#obviously the answer was “a Robin” you idiot
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timbart shenanigans once more because I have. SO many ideas for them
#obviously the answer was “a Robin” you idiot#tim drake and his inability to comprehend someone is interested in HIS abilities#and not about someone else he’s learned from or who came before him#go Bart go he’s just a bit too autistic to realise you like him#together they will. fight through the tall wall of being idiots and realise they have feelings for each other#Tim drake#Bart Allen#dc robin#fanart#dc comics#animation#timbart#young justice#young just us
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can I request steeb taking care of shy!reader who is upset after a bullying incident in school? I figured she would be a year younger (like robin’s grade) because I don’t think anyone would touch her if king steve was around. I feel like he’s be so soft with her but also reeling at the thought that someone hurt his girl!
thanks for ur request anon! idk if i can count this as a blrub because it's nearly 3k words but alas pls enjoy! tw for blood (knee scrapes) and j*son c*rver
You come to Family Video with a scrape on your left knee.
It’s not the weirdest thing in the world — you ride a worn-down bike that’s probably older than you are. Steve’s been begging you to get a new one for as long as he’s known you, outright offering to pay for the damn thing as long as he’s sure it’ll get you to him without getting hurt in the process.
You reject him every time. “It gets me where I need to go,” you always shrug. “What more could I want from it?”
And he wants so badly to be angry at the beauty you manage to find in mediocrity. But he can’t be, really. It’s why you fell in love with him in the first place, isn’t it? Why you took the heartbroken boy in your arms on Halloween night in 1984 and convinced him he wasn’t bullshit despite what he told you. He’d be an idiot to be mad at how kind you are.
But when you walk into Family Video, halfway limping with blood dripping down your knee, he knows it’s different.
Something more than a toppled bike hurt you.
“Oh, god, babe,” he winces from where he stands at the counter with Robin. “What happened?”
“I fell,” you shrug as he races over to you.
“You fell?” Robin scoffs. “Knock me out with a feather.” You know she’s joking, but it’s a little too monotone, and you’re a little too sensitive. Something in her words hurts more than your throbbing knee.
Steve, who knows you like the back of his hand, understands exactly what your diverted gaze means. When you look down to the floor, he shoots Robin a firm glare.
What? she mouths, obviously confused at the sudden silence.
“Can you get the first aid kit from the back? I think there might be some gauze in there,” he asks, deciding to change the conversation entirely. He wraps an arm around your waist and walks slowly with you to the counter. He meets your grimace with a soft smile. “I’ll clean it, wrap it up, and you’ll be good as new.”
You don’t give him anything in response. Not even a pity smile.
He sits you on the counter with the open first-aid kit beside you. Robin flips the store sign to closed. It’s barely five o’clock. She starts tidying up the store to go home, anyway.
Steve wipes up the warm blood with a napkin and cleans the scrape with an alcohol wipe. You hiss at the feeling — it’s like a hundred tiny bee stings. From where he sits just below you on a worn swivel chair behind the counter, he leans in to press a kiss just above the cut.
Without all the blood, it looks a lot less gnarly than before.
“See? It’s not so bad,” the boy smiles as he unravels some gauze. “I’ll patch it up, baby you for the rest of the night, and you’ll forget it ever hurt by morning.”
Again, you don’t even smile. You just purse your lips to the side and nod.
Steve’s heart stings, but he doesn’t take anything by it. He wraps the bandage down and over your knee in an even rhythm. He tries not to be so direct when he asks: “How’d this happen, anyway, huh? Did Ol’ Sliver finally give up on you?”
You shake your head, eyes on the gauze instead of the boy. The white cloth splotches with pink from where your wound still weeps. “No,” you answer quietly. “Just fell.”
“Just fell, huh?” he repeats quietly. A few caramel-colored strands fall over his forehead as he peers up at you with his chin tilted towards his chest. He tries his best to smile. “You’re givin’ me the sad eyes, babe. I feel like it was more than just a fall.”
“It was stupid…”
He scoffs. “Never.”
“A car drove by me,” you confess, only half-lying. You try to look down at him, but your gaze wavers along with your courage. “And the music was kinda loud, and it… It startled me a little.”
You don’t tell him that Jason Carver intentionally swerved on the wrong side of the road to scare you — or that he yelled mean things through the rolled-down passenger window before speeding off again. It’s easier to keep it to yourself. You don’t want it to become a whole thing.
Steve’s brows furrow as he tucks the end of the bandage to keep it from unraveling. “Were they going too fast?”
“I don’t know. Kind of.”
“It wasn’t those football assholes, was it? I swear to god, they need their license revoked.”
“No,” you answer, quick to soothe his rising anger. “It was— It wasn’t anyone. I just got scared, and I swerved off the road, okay?”
Even in your mousy voice, it sounds like you’re being stern with him. And you’re never stern with him.
“Well, that’s okay,” Steve assures with a shrug. “We all get scared. It’s better than you getting hit, I guess.”
“I guess,” you echo with a huff, a teasing smile on your lips.
Steve grins back, happy to see you less pained. He smacks a gentle kiss to your wrapped-up knee. “Go get in the car, okay? I’ll clean up here, put your bike in the trunk, and we can go home.”
You go shy as you peer at him from beneath your lashes. “Your home?” you clarify, secretly hoping he’ll say yes.
His answer isn’t surprising. “Of course, my home. You practically live there, anyway.”
You smile and brush a soft kiss to the scruff of his jaw, murmuring a quiet thank you there before leaving. You’re not limping nearly as badly as you had been before.
Robin waits for the door to ding shut before blurting: “I think it was Jason.”
Steve stills with the first-aid kit in his hands. He squints at her from where she stands between the horror and X-rated horror aisles.
“What?”
“I think that’s who might’ve run her off the road.”
“…Why?”
“He gives her a hard time sometimes, I don’t know,” she explains vaguely and with a sigh. “Normally, it’s stupid. Like, honestly, I just think he’s super shit at flirting. Maybe he was just trying to scare her and… got a little carried away…”
Anger burns red hot in Steve’s chest. It blooms just behind his ribcage like a flower with fire for petals.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asks through gritted teeth, trying not to sound too angry. It’s not like Robin was the one who hurt you, after all — just some douchebag who wouldn’t have laid a hand on you if he knew who your boyfriend was.
Steve’s knuckles go white as his grip tightens on the plastic box.
“Because I thought it was harmless!” Robin agonizes as she rushes to meet him. Her deep ocean eyes swim with worry, frightened that he might be angry at her. “Seriously. Most of the time, it sounds like he’s just being mean to get into her pants. And, like, I don’t know if that’s how he landed Chrissy back in the day or what, but he’s obviously got no clue what kind of girl he’s flirting with because…”
She trails off at Steve’s hardened umber gaze.
Robin groans and leans over the counter, reaching for the boy’s wrist. “Please don’t be mad at me, Stevie. My heart can take that. I’ll be sick for days—”
“I’m not mad at you, Rob,” the boy promises. He sighs. “I just gotta… go beat up a kid now.”
—————
You’re too focused on the stars and the feeling of Steve’s warm hand on your thigh to notice he’s taking the wrong route home.
The car slows way sooner than you expected. When you come back down from the clouds, you find that you’re in a near-empty lot. The car jolts softly when Steve puts it in park.
“What are we doing?” you turn to him with furrowed brows.
Steve unclicks his seatbelt. “I’ll be right back.”
You look past him, at the large building lit up by amber streetlamps and the green door with a light in its window. Every so often, someone will whip by it wearing a white jersey. Your heart sinks.
“Why are we at school?” you asked, scrunched-faced in a mixture of anger and worry. You don’t know how he knows what happened to you, only that he does know.
“I need to take care of something here. It’s okay—”
“Don’t go in there,” you plead. “Please. Let’s just go home—”
“I’ll be right back,” he repeats. He leans over the console to kiss your cheek. You don’t lean into it like you usually do.
“Steve—”
The car door shuts and cuts off the rest of your pleas.
Steve has an easy time getting into the gym. The backdoor is propped open with a small wooden block like it always is. The coaches welcome him in like usual. They beam as the old team captain waltzes into the newly painted gym like he owns the place.
“Harrington!” the burly man calls over the sounds of squeaking shoes and bouncing basketballs. “Come to turn in an application, finally? I’ve only been asking you to be co-coach since you graduated.”
Steve smiles coolly. “No. Not yet… I, uh— I actually needed to talk to one of your players.”
The man shoots him a look.
“Jason Carver.”
“Oh,” the man chuckles, a deep belly laugh. “You only wanna pull my star player out of practice, huh?”
“It’ll take, like, two seconds. Tops.”
A momentary stare-off ensues. Steve knows the answer he’s going to get. Everyone at this damn school has got a soft spot for him. Perks of being Hawkins High royalty, he figures.
“Two,” the coach says in the place of any real answer.
He takes the green whistle from his neck and blows into it. The shrill sound echoes through the gym. Like trained dogs, the boys on the court still.
“Carver!” the man shouts, almost too loudly. Steve winces from beside him. “Get over here!”
Jason passes the ball off and jogs to meet them without question. When Steve says he’s got something to tell him, the blonde-haired boy smiles like it’s a privilege. Red-faced and out of breath, he trails behind Steve as they walk out into the hallway.
“Don’t tell me you’re coming to be assistant coach,” the boy says with an audible smile. “Coach Blair has only been talking about it for a year—”
When the double doors shut behind him, Steve whips around and shoves the boy into the lockers. They clang beneath his sudden weight and echo down the empty corridor. Jason’s smug face contorts into shock. “—What the hell?”
He tries to regain his footing, but Steve only shoves him backward again. His hands twist in the neck of his jersey.
“What the fuck are you doing, man?” Jason shouts.
Steve’s stern features never waver. He leans in close, eyes trained on the boy like a predator to prey. “Leave my girl alone,” he threatens lowly.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about! I don’t know who your girl is—”
“You know exactly who I’m talking about,” Steve spits in response. The lockers bang once more when he shoves the boy backward again. “Should break your leg for what you did to her. What would the star player do then, huh?”
Jason’s wide eyes flit between the both of Steve’s. He racks his brain for what he might’ve done so wrong and who he might’ve done it to. He gapes at the realization — “Bambi? Bambi’s your girlfriend?”
“Oh, that’s what you call her?” Steve muses in a monotone, feigning interest. “How cute.”
“I didn’t know, man. I swear. If I knew, I never would’ve—”
“I don’t care. And stop pleading, alright? It’s embarrassing.”
Jason goes quiet. His Adam’s apple bobs when he swallows. Steve’s hand loosens on his jersey. His ice-cold gaze never wavers.
“I don’t wanna know what you did to her. I don’t wanna know why you’re doing it, either — if you think she’s pretty, or if she’s easy-pickings for assholes like you — I don’t care.” He presses the boy further into the lockers, their noses inches apart. “But if I hear you’re messing with her, talking about her to your friends— if you so much as look in her direction again, I promise you won’t like what I do to you.”
Jason’s jaw clenches. He juts out his chin in a feeble attempt to make himself taller. “Yeah?”
Steve nods. “Yeah.”
“That’s real rich coming from someone who couldn’t even beat up Jonathan Byers.”
“I’ve learned a lot since then,” the older boy promises, weirdly composed. “Feel free to find out if you don’t believe me.”
The boy stays quiet.
Steve shoves him backward when he lets go of him. He gives him a final glare and one last warning before walking back toward the gym. “And plant your feet when you’re on the court, alright? It’d be a real shame if you broke an ankle.”
—————
The drive to his house is silent.
It usually is. Most of the time, you’re too zoned into the music or making shapes in the clouds to talk. But now it’s because you’re angry. Steve would be an idiot not to notice. He can feel it radiating off of you like steam.
He reaches for the console and turns the air-con up.
“Are you hot?” he asks in a feeble attempt to break the quiet.
With your arms crossed and your gaze out the window, you deadpan: “I’m mad.”
“I feel like that’s sorta the same thing,” Steve jokes with a weak, lopsided smile.
“I didn’t want you to do that,” you choke through a tight throat. “You’re just gonna make it worse.”
“Well, it wouldn’t have gotten so bad if you would’ve just told me.”
You turn to him with eyes glassy from unshed tears. A stoplight bathes the both of you in shades of neon scarlet. “I didn’t want to tell you because I knew you’d do something about it,” you spit.
“So you’d rather let some asshole run you off the road, huh? Is that it?”
He doesn’t mean to be so harsh. He’s just upset, and the adrenaline’s making him antsy.
Steve learned a long time ago not to be so forward with you. Even if he’s just joking around, even if he’s mad and saying shit he doesn’t mean — you’re not built for that. You’re made of something softer: marshmallow fluff and crocheted yarn and flower petals. It’s why you let Jason Carver pick on you for so long without saying a word about it.
“It’s not like that,” you argue quietly, blinking back tears as you turn away from him again.
Steve sighs. “I’m sorry, babe. I didn’t mean— I’m just upset, okay? I didn’t mean to yell.”
“I know…”
“I just wish you would tell me these things, you know?”
His hand is warm on the skin of your thigh as he smooths his palm over it. Your eyes flit to your leg and then to him. You nod. “I know. I just…” Your features crumple when you trail off.
Steve squeezes your thigh in reassurance. “You just what?”
“I didn’t want you to think I couldn’t handle myself,” you confess quietly. “Everyone thinks I’m so weak. I didn’t want you to think that, too.”
“I don’t think you’re weak,” Steve scoffs out a laugh, like he almost can’t believe you’d even think something like that.
Your brows furrow. “No?”
“No. Not even a little bit. But as your boyfriend— ‘cause I am your boyfriend, right?”
You meet his teasing gaze with a half-hearted scowl. You’ve only been dating for a year and a half. You nod to humor him.
“Exactly. So, as your boyfriend, it’s my job to help you through the hard shit, you know? Just because you can get through it on your own doesn’t mean you have to.”
Your chest swells. You try not to smile too wide, but it’s hard not to. You’ve never had someone who wanted to protect you before. It’s as strange as it is gratifying.
“Okay,” you concede with a nod.
“Okay?”
“Okay,” you repeat with a giggle.
Steve leans over the console, moving slowly like his lips are made of magnets that drift to yours. Through the overwhelming urge to kiss you, he jokes: “Is it— and I’m just checking here— is it okay?”
You shake your head and lean to meet him halfway. “You’re such a dork.”
Your lips barely brush before a loud honk echoes behind you. You jolt apart from him, not noticing that the light had turned green until then.
Steve sighs and mourns your unkissed lips. His engine roars softly as he presses on the gas.
He’d noticed. He saw the light change about twenty seconds ago — how the bright crimson changed into a softer shade of lime that bathed you in its neon hues. He just loved the way you looked in green.
#published by bug#steve harrington x reader#stranger things x reader#steve harrington x y/n#steve harrington x you#stranger things imagine#steve harrington fanfic#steve harrington fic#steve harrington imagine#steve harrington x shy!reader#stranger things fanfic#st drabbles#stevie drabble
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Antares
https://archiveofourown.org/works/45534721
The first thing Nightwing hears upon regaining consciousness is ominous chanting. A man’s voice rings out over the rest, ranting about an Eternal King, infinite power, and -- oh boy -- sacrifices. He tunes it out to assess the situation.
He’s in an old warehouse. Robin’s here too, looking even more annoyed than Nightwing feels, and both of them have their hands and ankles bound in rope. His comm is on silent, just as he left it, like an idiot. The ranting man and his followers in matching robes are gathered around a ritual circle in the middle of the floor. Yeah, that tells him all he needs to know. They need to get out, now.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly when the leader finishes his speech and turns to them.
“So,” the man asks with a cruel smile. “Which of you ‘heroes’ will have the honor of bringing our Lord to this plane?”
“I will.” Robin’s voice is sharp, unyielding.
The man is obviously surprised to receive an actual answer to his taunt, but obliges. He pulls Robin away without another word.
“What?! No! Robin, you can’t--” Nightwing’s protest is cut off with a punch to the stomach from one of the robed lackeys.
“I have my reasons, Nightwing; it must be me.” Robin’s face reveals nothing, but he gives a subtle hand signal: I have a plan.
Nightwing forces himself to calm down. They’ll get out of this. He just has to trust his Robin. While everyone’s eyes are off him, he quietly works at the amateur knots.
The leader drags Robin into the circle without a fight. He raises a jeweled dagger, intentions clear...
But Robin is faster. He bites his own wrist, hard, and spits his blood into the circle. The runes light up in terrible Lazarus green, and Robin pushes himself upright with a malicious grin.
The lead cultist scrambles back from the circle and into a deep bow. The chanting stops as his minions follow suit. Robin continues to look far too smug for his situation. Nightwing feels a headache coming on somewhere under his renewed panic.
This is his plan?!
There’s a blinding flash of light. When the spots clear from Nightwing’s vision, the Eternal King is floating in the circle, mere feet from the bound Robin.
The Eternal King isn’t quite the grotesque horror he expected. Their body is a glittering black void, a sleek humanoid shadow with misty white hair and bright, bright eyes of toxic green. A cold fog rolls off of their body in waves.
“Antares,” the shadow rumbles, and Nightwing feels static thrum in his bones with the sound. The room is painfully cold, but the King doesn’t seem aggressive yet. Maybe they really can bargain their way out of this mess.
Robin doesn’t flinch. He looks the Eternal King right in the eyes, utterly fearless, and smirks. “Hello, Beloved.”
What?
The King stares silently, floating closer. For a long moment, no one moves. No one speaks.
“My lord, does the sacrifice please you?” The ringleader cuts in, standing up with a greedy gleam in his eyes.
Something in the air changes as the King turns toward the man. Something cold, electric, heavy under the skin. Nightwing suppresses a shiver as he works through the last of the rope.
“You d̵̢̛a̵̼̽ṙ̴͎e̵͙̐.”
The leader pales and falls to his knees. “My Lord, if this offering is insufficient, we have another--”
The King s̴̱̖̺̺̓͊̕̕ć̵͇͇͔̈r̴̥͐e̸̥̬͌̂̌̊a̴̭̔̓̀̔͘m̵̯͑̋͌͠s̵̗̤̻̭̍̿, a furious howl that blurs Nightwing’s vision and claws his ears. The sound is everywhere, driving him to his knees. Growing shadows seem to absorb his little brother just as Nightwing realizes he’s blacking out.
They’re falling, they’re falling someone help they’re screaming he’s screaming make it stop dead on impact blood and bones make it stop make it STOP--
When he comes back to himself, it’s quiet. Nightwing blinks tears from his eyes, gasping for frigid air that pierces his lungs like knives. The floor outside the circle is covered in blood splatter. The cultists have all been struck down, and many aren’t moving.
But he’s not looking at them.
Because the monster is coiled around Robin like a snake, eyes burning as it surveys the room. Robin seems unharmed for now, but he has to get his baby brother away from that thing.
He steps forward, and those endless green eyes lock onto him. It snarls at his approach, revealing multiple rows of teeth. Claws subtly tighten on Robin’s shoulders. Nightwing sinks into a combat stance, and the creature braces itself to leap.
Pure, animal instinct screams that Nightwing won’t survive this fight.. It doesn’t matter. He’ll give his all like he always has, and Robin can escape. The others will find a way to take it down. He just has to buy time.
“Dove, it’s alright.”
To Nightwing’s amazement, the creature freezes. It turns to look at Robin, warbling in apparent confusion before turning back to Nightwing with a hiss.
Robin grabs its face in both hands and forces it to look at him. “No. That’s Nightwing, remember? He will not harm us. I am safe. We are safe.” His voice is steady, soothing as he gently presses their foreheads together. A spark of awareness slowly returns to ‘Dove’s’ eyes.
“Come back to me.”
The monster sags in Robin’s grip, slowly folding in on itself until a nearly-human teen with snowy white hair is left floating gently in its place.
Robin smiles, gentle and shockingly warm. “There you are.”
‘Dove’ is shaking. Their eyes are locked on Robin, as though he’s the only thing in their universe. “Antares,” they breathe, before wrapping Robin in a tight hug.
Robin briefly looks to Dick, gesturing toward the cultists. He then returns his attention to the distraught being, resting his chin on their head and both hands on their back. The obvious dismissal makes Nightwing uneasy, but the kid has a point. They'll just have to check him for hypnosis or mind control back at the Cave.
Now that Nightwing is actually looking at the cultists, their injuries are horrific. Deep lacerations, stab wounds, frostbite, severed limbs...none of them seem likely to die with medical treatment, but every last one is maimed.
The ringleader is worst of all. His eyes are gouged out, and his hands ripped off and cauterized by the same unearthly frost that burns scattered marks into his skin. An unfamiliar symbol has been clawed into his chest.
Nightwing looks back to the circle, where Dove is quietly sobbing. Their face is tucked securely into Robin’s neck, and Nightwing hears whispers of I was scared and can’t lose you too.
This is the same person?
By the time the cultists are all secured and the police have been called, Dove seems to have calmed down. Time to play the diplomat. Again.
Damn, maybe Steph has a point about Eldest Daughter Syndrome.
“I, uh, hate to interrupt, but we should probably get out of here, yeah? GCPD will be here in a couple minutes,” he proposes with a friendly smile.
Dove wipes their eyes. “Right.” Then they look around the room and wince. “Uhm, sorry you? Had to see that? I...panicked. You’re okay though, right? Not hurt or anything?” The question is disarmingly earnest, and there’s nothing but concern in their eyes. Hm.
“Nah, not a scratch,” Nightwing dismisses. Then he remembers he’s apparently talking to a king. “Thank you for saving Robin, Your Highness,” he adds with a bow of his head.
“Nuh-uh, no titles. Gross.” The King makes a face, then smiles with renewed cheer. “Call me Phantom. He/him, ghost, and general pain in the ass, at your service!” He floats higher and punctuates his announcement with a midair flip. “You might as well know, since we’re gonna be seeing each other a lot now.”
Crap. “I’m afraid I don’t follow,” Nightwing ventures.
‘Phantom’ exchanges a meaningful look with Robin. Nightwing barely has time to register the mischief on both their faces before Robin pulls the being down into a kiss.
A deep kiss now. Really deep. Yeah, they’ve definitely forgotten he’s here.
When they finally separate, Robin looks quite satisfied. Phantom, however, sticks out a forked tongue and scrunches his face. “Blech, blood. What did you...” His eyes land on Robin’s still-bloody wrist, then the droplets still in the circle.
“You didn’t.” A grin creeps across his face. “You have me on soul speed dial and you still hijacked a whole-ass summoning!”
“Tt. I was making a point.” Robin crosses his arms.
Phantom cackles. “You are literally the most dramatic person I’ve ever met!” he crows.
Robin raises an eyebrow and gestures to the warehouse full of mangled cultists. Phantom opens his mouth to retort, but it’s at this point that Nightwing finally manages to pull his jaw off the floor and speak.
“Robin,” he says with deliberate calm. “What the fuck.”
And then they hear police sirens. Fantastic.
“Crap. Don’t worry, I got it!” Phantom declares as he rips a green hole in existence. Robin is unfazed, which is rapidly getting less and less surprising.
A woman in the corner stirs. Phantom makes a ‘one moment’ gesture before he stalks over and yanks her forward with a growl. “You’ve kept your tongue for a reason. Spread the word: Robin is mine.” (Robin stands taller, obviously pleased by that extremely concerning statement.) The woman nods frantically, and Phantom drops her to the ground.
Without further preamble, Phantom zips back over and shoves both vigilantes through the rip.
Just like that, they’re all in Damian’s bedroom. The two boys immediately sit together on the edge of the bed, while Dick remains standing. Dick doesn’t even know where to begin, so he can only give a helpless ‘why’ sort of gesture. Thankfully, Damian seems to take pity on him.
“Richard, this insufferable fool is my Beloved. His name is Danny, and he is seventeen.” Then he smirks. “You may refer to him as High King Phantom of the Infinite Realms; The Tyrant’s Bane, True Balance, Son Of Stars, Pride of Time, Death’s Chosen--”
The ghost groans dramatically, flopping across Damian’s lap like a wet noodle. “Oh my gawd, Dames, why would you tell him that?”
"It is very important that Richard recognizes your position and authority.” Damian says, not even trying to sound convincing.
Danny reaches up and pushes at Damian’s face. It brings to mind a pair of cats, especially with Damian doing his best to look annoyed instead of fond. “Betrayal! I want a divorce!”
That’s the last straw. Dick chokes on his own spit and has to thump his chest a few times to breathe right again. With monumental effort, he manages to wheeze out a strangled “Are you MaRriEd?!”
Danny tries to sputter out a reply, but Dick is distracted by Damian laughing. It’s a low, light sound, with no attempt made to disguise it.
“Of course not,” Damian says. He cards a hand through Danny’s hair, the other boy sighing contently and looking up at him with adoring neon eyes. “We've only courted for seven months now. It will be another three years before we wed.”
Dick is just. Gonna ignore that last bit. For his own sanity. “Wait, how did you keep a whole boyfriend secret for seven months? In this family?”
“Bribery.” “Threats.”
Yeah, that sounds about right. Babs and Duke probably know then.
“Cool, good to know. One more question.” Well, more like a billion, but he may as well start with an icebreaker before the inevitable interrogation. Besides, it’s a big brother's duty to embarrass his siblings. “Why Dove?”
Damian says nothing, but his deep blush is almost audible.
“Because I’m cute and fluffy!” Danny chirps.
“Hardly,” Damian scoffs. “It’s because you are raucously annoying and constantly crash into windows.”
Literally everything about this situation is baffling, but Danny looks so offended that Dick can’t help but laugh.
“You lying asshole!” Danny screeches.
Damian turns to Dick. “He attempted to use a grapple three times and broke eleven windows; four of them with his face. I have videos.” Danny gasps, the two start bickering, and Dick is left to his thoughts once more.
Even as the pair separate to point fingers and trade increasingly creative insults, their body language is completely relaxed. As much as Dick is panicking about a powerful undead monarch around their family, Damian is happy. He has been for months, now that Dick thinks about it. He’s been loosening up a little, leaving the manor more, and even mentioning a few new friends (though he refuses to use the word.)
Whoever or whatever Danny is, he’s been good for him.
“Well,” Dick cuts in, interrupting an inventive declaration about overripe cheese. “We’ll obviously need to talk about this. But for what it’s worth,” he smiles. “I’m happy for you, Baby Bat.”
With that said, Dick walks out of the bedroom. Danny gives him a grateful smile, and a quiet thank you, Richard can be heard as he closes the door behind him.
Dick walks away at a leisurely pace until he reaches the end of the hallway, where he promptly breaks into a sprint toward the Cave. Checking the Batcomputer to make sure Damian hasn’t noticed the planted bug yet, he turns on his comms. Unsurprisingly, the entire family is yelling and demanding answers.
Well, at least he won’t be the only one having a heart attack tonight.
#dp x dc#dead serious#they're 16 and 17#danny says he wants a divorce at every mild inconvenience#danny has dozens of titles and damian has memorized every last one entirely to annoy him#they alternate between adorable cats and those heckling muppets#spice writes#dc x dp#danny x damian
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call me when you get this
Eddie Munson x Steve Harrington
Summary: Eddie and Steve are best friends, but even the best of friends have secrets.
WC: 3K
Warnings: Story told through voicemails, mild angst, coming out to each other, secret feelings, friends to lovers, kissing, swearing, light angst very brief, references to Robin and Gareth, drunk shenangians, idiots in love, set in 1991 but it doesn't matter too much, no mention of the Upside Down stuff
A/N: I have like three other WIP's happening and zero time but this idea was given to me by the beloved @tinytalkingtina in the discord and then I couldn't get it out of my head. Ao3 link here for those interested!
Tuesday, September 24th, 1991, 12:52am
GARETH hi yes I know it’s late but HAVE YOU LISTENED TO THE ALBUM YET? I need all of your thoughts immediately. Like, all of them. Every thought. Dude, my head is spinning. Ohhh, man. Kurt is a fuckin’ legend. Woooow. Okay, I could talk about this shit for like three hours but I don’t want to run out your tape so just call me back when you get this and then talk to me about it for three hours. Can I come over a little early tomorrow? Yeah, I’m gonna come over a little early tomorrow. Maybe a lot early. Alright, catch ya then.
Tuesday, September 24th, 1991, 3:40pm
Uhh, ha. Hey Steve. Thiiiis is Eddie, obviously. I, uh, I just realized I called you in the middle of the night last night on accident, and - uhh, sorry about that. It was just - ah, screw it. You know what I am. Byeeeeee-
Tuesday, September 24th, 1991, 7:30pm
“Hey, it’s Eddie. I proooobably won’t listen to whatever you’re about to say, but shoot your shot anyway.”
Eds, how many times do I have to tell you to change your answering machine message? What if, like, the president calls? Okay, maybe not the president. But an employer or something. Or, like, what if you give the girl of your dreams your number and she calls you and hears THAT? Food for thought. Uhh, anyway, it’s fine. I wasn’t even home when you called me. Robin was, though, and so you’ll probably hear her wrath next time you come over for movie night. Good luck with that. Oh, wait. You’re at a show tonight, right? Damn. I swear I’ll make the next one. Okay, bye, dickhead.
Wednesday, September 25th, 1991, 1:12pm
“You have reached Steve Harrington. Figured I should say that in case whoever is calling me thinks they’re calling someone else. Anyway, I’m busy right now so I’ll call you back. Bye!”
Ha, ha. You are so funny, Harrington. You ever think about being a stand-up comedian? Jesus, and you say I’M the dramatic one. Uhh, the show last night went well, by the way. Not that you were THERE. Seriously, what kind of friend even are you? I’m hurt, Steve. I’m hurt. Anyway, see you tomorrow for movie night. I get to pick. It’s only fair, right?
Thursday, September 27th, 1991, 4pm
“Hey, it’s Eddie. I proooobably won’t listen to whatever you’re about to say, but shoot your shot anyway.”
You’re not picking the goddamn movie. No way. Last time you did that we got scarred for life. Also, um. I can’t tell if you’re joking or not about me and your shows. I didn’t realize you - uhh, you’re probably joking. Forget I said anything, and see you tonight. I’m at work right now, so I’m gonna rent some backup options just in case.
Sunday, September 30th, 1991, 2pm
“Hey, it’s Eddie. I proooobably won’t listen to whatever you’re about to say, but shoot your shot anyway.”
Dustin says you were being a total dick last night. Good. That shrimp deserves to be humbled every once in a while. Your answering machine message still sucks, by the way, and yeah I’m gonna tell you every time.
Monday, October 1st, 1991, 3:21pm
“Hey, this is Steve.”
“And Robin!”
“And you’ve somehow managed to call us when neither of us are here.”
“We are probably together.”
“Yeah, probably.”
“Or we just don’t want to talk to you.”
“Oh, that too.”
“Either way, leave a message and we’ll get back to you later!”
“Probably.”
“Probably!”
Steve. My guy. I can’t believe you make fun of me for my bullshit message all the time and now you’ve created and advertised THAT abomination?? I’m - wow. I forgot why I even called.
Monday, October 1st, 1991, 3:23pm
“Hey, this is Steve.”
“And Robin!”
“And you’ve somehow managed to call us when neither of us are here.”
“We are probably together.”
“Yeah, probably.”
“Or we just don’t want to talk to you.”
“Oh, that too.”
“Either way, leave a message and we’ll get back to you later!”
“Probably.”
“Probably!”
Okay, I remember now. I know you said you have that date tomorrow with Heidi or Melissa or Samantha or whoever is currently obsessed with you, but I really do want you at the show if you can make it. You can bring her, if you want. Actually, it might be a good test. If she hates metal, she fails. I only want the best suitors for you, Steve Harrington. Be there or I’ll be REALLY annoying about it forever.
Tuesday, October 2nd, 1991, 11:45pm
“Hey, it’s Eddie. I proooobably won’t listen to whatever you’re about to say, but shoot your shot anyway.”
Hey, it’s Steve. So, uh - I saw your show tonight. You’re probably not home yet, but I don’t know where you are. Cuz like, I tried to find you after your set but you disappeared. I hope everything’s okay. You sounded great, by the way. I mean, you all did. Remember me when you’re playing at the Garden? Oh also, I heard like three women talk about how badly they wanted you, so…I dunno, just figured you’d like to hear that. Hey, maybe you got with one of them and that’s why you’re not answering. In that case, hope you’re having fun? Okay, now it’s weird. Bye, Eds.
Wednesday, October 3rd, 12:54am
“Hey, this is Steve.”
“And Robin!”
“And you’ve somehow managed to call us when neither of us are here.”
“We are probably together.”
“Yeah, probably.”
“Or we just don’t want to talk to you.”
“Oh, that too.”
“Either way, leave a message and we’ll get back to you later!”
“Probably.”
“Probably!”
Steeeeeeeeeeeve. You absolute buffoon. You beautiful, oblivious man. Why’dya think I wanted you there’so badly t’night, Steve? T’wasn’t for the girls. Ha, girls. Yeah, okay. I may have had several alcoholic beverages, Steve-o, but you’re still the dumbass. Cuz you’d have to be an absolute idiot t’think I have any interest in those women. ‘Specially yours. Your women, I mean. Sandyyyyy. Ugh, she was perfect for you, Harrington. Juuuust perfect. So perfect I didn’t wanna stick around to see any more of it. I hope you two have beautiful children. Name one after me, will you? Uhhhh I think I might puke. So, I’m gonna go, but - but do you get what I’m saying? Do you - do you get it? Tell me you get it. Steve, I - Oh, hey Gareth. Do you wanna talk to Steve? Wait why are you - Dude, I’m FINE. I’m handling it! Stop! Gareth, don’t hang up the phone, I haven’t -!
Wednesday, October 3nd, 1991, 9:05am
“Hey, it’s Eddie. I proooobably won’t listen to whatever you’re about to say, but shoot your shot anyway.”
Dude, did you fucking break into our apartment last night? Robin and I came home this morning and found a broken lock and some shitty note we could barely read next to the answering machine, and - what the fuck, man? You wiped the damn thing clean. Just - call me back, okay? Jesus.
Wednesday, October 3nd, 1991, 11:36am
“Hey, it’s Eddie. I proooobably won’t listen to whatever you’re about to say, but shoot your shot anyway.”
Eddie, come on. We really need to talk. I’m not - I’m not mad, honest to God. Call me back, as soon as you get this. Got it?
Thursday, October 4th, 1991, 3:47pm
“Hey, it’s Eddie. I proooobably won’t listen to whatever you’re about to say, but shoot your shot anyway.”
It’s movie night, but I’m assuming you won’t be here considering you’ve pulled your magic disappearing act. Thanks for that, by the way. You know you really piss me off sometimes? All the time, actually. I’m getting real tired of you constantly poking fun at me, and then you pull this breaking and entering shit and just take off? Just like that? We’ve been friends for years, Eds. You and me. But you never want to just be serious, not once in your goddamn life, and I’m over it. So, uh, thanks for that, I guess. I dunno what I did.
Sunday, October 7th, 1991, 1:12pm
Hi! You have reached Steve Harrington and Robin Buckley’s home. Leave a message at the beep!
Huh. You know what? I kind of miss the old message you had. Yeah, yeah, I know, I’m impossible to please, yada yada yada, and now I’m doing the avoiding with humor thing again. Shit. Uhh, hi. Listen, I’m sorry I disappeared off the face of the earth for a while. Really, really fucking sorry, if you can believe it. I was just, like, mad embarrassed, and I didn’t wanna - uh, can we meet up soon? Alone? Like, without Robin even? I know that’s - like, unheard of these days, but I figure maybe you’d make an exception for me. Or maybe you won’t. Just let me know, yeah?
Sunday, October 7th, 1991, 1:30pm
Hi! You have reached Steve Harrington and Robin Buckley’s home. Leave a message at the beep!
See, I would just hop on over to your place to talk but the thing is, I’m a total chickenshit and it’s not like I did super well the last time I showed up to your place unannounced, so…Uhh, while we’re on the subject, I’m sorry about your lock. If you haven’t replaced it yet, I will. I’ll at least pay you back. In my defense, that thing was like two seconds from falling off anyway. But still. Anyway, I know you always spend Sundays at home, soooo…hellooooo? Come on. At least pick up the phone and tell me to fuck off. I know you’re listening. At least - I hope you are, anyway. Just pick up, man. I - I really gotta talk to you.
Sunday, October 7th, 1991, 1:37pm
Hi! You have reached Steve Harrington and Robin Buckley’s home. Leave a message at the beep!
So, quick update, I called Henderson. He confirmed you are at home, which means you are DEFINITELY listening, and either you’re trying to punish me or a part of you still finds my piece of shit ass charming somehow. Look, I know I fucked up, but - but I can explain. Shit. I mean, I’m not good with words or anything and I’m a total asshole but I - just, please. Pick up. Pick uuuuup. Come on. Now you’re just being a dick. Ha. Figures, I’m apologizing and calling you a dick in the same message. Dude. Seriously. Your tape is gonna run out of space and then what? You stop hearing from me? I’ll find other ways to annoy you, promise. This is a threat. Steve. Steeeeve. Pick up pick up pick up pick upppp -
“Will you just shut the hell up already?”
Eddie dropped the phone and heard it clack against the floor. He would have recognized that voice anywhere.
He turned around and there he was.
“Steve, what are you -?”
“You would just be yapping on that damn answering machine my whole drive here,” Steve said with his hands on his hips. “I don’t know why I expected any less. And, thanks to you, we had all the space in the world for you to take up, so -”
“H-how did you get in here?” Eddie stuttered.
Steve rolled his eyes. “What? You think you’re the only one who’s not afraid of breaking and entering?”
They hadn’t seen each other in five days. Hadn’t even talked, aside from a few voicemails. And those never told the whole story.
“I’m sorry,” Eddie began.
“Yeah, you should be,” Steve replied, taking a step closer to Eddie in the kitchen.
Eddie winced, his heart racing a million miles a minute. He just had to get all of the words out, while he still could. While Steve was listening.
“I left you this really stupid voicemail,” Eddie explained. “That night, after the show. I was drunk off my ass, and - and Gareth told me I’d said shit I shouldn’t have said, and then I panicked, and the two of us went to your apartment and I - well, you know the rest.” He slumped down into the chair at the dining room table, putting his head in his hands. “Which is all just so dumb. And I didn’t wanna deal with the aftermath, so…”
“So you stopped talking to me?” Steve said, taking another step closer. “Because you thought that would be the straw that broke the camel’s back in our friendship?”
Eddie shook his head. “I dunno, I -”
“You’ve done some real weird shit over the years, Munson,” Steve continued. “Sneaking into my apartment doesn’t even make the top three.”
Eddie buried his face in his hair. No amount of boyish charm would get him out of this one. Jesus H. Christ.
He sighed. “Okay, so I overreacted, what else is new?”
“I heard the voicemail, dickhead.”
Eddie’s heart went from breakneck speeds to stopping entirely.
“What?”
Steve sat down in the other seat at the table. “I heard the voicemail. It was 1am, again, so yeah I was at home.”
“I thought you would have been with Sandy,” Eddie muttered.
Steve shook his head. “Nah, Sandy was - she’s great and all, but she isn’t - she’s not -”
“So you heard the voicemail, but you weren’t home when I showed up,” Eddie noted.
“Right,” Steve said. “Because I was headed to your place.”
“What?”
Steve rolled his eyes. “I just - I didn’t understand why you never told me you were queer. Like, you know I don’t care about that. You know about Robin…”
As Steve talked, Eddie realized that Steve only heard half of what that voicemail was trying to express. So, it was time for Eddie Munson to face the music.
“I didn’t tell you I’m gay because I knew that once I did, you’d figure out the rest of it,” Eddie blurted out.
Steve furrowed his eyebrows. “The rest of it?”
Eddie groaned. “Oh, God. See, drunk me had the right idea saying this kind of shit over an answering machine. Christ, I’m so bad at this, but I’m just gonna say it, because if I don’t I think I’ll lose my shot with you and I - I can’t deal with that. So, here we go.” He squeezed his eyes shut and powered through. “Steve, I - ha, shit. I love you, dude. I’m - I’m IN love with you. I have been since, like, forever.” He opened his eyes, but kept them fixed on their feet against the linoleum kitchen floor. “Which is, uhh, a lot, I know. But it’s the truth. So if there’s any chance -”
“Oh, my God,” Steve interrupted. His voice wasn’t angry, or scared, or anything like that. It was soft and understanding.
“Yeah,” Eddie agreed. “Wait, what are you thinking?” He looked up to see Steve staring off into the distance before meeting his gaze.
“I’m thinking,” Steve replied. “That I owe Robin twenty bucks.”
Eddie cocked his head to the side and felt his heart skip back into rhythm. “You do?”
Steve nodded with a slight smile. At some point, his hand had ended up on Eddie’s knee. “Yeah, I didn’t believe her. Told her no way, not possible.”
Eddie didn’t know how to feel about this reaction. It wasn’t the worst possible response, but it certainly wasn’t Oh, Eddie! How I’ve longed for you all this time! Take me now!
A middleground, if you will.
“Oookay,” Eddie said. “Well, I don’t really know what to say now.”
“I’m queer too, ya know,” Steve continued.
"Wait, really?" Eddie balked. "Steve Harrington, ladies man?"
Steve chuckled. "Uh, yeah. Turns out, not so much," he said. "I feel like I’m pretty open about it. Guys, girls, whatever -”
“Yeah, but we all do that,” Eddie reasoned. “Me, you, and Robin all talking about how hot everyone is on our movie nights. It doesn’t prove anything.”
“Except that it totally does,” Steve countered. “Because, like, what do we all have in common?"
Eddie thought about it, and he didn’t have any other defenses.
“O-okay, so you’re queer too,” Eddie said. “And the other thing I said?”
Steve took a deep breath and looked Eddie directly in his frightened eyes.
“Eds, obviously I love you too,” Steve admitted at last. “Come on, seriously? After all I’ve put up with? I’ve been waiting around for like five days for you to call, like some lovesick puppy, and the moment I heard your voice I drove here instead of picking up the phone like a normal person. I’ve got it so bad for you that Robin is sick of it, and honestly, I’m sick of it too, because I hate having feelings. It blows, dude. I swear to God, if you try to bolt again when things get tough -”
Eddie lunged forward and cut Steve’s words off with a kiss. Their first kiss, even if it didn’t feel that way. Eddie had cupped Steve’s cheek in the past while he teased him. Steve had curled his fingers in Eddie’s hair in the past the night Robin taught him how to braid. Eddie and Steve had all kinds of physical contact in various ways over the years, and it was as if all of that was just practice for this.
Eddie broke away from Steve’s lips purely out of necessity, because he needed to catch his breath. “Okay, woah,” he said.
“Yeah,” Steve agreed. “Woah.”
Everything changed after that. But also, nothing changed at all.
-
Tuesday, October 16th, 1991, 4:12pm
“Hey, this is Eddie Munson’s phone. Leave a message and I’ll call ya back.”
Hi, Eds. Okay, I was wrong. This new message you have is, like, super boring. Anyway, I’ll see you at the show tonight, Rockstar. Love you.
xx
I did have a taglist way back when but the tagging system is super annoying on tumblr, so please reblog this if you liked it and follow me or my Ao3 for other works! Masterlist is the pinned post on my page for those interested. Thanks for reading!
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Do you have any zosan fic recs?
Of course I do! Here are some
Zosan Fic Recs
all the hidden love, beneath by Giosele - Rated M
His eyes flicker towards the more discernible scars, the deep ones with smooth taut skin. The ones his hands have traced hundreds of times.
Then Sanji spots the fresh, poorly stitched wound dancing across Zoro’s flank. The shoddy quality screams Mosshead.
“Moron.” Sanji crumples his cigarette and flattens it underfoot in one smooth motion. “Idiot. You stupid, reckless swordsman. Stay here, I’ll get Chopper.”
--
The crew is a wreck after Enies' Lobby. Despite being a wreck himself, Sanji tries to take care of them all.
you got time, you're on the mend, babe by steeringwheeleater - Rated T
“He doesn't trust me, and he obviously doesn’t want the captain to know.”
“He doesn’t want me to know, either.”
“He knows that you know, Cook.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Sanji’s shoulders creep up again. “… Sorry.”
Robin adjusts her stance from one leg to the other; her nearest analog to rolling her eyes. “You’ve been too gentle with him to be subtle, Cook. It’s like I said: you’ve been defending him to the others.”
Kept Down, Helped Up by Gay_as_fuck - Rated T
Zoro's near death in Wano strains the crew, the latest in a long line of risk taking. A very stressed Nami solves this problem by throwing Sanji at it.
In Tandem by lemon_drop48 - Rated M
"I wanted to make you laugh." The honest admission felt dumb the second it came out of his mouth. It's too breathy, he's still out of breath from a distinct lack of oxygen recently. And there's no way the cook understands -
Sanji throws back his head in laughter.
For a moment there isn't even fear that he's laughing at him. Sanji's laugh is beautiful, and seeing that huge smile spread across his cheeks in genuine mirth felt like it was priceless.
revelations by cloversome - Rated T
It's been three days since Zoro blacked out. When he finally awakens, he finds his spirit is detached from his still unconscious body.
Demon's Deception by Maik_Morrow - Rated T
Summary
Having read an article about the ‘Demon of the East’ years prior to joining the Strawhat crew, Sanji was confused. He didn't understand how the man he heard would be a ruthless monster could be so different.
All he saw was a caring, kind and gentle man.
Until he understood the reason some time later.
It’s In His Kiss by Hazel_Athena - Rated G
They reach the island of Bise early in the new year.
unintended consequence by itsmylifekay - Rated T
Imagine person A making person B a friendship bracelet, expecting person B to never wear it, but when it’s given to them person B puts it on and is rarely seen with it off.
A group of marines charge, Zoro slices through them, and in that instant Sanji feels his own eyes grow wide. Because there, on the arm now outstretched towards him, steel glinting in hand, is the stupid bracelet he’d given Zoro. The bastard is actually wearing it.
Language of love by averybidisaster - Rated E
It irked Zoro that upon meeting him, a whirlwind of limbs, blue eyes and a cigarette dangling from his cocky smile, something in his gut flip-flopped, instead of the usual, clear feeling he usually got when he met men, like a natural yes/no answer. Obviously, the lovesick fool greatly admired women, ceaselessly shouting his love for them at any opportunity. But he had met many a man like that who still sought to warm his bed- and Sanji was... well, Sanji . His simple existence riles Zoro up like no other. And why does it matter to him what the shitty cook’s preferences are anyways?
OR
Zoro secretely learns French to understand Sanji. Because that’s obviously the easiest way to learn if the cook likes men.
Did You Know Marimo Came In Pink? by wiillowwriites - Rated T
After some some accidental tickling turns into something very intentional, Sanji’s the first of the two to notice that Zoro seems to be enjoying himself. Zoro isn’t quite sure what to do with the realization, but Sanji has an idea.
waiting by tinyjet7 - Rated G
zoro watches sanji hand out treats to everyone but him.
Ink by BleuReivers - Rated T
He’d gotten the first one for no reason other than he’d simply wanted it. Had ever since he’d first laid eyes on one of the cook’s ink during his Baratie days. It had taken him a while to actually get it and for a while he’d been convinced he never would. But, as the years went on and he crossed paths with more and more people who bore elaborate and, honestly, beautiful tattoos, the desire grew until he couldn’t ignore it anymore.
ham and rice by hailure - Rated G
"I'll get that bastard gets all the food he wants and then more. You don't need to forfeit your protein serving for that."
"Oh, now I get it." Zoro's face turned mischievious, his nose bridge tinted with red now that the alcohol was briefly kicking in. "You're worried about me."
After their victory in Wano, Sanji is not amused that Zoro just can't seem to eat properly.
Here’s To Us by TextlessNovel - Rated T
In which sharing a drink can tear down walls in a way that Sanji and Zoro never expected.
#veryace asks#one piece fanfiction#one piece#zosan#one piece zosan#roronoa zoro#black leg sanji#strawhat pirates#straw hat crew#ao3 fic recs#fanfic recs#ao3
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The Magic of Christmas 8/8
And here we are at the end. Now there will be a cute little New Year's Eve story that I'll put up on the 31st that is a sequel to this. I wanted to write the exhibit but the story was already bursting at the seams so it'll be a New Year's present for you all.
Also don't be an Argyle, it might seem cute at the time, but it's really not.
***
To say Eddie was nervous would be an understatement. Not only did he want Dustin and his friends to be happy about what Steve gave them, but he hoped that Steve would love what Eddie got him.
He got there early before Dustin and his friends arrived. They had all gone out ice skating before the party so Eddie could sneak in the wrapped canvasses.
He rang the doorbell, bouncing on his toes in excitement. Chrissy had to smack him twice before he looked calm enough.
Then all that went out the window when Steve answered the door. He wasn’t dressed in a suit or anything like that, but fuck Eddie thought he looked beautiful.
He was wearing a Star Wars Christmas sweater with the tightest of blue jeans. He had silly antlers on his head and his cheeks were rosy.
It took everything in Eddie’s will power not to just kiss him right then and there.
“You made it!” Steve greeted warmly. “Do you need help bringing in the gifts?”
Eddie nodded and they went out to get them, while Chrissy went to make herself comfortable with the hostess, Robin.
Steve grabbed the large piece and two of the smaller ones. Eddie grabbed the remaining two smaller pieces.
“You know,” Eddie said. “I don’t think I ever asked you who the purple dragon was going to be for. I assumed you, but that doesn’t seem right now that I think about it.”
Steve smiled. “You’ll get to meet her tonight,” he said with a fond smile. “She doesn’t really play D&D, but she’s inspired many a campaign and NPC. We call her El because that’s all she could remember of what her name was when the kids found her lost and alone in a forest. They’ve tried for years to find her real family but when she turned eighteen she asked them to stop. They were her real family.”
“Poor kid,” Eddie said. “I’m glad she found you guys.”
“She sweet,” he agreed. “And she will love your hair.”
Eddie ran his fingers through his long curls. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Steve said, “she’s been trying to grow hers out for years but something keeps cropping up and she has to cut again.”
“Oof!” Eddie said. “That’s horrible. Has she thought about getting extensions.”
Steve frowned. “What are extensions? I mean obviously the extend the hair, but how does that work?”
Eddie launched into the explanation about them and Steve was just so enthralled that he didn’t realize that Eddie and he had lingered under the mistletoe.
“Kiss!” Chrissy cried, pointing about their head.
Eddie and Steve looked up and then at each other. Steve held out the packages and Robin and Chrissy rushed forward to take them from both boys.
Eddie watched as Steve slowly cupped his cheek and leaned in. His breath caught in his chest as Steve’s eyelashes fluttered close. Eddie leaned the rest of the way in and pressed their lips together.
Fuck.
It was like everything that made Christmas special in a single fucking kiss. There was no going back after that.
“Wow,” Steve breathed. “That was even better than I imagined it would be.”
“You imagined it a lot?” Eddie asked, his heart beating a drum against his rib cage.
“Since August,” Steve admitted shyly.
Eddie chuckled and rubbed their noses together softly. “Since you hired me.”
Steve looked up at him in shock. “Holy shit.”
“Yeah, Stevie. Holy shit.”
Steve kissed him fiercely.
Eddie broke it off. “Shit! I left your present in the van!” He dashed off.
Steve laughed out loud, clear and bright. He turned to his audience. “I am in love with that idiot.”
The women all laughed too.
Claudia came up and gave him a huge hug. “You found yourself a good one, Steve. He’ll be good for you.”
Steve blushed deeply. “I know.”
Eddie came back in with rosy cheeks and breathless. In his hand was another neatly wrapped gift. He handed to Steve. “There you go, pretty boy. Just for you.”
“I have a present for you, too,” Steve said with a smile. “But we’ll have to wait until everyone gets here.”
Just then there was clatter behind them as said kids came bursting through the open front door.
Eddie turned to see four girls with the boys he had been acquainted with. The one was clearly Lucas’s sister. She had the same broad features and knowing eyes. One was a red head with a piercing gaze and a knowing smirk. Eddie could tell he was going to like her. A lot. The third girl was pretty sort of plump, her blonde hair in beautiful ringlets. The final girl was El. There was no doubt in his mind, this was the lost girl.
She had dark curly hair that brushed her shoulders and thousand yard stare. She looked like Wayne said he did sometimes. Lost and unsure of what to do.
Introductions were made and Eddie was right in all counts. He loved Max, the red head. El was the pretty girl with the dark curls, Erica was Lucas’s sister, and the last girl was Dustin’s long time girlfriend, Suzie.
Steve did a head count. “Where Jonathan and Nancy?” he asked Will.
“Getting Argyle from the airport,” Will said. “His flight had to make a stop in Salt Lake City because of a fuel issue, so he was late getting in.”
Suzie snorted. “No it didn’t.”
Everyone turned to her.
“He just didn’t want to tell anyone that he was picking up my sister, Eden so she could join us for Christmas.”
Steve blanched at the thought of another person for Christmas.
She touched his elbow. “I told Claudia a couple weeks ago, she made sure there was enough food and space.”
He relaxed. Claudia and Steve had made a deal, he would cook for Thanksgiving, if she did Christmas. So if she knew than everything was fine.
“Come gather around!” Steve yelled over the din. “Dinner is a light thoroughfare with lots of snacks and goodies. We’ll have a big breakfast tomorrow. Help yourselves, we’ll do presents when the remaining four get here!”
A cheer went up and everyone filed out.
Soon it was just Eddie and Steve in the hallway.
“Is my Christmas present you?” Eddie asked, getting his fingers underneath the sweater.
Steve jerked back.
“Ooh!” Eddie said with a grin. “Someone is ticklish.”
“No!” Steve squealed. “Absolutely not!” He tried to squirm out of Eddie’s grasp but Eddie was too fast for him.
They were laughing and giggling when the last of the guests arrived.
Eddie wasn’t sure what he was expecting when Suzie said her sister was coming. But it wasn’t the skinny Goth chick with the black hair and teardrop tattoo by her eye.
He had ruled out the other girl on the sheer fact she looked too much like Mike to be anything other Nancy.
Steve welcome them in but gave Argyle the stink eye which prompted Eden reading him the riot act for not telling people she was coming.
Argyle kept arguing that she was supposed to be a surprise for Suzie, but since Suzie already knew the argument fell apart.
There was hot chocolate and cider, eggnog of both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties.
Food spread as far as the eye could see on the table but no one sat down to eat there, mostly they wandered in and out of the living room.
Finally it was time for presents and Steve was bouncing in the corner. Eddie slipped his hand into his.
“They’ll love it, sweetheart,” he murmured.
Steve let out a slow breath and nodded. He had gotten Max a Tony Hawk signed skateboard and Erica, the whole 5th edition D&D set so she could start her own campaigns when she started college next fall. She had taken a gap year, because her last year of high school had been so hard on her.
They hugged Steve tightly as thanks. And then it was time for the remaining five to open theirs.
“El, honey,” Steve said, “you open yours first. Then Dustin, Will, Lucas, and Mike. Don’t glare at me, Mike. You’re not last because you’re my least favorite. You’ll see.”
El opened hers. It was of the purple dragon. It’s human-like form pulsing near the heart.
“Steve,” she whispered. “It’s beautiful.”
Dustin unwrapped his wizard to stunned disbelief. “Steve...” he said, his voice wobbling with gratitude.
Will opened his punk rock rogue. “Oh wow.” He ran his fingers reverently over the surface. “Steve, it’s amazing.”
Mike noticed the pattern and looked up at Steve in shock. “No way.”
Lucas opened the ranger leaping into the air with his bow drawn. “Oh holy shit.”
Mike’s hands trembled as he stared down at the wrapped canvass. He looked up at Steve. “There’s no way it’s as awesome as everyone else’s.”
Steve came over and knelt in front of him. He took Mike’s head in his hands. “Of course it is. You are just as important to me as the rest, Mike. Okay?”
Mike’s lip quivered as he nodded. He pulled the wrapping off to reveal his paladin in shining gold armor. A beacon on harsh landscape. Tears dripped down his face as he pressed his hand over his mouth. He set the painting carefully to the side and launched himself at Steve, enveloping him with a huge hug.
“It’s perfect,” he whispered.
Steve hugged him back.
Suddenly there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. Finally they broke apart, both men wiping their eyes.
Dustin looked at the signature on his. “Is this an Eddie Munson original?!”
Like the universe did a record scratch, suddenly five heads all turn to Steve and Eddie.
Eddie waved his hand at them and Steve nearly burst on how cute it was.
“It’s even better than that,” Steve said with a grin. “El, stand in the middle. Lucas, Mike on the right, with Mike on the outside. Same for you and Will, Will on the outside. Hold up the paintings.”
He pulled out his phone and took a picture. “Now set them down and come over here.”
The five of them crowded around Steve and his phone.
They all gasped when they saw the full picture.
Steve was suddenly bombarded with hugs and thanks and kisses.
“I know next year you’ll all be going your separate ways and wanted to get you all something to tie you together for life,” he explained.
“That is wicked cool,” Max said.
“Yeah,” Erica agreed.
“I have one more present to give,” Eddie said and pulled out the remaining package and handed it to Steve.
Steve unwrapped and gasped. “It’s a yellow dragon!”
“And his knight friend having tea together,” Eddie explained. “I kinda based it on that old cartoon, The Reluctant Dragon, where the knight and dragon didn’t want to fight.”
“Eds,” Steve whispered. “I love it!” Then Robin was placing something in his hand.
Steve looked down at it and then nodded. “This is my gift to you.” He handed it to Eddie.
It was an envelope about the size of Christmas card and Eddie fought hard against the disappointment that burned in his gut. He had painted a yellow dragon for Steve, it would have been nice to get something more than a gift card.
He pulled it out and frowned when he realized it was an invitation.
“Newfield Museum of Fine Arts
You are cordially invited
to an art exhibit featuring the art
of
Eddie Munson
Dec 31st 8pm-1am
Fundraiser for the charity ‘Roll for Initiative’
starting at 4pm
Silent auction from 6-7pm”
It was Eddie’s turn to cry.
“You okay there, son?” Wayne asked, concerned when Eddie just stood there, tears streaming down his face.
Eddie nodded. He held out the invitation for Wayne to take. Wayne read it over and over.
“You do this, Steve?” he asked.
Steve nodded. “It was my plan for a while to do the fundraiser for the charity on New Year’s Eve, but after really getting to know Eddie, I knew that he deserved to be showcased too. So the exhibit came afterwards.”
Eddie kissed him fiercely on the lips. “This is the best Christmas present ever, baby.”
Steve blushed to the cheers from everyone.
This year was good, but next year was going to be even greater.
***
Well that's the end for now. Thank you so much for coming along with me on this wild ride. Merry Christmas!!
Tag List: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @artiststarme @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @pyrohonk @a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @goodolefashionedloverboi @messrs-weasley @val-from-lawrence @i-must-potato @danili666 @carlyv @rozzieroos @wonderland-girl143-blog @justforthedead89 @emly03 @bookworm0690 @itsall-taken @vecnuthy @bookbinderbitch @redfreckledwolf @littlewildflowerkitten @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @scheodingers-muppet @mira-jadeamethyst @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @genderless-spoon @anne-bennett-cosplayer @irregular-child @carlprocastinator1000 @mogami13 @samsoble
#my writing#stranger things#steddie#ladykailtiha writes#christmas#artist eddie#businessman steve#autistic steve harrington
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Just Saying
summary: You're dating a total loser, it makes Eddie sick cause he's better than him, just saying.
based on the song 'Just saying' by 5sos.
warnings: cheating, really stupid boyfriend, a little angst but with happy ending, cursing, a lot of flirting.
words: 1.6k
masterlist
"He's a total loser" Steve commented about your boyfriend after you told them your latest problem with him: he was two hours late to your date this weekend, and when the check came, he made you pay for everything.
"I can't believe him" Nancy starts, "you deserve so much better than him"
"I'm not even gonna comment on this, you know my position on the topic" Robin states furiously, not at you obviously, but at your boyfriend. Her position was that you should--as she stated it-- dump his lame ass, as she has told you a million times.
"I agree with Nance," Eddie says, "you do deserve so much better, can't believe your settling for someone like him"
"I'm not settling, it's just he- he was different before, but now he's..." you start to defend your relationship but Robin interrupts you.
"A complete idiot"
"That's one way to put it" Steve agrees with her. "Anyway, who wants another drink?"
All of you agreed on another round of drinks, so Eddie goes to help Steve bring them to the table.
"What about Eddie?" Nancy asks you as they leave to order on the bar.
"What about him?" you asks her.
"Please, you can't tell me that you've never noticed the big crush he has on you" she insists.
The truth is, Eddie was a newly addition to the group. When he started hanging out with the three of you, you were already dating your boyfriend, Luke. Eddie and you completely hit it off from the start, he was actually flirting with you that night, but after he realized you had a boyfriend, he just stayed as a flirty friend. It was a complete point to his favor that all your friends hate your boyfriend, but they liked him.
Just saying.
"It doesn't matter if he does, I'm already taken" you say with a bit of disappointment showing on your tone and your face.
"Not for much longer I hope" Robin mumbles loud enough for you to listen.
"I don't know, it was just one mistake, I can't break up with him just for that"
""Just that? " he totally lies to you too! He told you he lives alone at that really big house that he somehow can afford, but everytime I drive by his mom is home!" Robin fights againg, she has told that before, and it is weird that he never lets you to stay over at his house, since he supposedly lives alone.
"Eddie has his own place, just saying" Nancy comments with a smirk.
You were about to answer but the boys come back with the drinks. Eddie hands you yours and you ask him how much you owe him.
"It's on me sweetheart" he says as if it's obvious. "I'd never make you pay, just saying"
You are taken back by his response, Robin and Nancy are biting their lips to hide their smiles and Steve smirks at the comment. Eddie smirks too but hides it quick as he drinks from his glass.
"Thanks" you softly answer, not really sure what to say now. Why did that make you nervous?
Moments like these keep happening, your boyfriend being a dick, but not a big enough dick to dump him. Until he is.
You were on your way to Steve's house, he had called you because he wanted to talk to you about something important. So you were pretty anxious right now.
When you arrive, you see Eddie's van and Nancy's car at the driveway too. This was getting weirder.
Steve opens the door and lets you in. They're all here, Robin as well.
"What's going on?" you ask getting freaked out.
"We need to tell you something, but we need you to believe us and know that we're here for you, always" Steve tells you, not calming you nerves at all.
"What the fuck is going on? You're freaking me out, Steve!" you hurry him up.
"We saw Luke with another girl" Robin lets it out quickly, she was very anxious too. They all look at her annoyed, they wanted to tell you more carefully.
"What?" you ask her.
"Look, Robin and I were coming home from work and we saw him at an ice cream place, waiting in line with this other girl and- well... he was kissing her" Steve explains.
"Kissing?" you whisper as you're imagining the whole scene.
"On the lips" Robin adds to your comment.
"Yeah, I think she got that" Steve tells her.
"Um... I don't know, I-" You start freaking out again, a hundred thoughts going on at the same time in your head.
"It's fine, I know it's a lot to process, just take your tim-" Steve tries to calm you down but you interrupt him.
"Why are you all here? If it was just you two" you point to Steve and Robin. "then why are they here too?"
"Um, well we were kind of freaking out too after seeing that and we didn't know what to do so... we called them to help us... figure out what to do" Steve explains again, a little nervous at your reaction.
"So you're here to watch the show? Stupid girl finds out her boyfriend's cheating" you accuse them. In all realness, it was really embarasing that Eddie had to see you hearing the news, but you don't really know why it only bothers you that he is here.
"What?! No!"
"No, of course not!"
They start defending themselves.
"I don't know guys, just- I need some air" you get out of the house. Your friends start looking at each other trying to figure out what to do now.
"I'll go talk to her" Eddie offers and he follows you outside.
You're sitting on the side-walk, watching the road, lost in your thoughts.
"Hey" Eddie comes up to you and sits down at your side. "Do you wanna talk?"
"I can't believe it" you tell him. "I mean, there were signs that he was an asshole, but I didn't think he'd be this much of an asshole... He told me he loved me"
"You don't need him, love. It really makes me sick wathcing him treat you like this when you deserve so much more than him" he starts. "I mean, he should be thankful that you're even giving him a chance, you're too good for someone like him"
"Eds, you don't need to say all this... cliche shit to make me feel better"
"That's not what this is-" he starts but you interrupt him.
"I know I was an idiot, and that you all told me I should have left him, but I don't need your simpathy or your pitty"
"Alright, you want me to tell you what I really think?" he interrupts you now and you nod at his question. "I've always thought you should leave him, he has always made me sick. Sick that he treats you like that, like you're not settling for him! You don't need him!"
"What else do you think?" you could tell he was still not saying something. He hesitates but finally says it.
"That I'm better than him, I'll treat you so much better. And that I'll be waiting for when you change your mind"
"I am going to leave him" you say. "I'm not doubting that"
"Then, I would help you get over him... just saying" he flirts and it makes you smile.
"Will you wait a few more hours? so I can dump him, and then maybe I could come over to your place... just saying"
"I've been waiting since I met you, what's a few more hours?" he says with a smile, leaning really close to you, lips almost touching. And if he didn't move away after, you might have just kissed him now. But left it for later tonight.
Breaking up with Luke, you didn't even tell him that your friends saw him with another girl, you just told him that you didn’t feel the same anymore. He even had the nerve to ask you if there was someone else. You simply said "yes, but you have someone else as well, so we're even" and got out of there.
You went straight to Eddie’s apparment.
After you left Steve's house, Eddie went back inside with the biggest smile on his face. He told your friends that you were on your way to dump Luke and that you were going to come over after... to Eddie's place. Nancy and Robin celebrated, not only were you leaving your dickhead boyfriend, but also meeting Eddie after, just like they were hoping. Steve actually congratulated Eddie as if he had just gotten married.
When he heard a knock on his door, his heart skipped a beat. He had been tidying his apartment up, picking up the dirty clothes left on the floor, doing the dishes, and everything.
He opened the door and there you were.
"Hey" you say a little nervous.
"Come in" he steps aside from the door and you follow him inside.
"I left him" you start with that.
"Are you ok?" he asks.
"I am, i knew this would happen, guess I was just waiting to see if he cared a little bit to stop it"
"I want you know that I do mean what i said earlier, nut I don't want you to feel presured or anything. I've been waiting for you since I met you, I don't mind waiting more until you're comfortable"
"You said you'd help me get over him" you remind him and he nods, "I'm single now, just saying"
He smiles at your flirting. Grabs your hand and pulls you closer to him.
"Hope that not for much longer" he says having you inches away from his face, watching your lips. After that he closes the gap, finally kissing you.
#eddie munson x reader#eddie munson x fem!reader#eddie munson smut#eddie munson fluff#eddie munson imagine#eddie munson stranger things#eddie munson#stranger things#eddie munson drabble#eddie munson angst#Spotify
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Some untitled platonic stobin angst for you all, set in July of '85. Apologies and thanks to @sharpbutsoft; I'll write something happier next time.
(also on ao3, for those of you who prefer interacting with fics there)
“Not bad for a guy who didn’t realize gay people existed two weeks ago.”
Steve would have been annoyed that Robin thought he was that dumb, but really, he was too relieved she was able to joke about it. The day he’d gotten out of the hospital she’d been skittish. Like she’d thought he’d start hating her once the world went back to normal.
As if he could ever hate Robin.
“I knew gay people existed.” He still couldn’t roll his eyes without thinking he was going to puke, but he could use scorn. “I just didn’t think you could be gay.”
“Really?” She sounded surprised. “I mean, I know I’m not, you know, obvious, because I’ve never had ‘dyke’ painted on my locker or had other girls not want me in the locker room. But, I kind of feel like I should be? Or, not like people would know I’m gay immediately, but that it shouldn’t surprise them when they find out? Like, I’ve never dated a boy, and I don’t like to wear make-up, and my taste in clothes- Though I guess you only saw me in my Scoops uniform. Or only remembered me that way. But I’d literally just told you that I’d had a crush on a girl. Which, even without everything else, is kind of a dead giveaway.”
“True, no normal girl would like Tammy Thompson.” He was never going to let her live that crush down.
“First, the word is ‘straight.’ Don’t say ‘normal’ like that. It makes it sound like there’s something wrong with me.” Steve nodded. There was nothing wrong with Robin. Except her lack of self-confidence. And maybe her taste in women. But he could help her with those things. “Second, I had a crush on Tammy for like three months almost two years ago. I have pined hopelessly over plenty of other, much cooler girls since.”
“Anyone at the moment?” he asked. Robin glanced away from him, so yes, there was. “Okay, who is she?”
“Thirdly,” Robin ignored his question. “What did you mean I couldn’t be gay?”
Steve did not want to answer that.
“Whoever she is, she can’t be as lame as Tammy.” Steve really hoped Robin would let him change the subject. “Still not cool enough to date you, but-”
“Steve.” She wasn’t going to. “You think I’m not going to like your answer. It’s bad, is that it?”
“Yep.”
Robin took a breath.
“Okay. Well, whatever awful shit you thought in the past, you obviously don’t believe it anymore, right? So, bad or not, it doesn’t change where we are now.” Steve was pretty sure it could, or Robin wouldn’t be asking him. “Though, it’s not that you thought I was too pretty to be gay, right? Because that stereotype has always bothered me.”
“No! Not that you’re not pretty. Gorgeous, even. If I were your type, I’d still be totally into you.” Steve still was into her, but it was getting a bit less romantic every day. “I love you.”
“Love you, too, Dingus.”
“No, that’s why. Why I thought you had to be, you know,” normal, “straight.”
Robin frowned at him.
“You thought you couldn’t fall for a girl who couldn’t like you back?” she asked.
“Not exactly.”
“What then?”
“It’s hard to explain.” It barely made sense inside his own head. Putting it in words, making it all make sense to someone else might be impossible.
“Scoops burned down with the mall, Steve. I’ve got nowhere else to be until we get a new job.”
“Okay, well, you know how people say that gay couples don’t really love each other the way, um, straight ones do?”
“Yeah, and it’s complete and utter bullshit.”
Sure, Steve knew that now. But before Robin how was he supposed to learn any different?
“Right. But I’m an idiot, remember? So what I thought was that gay people were somehow unlovable. Not just romantically,” he explained. “Friends wouldn’t be able to love them either. Or their families. Everyone who was supposed to love them just couldn’t. Even if they tried. It wouldn’t be their fault, really, but-
“But I fell for you. It wasn’t just that you were beautiful. Or funny. Or smart. Or that you were there and didn’t hate me as much as you pretended to. I loved you enough to stop being all hung up over Nancy. And since I loved you-”
“I had to be straight.” Robin finished for him. “The logic’s sound-ish, but your premise is absurd. People aren’t unlovable, for one. Besides, wouldn’t that lead to people identifying gay kids early on? If a parent didn’t love their toddler, wouldn’t they want to know why?”
“Maybe. But it’s not like it’s something they’d talk about. What parent is going to admit they don’t love their kid before it’s obvious to everyone else who the problem is?” Robin scowled at him. It was a scowl that said she didn't like his answer, not that she thought he was wrong. He liked that he could tell the difference.
“You’re such a weirdo, Dingus.” Robin leaned her head against his shoulder. Gently, careful not to jostle him. “How did anyone ever think you were normal? Did we just know you were good at basketball and never listen to anything you said?”
“I’m better at swimming.” He also hadn’t said much at school. Talked a lot, sure. Or, at least, as much as everyone else.
“Yeah, yeah. And you can talk to girls without stuttering and chug beer while doing a headstand. All hail King Steve and his perfect hair. We payed so much attention to you that we didn’t pay any at all.” He’d never thought of it that way. “And we overlooked how weirdly your brain works.”
“If it works at all,” he said, with a soft laugh.
“It works fine,” Robin disagreed. “Just, kind of backwards? Or sideways, maybe? I mean, you thought gay people were unlovable when pretty much everyone else thinks we don’t love at all.”
“Don’t love? But that’s clearly stupid.” Steve didn’t think he’d ever heard a dumber idea and he’d spent most of his life hanging out with Tommy H. and Carol. “Loving someone is easy. It’s like a layup.”
“Some people are bad at basketball, Steve.” That was fair. Dustin would probably have trouble with a layup. He might even have trouble dribbling. “Is it really easier to think people are unlovable than to think some people might be bad at loving?”
There was a pulsing sound in Steve’s ears. He wasn’t sure if it was from his headache or his heartbeat.
“I never had trouble loving people.” It was almost an admission. He didn’t think he could get any closer.
“Oh, Steve.” Robin was smart. She could hear what he hadn’t said.
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Never Have I Ever - Eddie Munson x Reader
Summary: You come home after your first semester of college and spend the day with your best friend, Eddie. You’re both confused as to where the other stands in terms of relationships, but a drinking game only adds to the confusion.
Note: This is for my darling wifey @inourtownofhawkins whom I love the mostest, despite what she says. I hope you like the story bb! 💙
Warnings: underage drinking, talk of sex, oblivious idiots in love
Words: 2.4k
Coming home from college for winter break was exciting for a number of reasons. Obviously, there was the break from exams and papers, but it was also nice to come back home. Seeing family was great, seeing friends was fun, but seeing Eddie was the best part. Sure, you made sure to talk on the phone at least once a week while you were away, but it’s not the same as spending time together in person. You’d told him about your shitty dates with a guy named Carl, your great dates with a guy named Scott, and how your roommate was the biggest slob you’ve ever met in your life - including Eddie when he was a young teenager. He’d kept you up on the news of Hawkins, like if Max and Lucas were currently together or broken up, how many times Vickie had to play referee to Steve and Robin’s fights, and what the current ETA was for Hopper proposing to Joyce.
Since you’d come home you’ve hung out with him with the rest of the gang, he’d come over to your house for dinner, and at a movie night with the older teens at Steve’s house. But today it’s just you and Eddie at his place. It’s something you’ve done hundreds of times but being alone with Eddie still gives you a rush of butterflies swirling around your stomach.
“Welcome to the Munson residence,” Eddie says, gesturing around the trailer as if you’d never been there before.
“I’m familiar with it,” you say with a smirk. “I didn’t think you or Wayne would do some drastic redecorating while I was gone, so yes, I recognize the place.”
“That’s what you think.” Eddie wiggles his eyebrows and his eyes drift down the hallway towards his room.
You give him a curious look before toeing off your boots and heading in that direction. The room smells the same; like weed, cologne, and something distinctly Eddie. But it looks the same, too. Brow furrowing, you walk around the small room, looking for something to stand out to you as different. There’s a small collection of photos taped to Eddie’s closet, so you pad over to look them over. Right in the middle is the picture of you and Eddie at graduation, clad in your green gown and caps, golden tassels hanging in your faces as you stick your tongue out and Eddie flips off the camera. Next to it there’s a picture of Eddie with the Hellfire guys, all wearing their matching shirts. The one under it has your breath catching in your throat, though. It’s obviously from Halloween, and Eddie’s with Dustin, Max, Steve, Will, and some girl draped across his lap on a couch. Pulse kicking up, you stare at the girl’s face, seeing if you recognize her from high school. Her long dark hair and beautiful brown skin don’t ring a bell, though. Half of your brain is telling you to calm down, that they could be friends, but the other half is telling you that friends don’t sit in each other’s laps like that.
“Find it yet?” Eddie asks from behind you.
“Who’s this?” you ask, eyes never leaving the picture. Eddie’s footsteps come from over near the door and his hair brushes your shoulder as he leans in to see what you’re looking at.
“Oh, that’s Mia,” Eddie says. The way he says it makes it sound like you should know who he’s talking about. You know you would’ve remembered him talking about a girl. Especially if he mentioned she was this beautiful. “Did I not tell you about her?” Before you can answer, he keeps speaking. “But that’s not where the difference in my room is.”
Eddie takes your shoulders and leads you to the other side of his room, your socked feet trying to dig in against the carpet, but failing. When his hands drop, you instantly notice the difference in the room that he was talking about.
“Wow, I’m impressed,” you say with a smirk. Taking a few steps forward, you run your fingers over his Sweetheart’s strings - something only you’re allowed to do. “You actually bought a guitar stand instead of hanging her over your mirror.”
“Only the best for my girl.”
Sweetheart or Mia, you think to yourself bitterly.
“It’s very nice,” you tell him.
“Thank you.” He tugs on a lock of your hair. “Now, come on. Let’s go play.”
“What’re we playing?” you ask as you follow him out of the room.
“Nintendo,” he calls over his shoulder. “I’m Mario. You’re Luigi.”
You sit down on the couch as Eddie sets up the game.
“Princess Peach is mine,” you tell him.
“Hot,” Eddie says, and even though you can’t see his face, you know he’s smirking. He plops down next to you and tosses a controller in your lap. Cheater as always though, he’s pressed play before you’ve even got it in your hands.
“Asshole,” you call as you speed behind him.
Eddie laughs and pokes his tongue out of his lips as he concentrates. He repeatedly kicks your ass at the game before you accuse him of cheating, and he drops his controller to tackle you down to the floor. You howl with laughter as his fingers dig into the sides of your ribs, tickling you where he knows you’re the most ticklish.
“Off!” you screech. Unsurprisingly, Eddie doesn’t listen, and keeps going until you’re squirming so hard you’re getting rug burn on your lower back where your shirt has ridden up. “Eddie, I’m going to pee myself!”
That has him finally letting go, even if it takes him a second. He smirks down at you and ruffles your hair before he gets off the floor.
“Let’s play another game,” he says.
“So you can cheat again?” You’re still on the floor, looking up at him as he walks to the kitchen.
Eddie scoffs and grabs a bottle off the top of the refrigerator. You sit up to try and get a better look at what he’s doing.
“Tell me how one cheats at a drinking game.” Eddie walks back over to you, shaking a vodka bottle at you.
“Ooh, gimme.” Eddie holds the bottle up out of your reach, making you stand up on your tippy toes, fingers still not able to brush the bottom of the glass.
“Never have I ever?” He lets you take the bottle so he can grab two mugs off the wall - making sure to grab Garfield for you because he knows it’s your favorite.
“Do we not know each other too well for that game?” you ask, sitting back down on the couch.
“I’m sure we’ve both got some dirty secrets,” Eddie says with a smirk. “Plus, you’ve been away at college. How am I supposed to know all the naughty stuff you got up to this semester?” The redness that comes to your cheeks has him smirking even bigger. He sits down next to you and pours a decent amount of vodka in both mugs.
“Fine. You go first,” you say.
Eddie swirls the clear alcohol around the mug as he thinks, lips pursing together in a way that keeps your eyes glued to them.
“Never have I ever kissed a girl.” When you don’t take a sip, but he does, Eddie groans and drops his head back. “Your turn.”
“Okay. Never have I ever…had a one-night stand.”
Eddie narrows his eyes at you as he takes a sip from his mug.
“I told you that in confidence.”
“There’s no one else here,” you say with a laugh.
“Whatever. This is supposed to be telling me things about you.” He rolls his eyes over dramatically as he thinks of the next question. “Never have I ever given a handjob.”
“Not even to yourself?” You raise an eyebrow at him.
“You know what I mean.”
You give him a smirk before taking a sip of vodka from Garfield’s head.
“Who?” Eddie gasps playfully, pressing a hand to his chest. “Who corrupted my innocent little friend?”
“Those are two different questions. The handjob was Scott. You corrupted me though.”
Eddie was right, you both did have some dirty secrets. But you were also right, that you two know each other too well for this game. The questions just become targeted attacks, picking things you know the other has done, making each other drink. It quickly leads to the both of you being thoroughly tipsy, bordering on just this side of drunk.
“Now what?” you ask with a giggle.
“I dunno,” Eddie says. “Uh, never have I ever had a crush on my best friend. Oh, shit, wait.”
“‘Oh, shit, wait,’ what? You got a crush on Steve or something?” You’re looking right at him but through your vodka fueled eyes, you don’t see his face turning red.
“Never mind. You ask a question.” Eddie’s avoiding looking at your face and it makes you roll your eyes.
“Okay…never have I ever asked a question in this game and then taken it back.”
“Seriously?” Now he looks at you, and his face is unimpressed.
“Drink up, baby,” you say, pointing at him.
He pretends to take another sip, and you assume he really did it. But with that slip up that he just made, he knows he can’t afford any more alcohol.
“I thought I was your best friend,” you say with a pout. Eddie’s eyes widen comically, and he’s not sure how to answer that. The alcohol is starting to make him tired and combined with the anxiety of his secret almost being spilled, he starts to get a little angry.
“S’your turn,” he says, sinking down in his seat.
“Don’t wanna play anymore,” you say through a yawn. “Wanna know what you meant.”
“Why?” Eddie asks with an annoyed groan.
“Cause you said it!”
He huffs and puts his mug down so he can rub his hands over his face. Placing your mug next to his, you lean forward so you’re closer to Eddie. When he drops his hands from his face, your face is closer to his than he expects, and he flinches back.
“Why won’t you tell me?” you ask with a pout. “We tell each other everything.”
He only hears about half of what you say though, because his eyes lock on your lips and they’re all he’s able to focus on. The way they move when you speak, the way your tongue comes out to lick at them, how the pink skin pulls together when you set your mouth in a pout. Eddie can’t take it anymore and just needs to get it out.
“I wanna kiss you but you have a boyfriend.”
You pull back, eyebrows wrinkling in confusion as you look at him. Unsure if you heard him correctly or not, you run the words through your head again a few times.
“I don’t have a boyfriend,” you say. “I thought you had a girlfriend.”
Eddie’s jaw hangs open as he stares at you.
“Why would you think I have a girlfriend?” he asks.
“That girl.” You gesture to his bedroom where you’d seen the picture. “She was on your lap. Lea. Or, Mia.”
“Mia?” Eddie lets out a laugh and shakes his head. “She was Steve’s date on Halloween. Steve was dressed as a doctor. I was Dr. Scrivello.” At your blank look, he continues. “The sadistic dentist from Little Shop of Horrors? Steve Martin’s character?”
“Oh, right.”
“Anyway, Mia got confused I guess, cause we had kinda similar costumes. And she’d had a few to drink by that point so she sat down on me, thinking I was Steve. Haven’t seen her since then. Don’t think Steve has either, actually.”
The relief that courses through your system makes you feel guilty. Eddie’s entitled to have whoever he wants sit on his lap, even if it breaks your heart. But this was just an innocent mistake, so most of the jealousy drains out of your body.
“Wait,” you say, mind catching up to the entirety of the conversation. “Why would you think I have a boyfriend?”
“Scott.” Eddie says it like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
“Scott’s not my boyfriend,” you tell him.
“But you told me about all those amazing dates you had with him. And then you just admitted all that dirty stuff you did with him in our game.” Eddie’s big doe eyes make him look like a puppy that just got kicked. You slide closer to him on the couch and grab his hand in yours.
“Yeah, but he’s not my boyfriend. This was all a while ago. I haven’t gone out with him in over a month. I think he’s dating someone else now.”
“Did he dump you?” Eddie asks and the alcohol in your system makes you giggle at the look on Eddie’s face. His eyes are wide, and his mouth is open, causing you to lift his chin up to close it, the slight stubble tickling your fingers.
“No. I said I wanted to stop seeing him. He was nice and all, and we had fun, but I didn’t feel a whole lot for him. Kinda felt like my heart was already with someone else.”
“Who?” Eddie asks.
“You, silly. You’d‘ve known that if you didn’t take back your question before,” you say with a devious smirk. “Because I would’ve had to drink because I have had a crush on my best friend. Still do, in fact.”
“You do?”
“Mhmm. So, you can kiss me if you want to. I’d like it. A lot.”
“You would?”
You giggle and reach up to run your fingers through his hair.
“Maybe tomorrow would be better. You’re entering your sleepy state of drunk now.”
Eddie couldn’t help but smile. He loved how well you knew him - sober or otherwise. And of course, you were right.
“S’gonna be the first thing I do tomorrow,” he tells you.
“Guess I should sleep next to you then,” you say with a shrug. “So my lips are right there when you wake up.”
It’s exactly what you do. And Eddie does exactly as he says. You’re already awake when he blinks his eyes open, the sunlight shining through the window and casting shadows over your two bodies. The night before comes back to him, a smile lighting up his face as it does so. When his gaze meets yours, he can tell you remember everything too. Without speaking a word, Eddie cups your jaw gently in his large hand, and leans in to press his lips against yours.
#eddie munson#eddie munson x reader#eddie munson x you#eddie munson x y/n#eddie munson imagine#eddie munson fic#eddie munson fanfic#eddie munson fan fiction
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Fandom rookie here. Could you please walk me through your Zoro/Law and Zoro/Ace HCs? Love your humor btw!
Ahhh! A little fandom greenhorn! So cute!
You have asked the wrong person the wrong question, newbie.
ZoLaw:
Zoro is from the East, and while he isn't use to Winter Island Cold, he naturally runs hot. Law is from the North and while he HATES being stuck on Summer Islands on hot days, he naturally runs cool. They balance each other beautifully when they share a bed.
Up in the North Blue, it's considered weak to admit that you're cold. Weaknesses gets people killed in the North Blue, so having someone imply you need an extra blanket is a direct insult to a person's ability to keep themselves and their loved ones alive. So obviously Law would never need the extra heat.... But he MAY find himself scooting closer to Zoro-ya on the chillier nights.
The handle of a katana isn't the only thing Zoro can talk around.
...
(Cock. He can talk around a mouth full of cock. And Law LOVES it. Its the only time he can stand one of the Strawhats yapping on).
Look, Law is scientifically minded and likes to believe he is very rational (that's open to debate). He's seen Zoro-ya in the sea and knows he doesn't have a devil's fruit. But sometimes it feels like he does. SPECIFICALLY, one that somehow manages to undo every single one of Law's plans. Because the problem certainly isn't in Law! His plans are complex and perfect. But anytime he comes up for one about how to, say, ask Zoro-ya out it always somehow manages to go terribly wrong. It MUST be a devil's fruit ability.
The first time Zoro actually properly asks Torao out, he first bows to and addresses Kikoku. Since it's imperative he has the curse blades permission to touch his master (especially with all the touching Zoro has planned).
Law doesn't get jealous. That's petty and below him
Law has personally threatened at least three shichibukai and one very (also highly annoying) horny yonko. Not because he was jealous, they just need to step off and stop looking at HIS Zoro-ya that way.
If you ask the boys when they started dating, you get VASTLY different answers. Law would argue that while he'd of course taken notices of the other Supernova back on Saboady, the boy then disappeared for two years and besides Law had a lot of plans that he needed to focus on and execute perfectly. They didn't really see each other again until after Punk Hazard and of course Law was very distracted until after Doflamingo..... Then the horrors they saw on Zou, though, admitedly he may have found himself distracted by Zoro-ya once or twice even at the time.... You know, he would say it was Wano. It was Wano when he realized what an idiot the other boy was, and how he absolutely needed Law on the ground watching after him or he would do something amazingly stupid like... Like listening to Law's plan for instance! When Zoro-ya endangering his life was CLEARLY not what Law intended! Yes, that is when Law decided this boy simply couldn't be considered safe unless Law is there to watch after him..... Also, it's sometimes nice when Zoro-ya looks after him as well.... SOMETIMES.
Zoro would say "Did you see Torao cut that island in half?" And that is all he has to say on the subject of when they started dating.
Law has noticed that Zoro-ya doesn't seem to pay much attention to what he wears, just picks up what is nearest and easiest and throws it on. On an unrelated note, Law has been "accidentally" making sure to strip down right by their bed, and leaving his shirts right there. His shirts with his jolly roger.
Nico Robin had to use not just her ability but her most Teacherly voice in order to separate Luffy and Law when Zoro shows up with the Heart Jolly Roger on his shirt. Law's smirking about it (while Zoro remained utterly confused through the entire fight) didn't help.
Zoro is super weak to people playing with his ear. This goes double when it's Torao and his stupid, sexy hands. He already wants to squirm whenever he watches Torao do that stupid switch-switch thing, but once Torao starts to sit closer and, even while reading his fingers seem to find their way to Zoro's earrings..... Twirl twirl twirl, TUG. Its enough to break Zoro's brain.
Historically, Northern denizens tended to have shorter and much more dangerous lifes compared to the relatively safe and stable East Blue, leading to them having a much different view of things like romance and marriage. That's part of why tattoos are so popular among North Blue denizens. However short your inevitably short life is, a tattoo is permanent. You can't change your mind or take it back. It's a way of wearing your loyalty.
Right behind his ear, the same side as his piercings, Zoro has a small black heart tattoo. He got it on their way up to Wano.
Usopp still doesn't understand how Zoro got lost on a submarine. He didn't see him for a whole four days! What's so funny, Robin.....
I actually have a number of HCs for these two that basically boil down to "Each Island should have its own culture, and by extension, each Blue should have its own culture the way each state has its own culture but the USA also has its own general culture." This can range from things like what I mentioned above, about North Blue having historically shorter lives due to the harsher environment or being more technologically advanced. But I also had smaller things like Law kissing Zoro-ya on the nose, since up North that was how you showed affection to family or younger friends and acquaintances. I also went the entire opposite direction of "smaller" and invented an entirely Shinto derived religion that's customs and kami differed based on the Blue.
I even came up with particular weather that happen almost strictly up North (Ice Storms which are incredibly deadly at sea and Black Mist, a yet unexplained phenomena that seems to choke the life out of any one who gets caught outside) and then wrote up an entire "Old North" mythology that explains the two phenomena and why they often follow each other even though one happens strictly on land and the other typically at sea. I pretty much full on created a whole religion and mythology and wrote individual stories just so Law could have a whole culture that belonged to HIS blue. The myth in question involved a human falling for a siren, and just like actual myths I created multiple retellings and versions where the characterization changed depending on the message the storyteller was trying to express. But in most every version the Siren, Isa, had green hair (because of course the North associates green hair with fertility; oh that's another thing, I created a whole sex profession hierarchy for the North Blue with the one common feature among different types of sex workers being they typically dyed their hair green, like that was a way to physically depict that you were fertile and later that you were, you know, open to being fertilized) and regardless of how they are depicted they end up turning into the shards of an Ice Storm either because they accidentally take human captain's life, do so and then regret their hunger, or are told they have killed them and in turn kill themselves. Law was told the latter version as a child and so always felt bad for Isa, who didn't know they were eating the captain's life force but the crew could have just told him and he would have left and instead because he is "different" they think it's better if he simply destroys himself. It's a character Law can both identify with but also see aspects of Zoro in; both his physical appearance which I'm sure to Law he just pictures Zoro now, but also in his loyalty and honor which aren't as important values up North which instead values survival and strength.
As you can see if I presented an accurate list of my HCs for these two, it would be insane and make no Earthly sense. I just really enjoy world building, especially when that world building leads to two hot sword boys pining after one another.
Oh, did I mention the whole "green hair = sex worker" association and just how personally All Hearts Law takes that when applied to his Zoro-ya?
Yeah.....
ZoBurn FistRo PortZoro
ZoAce:
Upon meeting him during Alabaster, every single non Luffy Strawhat was - at least a little -totally into Ace. He just seemed so cool (and also hot.) He's like a sexy Luffy and the whole crew wanted some.
Zoro wanted it the most, bitches
#“Love your humor!”#Ahh how sweet.#*posts something without bothering with comedy*#Well now you know who I am as a person#one piece#roronoa zoro#trafalgar d. water law#trafalgar law#portgas d ace#law x zoro#ZoLaw#ace x zoro#ZoAce#okay I could have come up with more for Zoro x Ace but here is the thing#It would ALL be about how slutty Ace is#Its like asking for my Benn x Shanks HC#Oh you wanna hear about how slutty Shanks is why Benn just stands around being the perfect husband?#Okay well....#ask and you shall receive#I was going to expand on these then I realized I was already pushing my luck with my lengthy North vs East Blue diatribe#north blue#I need more world building#let's stop pretending the Blues would all just be pretty much alike with with one or two minor changes#Law comes from a very different world than Zoro and I think it would play a major part in how they court one another#and how they see their relationship#look I think a look over my blog says this is no place for newbies to lose themselves#there is danger here#last time someone asked for HC I thought they meant Hurt/Comfort#I was more prepared this time but this is like my first attempts at head canons like this and I'm not sure I'm doing it right#does it usually involve entire created mythologies?
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blurbcember!!!
omg how about the prompt 14. the power goes out in our apartment building, but i’m not prepared for this, and you come to check on me with steve because neighbor!au has a special place in my heart 🤭😔
i'm definitely late for this request but i couldn't stop thinking about it! hope you like it angel! — your pretty next door neighbor keeps you company when the power in your building goes out, along with a couple of his friends (neighbors to lovers, fluff, 1.6k)
bug's one year celebration ♡
“I think I have cabin fever.”
“Eddie, shut up— it’s been five minutes,” Steve scolds from the darkened kitchen, where he’s trying to save the newly purchased beer from the warming fridge. He stacks the bottles neatly in a small, square cooler. It won’t keep them cold for long, but hopefully until the power comes back on.
“Soon we’ll have to decide which one of us to eat,” the wild-haired boy continues, still lazing on the couch with a beer in his hand. It stains a damp circle on the thigh of his jeans. He’s not at all fazed by the sudden outage.
“Remind me not to get stranded on an island with you.”
Aglow with orange candlelight, Robin shrugs from the adjacent sofa. She tilts her head on the arm of it to see Eddie more clearly. “The right answer is obviously Steve.”
“Obviously,” Eddie concurs.
“It’s ‘cause he’s so muscly.”
“And he eats, like, super healthy—”
Steve huffs and lugs the chunky cooler back into the living room, cradling the weighty thing with both arms. “Can both of you shut up about pretend cannibalism and help me with the door?”
The conversation stops. They turn to blink at him across the dim room, their faces swirled in a similar look of confusion. “Wait— Where are you going?”
“Next door,” Steve answers, fumbling with the cooler until he can shift it in his hold. The entrance squeaks — a louder sound in the uncanny quiet — when Robin swings it open. “I wanna check on my neighbor.”
You were the first thing that crossed his mind when the lights flickered. Swallowed in darkness, Steve lit a few candles and knew immediately that he’d go to you. He knows you’re alone over there — that you’re alone, and you hate the dark, and that the combination of the two makes you uneasy.
So he’s gonna stay with you until the lights come back on, and hope his friends don’t make him look like a total idiot while he’s doing it.
The emergency lights glow faintly and eerily yellow. Robin and Eddie follow him like lost puppies the short distance down the hall. The latter, blissfully unaware of personal space, leans against Steve’s shoulder like he’s about to tell him a secret. “The pretty neighbor?” the boy croons.
Steve sighs and stops in front of your door. The slightly chipped paint and the crooked numbers on the entryway match his own. He knocks as gently as he can with the toe of his sneaker. “Yes, Eddie. The pretty one,” he answers in a monotone.
“The pretty neighbor you couldn’t shut up about when you were drunk on my couch the other night?” Eddie continues to tease, directly into Steve’s ear, until he’s elbowed half-heartedly away.
The door swings open then. And, truth be told, you were somewhat expecting to see Steve standing there. Lying alone in your bed, trying not to make monsters out of the clothes in the corner, you were girlishly hoping he’d swoop in and save you.
Your heart starts to swell at the sight of him, glowing faintly amber beneath overhead auxiliary lights. Then it gets caught in your throat when you see the two strangers standing just behind him. A pretty girl with a freckled face and a boy with long hair and leftover eyeliner under his eyes.
“There she is,” the one with the wild hair lilts, dropping his head to his shoulder to smile at you.
“Hi,” you greet softly, because it’s muscle memory. Then, when the stranger’s greeting dawns on you— “…What?”
“Nothing. Ignore him,” Steve answers. “Can we come in? I brought booze.”
“Well, how can I say no to that?” you joke with a shy smile. To you, you would’ve said if you were braver. How can I say no to you?
“This is Robin and Eddie, by the way,” he says as he walks into your dimly lit apartment. It’s exactly like his but decorated much more intently — with plants and posters and mood lighting that’d be on under different circumstances. It glows with so many little candles instead, smelling faintly of sage and vanilla.
His two friends follow in behind him — Robin first, with an awkward smile and accompanying wave, and then Eddie, who’s visibly more confident.
Steve laughs. “Sorry. I was kinda in the middle of babysitting before I came over.”
“That’s okay,” you shrug.
“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Eddie says with a wide grin, holding out his hand to shake yours. He wears chunky, silver rings on all his fingers. “And I mean, a lot.”
You stick a hesitant hand in his warmer one. “Oh,” is all you can think to say.
“All good things. Don’t worry… Great things, actually.”
“That’s… good,” you waver with a forced laugh. Eddie hasn’t yet let go of your hand.
“I’ll be honest— when Steve said you were pretty, I was not expecting you to be this pretty.”
Your mouth falls open and then closes again. Sorta like a fish. You try to come up with something to say but can’t think of exactly what. You thought you were the only one telling all of your friends about the pretty neighbor next door.
“Eddie!” Steve scolds from across the room. He idles in the spot where the living room ends and the kitchen begins. He tries to duck away into the latter, but he wants you to come with him — so he can even be halfway alone with you. “Stop flirting and leave her alone.”
Eddie’s face swirls into an insincere pout. He drops your hand to walk further into the room.
“Oh, please, I was just being nice— don’t get your panties in a wad, Harrington.” He bends down at your coffee table, rifling through the bowl of Starbursts there until he finds a yellow one. It isn’t until he pops it into his mouth that he thinks to ask, “These are for everyone, right?”
You giggle again, much more sincere this time. “Sure.”
“Ooh,” Robin squeals under her breath from where she sits on your couch. She’s grabbing a handful of the pink kind before you can blink.
“Wanna help me with these while those idiots act like vultures?” Steve offers with a soft smile.
You know he doesn’t need help. Or, at the very least, that he could ask Robin and Eddie for it. But he’s asking you now, and you think you know a little bit as to why. At least, you hope you do. You nod at him, anyway. “Sure.”
“Sorry about them,” Steve apologizes when you’re both hidden inside the dark kitchen. He drops the cooler onto the counter, then stretches his aching arms while you light a candle.
“Don’t worry about it,” you smile and shake out the match. “They seem really nice.”
“They’re idiots, but they mean well.”
“A little like someone I know.”
Steve meets your quiet smile with a squint. “Stop flirting with me.”
He reaches into the container to grab you a beer from inside it. The entire time, you’re finding the courage to say the words bubbling up in your throat. The five seconds it takes feels like eons and milliseconds at the same time.
“Can I ask you something?” you wonder as he passes you a bottle, the amber glass of it already breaking a sweat.
“Uh-huh.”
Steve uses the hem of his shirt to unscrew the top of his. You idle with yours, letting the cold bottle sting your delicate palm. “Why did you come over?” you ask, and then, when you realize how unkind that sounds, “Not that I’m not thrilled you’re here! I’m always happy to see you! I was hoping you’d come over, actually. I’m just— I’m just curious.”
Steve doesn’t seem to take offense to your words. Instead, the rambling of them makes him smile. “‘Cause I know you don’t like the dark,” he answers with a shrug. “And I didn’t want you to be alone.”
“Oh. That’s nice.”
Again, he only shrugs.
The beer hisses faintly when you unscrew the cap of it. “So you would’ve done it for anyone, then?” you ask him, feigning nonchalance as you take a quick sip from the bottle.
“Hell no,” Steve scoffs.
You swallow and lick your alcohol-slicked lips with wide eyes. “No?”
“If those schmucks in there asked me to bring them free booze ‘cause their power went out, I would laugh in their faces,” Steve confesses, already chuckling at the thought — a golden sound that rivals the orange candlelight.
“I feel special now,” you giggle, hiding it behind the neck of your beer.
“That’s because you are.”
Your face burns hot, like so many orange embers blotching the apples of your cheek. You take a heftier swig of beer. Both to cool your blazing skin and to slow your racing heart.
“And I don’t think I’d be here if it were anybody else,” Steve tells you, raising the lip of his bottle to his mouth. “I like doing nice things for you ‘cause it’s you, you know?”
Your nose scrunches until the edges of your eyes crinkle. “Stop flirting with me,” you tease, parroting his words from earlier.
Steve squints. “Is it that obvious?”
“Drinking booze? In the candlelight? While you tell me pretty things? It couldn’t be more obvious, Steve Harrington.”
“You caught me,” he shrugs and props his elbow on the countertop. He tilts his cheek to his shoulder and flashes you a rosy, lopsided smile. Bathed by candlelight, his eyes glow a more honied shade. “I cut the power to half the city just so I could get you all to myself.”
His tongue swipes along his plush bottom lip. His eyelids get distinctly heavier.
“To yourself and your two best friends?”
You bring him back to reality with seven words. His face twists in offense to them. “Eddie is not my best friend, okay?” he chuckles. “He’s not even in my top ten list of best friends.”
“Don’t be mean,” you giggle, a pretty sound that makes him smile wider.
“Yeah, Stevie,” Eddie calls from the living room. “I have ears, you know? And feelings.”
#published by bug#steve harrington x reader#stranger things x reader#steve harrington x y/n#steve harrington x you#stranger things#steve harrington#steve harrington imagine#stranger things imagine#stranger things fanfic#stranger things fic#stranger things fanfiction#steve harrington fic#steve harrington fanfiction#steve harrington fanfic#st drabbles#stevie drabble#event: bug turns one
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Robin Hoodie
Marinette hugged her hoodie closer as she walked out of school. She had been so busy the past three weeks and Damian wasn't fairing any better. All they had time for was a quick 'Good morning' or 'Sweet dreams' these days. She couldn't blame him being so far away from her. Their schedules were always so small, but she missed him; the eight hour difference was taking it's toll. It's why she had dressed up that day. She had made an oversized black hoodie with the Robin logo on it. It was the best thing she could think of to comfort her. The only thing better would be-
"Habibiti." a voice called.
Marinette froze.
'I'm hearing things. Right?'
Marinette looked up and saw her boyfriend at the bottom of the steps.
'Damian!'
Marinette rushed over, as fast as she could, and hugged him.
'It's him! I'm not dreaming! It's Damian; my Damian! This is his cologne and shampoo. It really is him.'
"What-What are you doing here?" Marinette asked.
Damian opened his mouth but pulled back, taking in what his tiny girlfriend was wearing.
'She's wearing my colors; my logo! The hoodie appears to my size. Is this the reason those morons parade their girlfriends around in their jackets?'
The hoodie sagged a bit around her waist and a bit over her back shorts. She was wearing black knee high socks and dark green boots with bright red laces. He was quick to realize, he wouldn't mind if he brought Marinette to his school dressed like this, showing off she was his and his alone.
'Angel, are you trying to kill me?'
"Someone on your mind?" Damian questioned, pulling her back into his arms.
Mari simply blushed.
Suddenly, Marinette was yanked out of her boyfriend's arms. She was surprised to see Alya, Adrien, and Nino standing between them.
"Hey!" Nino shouted, "Who do you think you are?"
"Back off ya creep!" Alya sneered.
"Guys!" Marinette squeaked, pushing through them and back into Damian's arms, "This is my boyfriend!"
The trio was silent.
"He's from Gotham, hence the outfit." Mari continued to explain, "We've both been busy. We haven't had time to video call. It's been nothing but quick texts for about two weeks. I wore it because I was starting to feel lonely and I missed him."
Damian kissed the top of Marinette's head, "I missed you, too. How about we take a walk? Maybe we can find this Andre you keep telling me about and we can talk about dinner, tomorrow?"
"I'd like that." Marinette smiled, as they began to walk away from the school.
"Did you know?" they shouted at each other.
"No!" they all answered.
They turned and looked in the direction that Marinette left. She was smiling and obviously very happy with her surprise visitor.
Alya sighed, "We can questioned her tomorrow."
"You mean you'll question her tomorrow." Nino replied.
"Exactly." she smiled.
"Do we have to?" Adrien asked, "She looks really happy."
They looked again to see her brightly smiling at the guy. He looked at her like she was the only thing worth paying attention to.
"Maybe, only a little bit." Alya answered, "We at least need to know some basic stuff about him. Like, maybe how long have they been dating or I don't know, his name!"
The boys looked at each other in shock. The realization sunk in that they never asked for his name. They had no clue Marinette had left with.
"Oh, my God!" Nino cried.
"Yeah." Alya sighed, as the boys continued to panic, "That's what I thought."
"Did you see which way they went?" Adrien shouted, "Do you think we can catch them with my driver?"
"Marinette is gonna get kidnapped and we can't even defend ourselves!" Nino whined.
Adrien shook Nino, "Why did you let me, let her leave?"
Alya pulled out her phone and texted Marinette.
A:Boys are idiots. Give me something to keep the pair of idiots from panicking.
M:Panicking about what?
A:Realized they don't know who you left with and can't see you. Thinking you'll be kidnapped and shit.
M:I'm with my bf. I already called my parents and told them where we were going. I'm assuming I'll be interrogated tomorrow.
A: Yep. Before it was just me but I think the boys just got on board.
M: Damn
"You guys!" Alya shouted.
"What?" Adrien asked, "We are forming a plan and-"
Alya waved her phone at them.
"I texted her and she told her parents where they were going." she smiled, "She said she'll see us tomorrow."
Adrien and Nino relaxed.
"Oh." they mumbled.
TAG LIST: @animeweebgirl @a-star-with-a-human-name @meme991001 @vixen-uchiha @abrx2002 @alysrose-starchild @fandom-trapped-03 @dood-space @moonlightstar64 @saltymiraculer @marveldcedits20 @09shell-sea09 @icerosecrystal @animegirlweeb @insane-fangirl-of-everything @blueblossombliss @nickristus-dreamer @megawhitleycalderonpaganus
#marinette dupain cheng#robin#robin inspired hoodie#damian wayne#daminette#damian x marinette#marinette x damian#long distance relationship#missing you#alya cesaire#nino lahiffe#adrien agreste#marinette protection squad#alya sugar#nino sugar#adrien sugar#mochinek0
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Steve's Got a Date with a Vampire!
part one of seven | 4.9k | AO3
Now Complete!
Where Eddie wakes up a little bit different, Steve is obsessed, and Dustin gets his Meddling Kids Platinum Badge™.
I know I posted a couple teasers from the last chapter of this over the weekend, but friendly reminder that this is primarily an idiots to lovers fic, and they take their sweet ass time getting there.
Warnings: None for this part, except the obvious mentions of blood.
Steve didn’t ever really leave Eddie’s bedside, while he was sleeping. The only breaks he took were to shower or go visit Max down the hall. Most nights he stayed past visiting hours, the nursing staff having long given up on trying to stop him falling asleep in an uncomfortable hospital chair—oftentimes with Lucas's head resting on his shoulder.
One of those nights, with Steve already leveled with exhaustion and barely holding his own head up, Robin came in to sit with him.
“Steve,” she all but whispered.
“I’m okay, Rob,” he said automatically. “Just gonna rest my eyes for a bit, then I’ll drive you home.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Robin said, sounding fondly annoyed. “Nancy’s gonna drive me. But—don’t you think you should go home and get some rest?” she tried.
They’d had this conversation every day for the last three, now. Steve hadn’t yet relented.
“I’m just gonna worry if I go home,” he said honestly. “I won’t sleep. At least here I know they’re both still breathing.”
Eddie had made strides in that regard, at least; they’d extubated him earlier that day. There still weren’t any signs of him waking up, though, and there was no change at all with Max.
Robin sighed, apparently having expected that answer. She was quiet for a minute, as they both listened to the slow beep of Eddie’s heart monitor.
“Can I ask you something?” Robin asked, voice still low. “And you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, to be clear.”
Steve had an idea of what was coming next and let it happen anyway.
“Sure,” he said.
“This,” she started, gesturing towards Steve slumped in his chair, “is more than just guilt, isn’t it?”
Of course Robin knew. She always went on about how she couldn’t read social cues very well, but Steve couldn’t ever get anything past her. Maybe it was their “telepathic brain thing” that Dustin always complained about them doing. Sometimes it weirded Steve out a little, but right now he was just grateful for it. For Robin.
“No,” he said. His voice sounded small. “It’s hardly guilt at all, really.”
Robin just made little humming noise to herself. Steve took that to mean she wanted him to keep going.
“I mean, I wish we’d done things differently, obviously” Steve said, laughing bitterly so that he wouldn’t cry instead. He’d go back and do things over a thousand times not to end up here again. “I wish I’d stayed with him and Dustin, maybe. Or dealt with Jason when we’d had the chance…” he trailed off, thinking of Max down the hall, Lucas’s swollen face, and the way Erica jumped at every loud noise now. “I’d do a lot differently—or I wouldn’t do it at all. But I blame Vecna more than I blame myself, believe it or not.”
He couldn’t quite figure out what Robin was thinking, or what the look she was giving him meant. Her eyes were soft, a little sad, but also something else.
“I just,” Steve started, but he didn’t know how to say it out loud. Except he knew Robin was waiting for him to, and that she’d be proud of him if he did. The promise of that propelled Steve forward. “I can’t lose him, Robin. Not when I just got him.”
Steve didn’t think he had Eddie, not really. He just knew how Eddie’s teasing grin made his insides warm. How whichever pet name for Steve fell out of his lips at any given moment made him almost forget the apocalypse they were fighting together. Steve didn’t need to have Eddie as his own, he thought. He just needed to know he was alive, that Steve had more days ahead of Eddie invading his personal space, and leaving Steve breathless when he left his scent of smoke and something spicy in his wake.
“You won’t,” Robin said, something steely in her voice now as she grabbed Steve's hand and squeezed. “Neither of them are going anywhere. Not if I can help it.”
Steve did his best to believe her.
———
On the seventh morning of Eddie’s hospital stay, Steve dragged himself into Eddie’s room like usual. Coffee didn’t really do much to quell his exhaustion these days, but he sipped on some anyway as he got to his new routine. He played one of Eddie’s cassettes—quietly, as he’d gotten plenty of dirty looks from the nurses for being too loud before—humming along as he pulled a chair up next to Eddie’s bed. He was so still, Steve couldn’t help reaching out to thread his fingers around Eddie’s wrist, just to feel his pulse still beating away.
This time it stuttered under Steve’s touch. That was new. Steve looked at Eddie’s face, confused. He looked peaceful, like this. His skin was still cool to the touch, but his breathing was even, pulse slow and now jumpy. Was that a good sign?
“Hey, Munson,” Steve said, settling in. He let his grip around Eddie’s wrist loosen, leaving his hand to cover Eddie’s own instead. “It’s been seven days in here, now. Three since you’ve been breathing on your own again. Max is still asleep, too. I wish I had better news. Dustin misses you. I miss you,” Steve sighed and tried to think of something cheerful to share.
“The press does seem to be buying the government’s alternate serial killer theory, since it’s simpler than ’Satan did it,’ I guess. Wayne said the police are working on closing the case against you, so that’s a relief, at least.” Steve dropped his head into his free hand. What good was clearing Eddie’s name if he wouldn’t wake up to see it himself?
“I was wondering why I wasn’t handcuffed to the bed,” a surprisingly smooth and awake voice said above him.
Steve’s head snapped up so fast his neck cracked. Eddie was looking down at him already, his brown eyes darker, somehow. But they were open, bright, and alive. Steve felt his mouth stretch into a wide grin. He didn’t know what to say for what felt like a long time, just smiling stupidly at Eddie.
“Disappointed by that?” Steve finally replied, then immediately felt like kicking himself. Here Eddie was, waking up from a coma, and Steve couldn’t even figure out how to say something normal. Something like, how are you feeling or can I get you some water, sprang to mind too late. But apparently all Steve’s stupid little brain could manage was something not-so-vaguely flirtatious under Eddie’s gaze.
But Eddie didn’t seem to mind. In fact, if Steve wasn’t totally deluding himself, it seemed like Eddie liked it. He didn’t blush, but he looked flustered. Hungry. Steve let that revelation settle deep into his bones, warm and pooling like syrup.
Then he got his shit together.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, squeezing Eddie’s hand. He was still cold. Eddie’s gaze flicked down to Steve’s neck and back. If Steve hadn’t been analyzing Eddie’s every move—for any sign that he might break, might fall back into a coma, might leave again—he’d have probably missed it.
“Starving,” was all Eddie said with a devilish grin.
Steve watched, somewhat dazed, as Eddie let the doctors marvel over his recovery for about forty-five minutes before checking himself out against medical advice. His bites had already scarred over, completely healed in somewhat miraculous fashion. The doctor’s seemed mildly concerned about Eddie’s circulation, given how much blood he’d lost and how slow his pulse still was. But all of his tests were normal, had been for days now. He didn’t seem to have any muscle atrophy, no loss of brain function. He was just Eddie.
So Steve didn’t argue when Eddie asked him to drive him home as soon as possible. Steve wheeled Eddie down the hall to visit Max before he took him back to the motel where Wayne was staying. Eddie had complained loudly about the wheelchair, only relenting when Steve gently laid a hand on his shoulder and said, “Humor me.”
They sat with Max for a while, sobering Steve’s giddiness at Eddie’s complete turnaround. But Steve knew if anyone had the strength in them to do the same, it was Max Mayfield.
No one was here visiting yet—it was still early by anyone but Steve’s standards. So they took their time talking to her, Eddie giving her the daily update like Steve had done for him. He gave Steve a knowing grin as he said, “We all miss you, Red.”
Steve was too busy looking at his feet in embarrassment, so he didn’t notice Eddie hopping out of his wheelchair at lightning speed.
Then Eddie was in his space again, quicker than Steve had time to even account for. Eddie turned into Steve’s neck and whispered, “Cover for me, Stevie.”
Then he dipped down the hallway and into the stairwell.
Steve fumbled to recover for a minute, wondering what on earth had just happened. He looked to Max’s sleeping face as if maybe she’d know. Steve imagined her usual lazy shrug and his heart ached.
Sure enough, a minute later one of the younger nurses came looking for Eddie with discharge paperwork. Bewildered as he was, Steve could handle this part. He leaned against the door frame next to her and grinned.
“I think he went back to his room for something,” Steve said, before putting on the most convincing show of fake flirting he could muster. It still wasn’t his best—Steve was mostly still thinking of Eddie whispering into his neck and ear—but it worked well enough to distract her. Steve was actually surprised to see her face fall when he brushed her off for Eddie’s return.
Take that, Robin, he thought, picturing her damned tally board. Steve thought this whole endeavor probably warranted a point in the ‘You Rule’ column, but he didn’t care much. He was too busy watching Eddie saunter over to his side with his now-zipped jacket suspiciously full looking, and his grin bright.
“Let’s blow this popsicle stand, shall we?”
Steve was too busy caught up in the thrill of Eddie—alive, probably healthy as Steve had ever seen him, laughing breathlessly as they made their escape to Steve’s car—to even ask what he’d been covering for. He wondered if they’d just robbed the hospital pharmacy.
Eddie seemed to wilt a bit once they got outside and the sun peeked out from behind a cloud overhead, hitting him straight in the face.
“Shit,” he mumbled to himself, ducking back into the shade by the doors. “Didn’t think of that.”
“What?” Steve asked, offering his sunglasses over. Eddie accepted them with a grateful smile, then took a tentative step back into the sunshine.
“It’s nothing,” he said, seeming to relax a little once the sunglasses were on. Steve couldn’t help but notice they looked good on him. “Help me to the car, would you?”
So Steve did, offering Eddie an arm to lean on as they made their way through the parking lot. Steve eyed him carefully, but didn’t ask questions.
Well, at least not until they got into the beemer. That’s when Eddie immediately pulled something out of his jacket—was that donated blood?—then tore into the bag and sucked its contents down like, well, water.
Then Steve had questions. The first of which being a hearty, “The fuck?”
Eddie drained the bag and let his head fall back to rest on the seat, exposing the column of his neck. Steve swallowed, cursing his brain to pay attention to what the hell was happening instead of being a slut for once. Eddie lolled his head to look at Steve and gave him a gleaming, bloody smile.
“So, funny story,” he paused. If Steve had to guess it must’ve been for dramatic effect. “I think I’m a vampire.”
———
Admittedly, the whole vampire revelation made Steve a little anxious in a what-in-the-Vecna-fuckery sort of way, but he didn’t trust Eddie any less over it. Just because he was on the slithering asshole’s radar, Steve didn’t understand why he’d have to worry about Eddie being mind-controlled by Vecna anymore that he did for Max or Will. The whole vampire bit was admittedly a curveball, but so was the rest of Steve’s life at this point.
All the same, Eddie himself had insisted that they give it a few days before letting him around the kids, to be sure. Dustin only gave it twenty-four hours before calling a “family meeting” and inviting everyone over to Steve’s. Steve had not been consulted, but what else was new?
So there he sat, Eddie sandwiched between himself and Robin on his couch, while Mike, Lucas, and Dustin took turns pacing in front of them.
The kids eventually devolved into having a rapid-fire debate about some dude called Kas—who apparently destroyed things? Steve wasn’t sure it really mattered. Dustin kept yelling something about Kas and betrayal, whatever that meant, but Mike was countering with something about evil and alignments. Steve guessed it wasn’t about any dark desires from a chiropractor.
Eddie had finally had enough of their bickering and whistled for them to shut up.
“Look, kiddos. I want a Vecna-free brain just as much as you guys. Well, more than you guys do,” he paused to fiddle with his rings. Steve wondered if they weren’t real silver, or if that was just a myth. Then he realized he’d thought all vampire-related things were myths up until yesterday. He shook himself out of his thoughts as Eddie continued. “If he is secretly hanging out in the ol’ noggin, I can’t tell. But don’t you all keep telling me about a girl with mind-reading abilities? Think she could suss him out?”
The room went silent, blessedly, for maybe one-and-a-half seconds.
“Genius!” Dustin exclaimed.
“Where’s El?" Mike asked Lucas at the same time.
“Will that work?” Lucas questioned over everyone else.
“One at a time, Jesus,” Steve cut in, rubbing his eyes. When he stopped, Eddie was looking at him with some emotion Steve couldn’t quite interpret. He stopped trying and turned back to the kids, who stood there staring at him like they were waiting for assignments. Steve sighed, and pointed at Mike. “You first, Wheeler.”
Mike turned to Lucas. “Was El still at the hospital when you left?”
She spent most of her time with either Hopper or Max these days, so it was a fair assumption.
“She was,” Lucas confirmed. “Is that something you think she can do?”
“Probably,” Mike shrugged.
“Definitely,” Will amended, speaking up for the first time in a while.
And so that’s how Steve ended up going to get El so she could “do a proper seance” on Eddie’s brain, as he’d put it.
“I don’t feel him,” El said about an hour later. “Your mind is strange.”
Robin failed to hide her snickering behind her hand.
“Believe me, kid, I know,” Eddie agreed with a grin.
With everyone more relaxed after that, Eddie regaled the kids with his tale of evading tipping off the nurses to his being awake while he pieced together that he’d woken up not quite…human.
“So I played dead,” Eddie told them and flopped on the floor like a sack of dead weight, letting his tongue loll out of his mouth and everything. Steve watched the hem of Eddie’s shirt ride up just far enough to give him a glimpse of the worst of his scarring. They already seemed to have faded again since the day before. “And hoped like hell I wouldn’t eat anyone before I could figure out how to get down to the blood bank. Then Stevie came to my rescue.” He flashed Steve an exaggerated wink and whisked himself back to his feet as he told everyone how waking up felt.
Eddie apparently had a lot of weird dreams while he was still under, too. When Dustin asked, Eddie explained how most were like watching his body turn cold, like steel—or dreams about blood. He recounted waking up and being overwhelmed by feeling almost everything around him, of being able to hear the heartbeat of the patient in the next room over before the monitor even registered it with a beep.
As an added bonus, Eddie also enjoyed showing off the fangs.
Steve had to work to control his face every time Eddie popped those out. Steve thought the fangs should be freaking him out, but they didn’t in the slightest. To the point where Steve thought maybe there was something wrong with his fight or flight response after one-too-many trips to a different dimension. A normal person would be scared, not inexplicably turned on by the thought of them sinking into the flesh of their neck.
In the interest of not exposing himself as a lovestruck idiot to absolutely everyone in the room—Robin absolutely already knew, based on the looks she’d been shooting him all afternoon—Steve excused himself to the patio for a smoke break. He didn’t usually smoke much anymore, unless he was drinking, largely due to Robin’s incessant nagging about it. But Steve was pretty sure if he had to keep his blossoming crush on his friend the vampire in check, he’d need a lot more nicotine to distract himself.
Except Eddie slid out of the patio door to join him. Steve offered him one from his own pack wordlessly. Eddie accepted with a toothy—but thankfully fang-free—grin.
“Do these do anything for you anymore?” Steve asked, suddenly curious.
“Not really,” Eddie shrugged. “I just wouldn’t know what to do with my hands if I quit. Or for an excuse to leave the room when I’m uncomfortable.”
Steve huffed out a nervous laugh, unsure if that was meant to be Eddie calling him out. Unwilling to really find out, Steve stayed quiet and stared up at the few stars that were starting to show themselves.
“Are you sure you wanna let me drive them home?” Eddie asked after a minute, staring determinedly at his shoes. Steve didn’t know what the hell to make of that question.
“I’m not your mother, Munson,” he tried for a lighter tone.
“True,” Eddie smirked, “but you’re kind of theirs, though.”
Fair, Steve thought. But he still wasn’t sure what Eddie was actually getting at. “What’s this about?”
Eddie sighed and stubbed out his cigarette with a frustrated flourish. “I guess I’m asking if you’re sure you trust me to be around them. By myself. When I’m like…this.”
Steve almost laughed, but managed to hold it in once he saw that Eddie was being serious. He was tucking into himself like a pill bug, like he was expecting the fear and revulsion to finally come rolling off of Steve in waves.
Steve had wondered if it was a delayed reaction on his part, as well, and if eventually he’d be disgusted or freaked out by the whole situation. So far those feelings showed no threat of surfacing, and Steve didn’t really think that they would, either.
Instead, all he felt was relief. He was relieved that Eddie was still alive. Or, well, kind of alive. He never really mastered the logistics of all the vampire movies Robin has made him watch. And really, after all of the Upside Down creatures that had tried to eat them over the years, Eddie seemed positively tame.
Most importantly, he seemed like himself.
So, gently, Steve reached his hand across the empty expanse between them and laid it on Eddie’s forearm. Eddie’s eyes snapped up to meet his own.
“I trust you,” Steve said, putting every ounce of sincerity he could muster into the look they shared. Eddie seemed to believe it, because after a moment he deflated, melting back to lean against the house. “And more importantly, so do they,” Steve added, jerking his head back towards the kids inside.
“Your trust is pretty important to me, too, Harrington,” Eddie admitted with an almost shy smile.
Steve sucked whatever he could out of the last dregs of his cigarette and prayed for the strength to survive being a total goner for Eddie Munson.
———
Max seemed to be improving physically, but there were still no signs of her waking up anytime soon. The longer she slept, and the more things deteriorated in town, the more everyone wanted to find Vecna and finish the job.
Soon enough they all coalesced around a plan to end the Upside Down nonsense once and for all. With El and Will back in town, and Eddie’s newfound enhanced abilities of his own, it didn’t take much. Especially once they realized their old friends the demobats were now more inclined to follow Eddie’s lead than “Old Slitherfuck,” as he called Vecna.
One spring night they snuck into the Upside Down one last time and ended things for good. Max woke up in Lucas’s arms the moment Vecna was done and dusted, and El closed the gates for what they all hoped was the final time.
And now? Well. Now everyone was trying to get back to normal. Or as normal as they could be when they had to figure out ways to steal blood for the vampire in their friend group.
So on they went, trying to settle into yet another new set of skin. Eddie was still wary of himself, Steve could tell, but he never withdrew into isolation or tried to convince everyone they were better off without him.
Which was good, because everyone wanted Eddie around that much more.
Dustin wanted nothing more than to test his abilities, and did test whatever Eddie would let him get away with. Robin asked if they could have vampire movie nights, or if Eddie would find that insensitive (he heartily agreed to it). Nancy had a million questions like the good reporter she was, and she and Dustin often piggybacked off each other’s ideas. Mike tended to go between staring at Eddie in awe and wondering if maybe his sexuality was just “people with superpowers.”
Or at least that’s what Steve and Robin assumed when no one else was listening (and Robin wasn’t pointing out Steve’s own crush on a certain vampire).
Steve was just doing his best to cope. He was getting used to the whole “Eddie Munson is now an undead vampire” situation. Really, he was.
Was he sometimes inexplicably a little bit jealous that he apparently didn’t get enough demobat venom to also be turned? Jealous that he wasn’t the one with superhuman strength and outright awe from the kids at his mere existence? If he was, Steve wasn’t willing to admit it out loud. Because he knew where the jealousy was really coming from, and he certainly wasn’t going to admit how attractive he found Eddie’s new set of pearly whites, no matter how many times Robin tried to get him to.
With everyone’s support (and curiosity), it didn’t take very long for Eddie to finally relish his adaptation into an immortal being either. They’d determined that the sun was hard on him—it made him feel sluggish and itchy, “like Kryptonite"—but he didn’t burst into flame under its rays. Usually he just wore sunglasses and carried around an umbrella like an old-timey gentlewoman who didn’t want to accidentally gain a freckle.
Eddie had been a night-owl before, anyway, so nothing much had really changed there either. Silver didn’t hurt him, mirrors still worked on him, and garlic only made him sneeze. No one was willing to check if a wooden stake would do anything, and Eddie seemed as glad of that as Steve was. Other than the commanding an army of bats, invulnerability, and the obvious diet changes, Eddie didn’t seem all that different.
It was driving Steve wild.
The simplest of flirtatious remarks sent him into a tailspin most days. And Eddie was full of flirtatious remarks by default. The more Steve let on that the flirting flustered him, the more elaborate Eddie got with it.
Eddie’s retelling of his and Steve’s escape from the hospital became more embellished, as well. Steve didn’t exactly know what had happened before he’d arrived to visit that morning, but he was pretty sure it didn’t involve a ravenous Eddie hanging upside down from the hospital ceiling to avoid being caught out of bed while he looked for the blood bank, like Eddie claimed.
Once, he was regaling Will and Dustin with his harrowing journey down into the basement on the “hunt for blood,” as he stood on top of the coffee table in Steve’s living room. (Steve did not have it in him to object to this, a bit of a double standard that Robin mocked him mercilessly over.) Steve was only half paying attention—he’d been there, thank you very much, he remembered what actually happened—from the kitchen while dumping a bag of chips into a bowl.
He perked up though when Eddie said, “Steve was pitifully flirting with a nurse for my benefit—“
“Hey!” Steve protested as he made his way back to the living room. He shoved the bowl into Eddie’s chest and flopped on the sofa next to Will. “She was into it.”
“I could tell your heart wasn’t in it, sweetheart,” Eddie said, and shot Steve a wink. It was so simple, barely even a blip on anyone else's radar, but it had Steve feeling heated through.
Steve tried not to melt into the floor as Will gave him a sideways glance. He did his best to ignore it. The last thing he needed was for someone other than Robin to needle him about his ridiculous behavior.
That particular desire was quickly snuffed out by one Dustin Henderson, though.
———
One day in May, Dustin cornered Steve on their way out of the Henderson house.
“Do you have a problem with Eddie?” Dustin asked him, point blank in his hallway. Steve was suddenly very grateful that Claudia was not at home at the moment.
“No?” Steve couldn’t help but let it become a question. Dustin narrowed his eyes.
“Well, it seems like you do. All you ever do is stare at him, you barely talk, you act like you’re going to jump out of your skin if he even looks at you. Are you afraid of him or something?” Dustin’s face softened, like he was trying not to be quite as harsh as usual. There was still a fierceness there, though, that Steve knew was just born of protectiveness over Eddie.
“No,” Steve replied without hesitation. “Even though you might think that’s a perfectly reasonable reaction to have to our friend the newborn vampire, I’m not afraid of him.”
“Well that’s just it!” Dustin half-yelled, throwing his hands in the air. He just barely missed clipping Steve’s nose. “He’s our friend, but you’re back to treating him like some kind of freak. So if you’re not afraid of him, I’d like to know why you’re being a dick.”
Steve flinched. Dustin wasn’t outright saying it, but he got the implication all the same; you’re acting like King Steve again.
He so violently wanted to reject the accusation that he considered telling Dustin the truth.
It wasn’t like Dustin didn’t accept queer people. He knew about Robin now—thank god—and practically mooned over her for weeks with how cool he found it. Steve was pretty sure Dustin wouldn’t react any differently to finding out he was also a member of the fruit basket, as Robin had dubbed them.
Steve took in the sheer disappointment on Dustin’s face and sighed. He retreated into the living room and plopped on the couch, restlessly running his hands through his hair. Tews came up to him and rubbed her cheek against his pant leg. He gratefully scratched her ears.
Steve knew if he just admitted to the jealousy, Dustin would feel better, but wouldn’t entirely lose that kicked-puppy look. ‘I just want my dads to get along,’ he’d taken to whining whenever he felt like Steve and Eddie weren’t bonding to his specifications. Steve tried not to spontaneously combust each time any of the kids referred to him and Eddie as such.
Fuck it, Steve thought. He knew Dustin would latch on to his confession like Dart with a Three Musketeers, and Steve dreaded the conclusions he’d jump to. But he couldn’t stand to disappoint the kid. He took a deep breath in as Dustin sat beside him. For once, he’d kept his mouth shut instead of berating Steve into submission. He waited patiently, quiet.
“I’m not afraid of him,” Steve said again. “I don’t think he’s a freak. I’m not turning back into King Steve.” He gave Dustin a pained look, who had the grace to look a bit sheepish in response. “I like him, okay?”
“You don’t seem like you—“
“No, Dust,” Steve interrupted. He held Dustin’s gaze this time, hoping he’d connect the dots without too much explanation on Steve’s part. “I like him. I stare and barely talk and tense up because he makes me nervous. But in the butterflies in your stomach kind of way, not the oh god he’s going to kill us all in our sleep kind of way.”
Dustin stayed silent, but his eyes were wide as saucers. Steve wondered if he should give himself a pat on the back for rendering Dustin Henderson speechless for possibly the first time ever.
“You okay?” Steve asked instead, picking at his pant leg. Steve was nearly certain Dustin wouldn’t care that he was bisexual, sure. But he couldn’t help but worry that Dustin still wouldn’t approve—that Steve wouldn’t be good enough, not for Eddie, not in Dustin’s eyes.
Dustin had a knack for surprising Steve, though.
“This is amazing,” he said, eyes practically fucking sparkling with delight.
[PART TWO]
#steddie#steve harrington#eddie munson#fanfic#stranger things#vampire!eddie#dani's drafts#steve's got a date
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Okay but... I just made myself giggle, so I have to share this.
You know what's REALLY reasonable to assume? That if you get yeeted into the Literally Endless Mutiverse, land in an alternate Reality, and are working to find a way home... once you FIND a way home?
You will LITERALLY never seen ANYONE from this dimension, ever again.
You can kinda assume that, right?
Your Revolutionary 5th century French Alt-Self isn't gonna show up at the local coffee shop and strike up awkward conversation. That Beastman you punched, isn't gonna run into you at the corner store. You go home. Never see them again.
Sad to lose new friends? Yeah, always.
But! *cough* :Y if..... say....
You were to Action Movie Slut It Up, while "abroad"? Maybe fuck a steam punk captain in his office. Do unspeakable things to that Sci-Fi Detective as the city burns around you? Etc etc? Because your young, your mentor is a hard-ass, your brother will MURDER anyone who tries to sleep with you, and maybe you are just? Unbearably horny?
......t-there's no way that could come back to bite you right?
EXCEPT?
You have been ROCKING these poor bastards WORLDS. Are THE, Singular, "One Who Got Away(tm)". Because you did NOT hold back and ABSOLUTELY let your freak flag fly. They THOUGHT they knew Passion, but after you? They realized they were FOOLS.
Then you just... pulled your pants on, left them changed men, ruined for anyone else, and FUCKED OFF to another universe.
God damn power move. (You magnificent bastard.)
But do they REMEMBER you? Yeah. Yeah, they fuckin have a SHRINE to you. They remember.
All this to say? The Bats, JLA, and Tim's teammates LEARN some shit about what he gets up to when sucked into other realities. Because like HALF the grizzled BAMFs that appear, when some asshole BREAKS THE MULTIVERSE and they have to work together to fix it? Take ONE(1!) look at Red Robin and go varies versions of:
"Babe~♡! Darling! My fuckable little delight! How are you~♡? :D "
And just? Oh. Oh no. Tim can FEEL the other Bats slooooowly turning to look at him, the Demand For Answers BURNING in their eyes. But what's WORSE? Is the BAMFs HEARD each other. And immediately turned on each other.
Because OBVIOUSLY, one of THESE fuckers must have been the bastard who SEDUCED Robin away from them. (Incorrect. He was using them for passing companionship and mostly their bodies. Also their tech. Space ship. Strategic castle location. Again, mostly their bodies.)
Just? Tim Drake, Secret Slutty Homme Fatale of the Multiverse. Bruce and Dick are gonna chain him up in bubble wrap in a BUNKER after this, if those idiots keep talking about his "passionate embrace". But he can't STOP them because Kon has a hand on his shoulder about as easy to move as your average mountain range.
Kon has QUESTIONS. :) Buddy, Bro, dear friend of his.
Bart stop laughing at him and help.
He's gonna die. Fuckless. Don't do this to him, bro. Bart, please.
-🐼🐼🐼
all i can think about is tim as this sonic meme 😂
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Sanuso (Usopp is transmasc btw. Important thing here) would have two twin daughters accidentally because they make love right after they see each other in Sabaody and they don't really have the time to think about protection or, you know, have common sense. Then, everything happens without the knowledge of Usopp being pregnant until the Dressrosa group arrives at Zou and Usopp starts feeling sick.
Btw, ignore all the common sense for pregnancy. I will do research but not much because the timeline in OP is so short and everything happens so fast and I want the angst to fit in here. So just assume everything I say is medically accurate.
Law instantly notices something's off and tells both Chopper and Usopp (when they reunite with the others) to join him in a more private place. Honestly, the only reason he's doing this is because he refuses to let one of these idiots get in the way of his mission and alliance, he doesn't want to know anything about romantic dramas or anything. Anyway, he has a talk with a very confused Usopp and asks questions that instantly make Chopper realize what's going on. Law ends up doing a quick check-up and... This is way worse than what he was expecting because he could kind of deal with a pregnant pirate, but a pirate pregnant with twins? No. This is a nightmare. Usopp is still confused and Law wants to get over with this already, so he's like: "Long story short, bad news. For me, mostly. And for you too, depending on how fond you are of kids and how much of a jerk is the person you slept with." And basically, Usopp panics. Sanji is loyal to him and they love each other. They even talked about how much they both wanted kids (they're not at that point yet and they didn't even say anything about having them together. They just said they wanted kids at some point) but he's still extremely worried about what Sanji might say. The thought of not having their kids doesn't even cross his mind until Law says: "I mean... I could just help you get rid of them. Poof! Bye babies. Hi pirating again. Hi Wano. And no words to daddy. Or mommy. Or whatever. How does that sound so we don't have to deal wit-" and Usopp instantly goes defensive about it, realizing that he wants to have them. Or at least talk to Sanji about it first.
Chopper hears everything and is there the whole time and... He doesn't have good news, of course, but he waits until all of them are together to tell them what happened with Sanji. This is the reason why Usopp refuses to go to Whole Cake Island and prefers to join the Wano group instead, knowing that the rescue adventure will be more dangerous and refusing to acknowledge that his boyfriend might get married to somebody else. He just tells Luffy to bring back Sanji for him. Almost begs him. And Luffy, carelessly as ever, accepts in the most optimistic of ways.
Usopp doesn't tell anybody about it and everyone thinks he's just sick. The only one who notices him being weird is Zoro, but when he asks what's wrong, Usopp refuses to tell him the truth and quite obviously lies about what's going on. Zoro just tells him to come to him if he ever needs anyone to talk to, and honestly? Who is he going to talk to? Franky? Robin could be a nice option, actually, but he doesn't really know how to approach the topic and he already knows that her calm, reassuring words won't be enough to calm him down. He needs honesty. Harsh reality. And he knows the answer is Zoro. Plus, they're closer. And Zoro obviously notices something. So Usopp can't keep the secret anymore because he's literally dying of stress as he thinks about Sanji and what's going on in WCI. He ends up telling Zoro and he's like:
Zoro: So what are you going to tell curly?
Usopp: I'll just- I don't know.
Zoro: Do you want the kids?
Usopp: If he-
Zoro: But do you?
Usopp: I think so. Yes. Even if it looks harder to achieve my dream this way. Lots of pirates have had kids!
Zoro: Then that's it. Solved. You're welcome.
Usopp: Okay, haha, no. Nope. I'm not having these kids without him. Thank you.
Zoro: Your body, your choice, your kids. If he doesn't want them and you do, he'll still have to deal with them. We're on the same crew.
Usopp: So that's why I can't have them if he doesn't want them. I can't just-- Burden him with-
Zoro: Well, the first mistake here was his. I even know about condoms.
Usopp: You're not being very supportive right now, you know?
Zoro: Well, you wanted the truth. This is the truth. You can do whatever the fuck you want. And what makes you think he won't want them, again?
Usopp: Mm. I dunno. I just have the feeling something bad is going to happen soon.
Zoro: He's a pussy and a women-obsessed weirdo but- He loves you. Or at least he looks like he loves you. And he's always annoying the shit out of me saying that once he has kids they're going to be better than mine, so he does want to have them. Even if it's only to piss me off.
Usopp: I just- I think I just need to wait until he comes back. He will come back and we will talk about this.
Zoro: You don't sound so sure.
Usopp: No, I have never been more scared. I am not sure. But-
Zoro: But when you're scared, the only thing left for you to do is to trust in Luffy.
Usopp: Yeah. Trust in Luffy. If he doesn't come back with my boyfriend I am going to murder him.
Zoro: Careful, you're starting to sound like you doubt our captain.
Usopp: No. I trust Luffy to do everything he can. But Sanji's stubbornness is just... Too much sometimes.
But Sanji comes back to him. Obviously. And Usopp knows that, despite the bad feeling he's having about all of this, they will be alright. And I don't talk more about this because I have 0 energy right now to continue writing about this now. Maybe another day. I just wanted to post this right now because it's been on my drafts for AGES. So here it is. I will keep talking about this someday I promise.
Also, I made a post about the kids too a while back.
#yes i am writing a fic#no it will not be posted soon#because it's probably gonna be long af and i do not have the time#yes the twin girls are banchina and sora my beautiful ocs#my cute little girls that also have a brother years later#zoro my beloved he's protective and he loves usopp a lot okay#also sanji misses usopp like fucking crazy please#chopper can't keep a secret so sanji knows something's going on with usopp. he just doesn't know why and he NEEDS to get to wano right now#also bold of you to assume they have time to talk hahaha NO! the convo they have is post wano and there's angst with a happy ending#anyway i just love these two being parents leave me alone#one piece#black leg sanji#usopp#sanuso#sanuso parents au
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Stranger Therapy - part 4!
Eddie Munson x Steve Harrington
Summary: Steve and Eddie have an awkward encounter and end up telling Robin what's been going on. Their third session with Murray does not go as planned. Link to Ao3
Word Count: 3K, follow-up to part 1 part 2 and part 3!
Warnings: Smooooches, idiot gays being awkward, GAY PANIC AS ALWAYS, what even is the fake dating vs real dating line anymore, Murray is kind of an ass, but also he's right, cameo from loml Robin Buckley, sexual tension and release baybeeee
A/N: Here you have it folks - the much awaited part 4! I never expected this to blow up, and while I have a few scattered ideas of where I could take the story, I think I will leave it at these four parts. A few readers suggested an epilogue so I’ll probably do that, otherwise thank you for following along! xx
Steve’s apartment was somehow both neat and incredibly cluttered. It was like one of those images where the longer you stare at it, the more weird shit you see.
“That’s a really big poster of a can of soup you got there,” Eddie said.
“Yeah,” Steve chuckled. “Robin has a, uh - a unique taste in decor.” Eddie smiled.
“Explains the random bowling pin as a centerpiece, too.”
“Actually, that one is mine,” Steve admitted. “Stole it from a bowling alley when I was sixteen and now it just kind of follows me everywhere.”
“Wow,” Eddie laughed. “So your life of crime literally haunts you.”
“More like,” Steve countered, “I dunno what else I’m gonna do with it at this point. How am I supposed to throw out a bowling pin?”
“I meannnn.” Eddie mimed shooting a basketball. “Straight to a dumpster, I’d think.”
It wasn't an unpleasant conversation, by any means. It was like their usual banter, except one thing was different - now, they were in Steve’s apartment, and they’d just told each other they wanted to date in a non-fake way, but they may have already been doing that, and Jesus Christ we’re a mess.
“Can I get you anything?” Steve asked. Eddie followed Steve to the kitchen and heard Steve go over an assortment of beverage options, but Eddie was too distracted to really listen. He quickly realized if he didn’t pick something, Steve would just keep naming things, so he just blurted out -
“Uh - I’m good, actually.” Steve closed the fridge and leaned against it, as if he was waiting for further instruction. “So, what now?”
“I have no idea,” Steve answered. “I wasn’t expecting this.”
“Me neither,” Eddie agreed. “Although I do have one idea.”
Eddie took a step closer to Steve and put one arm on either side of him, caging him against the fridge door.
“Oh,” Steve muttered quietly.
“This is okay, right?” Eddie asked. Steve nodded.
And it all would have been fine, in any other situation. Eddie had kissed many people before, and it hardly ever gave him pause. But there was something about kissing Steve, the vulnerability of it all, and the way they were crossing a physical boundary after blowing past so many emotional ones already, that made this feel different.
“What’s taking so long?” Steve teased with a smirk.
“I, uh -” Jesus Christ, just kiss the guy. What the hell is wrong with me? “Oh, fuck. I’m, like, nervous?” Eddie released Steve from the fridge and took a few steps away.
“You’re getting all in your head about it, right?” Steve asked. “Uh, okay. So, does it help if I say I really want to kiss you?” Eddie pivoted on his heels to face Steve again.
“Yeah, that helps,” he said. “Okay, I think we gotta just, like, do it.” Steve chuckled.
This time, Eddie moved quickly and with more enthusiasm - so much so in fact that their foreheads clashed together.
“Oh, shit!” Steve exclaimed. “You trying to kiss me or concuss me?”
“Oh my god,” Eddie said, mortified. “Okay, well this has been fun. We’ve had a great run. I obviously have to disappear forever now.”
Eddie really would have left and never looked back, except Steve didn’t look embarrassed or offended or even disappointed in any way. Instead, he was smiling.
“Dude, you are thinking way too hard about this,” he noted. “Come here.” Steve pulled Eddie back to him by the arm and swiftly kissed him on the lips. It was just a peck - just enough to make contact and break the initial barrier. “See? Easy.”
Yeah, it was easy. Very, very easy. So easy in fact that Eddie found himself immediately chasing Steve’s lips and kissing him again.
He was just about to melt into it when the door burst open, sending the boys flying apart like shrapnel.
“Steve!” Robin greeted. Her gaze drifted to a blushing Eddie. “And guest,” she smirked. “It’s about time you came over. It’s been what - three weeks? Most gay people elope by this point.”
She was obviously joking, entirely unfazed by the whole situation. She walked in and set her stuff down as if nothing was different than usual, then grabbed a poptart from the kitchen cabinet - completely ignoring the tension in the room.
“Nice to, um -” Eddie began. “Finally meet you. Or, meet you again, I guess.”
“Likewise,” Robin said, her mouth full. She plopped herself down on the couch and turned the TV on.
“I wanna tell her,” Steve whispered.
“Tell her what? That I just gave you head trauma?”
“No!” he said. “About, like, all of it.”
“Why?”
“Because I tell her everything and now it’s weird.”
“You guys do realize I have ears, right?” Robin said from the couch. Eddie sighed.
“Fine, tell her.”
“Tell me what?” she asked. Steve and Eddie shared one last panicked glance before Steve took a deep breath to share the secret he’d been keeping for way too long.
“So, you know how Eddie and I went to couples counseling as a joke for the first date?” Robin nodded. “We, uh - we’ve still been going every week.”
“What?” Robin asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. “You’re that committed to the bit? Hasn’t it gotten old yet?”
“That’s the thing,” Eddie interjected. “We’re not going as a joke anymore.”
There was a thick silence in the room.
“So you - wait.” Robin stood up as if pacing would help her understand the messed up situation they’d gotten into. “So you’re - okay but you - what?”
“We’ve been going to therapy and working on our own shit,” Steve clarified.
“Yeah, but like - together,” Eddie added.
“That’s a thing?” she asked.
“It is 100% not a thing,” Eddie replied. “But Dr. Bauman is a fucking genius.”
“He still thinks we’ve been dating for years,” Steve said.
“But we haven’t really gone out much outside of sessions,” Eddie noted.
“Until today,” Steve continued.
“Right,” Eddie nodded. “Today.”
Robin stared at them both for a few moments, contemplating what she’d just learned. Eddie couldn’t believe this was how he was being introduced to Steve’s best friend, but ah well. She’d figure out he was a little unhinged eventually anyway.
Suddenly, she was laughing. It was more of a cackle, really. She bent over and clutched her stomach, she was laughing so hard.
“What?” Steve asked, thoroughly confused.
“You both are such dinguses,” she said in between fits of giggling. “The therapist totally knows.”
“What? No he doesn’t,” Steve denied.
“He’d stop seeing us if he did, right?” Eddie wondered.
“Not if you’re paying him, oh my god.” Robin chuckled again, her laughter dying down. She wiped a tear from her eye. “So, you two aren’t even actually dating?”
“Uhhhh -”
“Not…yet?” Steve answered. “We were about to, um -”
Robin cut them off with another burst of laughter.
“This is the stupidest and best thing you’ve ever done, Harrington,” Robin sighed. “And you’ve done a lot of stupid things.”
“Yeah, I believe that,” Eddie agreed.
The mood was kind of over after that, so Eddie promised Steve he’d text him and then bolted out the door.
All of that - every single part of it - went the exact opposite of how it was supposed to go.
-
Steve: I thought I saw Dr. Bauman at the grocery store, panicked, and hid behind the cantaloupes.
Steve: (It wasn’t him)
Eddie: hahahahhahahahaha
Eddie: did the imposter see you?
Steve: Only a little bit
Eddie: Hmm. Maybe you’d have better luck behind the bananas
Steve: Regular or organic?
Eddie: i set you up for a really good dick joke there and THATS what you came up with??
Steve: Come on, your joke was low-hanging fruit.
Steve: You’re gonna make a balls joke now aren’t you
Eddie: You’re learning!!
Eddie: I mean pshhh no i wasn’t
Steve: ;)
Steve: Sorry about earlier. We still ok?
Eddie: Yeah
Eddie: I’m actually really busy this week and probably can’t see you until our next appt
Eddie: That’s not a line I promise, I actually really fucking like you and want to see you again
Steve: hiiii this is robin, the man is currently too stunned to speak but you guys are cute albeit very dumb
Steve: ff okjasd poik
Steve: SHIT sorry I told her not to send anything
Eddie: so she reads all our texts too?
Steve: Only the ones that make me blush
Steve: …so, most of them yeah
Steve: See you in therapy 😘
-
As promised, Steve picked Eddie up this time for their meeting with Dr. Bauman. He was a little antsy, just knowing how they’d left things the last time. Like - they’d kissed, but only for a second. It hardly counted, honestly. It’s not like they were officially together now. Steve couldn’t kiss Eddie as he sat down in the passenger seat, even though he wanted to. He couldn’t hold his hand as they drove to the office, but knew Eddie’s innermost thoughts and feelings about his dad going to prison. None of it made sense. They’d created something brand new.
“Now look who’s thinking too hard,” Eddie said with a smirk. Steve realized how focused he must have looked and relaxed the muscles in his face.
“Yeah, whoops,” he replied.
“Relax,” Eddie responded. “This is the part we’ve done a few times before already.”
“Yeah,” Steve repeated. “Do you think Robin was right? Do you think he’d still work with us even if he knew we lied to him?”
“I mean, probably. Wanna find out?”
“No!” Steve answered. “I mean, well what if Robin’s wrong and he drops us?”
“Hmm,” Eddie said, stroking the stubble on his chin - which, by the way, was something Steve thought people only did as a joke. Somehow, Eddie made the cartoonish, exaggerated, theatrical behaviors seem charming and normal. “We could ask him about it hypothetically.”
“Eddie,” Steve muttered. “That’s a dead giveaway.”
“Yeah, but if we never admit to it, he has no proof,” Eddie countered.
“Except he could prove we haven’t been dating in like a hundred different ways,” Steve argued.
“Ah, shit. You’re right,” Eddie agreed. “I’d say we could try to be subtle about it, but that’s not really my specialty.”
“You? Not subtle?” Steve teased.
“You’re one to talk,” Eddie responded.
“No arguments there,” Steve said. Without thinking about it, he grabbed Eddie’s hand and held it, and it didn’t feel like a big deal in the slightest.
-
“Something is different.”
It took Murray all of two seconds to read the change in energy between them. He’d figured it would be a week until they figured out they had it bad for each other, and he suspected he’d been correct. He usually was, but then again - there was nothing usual about this.
“What are you talking about?” Steve asked. Murray clocked the way the question made the boys squirm.
“I have something I want to discuss today!” Eddie loudly announced, putting all attention on himself.
“Alright,” Murray said, urging him to proceed. Now Eddie seemed to be the more anxious of the two.
“It’s about the intimacy thing,” he began. “Like, why am I more nervous to do physical stuff now? I mean - why would I be awkward about it now when in the past I’ve never - I mean, we’ve never had an issue with that?” Steve looked completely shocked by the question - not because he was offended by it, just surprised that Eddie was asking.
Murray had to keep himself from grinning at the confirmation that yes, he was in fact always right.
“Well,” Murray answered, “your relationship is going through a transitional period as you’re learning more about each other in a non-sexual way. So, physical intimacy might feel different than it used to.”
“How do I make it not feel different?” Eddie asked.
“The real question is, what feels different about it?” Murray countered.
“Uhhh well, I’m definitely attracted to him. I just wanna like,” Eddie did some vague hand gestures that Murray assumed were supposed to mean sex. “You know? Like, all the time. But then I actually try to do it and I freeze up.”
“Steve, what are your thoughts on this?”
“I guess I don’t really have that problem,” Steve replied, running his hands through his hair. “I’m like, good to go.” Eddie’s face went pale except for the blush of his cheeks.
“Interesting,” Murray noted. “And when you both were sneaking around at the beginning of your relationship, how did the intimacy make you feel?”
Eddie thought about how he’d gotten no action in high school, but he certainly would have loved to run away with Steve at the time, given the chance. Although, his virgin ass would never have had the guts to do anything. Meanwhile, Steve thought about how he had just started to come to terms with his attraction to men his senior year. Neither of them so much as kissed a guy until well after graduation.
Clearly, there was no way for them to answer Murray’s question and solve their real life predicament.
“Fine,” Eddie replied.
“Mhm. Normal,” Steve added.
The issues that these boys were facing, the real ones anyway, they were all deeply important to dig into and process. But Murray couldn’t really do that when half of the time, they were trying to cover their own asses.
“Okay,” Murray sighed. “We’ve known each other about a month now, so I think it’s time we cut the crap.”
“About what?”
“Spare me the denial, boys, I’ve seen right through you since you stepped into my office.” Murray watched as Eddie and Steve processed what was being implied. When they remained quiet, he continued. “Come on! I know you guys have been lying to me this whole time about your relationship. Tell me - are you doing some sort of weird role play? Are you long-time friends pulling an elaborate and extremely expensive prank? Or does one of you not have health insurance, so you’re sharing the love? Spill it.”
“Damn. Robin was right.”
“We can never tell her.”
“Should we make a run for it?”
“I have no idea.”
“Dumbasses!” Murray exclaimed. “I can hear you! Come on, the jig is up. Am I wrong?” Eddie and Steve looked at each other, then shrugged.
“You’re not not wrong,” Eddie replied.
“We’re not going to get arrested for, like, fraud or anything, right?” Steve asked.
“No,” Murray answered. “It’s your money, and I think we’ve done good work here. We still have some time if you want my actual professional advice on anything, by the way.”
“And after that?” Eddie wondered. “Like, is this our last session with you?”
“Why don’t you just tell me the truth from the beginning and we’ll go from there?” he replied.
So, they did. They explained how they met, how they decided to continue seeing Dr. Murray, how they paused their real-life dating, and how they shared a brief, awkward kiss.
“But the thing is, Doc,” Eddie finished. “We actually feel like it’s going well. So, if we promise to just be ourselves, can we keep doing this?”
“This is fascinating,” Murray muttered. “I didn’t realize you two didn’t know each other at all prior to this. Hmm.” He looked through his notes and thumbed through a few books on his shelf, pondering how to move forward. “What we’ve been doing is most like group therapy, I’d say, since you two haven’t seen each other much outside of our sessions. Most of the time, group therapists advise members not to meet up or form relationships outside of the group meetings, so they can focus on themselves in session. It sounds like you do both want to work on your own personal issues, outside of your budding relationship with each other.” Murray continued to consider the ethics of the situation, what he knew so far about the boys, and what he knew about the usual protocol regarding termination of clients. Since this was new territory, Murray could basically do what he thought was best, given the circumstances. “If you want to keep working together, I am willing to do so. But I recommend not seeing each other outside of this, to prevent conflict of interest.”
“Oh,” Steve said. “So, no dating.”
“That would fall under the category of ‘seeing each other outside of this,’ so yes Steve, that’s correct.”
-
“So, Dr. Bauman was kind of a dick today,” Eddie stated as they walked to Steve’s car.
“Yeah, he kind of was,” Steve agreed. “I mean, he’s good at what he does, so maybe we should listen to him.”
They made it to the car and paused, enjoying the warm weather against their skin. Steve leaned against the driver’s side door, and Eddie joined beside him.
“Yeah, I guess,” Eddie sighed. “Because we want to keep seeing him.”
“Right,” Steve responded. Eddie turned his head to face Steve - Big mistake. Steve looked fucking amazing in the sunlight. “So, if he says we should stay apart, then -”
Eddie closed the gap between them and kissed Steve the way he’d been wanting to since they started this whole goddamn thing. He breathed in the scent of Steve’s cologne that had been teasing him and driving him mad. He gripped the bicep that commanded his attention any time it was in view. He ran his hands through the hair that felt just as soft as it looked.
“Bad idea?” Eddie mumbled into Steve’s lips.
“Don’t care,” Steve replied, returning the kiss with fervor.
-
Murray collected his notes from the day and stacked them neatly before filing them, as he always did before lunch. He glanced out the window to check that the weather was still nice, then sighed as he caught a glimpse of something else.
Do these idiots seriously not remember that my office faces the parking lot?
(epilogue found here)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
@escapingthereality @imfinereallyy @raisedbylibrarians @samthemissfit @chaoticvictorianspirit @elizbaehth @despoenaandpyromania @cr0w-culture @bagofgreentea @f1ct1onwh0re @novelnovella @thing-a-ling @bisexualdisastersworld @practicallybegging @soldiers00 @beckkthewreck @fandomz-brainrot @shrimply-a-menace @justanothergirlwithobsessions @freshflowers-and-dryingherbs @satan-is-obsessed @best-selling-show @micheledawn1975 @smolalien13 @sundead @rosered93 @nikboi @thehunterofsleep @havlindzk
@paintballkid711 @abraca-fxckyou @allbimyself26 @jellybabiesforall @allbymyselfexceptformycactus @justaloadofgarbage-blog @alliemunsonsstuff @undreamingscatworld @thefruityfours @hobbitnarwhal @calivanus @wreckmyplans-thatsmyman @antheia @goodolefashionedloverboi @lillemilly @missmagillicuddy @steviesbicrisis @gamerdano @menamesniall @eyeslikewildflowers111 @callmesirkay @stringischeese @eds-trashmouth
#steddie#stranger therapy#stranger things fanfiction#steddie fic#steve and eddie#eddie munson x steve harrington#st fanfic#writing#modern au
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