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heartbreak-sandwich · 8 months

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💌Red Letters to Nowhere💌

A/N: This is the first chapter of my Stepbrother! Billy Hargrove x Mayfield! Reader fic! There will be many, MANY more flashbacks and encounters with other characters (Steve Harrington x Reader, Nancy Wheeler x Reader, and Eddie Munson x Reader to name a few) and some other relationship mentions throughout (like Harringrove and Hellcheer!). I hope you enjoy reading as much as I have writing. 💕

Read on Ao3 ❤️‍🔥 Chapter 2 📖 Master List 🌈

💌CHAPTER ONE: Move-In Day💌

Hawkins, Indiana. You’d never heard of it. To make matters more nerve wracking, you, your mom, and your little sister, Max, were moving to the middle of nowhere to shack up with her new husband and his son. You had met Neil Hargrove a few times when he came to visit from California, and he seemed nice enough. That’s the keyword – seemed. There was something intense about him that made you uneasy, and Max agreed that even though your mom seemed to be head over heels for the mustached, steam pressed, ordinary tryhard of a man, the two of you would keep a calculated distance from him pending further review.

The car ride was excruciatingly long, and you and Max each had your own walkman to keep you company, trading tapes every so often and sharing whatever snacks you could snag at the last gas station you happened upon. Your mom didn’t seem to realize the two of you were immersed in your high-volume music as you watched her lips move, undoubtedly chattering away about all of the fun features of the new town you were doomed to spend the impending school year in. Max rolled her eyes and shifted in her seat, her gaze drifting out the window and eventually coming to a close for yet another nap after receiving the report from your mom of “Only two more hours until we’re there!”

Deciding the only thing more painful than dreading the uncertainty of where you were headed was actually hearing confirmations of the bleak outlook to be endured, you decided to follow Max’s lead, eyes closing, letting the sounds of Alice Cooper lull you into the last nap you would take on your way to your new home in Hawkins.

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“And these are your new sisters,” Neil explained with no trace of enthusiasm to his son in the driveway of your new home. “Billy, don’t be rude. Shake hands,” he instructed sternly.

Billy held out his right hand for you to take, his jaw clenched, expression unchanging as he let out a flat, “Welcome home.” His handshake was firm, and he didn’t make eye contact with you or Max as he stood before you.

“Thanks,” you replied, testing a small smile. Again, his expression didn’t soften.

“Why don’t you go help Susan with some of the boxes,” Neil muttered to Billy, the stern coldness in his eyes revealing that this was more of a command than a suggestion.

“Yes, sir,” Billy responded, already stepping down the driveway toward your mom’s car.

Once Billy was out of earshot, Neil turned to you and your sister and put on his best impression of a smile. “I hope the drive wasn’t too long for you girls,” he offered.

“It was okay,” you answered him, attempting to mirror the almost smile. The three of you basked in the awkwardness before Max piped up with a question.

“Will we be sharing a room?” She already knew the answer because your mom wouldn’t shut up about how excited the two of you should be to get your own bedrooms for the first time in your lives.

“Not at all,” Neil answered almost cheerfully. “Why don’t I show you two around, and you can get settled while we bring in your things?” Neil held out an arm, gesturing toward the front door of your new home, and you and Max trudged forward with your backpacks and snacks in tow.

The house wasn’t large, but it was more than you were used to, coming from the two bedroom, one bathroom townhome you had shared with your mother and sister for the last six years. Four bedrooms, – one for you, Max, Billy, and your mom and Neil – two bathrooms, a fireplace, and a separate kitchen, living room, and dining area. You even had your own yard complete with a tire swing, and you knew that would be a big bonus for Max.

“I hope you won’t mind sharing a bathroom with Billy,” Neil sighed almost apologetically. “He keeps things clean, so you won’t have to worry about that. But if you have any trouble at all with him, you just let me know.” Neil’s eyes were icy and cold as he spoke, his teeth gritting together at the end of his sentence. You were a bit taken aback at how he talked about his own son.

“What…kind of trouble?” His expression softened immediately, and he tried again at his smile.

“Well, you know, boys will be boys. He’s a good kid, but sometimes his attitude needs some…adjusting,” he explained. “I’ll be outside helping your mother. If you need anything, don’t be shy.” Neil rapped a couple of times on the doorframe and exited your new room. You felt all tension dissipate the moment he was gone, and you took the time to glance around your new space. You had enough room for all of your posters. A queen size bed rested in one corner with shelves above it, a full size closet at the end of the bed, and a window with a desk underneath it on the wall opposite the sleeping corner - perfect for studying after school. You could get used to this.

You were pulled from your thoughts with the muffled clatter of a box being set on the wooden floor beside your bed. Turning around, your eyes met his for the first time. You couldn’t help but notice he looked almost…scared?

“Sorry. I’ll be more careful with the next one.” Billy’s hands turned to fists at his sides, thumbs fidgeting over his knuckles, his jaw clenching at the close of his words. His appearance was unlike any guy you’d ever seen in person before.

He looked like something out of the cover art of one of your mom’s romance novels she always had tucked away in a spot she thought you and your sister wouldn’t think to look. His blonde, shoulder length curls were carefully coiffed into one of those trendy mullet styles, plush pink lips outlined a perfectly white smile, his skin still golden from the California sun, and his eyes sparkled cerulean like the surface of the ocean with a depth you couldn’t quite reach. You could tell he was stacked and muscular through his clothes, and his jawline was sharp enough to cut glass. Still, there was something about him that seemed on edge.

“Don’t worry about it,” you reassured. “I don’t think there’s anything breakable in there.” He nodded in acknowledgement and turned to exit your room. “So,” you called after him, “what’s the high school like?” You just wanted him to know you were approachable and that you had no intention of making his life Hell, especially since you were all forced to exist in the same house from now on.

“Probably worse than you’re imagining,” Billy scoffed, turning slightly back towards you. When he noticed your nerves amping up at his comment, he sighed. “It’s not that bad. Small, easy to find your way around, and everyone is…nice enough, I guess.”

“Oh, that’s good. I’ve never gone to a new school before, so I’m probably just overthinking it,” you admitted, finally slipping your backpack off and letting it plop down on the bed. Billy turned to fully face you again, his hands in his pockets, a smirk playing on his lips.

“Don’t worry about it. It’ll be fine. Plus, you’ll know at least one person. And if anyone tries to give you shit, tell them they can answer to me.” You weren’t sure what that meant, but it did make you feel a bit more confident about your upcoming first day at Hawkins High.

“Uh, okay. Well, thanks for that.” You breathed out a small laugh, and Billy’s smirk bloomed into a smile.

“Don’t mention it,” he drawled before giving you a wink and disappearing back into the hallway to fetch another load of boxes. You didn’t have time to process the fact that you’re pretty sure your new step brother just winked at you before Max poked her head around the corner of your doorframe.

“Hey,” she whispered, catching your attention. “What did he want?” She looked back toward the hallway where Billy had just retreated, and you motioned for her to come in.

“He was just bringing some stuff in, so I asked him about the school.” Max was invested now, also having expressed her worry of starting in a new class already a month into the school year.

“What did he say?”

“Mixed review, really,” you answered, both of your expressions changing to that of confusion.

“Okay…well, do you know what to expect at all?”

“Not really. But he did say if anyone messed with me to tell them they could answer to him.” Max’s eyes widened.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She sat down on your bed, shuffling the toes of her shoes on the floor below.

“No idea,” you answered, meeting her gaze.

“Great.” Max sighed and stood up once more. “I guess I’ll start unpacking my new room.” She fluttered her eyelashes, hands waving in mock excitement. You laughed, knowing she was doing her best sarcastic impression of your mom gushing about your new home. You both rolled your eyes before she giggled and made her way back down the hallway to her own space.

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Your first dinner was awkward, to say the least. Neil had ordered a pizza for everyone since your bandwagon arrived close to mid afternoon, and your mom didn’t have time to cook a full meal even though she insisted she didn’t mind. You rushed to the door to help Billy bring in the boxes from the delivery boy who he happened to know from school.

“Troy, this is my …” he hesitated, breaking eye contact with the boy on the doorstep and looking down at the ground with a sigh, “new sister, Y/N.” You smiled tentatively, and offered a half wave, taking a couple of boxes off the top of the stack from Troy.

“Troy Holstad. Nice to meet you,” he obliged before giving Billy a perplexed look. Billy nodded once curtly and took the remainder of the boxes from Troy before waving him off with a “see you at school,” and closing the door. He nudged your arm to get your attention and spoke softly.

“There you go. Now you know two people,” he reasoned, beaming at you before shuffling back toward the dining room and adjusting his expression back to that of a sullen teenager. Billy carefully set the boxes down in the middle of the dining table, and you did the same. Everyone thumbed through the different boxtops to find the flavors they wanted, your mom and Neil opting for supreme while Max grabbed two slices of pepperoni, and you and Billy each took a slice of Hawaiian.

“So, Y/N, your mother tells me this is the start of your senior year,” Neil declared, his voice resonating in the silence of the dining room.

“Yeah, it is,” you replied around a mouthful of melted cheese and pineapple topping. You felt uneasy in your stomach when Neil glared daggers at you, looking up from his plate where he was using a knife and fork to cut his pizza. He sighed audibly as his nostrils flared and started again.

“Y/N, I know this is new for you, and we haven’t had much of a chance to talk about rules and expectations. In my house, we operate on a system that upholds the home and the image of the people in it appropriately. What is that system, Billy?” Billy sat up straighter in his chair, not looking up from his plate as his father addressed him..

“Respect and responsibility,” he recited, his voice almost shaking as his jaw tightened once more.

“That’s right,” Neil agreed. “Now that you’re a part of our family, you’ll learn to respect your elders and develop a keen sense of responsibility, just like the good, caring, all-American kids I know you can be.” Neil’s hard smile appeared below his mustache as he continued. “First of all, we address our elders with courtesy. When I ask you a question, you respond accordingly. Isn’t that right, Billy?”

“Yes, sir,” he muttered, his eyes still glued to his plate.

“I’m sorry,” Neil hissed. “I couldn’t hear you.” He leaned closer to the table, eyes searing into Billy as he awaited his response. Billy straightened up even more, his eyes snapping up to meet his father’s.

“Yes, sir,” his voice ricocheted in the dining room this time, his face flushing as everyone soaked in the awkward silence. You caught Max’s eye and noticed she looked afraid and perplexed as your mother kept her gaze on Neil, trying to seem like she was listening intently to him.

“See, girls, Billy knows the drill. If you have any questions, I’m sure he can straighten them out for you. I know you’re not used to this whole thing, having a man of the house, but you’ll adjust.” Neil gestured to the pizza on the table, his smile still active as he announced, “Let’s eat!” Max looked up at you from the corner of her eye, and you shook your head slightly, signaling for her not to say anything as you took another bite of your pizza. You side eyed Billy whose gaze seemed far away as he quickly finished his dinner.

“May I be excused,” Billy asked with perfect posture, taking the napkin from his lap and piling his used utensils on his plate.

“Yes you may.” Neil waved Billy off as he stood up, pushed in his chair, and took his plate to the kitchen to be washed.

You felt anxious as you saw Neil eyeing Max while she ate, and you held your breath as he spoke again.

“Tomorrow, we’ll practice using a fork, young lady,” he said sternly as Max’s cheeks burned, embarrassed to be holding her pizza at that exact moment. Neil paused and tilted an ear in her direction, hinting that he was expecting a reply.

“Y – yes, sir,” she choked out quickly, setting her pizza back down on her plate. Your mother cleared her throat and started asking Neil more about the school, the town, and how his new job was going. You let the two of them chat away as you gave Max a worried look, seeing her pick up her knife and fork to cut out a bite of her pizza. You stood up and grabbed your plate and jumped, the sound of a fist pounding on the dining table startling you off your feet. Your mom and Max gasped simultaneously as you met Neil’s eyes.

“Where do you think you’re going, Y/N?” You caught your breath and stuttered in response.

“I – I’m sorry. May I be excused?” You looked at your mom in panic, but she averted her eyes, looking at anything but the situation before her.

“That’s better.” Neil smiled again. “Of course. Don’t forget to clean your plate.”

“Thank you…sir.” You glanced at Max once more, hoping she would follow suit so she wouldn’t be yelled at. You hurried to the kitchen, rinsing your plate in the sink and setting it out on the dish rack to dry. You steadied your breathing as the tension melted away now that you weren’t in a close proximity to Neil.

After the awkward and almost frightening dinner, all you wanted to do was talk to your sister. You knew she would be looking for an escape after enduring Neil’s intensity, so you put on your coat and grabbed your paperback copy of The Outsiders, leaving the house through the front door.

You shuffled through the dried leaves across the lawn to the only tree in the yard and perched yourself on the tire swing, propping your feet up and opening your book to your marked page. A few lines in, you heard a clanging sound followed by a sigh, and your eyes followed the noise over to a blue Camaro with the hood up. Billy was standing over the engine, using the back of his hand to swipe stray curls out of his eyes, a dirty rag draped over his shoulder.

He didn’t seem to notice you were there as he worked, tinkering with a wrench, grunting and sighing every so often. You pretended to carry on reading while you watched him work. After all, looking wasn’t a crime, and he was quite the sight to see. After a few more minutes, he set his wrench on the edge of the Camaro’s hood and grasped the hem of his sweat-speckled t-shirt with both hands, lifting it up and over his head, tossing it on the roof of his car. Your cheeks turned scarlet at the sight of his toned chest and chiseled abs sparkling with a sheen of sweat in the crisp October air.

Your gaze snapped to your book quickly, and you glued your eyes to the words on the page, determined not to look up again. Your heart hammered in your chest, and you swore you could hear the blood flowing in your ears when a voice startled you.

“Hey, are you okay?” You jolted upright at Max’s question.

“Jesus, you scared the shit out of me,” you breathed.

“Sorry. Are you okay?” She repeated her question, concern behind her bright blue eyes. “You look really flushed.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine,” you answered, forcing yourself to keep your eyes far away from where Billy was working on his car. “What about you?” Max used the ropes of the swing to lift herself up, and you moved aside to make room for her on the tire.

“I’m fine. What the hell is up with him?” Max looked almost afraid while the two of you recounted Neil’s strange behavior at dinner, coming to the conclusion that this move might not have been for the best like your mom kept insisting.

“All we can do is follow the rules and stay out of his way, I guess,” you sigh, feeling defeated. “I don’t know how far he’ll go, but Billy seems to be pretty scared of him,” you almost whisper, leaning in closer to Max. She glanced over at Billy who was still fixated on his car.

“A guy that big scared of his dad? I don’t even want to think about why,” she shuddered, her eyes dropping to the ground.

“Hey.” You touched her shoulder, and she looked up at you. “I won’t let anything happen to you. Got it?” She gave you a small smile, nodding her understanding, but you could see the anxiety behind her eyes. “We’re going to be okay.”

“I know,” she assured you. You smiled at her and grabbed the ropes of the swing to climb out of the tire. Tossing your book onto a pile of leaves next to the tree, you stood behind Max and gripped the ropes as you walked the tire backwards before giving it a hard push. Max giggled as she swung back and forth, spinning slow circles and crying out, “You’re going to make me dizzy!”

The two of you laughed together as the sun started to set on the town of Hawkins, Indiana, and even though you weren’t sure what the coming days would hold, you knew you had each other to ease the burdensome future in your new home with your new family.

#Billy Hargrove fanfic #Billy Hargrove x Reader #Stepbrother!Billy Hargrove x Mayfield!Reader #Mayfield!Reader #Red Letters to Nowhere #Stranger things fanfic #Max Mayfield #Neil Hargrove #Susan Hargrove #hawkins #OC #Billy Hargrove oc #angst #neil hargrove is a total prick tbh #moving to hawkins #sando writes

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redmyeyes · 5 months

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FELLOW TRAVELERS 1.08 ❝ Make it Easy ❞

#tim's hands 😩👌 always moving always so tender #fellow travelers #fellowtravelersedit #jonathan bailey #matt bomer #tim laughlin #hawkins fuller #ft108 #jonathanbaileyedit #mattbomeredit #tim x hawk #hawk x tim #*#ftparallels

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bananananurr · 6 months

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Itsy bitsy teensy weensy little wittle s1 El and Max

#in an alternate alternate alternate universe tiny max moved to hawkins early and found el in the woods #why was she in the woods? billy buried her board to get on her nerves...#elmax #max mayfield #eleven

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bilbobignaturals · 9 months

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POV: My 6 biggest childhood crushes that were actually thinly veiled trans masc Gender Envy.

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ickypuppi3 · 2 months

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billy’s mom waking him up while it’s still dark, whispering even though neil’s working the night shift. it’s a couple days before his tenth birthday and she’s telling him they’re going to have their very own adventure, just like the ones in billy’s books. she grabs an already packed suitcase from under billy’s bed and kisses him on the nose, tells him to get dressed quick. the two of them leave in an old beat up yellow bug that she managed to get for a third of the asking price and keep parked around the corner until now. they stay with friends and jump from place to place so neil can’t track them down. billy gets used to surfing couches and staying in motels.

he spends his tenth birthday in a diner, his mom gets him a big stack of pancakes and a milkshake with extra cherries. gets a candle out her pocket along with her silver lighter. sings happy birthday and pulls a face when the waitress frowns at them, just to make billy laugh. she sips at her coffee while billy tucks in. smiles when he holds some out with a “c’mon mama, share with me.”

billy thinks it’s neat. thinks it’s the best birthday he’s ever had.

they eventually end up with a place in california, a little bungalow near the coast and billy grows up with his mom. billy gets pretty shirts from the thrift store ‘cause his mama lets him do stuff like that. doesn’t call him a queer, doesn’t force a baseball bat into his hands whilst yelling at him for crying, for being a pussy. his mom lets him read and keep a journal and press flowers between the pages of the neverending story, she plays hendrix and dusty springfield and laughs when billy comes home from his friends’ house with his first piercing at thirteen. she doesn’t tear down his posters or yell when she finds him using her eyeliner.

and everything’s perfect. sort of.

they have bad days- billy’s mom has bad days. billy calls them gray days ‘cause that’s how the world looks when she’s like this. all her color gone. no singing-dancing in the kitchen or baking five different kinds of cake because she couldn’t decide which one was best, no last minute trips to the beach or sitting outside at night and telling billy about the stars. instead she’ll stay in bed, won’t go to work. she’ll stare at the wall blankly and look right through billy when he tries to talk to her. she won’t take the pills the doc gave her and billy doesn’t know what to do. never knows what to do. just chews at his lip until it bleeds, bites at his thumb until it’s red raw. he’ll get in the bed with her. lay beside her and just talk like she used to do with him when he had a nightmare. hum a song to her.

billy’s still pissed at the world just slightly less so. still has that anger and anxiousness simmering just below the surface and shows his teeth when cornered. he’s still hardened in a way that a kid shouldn’t be but. it’s different. there’s no neil. the only bloody noses he gets are at school, when he fights with the kids who call him a fag and a fairy, call his mom a basket case. he uses fists when they laugh and ask if she’s all there with a finger pointing at their heads, ask if billy will “catch the crazy.”

those are billy’s bad days. sitting in the principals office, icing his knuckles.

when he’s fifteen, billy manages to bag a job at the local auto repair by turning up every day and telling howie how good he’d be, that he knows cars and it’s all he wants to do and please please please. eyebrows pulled together, eyes puppy dog wide and hands clasped in front of him until howie grumbles, throws an oily rag at billy. says fine but billy’s gotta pay for anything he damages. someone brings in a chevy camaro and billy asks howie to let him help fix it up. does the begging again until howie laughs. says get a hold of yourself, kid, voice fond as he ruffles billy’s hair.

billy’s four months away from turning seventeen when the doorbell goes. he’s eating a sandwich and watching knight rider. he’s wearing the necklace his mom got him for his last birthday and- he answers the door. doesn’t think twice. freezes when he sees neil standing there. he looks different. hair a little shorter and more wrinkles. where billy’s gained weight, gained muscle, neil’s lost it. his eyes are a little sunken and he’s still got his wedding band on. he reeks of booze. billy has to remind himself to speak, just says “yeah?” his voice comes out small and neil smiles at him. smiles and billy feels this weird twist in his stomach ‘cause .. that’s his dad and he hasn’t seen him in years and it twists and twists and-

turns out. not much has changed. billy realises a little too late that neil will always be neil. they run again. have to leave everything behind. billy doesn’t get to say bye to his friends, to howie, to the car. they leave a lot of stuff behind and head in any direction away from neil. they both try to keep the mood light, take turns driving and play the tapes billy grabbed. they end up in indiana- hawkins. they stay at a motel until billy’s mom finds a place for dirt cheap. it has two bedrooms and a dingy bathroom, a living room slash kitchen and one hell of a damp problem. it’s dirt cheap for a reason.

it’s above a shop in town and- it’s fine. their landlord is an asshole but they’re together and they’ve got a roof over their heads. billy’s enrolled at hawkins high and his mom gets a job at the laundromat. he tells her that he doesn’t need to go to school, that he could just work and help pay the bills but his mom won’t have any of it. says that she wishes she had finished school and that billy’s too clever to waste it. that he has potential.

billy knows the reason she dropped out of school was because she had him. he just nods, rests his head on her shoulder.

it’s billy’s first day at school and his mom drives him to make sure he actually goes. he gets out the car and tries to shake the nerves off. straightens up and puts on his act. plasters a fake smile on his face and it’s working, he’s got most of the girls swooning and the boys at least seem curious. billy looks around and his eyes land on a guy leaning up against a bmw. his hair’s coiffed to high heaven and he’s wearing a polo, preppy as fuck but- pretty. it’s one of the first things billy realises about him, all doe eyes and moles dotted just about everywhere. he’s got a smirk on his face. not aimed at billy but the guy beside him.

pretty-boy walks over to him and billy raises an eyebrow, plays it cool. he introduces himself as steve and billy gets the idea that he’s top dog at hawkins high, is immediately proved right when they step into the building. king steve, freckles calls him. billy laughs- catches steve looking at him when he does and feels his face get hot. steve just smiles wider, calls billy california and tells him to sit with them at lunch. billy tries to ignore the way steve’s smile makes him feel like the rug’s been pulled out from under his feet.

he nods and steve grins. tugs at one of billy’s curls.

says “i think you’re gonna like it here, california.”

#it got away from me i fear #billy has to live somewhere else at the start and then they move to california i don’t care he needs to be there with his mom for the #majority of the time he just has to #he Is california ! what else am i supposed to do here he needs it #makes hawkins that much worse #he’s best friends with argyle but he doesn’t get to say bye !#billy’s first kiss is with a girl but the second the one he counts is with a boy and his mama knows he’s gay also #probably argyle if we’re being real #my words #billy hargrove #billy’s mom #harringrove #cw slurs #cw mental illness #spinning in circles i just need mamas boy billy and king steve so bad #mamas boy billy & king steve

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sgippy · 5 months

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#fellow travelers #im sorry i keep doing this #but this scene... i might never move on #tim laughlin #hawkins fuller #fellow travelers spoilers #hawk x tim #tim x hawk #jonathan bailey #matt bomer

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artiststarme · 11 months

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Let's Get Out Of Here

Aha, the writer’s block is gone! I’m not sure what this is but I hope you guys like it! Please leave your thoughts in the comments.

~*~*~*~

Eddie had wanted to leave since he stepped foot into the god-forsaken town. As soon as he’d passed the town’s border in the backseat of the social worker’s sedan, he knew he didn’t belong there. Hawkins was everything he despised about society; white picket fences for the rich, small town boys who thought they were better than everyone else, and snobby adults that turned their nose up if he so much as looked at them.

So yes, he’d been imagining a way out since he got in. He’d imagined Corroded Coffin making it big and getting to leave Hawkins together, best friends living the best life on stage while sharing their music with the masses. They wouldn’t be the outcasts that people treated like shit beneath their boots anymore, they would be something important. Unfortunately, that dream was squashed by his experiences over Spring Break. His old friends wouldn’t so much as glance at him much less leave town to hit the road with him.

Gone were the friends that would listen to him narrate a campaign for hours on end. Gone were the the friends that would drop everything to practice one of Eddie’s spur of the moment song ideas. After Spring Break of his third senior year, Eddie was alone.

He managed to avoid criminal charges by the skin of his teeth with a bogus alibi fabricated by the surprisingly-still-alive-Chief Hopper. He was finally able to graduate from high school and get a full time job to raise some money. But everything else was ruined. The friends he’d had since sophomore year were gone, the trailer he’d called his home was savaged, and his body was marred with gruesome scars that still wrought pain on the worst days.

On the bad days when the pain kept him in bed, he’d fantasize about leaving Hawkins. New, more achievable dreams centered around moving someplace new with Wayne. They’d pack everything up in the van and truck and just take off. They’d leave the tragic Midwest behind and head somewhere bigger like LA or NYC to take the world at storm, Munsons against the world as it had always been. Unfortunately though, they just didn’t have the funds to do that. Wayne couldn’t leave the plant when he had no savings to his name. And Eddie didn’t have anywhere near enough saved from working at Thatcher Tire to support them both.

He still had nothing going for him in Hawkins though. The harsh glares and pointed insults had only worsened since Chrissy’s death. He had to leave. But, he’d always been a coward at heart and he wasn’t brave enough to leave on his own. He would be trapped in the town that hated him until he died or something happened to force him out.

The one thing he had still was his family. It had lost several members but it had gained even more. The Party had managed to creep passed his defenses to find a place in his broken heart. Steve and Robin in particular grew close to him, assigning themselves best friends of Eddie Munson 1 and 2, respectively. They would hang out around Wayne’s new trailer, bother him at work, and he’d bother them at theirs.

It was on one of these impromptu hang-out sessions that a spark of hope developed in his chest. He’d been mourning his cowardice and inability to leave in silence until Steve started complaining about feeling trapped in his empty home. It was then that Eddie saw an opportunity.

“I don’t know, man. I know it sounds stupid, how can I feel trapped in a big house? But there’s just nothing there! And it’s, it’s suffocating, man. I don’t know how much longer I can stay there.”

Steve murmured his words against the end of a cigarette, his body leaning against the side of the car that Eddie was pretending to work on. But how was he supposed to focus on changing a timing belt when the object of his affections was expressing a will to leave?

“I don’t think it’s stupid,” Eddie nearly fell over as he rushed to reassure him. “Hell, I’ve felt suffocated since I got here.”

Steve hummed softly and took a puff of his cigarette.

Eddie smirked sardonically and chuckled to himself. “Maybe we should leave together. You could stop being a ghost in your parents house and I could stop being the murderer that killed his classmates. We could get a place together and decorate it half jock, half metal. That’d be a sight.”

Steve looked over at him with squinted eyes. “Really? You’d want to leave with me?”

“Why not? You’re one of my best friends, Stevie. I’d love to leave with you.”

The suspicion melted from Steve’s expression and a genuine smile took its place. He dropped the cigarette to the gravel ground, pulled the tool from Eddie’s hand and pulled him into an all-encompassing hug.

“Let’s do it! You and me. And Robin, I don’t think she’d let me move without her. We’re a package deal, if that’s okay.”

Eddie laughed and it’s him, high in the moment despite it all being a joke. “Of course! You can bring your emotional support lesbian and I’ll bring my Sweetheart. Then we’ll take the world by storm.”

Steve held onto him for another few moments before pulling away. “Okay, when do you want to leave?”

The smile fell from Eddie’s face. “Wha- seriously? You actually want to leave with me?”

“Um, yes? I feel like I made that pretty obvious.”

Eddie blinked. “Um, okay. How about the end of the summer. Then we’ll have enough time to find a place and raise some cash.”

Steve grinned. “Sounds good! I’ll tell Robin. See you later, Eds!”

Eddie could only watch him skip to his car in shock. Steve continued to surprise the hell out of him. He’d shocked him in the Upside Down by being a genuinely good guy. Again when he’d fought the entire basketball team two weeks afterward to protect Eddie’s honor. And now with plans to rescue him from the stifling hatred of Hawkins.

When he pulls him into a gentle kiss as soon as they step into the apartment with Robin behind them griping about carrying all the bags, that’s a nice surprise too.

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#They make Robin carry all of the bags so they can pick their rooms first #they end up sharing anyways #they move to a city and live the lives they could never live in Hawkins #and they’re happy #stranger things #steddie #fanfic #steve harrington #eddie munson #robin buckley

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starrystevie · 2 years

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steve poking fun at eddie whenever his southern upbringing sneaks its way out is my new favorite thing to think about. his accent, a little bit of a drawl, comes out after a few drinks or when he gets overly excited or when he's angry. better yet, eddie will say things that steve has just never heard of and finds it too entertaining having him repeat certain things.

"okay, okay, just humor me this one last time!" he'll say and eddie will roll his eyes but he'll play along because, damnit, he'll do anything to see his boy belly laugh. "you're going grocery shopping. it's a big shop and you know you can't carry it all so... what is it that you need to help?"

and steve will be all barely held back giggles, eyes crinkling into crescents before he's even begun to really laugh and he looks like a kid waiting to catch santa claus.

and eddie will sigh, laying it on thick by rolling his eyes once more for good measure and crossing his arms over his chest before muttering out, "... a buggy, steve. you need a gotdamn buggy."

seeing steve bend over to cackle is worth any sort of humiliation eddie thinks could ever come from showing his true colors and laughs along with him, his own smile wide and bright as he pushes into steve's space so he can press a kiss to his crinkled cheek.

#LISTEN I JUST LOVE SOUTHERN EDDIE OKAY #IMAGINE STEVE JUST STARING AT HIM CAUSE HE HAS NO CLUE WHAT EDDIE IS SAYING SOMETIMES #BECAUSE REGIONAL JARGON IS WEIRD #this all was brought on by my coworker who is from indiana not knowing what hunch punch was because she calls it jungle juice #steddie #steddie headcanon #steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things #stranger things headcanon #i am an eddie munson is a southern boy who moved to hawkins truther fucking fight me #my writing #1k

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corrodedcoughin · 1 year

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just thinking out loud but the Steve going to college because believe it or not he’s finally found a very specific course that catches his interest and it happens to be in Fort Wayne so he can still check in on the kids. It gets even better when Robin and Nancy decide they want to stay local too so they all pack together and get excited (and nervous) about moving.

The time comes and they leave Hawkins and suddenly it’s the first proper day of classes. The three of them are spread over the campus so Steve treks alone to his first class, the reason he chose the college in the first place: Introduction to Folklore.

He’s so ready to learn about something he’s finally interested in. Doesn’t pay attention to the usual seating conventions and social status, just wants to know where they’ll be starting, cliques and popularity contests a long gone part of his life.

The professor is in her stride, painting a picture with her stories of creatures from folklore and the origins, Steve can’t believe it but he’s genuinely excited to learn for once. The pinpoint accuracy focus on the professor is shattered when a voice erupts next to him

‘That’s great and everything but shouldn’t there have been a moth man lover sighting by now? Where is the justice for this noble creature I ask you? I know there’s monster fuckers out there professor.’

The professor slowly engages the guy in conversation but Steve is seething. Who does this guy think he is? Does he think this is a private class just for him? That Steve isn’t paying good money to be here? So pen clenched in a white knuckled hand Steve lets his bitchy temperament get the better of him ‘I thought this was a folklore class? Not a self insert romance lit course’ he clearly says it too loud because the boy next to him. The one who started all this turns to Steve and raises an eyebrow, a smug smile on his face and lets out a ‘huh interesting’ and what’s Steve supposed to do with that? And more importantly what’s Steve supposed to do with the fact that the guy is stupid hot with this long hair, tattoo combo and that the smug look on his face definitely made Steve’s heartbeat thunder in his ears? Out of rage on behalf of his fellow students, of course.

Turns out it doesn’t matter, the class is over and Steve is running out the door, determined not to get caught by those eyes again.

It starts off a Thing between them. Every week the guy, Eddie, will challenge the lecturer with some inane point that Steve refuses to accept he actually believes to the point of Steve firing back an argument at him. Eventually they are full on debates in the middle of the class that the professor has to mediate after eddie decided that standing on the table would be appropriate (of course, not to be outdone, steve followed).

They absolutely do not have a thing for each other and the rest of the class absolutely do have a sweepstakes on when they’ll get together

#listen this could be a huge meandering story about them arguing in class #being teamed up by the lecturer for a project #researching a local folklore story #AND HELLO ITS DEMOGORGANS DEMOBATS UPSIDE DOWN BREAKING FOLKLORE THSTS BEEN SECRET FIR SO LONG #the kids join in Nancy and Robin and jargyle join in #interviewing jopper for more info #Wayne moved AWAY from hawkins when he got Eddie but he knows the stories #it could be such a big fun story #alas I cannot write more than ten words before I lose the plot #nice in theory though #stranger things #eddie munson #steddie #steve harrington #enemies (not really) to lovers #Eddie dresses up as mothman because I SAID SO #Steve catches him as mothman with Gareth and Jeff one night shining torches on him to attract moths #’yes this is science /Steve/‘#’GUYS TORCHES BACK ON ME COME ON’#’oh so /this/ is the famous Steve. what do you think Gareth?’#’im just shocked he’s real. maybe monster fucker munson has changed his ways’#’SHUT THE FUCK UP I SWEAR TO CHRIST’#Steve:😲#(sorry I’ll go back in my cave now)

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harringroveera · 8 months

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Enter Steve, coming to change Billy’s mind

#harringrove #billy before he moves to hawkins #billy hargrove #steve harrington #billy x steve #billy hargrove x steve harrington #incorrect harringrove quotes #harringroveera #incorrect billy hargrove quotes #harringrove meme #harringrove textpost #harringrove edit #harringrove memes #billy hargrove edit #billy hargrove meme #billy hargrove text post #steve x billy #steve harrington x billy hargrove #harringrove + text posts

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metalhoops · 1 year

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Steve never liked the cities.

They were always too crowded, too noisy. He liked Hawkins. He liked a quiet life in the suburbs. It was part of the reason he’d never gone to college, that and having to worry about his adopted band of misfit kids and the hell dimension that opened every year. Yet, somehow he found himself on a weekend trip to Chicago.

It was all Eddie’s fault. He had to pick some things up from a music store in town for the band, he’d mention strings or amps. Steve only half understood. It was an excuse for Eddie to take his van to Chicago. Steve had been surprised to find himself invited.

“You never leave town since Vecna went dark, dude. How are you going to travel around with six kids and a Winnebago if you never leave Hawkins?” Eddie asked, somehow managing to convince Steve to join him.

They took turns driving Eddie’s van. Eddie’s choice of music was questionable, but his version of road trip games was even more worrisome. They’d been travelling behind an old truck for the better part of an hour when Eddie kicked his feet on the dash and questioned,

“What do you think would be the worst way to die right now? Because I’ve spent the past half hour watching that guy’s toolbox rattle around and I’m convinced a nail gun to the head would be a killer way to go.”

Steve should’ve known better, but he’d give anything for a distraction from the long stretch of road.

“Probably getting set on fire at a pump while you insist you need a smoke the second we pulled over at the last gas station,” Steve noted, switching on his indicator and passing the vehicle, using all the horsepower the poor-beat up van had.

“And here I was thinking I had a twisted imagination,” Eddie spoke, before listing off a series of more gruesome scenarios.

By the time the two reached their motel, Steve felt strangely lighter. Whether it was the distance from Hawkins and the trouble it had caused him or because he and Eddie had spent an hour listing out worst-case scenarios until they felt comical and absurd instead of real and imminent threats, he didn’t know. Being trapped in a town with a rip in the fabric of space and time had a way of making you always feel on your guard. That night the two slept quickly and soundlessly.

It was when they walked through town Steve remembered why he hated cities. He was left shuffling through unfamiliar streets, elbow to elbow with strangers, trying desperately to keep up with Eddie as the man weaved and ebbed with the crowd as Steve used to slice through water. Eddie was one with the city. Steve was apart from it.

Without thinking, Steve reached out, grabbing onto the hem of Eddie’s jacket, letting himself be guided. Eddie showed him where to step, how to move. He kept his head down and followed Eddie’s lead to the music store. Much to his surprise, when they were all done, and once more ready to head back into the fray of the foot traffic, Eddie offered the crook of his elbow for Steve to hold onto.

“Hey, it’s easier than you almost tugging a hole in a perfectly good jacket. You don’t have a good track record, Harrington,” Eddie teased. He had a point.

He hadn’t meant to make a habit of it. Yet the small action of latching onto Eddie to keep him at arm’s length followed the two back to Hawkins.

The thing about hanging out with Eddie was that the man was surprisingly hard to keep up with. He was always rushing places at the drop of a hat, jerked one way or the other by whatever flight of fancy caught his attention.

He’d be beside Steve at the Family Video store one minute, then darting to the horror section driven there by some tangential conversation, which then of course, would lead him to remember some old sci-fi film and send him running to the sci-fi section, only to find it lacking. That would lead him to Robin and their extensive movie catalogue on the computer, all the while, he’d still be talking to Steve. He found it easier to keep up with Eddie if he had a hold of him.

He’d find his fingers tucked into the crook of Eddie’s elbow, hooked in the chain of his jeans or clinging to the cuff or hem of his shirt and trailing in the wake of him.

Contrary to popular belief, Steve wasn’t an idiot. Not when it came to social situations. He knew being extra touchy with Eddie was something he could only do in certain situations. He was hyper-aware of it when he’d made the mistake of hooking his thumb into the back pocket of Eddie’s jeans in the arcade. The two had driven the kids there and were wasting time bouncing between watching the kids and playing pinball.

A group of teenagers had been gawking at the two already, likely trying to work out what twist of fate had landed the former king of Hawkins High and current school Freak together. With the action, the mumbled whispers turned into slack jaws and less favourable words muttered just loud enough for Steve to hear.

Steve wasn’t an idiot. He knew what it looked like. He would be lying if he said he didn’t want it to be like that, not that he’d voiced any of it. Not yet. He needed to do it in a town where people didn’t know his name, so people wouldn’t talk if he was reading Eddie all wrong. He didn’t think he was, he was good with reading people.

In a crowd, holding onto Eddie was okay. On their increasingly frequent trips to the city, Indianapolis, Chicago, and Fort Wayne. When no one else could see, that was okay. In small-town Hawkins, in broad daylight, it wasn’t.

Steve suddenly understood the appeal of the city.

#steddie #steddie fic #drabble #steddie drabble #ficlet #steddie ficlet #stranger things #stranger things 4 #steve harrington #eddie munson #inside your brain there are two wolves #one is a headcannon #where you want Steve and Eddie to stay in Hawkins #have some small town bliss and break the cycles of generational trauma #while the other headcannon #wants them to move to a big city like Chicago or San Fransisco #and live their best open gay life #this was born of that conflict #Metalhoops writes

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