered, rubbing your fingers across his scalp. He sighed, pushing into your touch. Heat bloomed across your body.

"Sorry," he whispered. "I know this is...weird. But, um, Nancy never... Never really touched me or— Or held me or anything, so..."

"You don't have to explain yourself," you whispered. "Not to me, not to anyone. Okay?"

"Okay," he agreed, slowly relaxing in your arms.

"I've got you, Steve," you assured him. "I've got you."

~❊~

Before he'd even pulled into the parking lot, Steve was mentally apologizing to you. You'd told him time and time again when he visited you while you were working that you enjoyed your slow closing shifts. It meant there was no one to bother you while you were in the middle of a restock, making you forget where you were; it meant there was no one to complain about the music you played, so you could listen to whatever you wanted; it meant your final hour was spent just closing up shop instead of shooing customers out the door—except for Steve, who had become a regular and always stayed until you left, sometimes to give you a ride home and other times just to have a friend around.

But today, he wasn't coming alone. His car was full to bursting with young children: Dustin, Max, Lucas, Mike, and Will, all of whom he'd been tasked with picking up from their after school activities for the day. He had tried to get them to go home quickly, but his attempts to rush them out of his car had led them to discover that he was seeing a girl, which they all took the wrong way, of course.

Sort of.

Now that Steve was prowling the world alone again, he'd realized his initial estimation of you—pretty, smiley, shy with new people but confident with your friends—was right, but it was a muted reality compared to how you really were. It was like he'd been looking at you with sunglasses covering his eyes this whole time. Now that those glasses were gone, the record shop girl had become more than just his best friend.

And he was really hoping the kids were not about to point that out.

As per usual, you were playing Bob Seger when Steve pushed the door open. He'd yet to figure out if you played Bob Seger so much when he came to visit because you loved Bob Seger, or if you had (correctly) pinned Steve as a fan.

(Not that Steve had ever told anyone he was a fan; he let them think the only reason he even knew about his music was because of Carol's obsession with Risky Business.)

You weren't at your desk like Steve had expected; you were carrying a huge stack of records in your arms, shelving them as you walked along the rows, singing along to Sunspot Baby without a care in the world.

"Sunspot baby," you sang. "She sure had a real good time."

"I looked in Miami, I looked in Negril," Steve joined in. You turned with a grin, heading back to your desk. "The closest I came was a month old bill."

You noticed the kids as you put down your stack. "You brought company today, I see."

Steve gave you a look while the kids were still behind him. You stifled a giggle. "Uh, yeah, these are the kids. Dustin Henderson, Lucas Sinclair, Max Mayfield, Will Byers, and Mike Wheeler."

Dustin walked straight up to your desk. "So you're the girl Steve talks about all the time?"

"All the time, huh?" you said, smiling in a way that suggested you were sure Dustin was exaggerating.

"Every time we see him," Mike groaned. You stared at the younger Wheeler in surprise.

"Oh, really? Is that so, Steve?" you teased.

He rolled his eyes, unable to stop his blush. "Sorry to interrupt your quiet shift. They wanted to stop in and grab some records."

"No we didn't—we just wanted to meet you," Lucas said. Steve's calm expression became painfully forced.

The young redhead snorted. "Speak for yourself." She looked up at you expectantly. "Do you have any David Bowie?"

You grinned. "I like you, you have good taste. Back side of the first row."

Max grinned and dragged Lucas with her.

You looked back at Steve. "Do you have enough room in your car for one more?"

"Need a ride when you leave?"

You nodded.

"Yeah, I've got room. I'll just make the kids rearrange."

You laughed. "You don't have to do that," you insisted.

Steve leaned across the counter. "Don't worry about it—I want to. I'd feel terrible if I left you to get home on your own."

You smiled at him, noticing Dustin nudging Mike and Will and pointing in your direction out of the corner of your eye.

~❊~

Somehow, the kids' presence lightened up the rest of your shift. Time passed quickly with them there, adventuring through the store and asking you question after question about the vinyls lining the walls.

You waved off Steve as he tried to get the kids to leave you alone. "They're fine, Steve. It's okay. You wanna help me get everything packed up? I've gotta lock up soon."

"Oh, yeah, sure." Steve took the vinyl off the record player and slipped it back into its case. He glanced over his shoulder and called to the kids, "Hey, guys! We're gonna head out soon."

You ran through your closing tasks as quickly as you could, anxious to head home for the night.

"Alright, everybody out. Got everything?" you asked, ushering the kids to the door and taking out the key. You set the alarm system for the building and locked the door behind you.

Steve put a hand on your back. Warmth bloomed through you from where he touched you. "You're all ready to go?"

You nodded, not trusting yourself to speak.

The kids opened the doors of Steve's car, jumping in quickly. Dustin made his way to the passenger's seat. Steve stopped him, gently shoving him toward the back seat with everyone else.

"Hey—move it, Henderson, she's got the passenger's seat."

You stared at Steve. "No, no, it's okay, he can—"

Steve shook his head, holding open the door for you. "Come on, it's fine, just..." He gestured into the car. The kids whispered and giggled at him. He sent them a glare and Dustin's annoyed face shifted into a gleeful smirk.

You got in the front seat, unaware of the glances being exchanged in the back or the glare Steve was giving them.

"Seat belts!" Steve said as he got into the driver's seat. You giggled at him as the kids groaned. You caught the way his face lit up when he looked at you, and butterflies tickled your insides.

Once the kids had listened and all were buckled, Steve pulled out of the parking lot and started his way through Hawkins, dropping them off one-by-one: Will first, on the outskirts of town, his mother waiting at the door; Max, who was relieved the Camaro wasn't in the driveway; Dustin next, his new cat sitting on the front step; Lucas, who was immediately met with his snarky young sister; Mike last, Nancy already at the door—saying goodbye to Jonathan.

You glanced at Steve. "You alright?"

Steve looked at you, releasing a deep sigh. "I'm okay," he said. "I...I'm doing better now."

"Good," you said. "You deserve it."

Steve gave you a curious look before he said, "Let's get you home, right?"

"Right."

And if Steve drove slower the whole way back to yours compared to driving the kids home, you weren't going to say anything.

When he got back to your house, Steve pulled into the driveway and sighed. "Well. Home sweet home," he said.

You looked at Steve with a smile. "Thanks for the ride home." You picked up the bag you had put on the ground. You got out, then stopped yourself before you could close the door. You crouched to look at him in the car. "Hey, Steve?"

"Yeah?" Was it just your imagination, or did he sound nervous?

You took a deep breath. Now or never.

"I talk about you all the time, too."

For a moment, Steve processed your words. Then his eyes went wide. Hope bloomed on his slack-jawed face. "You..." He bit his lip, holding back a smile. "You mean that you..."

"Yes, Steve," you said, voice quiet. "Always have. Just ask my friends—they'll give away my secrets just as quickly as Dustin gave away yours." You drummed your fingers against the roof of his car. "Do with that what you will. It's up to you if...you want to even acknowledge it or not." You closed his door and started for your front door.

A door squeaked and then slammed shut moments later; running steps approached you.

"Wait!"

You turned as Steve's hand fell on your shoulder, pulling you close to him. He yanked your body close to his, his arms sliding around you, his hands gripping your shoulder blades. For a split second, you reveled in his hug, noticing the difference in it, relishing in the love in his arms instead of the misery.

Those few seconds became nothing as Steve pulled back. You gave a sound of protest, quickly squashed by Steve's lips.

Your heart had stopped beating, but was simultaneously pounding. You moved on instinct, looping your arms around his shoulders, yanking him down to you. Never once did your lips part from his as the two of you grappled to hold each other in the best way possible.

Thunder boomed overhead. You gasped, pulling apart.

"Was it supposed to storm?" you asked.

"I didn't think so," Steve said.

You kissed him again. Steve smiled into the kiss.

"You should get home before it pours," you whispered against his lips. But neither of you made any move to let go of each other.

Steve adjusted so that his head was against yours, his mouth at your temple. "See you tomorrow in class, then?"

You hummed. "Yeah. Tomorrow."

Steve pressed a kiss to your forehead. "I don't wanna leave."

You looked up at the sky, watching the already-grey skies grow darker as storm clouds rolled in. "We're going to get soaked if we stay out here, Steve."

Steve squeezed you tightly. "Tomorrow, then." He kissed your forehead again. "I'll see you tomorrow...sweetheart."

You beamed at the nickname while Steve blushed while he gave you the moniker.

"And to think," you whispered. "You'd known me all this time, but this? This happened all because you stopped in my store one day."

Steve hugged you tight to his chest. "I wish I'd noticed you before, sweetheart, really I do."

You kissed him. "Well, you've noticed me now." Light rain started, dusting Steve's hair until it sparkled. "Now go, before that pretty hair of yours gets ruined."

He grinned, brushing his hand through it. "I knew you liked my hair."

"Always have." You pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "Always will."

☞ ❊ ☜

Stranger Things // Steve Harrington

part 2? lmk!

Taglist: {comment and let me know if you'd like to be added to the S.H. taglist!} @ohatropa@nix-rose@live-the-fangirl-life

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samgelina-jolie · 1 year

Text

It all started a week ago. Steve had come along to The Hideout, decked in his darkest polo shirt. It was the first gig he'd come to since him and Eddie had officially- as Robin put it- 'got their shit together'.

Steve had met the band plenty of times already, and while they'd been pretty standoffish at first, he liked to think he got along with them pretty well. Jeff actually shared a similar taste in music (even admitting to liking ABBA because it reminded him of his mother) and he'd known enough about Star Wars and a mix of Dustin's interests to win over Seth. It was harder to read Gareth, but Steve had assumed they were at least acquaintances.

That was until Steve had walked up to the bar where Gareth was talking to some girl, and then Gareth had said the meanest thing imaginable.

"He's my buddy's boyfriend."

Eddie hadn't seen what the big deal was. But Steve understood the importance of befriending your partner's best friend.

Well, back in high school, Steve had never really bothered with his girlfriend's friends. He'd focused on putting in effort with the girls he found attractive, wooing them with flowers and gifts. The girls who he wanted to like him did, he didn't really care how much the other girls didn't. The only job the best friend really had in his mind was picking up the pieces after he left those girls in the dust.

That was all before Nancy, of course. She'd been so adamant about him making an impression on Barb, so he'd tried. He invited her to parties, kept Carol and Tommy off her back, even tried to back her up once or twice when Barb and Nancy were bickering.

And it worked out... kind of. Barb had still rolled her eyes whenever Steve opened his mouth, but she was also the one who pulled him aside and saved him a whole lot of embarrassment and heartache.

"I'm telling you this because I would want to know, and because I guess you're not the worst person in the world. Nancy has been hanging out with Jonathan a lot lately... I just think maybe you should pay a bit more attention to it."

But besides him and Nancy as a couple not working out, he'd realised how important being on good terms with the person you're dating's friends is to being a good boyfriend. Which is why it was integral that he became proper friends with Eddie's best friend.

"What are you wearing?"

Steve had just walked into the Munson trailer. He'd spent nearly an hour trying to perfect his hair, so he's mildly offended that his outfit is the first thing his boyfriend noticed. Steve glanced down at his shirt with the huge Green Day logo printed onto it. He wasn't sure why Eddie looked so appalled, it wasn't dirty or anything.

"Oh, Gareth let me borrow it. Cute right?" Eddie's nose scrunched up even further, full on glaring at the offensive item.

"I can't let you into my room with that shirt on."

"Well hopefully once we get to your room neither of us will have our shirts on" Steve chuckled, leaning in for a kiss but Eddie turned his head.

"I'm serious, big boy. The polos and tight jeans, you're whole hot preppy look actually, that all really does it for me and you know it. But this?" He pulled at the fabric of the shirt. "This is the one piece of clothing I never want to see you in."

Steve scoffed. Eddie pushed him gently away with a shake of his head.

"I'm turning off the benefits."

"What benefits?"

"The sex benefits, no more sex until you admit you're not a Green Day fan and we burn that shirt."

"Eddie this is my in with Gareth! He's finally starting to warm up to me." Steve whined. "Besides, you can't just, like, turn off us having sex!"

"Oh yes I can. All I have to do is think about you in this abominable outfit and my boner just-" He whistles, imitating his finger deflating. Steve pouted. He knew rationally he could just give Gareth back the shirt, but that would mean embarrassingly admitting he didn't like Green Day to Gareth and then trying to find another in with him.

So no, Eddie was just being unreasonable.

Anyway, he was totally bluffing about the sex. Steve hoped.

"It's been five days Robin! I mean, we haven't gone that long without having sex since.. since we started having sex!" Steve cried, following the woman around as she restocked the shelves. Even though he couldn't see her face he could tell she was rolling her eyes.

It was a serious situation though, at least in Steve's opinion. He and Eddie hung out all the time, and while he obviously enjoyed doing other things with his boyfriend, he wished the other man would at least have the decency to not be so sexy while performing daily tasks. Steve had been this close to jumping him in the frozen food section of the grocery store yesterday.

And he knew he wasn't the only desperate one, Eddie was suffering too. Obviously he'd assumed Steve would cave after a day, because he'd been all jumpy and grouchy for nearly a week. And he kept making that face that Steve recognised all too well whenever Steve did anything even slightly suggestive. Like when he'd bent down to put his laundry in the dryer, and when he turned back around Eddie was beet red and avoiding eye contact.

"Have you tried breaking out the old Harrington seduction techniques yet?" Robin shrugged, obviously not bothered by the fact her best friend was on the verge of death due to lack-of-sex-with-his-really-hot-boyfriend disease.

The thing was, he had tried his old methods. He tried wearing tighter shirts, that strained around his arms and showed off his midriff (but always making sure he was wearing some kind of Green Day memorabilia, because damn him if he wasn't going to be right about this). He'd invited Eddie along to his and Lucas' basketball game. He even tried straight up begging, knowing how much that usually gets Eddie worked up.

And nothing!

Although, there was still one move he hadn't tried yet...

"You want to what?" Eddie shot him an incredulous look.

"Help you study, of course. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't help you with your problems? Besides I have this really neat method to help you revise." Steve let himself into the trailer and Eddie's room. He wasn't wearing a Green Day shirt today, but he did have a wristband, something he knew Eddie had spotted already as he walked into the room with his arms crossed.

"Right. And what method would this be?"

"Every time you get an answer right, I take off a item of clothing, and vice versa." Steve plopped himself down on the unmade bed, which he'd missed dearly. Eddie hadn't even let them take naps together in his room, insisting 'spooning almost always leads to sex with you'.

Eddie considered his offer carefully, before nodding with a shit eating grin. Steve cheered internally.

"Great!" Steve smiled before adding "Your rings all count as one item by the way." He tried not to look too smug at the way Eddie's confident grin faltered.

The game reached its boiling point very quick. Eddie had known more about Geography then Steve had expected, which reflected in the fact he only had his boxers and one sock left on. Eddie, however, wasn't doing too much better, sat in only his jeans (and Steve suspected no underwear underneath).

He's not sure who kissed who first, but suddenly Steve was pressed against the mattress, Eddie's thigh between his legs. Excitement coursed through him, his body so receptive to Eddie's touch after so long he wasn't even embarrassed at the noises he was letting out. His hips bucked up, causing Eddie to groan into his mouth.

"So the Green Day thing?" Eddie mumbled between kisses down Steve's neck. The noise Steve made was loud and high pitched, almost drowning out the man's next words. "It's over then?"

Steve paused, the hand that had been trailing down his boyfriend's chest pushed firmly against him as he pulled away.

"Over because you've let it go, right?" He mumbled. Eddie pulled back, his lips red and glossy.

"No, over because you let it go?" Steve huffed, sitting up and pulling his clothes back on. He tugged his jeans on in annoyance, storming out of the bedroom.

"You know what, I'm turning off the benefits now! No sex until you admit Green Day are better than... than Dio!" Steve yelled. He was irritated and extremely worked up but he was also incredibly stubborn. He heard a squawk of protest from behind him as he made his way outside.

"That wasn't even the rule!" Eddie called out, but Steve ignored him. He was not loosing this fight.

Listen, Metal music was fine, Steve endured listening to it with Eddie like he endured watching sports games with Steve. He was content in the knowledge that not loving every single one of each other's interest didn't mean they didn't love each other.

Punk was fine too, it still wasn't Steve's thing really, but it was okay and while Steve couldn't tell the difference, according to Gareth there was one. A huge one, if the way he'd been ranting about it for the past hour was anything to go by.

But between fighting with his boyfriend (because it was a genuine fight at this point), not having any sex for nearly two weeks, and being stuck listening to someone talk about something you have no interest in for hours, Steve couldn't take it anymore.

"I don't like punk music! I listen to Queen and Cyndi Lauper and sometimes Madonna and happy music that I can dance to without thinking about America's political landscape!" He blurted out. Gareth stopped his rambling about how Rob Harper was a better drummer than Pete Something, flashing Steve a confused expression.

"Then why were you pretending to?" He asked.

"I... I just didn't want you to just see me as 'Eddie's boyfriend'. I wanted to be your friend and Jeff told me you like punk music so I brought it up and..."

"Look, you are Eddie's boyfriend. Yeah, you're an okay dude, but I can acknowledge that without us having to do the whole friendship thing too, you know?" Gareth shrugged. Steve deflated.

"Right." He said, quickly making an excuse and leaving. Gareth shrugged off the weird feeling the guy's sad puppy dog eyed had given him, grabbing Steve's fries.

He felt kind of embarrassed that he'd been talking for ages with someone who didn't even care. He supposed it was nice of Steve to make the effort, Gareth wasn't aware he'd been trying so hard honestly. Jeff and Seth had warmed up to him pretty quickly but he thought that was just because they were just softies that were no immune to the 'Harrington Charm'.

"Steve?!" A loud yell startled him out of his thoughts.

Eddie stormed into the bar, wearing- holy shit, Gareth felt like he must have hit his head and started hallucinating. This day had taken such a weird turn, because there Eddie Munson stood before him decked out in a 'I heart Green Day' shirt. He also looked like it was taking every ounce of self control not to rip it off his body like it burned.

"Finally come around on the punk scene, Munson?" Gareth chortled. Eddie threw a fry at his face.

"Shut your trap, I need to find Steve before one of the gremlins sees me in this, they're too impressionable." He muttered, taking a seat as he looked around the bar.

"If this is a Steve thing you can stop anyway man, he admitted he doesn't really like them that much. It's kind of weird I mean, who lies about being into something to get someone to like them?"

"Dude, I spent the whole summer eating ice cream as a lactose intolerant person because Steve worked at Scoops Ahoy. He was just trying to find something for you to be friends about." Eddie shot him an unimpressed look, which Gareth thought was a bit high-and-mighty considering he just admitted to basically poisoning himself on a weekly basis for a guy he'd thought was straight at the time.

"Why exactly?"

"I don't know, Steve likes being close to people? He's basically besties with his ex girlfriend, man. Why are you so adamant he can't be yours?" Gareth considered this.

He remembered when Eddie had first told the band he was dating Steve Harrington. They'd all thought he was kidding, but there he was at their next rehearsal, cheering them on and spending his breaks holding Eddie's hand.

Gareth thought maybe it was a joke to Steve. Messing with the guy who likes men by making him think he has a shot with the former prom king. He thought it would end with Eddie in tears, and that had probably made him a bit more defensive than he needed to be. Maybe there was a small part of him, no matter how great Steve seemed, that still believed the guy was setting his best friend up for heartbreak.

"Look, I get that you might have reservations about him. But all I'm saying is- and I've got about a dozen preschoolers and multiple full grown adults that would back me up- Steve Harrington is a pretty great friend to have. So if he offers you friendship, you should take it." Eddie snatched a handful of fries as he got up, leaving Gareth alone at the bar.

Steve was half way out the door, wearing nothing but Eddie's Dio vest and grey sweatpants when he saw Eddie. He was standing in front of him, eyeing Steve like a starved man presented with a stake. Steve guessed he probably had a similar look, smiling at the Green Day shirt the man was wearing.

"Oh my god take your pants off." Eddie basically growled, slamming the front door to Steve's house shut as he stalked towards him. He pulled Steve into a ferocious kiss, hands quickly travelling down to his ass.

"Leave the shirt on." Steve gasped out. Eddie let out a muffled groan into his neck. They ran to the bedroom, loosing the vest and both of their pants on the way.

"Steve? You home, man?" Gareth heard a loud noise inside, followed by hopping, then Steve opened the door slightly. He was sweaty and shirtless, and his hair was a mess. He'd probably just been working out or whatever jocks did in their spare time.

"Listen, I'm sorry about what I said at the bar. You're a cool guy, I'd like for us to be friends, really. I even thought of something we could bond over; haircare. I've actually been meaning to ask you for some tips anyway." He admitted. Steve beamed, Gareth was almost scared the incredibly sweaty man was about to pull him into a hug. He didn't, he just kept smiling.

"That's real nice for you two, maybe next he'll ask you to prom!" Eddie's voice rang out from somewhere behind the door. Steve flushed a little and hushed him. Gareth was kind of confused as to why Eddie voice sounded so coarse and breathless, he didn't think Eddie had ever voluntarily exercised in his life.

"I would really like that, Gareth. I'll tell you everything you need to know, come by anytime. Except right now." He smiled again before slamming the door. Gareth heard more noises inside, wondering what the fuck they were up to until he heard a loud moan. Oh God, Gareth started running.

Still, he couldn't help but smile. It was always nice to make more friends.

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erikiara80 · 6 months

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Theory: the car crash in the winter of 1976 (Part I)

You can read Part II here

I've been working a lot on this theory, and I keep finding things lol. In this post I focus on '76. In Part II I'll talk about the cars.

I think there are many hints that there might've been a car crash in the past (for example, the wheelbarrows) and that that's the event that separated El from her family, Joyce, Hopper and her brothers.

Basically, the theory is that she wasn't abducted at birth. The lab helped her parents to have her and Will (I think Jon is Lonnie's kid) because of Agent Orange. And maybe Brenner was waiting for El to be old enough to test her abilities, or maybe it's something else. Anyway, I think she lived five years with her family, then there was a car crash and powers/a time loop saved her. Or she was brought to the hospital and it was there that powers made her "crawl backwards", like Steve says to Nancy in S4 (here)

And "be swapped in the hospital (to tell you the truth)" like Karen says in S3. I have also a theory about Karen, but that's for another post. It's interesting that she says at the hospital, and not at birth, and in S4 Brenner calls the lab hospital.

I think that from that moment in 1976 it was like El was never part of the family and she became "Terry's kid" and a lab kid. "One's kid." The flashback of Sara's death could be an altered memory of what happened to Will and El after the accident. Or maybe there's even a bigger twist about Sara, but I won't talk about it here. This post is long already, lol.

@chirpsythismorning noticed something interesting. When El saves Max, the camera rotates counterclockwise. And her arm reminds me of the hand of a clock. Same counterclockwise rotation when Brenner dies.

Why in winter and why in 1976

There are many references to ice, feeling cold, frozen. The snow, connected to Hopper and El.

El saying that she comes from a bad place, and the boys saying that it's Sweden, a cold sub-zero place. Imo, the frozen lake, the reason she ended up in the other bad place, the lab.

The song California dreamin' playing the day before Will's birthday

And the last line in S4: 'It's snowing' while Max is in the hospital and Lucas and Erica, brother and sister, are with her.

There are also many hints that something bad happened in 1976.

S1: The reporter says that the authorities suspect that Will was victim of foul play and that seven years before ('76) another person drowned in the quarry (*) S2: Lucas tells Max that a very decomposed body was found there. The truth hidden in a fake story

Castle Byers flashback. Will doesn't get too scared anymore. Joyce jokes about her witch and he says that he's not five anymore ('76). Joyce's witch could be a reference to the Witch of the West. In S1 Hopper calls the lab Emerald City. Also, in Castle Byers there are a rainbow, a stuffed lion and a microscope -> connection to the lab.

Possible hint at Lonnie's involvement in the "accident" (I'll talk about the trunk in Part II) When Jon was nine/ten he made him kill a rabbit, an animal associated with El and Alice/Henry. Jon was born in 1967, so the rabbit (El?) died in '76. I also think it's not a coincidence that it's Jon, a boy worried about his brother, who sees Barb disappear in a pool. Jon says he cried for a week. He mourned that little rabbit...

Also. When he tells Nancy about the rabbit, he says that he's a fan of Thumper. And in the Nancy and Steve dialogue about crawling backwards, Steve says that what he needed was a thump on his head, to finally start crawl forward

First day of kindergarten ('76) Will was swinging by himself. Swing sets are associated with both Willel and the Creels, and one of the swings is always broken or missing. If I'm right, this is brilliant: this beautiful Byler moment could also be a hint that Will shouldn't have been alone that day. His sister should've been swinging with him.

The lifeguard at the pool: 'No one in the water until 30 minutes after the last strike. You wanna get electrocuted, go climb a tree'. A very specific line and another possible hint that someone ended up in the water (a lake) and that powers (the strike) saved them. Behind him a poster with the date '76 and the word Happy Birthday.

In 4x01, El says that they're all time travellers and that it feels like it's been ten years since she saw Mike. 1986-10 = 1976.

There's also the poster of the Salizburger Festpiele of 1976- Der Talisman. We see it as Murray and Joyce are talking about Russia and Murray is preparing his ice bath (and he was the one who thought El was a russian spy, so this is about her). Once again, connection between cold and 1976. Plus, The Talisman. Lucas read Stephen King's novel, The Talisman, a story about parallel worlds and Twinners.

EDIT 2/3/24: Ross posted a photo of A Wrinkle in Time. The book was published in 1962, but this is the cover of the 1976 paperback edition (here)

(*) In the quarry scene there's also a cool parallel with Fringe, one of my favorite shows. Mike wears the same shirt Peter wears in episode 3x15, Subject 13 (my post about Number 13 and Polivia-Byler parallel)

In that episode, Peter almost drowns in the same frozen lake where Walter opened a portal to the other universe.

And it is revealed that Olivia can travel to the other universe when she's scared. The trigger? Her violent stepfather (looking at you, Lonnie) Why would he hurt the kids? Jealousy, money, or both. A possible parallel with Billy's father, who was jealous of his wife and in Billy's memory asks her: Did you see him again?

#el hopper #willel twins #eleven hopper #jane hopper #time loop theory #timeline theory #byers hopper family #will byers #st theory #st analysis #jonathan byers #alice creel #lonnie byers #st parallels #stranger things

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thestobingirlie · 10 months

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With the asks about Eddie and the 'hunt the freak' thing it made me think of two things I've seen fandom talk about with it

1. Acting like it's a classist thing that Eddie was considered a suspect for Chrissy but Steve wasn't considered a suspect for Barb. When there was another (ok, it was wrong) explanation for Barb being missing, with the whole runaway line. There was no evidence for the police to believe that Barb had been harmed at Steve's house. And with Chrissy there was a body! There were two people living in the trailer, one had an alibi for his whereabouts, the other was seen entering with her and leaving without her. Of course he was a suspect. And when you add in the fact he was a known dealer, the police probably had a potential motive of a drug deal gone wrong in mind.

2. I recently saw a post saying that fans are wrong when they make Claudia Henderson such a loving and accepting person when she's 'obviously' a judgemental person because she believed the police that Eddie was dangerous and not going off what she would have been told by Dustin. She's a single mother to a teenager who is known for not having the best judgement (Dart, the Russians). She would have been worried about Dustin's safety or him getting caught up in something. If she'd never met Eddie and all of a sudden the police are saying he's a suspected serial killer, she'd be terrified about what it meant for her kid. If he was going to get dragged in as an accomplice or if he was in danger of being the next victim. She didn't know Eddie outside of what she'd been told, so she had no reason to believe he wasn't dangerous.

Some fans seem to forget that we, as the audience, have additional information as to what's happening, we know things that the other characters don't, and the characters need to stop being judged for acting in a certain way because they don't have all the information.

it’s kinda funny because this fandom, like, invents things that eddie is oppressed over. for example, no one ever calls eddie trailer trash in canon. but in every anon i get calling him that, it’s in quotes. like. just admit it’s you calling him trailer trash, no one else lmao.

but anyway!!

1. i actually made a post about this so long ago!! so here you go. but yeah, it’s dumb to compare the two. the cases are not at all the same, and like you said, eddie is known drug dealer, he’s had run ins with the police before. we know this from max’s mum, and chief powell himself who asks jason if chrissy would buy drugs from eddie.

2. who tf is shitting on claudia henderson, because i will not allow it. like. jesus sorry she lives in a HELLHOLE, where people seem to get brutally murdered on a yearly basis and everyone does fuck all about it. let her be nervous damn, she doesn’t owe eddie anything.

honestly i think most people need to rewatch the show, preferably without shipping goggles, just to remind themselves of what actually happened.

#eddie munson #steve harrington #chrissy cunningham #barb holland #claudia henderson #stranger things #asks #anon

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nakianshuri · 2 years

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Contrary to what appears to be popular opinion, season 4, Vol. 2 Steve is the best version of Steve.

But I understand the urge to see him as ooc, especially his continued love for Nancy, because his behavior flies in the face of how most of us are conditioned to respond to heartbreak and humiliation. I think people struggle to understand how Steve could ever let himself love Nancy when she humiliated him so badly in season 2.

Let's remember that Steve first humiliates Nancy at the end of season 1 when he lets his friends spray paint her name on the movie theater marquee after he thought Nancy betrayed him. Then he tries to humiliate Jonathan and receives a swift ass kicking: aka the first of Steve's many head thumps that lets him know he needs to course correct.

Steve atones for that behavior: he regrets his choices, dumps his terrible friends, and goes to apologize to Jonathan to make amends. Then, in the face of danger, he saves Jonathan and Nancy's lives.

It's Nancy's turn to humiliate Steve in season 2 when she calls him and their love "bullshit" and sleeps with Jonathan days after, but she never atones for it like Steve atoned for his behavior, which is why she doesn't seem to "deserve" Steve.

Instead, we see other teens taunt Steve about how Nancy has weakened him. This begins in season 1, when Steve dumps Tommy H as a friend, and Tommy responds that Nancy has turned Steve into a "pussy." In season 2, after Nancy calls Steve and their relationship "bullshit," Billy tells Steve during basketball practice, "I heard you used to run this school...King Steve, they used to call you. Then you turned bitch." When Nancy runs off with Jonathan to get justice for Barb, Tommy H taunts Steve in the gym showers that despite being broken up for one day, Nancy is with Jonathan and hasn't returned. Tommy realizes Steve didn't know this, and he just laughs in his face. Literally.

Meanwhile, Nancy sleeps with Jonathan and is smiling the morning after, very self-satisfied, without a thought to Steve, who is bringing her flowers to apologize, telling Dustin that she's special, and offering himself up as bait to the demo-dogs to protect a bunch of kids he barely knows. Then he sees Nancy and Jonathan together and feels the electricity between them and tells her to go.

Throughout all of this, Steve comes out as the one to face humiliation and change because of it. To accept that the alpha males at his high school no longer see him as top dog but as a pussy and a bitch because he fell for a "princess" who left him for a "the freak's brother." And after all of this, Steve has the audacity not only to thank Nancy for that humiliation but also leave himself open for more heartbreak by telling her she's always there in his dreams of the future.

Very few of us are conditioned to experience at that kind of humiliation and be grateful and look in the eyes of the person who put us through that and say, "I still want you." So now, for some Steve fans perhaps, he's coming off as a pussy and a bitch, just like Tommy H said. Nancy has made him soft, because anyone else would realize she's not worth it. She doesn't deserve him.

But Steve says the opposite to Nancy in Vol. 2 ; he say he didn't deserve her...but maybe now he does because he has the capacity to be challenged, be thrown from his comfort zone, and grow stronger. That's just so powerful. If more men, if more people in general, were able to lead with that kind of strength and vulnerability, we'd be in a much better place. But most of us don't move through the world like that. When humiliated, we lash out, we protect ourselves from future heartbreak.

This confession puts Nancy in a position to address the unfinished business of season 2, mainly her side of her relationship with Steve and what her future may look like. How does she go from telling Fred she's annoyed Jonathan isn't in Hawkins with her to telling Jonathan when he returns that she's glad he wasn't with her? Do she and Jonathan really want the same things if Jonathan says he doesn't want to leave his family to follow a dream that isn't his? What were and are her feelings for Steve? Has she ever explicitly said she didn't love him or did she not love the version of him that aimed for safety and complacency? So many questions that deserve their own posts.

I usually loathe love triangles. I avoid them at all costs, but this one feels different because it's about character development not regression or stagnation.

All of this is confirmed in Steve's conversation with Nancy in the woods where he basically tells the audience that his arc is not about being the best babysitter but about evolving because of the pain he's experienced (namely because of Nancy) to become a better, fully realized version of himself. In that moment, Steve (for me at least) became a damn masterpiece of a character.

#Steve Harrington #character: steve harrington #the fandom should strive to deserve this character tbh #stranger things #stancy

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robinswise · 10 months

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okayyyy unpopular opinion that will more then likely turn into a rant!

EDDIE 'THE FREAK' MUNSON IS THE BANE OF MY EXISTENCE

AAAAAA

ok.

I. Do. Not. Like. Eddie. Munson.

Just to get this out of the way, I don't hate Joseph Quinn at all, he's a great actor, but I hate Eddie.

OKAY I NEED TO ACTUALLY GET TO THE POINT-

Eddie is an asshole

Why couldn't he push the dnd campaign to a different day? Is there a reason? I don't think there was, I don't remember there being one and when I googled it, sure enough, there doesn't seem to be a reason.

Really couldn't his role have been given to pretty much any of the characters?

Mike.

Lucas.

Dustin.

Jonathan would've made the most sense (to me) if he wasn't in Cali (in season 1 we know some people thought Jonathan might've k!lled Will, so they could've thought he did the same to Chrissy)

Even Steve.

Honestly, even Max could've been given the role

Also, I don't dislike most people who like Eddie, alot of them are just really obsessed (like a scary level of obsession)

ALSO STEDDIE-

I posted about them positively one time a while ago but no I do not ship them.

The context for that post was that I didn't hate Steddie - at the time I even vaguely liked them (or more specifically, I liked the way that certain people wrote them) but I didn't ship them, they just made the most sense for that specific idea and I didn't hate them at the time.

I was reading something that was part of a longer series of posts and the person had hinted that Stonathan would be in it but then suddenly Eddie appeared and Steddie was heavily implied - which normally wouldn't be an issue but they didn't tag it with Eddie or Steddie.

Anyways, Argyle is in my opinion the better character added in season 4.

Another thing, it didn't bother me initially but Eddie stans acting like Eddie and Dustin's friendship is so unique is really annoying to me-

Because- no- like sure, he's close with Eddie, but the friendship is not unique whatsoever, in terms of older brother like friends he had Steve, in terms of outcast nerds who like dnd he had the party, and in terms of friends with attitude problems he had Mike and Max

Also, was his death really all that shocking? It fit the st formula perfectly! Introduce a new character just to k!ll them off

Benny

Barb

Bob

Billy

Even in search 4 we got Chrissy Fred and Patrick

About his crazy fans - not all are like this, I've met some genuinely nice Eddie fans who've written genuinely good Steddie ficlets - but was sending death threats necessary? Because I just don't get why that whole thing happened.

I think Eddie coming back in any form other then a flashback or Vecna vision would just maks me upset tbh, like actually, what would be the point? They already pulled "look he's actually alive!" Trick with Hopper (and to an extent, Will) so doing it a third time (even for such a fan favorite) would just feel lazy to me

Also, in my opinion, Will would dislike Eddie, so many people say that Will would love him but to me, I feel like it would be very out of character for him to like Eddie (knowing that Will doesn't like extra attention - at least not from people who might judge and/or ridicule him - and Eddie actively draws it)

I feel like the fact we only got a reaction to Eddie's death from Dustin and Wayne is really telling as to how little importance he actually had, because even Mike who was friends with Eddie didn't know about his death - or at least his reaction wasn't important enough to show.

I found Eddie's guitar solo to be very pointless and even rather boring.

Also, there are people who ship Eddie with Billy?? Ew.

Even as someone who does not like Eddie at all I can confidently say that he deserves better and would probably not fall for that walking piece of dog shit (once again, I don't hate Dacre Montgomery I just hate Billy)

Anyways, in short, I don't mind Joseph Quinn or Eddie's fans, I know there's definitely worse characters in the show, and at the end of the day I'm just a nerd on the internet who's been fixated on the same subject for probably way to long so it's fine to have a different opinion then me

#a very stupid rant #was this necessary? no #did it make me feel better? yes #anti eddie munson #anti steddie #stranger things #also it's 3am so this is not proof read and I'm tired #if you want to argue with me just block me instead tbh

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steveharrington · 1 year

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Steve is fundamentally a fan-service character. That is why he is given no depth, and that the majority of his situation is portrayed from a comedic relief angle, meme-able moments, and stuff like ''being a babysitter''. Is it enjoyable enough? I mean, sure, Steve fills that fanservice character role and people enjoy him being charming and funny, so the show portrays him that way. But he does not provide anything else other than that in the story. And just because he is given screentime does not make him an important part of the show either. He is a lovable, cool, and charming character that captured fans' hearts, and he receives screen time and fan service moments based on that. But I just do not get why people expect the writers to give Steve an actual storyline or real connection to the supernatural plot when his character was never meant to be given one, and his character is largely portrayed as a comedic relief or a fanservice funny character.

im going to challenge this because i think it's a bad writing practice to partition one character off as the designated Fan Service Character and think that absolves you, the writer, of giving them depth or realism. when we're thinking about characters...idk my personal belief is that they should feel like real people. saying "oh well that's just the comedic relief so we don't have to acknowledge that it's the fourth year in a row of him coming face to face with supernatural horrors in a way that either physically or mentally alters him" is just a cop-out and an excuse for lazy writing imo. and steve isn't some random side character who barely gets screen time either, like he isn't angela or tommy or mr. clarke, he's Heavily featured every season. he had the 2nd most lines in season two. idk i think if i, the viewer, am gonna be spending that much time watching a character, i'd like for them to have some semblance of a relevant plot or connection to the main storyline.

people expect steve to get a storyline or a connection to the supernatural plot because it's straight up bizarre for him to be in the middle of an enormous catastrophic supernatural event that always effects him personally, and yet somehow the show never acknowledges it. in season one a classmate dies in his pool and he discovers monsters exist, then fights one in close proximity. in season two another one of his classmates almost murders him. in season three he's tied up and tortured and drugged. in season four he's eaten alive by monsters. again if the duffers want their characters to feel like real people who exist within this story, at least one of those things should be important to steve's story! they should be acknowledged!

also i would argue that steve wasn't created To Be Fanservice. i won't argue that he's become a fanservice-centric character, but that wasn't like his only purpose in the story throughout the series. i think people have a recency bias when they look at steve's storyline, but he really didn't become such a heavily comedic character until season three. in season one he's a villain, like he serves to antagonize jonathan and represent this normalcy and stability in nancy's life that she rapidly moves away from as she searches for barb. and in season two, steve has a beautiful and like genuinely meaningful storyline. he starts off the season envisioning his future with nancy, he gets his heart broken, he gets roped into investigating supernatural happenings with this random kid who he could easily just ditch or dump on someone else but he stays, gives the kid advice based off his current emotional state, then continues to protect the others from the demodogs and billy and it gives him this obvious fulfillment and increased emotional maturity that allows him to finally let go of the relationship and future he was picturing. it was amazing and steve felt real and people loved it not because like "haha funny babysitter" but because it was very genuinely sweet to watch a disillusioned teenage boy form a bond with this dorky kid that benefitted both of them emotionally. it wasnt until seasons 3 & 4 that steve's potential storylines became sidelined for the sake of throwaway funny moments or like.... unrealistic healing abilities

idk i just think people connect with steve based off what we saw in seasons 1 & 2 and they're interested in his full potential if the writers would just utilize it. but because the duffers can't seem to balance an ensemble cast and because steve is easy to market he has become (game show audience voices) abandoned! by! the! narrative! but it doesn't have to be this way and it shouldn't, if stranger things wants to be recognized as a well written show with good character work

#none of this is meant to be aggressive or angry sounding so i hope it didnt come off that way ;0;#i just love my boy #anon #answered

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inej-ruination-ghafa · 2 years

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EIGHTEEN - E.M

PART 1; PISS OFF YOUR PARENTS

Warnings: mentions of selling drugs, allusions to sex, ptsd, slight bullying

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Wheeler!Fem!reader

Summary: it's the last day of school before spring break and all you want to do is spend this break with your boyfriend. That is until the day leads to a gruesome end for one of your friends.

Wordcount: 2.3k

You waited in the back, watching the audience through the curtains, hoping that Eddie had turned up for today's pep rally. You knew he didn't like them but had asked if he could come, this was the furthest the basketball team had made it in years.

You smiled when you saw him lingering in the back, dark denim jacket and large hair standing out in the crowd. You walked back with Chrissy who was talking to some other cheerleaders, ready to go on stage.

You performed the routine, a wide fake grin in your face the entire time. You just smiled at Eddie in the crowd, glad that he had turned up for you.

Once you finished the crowd applauded and you went and sat down in the front, keeping that peppy spirit alive. You cheered as the basketball team came out, smiling at your friend Lucas as he ran out behind the others.

"First off I'd like to thank each and everyone one of you for being here. I'd also like to give a special shout out to the prettiest fans of all time, the Tiger cheer squad. Chrissy, I love you babe," Jason said before going on to his speech about how upsetting all the deaths had been.

Your smile fell and the memories all began flashing. Like at Steve's house party when Barb had gone missing, or watching Bob get ripped apart, or Billy as the mind flayer killed him.

They'd never know what you went through with all of it, that you knew what had happened to all of these people and the feeling made you sick to your stomach.

"Tomight, we're gonna bring back the championship trophy!" He yelled out, the crowd cheering.

You jumped back into the peppy spirit you needed, putting a smile on your face. You didn't care about the championship today, you just cared that tomorrow would be spring break and you could spend the whole time with your boyfriend.

After the tediously long pep rally, you rushed outside, looking around for Eddie. He was standing on the other side of the courtyard and you rushed over.

You ran out, straight into your boyfriend's arms and he picked you up, spinning you around slightly with a smile.

Before you he never liked the idea of showing off girls in public, simply because he had never found the right girl. But now, as he looked at you, he knew that he wanted the whole world to know that he was so madly in love with you and you cared about him just as much.

"I didn't know if you were gonna come," you said once he let you down, kissing you.

He chuckled, "You know I couldn't miss an opportunity to see my pretty girlfriend in that stunning little outfit," he said, hands roaming to your ass and you let out a yelp at his cheeky move.

"Munson, my brothers just over there," you stated, looking over his shoulder to see the three boys pulling disgusted faces at the display of affection.

Eddke just hummed, "He doesn't care, I'm sure he's heard us before," he said, a dark gleam in his eyes as he looked down at you.

You pulled away, hitting his chest lightly, "I've gotta go to my first lesson Eddie, okay, you gotta let me go," you tried to reason with him but he just wrapped his arm around your shoulders, beginning to walk to class.

"Can't believe I have fallen for a girl who goes to class on time, leaves at the end of a cul-de-sac and has aspirations," he said with a chuckle, the two walking through the halls.

People stared at them the whole time but they were used to it by now, one of the most popular girls in school dating the self proclaimed school freak wasn't what anyone had ever expected.

You could spot some of the girls from the cheerleading team laughing at the two of you but you tried to shake it off, knowing they weren't your real friends and that once you graduated, you didn't have to see any of them again.

He stopped in front of Miss Clicks class, Robin waiting at the door for you, "Why don't you just skip babe," he asked, forehead pressed against hers.

"Get off me Munson," you said jokingly, pushing him away, "I've got lessons to go to and if you want to graduate this year, you should go to your lessons too,"

He groaned, walking away, hand on his heart, "You wound me princess, you are my achilles heel and I am perished," he said before vanishing round the corner, leaving you with a wide grin on your face.

"Come on," Robin said and you chuckled, the two of you walking into the class.

At lunch, you sat in the cafeteria with Chrissy, noticing she was a little bit weird, "Hey, you okay?" You asked, frowning at her weird disposition.

She nodded, "Yeah, yeah," she said, continuing to poke her food around the plate with her fork.

They were all talking about the big game tonight but you couldn't stop looking over at your boyfriend as he joked around with your friends. You wished you had the nerves to go and sit with him for once, to not have to worry about the pressures of high school.

You watched as Eddie hopped up, getting onto the table, "But as long as you're into band, or science or parties, or a game where you toss balls into laundry baskets," he yelled out.

The table with all the basketball players looked up at him, booing his speech. You just smiled, amazed at how he had the courage to stand up to everyone else.

"You want something freak," Jason asked

"Sit down Jason," you said, rolling your eyes as you looked down at your food.

"It's forced conformity, this what's killing the kids," he exclaimed, sitting back down at his table as his friends chuckled.

"God, I don't know how you date such a freak," Myra, one of the girls from the cheerleading squad, said, giving you a dirty look as she continued to eat her lunch.

"He's probably a freak in the sheets too if you know what I mean," one of the other cheerleaders, Elyssa, said. The whole group chuckled, looking over at you for answers.

Sure, they knew some details about your relationship with Eddie but you weren't one to gossip about things so private like that.

"Come on guys, leave it alone," you said, eyes trailing over to Eddies. His eyes met yours and almost telepathically, you could tell that he was asking if you were okay. You nodded, a soft smile on his face.

He got back up again in the dramatic fashion you were used to and he began parading around, standing in the middle of the rows.

"If I don't blow this final, I'm gonna walk that stage next month, I'm gonna look principal Higgins dead in the eyes. I'm gonna flip him the bird, kiss my girlfriend in front of the whole school, I'm gonna snatch that diploma and I'm gonna run like hell outta here," he announced, his voice giddy.

He was sure this year that he was going to graduate, he couldn't stay at high school for another year whilst his girlfriend goes to college and has a life without him.

"Didn't you say that last year, and the year before?" Jeff questioned, a smirk on his face.

"Yeah, well now I've got my motivation. My pretty girlfriend and I are gonna graduate and I'm taking her on a road trip wherever the hell she wants,"

You smiled up at him as he stood at the table, he held his hand out and you chuckled, grabbing it and allowing him to pull you up. He spun you around once, a blush spreading over your face at the action, "This wonderful girl is the only reason why I'm gonna graduate this year,"

"Thanks princess," he whispered before letting you sit back down, a giddy smile on your face and a firm red blush on your cheeks.

"Well it's not like you actually study with my sister is it?" Mike questioned, scrunching his face up in disgust

Eddie raised his eyebrows, a smirk on his face. Dustin faked a gag as he realised what they were actually doing instead of studying. Gareth and Jeff applauded their friends, laughing at his antics.

"This year is my year, I can feel it. '86 baby," he announced, his voice echoing through the cafeteria.

Just after school had ended and before the championship game, you were walking through the halls, ready to warm up for the cheerleading routine that you'd be performing.

"Hey," you heard a voice call your name and turned to see Eddie standing nearby. You walked over, leaning against the wall.

"What's up?"

He took a deep breath, almost wondering what to say, "I was in the woods just now, with Chrissy Cunningham and-" he started.

"Wait? You were in the woods? With Chrissy Cunningham? My best friend Chrissy Cunningham?" You questioned, unsure of where this was going.

"You gonna let me speak princess?" He questioned before continuing with his story, "And she wanted to buy weed off of me. I sold it to her and then she asked if I had any of the good stuff so of course I said yes. Is she okay?"

You smiled at his consideration for your friend and honestly, you weren't sure what was going on with her. Now it explained why she was acting weird at lunch.

"Thanks for telling me Ed, I'll check up on her later," you said, pressing a kiss to his cheek before he walked you to the hall.

They stopped outside of the room where he played D&D with the boys.

"Have fun at your game, I'll see you tomorrow for a week of unadulterated fun," he said, wiggling his eyebrows at the suggestion.

You chuckled, "Thanks, hope your campaign goes well," you said before skipping off to the hall, cheerleading skirt riding up as you walked away.

You waited behind the wings, listening to the show. You hadn't had a time to talk to Chrissy yet but you knew you had to, there was something clearly wrong and as her friend, you had to see if she was okay.

"Singing for us tonight we have a very special guest, from Nashville, our very own Tammy Thompson," Higgins announced.

You chuckled in the back, watching through the curtains. You agree with what Steve had said last year in the bathrooms after the whole Russian incident, she sounded like a muppet.

"Why are you laughing Wheeler, that's my sister," Myra stated, eyes narrowing narrowing you.

You just chuckled, turning to look at her, "Your sister sings like a muppet on crack," you stated before turning around, ready to go out after the awful singing finished.

The whole time throughout the halftime cheerleading performance, all you could think about was how Eddie's campaign was going, you knew how excited he had been to get this final one ready. You were hoping you would've been able to go but you had to sit here and cheer every time a point was scored.

After a long and very tedious game,

You congratulated Lucas for scoring the last point before beginning to walk to your car, just wanting to go to sleep after the exhausting day you'd had. That was until you were cornered by the basketball team led by Jason Carver.

"Where's the freak frankenstein Eddie huh, he didn't come to your game?" Jason asked as he walked past you as you headed towards your car.

"Piss off Jason," you said, trying to ignore him.

"You're not coming to the party, bride of frankenstein?" One of his other friends asked and you just rolled your eyes at the nickname.

"I've got other plans," you stated before turning around, narrowing your eyes at Jason, "Have you seen Chrissy?"

"She went to get changed first," He said and even though you thought it was a bit odd you let it go, walking back to your car and driving home.

You called Eddie's House but nobody answered so you left a voicemail, "Hey, it's Y/N, just wanted to let you know the game is done, wanted to check up on your campaign. Call me back when you get this, bye,"

What you didn't know was that your entire life was going to change the next morning when you get a call from someone you were hoping never to get a call from.

Series Masterlist Part 2

A/N, I didn't love the way I ended it, it felt a bit rushed but I'm super excited to write the next chapter. I will probably finish my Rooster x OC series first and then focus on this.

Taglist:

If you want to be added just message me, send me an ask or comment, I don't mind

#eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson #eddie stranger things #eddie munson x wheeler!reader #wheeler!reader #mike wheeler #nancy wheeler #eddie the freak munson #mj writes nonsense #eighteen series

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stranger-rants · 2 months

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I know they wrote him apologizing for the following and that he did better, but Steve brushing off Nancy's, his then and still girlfriend's grief, trauma and guilt over Barb's death in S2, as he told her to pretend things were good - as much as i can get it was his own coping skill, him in S1 allowing Tommy, Carol and Vicky to spray paint his then girlfriend's name with the word 'slut', in one of the most degrading and demeaning ways to exist, just because they all thought and assumed she slept with Jonathan, canonically setting a false acussation about both of them, is also horrible, unfair and fucked up.

While i don't care about Nancy and i can get critical of her flaws, i personally think that also needs to be brought more often when it comes to this when talking about her. Which it rarely happens.

I've talked about this quite often, actually...

This whole thing gets messy because it becomes a matter of keeping score rather than understanding the flaws in either character - and I have certainly talked about Steve's flaws, especially the slut shaming.

I have little interest in having this discussion right now, though, as it's just snowballing now from a very simple observation - the Nancy fans who made and participated in that specific "which teen is straight" poll can't comprehend anyone thinking Nancy is straight.

From there, I mentioned choices made in the narrative that would lead on to believe that. I also, in a separate post, dragged Steve a little bit because people put him on a pedestal as a queer character or ally... but he wasn't... while denying the kind of queerphobic violence Billy canonically faced.

Now, it just feels like people are using my ask box to argue over who was right or wrong in Steve and Nancy's relationship. I don't care, personally. I think they're both stupid teenagers who said and did harmful things to one another and I wish that people could be normal about that.

I don't disagree with what you're saying... I just fail to see the point in this back and forth right now as that had nothing to do with why I was criticizing Nancy's characterization to begin with. The plot here has been lost.

"How could anyone think Nancy is straight?" became Nancy spends most of her screentime flip flopping between guys while her female friendships suffer became What do I think about the whole Nancy and Barb situation became Nancy is/is not guilty of killing Barb and it is/isn't fair to bring Steve into that now becomes Who Is The Real Bad Guy In Their Relationship... which I'm sure someone else is gonna have an opinion on.

I simply don't care about all that. They're stupid teenagers and their relationship sucked. End of.

#asks

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maddy-ferguson · 10 months

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Ngl, I really think that these bylers that are crying 24/7 about "purity culture" or whatever, are playing dumb when they start with their "but Nancy and Steve were 16 and 17 in that scene of s1!!!1" like... We got introduced to these characters at that age and the people playing them were already adults. So yeah, sorry but I think it's easy to see why most viewers would be uncomfortable with a more sexual scene of Mike and Will and it's not automatically homophobia, I think that would be the case with any of the kids since we got introduced to these characters when they were 12 and the actors were babies as well. We literally saw those kids grow. And I'm not saying byler should only get to peck or hold hands, It'd be cool if they have their epic kiss or whatever, but Will hasn't even had his first kiss yet and some of these people are already talking about sex scenes, like... Be for real 😭

funny you should say that...because i've used the nancy was 15-16 in season one argument (last tag) before while also saying that i understand why people find the sex part of their sexualities uncomfortable to discuss. and i wanna reiterate that, again, i totally understand that people feel like they've seen them grow up etc etc and that they still think of the actors themselves as children even thought they're not anymore.

i don't think it's all homophobia because like you said, people would probably feel the same about lucas and max and discussions of sex (i don't know if anyone is discussing that because there's much less discourse to have there and you can't argue that people are homophobic if they disagree with you) but i don't think it would be justified either. the "but we knew the characters when they were little" argument makes me think me of an ancient disney channel/abc show that old people and girl meets world fans who watched it for the first time in the 2010s will know, boy meets world (1993-2000). classic comic of age show, look at these kids. and eric in the back (he's fifteen).

they're eleven at the start of the show and then, what happens in any coming of age story happens, you guessed it...

they grow up. this is them in the later seasons, when the main characters are still in high school i think. they grow up, they talk about sex and about having sex at prom in season five and then they don't have sex right away because they figure it's not the right time yet or something like that, and then they have sex later and get married, the details don't matter. but my point is, who watches a show for five seasons, over years and years and gets upset at the main characters having sex because "this is crazy they used to be children"? isn't that the point of coming of age stories that cover multiple years or that focus on the latter years of adolescence, that they're not children forever and that at one point the characters "come of age" which usually includes their first sexual experiences?

i don't think the having sex part is particularly important in stranger things but also it doesn't have to be for it to be portrayed (see jonathan and nancy), teenagers have sex, it's just the way the world works. i'm not advocating for sex scenes of any kind especially because stranger things isn't a show that features a lot of sex in general, the only "explicit" sex scene being nancy and steve in season one with cuts to barb dying, but i genuinely don't think the duffers would have any qualms about portraying teenage sexuality in general with the party. if they did, they wouldn't have included erica threatening lucas to tell dustin what she found under his bed (it wasn't the communist manifesto) and they wouldn't have had max looking at a shirtless steve for an amount of time that's supposed to make the audience laugh. it's been 7 years. if they do a time jump, the babies will be about 17, played by actors who will all be around 20, the age natalia was when filming season one. the characters are teenagers, babies grow up. it happens to the best of us. i get why people would find it uncomfortable and maybe i would find it uncomfortable too but i wouldn't be scandalized. the duffers had no problem having a child actor portray everything will goes through in seasons one and especially two, i really feel like sex is fine and...not traumatizing or hard to watch compared to every single thing will's gone through lol. and again, i'm not even expecting them to have sex lmao, but i wouldn't cry myself to sleep if they revealed that everyone in the party actually knows what sex is.

last question: do we have any indication that jonathan had talked to more than one other girl (the girl at the halloween party being the one girl i'm counting for him) before he got together with nancy. i'm just asking because of your last sentence, because if we don't he should have slowed down also😭

#yes i'm back to calling people old for no reason. <3 #saying that they will all be around 20 isn't a stretch because noah's turning 19 in 4 months and they haven't begun filming yet. thank you #i'm not mad at you anon sorry for not really agreeing with you and again i get where you're coming from and i don't even expect them to #have sex and if they did i would expect it to be implied like jonathan and nancy but yeah #what i mean when i say it's not particularly important in st is that i don't think they need to have sex for will's arc to be complete or #anything😭#i would've been happy with jonathan and nancy only kissing in s2 like idc yk it's a detail #i'm not advocating for sex scenes means HERE in this case i'm not anti-sex scenes in general lmao #i didn't watch bmw over years and years i watched it in like. a month and a half maybe i really was not crying when cory started wanting to #have sex and i was 15...an impressionnable kid who knew what sex was...disheartening i know💔#<- that wasn't me making fun of you anon lmao again i get where you're coming from i just respectfully disagree #i looked up the episode where they have sex and (spoiler alert lol) cory and topanga end up only having sex on their wedding night i think?#and that's not the episode in s5 i'm talking about but they consider having sex and talk about it so still bringing that one up #i found an article about something rider strong (shawn) said about not liking this episode because while they talk about sex at length they #never talk about safe sex and he even talked about his concerns to the showrunner because he thought it was irresponsible since yk young #viewers and all that and he was like maybe you don't get it different generations mine grew up with aids and everything this is really #important and he brushed him off! i thought that was interesting. this has nothing to do with st #ask

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lesbiannancytruther · 1 year

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hello, hello mate! i have come to ask for your opinion on one of my ronance headcanons/observations, which is: nancy has absolutely no qualms about putting herself in physical danger (there are just... so many examples of her impulsively going for it to pick from, portal to hell tree in season one is my favourite for a few reasons) vs robin who is far more inclined to picking her battles when they are socially based (once again, many examples of this, personal favourite is the scene where robin goes off about sexism in order to get an interview), this is one of the things that i enjoy about both of them as induvial characters but it definitely makes them far more interesting to ship as they cover each others weaker sides, that's not to say nancy can't stand up to someone in a social setting, nor that robin is incapable in a physical fight (as both of those situations have been shown) but to me it is clear their strengths lie in other areas

i've not really talked all too much about this with other people so it'll be interesting to hear another perspective :)

hello hello! this is a really cool observation! i've noticed something similar and i'm glad someone else has brought it up! :)

to your opinion: yes! 100% nancy wheeler is someone who has always thrown herself head first into possibly dangerous situations to get as much information as possible, as well as to fight the things that threaten her and her friends. leading the charge to destroy the demogorgon, pursuing leads while being silenced BY THE GOVERNMENT to get justice for barb, saving joyce when will was possessed, throwing herself into the driscoll investigation even after she gets fired and jonathan dips, shooting a pistol at a car CHARGING TOWARDS HER.... listen i could literally go on and on forever she's crazy

nancy wheeler has 0 self preservation instincts and robin has ALL OF THEM. robin is careful about everything, she worries about the supernatural and the mundane equally (see: her asking about rabies while being trapped in a mirror dimension).

this is why one of the best ronance scenes in volume 4, the boat scene, is SO GOOD for ronance analysis. because the show paints nancy jumping in after steve as this amazing, romantic thing that she did for him... when she would've done that for literally ANYONE that she remotely cared about. she would've gone after anyone because she's caring and protective! and disregards the mortal peril she puts herself into!

if that wasn't crazy enough: careful robin, who is canonically uncoordinated and hesitates before EVERYTHING, does the exact same "romantic gesture" described in the show in a HEARTBEAT for, you guessed it, NANCY WHEELER

and that certain demographic of stobin fans who claim that move was for steve... come on now. lets be SO real rn. robin moving into the water was centered around NANCY, after she called after her when she jumped in, and then didn't listen to her to SAVE her. yeah.

i completely agree with you on the balance point! nancy isn't afraid to act on impulse and robin provides a voice of reason in scary situations, they both work really well together and if they aren't paired up in season 5 im gonna. break something.

im so sorry i literally will never not ramble abt them if promoted

#stranger things #nancy wheeler #robin buckley #ronance #ask

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oneforthemunny · 2 months

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I felt the same about robin, i used to hate her because i didnt feel like she fit in at all and was just annoying and whiny but after rewatching i have a crush on her

see, i loved robin from the jump. i thought she was funny and mean to steve and i said lol love her the most.

nancy i wasn't a fan of. she got on my nerves in a carrie bradshaw sort of "get it the fuck together" kinda way HOWEVER i will say this. i was sixteen when stranger things first came out so i don't think i appreciated how much she evolved until this past season. i lost one of my best friends so maybe that put it into perspective? the struggle she faced post-barb and the guilt of it all. i had such an appreciation for her after.

#oneforthemunny #munnytalks #robin buckley #nancy wheeler

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brucbannr · 2 years

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why i don't want jonathan and nancy to break up:

• communication.

they've always had straight communication if something is bothering them. they're not afraid to call each other out or say they were wrong or vent their frustration with each other. i 100% understand jonathans fears with college and i think if he had a conversation with joyce and nancy they could come to a compromise. joyce could tell him that he doesn't need to worry about them. that he's been responsible for the family basically his whole life and it's time for him to focus on himself. they could find a school in the same city as emerson or nearby if he doesn't want to go there. or they could decide on a school together. there's a lot of different options there imo. point is i don't think this is a reason to break up.

• steve.

from what i've personally seen nancy never really had feelings for steve. she started dating him to rebel against her parents. barb even said it wasn't like her, that she changed after she started seeing him. i don't think they had a deep connection on both ends. steve probably loves her but she never loved him. it makes no sense for her to randomly start having feelings for him after 2+ years when they don't even interact as much anymore. as a sitcom fan i've seen countless times of couples breaking up early on and one character (usually the woman) moves on to a better relationship and then at the last minute that great relationship gets tossed for the old one. (example: how i met your mother). if they do this to nancy im actually going to be mad.

• it's the last season.

i don't see a good reason to break up a great relationship at the end of the show. it's a huge huge possibility we'll never see the characters again so we'll never see the potential "growth" they'll have as a character if that's the excuse the writers give. what's the point of breaking up a good couple that's been together 90% of the time at the last minute?

• final thoughts.

im not against the idea of single nancy or single jonathan i just don't get why do it this late into the series. they had the perfect opportunity to show how independent nancy is in season 4 while jonathan is in cali. she doesn't need a bf but that doesn't mean she can't be happy with one either. she's a badass who works hard to get where she wants to go. having a bf doesn't stop her from that. in fact jonathan encourages it and supports her. he knows when to step back and let nancy be in charge. while he was gone why didn't they show how independent she is? why did they force this tension with steve when it's not needed? she doesn't need a guy telling her that he wants six kids with her. she doesn't need robin pushing steve towards her. why can't she be on her own?

#rant #stranger things #jonathan byers #nancy wheeler #steve harrington #jancy #jonathan x nancy

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fandoms-in-law · 4 months

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Different Lives

Summary: Prince Steve is being forced to go to camp by the king in an attempt to make him learn his duties. Eddie has been talked into going to camp by his band. What happens when their camp places are reversed.

Authors Note: I think this is the longest fic I've written in one day for a while. My brain is tired and you're lucky I didn't just write out conversations with no tags or indications over who was speaking cause that's how todays started off being. I could've left the camp leaders the same as in the film, yes, but Jason being trapped in the same way clive was in the film was just too funny to miss

/\/\

Steve had always expected that going to summer camp would be fun. In all the films and stories it was a reward or adventure for the kids, a good thing in the views of all children. As his mother explained going to Camp Royalty it definitely didn't sound like a good thing.“We just think this will be good for you Steve.”

“Don't coddle the boy, Alison. This camp will give you the skills to take to work and you will have to impress the people you work under because I'm not helping you more than that. This is your last chance to prove you are worthy of your title.” King Richard of course made it sound even worse than his mother had done and the only reason Steve wasn't arguing over going more was that he hoped being away from his parents he could actually make it enjoyable.

“Yes Mother and Father. I understand. I'm not going to disgrace the kingdom at summer camp.” The promise was one he'd recited a hundred times at least, practically every time he went anywhere he had to reassure them and usually still managed to fail in some way that never got explained.

“You better not.”

/\/\

It was kind of amusing to watch Gareth try to find an argument that would work. In all honesty that was the main reason Eddie wasn't already agreeing to going to Camp Rock.

“Eddie, we need a break man. Let's just try this Camp Rock and see what it's like, make friends with some new musicians.” Gareth complained. It was definitely the truth, even Eddie was feeling worn down and as if they needed more friends into music than the four of them.

Still he pointed at the calendar, and the other reason he wasn't accepting the idea immediately. Every time they changed plans and had to reschedule anything they pushed that onto him, claiming it was the front man's job to do, rather than one of theirs, or even Seymore's as their agent. “We've already booked tour dates for that week. Do you want to be in charge of rescheduling it all?!

Jeff snatched the calendar from his hands and replaced it with multiple envelopes that were clearly fan mail from the doodles on some of them. “I'll do it. Hell I bet some of our fans would thank us. There've been a few fan letters that ask if we're okay or mention how stressed our recent albums have seen.”

“Fine, fine. Guess I'm overruled. Just book the camp tickets. I'll be there.” The pout and crossed arms was easy to do, and Eddie hoped enough to get him some more leeway in what he took part in at camp.

/\/\

Steve could manage this. In fact it was better than anything he'd hoped would happen because at Camp Rock there was no Princess Nancy or her brother ready to let their parents and by connection his own anything he did that she didn't agree with. As soon as Barb offered to let him stay instead of fighting for a transfer unless Camp Royalty requested it he jumped at the choice but now he had to find a place with the Camp Rock kids and the two ladies entering the room he'd been directed to stay in.

“They're allowing mixed gender rooming now? Who are you? And why are you dressed so... so like a prat?” The first woman was immediately in his face, looking him up and down and clearly judging him.

“I'm Steve, a prince apparently caught in a system mix up which swapped my camp around.” It definitely wasn't the time to bow, or kiss her hand, but he hold his hand out to shake as he introduced himself.

While his hand was taken it was used to spin him around and carry on watching his expression. “You know what the normal people in your kingdom live like?” she asked.

“Planning to find out after camp. The King has dictated that I get a job and I'm going to do everything I can to ensure it's not one he decides. But before we carry on talking might I know the names of the lovely ladies I'm addressing?” The explanation was probably too much to share, but it at least seemed to pass whatever judgement had been directed at him

“I'm Robin, Vickie is the one still hovering in the doorway. Do you know when you have to go and save some tragic princess? Also why can't the princess be the one to save you?” Laughing at the questions was easy. Steve had heard that a lot of working people, even up to the Lords and Ladies that sometimes visited believed the fairytales were actually true.

Now he shallowly bowed, marking Robin his equal if she knew anything about bowing etiquette. “Delighted to make your acquaintance. Also, those are myths and I think the media prefer to twist any story so the man is the hero. It's annoying. Princess Nancy is far more likely to save someone than I or the commoner she's recently made the acquaintance of.” The formalities felt stilted but necessary, especially given how unusual and uncomfortable he was to realise he was indeed staying in the same room as these girls. It was a situation he'd always been warned against allowing to happen.

“Dingus, we're going to have to get those manners dropped and quick. Come gossip. Vickie, get over here and join in.” Robin used the hand she'd never dropped to drag him over to one of the beds, hand waving rapidly to beckon Vickie over.

/\/\

So far Eddie thought Lady Chrissy was pretty cool but Jason was definitely a social climbing creep to some degree. He also wondered if he could convince Gareth to book there next trip to camp to be for Camp Royalty to deliberately cause chaos here. The other campers his age had all turned away from him or iced him out of their conversations when they weren't acting too good to look where they're going and frankly Eddie would be calling them out on it if he wasn't definitely outnumbered.

Now there was another possible issue considering the room he'd been directed two had quite definitely got two children already settled as if it was their own room. Eddie might not have been to camp before but he was pretty sure they usually separated the kids and teens by age range.

“Are you sure Will is going to DM for us when we get back? Nancy only just introduced you two.” At least that sounded like the kids didn't think they were above having some normal fun.

The second kid rolled his eyes exaggeratedly, “Lucas, the Byers have been close advisors to our family for generations. They're one of our connections to our people. If Will has said he'll DM and help teach us DnD then he will.”

“Or I could. You know, when Jason told me I could stay here, I wasn't expecting to be rooming with children.” Eddie offered, alerting the pair to his presence and shaking his head at their momentary frowns over his different style to everyone else in the camp. At least they were quickly replaced by curiosity from the second kid and a serious nod from the first, seemingly called Lucas.

Lucas was the one to reply also, “It's a ridiculous supervision thing they brought in last year. Apparently if a King requests that their child learns more responsibility while at camp they're asked to supervise some of the younger campers. You however do not seem royal.”

He couldn't resist looking down at himself and circling as if to find out where the suit all the other men were wearing was before grinning, “Because I'm not. There's been a system mix-up with Camp Rock. I'm Eddie, and you are?”

“Prince Lucas and this is Prince Michael. I assume you have headphones even if you weren't informed that whichever prince you've swapped places with was acting as a kid supervisor.” Lucas countered, and Eddie definitely understood that it was as much from an assumption that Eddie would want to play his music as well as that they wouldn't be changing anything on how they behaved at camp for him.

Michael however was staring at him with the unmistakable gaze of a fan and darted to his bedside table to grab a magazine with Corroded Coffin on the cover. “You're Eddie Munson! Will you sign my magazine? Can you teach me how to play guitar? Have you ever smashed a guitar on stage? I saw it in a movie once and it looked like so much fun. Call me Mike”

“Was going to say yes, but if you're wanting to try smashing a guitar lets stick with no. Nobody gets to hurt my sweetheart.” Eddie was very quick to pick his guitar case back up and move away from Mike, smile definitely forced as he refused the request.

/\/\

“Oi! Princey! Where the hell is Eddie?” The call made Steve pause and turn from where he'd been following Robin to the dance class. Vickie was meeting them there after stopping in wardrobe for a bit.

He knew it was him being called to but had to frown at the question, trying to remember if he'd met an Eddie yet. “Who's Eddie? I'm not sure I've met an-”

The man who'd yelled was already coming closer, followed by two other guys. “The guy who is actually meant to be at this camp. Why'd you swap places with him?”

“The guy from the dock?” He guessed, remembering the person who'd bumped into him definitely had a style similar to the group he was talking to, “I think that might have been the name the doorman for Camp Royalty was calling when I was trying to get on the right ship to come to camp.”

One of the other men looked sceptical, looking Steve up and down as if he'd be able to spot a lie. “You mean you had nothing to do with this and are just as confused over why your here as Eddie definitely has over being there?”

“Guess so. I'm Steve, who are you three?” He shrugged, then held his hand out to shake, this time having it properly shook. At least Robin's reaction was a thing only she seemed to do.

“Jeff, Gareth and Grant, three quarters of Corroded Coffin since apparently our singer and lead guitar is at the wrong camp.” Jeff gestured to who he was introducing and stepped back so Gareth and grant could also shake his hand.

Since they still didn't seem entirely happy, Steve soon stepped back again, “I feel like you want me to apologise for a mistake the camps made.”

“Ah – Um, you have a point there. We're just a bit annoyed since this was meant to be a trip for us all to relax.” Gareth seemed to want to protest before nodding at his point.

A cough coming from behind him made Steve glance over his shoulder to see Robin waiting for him to follow her again. “Okay, well... Robin and Vicky have convinced me to tag along to some of the activities so I'll probably see you later?”

“Later Princey” Gareth called, turning to wherever they'd been going before again.

/\/\

Eddie had struggled to believe the unicorns were really. He'd doubted half of the things included as activities could actually be necessary for royalty to learn, but this, seeing sceptre training actually including magic was what finally made him comment on it to the kids he was basically trailing around camp. “The sceptre thing isn't just a legend? That could make for some awesome stage effects.”

“Exactly! Erica has been trying to argue that her friends should get them too but for some reason the world's countries agreed to keep this magic hoarded for the royal families.” Lucas nodded rapidly. Mike had wandered over to one of the older kids when she waved and was yet to return. Lucas didn't seem concerned by it and so far every interaction Eddie had had with the teens closer to his age had been negative at best.

“Can I try yours?” He asked with a cheeky grin.

“No you can't. The way you've latched onto the kids you're meant to supervise is unnerving some of us. What are you doing here still?” And there was Mike back again, just behind the princess pushing Eddie's hand down as if he'd have taken it from Lucas without permission.

Eddie met her gaze directly, gesturing around them. “Waiting for Lady Chrissy to get Camp Rock to transfer me mostly. Who are you and why get angry when you and all the other royals our age have scorned me to the point these two are the only half decent people here?”

“Princess Nancy. We weren't scorning you.” She seemed so certain of her words that Eddie could hold his scoff back.

Lucas looked like he would have scoffed too if he hadn't been trained differently already. “You really were, Princess Nancy. Everyone has been scowling at him, and scoffing anytime he shows his passions for music and storytelling. You keep lecturing Mike and I about not judging those who aren't in the royal life but have been doing just that ever since Eddie ended up at our camp. Are we only meant to accept the Princess Wheeler approved commoners?” He stated, clearly referring to connections that Eddie only had vague ideas about based on things Mike and Lucas had already said around him.

“Lucas, that's not true. I'm just trying to look out for you.” Nancy's tone suddenly gentled but her actions were still speaking more than loudly enough for Eddie and Lucas

“Then you should have spent time with us, with Eddie over the last 2 days, not just glared before coming over with accusations.” Lucas stated, before handing Eddie his sceptre. “This is how we do the rainbow display.” He began instructing, clearly ending the conversation with Nancy by turning his back to her.

/\/\

Eddie had tried. He had tried to get involved and join in, especially since the competition had been announced and Lady Chrissy had seemed so delighted by his singing during one of their small conversations about failing to transfer him to the correct camp. The issue was it seemed that none of the royals involved in the acapella choir was prepared to actually accept that he knew how to sing.

Eddie hadn't meant to storm away and he was sure that once he calmed down he'd go right back to keeping an eye on the last half decent royals present But for now he was walking and smiling at how much he could relate to the song he could hear.

“That's a great song.” The words left him without thinking, and it was only when the song broke of that he realised the singer was someone walking around the lake similar to himself.

“Sorry, I wasn't expecting anyone to be out here.” The singer said, one hand coming up to adjust his hair.

Eddie nodded, understanding exactly what he meant, “I know what that's like. Getting so lost in music is wonderful, especially when you're upset. Why do I recognise you?”

“Are you the man from the dock? Just before I was called for the wrong boat?” He asked in reply, squinting a little as if that would help his memory.

“And I got on the wrong boat cause Jason was yelling my name. I'm Eddie.” The agreement came easily, now smiling and holding his hand out.

It was taken and shook easily. “I'm Steve, and yeah, your band told me. Gareth apparently thought you swapped with me as a prank until I explained the mix-up.”

“Bet he wasn't the nicest before getting told that. He's only confrontational when annoyed or worried and my disappearance probably had him feeling both.” He laughed, already having imagined their reactions since he realised a prince must have ended up at Camp Rock.

Steve smiled back easily, “It wasn't so bad and we got it cleared up fairly quickly. Why are you out here?”

“A Princess Nancy has decided I'm, I don't know, grooming her brother or something. Did you know your parents had you set to be supervision for a couple of camp kids?” Eddie stated, smirking a little when Steve clearly recognised the name.

The reply confirmed that connection, with a small roll of his eyes. “No, but I can believe that. Was it Dustin or Lucas rooming with Michael? I never got told if all three were allowed to go this year.”

“Lucas. They're pretty great kids, especially with how hostile the rest of them are.” Eddie couldn't help but grin. Looking after the pair was reminding him of his days before quitting school to focus on his band when he'd try to look out for younger kids who didn't fit in.

“Royals don't much like change. It's scary if something disturbs their views of superiority over the people they rule.” Steve offered a commiserating smile.

“That explains why I'm sending them insane then.” Eddie's replying grin was full of mischief. He thought that going back to camp knowing there was at least one prince he could get along with would make getting the rest to question their views more worthwhile.

/\/\

“Metal is what we're best at.” The argument didn't seem to have a point to Steve but Grant was repeating the comment for the third time since a few of them had mentioned feeling unhappy with their song choice.

Robin was shaking her head, pulling out a board and starting to right pros and cons columns out. “It's a niche. The royals aren't going to go for it and we need the song to be liked if we're going to win.”

“Steve literally just said it was a good song.” Gareth pointed out as if that would convince her to let them stick with the Corroded Coffin song

Vickie immediately stepped up to back Robin's argument for changing songs saying, “And you started this practise claiming his songwriting was metal even if the song itself wasn't in that style. Why can't we sing one of his?”

“Robin, we're the ones who know how to rock a concert or have you forgotten how big our band actually is?” Gareth stated, gesturing between the three band members.

“Yet you're learning along with the rest of us.” Vickie stated.

Robin quickly added onto that with, “Experience does not mean you know this camp or Camp Royalty's tastes to win the competition and I'm not throwing it just because you want to play a metal song that's not even a camp original.”

“Steve, do you want us to use one of your songs for the competition?” Jeff finally sighed, looking over to him and making him blink at apparently being given the power to choose what they played.

“If you think it could help you win then sure?” He replied, uncertain if this was some sort of test, “Which one though? I've not had the chance to play much of them before.”

“Which makes it even more impressive how metal they are. The one from this morning was pretty great actually.”

“Everyone okay with that being our song choice?” Vickie asked, looking around the room.

“Agreed.” was chorused back to her.

/\/\

Eddie had actually been getting into the song. It was fun even if he'd had to fight to get them to change and only managed with with Lady Chrissy's intervention. If they wanted to win the competition then he'd do his best to help.

Unfortunately that didn't seem to be how any of the rest of the choir was taking it, proven by Nancy coming over to him when they took a short break. “Mike and Lucas aren't here, you can stop showing off now.”

“Two things: 1st Lady Chrissy literally asked us to highlight my voice in our entry.” He began, getting a goblet of water that he'd insisted be provided if they were to practise outside for hours. “2nd It's not showing off, it's showmanship which is necessary when performing. You're the one desperate to win but if you want me to just mimic you, then I shall.”

Princess Nancy scowled, folding her arms and visibly settling in for what she wanted to be a one sided argument. Eddie copied the gesture and waited for her to speak.“That's entirely not what I meant.”

“That's entirely not what I meant.” He recited the words back in the most dead inside voice he could achieve.

“I'm just saying we work as an ensemble, don't you know how to work with other people.” She scowled, a finger coming up to gesture before she caught herself.

“I'm just saying we work as an ensemble, don't you know how to work with other people.” He intoned, maintaining near perfect stillness, even as he watched Lucas and Mike come over to them.

Mike was already snickering when he asked, “Why is Eddie coping everything you say?”

“Just what have you been lecturing him about this time?” Lucas was quick to correct the question, knowing it would be a reaction to something.

Eddie relaxed into his normal posture again. “Oh just that I've been showing off and taking over. Maybe she'd be happier if I just got out of here.” As he said the words he suddenly thought that was a great idea.

“Eddie? You're joking about that, right? Eddie?” Mike sounded uncertain, gaze following as Eddie just grinned, turning and walking away, ignoring the attempt to call after him.

He was just close enough to hear when Lucas replied, “I don't think he was joking about it.”

/\/\

For saying this was Camp Royalty and should definitely have some decent security, Eddie found none as he headed into Lady Chrissy's office and dialled the number for the bands agent, impatiently listening to it ring. “Come on, Seymore, pick up.”

“Hey, Metal is here to stay, but I am out! Leave a message-” Getting the voicemail recording was soon overshadowed by hearing Jason coming through, talking aloud to himself.

“Camp Royalty has got this in the bag! Poor Barbara Holland, what are you going to do when you have to close your camp and leave? Don't care! Why Lady Christine, of course I'm not the most intelligent man in the world, top 5% maybe.” Jason singing love songs to himself as he left the office was an image that would stick with him. Now Eddie wasn't one to judge anyone's music taste, but he would judge the type of simping that Jason seemed to do every time Lady Chrissy did anything.

/\/\

“You two up to invade Camp Rock and snatch Prince Steve to plan to save both camps?” Eddie announced as soon as he was back in his room, getting a visibly fretting Lucas and Mike spinning to stare and run over to him as if checking he was actually there.

Mike's expression twisted with distaste a moment later, at a guess when everything Eddie had said registered, “Steve was meant to be our supervision? I am so glad this mix up happened. Hang on, what's going on with the camps?”

“Prince Steve is nice. Just because Nancy was just as judgemental towards him as she's been to Eddie this week doesn't mean you need to complain about him for all eternity. Focusing on the issue though, we'll help.” Lucas shook his head, admonishing his friend slightly before refocusing, “What's going on?”

“I didn't hear all the details but there's some kind of bet which means whoever loses this competition has to close down.” Eddie gave the shortest explanation he could, already sure he'd be repeating it all night and trying to herd his sheep out of the door.

Thankfully they easily went, only glancing at him to know the way to walk, “Let's go then.”

/\/\

“Eddie, Twerps, What's going on?” Steve barely glanced at the kids before focusing on Eddie, concerned.

Once again Eddie decided to avoid giving a full explanation to them, his mind still trying to plot the evening the way he would a D&D game, “Nothing good. You said the rest of Corroded Coffin is in Camp Rocks band? Can you take me to them so we explain this just once.”

“Sure. We've got a rehearsal soon anyway.” Steve nodded behind him, only smirking as the kids and Eddie dodged behind and around things to try and stay hidden as they followed him.

/\/\

“Eddie Munson!” Everyone waiting in their practise room gasped, hands going to their faces to enhance the drama of the moment.

Steve looked them all over unimpressed before saying, “Why are you acting surprised? Gareth, Jeff and Grant have all been practising with us from the start. Wait, why are you three acting surprised too?”

“Felt like it. What's going on that you only sneak into the right camp now?” Gareth shrugged, straightening and looking Eddie's expression over as if it would tell him everything about what was happening.

/\/\

All of them were exhausted. They'd rehearsed late into the night, straight after about a million arguments because Princess Nancy and the other royals weren't ready to just trust, in their words, a washed up wannabe rockstar and a couple of kids barely trained in the royal life.

And then to perform with as much energy and in the moment adaptions as the merging of their two groups took left Eddie impressed they were all still standing at the end of their performance. It really made the show unpredictable and difficult to be unable to perform all together even once before the actual show.

He was only just following the argument going on between Lady Chrissy and Barbara Holland, and really wished he could believe it wasn't a scheme entirely motivated by Lady Chrissy wanting to shut down Camp Rock.

Steve nudged his arm as he twisted his sceptre to point at the floor under the feet of their camp leaders, making Eddie realise they'd stopped atop one of the platforms. He hoped Steve had also included something to prevent them from just walking out of that area and back onto the stage to carry their argument on. “Bold move.”

“Honestly, I can cope with the music but their arguing would give me a migraine.” Steve muttered back, frowning at Jason's appearance on stage.

“I'm pretty good at head massages if that'll help.” Eddie offered quietly, leaning into his space and finally letting himself flirt a little. Here on the stage, with Mike and Lucas in the audience and his band all around him he finally felt safe enough to do so, even if the royals that were only just beginning to accept he wasn't horrible could be watching.

Steve wrapped an arm around his waist, whispering, “I bet we could both do with a few massages after this is all over. Want to visit my kingdom before you get back to your tour?”

“I think I can schedule that in.” He agreed, turning at the collective noise of disappointment to see Jason now gloating on the stage. “But I guess we didn't manage to save the camps even with you shutting Chrissy away.”

With a sigh, Steve pointed his sceptre back at the area Barbara and Chrissy were shut in so he definitely had ensured they'd remain there.

Nobody was expecting the pair to be cuddling, pecking at each others lips as they were raised back to stage height.

“I'd say that might be hope for us yet.” Steve smiled, distracting himself and Eddie by pulling the other into a kiss a little deeper than the ones their camp leaders had been sharing.

The distraction was broken once again, this time by Jason screaming “I BRIBED A JUDGE FOR YOU!”

There were at least 3 glows of sceptres being activated in the vague direction of Jason, enough that Eddie doubted he'd manage to escape the stage platforms for at least a day without help.

#stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #robin buckley #nancy wheeler #steddie #nancy wheeler negative #mike wheeler #lucas sinclair #barbie rock 'n' royals #background Barb/Chrissy #background appearances of Chrissy Barbara and Jason

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