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dreamofbecoming · 10 months

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yeah alright this got away from me. posting in pieces, part one is just stobin, no shippy stuff. steddie and rockie to follow. i'll drop it on ao3 once all 3 parts are done

now on ao3!

platonic stobin

rating: t

wc: 3.5k

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Robin stopped being surprised by Steve Harrington showing up at her bedroom window months ago. Jesus, there's a sentence her 16 year old self wouldn't fucking believe for a second. The Hair, climbing up the trellis her dad built for the roses her mom planted and then forgot about three months later? Yeah right, as if. But it turns out alternate dimensions and sci-fi movie monsters and Russian conspiracies in Bumfuck, Nowhere, USA are all real, so how surprising really is The King himself, collapsing through her window with all the grace of a baby giraffe, out of breath like he- holy shit, did he fucking run here?

"Dingus, did you run here? What the hell?"

"Had to- hang on, Jesus. Holy shit." He bends over, hands on his knees, panting like he just ran a marathon. Which, she guesses, he almost did.

"You have a car, you lunatic, what could possibly be so important?"

"Didn't think about it. Had to get here."

"Is someone dead?!" Oh fuck, Is the Upside Down back? Oh shit, oh no, it can't be back, right? Superhero girl closed the gates! Right?! Oh god, oh no, oh fuck, it's back, the Russians are back, they realized they couldn't let her live after what she's seen, her parents will never even know what happened to her, and they'll kill Dingus too, and dorky little Henderson, and that menace Erica, oh god, they're gonna die, and Hopper's gone and superhero girl is far away and she doesn't have superpowers anymore anyway, which is frankly bogus because what the hell, Robin never even got to hang out with a real live magic person before, which, ok, that's a selfish thought, but that's ok, we can think selfish thoughts and then set them aside and not act on them, thoughts are not actions, thoughts happen all the time without our consent, they don't determine our character-

"Bobs, you're spiraling. Nothing bad happened, I just realized something and I freaked out and I had to talk to you right away. Forgot to call. Sorry, I should have called. Ran straight out of the house. I don't even think my shoes match, what the fuck?"

She's gonna kill him, she really is.

She loves him so much.

"Jesus, you're insane. Sit, you absolute dweeb. I'm getting you some water, when I get back you can tell me what the hell is going on."

He's sitting on her bed when she gets back upstairs, staring at something in his hands. Christ, his hands are shaking. What the fuck, Dingus?

He takes the water and downs it in one go- ugh, sports guys- then flops onto his back and covers his eyes with a miserable groan.

"I know we've got the whole twin telepathy thing going on, bubba, but I'm gonna need at least a little bit to work with here. Give me something. Is it your parents? The kids? Uh, what was her name? From Thursday? Janice?"

"Janine, and no. Ugh. Here." The arm not covering his eyes flops out towards her, holding- ah. A zine. He had promised to drive up to Indy last weekend to the secret bookshop she told him about and get her some new ones, even though she couldn't go with him because her cousin Randy got caught cheating on his fiancée and her parents made her come with the rest of the family to help him move. Fucking Randy. Maybe he should make better choices, so the rest of them wouldn't have to clean up his messes. Jerk.

Anyway.

"Marked the page." Which, yep, there's a purple paper clip stuck to a page near the middle, because Steve knows how much she hates people who dogear books, even books that aren't really books at all, so he's been training himself out of it, because he's sort of the best. Again, 16 year old Robin would have her committed for thinking that, but here we are.

The pamphlet isn't one of the periodicals she sent him for, so he must have picked it up on his own. It looks handmade, just some folded sheets that look like they came out of a typewriter, bound with the kind of twine you can buy at the hardware store. It's called Awakenings. The page he's marked looks like a personal essay, no title, no real signature, just a pair of initials at the end of the page and a half of writing. She starts reading, trying to figure out what the hell spooked Steve so bad.

"I've always been normal. I've always had crushes on men, just like the other girls. There was never a feeling of "I'm different," or "Oh, this is wrong." There was never anything to think very hard about. I'd giggle and blush when the boys looked over at us on the playground, same as everyone else. Later on when I was older I looked at my poster of Harrison Ford, shirtless and hairy and sweating, and I touched myself, and it felt good, just like it was supposed to. I didn't mind thinking of my future husband, and our future kids, and the pretty house with the pretty garden we'd have, just like my parents have, just like they wanted for me. I was normal. Everything was fine.

I thought everything about me was normal. So I didn't understand why the other girls at sleepover parties would giggle and stop and say "Ew, gross!" when we practiced kissing. It felt nice! I wanted to keep going! But it seemed like no one else did. I didn't understand why none of them talked about getting butterflies in their stomach when Laura, who was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen, transferred in our senior year, why they seemed so angry at her. Those butterflies were what jealousy felt like, right? So why did the other girls seem to feel so different?

I made my first lesbian friend in college, on the very first day, right across the hall in my dorm. We sat next to each other at Orientation and I thought I'd never have another best friend that wonderful in my whole life, so I'd hold on to her with everything I had. She came out to me the night before Christmas break, hiding under the blankets in my dorm room with the twinkling lights glowing. She was so scared. I held her and told her I loved her no matter what, and she seemed so glad, to have someone to talk to.

When she talked about falling in love with girls, I was so confused. The way she described it sounded like what it felt like to have girlfriends, I was sure. I felt that all the time. I asked her if she was sure she was gay, and she looked so shocked and angry and hurt, and I didn't know how to fix it, so I tried to explain. That what she felt couldn't be liking girls, because I felt that too, and I was normal. I liked boys, so I couldn't be gay. I couldn't be.

I'm glad it was her I said all that to. If someone else had told me about being bisexual, I think I would have hated them. I would have cried, and screamed, and said horrible things. Because I wasn't gay, I was normal, and it was so scary to think that might be a lie. Thank God it was her, my best friend in the world, who I never want to lose. Thank God I listened.

Because I'm not normal. I'm queer. I like men, and I like women. I can love them both the same, but it doesn't matter anymore, because I love her. I love her, and she loves me, and I don't need to be normal anymore."

Robin's face feels wet, which probably means she's crying. She cries a lot, reading these sorts of stories, in the zines she has to keep hidden under her bed, or, these days, at Steve's house. It's never going to be her, she knows. Not here in Hawkins, but it still makes something ache deep inside her, like pressing on a bruise, but in a good way, seeing love happen to other people. People like her. Seeing that it can.

"So?"

Oh shit. Right, Dingus. They're about him right now. Something about this essay in particular freaked him out.

"Uh. It's. A nice essay? I'm glad things worked out for them?"

Stevie lets out a pathetic whine, sort of like back at Scoops when he earned a particularly bad tally on the You Suck board. "Robbiiiiiiieeeee!"

"I'm sorry! I think I'm missing something, what's wrong with this essay? I don't get it, bubba, I'm sorry. I need some context." She does feel bad. Usually she can pluck whatever's bothering him right out of his brain and into the light, where it almost never looks as bad, but she's at a loss right now.

He's got both hands over his face again, and his response is so muffled she can't make out a word.

"Try again in human sounds, please."

"Ugh! I thought everyone felt like that!"

Huh? "Felt like...what, exactly?"

"Like that!" He flails wildly at the pamphlet in her hands. He's sitting up now, hair all askew from tugging at it, and there's a vaguely worrying crazed look in his eye, like right before he tackled that guard. "Like kissing boys and girls both feel nice, and like seeing a handsome guy and feeling jealous of him makes my stomach flutter, and like having friends feels the same as having crushes! I thought that was just how everyone felt all the time!"

Oh.

Oh no.

Poor Dingus! No wonder he panicked and ran here like a crazy person!

"Stevie, can I hug you? Please?" She's not much for physical touch most of the time, but Steve is, and also she's found in the last few months that she doesn't mind so much when it's him. She sort of understands why other people like hugs so much, if they always feel like hugging Steve feels for her. And she really thinks he needs to be hugged, right now.

He nods miserably. She drapes her arms around his shoulders and holds on as tight as she can, hauling him sideways until he's practically laying down on her. He clutches her back and buries his face in her shoulder. She can feel her neck getting wet with tears, a sensation that would normally make her want to claw off her own skin, but this isn't about her. Dingus needs her.

"It's ok, bubba. I'm so sorry. I know how scary this is. When I first figured out I had a crush on Linda Sanderson I cried so hard I threw up, you know? I get it. It's gonna be ok, I promise. We'll make it ok. We faced down evil Russians and giant meat monsters, what's a little sexuality crisis, huh? We got this! We're the goddamn Wonder Twins!"

He snorts at that, which she's pretty sure leaves snot on her neck, which. Ew. Still. Problems for Later Robin.

"We are not, Will and El are the Wonder Twins."

"Uh, nope, no chance, I barely even met them so therefore I am vetoing their application. Sorry kiddos, better luck next time! Find your own nickname, losers!"

Steve sits back, laughing, and she preens a little at being able to bring him back from the brink so easily. She loves him so much she feels like she's glowing with it, sometimes. It almost makes her wish she was straight, because what girl is she ever going to find who loves her this much? But only almost, because. Well. Girls, amiright? Phew.

"So what now, Stevie? You wanna say it out loud? That helps, sometimes. You wanna not say it out loud? You wanna go to a gay bar and find you a boy? You wanna never think about it again? It's totally your call."

"Say it out loud, huh?"

"Hm. It took me like a month, and then the first time I could only say it sitting in the back of my closet with the bedroom door locked and the closet door closed, and I could only whisper it. Just "I'm a lesbian," to myself, like the world's most ironic little goblin. And I had to throw up again after. But it did feel good, once I rinsed my mouth out, anyway. Cleansing, you know? And it gets easier every time." Steve's eyebrows are raised and he's chuckling again, so that's a win. She's not lying, but it is sort of funny, she supposes. In hindsight, anyway.

"Ok. Ok, I can do that. I think. Yeah, I can do that."

She's so proud of him. He's the bravest person she's ever met, she thinks. "You wanna get in the closet?"

"Isn't the whole point to come out of the closet, Robs?" He's smirking at her. Bastard. She whacks him in the shoulder on principle. He may be having a crisis, but he's still a jackass. Her favorite jackass in the whole world, but still.

"Har har, you're a regular Bob Hope. Alright then, bigshot, let's hear it."

A little of that fear creeps back onto his face, and she wishes she could wipe it off, but that's not how this works. They can't make the scary things less scary. He couldn't make the Russians less terrifying, but he could hold her hand and make her laugh and carry some of that fear with her. She can do that for him now, too.

She grabs his hand, and he clutches back tightly. He takes a deep breath.

"I'm...fuck. Ok. Ok, I can do this. I'm...bisexual." The air leaves him in a big whoosh, and he laughs a little. "Yeah, ok, fuck. I'm bisexual. Holy shit, Robbie, I'm bisexual!"

"Hell yeah you are!" She's grinning so hard her cheeks hurt. She's so fucking proud of him.

He's laughing again, a little hysterically, and he hugs her tight again, and she holds him back just as close and thinks oh, he's like me. I'm not alone. I have Steve, and he's like me, and he's mine forever and ever.

When they separate, she looks at him seriously.

"So do you, like, want this to be a thing? Because we can totally make it a thing, and like, get me a fake ID and go to a gay bar and do all kinds of wild shit if you want, but we don't have to, you know? If you need to just, like. Digest this, for a while. It's totally up to you, I just know it took me a while to feel ok with it, and I have no idea if it's different for you but I just want to be what you need, you know? You've been so good with me, and I've never had a queer friend before, so I don't know how, but I want to be just as good to you. You're my Dingus and I love you and I don't know how much of a gay guru I can be on account of, you know, I've never met any gay people besides me and the pretty lady at the bookstore but I couldn't even get real human words to come out of my mouth when I tried to talk to her so I don't think that counts, you know? But I still wanna help! Let me help!"

"Bobbie! Bobbie breathe, you're gonna pass out. I don't think I need a gay guru, I just need a gay best friend, and I have that, so I promise I'm good, ok? Promise. Also I love you too.”

She takes a deep breath, following his lead the way they worked out in the horrible days after Starcourt, when she couldn't sleep without him next to her, warm and alive and breathing, and even then she would wake up in the night with her breath coming short and her vision tunneling and Steve would hold her hand against his chest and breathe slowly, in and out, until she could follow him, and the world wasn't so terrible and scary and loud anymore.

She still thinks about that awful hour underground, thinking she was strapped to the corpse of a boy she never let become her friend, but Steve is always there now when she needs him, and he never complains when she grabs his wrist or puts her head on his chest to make absolutely sure that big, stupid heart is still beating.

When she's breathing normally again, he drops their joined hands down between them, toying idly with the chain linking her ring to her bracelet. "I think...I think I'm glad I said it, and I'm glad we talked about it, but can we maybe just...put it away, for a while? Like it's not...ugh. I guess this is kind of shitty to say, so like, hit me if you want, I guess, but I kind of don't think it matters right now?"

"No no, that makes perfect sense! Like, you still like girls, right?" He nods. "And you don't like. Have a crush on any boys right now. Or do you? Oh man if you do you have to tell me though, it's platonic soulmate law. It's in the bylaws, Steve, don't make me soulmate fine you!"

He laughs and shoves her face away. "Jesus, Rob, no! I don't have a crush on any guys, who would I even crush on in this town? We're not exactly swimming in eligible bachelors. I don't have a crush on anybody at all, I'd tell you, I swear. I know the rules!"

"Oh phew, good. You have to tell me when you do, though, I'm way excited to get you back for making fun of Tammy."

"It was the God's honest truth, Bobbie! She sings like a muppet!"

"Oh my god, shut up, Dingus! Ugh! As I was saying, you super duper have to tell me when you do, but for now, I think maybe you don't have to think about it really at all if you don't want. I mean, practically speaking, it's not really relevant to your everyday life, so we can totally revisit when that changes, but you don't have to like. Join a pride parade tomorrow, you know? You are you who are no matter what. You don't have to prove anything to anyone, especially not to me, not ever."

He leans his head on her shoulder, and she scritches her nails through his hair. It really has no right being as soft as it is, with the amount of hairspray he uses. It's frankly rude, is what it is.

"Thanks, Bobs. I think I'm just gonna put it away for now. It just...another thing to know about me, you know? Like, I'm bad at fighting people but good at fighting monsters, all my best friends are kids except you, I'm bi but it doesn't matter because there aren't any boys to date in Hawkins anyway. Plus my dad would kill me if he found out. Like actually kill me, not "oh geez I missed curfew, my dad's gonna kill me" type kill me, like I think he'd actually try and beat me to death. So there's really no reason to talk about it right now, you know?"

There's a pit of ice in her stomach, and she tightens her arm around him like she can keep him safe just by holding on tight enough. She hates how casually he said that, just like she hates how casually he always talks about how his parents treat him, like he honestly believes it's normal. "Jesus, Dingus. You know you can come here if you need, right? My parents love you, they already think we're getting married. They'd make you sleep in the guest room, but I could sneak you in here easy."

He snorts again. "We're totally gonna end up married for tax reasons anyway, we're never beating the rumors." That makes her snort, too. He's not wrong, though. She isn't going to be allowed to have a wife anytime soon, and if she has to choose someone to be her next of kin, it's always gonna be him. They're planning to move in together when she goes to school next year anyway. No one is ever gonna believe them that they aren't dating, but that's...fine. Honestly, there are worse things. Better to have Steve by her side than not, and if no one else understands them, well, they understand each other, don't they? That's more than enough.

"Yeah, I know I can come here if I need, Robs. It's fine mostly, I swear. They're not home until Christmas anyway."

He takes another deep breath, like he's settling himself. "I'm just glad we talked about it. I feel better now."

She cards her fingers through his hair again, basking in the feeling of her favorite person so close, and so content. "I'm glad, Dingus."

They're alive, and they're together, and they're queer, and neither of them is ever going to have to be alone again.

"Hang on, did you say you've kissed girls and boys?!"

part 2 part 3

#stranger things #platonic stobin #steve harrington & robin buckley #steve harrington #robin buckley #bisexual steve harrington #steve's bi awakening #my writing #robin calls steve bubba and steve calls her bobbie and i will die on both those hills #you can pry their weird nicknames from my cold dead hands #autistic robin buckley #it’s subtle but it’s there and it’s important to me #also her parents are therapists i’m sure of it

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steddieas-shegoes · 10 months

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Request: THIS IDEA JUST SPARKED HOLY SHIT?? OK have you ever watched Hot Ones with Sean Evens (first we feast is the youtube channel) so basically that but Steve is the one being interviewed but he LOVES spicy food??(watch the episode with Florence Pugh i LOVE it but basically I want it to be kinda like that) just yeah that. Jxjxnxnx please and thank you

MY LOVE ❤️ I admit, most of what I watch of really anything is either highlights on Tik Tok or short clips my friends send me because I am out of touch with the cool kids. But Hot Ones is SO GOOD. The Lewis Capaldi episode (I do love him anyways) had me actually almost pee my pants laughing. I hope you love this fun (short, sorry) thing for this! - Mickala ❤️

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“I just don’t know why you got Hot Ones. They could have had the whole band on there making idiots of themselves,” Eddie pouted.

He’d been pouting for two days now.

In fact, his entire band was from the moment Steve called him on tour to let him know that he would be doing the Hot Ones interview next week.

“I told you, they had a last minute cancellation and my schedule just worked. Maybe you’ll get next season,” Steve said over the phone as the oven timer went off to let him know his brownies were done cooking.

“Whatcha makin’ Stevie?” Eddie’s curiosity was adorable.

He was in London, just got off stage from their last show in Europe. Steve was in their home in LA, having the last lazy day in before his awards season started.

“If I tell you, you’ll be sad you’re missing it.”

“Tell us! Tell us!” Gareth said from much closer than Steve would have expected.

“Hi Gare Bear. No personal space tonight?”

Eddie laughed as Steve pulled the brownies out of the oven and shut it off.

“He said personal space is for people who don’t like each other and he likes me very much,” Steve could hear Eddie’s eye roll in his voice. “A shame because I can’t stand him.”

“Play nice boys. You’ll be home in less than 24 hours,” Steve reminded them.

Gareth lived a mile up the road from them with his boyfriend and their excessive amount of cats.

Excessive being four.

Steve was allergic, so any amount of cats seemed excessive to him.

But Steve and Gareth were close, had been since even before Eddie and Steve started dating.

He was Steve’s best man in their wedding, much to Dustin’s bafflement. He only didn’t argue because Eddie softened the blow by asking him to be his own best man.

Usually if baked goods or a home cooked meal were involved, Gareth would show up at their door ready to partake.

“You’ll be home when I get there?”

“Yep. Cleared my whole day just for you, baby.”

“Good. Miss you.

“Miss you too. You heading to bed?” Steve poked at the brownies, making sure they were cooked.

“Yeah, I’m beat.” Eddie yawned to emphasize how exhausted he was. “Did your manager tell them you love spicy foods or are you just gonna let them assume you’re a wimp?”

“Nah. It’ll be fun.”

—-------------------

When he arrives on the set of Hot Ones, Sean greets him with a smile and a handshake.

Eddie wasn’t able to come with him, but Robin had promised to record the whole thing just for them.

She watched from the side next to his manager, Nancy, and his bodyguard, Hopper.

They settled at the table, got mic’d up, makeup touched up, and Sean reminded him that if he absolutely had to tap out, they could stop recording and edit everything accordingly to make it look like he made it through the challenge.

Steve wasn’t worried.

The first three wings didn’t even have a kick. It was just a casual conversation between friends.

He talked about his work with a theater group for kids in New York City, as well as his work on an indie film that was coming out in the fall.

The fourth and fifth wings had a pinch of spice to them, but nothing to make even bat an eye.

Sean continued asking questions, Steve continued answering them.

On the seventh wing, Steve was barely distracted from the question: “What project of yours are you most looking forward to doing next?”

“I think I’ll be most excited to take some time off with my husband, working on starting the family we’ve wanted for a while. He’s been on tour for most of the last year, and we agreed it was a good time to figure out what we wanna do,” Steve said as he took another bite.

He could feel the burn of this one at least, felt the sting on his lips and tongue.

But it was very manageable, and the jalapeno flavor was almost refreshing. It tasted fresh.

“Okay, I have to ask: did you practice these beforehand?”

Steve snorted.

“No. I’m just not very sensitive to spicy foods. I usually keep a lot of hot sauces in my house. Poor Eddie’s learned how to tolerate spice because of it,” Steve said as they brought out the eighth wing.

“I’ve never had anyone so calm at this point. I’m starting to think even the hottest one won’t really bother you!”

“I guess we’ll see!”

The ninth wing was hot. He wouldn’t try to deny it.

“It does have a lovely watermelon flavor to it, very fruity and tangy on top of the spice. I like it,” Steve smiled.

He knew his face was getting a bit red from this one, and he reached for the water, but only had to take a couple of small sips before he was ready to keep going.

“Alright, for this one, we’ll ask a question for you to answer before and then we’ll have one for right after. You ready?”

“Bring it on!”

And it definitely did.

It was hot, and he could feel tears in his eyes, and sweat breaking out across his forehead.

“Finally, we have a reaction!” Sean exclaimed.

“This one’s definitely a lot more than the others,” Steve added, reaching for the milk.

He could tell Robin and Nancy were laughing, probably very much enjoying any amount of pain he managed to have when he went into this so sure that none of them would get to him.

“Final question: Would you ever consider retiring to follow Eddie on tour with your future family?”

Steve nodded once, taking another sip of the milk.

God, this one was hot.

“Uh, yep. I mean, retiring is a strong word. I would definitely take a long break. I’ve always wanted a family,” he stopped to take another sip and a bite of the celery. “I’ve wanted to be a dad for as long as I can remember. And I know Eddie wants that, but he also doesn’t wanna stop making music, and the rest of his band isn’t ready to take a break like that. I know it would be easy for me, so my plan would be to take at least a few years off.”

“Doing alright over there?”

Steve laughed, fanning his face.

“I’m okay. That just went from a kick to a beatdown pretty quick.”

“Well, you’re a pro at making it look easy. You deserve an Oscar for this performance!”

It was a ridiculous sentiment, but funny, and Steve was up for an Oscar this year.

He finished the glass of milk and shook Sean’s hand, thanking him for having him.

“Eddie is already in tears watching Sean watch you in disbelief,” Robin started as soon as he joined them again.

“What was all that at the end?” Nancy asked, arms crossed, face furious.

He usually had free reign in interviews, but he knew Nancy would tell him not to mention anything even slightly related to retirement.

His career had really only just taken off a couple years earlier, and talking about a break or retiring now would immediately cut his chances of good roles in half.

“Just the truth, Nance. You know Eddie and I wanna start a family,” he said as they started walking through the backstage area to leave.

“I just didn’t know that meant taking a break. I thought you’d just take turns with stuff or hire a nanny.”

Steve knew that worked for a lot of couples, but they both were too family-focused for that. They didn’t want a nanny raising their kids.

“Why are you freaking out?”

“I’m not! I just would’ve liked a heads up.”

Robin stared between them, eyes bouncing back and forth like it was a tennis match.

“I don’t have to tell you every single detail of my life. You know all that’s relevant right now.”

Nancy sighed, but nodded, turning away and typing furiously on her phone.

His phone rang seconds later.

“Sweetheart, let me just say: it is so sexy how you handle those hot sauces,” Eddie’s teasing voice was enough to get him back into a happy mood.

“Your standards for sexy are so low,” Steve said as he walked to the corner to get as much privacy as possible.

“No, it’s just that everything you do is sexy.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“But I’m yours.”

“And I’m yours.”

“Steve!” Sean’s voice came from behind him, large smile lighting up his face. “Sorry to bother you, but would Eddie and the guys like to come on the show as our bonus episode this season?”

Eddie was screaming yes through the phone, much to their amusement.

“So…yes?” Sean asked.

“Yes!” Eddie yelled.

Sean walked away to update the producer while Steve kept talking to Eddie.

“See? Now you’ll get your show, too.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #request #ficlet #stranger things #rock star eddie munson #actor steve harrington #modern au

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undreaming-fanfiction · 2 months

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My lovely @henderdads Cass, I unfortunately didn't manage to write a full length fanfiction that you 100% deserve for your birthday, buuuut...I saw that your fav Disney movie is Mulan. What if I gave you a very adjusted Mulan Steddie AU idea with a partial apocalypse, joining the army in place of someone you love, and an incredibly annoying voice in your ear who tells you what to say and do...

Eddie Munson is very much anti-war, thank you. He hates the army, hates the cops, tolerates Chief Hopper because he's cool, but overall authority? Nah, not for him. Eddie would never, ever join something violent and wear camo.

The world doesn't care about his preferences. When interdimensional rifts start popping up left and right and the whole planet is currently battling creatures pouring out of what is called the Upside Down dimension, every family has to send a man to join the war.

Eddie should not be joining anything. After a horrific car crash that nearly cost him his life, half of his torso is nothing but scars, his body is weak from spending months in the hospital, plus his aim is atrocious. But the government said someone needs to go, and his beloved uncle Wayne, the 50-ish man who looks like a nihilist but is secretly all the goodness in the world personified, is gearing up to go and serve his country. That just won't do.

He steals the letter ordering someone from the Munson family to join the Hawkins battlefield and prays that no one will have a chance to check his records. They probably won't, most of the documents for his town got burned to a crisp when a rift opened under the office. And because he knows absolutely nothing about the special Upside Down units he's about to join, he's doing what he knows the best - practicing by roleplaying. He's simulating small talk with "the boys". He's trying cheeky comebacks. And he's incredibly, cringe-inducingly bad at it.

Fortunately for him, or maybe not, he has a guardian angel, except the angel is a 13 year old kid he used to DM for. His name is Dustin and he's ruthless. When he stumbles upon Eddie's "Oh yeah, I used to play the ball in high school. Which ball? Uh...all the ball!", he announces Eddie is useless and gives him a small comm he's developed with his nerdy friends. "Don't worry," he says, "I will guide you through everything."

And Eddie believes it might be a good thing, that it might counterbalance his uncontrollable mouth, at least until the moment that he sees his sergeant, Steve Harrington. The guy is friendly, capable, tough as nails and incredibly, mind-numbingly pretty.

"Say good to meet you, sir!" the voice in his ear whispers.

Eddie opens his mouth to say exactly that. "Wow, aren't you a sight to behold, big boy!" is what ends up leaving it.

Dustin finds out the hard way that the barely functioning gay disaster Eddie Munson is impossible to guide through anything. He picks the lock to the showers after midnight to avoid showing his scars - or if he wanted to be honest, showering very heterosexually next to Steve fucking Harrington, the man who pulled him out of harm's way when Eddie messed up, and then nonchalantly produced a spiked bat and beat the creature preparing to snack on Eddie to a pulp.

"Why did you freeze when Steve was discussing tomorrow's mission?" Dustin hisses at him.

"You're not here, you twerp, you'd freeze too if you saw all that chest hair!"

Many things end up happening during the war of the worlds (cliché, but it works in Eddie's head). Eddie somehow ends up saving Steve's life by backing into a cassette player, turning it on and blasting "Master of Puppets" all over the battlefield, luring the creatures away from Steve's position. He tries to explain that it was an accident, but no one believes him.

Eddie notices that the creatures are invading in certain patterns. When people ask him how come he noticed something no one else did, he just shrugs and says: "it's what I would have done if I was running this as a campaign." He ignores Dustin's excited rambling about how cool the campaign would be and that Eddie definitely has to survive now.

Steve starts respecting him, even enjoying his company. How the hell did that happen. And there's definitely some tension between them, not the angry kind, and Eddie is taking cold showers now. For health reasons, obviously.

And finally, Eddie finds out that even if his aim sucks, he's pretty great with a flamethrower. They become unbeatable as a close range fighter duo with Steve.

Eventually, Eddie's insight combined with some secret government experimentation (they experimented on a kid? If it didn't work out so well, Eddie would have punched them and then set them on fire) end the war. The portals are closed, the remaining creatures gradually eliminated. Steve and Eddie are decorated as heroes and sent home. It's all very quick, very "let's not talk about this whole rift thing possibly being a government fault, nope!", Steve finally finds out about Eddie not being fit to serve and spirals into an absolute meltdown about endangering someone who was never supposed to fight in the first place. Eddie finds himself sitting on a bus home with a medal and a broken heart.

It's only a few days later, after Wayne's crushing hugs, scolding, well hidden tears and Dustin's constant visits, that someone knocks on his and Wayne's trailer door. It's Eddie's former sergeant Steve Harrington, wearing a soft yellow sweater and the cutest shy smile Eddie's ever seen. "Hi. Uh...I know it's difficult to make up for putting you through all that and not verifying your records. But..." he says and shushes Eddie when he tries to accept all the blame and get into a spiral of his own, "...I think a dinner would be a good start to that apology. How does that sound?"

Eddie grins at him and reaches for his hand. "I'd say you've got yourself a date, big boy."

#steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things #steddie #steddie drabble #steddie au #dustin henderson #mulan inspired #yeah Dustin serves in Mushu's role and he's about as useful as Mushu was #He actually instructed Eddie how to work the flamethrower so that was great #But other than that he'd spend decades bragging it was him who got Eddie and Steve together

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hauntedestheart · 3 months

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Security Measures - Bodyhoppers

Entry 2 in the Security Measures series- the stories of a boy named Trevor as he attempts to protect his possession-prone boyfriend Andy from snatchers.

I'm not entirely sure what bodyhoppers are and I've never met one that's keen to offer me specifics, but all the layman needs to know is that they're humans who have an innate ability to take over other people's bodies by slipping into them through their backs. Some that I've met have hinted that there is some sort of larger community of hoppers but I've never seen more than one in one place- they're often solitary and nomadic, spending their days completely unattached and living little snatches of other people's lives for fun.

It seems natural to compare a bodyhopper to a ghost since both will try to possess people but after spending a lot of time dealing with each type I've actually come to the conclusion that they have very little in common. The main difference is that bodyhoppers have something that ghosts completely lack: subtlety.

A visit from a ghost is pure chaos, from their bombastic entry to their explosive exit, they're out for trouble. In comparison to that, getting hopped by a hopper is almost peaceful. A good hopper will slide into their target like they're taking a dip into a pool and depart without making a ripple, leaving their targets only dimly aware that anything happened at all. You yourself might have been hopped at some point and not even realized it!

Luckily for us the first hopper we encountered was an inexperienced one so he was easy to spot- Andy took ten minutes to come back from the bathroom and then I found him dancing on a table without a shirt, so it was pretty obvious something was up. I thought he was a ghost until I confronted him and a very scared looking young guy slid out of his back, and a hopper is far less threatening when you can face them from the front so thanks to a bit of intimidation we were able to pump a lot of good information out of him that's served us well.

Unlike a lot of forms of body snatchers, hoppers actually prefer a challenge- I think they take some pride in being tricky. Usually they'll strike in a public place, singling out a target and waiting until they're alone to slip in and carry on as if nothing had changed. You can stop a hopper with physical force if you catch them in the act (Andy's fists can attest to this) so the best way to guard against a hopper is to be vigilant, because once they're in, they're in.

I'm still experimenting with different methods of forcing a hopper out but as far as I can tell conventional exorcisms and spells won't work- whatever it is that they're using to hop people, it isn't quite magic. The most reliable tool I've found is, strangely enough, just kind of talking to them! A lot of hoppers treat it like a game so they'll usually move on after being called out because it "spoils the fun," and they're also very concerned about their secrecy so if push comes to shove, threatening to expose a hopper can scare them off. They don't want trouble any more than you do.

But I must stress that you absolutely do not want a hopper to be angry with you... with their powers there's no telling what they'll do.

The oldest, most seasoned hoppers in particular scare me because with enough experience a hopper can learn to access their host's memories, which makes identifying them near impossible. One time Andy was hopped on his way back from class and I didn't notice it for a week– I shared a bed with this hopper and I didn't even realize it until he slipped up while picking his favorite ice cream, of all things. Remember, just because a hopper has access to someone's memories doesn't mean they know what's important, so little details matter!

But to close it out on a more positive note, at the end of the day, hoppers are still people, and people can be cool sometimes! Andy and I do keep in contact with one hopper that we met– we got to talking after he left Andy's body and it turned out we had a lot in common. He still plays Destiny with Andy, the two of them do raids together. They get lunch together every now and then... though it's a bit confusing because he's in a different body every time.

He said I can always call him if I need to force a hopper out, which I've fortunately never had to do. But it's a good option to have in our back pocket.

#male possession #Series: Security #should post the accompanying story soon I'm almost done with it

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love-toxin · 1 year

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Fruity four opening Christmas presents together! Steve is 100% dad with trash bag for wrapping paper who grabs it immediately. Nancy’s taking notes so everyone knows who to write thank you notes to for what, Eddie loves unwrapping gifts (he might have done some that weren’t his too, oops🤷🏻‍♀️) and Robin’s just excited to give her gift to Angelface

oohoo.......holiday cheer, you say.....merry crimis! 🎄

(cws: fruity four, f!angelface, christmas festivities, gift-giving, fluff, some big gift surprises <3)

For the past six months of your relationship, you've agreed on one solid rule for the holidays--no extravagant spending for Christmas. You might be settled in a nice house (courtesy of Steve's parents as a graduation gift) and all have fairly stable jobs, especially since Nancy's got her promotion at the newspaper office and Eddie's officially an apprentice mechanic, but it's less about the money and more about the intention. You don't want to spoil each other to an excess, and you all can agree that the most precious thing you can have over the holidays is quality time together. So that should be the main focus, which is what you all promised and nodded your heads at.

But that was before the holiday decor was up, before you got to have your family and friend dinners at the Wheeler's and the Hopper-Byers' and at your own house, and before it really set in that this is your first Christmas as partners. Plus, it's the first Christmas after your last run-in with the horrors of Vecna and the Upside Down, so to say that you're feeling even more thankful for what you have than usual is quite the understatement.

It was also before you got to experience Steve's almost Santa-esque Christmas spirit, coming out on December 1st in your pajamas to find that the ruckus that had woken you up was your boyfriend up on a ladder, stringing coloured lights along the roof and sides of the house in nothing but his jeans and a zipped-up jacket--not even gloves to speak of, which is how you later found yourself making him a cup of tea to warm his trembling hands while he happily chattered on about the decorations he was gonna put out on the lawn. And no matter how much Eddie tried to slither out of it, Steve practically dragged him out in the snow to help plug everything in and make sure all the lights were working.

And in the days that have followed, you've had the holiday spirit build up inside you so much that you, you.....may have gone a little overboard. You've stretched that promise you all made until it's eventually broken by the third trip you make to the mall in a week, but how can you help yourself? You're constantly surrounded by beautiful, good-natured, kind-hearted people who have shown you absolutely unconditional love, how could you resist the chance to spoil them like you know they deserve yet never act like they do? Plus, there's something you've been keeping secret from them for awhile, something you're pretty nervous to give them--it took a long while to get it together, and you weren't sure if it would go as planned when you mapped it out, but all you can do is hope they'll like the risk you took....or at least, one of them will.

So you feel a bit antsy when you wake up on Christmas morning, eyes opened for mere seconds before Eddie's running into your room and jumping on top of both you and Robin, kissing you and shaking you awake cause it's Christmas! He's like a little kid in his excitement, it's just impossible for you to even be a little annoyed as you let him pull you up out of bed and into a hug. Robin isn't safe either, though she's got an arm over her face to block out the light she's still prodded at by your boyfriend, who eventually picks her right up out of bed and carries her out into the hall to duck into the master bedroom and dump her on a freshly-awakened Steve and Nancy. They're still rubbing the sleep from their eyes when they get their unexpected gift at their feet, and with you close on his heels you can all relent with a chuckle and decide that there's no reason not to start your gifts now.

While you're also excited, of course, you have to resist the urge to bite your nails out of anxiety as they get out of bed and Nancy pulls on her robe, Robin finally being jostled enough that her eyes are wide open and she's fallen right in with Eddie's jubilance--and the two of them usher you along as they hurry to the stairs and stop there, waiting for you three to catch up even though you feel a little like your heart's gonna explode. What if they don't even end up liking your gifts, and you mess it all up by spending way too much and getting them too many? And what if they don't like that gift? You don't even start moving until Steve pats you on the bum, ducking in for a kiss on the cheek as he moves past you and orders the other two to slow down, and don't go into the living room until everyone's there! He's surprisingly uptight about it, but the grin that's splashed across his face as you all migrate down the steps betrays something you can't quite pinpoint--except that he knows something that you all don't.

You're subjected to only a few more "C'mon!"s and "Hurry up!"s by the two grown children standing at the bottom of the stairs before you join them, and Steve makes a grand, sweeping gesture with his arm towards the living room through the archway--and when you all step inside, you can't quite believe what's waiting for you there, that was most certainly not there when you all went to bed last night.

Sure, the hoard of presents under the tree had been pretty sizeable before, but now there's quite the collection of mismatched boxes with all kinds of wrapping paper, from ones that were wrapped professionally in fancy paper to ones that are bound pretty messily with tape and edges sticking out everywhere. Yeah, you had definitely snuck down during the night to tuck away some extra presents you had hiding in your closet, so that they wouldn't be able to tell how many you'd bought--but you didn't put this many for sure, and not in all the varied packaging that they've come in. You've got a strong inkling that maybe you weren't the only one to have done so last night, and only now do the bags under Steve's eyes and his unusual giddiness make sense.

But that's not what stops you all dead in your tracks. What renders you silent is what's sitting on a stand right in front of the presents and the tree that's bursting with ornaments--a long, shiny red guitar with a glossy finish, strings sleek and new with black accents to compliment it. And you can't help but notice the way the slim body of the instrument has two upturned peaks at the top, framing the neck in such a way that it so resembles those iconic horns that Eddie's always doodling or throwing up on his head for a jab. It's perfect, it's the perfect guitar and it's exactly what Eddie would like, and it looks quite familiar, too.....and you know it when you look over to see him absolutely speechless, slack-jawed in awe as he and the guitar trade stares like they were meant for each other. It's for Eddie.

"Wow, looks like Santa really went for it this year. Guess you've been good, Munson." Steve is the only one able to breach the quiet that's fallen over all of you, sliding an arm around Eddie's shoulders rather sweetly while you and the girls share a look, grinning from ear to ear and giggling beside him as you watch your beloved motormouth go absolutely silent.

"How.....how did you...?"

"Santa knows all your wishes. I might have given him a tip or two, though." With a wink, Steve dips his head to peck Eddie on the cheek, and the frizzy curls framing his face go flying as he turns to look at your boyfriend.

"Steve, this....is the best day of my life. This--you--oh, for fuck's sakes," You're taken aback by the near moan that Eddie pushes into Steve's mouth, sucking on his lower lip like a vampire before pulling off with a pop and hurrying over to touch his gift. Steve, meanwhile, is left with a rosy bottom lip and wide eyes while he watches him geek out, only snapping back to attention when you and Nancy grab each of his arms, and move him forward to sit him back on the sofa that faces the tree. After Eddie's slung the guitar over his neck and fired off a few chords with childlike glee, hopping up and down and getting a little headbanging in, he manages to peel it off with a flushed and happy face and moves it on the stand to the side, so you can get at the rest of the presents underneath. Nancy joins Steve on the couch, Robin sits on the floor by the armchair, Eddie's cross-legged between them to complete the circle, and you take your position as promised--the designated gift-distributor, kneeling next to the tree.

With your spirits even higher than normal (although the rest of you are definitely worried your gifts won't be able to top that first one) you finally get to the looming pile of presents. Nancy picks up her pen, and scribbles out a list on the notepad she keeps on the side table when she gets the chance, although you manage to push a few gifts into her lap and remind her to relax! This is your family time, and you're especially insistent on everyone leaving their worries and stress aside for the day. Although you definitely feel like a hypocrite for the way your heart thuds against your ribcage as you make your way through them, nervously eyeing the spot near the back where the wall is, knowing that your biggest gift is hiding amongst that last pile.

Until the time comes, however, you stick your attention where it needs to be--on your lovers, all of whom seem to be filled with the kind of shameless joy that you hope everyone feels on such a lovely day. The only one that's really fidgeting is Robin, although that's pretty normal for her to play with the strings on her hoodie--and it's almost overshadowed by Eddie's excitedly flapping hands at the wrists when he's watching everyone open his gifts, and the sharp, short rocks of his head that he does when his hands are busy. Steve, on the other hand, has already made the brief trip to the kitchen to grab a garbage bag by the second present, and has it open by his feet for you all to crush your wrapping up and toss inside.

After a few small, feeler gifts to start off--some new polos for Steve, an organizational binder for Nancy, new headphones for Robin's walkman, blank cassettes for Eddie, socks and books you've been wanting--then comes the first of what you haven't realized will be quite a few more heartwarming presents. You still haven't made a crazy amount of progress through the pile, Steve having finally caved and admitting that he may have been keeping some presents hidden for the rest of them to put out the night before, including himself, obviously. And you breathe a sigh of relief when he says it and you can all share a laugh, one that's much more memorable with the knowledge that you all couldn't resist spoiling each other. At least it wasn't just you, you think to yourself as you pull the next gift out and scan over the tag.

"Oh! For me, from....Nancy and Eddie?" You look between the two, you curiosity piqued when they share their own look and lean forward while you tear it open, taking great care to toss the bright-red wrapping into the trash when Steve holds it open for you. All you can tell is that it feels pretty bookish, but it's heavier than usual--and when you turn the big, rectangular object over in your hands, your expression falls in shock and awe at what you see. The pretty, leather-coloured hardcover is more the style of a three-ring binder, and on the front, there's nothing but a few small white letters painted out that simply read "Angelface". Whatever you think you're gonna find when you gingerly open the book is swept away instantly, because by the first page you can already feel the tears welling up in your eyes.

"It's a scrapbook," Eddie clarifies, already huddling up to your side to sit next to you as your shaky fingers hold the plastic-bound page, while your other hand hovers in front of your open mouth. "You always get so excited about having pictures, but since we can't really hang any up....Nance came up with the idea of a scrapbook. She did most of the work, I just doodled some stuff and helped dig around everyone's storage." He speaks so meekly, shyly, almost, even though you can barely believe you're looking at something they both put so much love and time into as you flip through the pages.

There must be at least dozens of pages they've made up, each one a piece of thick, high-quality paper sealed in plastic holders that are destined to stand the test of time. And each one is stacked with photos, arranged neatly and glued to each side of the papers via Nancy's obvious handiwork--they vary from recently-processed ones to ones with frayed edges and signs of age to polaroids, but what really hits you is that they're of you, all of you. There's photos of you from recently, group photos of all five of you in the snow, on dates, at your Christmas dinners, and around the house, but there's also photos of you all by yourselves or with one or a few of the others. Silly photos, sweet photos--there's plenty you remember taking but never got to see, like the ones Steve took of you in the passenger's seat on your road trip, or one Robin got of you stretching as you sit up in bed, the sun's hazy orange glow cast over your skin through the window that gives it an ethereal feeling. They've even dug up baby pictures and childhood photos to make a section for it, a sudden bout of laughter cancelling out the tears spilling down your cheeks, as you press your finger to a photo of two-year-old Steve in a suit and tie.

"Oh my god..." You whisper in awe, your space now crowded with all four of them to take a look over your shoulders--you moon over the pictures of ten-year-old Robin with her trumpet and her band uniform, of Eddie's middle school buzzcut and missing-tooth smile as he stands by his uncle Wayne, and when you get to a few well-loved photos of Nancy with Barb, you can't help the "Oh, Nancy..." and the fresh wave of tears that comes over you at how special it is. You're so overcome with emotions you can't describe that you almost miss the fact that there's notes accompanying almost every page--little paragraphs and funny remarks and stories behind each photo, all written in Eddie's unusually careful hand, that you'll have time to pore over when you're not crying your eyes out.

"Oh, baby, it's okay! Aww.." Eddie pulls his arm round your shoulders and kisses your temple, while Robin hikes her sleeves over her hands and dries your tears with them, the four of them with pierced hearts and sweet, sympathetic smiles as they soothe you.

"...I know we can't show our love like other couples, and...and we can't even hang up pictures in our own home," Eddie mumbles through kisses placed on your wet cheek, his hand running through your hair. "But we can have this. Maybe we'll even pass it down to our kids, show them how their crusty old folks fell in love, eh?" A smile finally works it's way across your lips and stays there, your fingers hovering over a particular photo of a young Nancy holding her newly-born sister, Holly, before you close the book with a "Yeah.." and one last kiss on the lips.

"Alright, no more tears for the rest of the day." Steve announces proudly as they all disperse back to where they were sitting, though all of you know by the little sniffle he tries to hide--he was closer than anybody to shedding a tear, but you keep your grins quiet and keep moving on to the other gifts.

"Next is..." You drag your arm across your nose, smiling with a hiccup as you try to brush away how touched you are, just until the day is done. "....uh, this just says 'to Marty, from Doc'..."

"Oh," Steve pipes up, suddenly looking a little pink. "That, uh, that's for Robin. From me."

With a tilt of your head, you stretch to hand the mid-sized box to your equally-puzzled girlfriend across the floor, and it isn't until she's almost completely opened it that her head snaps up and an "Ohhh!" of realization comes out of her. "Oh, my god, you're cheesy. It's a reference--the first movie we watched together at Starcourt." She laughs nearly to the point of doubling over when it really hits her, and you're granted quite the adorable moment of Steve getting embarrassed as he's teased relentlessly, eventually pouting and stammering out that he just thought it was funny, that it's cute--and you can't disagree, especially since Robin gasps and almost bowls him over with a hug when she cracks open a fresh pair of sneakers, the exact fit and colour she's got already but clearly a much higher-quality brand. "I love you, dingus. You're way too generous."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it." He huffs out, but the grin he's got and the way he clings to her hug says so much more than he's willing to give away. From there, things cool off from crying and gasping but the mood is still plenty lighthearted--you manage to get through most of the presents with the aid of one more trash bag and a relatively easy pace, with the added help of interjections from each of you when you want to spread the receivers out more. Before long, there's only a few left, and you each have a respective pile of gifts beside you filled with all manner and size of things. Judas Priest tank tops and romance novels and board games aplenty. One that's being used already is strung delicately around Nancy's wrist; a beautiful bracelet inlaid with diamonds, one that Steve had hunched down to put around her with a careful touch, before kissing her so sweetly her tears managed to abate. He's really gone above and beyond this year--you haven't forgotten the gifts he got the kids as well, the two or three he had gotten Dustin alone, and how he had ones to leave at Hopper's cabin in case El and Will didn't come back from California in time for Christmas. He'd even gotten gifts for Nancy's parents, Holly, Robin's mom, uncle Wayne, and your family....and not once, in the whole time the holidays have been in full swing, has he ever expected anything back. He had ducked into the Wheeler's bathroom to cry his eyes out when Dustin had given him a hand radio, one he'd tweaked to have a two-way channel with a radius that spans over all Hawkins--so that, if they want to talk or if either of them ever gets in trouble, they can call each other no matter where they are. You'll never forget how quickly he put himself back together and came out with a smile, though, refusing to put any attention on himself as he stepped out to keep having a good time with everyone.

So it's time. It feels like time, even though you're nervously playing with the hem of your sweatshirt, almost breaking out into a cold sweat as the last few presents dwindle until there's just one left. The one all the way back, right in the corner, so nobody would even notice it until it's time.

"Oh, honey?" Just as you're about to duck under the tree and reach for it, Robin gets your attention, a giddy grin accompanying a flushed face and burning-red ears. "There's, uh....there's one more in the tree, can you grab it? It's kinda up high."

Without correcting her, you nod happily and grunt as you get to your feet, turning towards the tree to get on your tiptoes to search for it. You certainly hadn't noticed anything in the branches when you'd been down here last night, but you weren't exactly focused on the tree--you'd been more attentive to whether there were any doors opening or footsteps as you silently placed your extra presents down. Just as you're about to ask over your shoulder for some guidance, your ears catch the sound of a gasp, one that sounds like Nancy's. On instinct, you turn round on your heel to look--but your eyes scan over Steve and Nancy's shocked and awe-twinged expressions before they land on what the three of them are seeing.

By your hip, Robin's looking up at you with a gaze so sweet it would make you melt.....and between her fingers sits a ring, the golden band glimmering under the twinkling light, just shy of the crystal that's set inside it. Somehow, it's only when you notice that she's perched on one knee that it all clicks for you, and your hands shoot to your mouth to cover how widely it's gaping.

"Robbie?"

"I, uh....wow, I don't know how to do this." She stutters out, suddenly devoid of the immense confidence it took to get down on her knee in the first place. But nothing's going to stop her from trying to get those words out, you can see it by the way her brow furrows and she takes a deep inhale. "You....are.....m-my love, you're everything to me." She sighs, turning her eyes down and away from you to collect herself before she starts right back, determination clear in her eyes.

"I didn't ask permission to do this. I'm just doing it. I love you. I want you to be my wife, a-and...I want us to be together forever. I wanna laugh with you, I wanna make you happy, and if we have to bleed, I want us to do it together." Robin tears her eyes away to cast her gaze over the other three, each of them with hopeful, happy expressions on their faces--Steve encourages her, mouths the words "Go on!", and her eyes crinkle with a brighter smile, the confidence returning as she looks back up at you. "And I don't care if we can't get married in a church, or if people always wonder why we're all so close, I just....I love you. I love you! If I could marry all of us together, I would. But....will you settle with being my wife? Just....for us?"

"Y...Yes, yes! Oh my god, yes! Robbie, I-" You can't even bring yourself to bother finishing whatever it was you were going to babble out, not when she's jumping up to meet you, pushing her lips up against yours and practically hiking you up off your feet in an embrace that feels tighter than ever. The other three make a show of clapping and Eddie wolf whistles just to make your faces burn brighter, as Robin tears herself away from the breathtaking kiss just long enough to slide the ring on to your finger, her eyes glued to the way it settles there on your hand perfectly.

Wife. That word hasn't had the same meaning for you as it has everyone else, everyone you grew up with who always dreamed of having a nice husband in a nice house and being a pretty wife with cute babies. You'd never dreamed of the same big, white wedding or the man that would fit the role of any romance movie protagonist--your dreams have always been different, weird, and you've always figured they were just that. Dreams. But when Robin kisses you again and your other partners hurry up to share the joy in a whirlwind of alternating hugs, you can feel that jubilant swirl of emotions inside you that have your eyes leaking with tears again.

"Well, I'm not gonna be nearly as well-spoken as Buckley," Eddie suddenly grins, swiping a box out from behind the armchair that none of you had noticed until now, too distracted by the tree and the presents underneath it. Upon closer examination as it sits in his hands, it's not even wrapped, just looks a bit like a shoebox with a closed, brown top. "But I had the same idea. Least we all get rings now, right?"

With a flourish, your boyfriend pulls up the flap to show off the contents--and the four of you are left speechless by what lies inside, Robin letting out a shocked laugh at how similar their thinking seems to be.

Laid out on a soft, clean blue cloth, are four more rings. Each one is different, however--the bands are all made up of entwining coils of silver, much resembling the twisting, celtic-knot-esque patterns that Eddie's excitedly shown off to you in Tolkien's books. But the crystals set in each one are the same, glittery and almost pure white like the gems of Lasgalen, cut and bound into the bands firmly so they won't ever come loose. If he didn't proudly exclaim that they're all his own handiwork, you wouldn't believe he hadn't spent an exhorbitant amount of money getting them custom-made....but they're too Eddie to be something bought from a store, and he's clearly happy to be met with a group of slack jaws and teary eyes as he passes them around. The small, dainty one with elegant designs goes to Nancy, the thicker one with wider coils is Steve's, the one with intertwining silver and gold accents is for Robin, and yours....it has such sweet simplicity that it's just awe-inspiring, it's perfect, and it's even got the tiniest symbols of leaves that surround the crystal; like the leaves of Lórien.

"Eddie, you made these?" Nancy finally speaks up, holding her own hand as she looks down on the ring like it's some priceless, royal artifact.

"Sure did, sweetheart. Can't let Harrington have all the fun dolling you up, can I?" He chuckles, and the box nearly hits the ground when Nancy grabs hold of his cheeks and bends him down to kiss her, the gem on her hand and the ones on her wrist shimmering off the Christmas lights still twinkling around the room. But there's one ring left to bestow, and when the two of them break away with flushed faces, Eddie plucks it off the cloth and meets your eyes with his own, hazily giddy ones.

"How about I wear yours, angel? More romantic that way, dontcha think?" He asks, and when you nod with a smile that could rival the sun, he happily slides it on to his own finger and finds that it fits just splendidly. All five of you hold out your hands on instinct to compare your new jewelry, the four matching rings somehow accentuating yours even more with the silver bands complimenting your entirely gold one. And it hits you all at once--engaged. You're engaged not just to one, not just at all, but to all four of the people you couldn't love more if you had the choice to pick anyone in the world. It's not traditional, but it doesn't matter, because it's yours to share for the rest of your lives.

"....I'm just gonna assume those are all yes's, right?" Eddie finally laughs, breaking the stunned silence into a hubbub of chatter and "of course!"s as you take turns thanking him with lips, hands, and tongue. Steve returns the kiss he got earlier by tenfold, his hands firmly on Eddie's hips as he swallows any other cheeky comments--but just as everyone is cooling down and enjoying that one, last high of gift-giving, you manage to find the courage to push out the words you've been waiting to say.

"So....um, actually, there's....there's one more gift." You admit, the gentle squeeze of the band on your finger allowing you a little more boldness as you look between their satisfied faces.

"Oh, god, don't tell me you got someone a car. We already broke our rule within, like, ten seconds!" Your boyfriend dramatically cries out, before your new fiancée pipes right back at him with her arm around your waist.

"Says you, mister tiffany diamonds and luxury guitars." Steve sticks out his tongue and flaps his fingers together like a fake mouth, before pinching Robin's offending cheek and getting a playful swat on the hand.

Being used to their antics, you just nervously bite your bottom lip, and turn to kneel down and reach back under the tree to close your fingers around the box. It shakes a little when you pull it out and sit back on your knees, though that's probably because your hands won't stop trembling. Just do it. It's gonna be okay. They're gonna love it.

"It's....it's for everyone, but...." You get up slowly and move towards Steve, standing in front of him meekly with your knees practically glued to each other. Without another word of explanation, you wait as they all move to crowd the couch, Robin huddled up by Nancy's side while Eddie perches on the arm next to Steve. And when they do, you feel your heart stall as you place the little box in Steve's open hands, and your stomach drops to your feet when he carefully takes the top off.

The silence kills you, so quiet that not even their breathing interrupts it--but Steve's eyes widening with nothing but shock cuts you deeper, and suddenly the ring on your finger feels too tight, like it's suffocating you.

"Are you serious?" He breathes, finally looking up at you.....but you can't tell what he's thinking, what he's feeling, and suddenly the place you're standing is the last place you want to be, an eerily quiet "Y-Yeah" escaping you with a tremor in your voice. Please don't be mad at me. Please, God.

"Steve? What is it?" You hadn't even realized that the other's vision had been obscured by Steve's hands, not until Eddie shatters that terrifying quiet and leans over for a look. But now, Steve isn't looking anywhere else but you, a glossy sheen filling his sweet, brown eyes.

"You're pregnant?"

Nancy claps a hand over her mouth, Robin's eyes nearly bug out of her head, and Eddie sits there staring like he's still deciphering the words and the little pink test sitting in the lap of your lover. You've got no idea what to do, what to say, and you feel tears start to well up in your own eyes--maybe this was all a mistake, maybe this was too much and you just crossed a line you can't ever step back over.

"Th-This is why you were sick? You're having a baby?" Your hands practically glued together, you nod without looking his way. That mysterious illness that had been pervading your mornings and afternoons had resulted in quite the concern from your partners, but even when they'd asked you to take a test, you'd managed to hide those positive results and convince them they were all negative. Hoping that it would make this moment all the more special, which....seems a little naïve now that it's happening and it's too late to back out.

"Yeah, we....we're having a baby. It....Steve, it's yours."

"I'm gonna be a dad?"

As much as he usually tries, he can't hide the tears this time, and still worried about gauging his reaction wrongly, you stammer out your explanation like you're trying to disarm a bomb.

"Y-Yeah, I planned it out....I t-tracked my cycle, and....that's why I asked Steve to take me to California. I mean, I don't know for sure, but-"

"Oh, honey," Eddie's hands suddenly hit his forehead, and he drags them down his face in a way that frightens you even more. "Is that why you asked me what you asked me?"

The girls look over at him for clarification, still not entirely sure that what's happening right now is really happening, and it's not just some elaborate prank. And while Steve's still digesting the news with teary eyes, Eddie explains.

"Angel's fuckin' clever--or I'm just an idiot--but she asked me, if we have kids, if I cared who got to be the dad first. I just said it didn't matter to me, but....I hoped Steve would get to do it first."

There's no need to say more after that. Steve's finally on his feet, sliding the box aside carefully to let Nancy grab it and hold the test up closer so she and Robin can take a look--and in one step he essentially sweeps you right off your feet, strong biceps clinging to you and his face buried in your neck as you squeal and graze your socked toes across the carpet. It isn't even until your skin warms and prickles with goosebumps that you realize he's planting kisses on every inch of skin he can reach, smiling into your skin and mumbling around mouthfuls of you.

"My baby, my baby--you've got my baby inside you, god, I can't believe I'm a dad-" Like a man that just won the lottery, he lets out a cry of pure, unbridled joy that was just bubbling up inside him so strongly he couldn't keep it down. And once he puts you back down on your feet, he drops to his knees in front of you, nuzzling his face into your belly with his arms tight around your hips, kissing and nosing at the imperceptible bump that you know will be growing even larger pretty soon. "How far along are we? When do I get to meet them?" He asks you with starry eyes, and your heart just melts at the sight of him so excited--it's a sense of relief that you can't even explain, you just have to let your own tears flow out of joy.

"The...the doctor said six weeks, just about. So we should be due in-"

"August?! We're having an August baby!" Steve cheers, though you're sure now that he'd have the same reaction to any month--he just couldn't be happier, jumping back up to his feet for another kiss before you notice the other reactions you've got waiting for you. While Eddie is pawing away his own tears to try and keep it together and Robin looks like she's so happy she's shaking, Nancy looks almost pained at the news, and it sends your heart plummeting from that glorious high all the way down into the dirt at once, her name falling off your lips with worry lacing each syllable. Her eyes shift to meet yours, big, blue oceans that tug at your heartstrings until her lips quirk up into an unbelievably pretty smile.

"You're gonna be a mom," She preens, tucking her hair out of her face as she gets up and squeezes past Steve to go in for a hug, holding you like a teddy bear but not tight enough to hurt her baby. "We're gonna have to decorate, and buy baby clothes, and....we're gonna be parents. The best parents."

As soon as she says that, it seems to light something in Robin and Eddie that has them finally moving off the couch. They hurry in and crowd around each side of you, smothering your happy tears with affection and cuddles and hands on your belly, cooing at both you and the baby growing inside you that they just can't wait to meet. It seems almost silly now, how much you had fretted and worried about breaking the news to them. How you had wasted away precious hours of sleep because you were laying beside them, watching them breathe softly with their heads on their pillow, and wondering if you had made a huge mistake by guessing this would be something they wanted. Many nights you'd warmed yourself against Steve's bare chest, throat rumbling with gentle snores and pleased hums at the feeling of your body cozied up in his arms, scratching your fingers lightly through his chest hair as you thought about the moment he would find out. If he would be happy.

You can see it now in his face, and in the other's faces, too. He's happy. They're all so happy.

"Well....I guess we need two more savings jars. Baby jar and wedding jar." Nancy finally breaks the silence as you're finally let go, cradled instead in Eddie's arms as he kisses the crown of her head with a smile and a pair of misty eyes. He's still in disbelief, but there's no coming around needed. You can see in his faraway look that he's already running through baby names in his head.

"Wedding?" Robin pipes up, looking between all of you as she tries to put the pieces of the puzzle together. But they know, they can already sense it, even though your girlfriend-turned-fiancée is still a little too delirious to believe it.

"....Yeah? You asked angel to marry you first, did you not?" Nancy replies with a grin, and pats the arm Eddie has around her. "So we need to have a wedding. Backyard should be fine, right?"

"Are you sure?" She looks between Nancy to you, eyes glimmery and hopeful. She clearly had expected some pushback from everyone else with her decision, especially considering she hadn't asked or confided with any of them before she went ahead and popped the question. You've got no idea, but in reality she didn't figure she'd actually have the courage to ask it, which is part of the reason why she didn't say anything. But regardless, you answer the question for her with a brief, but loving kiss.

"I'm gonna be your wife, Robin Buckley. You think I'd pass up on a wedding to the love of my life?" This time, you could swear she's really gonna faint. Her cheeks run hot all of a sudden, her smile quirking up slowly until it's bright and toothy, and she bounces on the balls of her feet before dipping in for a long, sweet peck. "Besides, I've got an album to put all the pictures in, now. We'll invite our friends, the kids-"

"Wait, really?"

"Robbie, I think they're already gonna be asking questions when they see me with a bump. Unwed, no boyfriend, living with my "friends"--and they love us. They'll be thrilled." You try to reassure her, because really, you want so badly to have a ceremony with your loved ones. Even if they won't know the true extent of the love you all share, and even if it's not official by any stretch of legality, it's something you've always dreamt of and if you have the chance, you want to make it a reality. Suddenly, Eddie turns on a dime and points at Steve, who snaps out of his delirious happiness when your boyfriend opens his mouth.

"We'll convince Dustin the baby's Robin's! Get that little butthead to drive himself crazy trying to figure out if it's true--bet you twenty he'll believe it." He declares with a smirk, the mischievous gears already turning in his wicked little head. Honestly, sometimes he's more of a kid than the kids are--but you love him for it, and by Steve's response, you know for a fact that Eddie's not the only one.

"You're a dingus.....and you're on. That kid needs a good kick in the head." He grabs Eddie's hand for a shake before the metalhead can spit in it first, and he relents, although Nancy just rolls her eyes and slips out of his hold as they solidify their silly little schemes.

"Anyways," She pipes up, drawing everyone's attention back to the matriarch of the household. "I think it's about time for breakfast. You're eating for two, now, mh?" Nancy delicately brushes her hand over your belly, moving past you to kiss your cheek before she heads towards the kitchen, with Steve following close behind to offer an extra set of hands. And with a little time before then, you, Robin, and Eddie all get to work on clearing up the living room and bringing everyone's present piles to their bedrooms, with the two of them eager to cut in and take anything they even remotely perceive as "heavy" from your arms to haul it around for you. They're honestly almost too excited to pamper you, their precious, pregnant angel, but even at their mother henning you just have to let go of a laugh and offer some kisses and hugs for their devotion. It's a fair trade, after all--you give them a baby, and they give you the whole world as you see it. So maybe, next Christmas, you won't worry so much about going a little over the top for your husbands, wives, and the parents of your most anticipated little addition to the family.

#fruity four #fruity four x reader #steve harrington #eddie munson #robin buckley #nancy wheeler #steve harrington x reader #eddie munson x reader #robin buckley x reader #nancy wheeler x reader #st 4 #stranger things #ellie writes #anons

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loveronlineee · 2 years

Text

Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 2 spoilers.

At first it was denial.

I saw the signs. I saw how he said Never change Dustin Henderson. I saw him say again and again that he’s no hero. I saw him go back to give the others more time. I watched as he lay so close to gone with Dustin holding him and I still didn’t believe it.

Then it was shock.

How the time skip happened and everyone was safely back, out of the upside down. No mention of Eddie from anyone, until Dustin.

Then it changed again, going back and forth between heart wrenching mourning and white hot anger.

I am upset. The kind of upset where your feelings overcome your body and you can’t even stand, your knees giving in beneath you. Crying on the floor. Watching the tears fall onto the ground, inches from your face.

I am upset. The kind of upset where you can’t even hold back the fury. Where nothing will calm you down and you’re shaking and tense, and you just have to feel that feeling with every fibre of your being until it turns back into tears.

I convinced myself that Eddie wasn’t going to die. I read posts saying that Eddie and Jonathan were gonna have scenes next season, they put forward the point that Why would there be so much promotion for a character that wouldn’t even be in the next season?

I couldn’t even enjoy the rest of the episode after that. I couldn’t be excited about Robin and Vickie. I didn’t feel anything when Hopper and Joyce reunited with their kids. I didn’t care that Hawkins was in trouble. Nothing else mattered after that. I felt numb.

Thank you Joe Quinn. For bringing alive a character that I love more than any other I ever have. No other is even close. And fuck you Duffer brothers for absolutely ruining him.

I’m only half serious, because I understand that when you make something and people love it, you’re terrified that one day you’ll fuck it up and all those supporters will turn on you. I know that the Duffers originally didn’t want Eddie to be that likeable, since they planned on killing him. But they didn’t change what they planned even after casting Joe.

And I think what makes me the most angry is that his death wasn’t even a good death.

No one mourned for him. There was no funeral. We don’t even know that much about what happened after. We can assume that they just left his body there, to rot in the upside down. Alone. Forever.

He never got to meet Will. He would have loved him. He would have taken him under his wing and protected him and become a second older brother. He never got to meet El and see her awesome powers in action. He never got to meet Hopper, or Joyce, or Murray or Argyle or Holly or any of the parents or anyone else.

I wanted to see him become part of the group. I wanted to see him interact with the others. What would Hopper have said after taking one look at him? It would’ve made me laugh whatever it would’ve been. I wonder what Eddie would’ve thought of Dustin’s girlfriend Suzie. Did he even know that this girl with superpowers was Mike’s girlfriend???

His name was never redeemed. Everyone still hates him. He never graduated. And no, he didn’t die a hero. His death wasn’t an epic sacrifice like Billy’s was. He died even though the exact same thing happened to Steve and he survived.

His death didn’t feel like it meant anything.

And it should’ve

It could’ve.

If Eddie died it could’ve been him protecting Steve, Nancy and Robin. He reaches the house, saves them but ultimately doesn’t make it. Maybe he makes such a ruckus that Vecna has to find him and kill him himself, giving El and Max more time to save themselves.

If they were planning on it, it could’ve been so. Much. Better.

Duffer brothers you made me fall in love with a show and continue to love it for 6 years. And you ruined it in just under 4 hours.

But even after everything, I still love this show. And I will not stop writing. Eddie Munson you stole my heart and I have no regrets about that.

And I will share this love with every person who reads my work and interacts with my blog who loves him too.

I’ll write Eddie the story he deserves.

Eddie I love you. You freak.

- Willow.

#willow’s warbles #vol 2 >:(#eddie munson #stranger things #stranger things season four #stranger things season 4 #volume 2 #stranger things 4 #stranger things season 4 volume 2 #eddie munson x reader #reader x Eddie Munson #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fanfiction #st eddie munson #eddie munson fluff #stranger things x reader #stranger things imagine #stranger things spoilers #st spoilers

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penny00dreadful · 5 months

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Spies AU - Part 6

Part 1 Part 7 AO3

17th August 2015

Steve was at war with himself, looking down at those surveillance photos that he just couldn’t seem to put away.

He kept pulling them out to stare, to examine, like a new piece of information about Eddie would make itself known each time he looked.

Every time he put them down, shut them away in his desk drawer or even dumped them in his waste paper basket it wasn’t long before they were taken back out and spread in front of him to pour over once more.

Finding out Eddie was a ‘bag guy’ but with a good heart had done absolutely nothing to quell those awful traitorous feelings in his stomach (and his dick).

Eddie was essentially a murderer for hire, even if he was only working for one guy. Though could Steve even say he was any different?

He worked for a non-governmental agency with no oversight, though he’d never got the vibe that they were secretly evil. It was something he’d kept his eye out for since he’d started. That always seemed to be the way things went in fiction.

Good Guy thinks he’s working for a Good Guy Organisation only to find out they were actually a Bad Guy Organisation, out for their own goals.

But this wasn’t fiction, this was real life and Steve trusted his higher ups. Hopper, Joyce, Dimitri, Alexei, Bob and Murray.

Okay, maybe he didn’t fully trust Murray but not because he thought the guy was a double agent or bad or anything. He just seemed a little unhinged at the best of times. And he was the most gossipy person Steve had ever met.

He kept trying to set Steve up with different guys around the Analyst's office as well, insisting Steve needed to ‘discover himself’.

Well, unbeknownst to him, Steve had ‘discovered himself’ many, many years ago and he had no desire to let Murray in on that little tidbit of information.

He knew who he was and he knew who he could trust.

He knew he could trust Robin and the kids and his bosses.

And strangely enough he knew he could trust Eddie.

He trusted Eddie even before he had found out about his loving home life, his scary but gentle friends from school and his dark hero vigilantism.

He seemed to be a good person.

And he was stupid hot, so that probably helped too.

Or didn’t help, because he was trying to do his damn job without constantly thinking of brown eyes and plump lips and deft hands that could-

Stop it.

But even so, he was finally getting back into the swing of things at work again.

But he still hadn’t told Robin.

The communicator had been muted when he’d first spoken to Eddie in that alleyway and then again at the warehouse, so she had no idea.

He didn’t love keeping her out of the loop though it wasn’t the first time he’d had to do it.

While Max hadn’t been his informant, he’d been involved in that mission and knew who she was and like most informants on the job, their identity was guarded with the utmost privacy.

Just in case.

They could never take the risk that someone in the know would be compromised or infiltrated so people in the know were kept as minimal as possible.

So no one had questioned him about his private job with Jonathan. It wasn’t standard practice but there were reasons for it.

And he was their top Agent. They had a lot of trust in him. And with that trust came a lot of freedom.

Plus he was being sent back out on missions again and it was the exciting shit this time.

It was the type of work that had convinced Steve to see his training through.

The chance to explore other countries, other cultures, meet interesting people and uproot the threads of underground corruption by means of a quick bullet to the head.

Creel had a network that stretched throughout most of the world and some of his most dangerous allies were global.

Everything had been going swimmingly. He’d managed to get into Zagreb without any cameras picking him up, without any documentation to show he was there at all.

Creel’s ‘business associate’, Mr. Horvat was overseeing the construction of a new office building, a front for their black market trade and an opportunity for some incredible money laundering and if Steve was able to take it down then he’d be able to cut off at least some of Creel’s fluidity.

It wouldn’t be a lot but it would be something.

Night was closing in and with that night the heat was starting to slowly dissipate from the air. It had been stifling during the day and Steve relished in the feeling of the wind against his skin, cooling him down from several floors up.

The building was barely a shell at this stage, open floors and concrete pillars and scaffolding, completely exposed to the elements.

He had needed to get pretty creative in order to climb to the upper floors where he could get a bird's eye view to wait for Mr. Horvat’s arrival.

Though as the hour got later and later and the last whispers of daylight disappeared over the horizon and Steve had still seen no sign of his target, he started to get antsy.

There were advantages and disadvantages to executing missions in other countries.

On the one hand there was the opportunity to see a whole new side of the world, on the other, The Agency’s ability to swoop in and save his ass lest he get himself into a mountain of shit was severely limited.

And Robin wasn't in his ear for the first time in a long time. Those were the risks when working internationally.

So he was a little nervous about the fact that their intelligence seemed to have been wrong.

Wrong enough to leave Steve alone in an empty shell of a building in the darkness with no solid exit plan if things got a little fucky.

Okay. This was fine. Everything was fine.

He’d gotten out of worse scrapes than this.

He just needed to remember to stay calm and everything would be fine.

Or at least everything would have been fine if it wasn’t for the hushed voices he heard attempting to get up to the level of the building he was on.

Little grunts and groans as they pulled themselves up the empty shafts where an elevator would eventually be put in.

Steve whipped his head around, looking for anywhere to hide but the floor was completely barren, save for the few pillars and a spindly table and set of chairs that the construction crew used to eat their lunch at.

He’d sooner be caught dead than looney-tunesing it around a pillar away from these guys so he chose the next best thing, slinking back as far into the shadows as he could get, covering his watch with his hand and tucking his gun away behind him to minimise any reflective glare that could get him caught.

Two heads popped up out of the hole in the ground, heaving themselves over the side and huffing and puffing with the effort of getting their big meaty bodies up.

If Steve hadn't heard them coming, he definitely would have been able to tell they were there now, being the opposite of quiet and subtle.

They were Creel’s men, no doubt about it but Steve had to wonder why Creel had sent two big and hulking men to this location.

Surely someone small and wiry would have found it far easier to heave themselves onto the floor using only their fingers or at the very least he could have supplied them with a fucking grappling hook or something.

It made no fucking sense.

But aside from that, there was a little bit of a panic setting into Steve’s bones now because he knew he wouldn’t be able to fight the two of them off if it came to it.

They were too big.

Either that or he would have to be very lucky to be able to overpower them. As long as they were as stupid as they were athletic, he might have a chance.

“Is he here?” The one on the far right with short cropped black hair attempted to whisper but it was offset by the heavy rise and fall of his chest as he lay on the floor trying to catch his breath.

The other one on the left lifted his head, his swooping red hair flopping over his face in a fashion Steve would almost be jealous of if he wasn’t trying to formulate an escape plan right about now.

“Can’t see him.” The redhead muttered back, pushing himself to his feet.

Steve was controlling his breathing. Right now, the only escape options for him were to either throw himself off the side of the building and plummet several stories or try to dart past the two as quickly as possible before they were able to grab him.

Even then, the fall down that empty space where that elevator would be was gonna be risky, he'd have to hope he could grab his rappelling gear in time and latch it to the hooks he'd left embedded when he was climbing up.

If he kept the element of surprise then maybe he could get out of this with all of his limbs intact.

Or he could just shoot the fuckers and be done with it.

Dropping himself slowly down low into a crouch, he reached back for where he’d stashed his gun in his holster, gripping it in his hand.

Just when he had started to ease it around in front of himself to point it in their direction he was forced to move.

They’d brought a flashlight and had shone it in Steve’s direction. To avoid being seen he had to dive to the side but that also had made more noise than he had anticipated.

They knew he was here now, so the element of surprise was gone.

They’d moved, he had a clear shot between where he was and the drop down and while the two goons were still getting their bearings, trying to find him again in the dark, he ran, sprinting for his exit, probably faster than he had run in a long time.

It was no use though.

He was brought to a vicious halt when a hand struck out and latched into his hair.

He could feel some of it being ripped out as his head was yanked back and before he knew it, his wrists had been grabbed, along with his legs when he tried to kick and twist out of their grip.

“Hold him still, hold him still!” The first guy shouted, pinning Steve's arms to his side.

He swung his leg out, trying to click the other guy away but he was stopped, his ankles getting caught up in a strong grip.

“Remind me again why we can’t just kill him?”

“We need to know what he knows!”

Steve fought with everything he had, wiggling and trying to kick and scratch and bite but these guys easily had a hundred pounds on him in muscle mass alone.

His gun slipped out of his grip, skittering across the floor and Steve could hear it clattering down the empty elevator shaft as he found himself forced into one of the chairs.

Any fight that he did have left in him was punched out of him, literally and figuratively as one of the guys drove his fist repeatedly into Steve’s stomach and the other pulled his arms behind his back with so much force there was a terrible pop that echoed out into the night sky.

Steve inhaled and held his breath as a sickening lightning shock of pain shot down his entire arm and through his shoulder. He refused to scream, he refused to cry out. He refused to acknowledge the agony he was feeling from his now limp and useless arm.

His shoulder was dislocated. That arm would be fucking useless, a hindrance more than anything.

He was so fucking fucked.

Another fist came down to crack him over the side of the head, splitting his cheek and snapping his head to the side.

His head was swimming momentarily, but he could feel his wrists being taped tightly behind his back and his ankles being strapped to the legs of the chair.

It took a second for him to latch back onto the conversation in front of him, barely able to hear it through the blood rushing in his ears but eventually he was able to make sense of the words floating around him.

“You can’t start yet!”

“Why the fuck not? I’m just as good at getting information out of people as he is!”

“He’s not here yet! We’re not even supposed to be here yet! We were supposed to wait for him and observe!”

There was a scoff. “Whatever.”

Steve’s jaw was grabbed, wrenching his head back around to face the two of them.

“Pretty boy.” The redhead spat at him. “You answer our questions or we’ll make sure you’re not so pretty anymore.”

Steve licked at the blood he could feel coating his teeth and inhaled, trying to breathe through the pain radiating up and down his shoulder.

“Weak fucking line, man.”

His jaw was squeezed tighter.

“The fuck did you just say to me?”

“I said it’s a weak fucking line. Oh boo-hoo, I won’t be pretty anymore if I don’t tell you everything, give me a fucking break.”

“Oh, I’ll break something alright.”

Before Steve could blink there was another hard blow to his stomach and a terrible pressure against his shoulder from a cruel hand pushing and pushing and pushing as he doubled over in pain, finding it hard to catch his breath and letting out an involuntary grunt of pain as he sputtered through his coughs.

He felt like was going to be sick.

Steve straightened his back, refusing to give into them, even if he did have to start breathing a little heavier.

He raised his head, swallowing down some more pain when the pressure on his shoulder increased, the black haired guy squeezing tight.

A loud clap echoed, bouncing off the walls.

“Looks like a party in here, boys.”

Eddie was standing a few feet away, clearly having just climbed up through the gap in the floor. He hands on his hips, one hip cocked to the side and his whole posture was easy and light.

But his mouth was a little thinner than usual and his eyes were piercing.

“Nice of you to finally show up.” The redhead snapped at him before wilting immediately at a single raised brow from Eddie.

He stared down the two goons, carefully avoiding looking directly at Steve. “Our schedules seem to have been misaligned.”

“An opportunity presented itself.” The black haired lackey said, his hand still on Steve’s injured shoulder.

“Oh, it did, did it?”

“We’ve been given our orders.” The redhead spat again, irritation clearly coursing through him. “Not our fault if you couldn’t execute them effectively last t-”

Eddie stepped forward, still as calm as ever while the other two immediately shrunk back, putting Steve between themselves and Eddie.

Eddie didn’t come to a stop until he was right in front of Steve, bending at the waist to get a good look at him, putting their faces on level with each other, almost nose to nose.

Steve had the urge to jump forward and bite, both to try and snap his cool demeanour and because he just wanted to, but he held it at bay.

He also had an intense urge to bitch back at him, to fall back into the role he’d adopted the last time they were in this situation and while Steve could be a bit impulsive at times he also knew when to keep his mouth shut and he should definitely keep his mouth shut right about now.

Eddie’s eyes, sharp and flinty raked over Steve’s face taking in the redness and swelling over his split cheek, the redness that had spittled out of his mouth and over his teeth as well as what was probably a bloodshot eye.

Then his eyes flicked up to the hand that was still clamped tight around Steve’s dislocated shoulder, waving it away as he straightened up and started to circle him.

“Popping a joint out of the socket is pretty bold for an opening move, don’t you think?” Everything about Eddie was relaxed and calm, like he was wading slowly through some cool and refreshing water, but the tension in the air was fucking palpable.

The two goons were fucking terrified of him, even though they tried to act unaffected, pulling on their masculinity and puffing out their chests.

“It was necessary.”

Eddie hummed. “I’m sure it was. And the punches?” He asked, coming to a stop in front of Steve again.

“He was being snarky.” The redhead answered, with just a hint of smugness in his tone.

Eddie smiled, bright, wide and cold.

“I do love it when they’re snarky.” He raised a finger, gesturing the two of them over. “Walk with me.”

He led them away, far enough that Steve couldn't hear what was being said but he'd bet anything that Eddie was acting as calm as ever though his posture said differently.

He'd squared his shoulders and had one leg planted behind him.

Steve could just see the two lackeys recoil at something he said, the redhead taking as step back, the heel of his boot just grazing the hole in the floor when Steve heard Eddie growl something's that distinctly sounded like 'mine' before swinging his leg out and kicking the redhead square in the chest sending him sailing through the gap.

Before the other guy could react beyond a startled shout, Eddie pulled a gun from a pouch strapped to his leg and shot him through the forehead.

His body thumped to the floor followed by a deafening, ringing silence.

Steve stared wide eyed as Eddie glanced over the hole in the floor, and watched as terrible echoing, gurgling, throaty noises rose several stories up towards them before slowly going quiet.

Steve blinked.

“What the fuck?”

Eddie didn’t look across at him as he put the safety back on.

“What the hell did you just do, weren’t they your people?” Steve asked, completely bewildered and more than a little turned on.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Eddie said, walking back over to him. “They were dead when I arrived.”

He placed the gun down in Steve’s lap and he saw with a start that it was his own gun. The one he had lost his grip on in the tussle. Eddie had shot his own people with Steve’s gun.

It would look like Steve was the one who had pulled the trigger.

Eddie moved to stand behind him and gently laid one hand over his dislocated arm and the other on his shoulder.

“You ready?”

Steve took a deep breath in and held it for a moment before slowly letting it out.

“Yeah.” He nodded. “Just get it over with.”

He could feel Eddie tighten his fingers momentarily in a soft show of comfort.

“And to answer your question, sweetheart-” Eddie muttered, lips grazing his ear before suddenly wrenching his arm up, popping it back in.

Steve bit down on his tongue so hard he tasted blood, but was able to keep relatively silent, apart from a small groan of pain.

He almost didn’t hear what Eddie said next.

“-I don’t have any people. Not here.”

Steve couldn’t answer, still trying to swallow down the agony and resting his head back with his eyes closed, while Eddie fumbled around behind him, cutting the tape from his wrists.

Eventually the pain was no longer a sharp stab, but a steady throb and Steve was able to find his voice again.

“Baby, what are you doing?”

Eddie didn’t answer for a moment, slowly moving Steve’s injured arm until it was resting in his lap alongside his still loaded gun like it was nothing.

Once his legs were also unbound Eddie stepped back and shrugged.

“I can’t do anything with you right now, I like to start when my victims are fresh. Prefer a blank slate, you know?”

Steve used the hand on his good side to raise the wrist of the bad arm against his chest, keeping it elevated.

Eddie tensed up momentarily as his hand moved over the gun still sitting innocently in his lap but relaxed once it was clear Steve wasn’t reaching for it.

“Didn’t seem to matter last time.”

Eddie gave a little scoff. “Well I didn’t do anything to you last time did I?”

Oh, you did plenty.

It was only then that Steve registered exactly what he was looking at.

Eddie was standing in front of him with his hair piled high on his head and in the tightest clothes Steve had ever seen on a person.

“Are you wearing spandex?”

He couldn’t even pretend to be laughing at him, he was too busy staring salaciously at everything the skin tight black fabric left on display, the stretch across his bony hips, the way it hugged his delicate waist, the prominent bulge in the front that Steve only allowed himself a half a second to glance at.

The spandex spread out across his whole body, all the way down to the thick boots he was wearing, leaving nothing uncovered apart from his neck, face and hair, a few little wispy bits falling down and lightly brushing his skin. Even his gorgeous hands were hidden away, though Steve still wouldn’t say no to them grabbing at him.

“Why?” Eddie asked grinning, holding his arms out, turning and ah, there it was. That flat tiny little ass.

Steve still loved it though.

It made Eddie feel human.

It made him feel less like some kind of sex demon sent specifically to haunt Steve’s dreams.

"Enjoying the view?"

Steve raised an eyebrow, taking his gun lightly in hand and standing from his chair, albeit a little shaky and refusing to answer the question posed to him, even if that answer was a resounding yes.

"You look like Catwoman."

Eddie was his enemy, he had to remember that. He should probably kill him, right? He should probably kill him and stop scraping his eyes up and down Eddie’s body like he was about to pounce.

He should probably kill him and be done with the headache of an enemy he desperately wanted to fuck senseless, even as injured as he was.

The look Eddie was giving him told Steve that he knew exactly what was going on in his head. He could tell that Steve was thinking of tearing those spandex off with his teeth.

“I take that as a compliment.”

Steve couldn’t help the smile that broke out over his face, lightening the mood between them when Eddie reciprocated, just the tiniest pink tint to his cheeks, giving a little shrug.

“It’s comfy and easy to move in, easy to hide in, so y’know.”

Steve was about to open his mouth and ask if he could see what was hidden underneath but thankfully stopped in time. Instead he gripped his gun in his hand and as he raised it to slip it back into his holster he saw Eddie’s eyes flick down just for a moment before he understood.

But Steve latched onto it regardless.

“Scared of me?” He asked, teasing.

Eddie snorted. “Nope.”

“Oh really? You should be.”

“Sure thing, sweetheart.” He said with slowly darkening eyes. “You forget, you’re one of the ‘good guys’. You’ve got rules.”

Steve’s eyebrows flew up. “Who told you that?”

Eddie stepped forward until they were within arms reach. “Your whole Agency told me that. Everyone knows the good guys always lose because,” he ran a gloved finger down Steve’s chest. “You've got so many rules.”

“Rules are for those who don’t know how to stop.” He grabbed Eddie’s wrist with his good hand. “Unfortunately for you,” he pulled his wrist away from his own chest and Eddie’s eyes got even darker if that was possible, “I know exactly how to stay in control.”

They were drifting in so close now, almost nose to nose and Steve could smell him, woody and leathery and delicious.

He could kiss him, he could. Would it really be so bad to kiss the enemy? And Eddie was just standing there, waiting, waiting for it to happen, his deep, dark eyes boring into him.

But the moment was broken by a car horn screaming out somewhere below through the traffic.

Steve and Eddie practically jumped away from each other as though caught, staring at each other for a few seconds in complete silence.

Eventually Eddie reached out for a piece of his own hair but stumbled for a moment when he remembered it was tied up, choosing instead to brush a curl behind his ear and Steve was fucking jealous.

“You should probably go.” He said. “Tell your Agency the job was a bust and that you took down two goons or whatever.”

“And you’re gonna stay?”

“Yeah.” Eddie sighed. “I got two bodies to report.” He gestured at the ground behind him and the hole a little further back.

“Right.”

Steve looked at him, thinking come with me, don’t go back to them, come with me, I’ll keep you safe, I can be your people, before he was able to shake himself out of it.

It was a ridiculous thought, he couldn’t…

He couldn’t.

With a nod of his head, Steve left, using his good arm to rig up his rappel gear and lowering himself down through the gap in the floor.

Eddie watched him do it from a distance, almost like he was scared that if he reached out he’d never let go and Steve could honestly say he felt the same.

He stepped carefully around the body of the redhead, a slowly drying pool of blood and brains spread out around his head.

He got back to the hotel he was staying at that night, asking at the front desk for room service to be delivered, ordering ‘the works’.

He had only been in his room for a few minutes before there was a knock on the door and Steve let in an older man with a trolley covered in a white sheet with a cloche over a plate.

Once the door was closed behind them, the cloche and sheet were removed to reveal a fully stocked medical trolley.

He got his shoulder checked over and set into a sling along with an ice pack for his face and strict instructions to monitor any change to his digestion from the punches to the gut or a numb sensation in his arm in case anything had been pinched.

After that, he was alone again, telling himself to stop thinking about it.

He wouldn’t. He refused. He refused to think about it. Full stop. Not thinking about it.

He didn’t think about how Eddie had catalogued his injuries. He didn’t think about how he had killed for him, like it was nothing. He didn’t think about mine.

He didn’t think about everything that the stupid spandex highlighted and hid, leaving just enough up to the imagination.

How many more tattoos were underneath. Did he have a lot of body hair or was there only a sparse dusting of dark curls over his chest and trailing down under his belly button? Did he have any scars like Steve did? Were there any piercings?

Until he was alone in bed that night stripping his dick raw, hot and flushed and with his own cum spilling out over his fingers.

And then again in the morning.

Part 1 Part 7 AO3

@geekymagicalpotato @estrellami-1

Big thanks as always to @hbyrde36 for the magnificent beta work and to the STWG for their motivation

#steddie #stranger things #eddie munson #steve harrington #steve x eddie #eddie x steve #penny00dreadful #steddie fanfic #steddie fic #fanfic #pennys anniversary event #spies au #spy steve harrington #robin buckley #guy in the chair robin #cat and mouse spy fic #assassin eddie

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storiesforallfandoms · 1 year

Text

small ~ jim hopper;stranger things

word count: 1958

request?: yes!

“Oh my fucking god, I’m not the person who asked for Hopper but holy fucking shit balls. Maybe like you and Hopper go out one night just to get drunk and you do the like hand comparison thing and he just absolutely wants you then and there. But like his pov with a side of inner turmoil because he’s nervous about what would happen afterwards? I don’t really know, so basically anything, there’s not enough Hop on here.”

description: when they go out for a couple of drinks after work, neither of them expected it to end the way it did

pairing: jim hopper x female!reader

warnings: swearing, drinking, hinted smut but nothing detailed, slight age gap (hopper is mid 40s, reader is late 20s) and slight power imbalance (hopper is police chief, reader is newly appointed officer)

masterlist (one, two)

My usual drink was waiting for me in my usual spot as I entered the bar. I knew that should’ve concerned me, but it was yet another long day and I needed something to take the edge off. So I sat up on the stool that became my “regular spot” and took a sip from the beer that had become my “regular drink”.

I usually drank alone on nights like this, but this particular night a familiar voice asked, “Mind if I join you, chief?”

I looked over my shoulder to see our new rookie, (Y/F/N). She was still in her uniform, likely also just off from her shift. I hadn’t had a lot of interaction with her since her promotion, but I remembered her being an incredible trainee in her early days.

Not to mention she’s cute.

“Of course,” I said, gesturing to the empty stool next to me. “It’s a free country.”

She sat up next to me and ordered a pint of beer for herself. I glanced over at her as I raised my drink to my lips. There are certain ways to tell when a cop is new to the force and that is by how young they appear. (Y/N) still had that beautiful, youthful look to her. She had yet to face anything to cause the lines to form on her face or for streaks of grey to appear in her hair.

“Hard day, chief?” she asked.

“You can call me Jim, (Y/N). We’re not on the clock,” I told her. Not that many people ever actually called me by my first name, on or off the clock. I just wanted to hear how it sounded coming form her mouth. “And every day is a hard day on the force.”

She didn’t respond. I didn’t blame her. How are you supposed to respond to the off duty police chief having yet another existential crisis?

“It’s not that bad,” I admitted. “When you’ve been a cop as long as I have, you just see things you can never unsee. But you’re also protecting people and saving lives. That’s worth something.”

“I know. My dad was an officer, actually. He’s told me all the stories.”

“Really? Would I know him?”

she shook her head as she took another sip of her pint. “I’m not from Hawkins. I moved here after I finished police school. It was...well, it was the only place looking for new recruits.”

She could’ve been a big, hot shot cop in a big city, but instead had to settle for our small town. That’s how dreams die.

“But I like it here,” she added. “I do. Hawkins is a nice little town and the people here are...”

“Nice?” I offered.

She chuckled. “Yeah, I guess so.”

When I noticed her drink was almost empty, I ordered her another one on my tab.

We were there for a few hours, drinking the night away. (Y/N) could handle her alcohol a lot better than I thought she could. She was easily keeping up with me and only started to show any signs of inebriation when I started to feel my own beer hit me.

“One more for me, bartender,” she said, raising a hand to get the bartender’s attention. Her words were slightly slurred as she spoke.

“I think you’ve had enough,” I said, reaching out to lower her hand. “You need some water before you go anywhere.”

She looked at my hand on hers. I could feel her skin warm against mine. I should’ve let go. I didn’t need to be holding her hand for this long. But her hand was so warm and so soft. I didn’t want to let go of her.

A small smile spread across her face as she slipped her hand from mine just long enough to hold up her open palm. She took the hand that was just holding her own and placed it, open, against hers. A drunken giggled escaped from her lips as she looked at the juxtaposition between the size.

“Your hand is so much bigger than mine,” she said. “You could fit, like, both of my hands in one of yours.”

Her hand was much smaller than mine. Her fingertips just barely reached the second joints of my fingers. Actually, she was a lot smaller than me in general; her entire stature was much smaller than I was. I could likely hold both her hands effortlessly in one of mine.

Which made me picture both of her wrists locked in one of my hands. My larger body towering over her smaller one. My name coming from her lips in between a string of moans and whimpers. That warm, soft skin pressed against my -

I quickly pulled my hand away from hers and turned to the bartender to order a water for (Y/N).

I couldn’t have those thoughts about her. There was so much wrong with that scenario, namely the fact that I was her superior and over a decade older than her. It was wrong, those thoughts were wrong. But now that I had gotten them in my head they wouldn’t go away. I couldn’t even look at her without those images flashing before my eyes.

“Did you drive here?” I asked her. She nodded as she started gulping down her water. “Listen, I don’t feel comfortable with you driving home in this state, even if you sober up a little, and I don’t want to leave you drunk at a bar on your own. I’m gonna drive you home, and you can come back to get your car in the morning.”

“But you’ve been drinking, too,” she pointed out.

“I’m much more sober than you are, honey,” I assured her. She didn’t make a comment on the pet name, and I hoped she’d be too drunk to even remember it later on.

I paid for our drinks despite her protests and guided her out to my car. She didn’t seem too drunk while walking, which made me wonder if I should’ve just let her drive home on her own. I didn’t lie when I said I didn’t want her to drive home after drinking, but I also wanted these last few moments together before I had to force things back to normal the next day.

“I appreciate this, Jim,” she said after giving me her address.

“What kind of police chief would I be if I let our rookie drive home drunk?” I asked, a light tone in my voice.

“The kind who drives after he’s already been drinking?” she offered.

I chuckled. “Okay, touché.”

She rested her head against the window. Her face lit up as we drove under the street lights. As we would approach another light, I couldn’t help but glance over to get a glimpse at her beautiful face.

God, I’m helpless here. How do I stop myself from doing something I’ll regret?

“Are you from close to Hawkins?” I asked, trying to make small talk. “Originally, I mean.”

“About a five hour drive away,” she responded.

“So not close at all really. Do you get to see your family a lot at least?”

She nodded. “My parents drive in every other weekend. We talk on the phone all the time, too. They miss me and they wish I had gotten a job at our local department so I was closer to home, but they’re proud of me.”

“As they should be. Becoming a cop isn’t easy, as your dad probably knows.”

“School was tough, and I’m kind of worried about the first day I see something traumatizing, but it’s like you said: we do good, too. I just hope the good outweighs the bad.”

“It does. Eventually, it goes.”

“Do you have any kids, Jim?”

I felt myself tense at the question. My blood ran cold and my grip on the steering wheel tightened until my knuckles were white.

“I used to,” I said, my voice icier than I meant it to be.

She looked at me with wide eyes. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I knew that. I should’ve have said...I should’ve remembered...shit, Jim, I’m so sorry.”

I shook my head, focusing my attention on the road. “No, don’t be sorry. It was years ago and...and you’re drunk. You weren’t thinking straight.”

“It’s still not easy to lose a kid, though.”

We were silent the rest of the way to her place. I felt a sense of dread as I pulled into her driveway. I really did not want this time to end, but I had no other reason to keep things going. Once she got out of my car and went inside, she’d fall asleep and wake up sober. When I saw her at the station the next day, she’d be referring to me as Chief Hopper again, and I’d just be stuck with the memory of tonight being a far away fantasy I could never have again.

“Are you still with your wife, Jim?” she asked.

The question took me by surprise. “Uh...no. We...we divorced a long time ago.”

She was slowly unbuckling her seatbelt, her gaze slowly drifting to me as if she were contemplating what I had said. Suddenly, she was out of her own seat and on my lap. Her lips were roughly pressed against mine, her hands around the back of my head, holding me to her. Instinctively, arms went around her waist and I began to kiss her back. It was the one thing I had wanted to do all night and now that it was finally happening, I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming or not. If this was a dream, I never wanted to wake up.

Her hips moved down so her crotch brushed against mine. I groaned in pleasure at the contact and she used this to her advantage by slipping her tongue into my mouth. The taste of alcohol on her tongue was enough to snap me out of my trance and to realize what was happening. I pulled away from her. She tried to move with me, but I put a hand against her shoulder to move her away from me.

“Shit,” she said, her face flushed with embarrassment. “Shit, I’m sorry. That was way out of line, I shouldn’t have done that.”

“You’re drunk. It’s fine,” I assured her.

She shook her head. “No, no I’m not drunk. I haven’t been at all. I was a bit tipsy back at the bar, but I haven’t gotten further than a light buzz.”

I was shocked at her revelation. “But...you were okay with me driving you home. I thought you were too drunk to drive.”

“I wanted to be alone with you.”

I almost laughed I was so shocked. This entire time I was having these thoughts and telling myself I wouldn’t be able to act on them, and it turns out she was having the exact same thoughts, too.

“Did I make a total fool of myself?” she asked. “I can just go, we can just forget this ever happened.”

In response, I put a hand on the back of her head and pulled her towards me to kiss her again. I could feel her body relaxing against mine.

I couldn’t let the kiss be long lived, though, as I reluctantly pulled away again. “Go inside and get yourself sober. If you still feel like this in the morning when all the alcohol is out of your system, we can try it again.”

She smiled brightly at me. “Don’t be surprised if I kiss you the minute I see you tomorrow, then.”

I smiled back at her. “I’ll be waiting.”

#jim hopper #jim hopper imagine #jim hopper x reader #david harbour #david harbour x reader #david harbour imagine #stranger things #stranger things imagine #one shot #request #imagine #fanfiction #fanfic #fandom

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writer-in-theory · 2 years

Text

i want a benny hammond who survived s1 and eventually helps billy.

i want him to notice this kid who starts coming into the diner in the middle of the night. at first the loud car and obnoxious attitude irritates benny to no end, but then he notices the way billy never quite makes eye contact with him, or really any of the guys around the diner. he notices one night that the boy's hands shake around his coffee and he notices the stiff way the kid walks like he's trying not to aggravate new injuries.

and billy is a pain in his ass, truly. he's rude, he flirts with just about every woman in the diner regardless of age, and that damn car is gonna kill someone someday benny just knows it.

and yet, he never once kicks billy out. everyone knows he can, benny'd kicked people out for far less before. but this is a kid who reminds him far too much of himself at that age—angry, hurt, backed into a corner with no foreseeable way to escape except to fight his way out.

so benny takes the harsh words and he slides him a burger in return. every. fucking. night. and he charges him less and less until finally he offers billy a job instead. come to the diner whenever you can, benny tells him, just grab an apron and get to work. he tells the kid it's because he's getting old and can't manage it on his own, never mind the fact that he's worked in this diner ever since he was 18 and escaped from his own dad's ruthless hand. and you know what? billy takes him up on it. his cheeks grow red and he angrily spits something out about not being a charity case and not needing a job, but the next night he comes in, puts his keys on the ring beside benny's, and puts on an apron.

it gets better after that. the hackles fall and the bitter words turn into loud laughs, practically cackles as benny tells him about old diner stories. billy tells him all about california and admits he always planned on going back there after turning 18. billy never once tells him where the bruises are from but he doesn't need to, he knows benny gets it.

and the bruises never stop but the scowls do. he has worse days where benny shoves him into the kitchen so the customers don't test billy's fragile temper, but on the good days billy smiles and grabs the notebook, walking out to the front to take orders and create his own diner stories. hopper's telling him that billy hasn't been pulled over for speeding in awhile and the scrapes on the boy's knuckles fade away to only memories as the fighting stops too.

graduation comes and billy walks in looking nervous for the first time in months, hands shoved deep in his pockets as he paces, head tilted to the ground so he won't have to see benny's face. "what is it, kid?" benny's pushing, because he's scared, like really scared now. what happened to him? he's expecting to see a face full of bruises but when the kid looks up there's absolutely nothing there but happiness.

"i was thinkin' i'd stick around awhile," billy admits then, trying to sound like he doesn't care but benny can see the hopeful look in those blue eyes that still have a hardness to them but less of that wild animal look. "you clearly need all the help you can get, old man."

and benny takes it, he fucking takes it because this kid has only been around for a year but it feels like a lifetime. benny offers billy the couch in his house the second the kid is 18, telling him that he can stay there while he saves up the rest of his money to escape hawkins and his dad entirely. says it's because he doesn't want the customers to be grossed out by anymore bruises, but he knows that hopeful look in billy's eyes is reflected in his own.

billy stays, he really does. benny starts paying him more than normal and billy tries to give it back, tries to pay him rent, but benny just says he can pick up more hours at the diner now that he's not in school.

then the day comes. benny never expected to be upset when the kid left hawkins, but as he stands in the diner at billy's farewell party he thinks he'll actually miss that loud ass car and that still insufferable attitude. benny gives the kid a hug and he tells him to be safe in california, to write if he ever gets the itch to. then it happens. it's said so quietly benny almost misses it, but it's there.

"thank you for everything."

then billy's climbing into that fucking camaro and he's driving off toward the town limits, and benny can't help but let out a loud holler because the kid finally fucking made it out.

someone tells benny he should be proud of his son. he thinks that's true.

#billy hargrove #benny hammond #stranger things #stranger jays #billy hargrove ficlet #harringrove ficlet

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camaro-and-smokes · 2 months

Text

Nightmares

Chapter 5: Billy

Tags for this chapter: Angst & lemons. See all tags for the full fic on AO3. Moodboard by the lovely Harle @a-redharlequin 💜

Summary: The inevitable moment of thruth is finally right around the corner. Billy wants to have his lovers close to him one more time before that.

::::::::::

Billy had picked up El from the Byers-Hopper’s house where she’d left her cat to be taken care of by Joyce and Hop. She could be staying with Steve and Billy for a while and having Tibbs in their house wasn’t an option.

The drive had been quiet so far, which wasn’t uncommon for the two of them. El was one of the few people Billy could be comfortably quiet with for hours. Which was a relief since today Billy wasn't really in the mood for a chat about anything that meant nothing in a bigger scale. As in life-scale.

When they stopped at a red light, Billy tapped the wheel with his fingers. “Are you sure about this?”

El looked at him. “About what?”

Billy tilted his head and looked at her, meeting her always so honest gaze. “Come on, you know what.”

“You asked me not to look inside your head again. So, I won’t. You have to tell me what you think by saying it out loud.”

Billy looked back ahead and sped the car to meet the rest of the traffic on the highway, a small smile caressing his face. “Honestly. Are you absolutely sure about wanting to spend weeks in the loony bin with me?”

“Steve is there too. It can’t be that bad.”

“Steve is one of the loonies living in there, he doesn’t count.”

“You have nightmares, skin issues and fatigue and require extensive medication because the transplants you have. Steve has night terrors and severe vertigo and he can’t drive. And Eddie has an unspecified virus that he’s being treated for. There’s nothing indicating that would describe any of you as loonies.”

Billy chuckled. “What I mean is that it can be really straining. It is that for us but for us it’s also a choice because we love each other. You then again…”

“It’s my choice to come and stay with you and help you for the following weeks. In return, I get practical experience points for my studies. It’s beneficial for the both of us.”

“I guess,” Billy said. His tone got more serious. “But this isn't like when you normally visit us for a few days. Eddie is...” He had to stop to bite his tongue to keep himself from falling apart. It had probably been a bad idea for him to drive today, afterall. “It's going to be a lot more stressful than you can imagine. I already now know that I'll be seeing nightmares for sure and I'll need a lot more of the meds than I'd normally do, so you'll have to help Steve a lot and drive him around daily and...”

“Billy,” El said softly. “We already discussed all that with Steve. I'm coming to help you exactly because of the next weeks are going to be stressful.”

Billy was quiet for a while. “Yeah,” he finally whispered.

They drove a long way in silence before El spoke. “How are you handling it?”

Billy licked his lips and swallowed, tightening his grip on the wheel. “Not good,” he said quietly. There was no point for him in lying at El. They were attuned to the same wavelength in some freakish way, probably because of her probing his mind when he was flayed, and now, even if she stayed out of his mind, she could always tell if he was lying.

“Eddie is a fighter,” she replied. “He’s fought all this time. He won’t stop now.”

Billy could feel the tears prickling under his eyes. He’d been trying to be so strong for so long. Being strong for himself while working through the whole thing that followed his own death and resurrection. Being strong for Steve, trying not to show how fragile he was to not add to Steve’s burden and on the other hand to support Steve with everything he was going through.

But with Eddie… With him he felt absolutely helpless. There was nothing he could do that would ever ease what Eddie was going through. Since the shared the death factor, Eddie saw through him and his weaknesses, and it was pointless in trying to tell Eddie that he was wrong, he didn't buy it for a second.

He wished it hadn't come to this. But he also would like to have Eddie in all the ways he was able to have Steve. Oh god, how much he wanted that. Without a fear of what a small tear could cause, to have him close the way lovers would usually be... And the treatment was the only way to get there one day.

“Have you told Steve how you feel?” El asked after a while.

“You just said you won’t look inside my head,” Billy scoffed.

“I didn’t, I was just observing,” El stated softly. “You’re grabbing the wheel so tight your knuckles are all white and I can see you working your jaw. And I guess it’s Steve who’s the one who doesn’t know how worried you are. Because you never tell him.”

Suddenly Billy's good mood had turned sour. “What do you know about me not telling anything to Steve?”

“Because when we talked in the phone earlier about me coming to help you two, he told me that you never talk to him about things that bother you. That he needs to always probe it out of you.”

Oh. Maybe none of them was perfect in communicating their feelings to each other.

A sad smile tugged the corners of Billy’s mouth. “He sees more than he let’s me know, doesn’t he?”

“Of course he does. And then he doesn’t talk to you because he doesn’t want to add any more weight on you.”

Billy nodded, then let out a short laugh. “I guess I should talk with him.”

El patted Billy’s arm gently. “I think that it might be a good idea for you both talk with each other a little bit more.”

“Is this going to be constant while you’re over?” Billy asked after a while. “You pointing out the problems in mine and Steve’s relationship whenever you see one emerging?”

El laughed. “No. I'll keep it to myself unless you’re both so oblivious that you need someone to point it out for you. I prefer you two talking things through yourselves, though.”

“Well, he carried me to bed the other night, so… I know he cares for me.”

El glanced at him. “Billy, he adores you. He’ll do anything he can to make sure you’re okay.” She was silent for a moment. “It’s rare to find someone like that. Not to mention two.”

Billy licked his lips and tried to will the tears away from his eyes. One stubborn droplet didn’t get the memo and fell on his cheek. He wiped it away with the back of his hand. “Yeah.”

They didn’t speak until Billy drove the car on the road that started behind the massive locked gate and ended at their house.

“So, the treatments start tomorrow?” El asked.

“Eddie is admitted tomorrow. I guess they start as soon as they make sure he's ready for it,” Billy said quietly.

“I’ll get settled in and give you guys space to be with each other for tonight,” El said softly. “We can then look at with what you need my help most when we return home tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Billy replied, trying to swallow the lump that had returned in his throat.

Billy drove the Camaro to the garage and parked it next to Eddie’s truck. He knew he wouldn't be able to drive tomorrow, he'd be an emotional wreck, so they'd take the truck because El could drive it. It could be the last time Eddie rode in the truck he loved so much...

“Hey, Billy?” El asked, interrupting Billy's gloomy thoughts by placing a hand on his arm and squeezing it gently. “It's going to be alright. I promise. Doctor Owens knows what he’s doing. You know that.”

“I trust him,” Billy said barely audibly, “What I don’t trust is that the treatment is created by someone else than him.”

“Owens approved it, right? And he's the one supervising it, too. Nothing happens in the lab without him knowing about it.”

“I guess,” Billy replied quietly.

Billy’s mood brightened a little as Steve came to the garage to welcome El with a big smile.

“Hey, Ellie!” Steve said, opening the passenger side door. He wrapped El into a tight hug and they hugged for a long time. “It’s so good to see you,” Steve said and whispered something to her.

“What, don’t I get a hug?” Billy teased as he watched Steve going for El’s bags in the trunk.

“I have only two hands, freckles,” Steve replied with a smile, raising El's bags that were in his hands as he walked towards the door to the house with the bags.

“Don’t listen to him, peaches,” Eddie said from the garage door, “I’ll hug you when you get here.” Eddie reached his arms out to El for a hug. “I’m so sorry we have to see again like this,” he said to El as they embraced.

El whispered something to Eddie too, and Billy felt a tinge of jealousy. Not everything needed to be shared with him but today was a tough day, and other people whispering around him felt bad. Even though he knew that specifically today he was the last person who should ask for attention. And yet…

Billy had offered to pick El up to allow Eddie time to pack for the hospital stay. Or so he had told himself. It was more that he needed to get out of the house. He yearned nothing more than to be with Eddie all the time, especially now. But at the same time, whenever he looked at Eddie, all he could do was cry. He felt useless and hopeless, and seeing his own fear of the unknown in both Eddie’s and Steve’s eyes, too, was just too much for him to bear. He had to get away from the immediate proximity of the looming truth that none of them had any control over how the treatment would go.

Eddie scooped Billy into his arms in the hallway. “Hey, peaches,” he whispered and kissed him. “I got you.”

Billy squeezed his eyes closed and buried his face into the crook of Eddie’s neck. The lingering scent of Eddie’s aftershave, the too many smokes he wasn't supposed to smoke, and the arms around him that held him always so tight, grounded him. This was what Eddie’s half of Billy’s home smelled and felt like. Billy wanted to never let go of it.

“How were Joyce and Hop?” Eddie asked.

“Fine,” Billy muttered, but smiled a little. “Tibbs still doesn’t like Hop. She ran under the couch immediately when she saw him.”

Eddie laughed. “Well, they’re both going to have just try to get along now. El might be here for a while.”

“Yeah,” Billy said, taking a deep breath.

Eddie pulled back a little to look at Billy. He smiled softly. “Better?”

Billy nodded. “Need to sit down.”

“Want me to bring your wheels?”

“Nah, just help me sit get in the living room.”

“Okay, babe,” Eddie said and offered the crook of his hand chivalrously to Billy.

Billy couldn’t help but to smile at the gesture. “Fucking prince charming,” he muttered under his breath, linking his arm with Eddie’s.

“But I’m your prince charming,” Eddie smirked.

“Yes, that you are,” Billy said quietly.

When they got to the living room Eddie helped Billy to sit in the big chair that reminded a throne more than anything and pulled a footstool in front of the chair, helping Billy’s feet up on it. “You okay here?” he asked and took Billy’s jacket.

Billy nodded.

“Steve cooked, it should be ready any time now. You want something before that?” Eddie asked as he set Billy's jacket on the couch.

“No, I’m good,” Billy said and took his reading glasses from the table next to the chair.

“Do you mind if I go help El to settle down to the guest room?” Eddie asked.

“Go ahead, I got an appointment with Middle Earth,” Billy said, and took the thick book that was on the table under the glasses – 'Lord of the Rings'.

“I still can't believe you took up the challenge,” Eddie said with a proud smile.

“Gotta finally find out what it is that you're always fussing about,” Billy said with a small smile.

Eddie placed a kiss on Billy's temple. “Okay,” he whispered. “I'll come get you when the dinner is ready.”

Billy followed Eddie with his eyes as he walked towards the hallway. When he was almost out of the room, Billy asked, “What did El say to you?”

Eddie turned around and looked at Billy for a moment with a soft smile before walking back to him. He squatted next to the chair, taking Billy’s hand and lacing their fingers. With the fingers of his other hand he caressed Billy’s cheek. “I love you, you know that?”

Billy felt a lump building into his throat again and all he could do was to nod a little.

“She said that she needs me to pull through the treatment,” Eddie said, his chin trembling. “Because otherwise you, my beautiful, gorgeous lover, the love of my life, might die of heartbreak. But I already knew that anyway.”

Billy was overwhelmed by emotions and the damn he’d held his tears behind the whole day broke, this time for good.

Eddie had tears in his own eyes too, yet he wiped the tears from his Billy’s cheeks with his hand instead. “I won’t let that happen. Because pulling through the treatment for you... It's the best reason I can think of doing it for.”

“You fucking sap,” Billy muttered between sobs.

Eddie let out a soft chuckle. “There's no point in me not telling you the truth, is there?” he sai. Then he smiled. “But yeah, I'm a sap, so, that too,”

- - -

They said goodnight to El soon after dinner and headed for bed early to be ready early the next morning.

Steve had helped Billy to bed, set Billy's walker next to it so that he could reach it if he needed to get up by himself.

“What did you say to El in the garage earlier?” Billy asked when he snuggled under Steve’s arm and placed his head on his shoulder, looking up at him in the soft light of the nightlight.

Steve leaned in to kiss Billy's forehead. “Asked how Tibbs was doing. Why?”

Billy squeezed his eyes closed. “I, uh...she...while we were heading back she told me to tell you how I feel. I know I don't do that often enough.”

Steve was quiet for a while. “Me neither, I know,” he said. “How are you feeling?”

“I...I’m not holding up very well,” Billy whispered, feeling his already hurting eyes prickling with tears that were ready to fall, once again. “Not at all.”

Steve hugged Billy tighter. “Yeah, me neither,” he said with a husky voice.

“I never thought there was something left in this world that would give me new nightmares.”

“Have you had new ones recently?” Steve asked quietly.

“No,” Billy whispered. “Not yet.”

Steve sighed. “I know what you mean.” He was quiet for a long time. Then he leaned his head on Billy's. “We handle the nightmares as they come, one at a time. Okay?”

“Okay,” Billy whispered.

Eddie joined them after a while in bed and slipped under the blanket, leaning to his elbow as he curled himself around Billy. “Promise me one thing,” he said. “Both of you.”

Billy turned his head to look over his shoulder at Eddie, and Eddie kissed him gently. “There's nothing either one of you can do. So, just... don't worry about it too much.” He paused. “Don't worry too much about me.”

“Can we then not worry about it now either?” Billy asked, whispering, and leaned towards Eddie for another kiss, one he was granted.

Eddie smiled against his lips. “That sounds like a good plan,” he replied, and kissed Billy yet again.

Eddie's lips were soft and warm, and Billy would never get enough of them. The hungry way Eddie kissed him and pressed himself against Billy's back made his head spin.

While Eddie was distracting Billy with kisses, Steve's fingers were brushing Billy's arm gently, tracing the skin between the scars with a featherlight touch. The skin rippled with goosebumps, the way it always did when Steve touched him like that, and a sharp breath escaped his mouth into Eddie's. Steve brushed his nose against Billy's neck and laid small kisses on it. “You want it?” he asked.

Billy turned to look at Steve, meeting his hungry gaze. “Yeah, I want,” he replied breathlessly.

Steve kissed him just as softly as he just had touched his skin. It gave goosebumps to Billy just the same. When Eddie in addition kept placing kisses on Billy's neck, he closed his eyes. Laying in bed, between his lovers, having both of their hands roaming on his skin, made the melancholy of upcoming difficulties – there would be those, it wasn't a question of if – lessen. The familiar desire, the need to have both Steve and Eddie not just alone but at the same time, took over.

Eddie's hands roamed over Billy's body, exploring every inch they could reach and he kept kissing and nibbling Billy's neck and shoulders. His teeth were sharp on Billy's skin, and he knew the familiar shapes of the marks they would leave. Billy wanted the marks to cover his whole body.

Steve reached his leg over Billy's, pulling them tightly together and they kissed again, their tongues dancing with each other.

Eddie's hand moved lower on Billy's body, trailing the riverbeds of healthy skin left between the scars, causing Billy to shudder in delight. He felt Eddie's cock hardening in his crack, which made him sigh into Steve's mouth. Eddie's hand moved between Billy and Steve, and when it wrapped around Billy's dick, stroking him slowly, Billy gasped, “Fuuck...”

“Planning to, freckles,” Steve breathed.

Billy felt Steve's hand move between them, where Eddie was already stroking Billy's dick. Eddie let go, and Steve took it to his hand with his own and stroked them together.

They breathed the same air with Steve, noses just an inch apart, looking at each other in the eyes as they both panted. The soft, small sounds Steve made, Billy had heard them all before. They'd been the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard, all the way from the start, and they still were. When Billy felt Eddie's fingers speading his ass cheeks, soon followed by his tongue and fingers gracing his entrance, all of a sudden, those tiny sounds were added a new tone – Billy's.

Eddie's tongue was experienced, it circled the soft, sensitive skin around Billy's hole just the right ways, just how Billy liked it. When Eddie's first, cold and lube coated finger teased the entrance along with his tongue, Billy kissed Steve and relaxed himself, ready to take Eddie's fingers in and let him work him open enough to take Steve in.

The finger that slid inside Billy entered gentle and slow, moving back and forth along with kisses Eddie laid on Billy's neck and shoulder.

“You're beautiful like this, peaches,” Eddie whispered, “So good for us.”

Billy wanted to tell Eddie how good he wanted to be, but he couldn't get a word out of his mouth. Steve grabbing his dick and Eddie's fingers inside him were overwhelming, fueling Billy's desire. “I--I need...ah...” he finally panted, “Steve.”

“You want me?” Steve asked with a husky voice.

As if it was even a question. Billy hummed in agreement.

Both Steve and Eddie let go of him, making him whine from the loss of friction.

“Is it okay if you ride?” Steve asked softly. “Let Eddie have some fun, too.”

Billy agreed with a sharp breath. Eddie helped him onto Steve's lap and he sank slowly on Steve's dick, adjusting himself bit by bit, finally bottoming and reveling on the fullness.

Steve fucked him slowly from underneath, meeting Billy's ass with his groin, while Eddie put on a condom and got on his knees next to Billy.

“Come on, peaches, take it,” Eddie breathed.

Billy did, first licking and swirling his tongue around the sensitive tip, making Eddie let out sighs, and place his hand on the back of Billy's head, carding his fingers into Billy's hair. Billy sucked just the tip, playing with it with his tongue, just the way Eddie liked. Slowly he took it deeper and deeper into his mouth.

“Baby, be careful,” Eddie gasped as Billy's nose graced the soft dark brown hair in the bottom of Eddie's dick.

Billy hummed as an agreement. This was as close he could be with Eddie, for now. Having his both ends full at the same time, Eddie's dick in his mouth and Steve's in his ass was always as satisfying.

The overwhelming feelings of love and desire towards his lovers spread over everything else in his mind, stiffling all fears and doubts, and rooted him into this moment alone. The intimacy of having his both lovers like this was intense and raw and beautiful all at once.

Eddie's hand behind Billy's head controlled the pace he sucked Eddie's dick, and Steve under him cupped his ass, keeping him tighter on his place and fucking harder into him.

Billy let them use his body, allowed them to take what they wanted. He wanted that, wanted to surrender himself to his lovers. Because he was safe with them, allowing him the freedom to detach himself from his body, from his doubts, his fears, his nightmares, and just feel. Feel his lover deep inside his hole, brushing against the spot that made him see stars. Feel his other lover deep in his mouth, as close as they could be. Hearing the sounds they made as they fucked into him, feeling the desire in their desperation and in the pace that was picking up.

Billy felt the heat from his lovers engulfing him, too, heard them panting along the movements that lost their rhythm and became more desperate, the moans and promises of coming into him that made him get closer to his own orgasm too. He grabbed his own dick and started to stroke it, knowing both Eddie and Steve were already close.

Steve was the first to come, moaning and filling Billy's insides with his seed. Steve's groans made Eddie release himself just a moment later, fucking gently into Billy's mouth and hitting the back of his mouth once, twice, three times before slowing down. He didn't pull himself out, though, knowing Billy wanted to come him still inside his mouth. Now Billy stroked himself hard, reveling in his lovers being spent because of him and being filled by them. Soon, he hit the peak of his own orgasm and poured himself onto Steve's stomach in long white ropes joined by groans.

A moment later, Eddie pulled himself out of Billy's mouth, allowing Billy to lean down to Steve's chest and lay his head on his shoulder to catch his breath.

Steve wrapped him into warm embrace. “You were so good, freckles,” he whispered, pressing a kiss on Billy's temple. “So, so good.”

Eddie gently stroke Billy's hair and placed a kiss on it, whispering, “We love you, peaches.”

Steve pulled out, and Eddie made sure Billy got back on the bed.

Eddie curled around Billy, finding his fingers with his and lacing them together, pressing his nose into Billy's hair.

Steve pulled the blankets over all of them and faced Billy, intertwining their legs and resting his arm on Billy's waist, the palm of his hand further on Eddie's hip.

Billy felt safe and loved in the cocoon Steve and Eddie created around him. It wasn't enough to keep away the fear of the unknown that was waiting for them from Billy's mind for long, though.

He might lose Eddie, and he knew he couldn't live with that, even though he'd still always have Steve. But he could lose Eddie just as well even if he didn't have the treatment.

And knowing that one of those wasn't any better than the other was just as bad as the options alone.

#billy hargrove #steve harrington #eddie munson #metalsandwich #harringroveson #steddilly #angst #lemons #metalsandwich fic #nightmares #suometar writes #stranger things #stranger things fanfiction

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suometar · 3 months

Note

Can I nominate Nightmare harringroveson PT5 Billy for a few more sentences for WIP Whateverday? 😉👀

Yes you may 💜 Under the cut:

Billy had picked up El from the Byers-Hopper’s house where she’d left her cat there to be taken care of by Joyce and Hop. El might be staying with Steve and Billy for a while and having Tibbs in their house wasn’t an option.

The trip had been quiet so far, which wasn’t uncommon for the two of them. El was one of the few people Billy could be comfortably quiet with for hours.

When they stopped into red lights, Billy tapped the wheel with his fingers. “Are you sure about this?”

El looked at him. “About what?”

Billy tilted his head and looked at her, meeting her always so honest gaze. “Come on, you know what.”

“You asked me not to look inside your head again. So I won’t. You have to tell me what you think by saying it out loud.”

Billy looked back ahead and sped the car towards the highway, a small smile caressing his face. “Honestly. Are you absolutely sure about wanting to spend weeks in the looney bin with me?”

“Steve is there too. It can’t be that bad.”

“Steve is one of the looneys living in there, he doesn’t count.”

“You have nightmares, skin issues and fatigue and require extensive medication. Steve has night terrors and severe vertigo and he can’t drive. And Eddie has an unspecified virus that he’s being treated for. There’s nothing indicating that would describe any of you as looneys.”

Billy chuckled. “What I mean is that it can be really straining. It is that for us but for us it’s also a choice because we love each other. You then again…”

“It’s my choice to come and stay with you and help you and Steve for the following weeks. And I get experience points from it for my studies. It’s beneficial for all of us.”

“I guess,” Billy said. “But we’re not buying Eggos, you’re going to have to manage with my home made waffles.”

“Eggos have way too much sugar in them anyway,” El replied with a smile. They drove a long way in silence before she spoke again. “How are you handling it?”

Billy licked his lips and swallowed, tightening his grip on the wheel. “Not good,” he said quietly.

“It’s going to be okay.”

“No one knows that.”

“Eddie is a fighter. He’s fought all this time. He won’t stop now.”

But with Eddie… With him he felt absolutely helpless. There was nothing he could do that would even ease what Eddie was going through. Since they shared the death factor, Eddie saw through him and his weaknesses and it was pointless in trying to tell Eddie that he was wrong.

#wip wednesday #harringroveson #metalsandwich

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voidpacifist · 10 months

Text

new idea: what if steve actually has good parents?

sure, maybe he doesn't have good parents at first. maybe his parents are negligent at best and downright out of his life at worst. maybe when his father is caught the first time in an affair, his mother retaliates by following him on all of his trips out of state instead of staying at home? maybe even when she is home, she's always busy.

but then steve starts getting into fights at school. he's popular and he's relatively well liked, even in just eighth grade, but that doesn't mean there aren't people who can and would try to beat the title of king right out of him. believe it or not, it's his busy, couldn't-be-bothered mother who notices first — she's so used to him giving her space that when he rushes home one afternoon with blood and scrapes and a black eye, she freaks the fuck out.

she calls his father home, and sure, his father's season of unfaithfulness is starting, but his mother sounds genuinely worried, and there's nothing he can do from across the country except to return to hawkins to make sure everyone's all in one piece. the cheating doesn't stop after this event, but the attentiveness is new. it's not necessarily the good kind of attentiveness, but now both his mother and his father are paying attention to him.

for about a week, his mother absolutely fusses and frets over him. his father goes back to his work, but not before actually checking in on steve and seeing if he's okay. but his mother is more...around, now. she starts noticing things about her own son that she never noticed before, and as some kind of penance, she starts spending more time with him.

his mother becomes his mom. they make pastas together in the evenings, and she hugs him goodbye every morning before school. for a few short months, she's exactly what he's always needed her to be. then she finds out about his father's cheating, and she starts going on the work trips with him. it fucks with steve more than he cares to admit, but learning his father doesn't love his mother the way he ought to fucks with him more.

by junior year, he's convinced that love is a sham. then he meets nancy wheeler. and their relationship reminds him of the early stages of his parents marriage, back when they paid attention to him and even when they were busy, made the time to show and tell him that they love him. it's not like they don't anymore, but his mother can't dote on him the same away from home and his father's version of love is terse lectures and "straightening him into a man."

he tries to give her everything he can, exude love the way he was taught is good, but they both have their own damage to work out, and the relationship frays until nancy, sixteen and hurting and making stupid choices, ends things. steve doesn't handle it much better — nancy may be a fighter, a doer, but he's a hider of his own feelings to his core. it's a back and forth of "don't you want to do something?" and "don't you know I can't?" they've stalemated themselves.

and it's especially painful because that's exactly how his parents went from being the young, happy couple to being the couple who isn't really a couple. not in the ways that matter.

and then after junior year closes, his parents come home and stay home. he's quick to rebuild something with his mother, who puts in the effort when she can, but his father is a different story. he wants what's best for steve, but has never been around enough for that sentiment to count. he wants steve to have the best in life, but only knows how to drill into him his version of what's best — a college degree, a successful career, and a nice wife and house.

steve hates it, but a part of him really missed having a dad around in the first place. (hopper's even more emotionally available than his own father, and the chief of police is generally a brick wall, save for spite and sarcasm and deep-seeded rage.)

so he tries for his dad, really he does. and his dad, shock of all shocks, starts trying for steve too. their sole hurdle by the time senior year reaches it's final weeks is the fact that no college wants to take steve and his shoddy grades. but his dad isn't heartless, not in the ways that count — he tells steve he needs to find a job, then finds one for him, because he's noticing things about his son now in the opposite way his wife notices. whereas she's been getting to know steve at his core, he's been seeing what the effects of concussions and contact sports are doing to him. he's forgetting things, having trouble with headaches and vision/hearing issues and it scares him half to death even if he'll never say it.

he writes the job off as a way to get steve to "take responsibility," but truthfully, he just knows the hours steve's getting at the mall means he's further out of a fights way. so imagine mr. harrington's absolute dread when he realizes there's been a fire at starcourt, when he rushes himself and his wife to the hospital and they find steve laid up with a grade three concussion and his system flushed for drugs. imagine what that does to a man like mr. harrington.

what it does is this: he doesn't care if steve gets a job anymore as long as he's around.

summer comes and goes, and in the absence of hopper, steve starts becoming somewhat close to his own dad for once. they start talking about things with one another. little things, but still things. bit by bit, they're becoming father and son again the way steve and his mother are mother and son now.

fall of '85 comes around, and steve has a job again, but it's closer to his house this time so that if anything even remotely similar to the government coverup disaster of the summer shows up, he can still be near his parents. they meet robin, and respect it when steve tells them he's not interested in her (even if they don't necessarily believe it). they meet his gaggle of kids, one at a time, and it becomes clear to them just how absent they've been over the years when each kid has a different kind of surprise when they meet. "steve has parents in hawkins?" or "oh...steve didn't mention you two."

spring break of '86 has steve closing up again, which is the last thing his mother and father want from him with an alleged murderer on the loose, and kids going missing left and right. it isn't until the 25th of march, in the early hours of the morning, when steve shows up with said "murderer" bleeding from all sorts of wounds that look entirely inhuman cradled in his arms, with wounds of his own, that they realize something: he never tells them anything for their sakes, not for his own.

they hole up eddie munson in a guest bedroom, suspended between life and death, for several days. they notice things about steve, about his kids, about the way he looks after eddie, about the way he disappears for hours at a time while the sky outside turns red, and it's then that steve harrington's parents become his mom and dad.

#i have wayyyyyyy more thouchts on this but #i just want him to have nice things #i know we all headcanon that his parents are absent/negligent but let my boy have this okay? he deserves to have this #steve harrington #stranger things #steve harrington drabble #steve harrington meta #steve harrington's parents #implied steddie

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aemiron-main · 7 months

Note

I dont mean to be rude, but why are you so against Henry being George? in the audition tapes "Betty" that you admit is probably patty, is seen interacting with George the whole time, in his tape, he only interacts with her too, and in the promo shots Louis is always with Ella, so what would be your explanation for that? I know we will know everything in exactly one month but I always see you saying that and it's been bothering me, im just really curious, could you explain?

Hey there, anon! No worries about being rude at all, I’m more than happy to explain and clarify! <3

So, it’s not really a matter of me being “against” Henry being George- it’s simply a matter of me thinking that the evidence doesn’t fully support him being George. It’s like. I’m not *against* the idea that dragons exist and are secretly living underground in cool dragon cities- hell, I’d love that! But I don’t see the evidence to support said underground dragons, and the same applies for George being Henry.

So, I’ve talked in a bunch of posts about why I don’t think that George is Henry, but I’m going to summarize the main reasons right here for you:

1.) The Ages

This collider article talked about TFS leaks & the fact that Patty had romantic feelings for George:

And that article describes both Patty and George as being at least 14 years old.

And when we look at the audition tapes, we can see that Patty is at least 15 years old, because she mentions that the confession booth has been her hiding place for the past 15 years:

However, Henry Creel is canonically 12 years old:

And even if you don’t think that the newspapers are reliable/somehow think that’s a production error, THIS is not a 15 year old boy- even his actor was 12 at the time:

So, this means that in order for Henry to be George, they’re either a.) going to do a romance between a 15+ year old girl and a 12 year old boy, which would be like S1 Nancy dating S1 Dustin for context & I think that’s extremely unlikely or b.) they’re retconning Henry’s canon age in the play/ignoring canon, which makes absolutely no sense and is extremely unlikely because the play has been confirmed repeatedly to be canon:

So, unless they REALLY pull some timeline weirdness with Henry’s age, there’s not really any possible way for him to be George AND for the play to be canon- unless they have a 15+ year old dating a 12 year old, which I really don’t think they’ll do.

2.) The Personality

George is absolutely nothing like Henry personality- wise. Based on what we see in the audition tapes, George is snarky and opinionated, whereas Henry, as a child, is shy and silent.

George is a loner, much like Henry, but that also fits with Allen Munson (who we’ll come back to later), and being a loner also applies to characters like Hopper, and even Bob- being a loner isn’t something unique to Henry. Hell, even being a “pale, moody, new kid loner,” like the description from that Collider article isn’t unique to Henry. That could apply to both Allen and Lonnie.

George snarks about Betty being “prom queen,” and dramatically tells her “that’s your cue”- you have to watch the audition tapes to see/hear what I mean, but the way he speaks and the way his lines are written is such a far cry from Henry- hell, Henry doesn’t even talk that way/his dialogue isnt written that way when he’s giving a dramatic monologue in the show in 1979- and Henry as a child is silent every time we see him and doesn’t have any of the same mannerisms as George.

3.) The “Powers”

Something that people love to cite as evidence that George is Henry is the idea that George has powers based on some of his scenes in the auditions. However, those scenes are actually great evidence that George isn’t Henry, because when you watch those scenes, the way George describes what’s going on is polar opposite to the way Henry describes his powers & the way we see Henry’s powers working.

George, for example, talks about hearing voices in his head telling him to do bad things/hurt people- something that Henry never mentions, not even during his 1979 monologue. George also seems to be afraid of his supposed powers, whereas Henry seems to see them as something natural/as a tool/as part of him realizing that it was other people who were broken, not him.

I actually think that the voices that George is hearing are the result of that weird radio broadcast that’s supposedly killing people that’s mentioned in TFS. And I think that his experience with Patty/seemingly seeing eachother in the void/teleporting/whatever that was is far more likely to be tied to Patty having powers, especially with all of Patty’s El parallels (the scenes where Patty talks about her mother), and with how frequently articles about TFS talk about how important Patty is going to be to the plot:

So, again, it’s not a matter of “oh I really HATE the idea of Henry being George, so I’m going to pretend it’s not true even though it is,” it’s instead a matter of “if Henry is George, I’m fine with it, I’m just really not convinced that he Is George & am somewhat frustrated by people acting like it’s confirmed that he’s George when it’s not confirmed at all and when there’s multiple aspects of George that don’t align with Henry & contradict Henry’s canon lore such as the age stuff”

Also, I’ve never denied that Patty and Henry are going to have scenes together- I figured they’d have scenes together even before the audition tapes, because they have that parallel at the Crele house window vs the church window in the TFS animated teaser trailer! And Louis and Ella being together isn’t really something that I need to explain, because I’ve literally never denied that Henry and Patty are going to have scenes together & all of my analysis re: Henry and George and Patty has been done with the assumption that Henry and Patty are going to interact frequently regardless of who George is. Now, like I talked about in this post, regardless of whether Henry is George or not, I don’t think that Henry and Patty are going to be a romantic couple. My thing is that I simply don’t agree that it’s firm/clear-cut that Henry is George. Me not agreeing that Henry is George doesn’t mean that I think that Henry and Patty won’t interact- it simply means that I don’t think that the George that we saw in the leaked audition takes is Henry/I don’t think that George was the code name for Henry.

And to more specifically answer your question about the connection between George and Patty’s interacting mostly with eachother in the audition tapes vs Henry and Patty being put together in promo stuff:

First of all, the reason why Patty and George seem to “only” interact with eachother in the audition is because the scenes chosen for the audition happen to be with eachother- both of their auditions read the same two scenes, just different sides of it.

So, Patty could have 500 scenes with other characters and those two scenes could be the ONLY scenes she has with George in the whole play (I’m not saying that’s the truth, but just as a hyperbolic example), and we would have no idea because we’re only seeing the tiny tiny snippet scenes that were used for auditions.

Second of all, like I said earlier, Patty and Henry interacting frequently in the play is not news to me.

Like, I just don’t really see the firm link between the auditions and the promo stuff/I don’t see how that points to Henry being George. Patty and George interacting frequently and Patty and Henry interacting frequently doesn’t mean that Henry is George. It just means that Patty (as we know) is a core character who’s going to be interacting frequently with multiple characters.

Third of all, regardless of how often they put Patty and Henry together in promo stuff, and regardless of how often George and Patty interact in the audition tapes, that still doesn’t change all of the issues that don’t align with George being Henry (all of the stuff that I mentioned earlier), especially since the play has repeatedly been confirmed to be canon material & the Duffers have even been talking with the TFS team while writing S5 & making the TFS team change things so that everything aligns lore-wise:

So, all of the evidence that points to Henry not being George isn’t something that can just be overlooked because it’s a separate play/they aren’t just taking creative liberties with ages etc because it’s all canon & they’re working hard to make sure that it all lines up lore-wise with the show. And lore-wise, Henry is 12, which doesn’t line up with Patty’s age (based on her comments in the audition about how long she’s been hiding in the confession booth throughout her life), and also doesn’t align with George talking about prom and prom queen etc.

Hopefully this answers your questions, anon! :DD

It’s not a matter of me not wanting Henry to be George- it’s simply a matter of me not believing that he is George. I’m far more inclined to believe that Allen Munson is George, especially since the auditions didn’t use codenames for characters who aren’t brand-new characters (such as Hopper, his audition didn’t have a codename), so it wouldn’t make sense for them to use a code name for Henry. But it WOULD make sense for them to use a code name for Allen Munson, because he’s technically a new character, just like Patty.

If I seem particularly annoyed about the whole thing/about Henry supposedly being George, it’s not actually because I despise the idea- I’m annoyed a.) because the evidence doesnt support it and b.) because people are acting like it’s confirmed canon that Henry is George & trying to dunk on me for being wrong about him not being George when the reality is that it’s not confirmed whatsoever. The casting announcements didn’t give us ANY new information about who George was- all the casting did was tell us that Henry was going to be in the play- something we already knew! None of the code names have been revealed. There’s nothing in the casting that proves that George is Henry, and yet, for some reason, people are acting like it’s confirmed, which is where i get frustrated. I’m not even frustrated that people disagree with me, just frustrated that they’re acting like it’s concrete confirmed canon when it’s absolutely not.

Anyway, thank you again, anon! :DD If I seemed annoyed with you at all, I’m not, that’s just how i talk/I’m slightly frustrated with Other People acting like it’s 100000% confirmed that Henry is George.

#stranger things #the first shadow #henry creel

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tineteenieworld3 · 1 year

Text

Coming on again to say I love the scene in El’s bedroom between El and Mike because of how neither of them are wrong or right.

People say that El shouldn’t have said Mike doesn’t understand because she’s seen him get bullied. But we can understand based on the info we’re getting from her POV that she’s not just talking about Lenora or the bullying. Mike doesn’t understand that she has absolutely no one to relate to. He doesn’t understand she grew up in a lab and was taken away from any normal civilization for eleven or twelve years. She didn’t even know what the word friend meant when they met. He doesn’t understand what it’s like to have people you love snatched away over and over again and die. Her mom, Hopper. That loneliness she must feel and constant fear of losing everything is unimaginable. No one understands that she really feels like she doesn’t have a place in the world because the world has been so cruel to her.

Mike’s not at fault for that. We know he cares and loves her, but he doesn’t understand at all what she’s going through or even trying to say in that moment. Even when getting bullied, Mike had friends, he had people around him he could talk to and who understood what it was like. And he’s trying to give her that support, but El isn’t communicating anything with him, we see him really trying to talk to her but she has her guard up and won’t even try to work with him. Of course, can we blame her? Mentally she’s probably not in that place. Also, she’s probably having issues trusting Mike because of the roller rink incident and we all know that what he said reminded her of Brenner which brought up a lot of trauma. Still not Mike’s fault though, and from his POV he knows absolutely nothing. He doesn’t know about Brenner or anything along those lines. He’s just desperately trying to figure it out.

It’s this frustrating scene because we’re supposed to blame Mike it feels like (after the love you stuff) but he’s just doing his best while ALSO trying not to lie. He won’t just tell her he loves her because he cares about her and doesn’t want to lie to her face. That wasn’t even part of their conversation though, El changed the topic and brought it up, shifting the conversation away from her lies and what happened at the roller rink to kind of ‘cornering’ him about not saying I love you. Like Mike wanted to talk about what happened and rink-o-mania and finally connect with her because he went through something she’s going through only to have her block him out and remind him that ‘no, they can never truly understand eachother.’

Mike’s also got his guard up the second she starts talking about the letters. He tries not to lie while also doing his best to remind her that she’s the shit. He’s trying and failing terribly because he doesn’t know her in the way he should, he doesn’t understand even a little bit what she wants. El wants to be seen and loved as who she is, she wants to not be made to feel stupid or like her feelings don’t matter. She wants to be human. Mike does not understand. The superhero line is a perfect example. ‘They’re nobody’s and you’re a superhero.’ Mike says exactly what she doesn’t want to hear. And it’s not his fault and it’s not her fault, they don’t get each other, they don’t ever communicate or have real meaningful conversations about just who they are. In their relationship they aren’t comfortable with eachother, so how on earth would ever of them know what to say?

It’s just a good scene when you dig into it and think about their individual perspectives. We can blame Mike, but we also can’t at all. We can blame El, but that’s also impossible.

I’m gonna keep going actually, because every soon after we see the apologies between Will and Mike. That scene is very close to the one with El and Mike. Once again, neither of them are wrong. But we are shown how differently that is handled. Mike is the one to start the conversation and to bring up what happened at rink-o-mania. But he doesn’t do it so timidly, he gets straight to the point because he knows exactly what to say and how to express himself while also knowing how to get Will to open up. The communication level is very advanced between those two, and I think we’re shown that to compare and contrast the two scenes. It’s super cool when you look at it that way.

Another thing I love is that when Mike starts talking to El, she doesn’t even acknowledge that he’s there. She keeps doing her task without making the slightest indication that ‘hey I’m busy but I’m listening.’ And Mike’s trying really hard to do what he does with Will here, even if it’s stunted and not as natural. He opens up, he expresses a more vulnerable side and all he gets is ‘no.’ From her.

With Will, almost the exact same thing. He comes in sits down while Will is doing something, but the difference is that Will very much acknowledges Mike’s presence from the first second he steps into the room, but then goes back to what he’s doing. Mike starts talking, Will interrupts him giving his own little opening/apology. This is the part I love though that reminds me of the El/Mike scene. When the conversation really kicks off and Mike starts being more vulnerable, Will completely stops what he’s doing and stares directly at Mike.

Idk I just think it’s so cool. All four characters here aren’t in the wrong or in the right and that’s what makes it so compelling. Even the tiny details tell us so much. When Mike’s trying to be vulnerable he really needs someone to give him that permission by kind of letting him know that they’re listening. Will knows that, of course he does they’re best friends. El doesn’t, but also she can’t even focus on him at all. She’s not selfish, but I don’t think she cares enough to in that moment. Can’t even blame her really, like the stress omg.

Anyway that was a long ass post of me just talking lmao

#byler

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fangirlandtheories · 2 years

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as a steve lover my body vibrates at the thought of someone like eddie just smothering him in love and appreciation and touching on him sweetly BC HE DESERVES IT EVERY TIME. SO when you write this or give us fics like this i get so happy i feel like ill explode.

Omfg Anon, get ready to eat. This request took over my soul and left it on autopilot. It's honestly not even a request but I took it as one anyway. Thank you for your love and support, it means everything to me. I really hope you love this as much as I do. Here is a link or you can read below!

***

“-A high of 64 tomorrow, but watch out for this weekend because it’s looking like it’s gonna-” The news anchor was cut off by the high pitched sound of static as the tv turned off, not that Steve had been paying any mind to what the weatherman had been saying anyways. He was in one of his ‘weird moods’ again. The kind where the quiet of his house overwhelmed him, sleep escaped him, and conversation exhausted him.

The sun shined outside, but it was a gray day. Not the sky, the sky was blue, but the air in his house, his tomb on bad days, was thick with smog. It was a random Thursday in October, nothing noteworthy about it, but it also marked 4 months and 13 days since he’d seen his parents, not that anyone was counting. He tried counting once, when he was a lot younger and much more desperate, he made it to 43 days before he gave up, feeling a bit too much like a prisoner counting the days in a life sentence. He didn’t know if he feared the corrupt guards that would beat him into submission or the loneliness more.

Michael and Janet Harrington weren’t really physical, not anymore at least. They preferred to barb their words of affection with the sting of hatred, but they hadn’t laid a finger on him since he was little, before he knew better. He knew the gray would give way to a pit of darkness, what with the way his mind was moving, wishing for those sharp smacks and subtle shoves because at least he could feel it.

Maybe he was just tired.

It felt like he was always a little tired nowadays. He wished more than anything that he could just get a fucking grip. Poor little Steve, who never got hugs from his parents between the lavish gifts and large allowance. Some people had real struggles.

His mind always supplied him with the pale face of Will Byers. Eyes surrounded with dark shadows, a kind kid that always feared violence because he’s seen it at such a young age from Lonnie. He saw Max and Billy who lived in constant fear, both of each other, but also of Neil. He caught himself imagining a young Eleven on many occasions, head shaved in a military lab with nothing but a number to differentiate her from the kid in the next white room. Hell, he sometimes even thought about Sarah Hopper. He’d never met her, of course, but he could imagine what a tough little girl she’d been. He wasn’t a parent, but knowing the kids the way he knew them, he couldn’t fathom how Hopper could even breathe every day, knowing what he’d lost.

So, yeah, maybe his skin was crawling with an itch he couldn’t quite reach, but he had no right to complain.

***

“Sunny and breezy today, but the weekend doesn’t bode well. If you track th-”

“Why the hell do you look like that?” Robin mused as she changed the channel on the store tv.

“I somehow overslept and underslept.” Steve grumbled, running his hands through his disheveled locks of hair. They weren’t falling right and with the state of his mind, they were working their way to being the straw that broke the camel’s back. “Days like this make me miss the hats from Scoops.”

“How do you even manage that, oversleeping and undersleeping?” She gave him a confused look while scanning through the shelves, looking for their morning movie.

“Didn’t fall asleep until like 6 this morning, and then I slept through my 7:30 alarm.” He sighed. “Absolutely not.” He shot down Little Shop of Horrors, a bit too early for Rick Moranis.

“Did you have breakfast? You seem like you’re hungry grumpy.” Robin jumped beside him with a squeak. God he’d love some of her energy. “Soon you’ll be saying ‘Feed me Seymour!’” She grinned as she popped the movie in the VCR.

“No, but I’m fine with just coffee.” He nodded towards his mug as he opened the binder of check out logs, flipping through the pages for the correct date.

“Are you…” She frowned as glanced at his cup, chipped handle and all. “...Feeling okay? You seem different today, very glum.”

“I’m fine, Robbie, you are just nosy and thinking too much about things that don’t exist.” Steve stuck his tongue out at her.

“True, but I don’t buy it.” She poked his cheek, sending a sharp spike of anxiety through him. If she noticed the subtle side step, she didn’t mention it. “You’re definitely glum.”

“I’m not fucking glum.” He laughed, spinning to face the door as it opened. “Welcome to Family Video!” Dustin rolled his eyes from the doorway.

“Just returning my movie.” He brought the case to the counter. “What’s up with two of my favorite adults?”

“What do you need?” Steve crossed his arms.

“Who said I needed anything?” Dustin smirked at the tired expression on Steve’s face. “Okay fine, but before I start just know it’s a very noble cause.” Steve sighed deeply before gesturing for him to continue. “My mom is working the late shift and was stressed about not being able to go grocery shopping before the big-”

“4 O’clock.” Steve cut him off, turning and walking out the little gate attached to the counter, walking Dustin’s returned movie back to the sci-fi shelf. He glanced back at Dustin’s confused expression, feeling a little smug about the swapped positions. “I’ll pick you, and any other dweebs that need a ride, up from school and I’ll take you. I get off at 4.” He turned his attention back to the shelf, scanning for misplaced titles. He gasped suddenly as Dustin’s arms wrapped around him, letting go just as quickly.

“Thank you!” He beamed. “You’re going to take the title of ‘Mom’s Best Boy’ from me.”

“Hey remember when we talked about things that will get you made fun of?” Steve smirked as he leaned against the shelf. “Add saying shit like that to the list.”

“Yeah yeah, whatever.” Dustin held up his hands before pulling his backpack on. “We can’t all be High School Royalty.”

“No, but maybe, just maybe,” Steve stared at the cases of movies on the shelf. “You’ll be something better.” He sighed, thinking of ruffling Dustin’s precious curls, but he knew Dustin preferred to let a very select few people touch them, something he wasn’t feeling privileged to at the moment. “Now scram before you’re late to school.”

***

“Why the hell are there no parking spots?” Steve banged his hands on the steering wheel, the slight sting vibrating through his finger tips.

“You could always park in the expectant mother’s space.” Max sucked on a lollipop, lips slightly stained blue from the sugar.

“Yeah fucking hilarious.” He mumbled, keeping his eyes peeled until he spotted a pale yellow beetle pulling out of a parking space far from the entrance to the store. “Everybody hold on.” With that he pressed his foot to the gas, flooring it to the spot and quickly turning on his blinker before one of the other circling cars could swoop in.

“Finally!” Dustin shuffled his feet. “I was afraid that if we didn’t go inside soon, I’d pee all over your seats.”

“Jesus, alright you weird little poodle, run inside and take a piss.” Steve pressed a hand to his brow, peering at the other kids in the car. “Max it’s a bit of a hike to the doors, do you want to chill here or come inside?”

“I’ll…” She thought for a second, clearly appreciating the options. “I think I’ll stay here. We had an assembly today so I had to walk down to the auditorium from the east wing and now my legs are really tired.”

“I’ll stay here too.” Lucas, unsurprisingly supplied, never one to leave Max by herself for long.

“Me too.” Erica added with a grin. It was nice to see the blossoming friendship between the two, although the possibilities that arose between them terrified him. Erica was like a blow torch on her best days, Max like an atomic bomb on her worst, between the two they could destroy anyone or melt their souls in just a few smart quips. “But can we keep the bat…?”

“You want me to leave the three of you unattended in a crowded parking lot with a nail filled baseball bat?” Steve raised his eyebrows as Max glanced past him. “Yeah why don’t I just call the cops awhile and save them the trip to my front door.”

“Well Hopper would never arrest you.” A hand landed on his shoulder, making him jump and gasp. “But I can keep an eye on the pipsqueaks while you run inside.”

“Ah yes I see the headlines now,” Erica smirked. “Ex Wanted Murder found in a Marsh’s parking lot holding three teens hostage with a nailed baseball bat.”

“You, my ferocious little tyke, are a preteen.” Eddie booped her nose. “So suck on that.” He stuck out his tongue at her before pushing past Steve to get in the driver’s seat, fiddling with the radio controls. Steve was still a bit shell shocked, the heat of the hand lingering on his shoulder causing shivers to run up his spine. “You alright there, Stevie?”

“Yeah… I um…” Steve squinted before facing him fully. “I wasn’t expecting to see you until later…”

“Yeah well I needed to grab some tylenol and wonder bread. Wayne insisted on stocking up befo-”

“Steve what the hell?!” Dustin hollered from the entrance, hands cupped around his mouth. “Hurry up, we don’t have all day.” Steve rolled his eyes as he flashed Eddie a smirk.

“Run along Little Red, the Big Bad Wolf is waiting.” Eddie winked. Despite the childish grin that came along with seeing his boyfriend, Steve couldn’t help the jolt of fear he felt as he realized it wasn’t just a one off thing. Something was seriously wrong with him and his inability to touch people without having a reaction of some sort. He just needed to relax, get over his issues, and move on. If not that, then maybe he just needed to hide it better.

***

“Dude I’m not letting you spend that on an 18 pack of eggs when it’ll just be you and your mom at home.” Steve rubbed at his arms gently, feeling the goosebumps across his skin.

“My mom likes to bake when she gets nervous, you know how she is.” Dustin justified as he piled the carton into the shopping cart, crossing off one of the items on his list. “Are you going to rough it at home this weekend or…?”

Steve took a deep breath, the nosiness of his friends killing him. “You know I don’t really have a plan yet. I’m going to be at Eddie’s tonight for movie night, but otherwise I might hang out at home or pick up a couple of extra shifts. I’m sure you guys will hassle me into giving you rides at some point.”

“Family Video is staying open?” Dustin squinted at him while grabbing a loaf of bread from the shelf.

“Yeah man, believe it or not weekends are huge business days.” Steve tapped his fingers against the cart, trying to ignore the bum wheel that made the whole cart veer to the left.

“Yeah but- Oh batteries!” Dustin sprinted ahead to a display for Duracell. “Triple and double, score!” He turned back to put the packs in the cart before giving a pointed glare at Steve. “If you were cold, you should have asked Eddie for his jacket, you know he'd give it to you.”

“I’m not… what?” Steve glared at him, quickly dropping his hands from rubbing at his shoulders, immediately longing for the simulated touch that they created. “Ok are you finished? They’re waiting outside for us and I want to get out there before Eddie destroys my car.”

“You’re being weird.” Dustin bit at him thumbnail. “I know because I’m an ambassador of weird, but I also know that trying to get you to talk about it is pointless, so let’s just go.”

“Hold up, Dipshit,” Steve closed him eyes against the anxiety battering him from inside his skull. Dustin always brought out the best and worst in him, the fear of upsetting the younger boy overruling his bone deep weariness. “I’m not trying to keep stuff from you, you know that right?”

“You’re not exactly going out of your way to tell me, or anyone else for that matter, anything that matters to you.” Dustin’s eyes met his, flashing with hurt. “It’s like you decide that no one is going to care before you ever give us a shot.”

“I’m not…” Steve sighed. “It’s complicated man. I am entitled to a little privacy, you guys need to understand that. You might have grown up with friends and people that allowed you to feel comfortable about expressing how you feel, but I didn’t. I’m still learning and that takes time, but I’m also very much allowed to not tell you guys everything, capiche?”

“Capiche.” Dustin muttered, a bit shamefully. “Just… talk to someone… when it gets bad I mean.”

“Yeah yeah yeah, whatever you say.” Steve smirked, pushing the cart into Dustin quickly, causing the younger man to jump out of the way. “Is your list done or what?”

“Yes, Mother. We can go check on your precious baby now.” Dustin laughed as they walked toward the checkout line.

“Easy Henderson, just because you’re one of my favorites, it doesn’t mean you can make fun of Eddie and I.” Steve huffed as he stuck out his tongue. “Besides, I don’t call him my precious baby. Our pet names are way better than that.”

“Yeah I was talking about your car, Stevie.” Dustin snickered. Steve could try to deny it, but his blush would always give him away.

***

“What the actual fuck?” Steve peered out the window of Eddie’s trailer, wind whipping through the trees, the sky a dark gray behind it. “Since when was there a storm?”

“Seriously?” Eddie gave him a small smile. “They’ve been talking about it all week on the news and radio and shit. That’s why the store was so packed, people trying to stock up.”

“Well shit…” Steve sighed, turning back from the window, eyeing the flickering porch light warily. “Is Wayne going to be okay?”

“He’s crashing at the warehouse with some of the other guys he works with. They have cots and stuff there, nice and cozy.” Eddie shrugged as he walked into the kitchen and opened the cupboards. He searched for a few moments before letting out a deep breath and closing them without taking anything out. Steve couldn’t help but notice the restless, antsy energy that Eddie was carrying himself with.

“We aren’t thrilled about that.” Steve didn’t need to guess, it was fairly easy to read Eddie, but it wasn’t fair to assume.

“We are not.” Eddie sighed as he leaned into the counter. “I just…” He paused, considering his thoughts. “It’s stupid, nevermind.”

“Hey woah.” Steve swung around the corner, into the tiny kitchen where he hopped onto the counter beside Eddie. “I doubt that it’s stupid, if you feel like talking about it.”

“Sometimes it feels wrong to complain about the upside down when I only really experienced it for a day or two.” Eddie’s eyes stared into Steve’s looking for a sign of defensiveness, finding none. “Like you and the kids and everyone else… you guys are almost used to this shit and I don’t know how to get there.”

“Well none of us are really there, to be honest.” Steve leaned onto his knees, hair falling forward. “It’s not that simple, I don’t think. We all have things that make us react differently, you know? Robin hasn’t been to the mall, not since last year. Will hates the cold, Hopper too. It’s stupid to think that you’re above it, it’s not stupid to be affected by it.”

“You’re pretty smart, Steve.” Eddie grinned.

“I’m trying to be nice, asshole.” Steve chuckled , blush across his cheeks. “If you’re going to make fun of m-”

“I’m not.” Eddie reached out, grasping Steve’s hand. “I’m not making fun of you… I think you’re smart, don’t you?”

“I um…” Steve was distracted by the feeling of Eddie’s hand on his own. He stared at it, flinching and pulling away as Eddie adjusted his grip, purposefully ignoring the look the other man shot at him. “It’s not that I don’t think I’m smart, I just that I don’t think I’m as smart as everyone else.”

“Well that’s bullshit.” Eddie placed his own hand back on his own lap.

“So I’ve been told.” Steve muttered, glancing up at the roof as the sound of rain hitting the metal filled the trailer. Eddie’s eyes were glued to the window as the wind whipped the fallen leaves into a tornado of reds and oranges. “Is it the storm? Is that what’s bothering you?”

“Sad isn’t it.” Eddie didn’t move his gaze. “I can’t even deal with natural shit.”

“Well the last time it stormed like this-”

“I know what happened the last time it fucking stormed like this, Steve.” Eddie snapped, silence filling the small room. Eddie pinched his brows, regretting the tone.

“Don’t yell at me like that, that’s not very metal.” Steve pouted, crossing his arms.

“No, I know.” Eddie frowned as he finally met Steve’s gaze. “I’m sorry, I just hate this. Our power already kinda sucks here and now this shit’s going to knock it out entirely and we won’t be able to have our movie night.”

“What would help you feel better?” Steve decided to take the direct route.

“I need to just like…” Eddie hopped down. “I think I need to go out there.”

“In the storm? Isn’t that like… counteracting?” Steve glanced at the now determined look on Eddie’s face and he knew that somehow, by the end of the night he’d end up soaking wet from the rain.

“Yeah but I think that’s the point.” Eddie moved into the living room, grabbing a jacket. “I need to prove to my brain that bad shit won’t happen out there.”

“Then I’m coming out too.” Steve winced as he hopped down, following Eddie.

“Congratulations!!”Eddie smirked. “You’ve been in the closet a long time, love.”

“Very funny.” Steve deadpanned, grabbing one of Wayne’s hooded jackets from off the rack.

“It’s what I do best.” Eddie gave him a cat-like grin, grabbing onto the door handle. “Are you sure you wanna go out here? You could get sick.”

“So could you.” Steve noticed the shaking hand that held the door knob. “But we’re a team, right?” Eddie winked in lieu of an answer, opening the door, a gust of air hitting them as his breath caught in his throat. “I’m right behind you.”

“This is stupid, this is so fucking stupid.” Eddie muttered, knees gently shaking as he walked slowly down the steps of the porch. “I literally died right there, what the hell am I doing?”

“Okay well maybe don’t picture dying.” Steve gestured to him unhelpfully. “Picture something that doesn’t make you think about death. Something that makes you smile.”

Eddie’s creased brow slowly released as he took a deep breath, mental image coming in clearly. “I think it’s working.”

“Yeah?” Steve smiled gently, watching as the tension began to leave his boyfriend’s frame. “What are you picturing?”

“You doing the polka in a poodle skirt.” He giggled, a sound that always made Steve melt, even when he was slightly embarrassed of the image Eddie was concocting. “Think I can get a real life vision of that?”

“No.” Steve shot down instantly. “I don’t know how to polka and I don’t own a poodle skirt.”

“Too bad.” Eddie sighed, feeling much more at ease as the light banter continued. “The world is missing out.” A streak of lightning flashed across the horizon, making Eddie jump.

“I do um…” Steve took a deep breath. “I know how to slow dance though…” Eddie’s eyes lit up in an instant. “Provided I have the right music, of course.”

“I think I know a tune or two that you would like.” Eddie reached out, entwining his own fingers with Steve’s, pulling them together. Steve sucked in a breath, trying to supress the urge to run. He could feel his palms sweating, couldn’t stop thinking about how gross that was, he could smell the ozone in the air, sharp and all encompassing as lightning flashed in the quarry beyond the trailer park, the thunder rumbled in his chest and for a moment he was unsure if that was just his heart. His head was spinning, his knees shaking, eyes stinging, the lightning was closer now, seemingly between his and Eddie’s fingers and-

Holy Shit.

He felt Eddie chuckle against him as they continued to sway. There was no fucking way in the world, Steve was almost convinced he was dreaming. “Are you…” He took a deep shaky breath. “Are you humming ABBA to me right now?”

Eddie didn’t respond, continuing the low hum as he stretched his arm out, distancing himself from Steve before pulling him closer again, tucking his arms around his waist. “And how could I ever refuse?” His voice was soft, the way old tee shirts were after too many washes. “I feel like I win when I lose.” He pressed a kiss to Steve’s neck, shivers racking up the man’s spine as he breathed the tune like fog on a mirror. “Waterloo. I was defeated, you won the war.” He moved his lips against Steve’s ear, the storm far from him mind. “Waterloo. Promise to love you forever more.” With that, he spun Steve slowly, before pulling him directly to his chest, mouths inches apart, the magnetism pulling them together. Closer and closer, Steve’s heart was pounding and his head felt muddled, the storm raged on around them, seeming like nothing compared to the storm between them, they were soaked at this point, the rain starting somewhere in the middle of their slow waltz. Maybe it was the way his clothes stuck to him, maybe it was that Eddie was sticking to him in a way he craved for so long, but suddenly it was too much. Far too much. With a yelp, he pushed Eddie away, arms clutching around his own shoulders as shivers racked his spine.

He felt so stupid.

This was what he was wanting, what he was so desperate for, why couldn’t he just let himself be happy, even for a moment? Eddie’s hands on his were warm and gentle, not like any touch he was used to, it was electric and sharp but in the way a lemon was, not the way a knife was. Eddie’s hair was plastered to his cheek, a strand or two in his mouth, his eyes drawn to Steve’s distressed expression. He had to play this off. He had to think! Something! Anything! “Sorry that lightning messed with my mind for a second… I don’t… I don’t know what just happened.” He kept his hands close to himself. He couldn’t tell if his fingers burned from the lack of touch or from too much touch, but he was afraid to find out.

Eddie was a very physical guy by nature, but Steve was always far more reserved. Something along the way made Eddie think that Steve hated to be touched, maybe it was something he and Robin shared, so he tried to avoid the hand holding and casual draping of his weight, for fear of pushing too hard too fast. Yet here he was. Eddie was no fool, despite the struggle in school, he could tell there was a correlation between touch and Steve, but maybe he was wrong from the start. Maybe Steve didn’t just like touch, maybe he loved it, craved it, and was starved for it.

“Let’s head back inside, Dancing Queen.” He wrinkled his nose playfully, avoiding touching Steve while trying to make a plan. “We’ll get pneumonia if we’re out here any longer and I really don’t feel like storm chasing anymore.”

***

“Hello Lover.” Eddie laughed, opening the bathroom door, steam pouring out behind him. “Now I know that it’ll be hard, but try to behave yourself, okay?” With that, he exited the condensation filled room, hair wrapped high in a towel, acne cream dotting on his chin. He smelled like cinnamon toothpaste, a fact further proven by the drip on his dark green tank top. He was wearing gray sweatpants, bottoms raggedy from being too long and walked on over the years. He was far from the bravado that he performed and Steve felt truly honored to be let into his smaller, quieter world.

“I make no promises.” Steve smiled, leaning back on Eddie’s bed, hair wet from his own shower. He was wearing… decidedly less clothing. Nothing lewd, the time didn’t feel quite right for that yet, but enough that he looked soft and felt smaller. He was swamped in an oversized tee shirt, hanging down to just below his hips, Eddie’s flame boxers peeking out from under the edge. “The Great And Powerful Eds.”

“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” Eddie giggled, tossing himself onto the bed beside Steve, propping his head up on his hand. “We can’t all be perfect.”

“I am definitely not perfect.” Steve stared down at his own fingers, tangled in his shirt.

“I know, no one is Babe.” Eddie reached out gently, brushing a hair from Steve’s face. “But you’re the closest person I know.”

“You flatterer you.” Steve let out a small chuckle, but it turned into a gasp as Eddie stroked his cheek. “You’re too good to me, Munson, I swear you’ll be the death of me.”

“Life and death.” Eddie corrected. “Sounds like bliss to me.” He snuggled in, laying his head on Steve’s shoulder. He had a theory, one he intended on testing. “Sorry movie night was a bust.”

“I had fun either way, I always do with you.” Steve was trying to quiet the beating of his heart, feeling like it could be heard from under floorboards like that tale he read in English years before. He squeezed his eyes shut as Eddie placed a gentle kiss onto his collarbone, a small yelp of surprise slipping out before he could stop it.

“Why do you always make that sound when I touch you?” Eddie sat up, eyes full of concern.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Steve winced, knowing his argument was weak.

“Baby, come on, you know I won’t judge you.” Eddie shifted, turning to fully look at him. “Do you not like it when I touch you?”

“No! That’s not it!” Steve breathed quickly. “Okay it is but it isn’t.”

“Wh- Steve… that doesn’t make sense.” Eddie sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“I know!” Steve could feel his energy pulsing, he was getting worked up rather quickly. “I know and it’s stupid. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I want you to touch me, so fucking badly… like constantly… but it’s also the most overwhelming feeling in the world.”

“Ok, that makes sense.” Eddie held out his hand, eyebrows raised, asking for permission before he settled his hand into Steve’s. “I can work with that.”

“It’s not just you…” Steve sniffled. “Mrs. Byers hugged me like a month and a half ago and I thought I was going to combust. Robin or Dustin poke at me and it’s like a static shock. You’re a goddamn atomic bomb. I don’t get it.”

“There’s not really much to get, Steve.” Eddie leaned in a bit closer, slowly invading Steve’s space as the man grew more comfortable. “People need physical affection, our body craves that shit, it’s why babies and little kids have to get held so often. People don’t thrive without it.”

“I don’t unde- babies?” Steve had a haunted look about him. “Like how old?”

“Newborn…” Eddie narrowed his eyes.

“Yeah but like how old can they get before it’s cool to just like… not touch them anymore.”

“Steve, love, there’s not an age for that. People need contact from birth to death. Is there something deeper than that happening? You sound a little stressed.” Eddie knew. He knew but he didn’t want to press. It wasn’t exactly the world’s best kept secret.

“Mrs. Byers hugged me a month and a half ago.” Steve whispered. “That was the last time I had a hug. It was so quick too, just a little side hug, nothing extraordinary, just a goodbye on her way out while I was watching the kids… but that was more than I’ve had from my own parents in years…”

“I’m sorry baby.” Eddie squeezed his hand gently. “Really I am. I feel like a shit boyfriend because I thought you just weren’t a touchy person so I was trying to avoid touching you, but that’s not what you needed and I wish I could go back in time and fix it.”

“No…no that’s just it though.” Steve sat up, a lightbulb nearly visible as the thoughts began to jump into his head. “Jesus if you would have pressed harder about being affectionate, I would’ve caved but not for me… that’s what I do.” He let out a frustrated groan. “Jesus fucking Christ they fucked me up.”

“Love, take a breath.” Eddie hushed him.

“No because I have been throwing my body at everything for fucking year, Eddie! Years!” His voice cracked. “I thought that if I gave my body to someone else and they were happy, that must mean I am, but I was just trying to trick myself into thinking that it was love or affection and not just a means of getting off. If I throw myself in front of every goddamn monster, every person that tries to hurt someone I love then maybe…” His voice croaked as a sob ripped through him. “Maybe then I could finally fucking earn it. Eddie you didn’t do anything wrong, don’t you see? By not letting me throw myself at you, you helped me find the answer.”

“What’s the answer, Steve?” Eddie’s eyes were wide, he was quietly trying to take in the small breakdown Steve was having, trying to minimize the damage as much as he could, fingers lightly scratching Steve’s back.

“You love me…” Steve smiled. “You love me, and so do my friends. You really love me.”

“Yeah, Stevie. We really love you.” Eddie felt his heart ache at the thought of Steve doubting it, even for a moment.

“You love me more in 9 months than my parents have in 20 goddamn years.” Steve laughed, edging on hysteria. As the laughter died down, only a wobbly lip and teary eyes remained. “They don’t love me, Eddie. Why don’t they love me?”

“I don’t know.” Eddie lifted his chin, wiping away the tears that leaked down Steve’s cheeks. “But fuck them, and fuck anyone else who doesn’t see you the way you deserve to be seen. I know it’s not that simple, but it can be. You never have to see them again, okay? Just say the word and we’ll run away from all of that bullshit.”

“I’d like that.” Steve gave him a watery smile. “Can you um…” He hesitated, blush high on his cheeks. “Can you just like…hold me for a little?” It was clear he wasn’t used to asking for things for himself.

“Steven Harrington, I would hold you for eternity if you asked me to.” Eddie smirked, theatrics coming out to make Steve smile. He shuffled himself lower, opening his arms up for Steve to wiggle into. It was unbearably hot and the room smelled like weed. The record stopped playing several minutes ago, leaving only the sound of rain pelting the roof to be the soundtrack for their love. It was perfectly imperfect, but hey, that’s love.

#steddie #eddie munson #steve harrington #angst #fanfiction #stranger things 4 #my writing #request

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