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frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe · 5 months

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@steddiemas Day 7 - Mall and/or Job

pairing: steddie | word count: 1,884 | rated: G

“Munson Residence, wha'd’ya want?” Eddie groans into the receiver.

Whoever this is better be someone super fucking important to have woken him up with their damn ringing. He’s surprised Wayne didn’t wake up too, but it’d be kinda hard to hear the phone over those snores.

“Eddie! Thank god,”

Oh. Steve! Very important, actually.

“Oh, hey Steve, what’s up?”

“Eddie, can you do me a huge favor?”

“Yeah, of course, what’s wrong?” he immediately spirals into what all could have gone wrong, what could be going wrong. Everything dark blue and cold, vine-y and the flashing of red lightning—

“Nothing, nothing–well, something.. Can you please run to my place later today and grab my lunch? I forgot it this morning and I know I’m not going to be able to run back and get it and get back in time to eat it before my break is over.”

“Your lunch?” “Yeah, I packed one this morning but left it on the counter. There’s a key under the mat and everything.” Eddie barks out a laugh, “Tryin’ to get robbed, big guy?”

“I don’t care about any of the shit in that house.” Steve scoffs. He shrugs even though Steve can’t see him. “Fair enough. Sure Stevie, I’ll bring your lunch; when do you want me there?” “Dude, you’re the best; My lunch break is right at noon, can you be here just before then?”

“Got it. Five to noon at Family Video.” he drawls out as if he’s writing the information down.

“Uh, actually…not Family Video..”

A short two hours later, Eddie finds himself among a throng of people inside Melvald’s. He has to fight his way forward at first, but the crowd thins out as he gets closer to the registers.

Damn, he’s not even that far into the store and he feels like he’s ran a mile.

“Ms. Byers!”

“Oh! Hello Eddie, what brings you here?” “Steve called and asked if I could drop off his lunch to him. Do you know where he is? I didn’t even know he was working here.”

Joyce just grins at him. It’s weirdly mischievous. “Only temporarily, he’s near the back of the store. Just head back there and I’m sure you’ll find him.”

“Uh..thanks. See ya later Ms. B.”

He wanders toward the back of the store through the aisles, but stops up short when a fake white picket fence blocks his path.

The whole back corner of the store has been covered in fake felt snow, a couple of those fake plastic trees like Steve’s (though these are a normal size), a candy-striped ‘North Pole’, and dozens of paper snowflakes hang from the ceiling between what seems like hundreds of string lights.

And there, sitting in the middle of it on a throne that looks suspiciously like the one he used to use during Hellfire, is Steve. Dressed in a Santa suit. With long white beard, big ol’ belt and buckle, shiny black boots..

“Psst!”

He’s got something stuffed into his Santa jacket to give him the right shape, and even some small half-moon glasses, but those sparkling eyes, the freckles, that one swoop of brown hair stubbornly sticking out from under the fuzzy brim of his hat, that’s all Steve.

“Eddie!”

Santa Steve is fully enraptured by whatever story the kid on his knee is telling him, their hands waving every which way but somehow missing smacking Santa right in the face. Steve just continues to nod along, then gives them a hearty “Ho Ho Ho!” when they try to squeeze their tiny arms around his fake belly.

“Eddie!!”

He glances over at the sound of his name, and sees Robin waving frantically at him from her spot at old school music stand-turned-podium. She’s got on some sort of outfit that honestly looks like it was supposed to be a jester costume, where’d she even get that from?

His feet start toward her, but his eyes fall back on Steve Claus, now posing for a picture with the kid who’s smiling so wide it looks like his face will split in half.

Managing to take his eyes off Steve for a moment, he sees Jonathan behind the camera, and that Argyle kid is crouched in front of Robin, talking to the next kid in line to see Santa. All three of them are wearing matching jester costumes.

Eddie steps up to her podium after Argyle and the new kid pass in front of him to see Steve, “Family Video not paying enough, Birdie?”

She rolls her eyes, “Well, the extra cash doesn’t hurt. Joyce asked us to help out.”

He nods at her, and finds his eyes drifting back to Santa Steve.

This kid is much more shy than the last one, tilting her head down and taking short glances up at Steve’s face.

Steve is saying something to her, a low comforting sound that Eddie can only make out the tone of. His one hand covers the entirety of her upper back, and his thumb is moving up and down to try and soothe her nerves. His head is ducked down to be more level with her, looking at her over those half-moon glasses.

Suddenly, the girl’s head snaps up and Steve leans back a bit. “Yeah?” he hears him say.

The girl grins, nodding her head like crazy, then she too is squeezing Steve into a hug. It’s so unfairly endearing, he can actually feel his heart swelling in his chest.

Robin speaks up then, “So..?”

“So?” he repeats dumbly.

“So wha’d’ya think, Munson?”

“Does he need a Mr. Claus?”

He regrets the words as soon as they’re out of his mouth.

“Uh, wait, I mean Mrs.–Do you have— is someone going to—”

Eddie chances a look over at her…she’s wearing a smug, shit-eating grin. She leans toward him conspiratorially and mumbles out “I wouldn’t mind a Mrs. Claus myself.”

She leans back, still looking smug, but there’s a note of panic in her eyes.

He lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “So would he.” he mumbles out himself, jerking his chin towards Steve.

Robin only shrugs “You never know.”

“You never—what do you know, Buckley?” he asks, stepping closer and pointing an accusing finger into her still smug face.

“I know that there’s some mistletoe hanging above the breakroom door.”

He’s confused for just a moment, then understanding floods through him, “You little—”

A short whistle interrupts his incoming tirade, and Eddie can see Steve Claus moving out of the corner of his eye.

“Sorry folks, it’s time for Santa’s Cookie break!” Robin calls out over the long line of people. “He’ll be back in 30 minutes though, don’t you worry!” the smile falls off her face as soon as she turns her back to them.

Eddie follows her, Jonathan, and Argyle toward the back rooms, “I’m gonna take a nap.” She says, “Tell Santa to grab me before he goes back.” She waves toward a door as she passes it and from the sprig of greenery hanging above it, this must be the breakroom.

Robin takes a right down a turn in the hall, and Jon and Argyle push out the back door of the building.

He expects more of the same when he opens the door to the breakroom, for Steve to huff and grouse about the kids or the parents or something, but when he does, Steve is grinning ear to ear as he combs through his (now removed) fake beard.

“Hey Santa Stevie.”

“Eds!”

“I’ve got your lunch.” he holds up the brown paper bag for Steve to see. Steve nods, and lays the beard out on an empty chair, taking off his hat and glasses too and setting them both on top before stepping forward to grab the bag. “And you have hat hair.” Eddie laughs.

Steve’s free hand jumps to his head and scruffs up the long hairs, making them stick up every which way instead of just being plastered down on his forehead.

“Better?”

“Sure, big guy.” Eddie pokes Steve’s fake belly.

Steve chuckles, then heads to a table in the corner where he dumps out his lunch bag.

“So what’d Past Steve pack for Future Steve?” Eddie asks, plopping down in a chair kitty-corner from Steve’s. “Bologna and mustard sandwich, Doritos, and half of a leftover Hellfire cookie.”

“And a Coke,” Eddie says, taking a can out of his jacket pocket, “I grabbed one for you from your fridge.”

“Thanks, Eddie.” Steve smiles warmly at him. “You want some?”

“No way dude, you gotta get your energy back after dealing with all those kids, right?” Eddie says, waving him off.

“Eh, some of them are little assholes, but most of them are really well behaved.” he’s ripping his sandwich in half, “Gotta impress Santa, right?”

He offers him one half, and Eddie takes it.

“It’s really not a bad gig, though the beard is itchy as hell…”

Steve starts talking about some of the kids who have come by in the last couple days of them doing this, having started on that past Monday, the 1st.

There were the kids asking for baseball bats, Lincoln Logs, Malibu Barbie, Rockstar Barbie (“Barbie’s a rockstar now?”, “Barbie can be anything, I guess.”), all the usual things.

Then there were kids that asked for actual Santa stuff, “I don’t want my mom and dad to get a divorce.”, “I wish I had some friends.”, “I want my grandpa to get better.”

“Makes me wish I actually was Santa, y’know? Then maybe I could actually help them.”

Eddie’s heart is definitely getting way too fuckin’ big for his chest.

He puts his hand on Steve’s forearm where it’s resting on the table between them. “You are a good man, Steve Harrington.”

Steve’s face flushes nearly as red as his suit. “Thanks, Eddie.” he glances above Eddie’s head then, “I better go wake up Robin, if she naps too long on top of the potatoes, she gets cranky.”

Eddie snorts out a laugh, “Yeah, better get on that.”

Steve stands up and tugs on his hat, not bothering to put on the beard and glasses yet. The fuzzy white band smushes a lock of his hair onto his forehead.

“Hold on,” Eddie stands as well, reaching forward to tuck the hair under the bottom of Steve’s hat. “Now you’ll be ready to see your adoring public.”

“Thanks,” Steve laughs, walking with him toward the door.

And of course, Eddie forgot all about the damn mistletoe until Steve’s arm stops him in the doorway.

‘Jesus H. Christ…’

He glances over at Steve, then up at the offending plant..

Eddie looks back down, out toward the rest of the store where they’d be clearly visible in the doorway.

“I guess you owe me one, huh big boy?” Eddie chuckles, ‘Stupid plant, stupid Robin, stupid Ed–’

His thoughts are cut off when Steve tugs him back into the breakroom, moves him against the wall, and leans down to press a kiss to his cheek. The opposite to the kiss he’d given Steve three weeks ago.

Steve leans back, a smirk on his lips and a pink flush on his face. “Now we’re even.” he winks, then turns out the door to wake up Robin.

i may have actually kicked my feet and giggled about this one lmao

also, rockstar barbie mentioned here is from the 1986 Barbie and The Rockers set

also, also, i'm getting rid of the 'pre' before the steddie up top, you all know what's happening and where this is going lol - it's steddie.

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brbsoulnomming · 8 months

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Tell Me Sweet Little Lies Part 18

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Fortunately, Eddie doesn't actually have to participate much once he and Robin make it back to the living room. The best seating seems to be reserved for the injured and injured adjacent, since Max is already sitting between Lucas and El on one of the couches, with Dustin and Steve on the other. Steve scoots over, leaving the middle cushion open for Eddie to claim, and Robin comes to sit on the armrest of the couch by Steve. He drapes his arm over her thigh, and she checks his shoulder with her hip, shooting him a little smile.

He watches them for a moment, attempting to be an adult and sort out what he's feeling about it now that he knows Steve and Robin are soulmates, but after a few moments he concedes that's going to take longer to process than he's got right now.

Everyone else is scattered around the room in various seating - Will and Mike squished together in the armchair right by Max, Lucas, and El's couch, Erica curled up in the second armchair, Nancy, Jonathan, and Argyle occupying what looks like chairs dragged in from the dining room.

Conversation goes around in circles. There isn't an active threat forcing them into a quick decision, which apparently means they interrupt each other and veer off on tangents and attempt to solve at least four problems at once.

Eddie's a little too floaty from the pain meds - and a little too occupied with Steve's thigh pressed up right against his own - to join, but it's nice, listening to them. It reminds him he's not alone.

They talk about what to do with Vecna - nothing, for the moment, just continue to let El rest and rebuild her powers, with El and Will keeping an eye on Upside Down things; what to do about the gates still open in Hawkins - regular patrols, no one goes out alone and everyone brings a weapon and their walkie with them at all times; what to do with Hopper, who has apparently been alive this whole time and was being held in a Russian prison after being captured at Starcourt - which, sure, of course, it's not like that's the craziest thing that's happened this week. Some guy named Murray is working with his contacts and they're going to spin a story to present to the Hawkins PD.

Eddie watches Steve out of the corner of his eye when he feels him go tense at that one, sees him shift his hand on Robin's leg so it's palm up. She immediately takes it, lacing their fingers together and giving his hand a squeeze. He debates with himself for only a moment before he lets his own hand rest on Steve's knee, squeezing it lightly as well.

Both Robin and Steve turn to him, smiling at him in a way that makes warmth bloom beneath his ribs - Steve with surprised affection, and Robin with a pleased little knowing. He ducks his head and pretends to be really focused on what the group is arguing about.

At some point, the conversation shifts to what they're going to do about Eddie's situation, and, unfortunately, then he really does have to focus.

He doesn't really want to. They don't really seem to have a lot of ideas other than to get Hopper reinstated at Hawkins PD, to work with Murray to come up with a story to pin everything on Henry Creel, carrying on in his father's footsteps.

It just makes him tired.

"This is a lot of talking for what's essentially wait until everyone's back up to full strength and then we can figure out the details," he says after a while.

Steve snorts next to him. "It's not like Eddie's going anywhere," he tells the others. "He's safe here until we figure it out."

Some part of Eddie - the Eddie he was before all this, who didn't need anyone and was convinced Steve Harrington was a jackass - kind of wants to bitch about being under house arrest at the Harrington palace.

But, well. That part is a fading ember compared to the rest of him that wants to grab onto that and take it as an excuse to make himself at home in Steve's life and never leave. The rest of him wants everyone to just get the hell out already, so he can stop trying to pretend he isn't pants shittingly nervous about finally telling Steve he thinks they're soulmates.

Platonic soulmates, he reminds himself.

It takes forever.

Everyone stays for dinner, and Eddie really wants to be pleased about that, to bask in the sounds of so much life, of bickering and teasing and shouting and a fierce, aching love that's woven into every word spoken and every one left unspoken, into every gesture and laugh and shout. To bask in the way that it includes him, how easily he's been folded into it all, how it makes him itchy and content all at once. To bask in the way it makes Steve come alive, golden and vibrant and looking like he's never been happier.

It's just that it also makes him even more antsy about confirming once and for all if Steve is his soulmate, and every time he sees him light up or look so goddamn fond beneath a bitchy expression, he kind of wants to bite him. Or, barring that, get his hands on him, run his fingers over the words etched on Steve's skin to see if it's really true, what he's heard about. If it really does feel like nothing else when your soulmate finally touches the words they've marked you with forever.

Robin keeps shooting these little looks at him, which doesn't help at all, especially because he catches Steve looking back and forth between them with a little scrunch to his forehead - that only gets deeper every time Steve meets Robin's eyes and she just looks back at him, wide eyed and innocent.

She does loudly mention her curfew multiple times, though, and that she's sure Eddie is exhausted after being subjected to them all day, which is worth the protesting shouts she gets from his Hellfire trio.

When they finally all leave, well. Eddie is kind of exhausted, and he tips his head back to rest on the back of the couch for a moment.

"You want me to carry you upstairs?" Steve asks.

His voice is teasing, but when Eddie cracks open one eye to look at him, he looks sincere.

"Thanks," Eddie grumbles. "But I think I'll try to keep what's left of my dignity."

He does kind of want Steve to carry him up, is the thing, but he definitely doesn't want to admit it. Or to deal with it while he's still trying to figure out how the hell he wants to do this.

Steve looks like he wants to say something scathing about Eddie's dignity, but he holds himself back, and offers out a hand to help him up instead.

"Yeah, yeah," Eddie grumbles, deciding to respond to whatever Steve thought of anyway, just to show him that nope, he can't get away with that.

He does take his hand, though, and leans on him as they walk up the stairs. He counts each step as they go, telling himself over and over that okay, he needs to get this sorted out before they reach the halfway point - before they reach the top - before they make it halfway down the hall - at least before they get to Steve's room, come on -

Eddie plops down onto Steve's bed, silently cursing himself as he accepts the bottle of meds Steve offers him, downs two and hands it back.

"So," Eddie says, because he's an idiot. "You and Robin, huh?"

Steve's brow furrows in confusion, which - yeah, fuck, of course it does, because Eddie literally announced that out of no where, and he focuses on that and not on how cute Steve looks.

"She told me this morning," he clarifies. "About the whole two soulmate thing."

His expression clears up, goes all warm and fond even as he rolls his eyes. "That's what all those looks were about, I knew it was something."

When he looks back at Eddie, his expression is a little more closed, eyes a little wary. "Yeah. She and I are soulmates, and we've both got another one we haven't found yet."

Eddie nods, hoping he's accurately conveying just how cool he is with this. In the grand scheme of things, his maybe soulmate having another soulmate is a whole hell of a lot more normal than everything else that's happened in his life recently. "The same one, you think?"

That gets a small smile. "Nah, we've compared." Steve picks at the label on the bottle of pills, not looking at him. "You don't think it's weird? Or I'm - just greedy, or something?"

He flinches, just a little, because if he's being honest - yeah, if he'd found out a year ago, hell even a few months ago, that Steve Harrington had two soulmates, he probably would have rolled his eyes and called him greedy. Little rich boy taking more than his share, Mr. Popular Jackass who of course has two people destined to fall over him. He thinks back to what his uncle had said to him, before high school, and feels shame curl at the bottom of his gut.

"I think," Eddie says after a long moment, because he's still an idiot, but he doesn't want to run anymore, he doesn't. "That I'm your other one. Your - uh, platonic. You and me, platonic soulmates."

Steve looks - all right, Eddie can't actually figure out how he looks.

"I think I like weird," he continues, because he doesn't know how to shut up. "I think you're so, so different from everything I thought you were, and I'm still a little pissed off about that, man, the Munson Doctrine was sacred and here you are blowing it all up. I think if I had to have a jock for a platonic soulmate, I don't want it to be anyone but you."

Steve's looking up at him with these huge, liquid eyes, now, and Eddie's tongue feels like it's glued to his mouth, and then -

"I didn't miss you before I even met you," Steve says, and Eddie feels the quick prickle of heat around his ankle, and -

"Holy shit," he says, laughing because he doesn't know what else to do with all the feeling bubbling up inside of him, because -

Because Steve'd told him that Nancy was the only person that he'd ever wanted to be his soulmate so bad that he wanted to test it, and it - it's not the same, it's not, and when he comes down from the high of having found his soulmate he's going to realize how fucked he is if he doesn't get over this crush on him, but -

"I didn't think about my soulmate all that often," he says, just so Steve can have the same feeling he does, and then he ducks his head a little, hand tugging his hair in front of his mouth. "Yeah? You wanted it to be me, too?"

Steve quirks a little smile. "Yeah. I really did."

Eddie groans. "Jesus, Steve, you can't just say stuff like that to me."

Steve's smile grows. "Too bad. I'm going to say stuff like that all the time, you're going to have to learn to take it."

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck don't think about that, nope, don't think about Steve - his soulmate Steve - telling him how much he wants him and showing Eddie how to take it and - Eddie laughs, feeling it bubble up through his chest, a little bit giddy and a little bit hysterical.

Before he knows it, Steve's huffing out a little laugh, too. "I knew you lied in there with Mike, man, I could feel it. I just couldn't drop my pants in the middle of the living room to check what it was, but when I did, you were going to be so busted."

"I mean, you could have. There were a few people in there who probably would've appreciated the view," Eddie teases. "You might've scarred Mike for life, though."

Steve's lip curls into a grimace, and then they're both giggling again.

"Thanks for being brave," Steve tells him quietly when they've managed to put a lid on their laughing.

Eddie twitches, barely resisting the urge to twist to check to see if he's got a new lie on him. It's just - Eddie hasn't been brave. The one time he did decide to be brave, he nearly died, and people keep yelling or almost crying at him about it, so he's pretty sure they think that was more stupid than brave. "For being what now?"

"For being brave about this," Steve says. "I've kind of wondered if it might be you for a while, just kept telling myself it wasn't the right time to ask."

Oh. All right, yeah, he did beat Steve to it, didn't he? He grins at him. "So when did you first start wanting it to be me, huh?"

Steve rolls his eyes, and for a few moments Eddie thinks he's not going to answer, but then he says, "In the woods, when we were trying to find the gate. After you tried to make Lucas feel better, got him and Dustin distracted."

That - Eddie wasn't expecting that, even though part of him thinks yeah, it would be about the kids. "Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, I suspected earlier. There wasn't a lot that could give you away, but what you said about jocks being violent monarchs - some of your table speeches had similar phrasing."

Fuck.

It's - he'd known, that he and his soulmate would have to talk about why they stopped talking. Known that he and Steve would have to talk about it. He'd just kind of hoped it was another one of those things he could add to his pile of later.

"Steve," he says softly, but he can't think of what to say to continue, and it just hangs heavily between them.

"I know," Steve says after a moment. "I figured that was why you stopped talking to me. That you realized I was one of the kind of people you hated."

He wants to tell Steve that he wasn't, but he's too worried it'll be a lie. Steve was the kind of person that Eddie used to hate - not really because of anything Steve had done, but because of what Eddie assumed about him, because it was easier to believe all the popular kids were the same than maybe some of them were different.

"You aren't," he says instead. "The guy I was talking about - he graduated the year before you - you're nothing like him. You weren't even back when we were in high school. You weren't a bully, man, just kind of a bitch. I was the one who didn't care about the difference."

Steve considers that for a moment. Then, "I'm still kind of a bitch."

Eddie lets out a bark of startled laughter, hand coming up to press against his abdomen. "Fuck, dude, don't be funny, it pulls at my stitches."

Steve grins at him, entirely unapologetic.

Eddie almost hates to ruin it, but - shit, he has to know, and he lets out a slow exhale. "That why you stopped talking to me, because you knew I didn't want you to?"

Steve's grin fades, but he looks like he'd kind of been expecting that question. "That was part of it. But also, I was mad at you," he admits. "Everyone always had these expectations of who I was and who they wanted me to be, and when I saw you talking about jocks and popular kids like they were the enemy, I realized you had them, too. I knew I wasn't going to live up to yours."

"Fuck my expectations, you're better than anything I could have dreamed of." Eddie - hadn't meant to say that, and he spends a quick moment freaking out a little in the back of his mind, because that didn't sound platonic at all.

Steve doesn't seem to think anything of it, though, just gives him a pleased little smile, ducking his head like he thinks it's going to hide how his ears have gone pink.

"It's not like your expectations were that unreasonable, lumping everyone together aside," Steve says. "I could have taken a step back and wondered why it pissed me off that you expected me not to be a violent jackass, but I was too busy getting wrapped up in all that popularity shit. I'm sorry for that."

There's a pause, then, "I'm not sorry for being a jock, though. I like sports, that's not going to change."

"I don't want it to change," Eddie says, but it comes out more like a promise. "You already did a hell of a lot of changing, man."

Steve gives him a little crooked smile. "I guess a good thump on the head will do that to you."

Eddie grimaces. "Upside Down shit?"

"Nah, just Nancy and Jonathan, actually. When Jonathan and I had that fight in the alley, I - I was angry, and hurt, and I wanted to make him hurt. It comes easy, you know, knowing what to say to hurt someone the most. How to be cruel."

The other side of being good with people, yeah, Eddie knows that. He'd never been on the receiving end of it, but he'd heard the gossip about what happened when Steve Harrington got pissed. It's what he meant when he said Steve was a bitch.

"Later, I was sitting with Tommy and Carol, listening to them talk about jumping him as soon as he was released from the station and I just kept thinking - I sounded exactly like my dad in that alley. That's the kind of people that Tommy and Carol were, and that's who I was going to be if I stuck with them."

"But you didn't," Eddie says.

"But I didn't," Steve agrees, giving a little shrug.

Eddie's quiet, in case Steve wants to say more, but it seems like he's done talking about that, because after a few moments he gives Eddie a little smile.

"So I, uh. I told you mine, you gotta tell me yours now. When did you change your mind and decide you wanted it to be me?"

"Oh, uh. Same as you, actually. I didn't admit it until after the first time in the Upside Down, but when we were in the woods, and you looked at me like I was doing something good, and I - yeah." Eddie's pretty sure he's a little flushed, now, and he looks away.

Steve just gives a little hum, and Eddie looks back at him, eyes narrowed, but he can't quite make out his expression. Eddie barrels on past all that, then, not giving him time to do - whatever that face he's making is a sign of.

"I wondered way earlier, though," he adds. "I kept getting stuff about not being all that hurt and not wanting to go to the hospital, and then you'd show up all beat up. Which, by the way, I was really mad at you for, you kept scaring the shit out of me."

"Sorry," Steve says, and he does look reasonably apologetic. "At least I went to the hospital this time?"

Eddie raises one eyebrow, assuming the withering look he gives him is enough to tell him exactly what he thinks about that. "How about you stop needing to go to the hospital, huh?"

Steve looks at him, quiet for a long moment. Then, "You're the one who said I'm a paladin."

"And I already regret it." Eddie nudges him with one knee. "Mike's convinced you're a barbarian, anyway."

Steve makes a face, like he's immediately having some regrets of his own. "Mike's in on this now? I'm still not playing with you guys any time soon."

Eddie grins at him. "Any time soon isn't never, man, I-"

He cuts off as he realizes that this is the second time that Steve has said he wasn't playing any time soon, and it prompts him to remember -

"You lied!" he shouts gleefully.

"What?" Steve asks, caught off guard.

"Hang on, gimme - just let me-" Eddie grunts as he tries to pull off his sweatshirt too quickly, ends up twinging his shoulder, and has to do it more slowly.

"There," he says triumphantly. "Left shoulder blade, it says I'm never going to play this thing with you, man, you might as well stop asking."

Steve wrinkles his nose. "How do you know that was about this?"

"Because you're good at adjusting your words to make sure what you're saying isn't technically a lie, and this fits. I'm right, aren't I?"

Steve is looking at him like - well, like Eddie probably looked at Steve when Steve told him that he knew what it meant when Eddie's face shut down. Like he didn't realize Eddie noticed that about him, and Eddie almost lets himself get tripped up on it, but - no, he doesn't want to go there, doesn't want to let them get off track.

Instead, he just waggles his eyebrows at Steve, who groans.

"Okay, okay. I knew after I said it that those kids were going to wear me down sooner or later, I just didn't want them to know that."

Eddie scoots a little closer, until their knees are brushing together. "Have you played yet?"

Steve tips his head back, like he's looking to the heavens for support. "I played. Erica wanted to practice as a DM, so Robin, Dustin, and I played for her first game. And before you ask - yes, I did have a good time, but I don't really think it's something I'd want to do all the time."

Yeah, all right, that's fair enough, and it doesn't really put a damper on Eddie's glee. It means it's pretty likely that he could get Steve to play for a one-shot sometime, maybe even a short campaign.

If he's honest, part of him was a little worried that he might not look at D&D the same way after all of the comparisons to a campaign he was doing, but no, he feels the same excited energy that he has before. It's a relief to know that this wasn't taken from him.

Steve's tipped his head back down and is looking at him, now - or, more accurately, looking at his bare torso, eyes scanning a clear line from his neck and shoulders down to his waist, and back up again. Eddie's mouth goes dry, and abruptly he feels - self conscious? Hesitant? Some kind of nervous energy, which is stupid, because it's not like Steve Harrington would - but shit, Eddie knows the way Steve looked at him after washing his hair, he doesn't think he was so out of it that he could conjure that out of nowhere -

"Let me get the first aid kit," Steve says, pushing himself up.

And right, yeah, the first aid kit. For the bandages that Eddie almost forgot he was wearing, which is a far more likely reason that Steve was staring at his bare chest, except - well. Except there'd been a hunger in Steve's eyes, and Eddie doesn't think it's just because the guy was so damn eager to change out his bandages.

He drops it, though, reminds himself platonic over and over again until Steve comes back with his massive first aid kit.

Steve strips off his own sweater before he sits back down on the bed, and Eddie doesn't bother to try not to look. Now he doesn't have to feel bad about letting his gaze sweep over every bit of that perfect, hairy chest, eagerly reading any bit of writing he can see, and - wait.

"Can I?" Eddie asks, making grabby hands at him.

Steve looks down at himself, sees where Eddie had been staring - at I love it when coffee is so weak you can barely taste it just below his collarbone - and huffs out a little laugh. "Yeah, sure."

Eddie reaches out, just barely brushing over the words with his fingertips, and Steve sucks in a harsh breath.

"Bad?" Eddie asks, going still.

"No," Steve says. "Just different."

He's going to take that as permission to continue, so he keeps going, rubbing his thumb over If I could have a whole swarm of silverfish in my room, I'd be so happy on Steve's side. Steve shivers, and Eddie reminds himself - platonic.

"Here, let me-" Steve reaches down, carefully peeling off the bandages from around his stomach.

His demobat bites look a lot better than the last time Eddie saw them - less open and weeping, more stitched and healing, which makes Eddie give a soft sigh of relief.

There's ink leading up to one of the bites, looking like it got cut off, and Eddie leans in a little to see it better.

For your mo, it says, and Eddie barks out a laugh.

"For your modesty, dude," he says, lightly touching it with one fingertip. "It caught me. It was for my own sanity, I knew I was going to keep trying to see your writing."

Steve huffs out a little laugh. "I didn't even feel it."

"The gaping stomach wound probably edged it out a little," Eddie teases. "You feel it now?"

Steve's gaze catches and locks on his. "Yeah."

Eddie swallows. "You said it was different?"

Steve hums an affirmative. "From Robin's. It feels different when she touches her words."

Right.

Of course it does.

"How does hers feel?" he asks. He half fears it'll come out jealous, but - no, it just sounds curious, and he realizes that's mostly what he feels.

Curiosity, not jealousy.

"It's changed, but at first it was… fizzy," Steve says. "Like butterflies in your stomach, or drinking a beer too fast. Now it's like - holding hands in the rain, or the first drink of hot apple cider when it's cold. Like coming home."

Huh.

"Poetic," he says, half teasing and half sincere. "What does mine feel like?"

Steve considers that for a moment. "Electric," he decides. "Like static shock, or the moment before a first kiss. Or a metal guitar solo in the Upside Down," he adds slyly, then reaches out for him. "Can I…?"

"Yeah, uh, go ahead."

Steve's eyes scan over him again, like he's looking for something, and Eddie's gaze drops down automatically to his own torso. Which - is covered in gauze and medical tape, and at this point he's pretty sure there's more bandage showing than skin.

"Not a lot of real estate left, though," he says.

It comes out shakier than he'd meant it to, and he sucks in a ragged breath. If at least one of his lies on Steve had gotten cut off, he knows that means a decent number of the words on his own skin are gone.

Fuck.

He hasn't really looked at himself, but now he wonders which ones it is, what words he'll never see again. If it's the ones that he read over and over again, that made him smile so wide when he was fourteen, the ones that made him so fucking angry, the ones that scared the shit out of him. It shouldn't matter, he tells himself, because they aren't meant to have this many words between them anyway. It's supposed to mean there's something wrong with them, that there's too many lies to make things work, but - it's different, it means something else.

It's always meant something else, to Eddie.

"Hey," Steve's saying softly. "Eddie, hey, look at me."

Eddie nods, already preparing to hear Steve tell him that it's okay, that it's better this way, that less words are a good thing, and then looks up.

"I'm not taking my rain check now."

There's a sting somewhere on his lower back, and Eddie blinks at him.

"What?" he asks.

"My rain check," Steve repeats, like it's supposed to make more sense a second time. "To tell you the things I like about you. I'm not taking it right now."

Eddie's mouth goes dry, and he feels like he can't do anything but stare at him.

"I don't think you have a good heart," Steve says.

Lie, blooming over his spine.

"I don't think you're clever. I don't find you funny. I don't think you're really good with the kids. I don't think you're brave."

Each one of them a lie, writing themselves on Eddie's skin forever, and every one of them steals more and more of Eddie's breath. Fuck, if he keeps going, Eddie's going to kiss him, going to ruin this right after he found it.

"Steve," Eddie says, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm not proud of you."

"Touch me," Eddie blurts out, sounding a little strangled.

Steve's brows furrow, pupils blown wide as he looks at him.

Eddie forcibly wrangles his thoughts back into some semblance of order. "Didn't you want to…?" he trails off, gesturing at his own torso, jerking a thumb at his shoulder where he knows at least some writing is visible.

"Oh!" Steve swallows, looking like now he's the one who has to get his thoughts back in order. "Yeah, yeah I did."

He reaches out determinedly before Eddie can try to think too much into that, resting his palm flat on Eddie's chest for a moment - right over his heart, and Eddie wonders if he can feel how quickly it's beating, if he - then it slides up, smoothing over where some of his words peek out from under the bandages.

Fuck.

Despite Steve's halting poetry about how his soulmate touches felt, Eddie wasn't prepared for this. It feels like -

It feels like Steve's fingers running through his hair, blunt nails scratching over his scalp, little goosebumps shuddering over his skin. Like hot water washing everything away, strong hands cradling his head in their grip.

"Oh," he breathes out, not really meaning to, but his entire brain has just shut off.

"Yeah?" Steve asks, sounding pleased, and his hand sweeps up, stroking over any bit of soulmate ink he can find. "What's it feel like?"

"Like a hot shower after a week in the Upside Down," Eddie tells him, because that's true, and easier than admitting it feels like when Steve washed his hair for him.

Steve huffs out a little laugh. "Pretty damn good, then," he teases, then pulls his hand away. "Speaking of showers - we should both probably take one before we change these bandages. You want help with yours?"

Yes, fuck yes, he really does.

And yet -

"Nah," he says, and it's not a lie. He knows there's no way he can handle being in the shower with Steve after all this. "I can stand long enough now, I should be good."

If Eddie didn't know any better, he'd think there was a brief flash of disappointment in Steve's eyes. But he doesn't say anything, just helps him remove his bandages, gets out a clean set of clothes for him and gets the shower going.

"I'll be right outside, just yell if you need anything," Steve says before he steps out of the bathroom and leaves the door open a crack.

Eddie takes a few deep breaths before he looks at himself in the mirror. It's… not as bad as he was expecting, really. He'll have scars over his stomach, scattered across his chest, curving up to his neck, but it's no where near as bad as it could have been if the bats had been able to go at him even just a little longer.

He's lucky, in more ways than one.

The shower goes - fine. He manages. He can't really wash his hair, but he gets the rest of him okay, gets to look at Steve's shower products and grin a little at his shampoo and conditioner - Faberge Organics, with honey and wheat germ oil. When he's finished, he even manages to mostly towel off and get dressed, forgoing the shirt for the moment.

He pokes through the first aid kit while he waits for Steve to take his turn in the bathroom, not entirely surprised at how well stocked it is, considering everything.

When Steve's finished, Eddie insists on bandaging him up first, carefully wrapping them around his stomach and trying not to think about Nancy doing this for him in the Upside Down, or what he'd thought it might mean then, or what it means that Eddie's doing it for him now.

It means they're soulmates, and Steve trusts him. When it comes down to it, that's all that really matters.

When he's finished, Steve twists a little so Eddie can spread some ointment over his shoulders and back, hissing in sympathy at the healing skin there.

Steve slips on a short sleeved t-shirt, then returns the favor.

His hands brush over the words on Eddie's skin often enough that he's reasonably sure it's purposeful, especially because they linger on the ones that Steve'd just put on him.

Eddie huffs out a little laugh, more to diffuse the way the feeling keeps bubbling up inside him than anything else. "This a thing for you?" he teases.

To his surprise, Steve's ears go a little pink. "I mean, kind of? It's - nice. I know everyone says that having so many lies is bad, and it's supposed to mean more when you only have a few to touch like this, but…"

He trails off, but he looks like he wants to say more, so Eddie stays quiet as Steve finishes bandaging him up.

"Did you know you can get them removed?" Steve asks after he's done.

There's a surge of panic, and Steve must see it in his eyes, because Steve's own eyes widen.

"Shit, I'm sorry, that - wow, that was really bad timing, I can't believe I just said that when you-" he cuts off, gesturing at Eddie's torso. "I don't want to remove ours, I'd never remove them."

The panic fades, a little, though he still has to resist the urge to cup his hand over his own side, where some of his words are missing.

"I'm okay," he says after a moment. "You can keep going."

Steve frowns, looking uncertain.

"Please," Eddie adds. "I like it when you talk to me like this."

And that's the right thing to say, because it makes Steve light up a little.

"Okay," he says. "Just - let me know if it's too much, okay?"

Eddie nods.

"My parents never had any visible words, no matter what they wore," Steve continues after a moment. "It was a point of pride."

Of course it was. It usually is - that's not something exclusive to the rich. The fewer lies you have, the better your match is, everyone is supposed to want that.

"They always told me to be careful what I said, that my match was going to be someone like them, someone who didn't have lies between them. Said I would be messing up her life if I told too many lies and she had to have a visible mark. I believed them."

"What changed?" Eddie asks, before he can help himself.

Steve gives him a crooked little smile. "When I was like eleven or twelve, my mom got a few on her arm, where she'd have to wear long sleeves to hide them. Never knew what they said, but I saw them. I was… I don't know, shocked, I guess. I couldn't believe what happened. She wore long sleeves for a couple of days, and the next time I saw her arm, they were gone. I asked her what happened, and she just - looked at me, and told me it was nothing to worry about. 'The Harringtons aren't liars, sweetheart, those were a mistake.'"

Jesus Christ.

"I didn't really know what to think at first. But then I heard her and my dad fighting. She was yelling at him about the money she just wasted getting his little mistakes corrected." Steve's face mimics a cold expression, then, a haughty sneer at his lips as he says, "'What good is all that Harrington charm if you can't even get your little bimbos into bed with you without lying? The next time I see any words, that's the end of your trips alone.'"

He deflates, rubbing absently at the back of his neck. "It was like - the cheating wasn't even worth fighting about anymore, but the lying? That's when I started realizing that it was all about appearances with them."

Eddie's quiet for a long moment, fitting all of that into what he knows about Steve - and what he tried to figure out about his soulmate, all those years ago. "She was the one you lied to about being able to handle it by yourself."

That little crooked smile is back. "Yeah, after she started going with my dad on his business trips. I figured out how to handle it eventually. You, uh. You really helped a lot, you know, when you started talking to me. Made me feel like I wasn't alone."

Fuck if that doesnt make him feel all warm and pleased, knowing that Steve had gotten something out of it like Eddie did, even if it had gone sour for a while.

"My uncle helped me talk to you most of the time," Eddie admits. "I think he knew that it was probably going to go south at some point, but he wanted me to figure that out on my own, you know?"

Steve smiles. "Your uncle sounds like a good guy."

"He is," Eddie replies, trying to push past the twisting in his gut at the reminder that Uncle Wayne is out there with no idea what's happened to him right now. "Course, he also called us little jackasses with no impulse control."

That makes Steve laugh. "He was probably right," he says, eyes gleaming with mirth. "Anyway, I, yeah. It's how I figured out I had two soulmates, because Rob got freaked out at all the words appearing on her skin at first. It wasn't until we actually met that we figured out how we both really feel about them."

Eddie's breath catches, mouth going dry. He licks his lips, trying to work up enough saliva to speak. "How's that?"

Steve's quiet for a bit, brows scrunched just a little like he's trying to figure out how to put it into words. "They're a lifeline," he decides finally.

And what the fuck is Eddie supposed to do with that?

"So I just, yeah, it's kind of a thing for me." Steve runs his thumb over a scattering of ink on Eddie's sternum. "I get it."

Nope, no, Eddie is not equipped to handle this right now, not prepared to deal with the shuddering feeling that rocks into him with Steve's touch to some of his words at the same time that Steve just validated every feeling he's ever had about having so many lies splattered across his skin.

He sucks in a ragged breath, and just barely manages to get out, "Thanks. For, uh." Eddie clumsily jerks a hand at himself, vaguely in the direction of one of the lies that Steve had just said tonight.

"Yeah," Steve says, and fortunately for Eddie's everything, that's it.

Admittedly, Steve looks pretty drained, too, and Eddie gets the feeling that he's not the only one feeling wiped from this much emotional honesty.

With his soulmate.

He kind of thinks that exhaustion or not, there might be too much on his brain to sleep quickly tonight, but his brain has also apparently decided it would really rather just not.

It shuts off pretty much the second he's under the covers and flat on his back.

This ended up being the longest part so far, but I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it! We're definitely winding down now - I anticipate probably six or so more parts to this and then it'll be wrapped up.

-----

Part 19

Tag list (always happy to add more!): @vampireinthesun @koibug @estrellami-1 @mentalcyborg @allbimyself26 @questionablequeeries @the-s-is-silent @whimsicalwitchm @a-gae-af-racoon @tinyplanet95 @n0-1-important @velocitytimes2 @swimmingbirdrunningrock @newtstabber @jcmadgirl @roblingoblin285 @lexyvey @paperbackribs @goodolefashionedloverboi @evix-syne666 @raisedbylibrarians @stxrcrossed186 @nightmareglitter @greekgeek24 @starman-jpg @crazyhatlady86 @imfinereallyy @manda-panda-monium @deleataecount @prideandsensibility @chaoticvictorianspirit @maydillydally @disrespectedgoatman @scarlet-malfoy @i-less-than-three-you @hbyrde36 @hallucinatedjosten @dragonsandgayships @arepaconchocolate @g4ys0n @novelnovella @bisexualdisastersworld @ghostofyourvampiregf @scarletyeager @pettrichore @nerd-and-nervous @hiimlevi @queenie-ofthe-void @cinnamon-mushroomabomination

#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things #steddie fic #steddie soulmate au #platonic soulmates stobin #soulmate confession #they talked about so many things and yet #mention of steve's less than stellar parents

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fragilecapric0rnn · 11 months

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[series now cross-posted to ao3! stay tuned for more! ] Have been watching a lot FRIENDS lately bc its one of my and my gf's comfort shows and, of course, i cannot stop thinking about Stranger Things-ifying the hell out of it. the vision came to me SO CLEARLY [PART 2]

Sitting around the coffee shop that is basically a second home to the gang.

Nancy sits on the chair across from Argyle, one leg tucked under her, legal pad balancing on the arm, a pen being held between her pointer and middle finger, tapping incessantly on the pad. The other hand tucked into a fist and holding up her chin.

Argyle sits with his legs draped over the arm of the oversized chair, flipping through the latest Steven King book, one arm perched behind his head.

Jonathan has the NYT crossword in his lap, Robin peering over his shoulder, making him nervous.

A normal Saturday afternoon routine for the group of twentysomethings. The rain from outside softly hits the windows nearby, complimenting the soft chatter and gentle clanking of dishes.

But Robin can only seem to focus on Nancy's damn tapping.

"Nance?"

"Hm?"

"I'm gonna need you to stop tapping. I'm trying to beat Jonathan's puzzle."

"Just take it," he hands the paper over to her, annoyed.

"No! It's more fun when it feels like I'm beating you."

Jonathan looks over at Nancy, who is staring blankly at the wooden support beam a few feet away.

"What's going on Nance?"

"Nothing." Her pitch high, grabbing the rest of the groups attention, so much so that they all inch closer to her chair.

"Sounds like a whole lotta nothing," Argyle pulls a nearby chair up next to hers flipping it around and resting his forearms on the back of it.

Robin sits on the ground next to her and Jonathan takes a seat on the coffee table right in front of her.

"Fine!" She takes a look over her shoulder, toward the front door. "I have a date."

"Why are we whispering?" Argyle asks, also whispering.

"Because you know who could walk in any second."

"Why are we whispering and speaking in codes?" Jonathan asks, still whispering.

And as an act of divine timing, the front door to the coffee shop opens, and they all turn their heads to see a slightly damp Eddie shake his hair out and shed his leather jacket in one fell swoop. His face fixed in the same frown that's plagued his face for the last two weeks.

"Hey," the group says in unison, not moving a muscle from where they're still crowded around Nancy.

"What did I say about that tone," Eddie whines, flopping himself down on the couch that previously held Jon and Robin.

"How're you doing?" Robin asks, shifting her body, still sitting on the floor, toward him.

"All of her stuff is gone which means that all of my stuff is gone."

No one says a thing. Not even when the sound of a ceramic coffee cup shatters somewhere in the distance.

"Eddie?"

"What?"

"I don't mean to sound insensitive dude, but shouldn't you be a little less depressed considering... " Argyle trails off.

"Considering what?"

"Considering you're the one that left her?" Robin finishes the thought that everyone is having.

"I didn't leave her." He scoffs.

"No, but when you tell your long-term girlfriend about recently discovering that you're gay, one might see that as you being the one to end that relationship."

"We've been over this." He balls up his jacket and shoves his face into the wet leather. The group share a look, Nancy gesturing to Eddie's state as if to say this is why I'm not talking about the date.

He chucks the balled up jacket at Jonathan, who kicks his feet out in surprise as he catches it with his chest. Eddie's hands are now on either side of his face.

"The love was there! I could've loved her if..."

"If she was someone else?"

He deflates, lets his arms slump down and his shoulders do the same.

"Eddie, my friend, my pal, listen up." Argyle moves seats for the third time, now squeezing himself into the space between Eddie and the arm rest on the couch, draping his arm over his shoulders.

"You have just entered a whole new world, my man. So, you're gay? We're in New York City, so is everyone! Welcome home! All that love you were ready to give to Michelle? You get to hold onto that and give it to someone else. Someone who makes your heart sing."

"But I knew her just as long as I knew you guys." He whines, again, gesturing to Robin, Nancy and Jonathan. "It was easy. It was safe. How am I ever gonna find romance with someone? Where we have an established - I don't know - thing! A connection! A history! How?"

Eddie stares at them like he expects them to answer, forcing the rest of the group to share glances, let the air settle with Eddie's words.

The front door flies open just as a roaring thunder booms overhead, making for a dramatic entrance.

Robin's the first one to swivel her head toward the ruckus, the only one who has a perfect view of the person who burst into the shop.

A man dressed in a tux, drenched, like, just hopped out of a swimming pool drenched. Fighting with his bow tie with one hand and running his other hand through the unforgettable head of hair that sends Robin right back to Hawkins, Indiana. Back to the summer before her senior year.

Huh?

Unable to move a muscle in her body, she watches him clumsily go up to the counter and ask for her and Nancy, by name. The sound of her name sends her up to her feet and pushes her toward the man. An air of chaos surrounds him, drawing an offense amount of curiosity out of Robin as she finds her words.

"Steve Harrington?"

He turns around, his face lights up, and he does the weirdest thing.

He hugs her.

She remains stiff as he pulls back from the hug, hands still on either side of her arms.

They were buddies that summer scooping ice cream at the mall. Nothing crazy, or maybe even that memorable, but they started the summer as acquaintances at best and left as friends.

But then he left for college and she stayed and they never spoke again. A few run-ins here and there. But nothing substantial.

"I knew I'd find you here, I remembered that the last time I was in the city I ran into you guys and you're here!" He sounds drunk, but also like he drank a vat of espresso.

Clearly, it was substantial enough for him to come looking for her. Dressed in a tux soaking wet?

"And you're here, overdressed." She says, taking him in, unable to unscrew the confused look from her face.

Is that a boutonnières?

Oh no. Oh fuck.

"Steve?" Jonathan and Nancy say in unison as Robin brings him over to the couch.

Robin thinks Eddie might have summoned the ghost of hopeless high school crushes past, the way Eddie looks like he's just seen a ghost.

#FRIENDS au #sorry for the typos!#did like no editing. seriously just typed and posted.#i tweaked the characters a bit so it wouldn't be an obvious 1-1 AU but Steve is obvs Rachel and Eddie is obvs Ross #idk if this will become anything more but!!! maybe???#this was just supposed to be a writing sprint #i swear i meant to only write vibes #it somehow turned into this????#sen writes #stranger things fic #my fic #steddie ficlet #ronance as chandler and monica slow burn endgame also bounces around my brain as i finish these tags #argyle is clearly phoebe To Me

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navnae · 1 year

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The party finally got together for a movie night after weeks of putting it off. Everyone thought it was good idea to meet up at Steve’s house because it was in fact the biggest. All kinds of snacks were bought and a few blankets from Steve’s closet was put in the floor as the kids gathered close to the tv. The older teens sat down on the couch and ended up being crammed but overall comfortable. Steve didn’t realize that was last to the seating arrangement and there wasn’t a place for him to sit or there wasn’t a good spot for him to see the movie well. While he was trying to find a place to sit the group noticed that he was just standing near the wall.

“Don’t just stand there, Steve. Sit down and enjoy the movie.” Dustin said waving his hand towards himself. Steve took a step forward observing the floor and the couch and just like he thought there really wasn’t a place for him to sit.

“I guess there really isn’t a place for him to sit.” Lucas also took a look at all the seats that were filled up and the floor was completely packed.

“I’m sure we can squeeze you in somewhere.” Argyle said happily. Jonathan, Robin, Nancy, and Eddie were taking up the couch along with the big buckets of popcorn that were on their laps. Steve pressed his lips together, this entire situation was stupid.

“Guys it’s fine I’ll just stand up.” Steve shrugged. He didn’t think having a seat was that big of a deal.

“There is no way you’re standing up the whole movie. I’m willing to bet money on it.” Robin joked. That caught all of the kids attention immediately.

“I’d like to be apart of the bet!” Mike chimed in while raising his hand. Obviously he was betting against Steve and that didn’t go unnoticed most of the time when Steve is involved with anything. Mike made sure that he knew that.

“All my money is on Steve!” Dustin yelled with excitement. He gave Steve a wide smile showing him that he believed he could win the bet even though Steve wasn’t going to be apart of it.

All the kids were talking about how they were on Robin’s side or on Steve’s side when it came down to the silly bet that’s been created in the last second.

“Alright guys no one is betting on anything because I’m sure Steve can sit down on the couch with us.” Nancy slid over slightly creating a little bit of room for Steve.

“He’s not going to be able to fit in that tiny little spot.” Jonathan said while shaking his head. Nancy frowned slightly realizing that he genuinely wouldn’t fit. Steve ran a hand through his hair, never thought in all his years of living that he would be stressing over a seat during a movie night.

Five minutes past of everyone deciding where Steve was going to sit and how they could make arrangements for him to get comfortable with all of them. He tried to tell them that he was perfectly fine with standing up but his words went in one ear and out the other. It felt like years was being taken off his life when the discussion was finally out to an end, sparking up a new one.

“Why don’t you just sit on my lap?” Eddie was casual when he asked the question. Everyone’s eyes widened as they turned to Eddie then looking at Steve who was still processing the question. The image of him sitting on Eddie’s lap made him blush a little too hard for his liking.

“Well, that is an open spot for you Steve.” Nancy said in between a laugh. The whole room was filled with giggles as Steve’s face turned a light shade of pink. Eddie didn’t make things better by leaning back into the couch and patting his knee with a smirk on his face.

“Looks comfy too.” Max teased. She’s definitely been hanging out with Robin for too long because that was something that had Robin written all over it. Steve rolled his eyes and waved everyone off.

“For the love of god I’m fine with standing up. Can we just get to the movie already.” Steve blurted out. Felt his entire body getting hit from everyone looking at him especially the way Eddie was looking at him, Steve couldn’t describe the way Eddie’s features changed in that moment. All of it was overwhelming.

“Steve are you okay?” Will asked worriedly. Now everyone was observing like he was under a magnifying glass.

“His face is really pink… max told me that meant-“ El was interrupted instantly by Steve grabbing the remote from off the table and fumbling with it as he tried to press the start button.

“Hey! Would you look at that, everybody let’s focus on the movie. That sounds like a good idea.” Steve started the movie before anyone could say anything else and all of their attention was focused on the tv screen. Steve silently thanked his that the conversation had finally come to an end.

Thirty minutes into the movie the kids were already drifting off to sleep and the older teens weren’t that far from it themselves. The movie had another hour to go but realistically no one was going to be up to watch it. In reality Steve and Eddie were the only ones up keeping their eyes on the tv and they were actually interested in the storyline. Steve made quick glances towards Eddie when he started to feel himself getting sleepy and he started leaning back against the wall with his arms folded. Eddie laughed to himself as he watched Steve desperately trying not fall asleep while standing up.

“You’re so stubborn.” Eddie said getting Steve’s attention from across the room.

“What?” Steve couldn’t focus on what Eddie was talking about because sleepiness was starting to take over him.

“You rather stand against a wall fighting sleep instead of sitting on my lap. Which I would argue is comfortable or at least I think it is.” Eddie made a confused face and that made Steve laugh lightly at how silly he was. He hated to admit but Eddie being apart of their friend group added something extra he never knew he needed. “Did I just make the king laugh? Oh what an honor it is to be in this position.”

“Is it really that shocking that I have a sense of humor?” Steve asked, now he was fully awake and he wasn’t leaning against the wall anymore.

“Kind of, my offer still stands if you change your mind. I’ll be here all night and I’m not going anywhere.” Eddie left the offer in the air just in case Steve wanted to sit down after standing up for almost an hour.

Eddie closed his eyes slowly and prepared himself to go into a deep sleep. He’s woken up by the feeling of something heavy weighing on his legs and the feeling of it pressing against his chest. He opened up his eyes to see Steve’s head laying back on his shoulder, Eddie could see Steve’s eyes fluttering closed when he made himself comfortable on his lap. Eddie smiled softly as he wrapped his arms around Steve’s waist and pulling him closer. Surprisingly Steve didn’t protest against it he just leaned into Eddie’s embrace. Eddie nuzzled his nose against Steve’s shirt then proceeded to close his eyes while snuggling up to Steve. Both of them fell asleep in each other’s arms letting the movie become background noise to them, neither of them knew what that they liked this feeling of comfort from one another. This was something that both of them needed and hopefully this wouldn’t be the last time.

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berenwrites · 3 months

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Revelation - Stranger Things - Steddie - G

Rating: G | cw: none | tags: pre-steddie, bisexual steve harrington

Prompt: Love is being terrified but not letting that stop you from taking a leap (@unclewaynemunson)

A/N: Written for @steddielovemonth day 3. Missed day 2 because I was too busy, so I didn’t get it finished, but here it goes for day 3.

Also on AO3 | All my other Stranger Things Fic

Revelation :A Heart-stopping Reality

It was not a day for revelations. It was a day for relaxing in the sun with friends and letting the world go by. Steve was not prepared for anything else.

He had been sitting on a sun lounger watching Nancy dunking Jonathan in the pool while Eddie and Argyle sat on the side talking about something when it had hit him. All he’d been doing was comparing Eddie’s scars to his own in his head, thinking about how they matched in a couple of places. A perfectly innocent thought.

At least it had started that way.

He’d started wondering if Eddie’s scars were as sensitive as his own, what they would feel like under his fingers. What it would feel like to have Eddie touch his.

And now here he was sitting on his bathroom floor trying not to freak out.

“Steve, what’s wrong?”

Robin had to be standing in his bedroom. He’d managed to make it into the house without drawing much attention to himself, but she had been in the kitchen and, of course, she’d clocked him straight away. He’d made a dash for the stairs, but she’d clearly followed him.

“Steve, I don’t like it when you go quiet.”

She really did sound worried.

“You can come in,” he said, even as he mentally flailed.

Robin stepped into the bathroom, took one look at him, and immediately closed the door behind her again. Without a word she crossed the distance between them and sat down right next to him.

“Want to talk about it?” she asked.

It wasn’t demanding, just a question, and he felt something tight release a little in his chest. This was Robin, the person he told everything to. The person who told him everything too. The person he could embarrass by saying the word ‘boobies’, but who asked him to help her pick out her outfit, including underwear, for her first date with Vickie. The only reason Vickie wasn’t at his house today was because she had been dragged on vacation by her parents.

He took a deep breath. It was supposed to be calming, but it didn’t help that much.

“I think,” he started to say and stopped for a few moments. “I think,” he began again, “I might have a thing for Eddie.”

His heart hammered as he said it out loud and for the first time, he really appreciated how brave Robin had been in that bathroom in Starcourt mall. He knew Robin, she was his platonic soulmate, and admitting what he was thinking out loud was terrifying. They had only been work colleagues who had become begrudging friends when she came out to him. How she had had the courage, he couldn’t comprehend.

“Our Eddie?” Robin checked as if she didn’t quite believe what she had heard. “Hyperactive metal head, pariah turned hero of this town. That Eddie?”

He nodded.

“I wondered how his scars feel and what it would feel like if he touched mine and then it hit me that I’ve been thinking things like that a lot lately,” he admitted quietly, “and maybe I want to kiss him too.”

“And how does that make you feel?” Robin asked, reaching out and taking his hand.

“Terrified,” he said as his stomach flip-flopped yet again. “Have I been lying to myself my whole life?”

She squeezed his fingers gently.

“Thank you for telling me,” she said, leaning in close. “You know it’s okay to have a thing for girls and boys, right?”

Little rivulets of cold shock lanced through his chest.

“What?” was the best he could do.

“Remember I told you about Bowie, how he identified as bisexual?” Robin said.

“That time I had the really bad nightmare and you biked over?” he asked, because he vaguely remembered the conversation.

“Yeah,” she said with a nod. “That’s what bisexual means, liking boy and girls. Did I not explain it properly. God I am such a bad queer.”

“You probably did,” he interrupted her, before she could berate herself too much, “but I was running on about two hours sleep in three days. I probably missed it.”

He’d had a bit of a rough patch around Halloween the previous year. Too many memories and too many changes going on around him. It had brought all the nightmares back.

“And I just rambled at you,” Robin said, looking down.

“I love it when you ramble,” he assured her. “Helps get me out of my head. So, bisexual?”

“Yep,” she said, popping the ‘p’.

“But I’ve never…” he started to say. “At least I don’t think I have. Eddie is the first.”

“Bisexuals don’t have to like girls and boys equally,” Robin explained. “Maybe Eddie just pushes your buttons. I mean I’m not saying you have a type, but dark curly hair, big expressive eyes definitely do it for you. There’s Nancy for one, and you’ve only been even vaguely serious about one person since last summer and that was Melanie, who also had dark curls and big brown eyes. Or maybe it’s the whole you carried him out of hell thing that’s woken up that side of you. Just believe me when I say, there’s nothing wrong with what you are feeling.”

Steve took a shuddering breath. He had really needed to hear that.

“So, how do you feel now?” Robin asked after a few moments.

“Still terrified,” he admitted, but managed to give her a small smile, “but maybe a little better.”

“And what do you want to do now?” she asked. “Do you want to freak out a bit more up here? Do you want to go back down? I can kick them all out if you need space.”

He drew in another deep, stuttering breath as he considered her words.

“I think,” he said eventually, “I want to go down there and kiss him senseless until he doesn’t know what hit him.”

Robin blinked at him.

“Actually,” she said after a moment, “that is a very you reaction. Just maybe, ask first, yeah?”

“You think he’ll say yes?” he asked, stomach twisting yet again.

“Given the way he watches your ass, I think you might have a chance,” Robin replied. “I mean on an aesthetic level you do have a great ass, so there’s a small possibility it’s just hypnotising, but I’m more on the he wants a piece of that side of the fence.”

“You’re not joking?” Steve checked.

“About something this important, I would never,” Robin assured him in her most serious tone.

“Do you think he’s bisexual too?” Steve asked.

“Could be gay,” Robin pointed out.

“No, we’ve talked about girls,” he said, “and I don’t think he’d be that great an actor when he’s high.”

“Then could be,” Robin agreed, “but you do remember you have three other people down there, right?”

He did, so he nodded. That actually helped in a bizarre sort of way. Now he needed a plan to get Eddie alone, which gave him something else to think about. There was the gut-wrenching possibility that Eddie would reject him, after all he didn’t have the best track record with relationships even if Eddie did swing that way, but now he had a glimmer of hope. It was enough to cut a small path through the almost overwhelming fear.

It would hurt if Eddie did turn him down because he was all too aware his heart was already in this. It’s what made it quite so frightening. He hadn’t even realised he was falling, but he was self-aware enough to know he was way past a simple crush.

Maybe someone else would have taken the time to think it all through, but Steve wasn’t really a thinker, he was a doer. He knew only too well, if he wasn’t careful, he could think himself into a hole that was very difficult to climb out of, so he tended to act first, over-think later. He’d been terrified for a good percentage of his life since 1983. This was a different kind of fear, but he hadn’t let the first one stop him, so this one wasn’t going to either.

“Thanks, Robs,” he said, doing his best to give her the patented Harrington smile.

He could tell she saw straight through it, but she smiled back anyway.

“Go get ‘im, Tiger,” were her words of wisdom.

All my other Stranger Things Fic

#stranger things #stranger things fanfic #fanfiction #steddie #steve harrington #steve x eddie #eddie munson #eddie lives #post season 4 #steddielovemonth #eddie x steve #steddie fic #steddie fluff #steddie ficlet

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grey-sides · 2 years

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For @chrisbitchtree who may need a touch of fluff after your dentist appointment today!!

What started out as begrudging friendship from being in the same place at the same time has since evolved into actual, real friendship. Billy likes Steve and it's for more than just his good looks. He's funny without realizing it and smarter than he gives himself credit for.

And he cares. A lot more than Billy's used to.

Steve just tends to be very focused on the people he cares about. He likes to check up on people. He likes to stop by for random visits and takes people on car rides just because he can.

It's still a lot for Billy in many ways. He's not used to unexpected visitors or someone asking him to go out on a Thursday evening drive, just to see the town.

And he's definitely not used to being invited over where there won't be a ton of people. Sure, Billy's been invited to plenty of parties, but small gatherings of just a few friends? That's new.

It's...nice. Robin is really smart and she talks enough to fill a whole room, which is helpful when Billy just wants to take it all in. Nancy's less of a priss than Billy thought, though she could still stand to be less serious. Eddie's a fan of metal and he's shameless about his love for life, something Billy's almost jealous of. Jonathan has finally gained a personality since moving across the country and Billy can halfway stand him. Argyle's his favorite new person though, he reminds Billy of California and warm beaches.

And Steve is- he's Steve. He's thoughtful, he's rude, he's nasty when he wants to be. He's breathtaking and the stories about him from Tommy a million years ago feel more real than ever before.

He's warm when Billy leans into his space. He draws everyone's attention. He's charismatic. He's dramatic. He's a goof and a dork and he's Billy's best friend and Billy loves him dearly.

When their little shindig wraps up, after Jonathan has left with Nancy and Argyle, and Robin's mom has come from her. Eddie's long gone too, off to meet Chrissy or something and it's just the two of them, Steve walks Billy out to his car.

A new Stingray. Well, new to Billy and a pretty cherry red with white racing stripes. It's his new pride and joy. It terrifies him to sit behind the wheel.

"I parked like twenty feet from your front door," Billy teases Steve, turning to him and leaning up against his driver's door.

Steve shrugs, shoves his hands in his pockets. His profile shines in the lights off the garage. "Just wanna make sure you get to your car safe."

Billy's teeth catch on his lower lip for just a moment. He smirks, looks away from Steve. He chuckles a little and nods. "You're alright, Harrington."

Steve smiles back at him, takes a small step back. "Drive home safe, okay?"

Billy nods again, watches Steve for just a moment. He takes a step forward, darts a glance around Steve's quiet neighborhood and leans in.

He kisses Steve softly. Softer than either of them have probably ever been kissed. One of Steve's hands lands on his side and Billy can't believe how warm it is through the fabric of his denim jacket.

Steve chases him for a second kiss when he pulls back. He sighs softly, licks against Steve's lower lip and his eyelashes flutter.

"Goodnight, Steve."

Steve pulls back, watches Billy with a small smile. "Yeah, goodnight, Billy."

He waits in his driveway while Billy pulls out and waves goodbye to him. Billy doesn't think he would mind Steve walking him to his car every night, really.

#harringrove #greye writes #fluffy fluff fluff #i promise i would like to write something else #but i am working on my exchange fic haha #anyway #stranger things

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schrijverr · 1 year

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Page 126-127

[Page 126 has one photograph on it, below it some text. The photograph is of Erica, now so much taller than she had been when the party first met her. She is posing with the whole group in front of the school in her graduation robes.

She is in the middle of course, next to her on the right is Lucas a proud arm slung over her shoulder as both of them grin into the camera. Next to Lucas are Max and El. Max is leaning on her crutches today.

On Erica’s left is Dustin, he is also grinning widely, looking as proud as Lucas is. He is holding Suzie’s hand, who is standing next to him. She is smiling more reservedly, but looks at home in the family.

Next to Suzie are Mike and Will. They cannot be openly affectionate, but they’re standing so close together they nearly merge.

Behind Mike and Will are Joyce and Hopper. Joyce is holding Hopper’s arm and resting her head against it. Hopper is doing the gruff dad proud look.

Then there are Eddie and Steve. Steve is between Dustin and Erica and then behind them, he is beaming almost as much as Dustin and Lucas are. Eddie is wearing sunglasses and a hat as well as a more muted outfit. He is less likely to get harassed by Hawkins people, who never fully liked him again, but he wasn’t risking ruining Erica’s day.

On Erica’s other side behind her is Robin. She has her chest puffed out, hand on Erica’s shoulder. The look on her face is quite similar to that of Hopper.

Next to Robin are Argyle, Jonathan and Nancy. They’re all pressed together as well and smiling into the lens.]

The Baby’s Graduation

Rose Munson, 1992

Erica Sinclair is the baby of the group. Yes, we know she is a fully grown adult with a seat in the US Senate, but that will not stop us from thinking of her as the baby, even over two decades later. It is the kind of thing that sticks to a person, no matter how much they grow.

So, everyone came out when she graduated. We did for everyone, but this time it was extra special, this time, we all officially made it out of Hawkins High. Erica had gotten accepted into Harvard on a full ride and no one doubted that she was going to make it far. She has always been ambitious, driven and brutally smart. We are all so proud of who she has become.

[Page 127 has four photographs on it. The upper left is of Erica, Robin and Steve. Erica is between the two of them, getting hugged tightly as fuck. She has lost her cap, but is still in the gown. Robin is ruffling her hair, while Steve is pushing their cheeks together, crying a little.]

A Scoops Troop Bond

Jonathan Byers, 1992

[Next to that is a photograph of Lucas spinning Erica around, her gown flapping in the wind as he sweeps her off her feet. From the glimpses of their faces that are visible, it is clear both are smiling.]

Sibling Pride

Jonathan Byers, 1992

[On the lower left is an image of Dustin and Erica. He has an arm around her and she in turn has an arm around him. They’re posed as if taking a classic awkward family photo, however, both look comfortable and have genuine smiles on their faces.]

Two Nerds

Jonathan Byers, 1992

[The last image is of Eddie, sitting on a fold out chair. He is leaning backwards and pinching his nose, having lost the glasses and cap. Steve is holding his hand, squatted besides him as Nancy holds a wad of toilet paper up to his face, which is partially turned red.]

Hit by a Graduation Cap

Jonathan Byers, 1992

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rinrin-the-shark-teen · 1 year

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*something something Eddie confesses his feelings to Steve only for him to very kindly reject him. But then when he sees Eddie being wooed and romanced by his friends, he suddenly is not okay with it. Jealousy ensues* Steve appreciates him, really he does, but he's not into dudes, sorry Eds. I love you like a friend tho. Eddie never expected to have his feelings returned but it felt like lying to Steve on a daily basis now that they were best friends and attached by the hip. So, Eddie nods and understands, but lets him know that he will need some time and space for a while. Steve agrees with a sad smile on his face.

That was 3 weeks ago and Steve has barely seen Eddie since. He understands why he needs it, but it doesnt make it hurt any less. They are best friends, they saw each other every day, shared everything and now suddenly he was never there, leaving an Eddie shaped whole in his life.

So Steve decides to have a get together at his place with all the young adults. A quick excuse to maybe coax Eddie back, have a quick recharge of his needed dose.

And that's where they are now.

Sitting in the living room, music playing in he background, beers littered around them.. Steve has lost track of what actually is happening, they were playing something and now its just really pointing and throwing accusations around. He doesnt care, he is just staring at Eddie 90% of the time, trying not to be weird about it, he's not so sure its working by Robin's face. That won' stop him. He looks back at Eddie who is talking now.

"I just can't believe people think Nance is a priss. She has guns in her house, has shot a jock and has kissed 4 out of her 5 friends! HOW is she a PRISS?!" he laughs "wait 4????" Steve looks back at Nancy. "Yeah. I've kissed Eddie too" "WHAT?!" most of them screamed Eddie shrugged nonchalantly "I wanted to know what al the fuss was about" Everyone was a little surprised, gaping while looking at each other. "What? She was on her slut era and i was curious. It's not that deep" Eddie clarified. Jonathan looks a little uncomfortable before asking quietly "Slut era?" "Yeah" she nods quickly. "Eddie is on his right now actually" "What does that even mean?" "Wait really?" "Is that why you guys have been MIA for a week?" Nancy takes a deep breath. She's a little tipsy so she needs to ground herself a little. "It means he is having fun. He is open to fool around, hook up and date. Yes really, we did the same after John and I broke up. And yes, we went to Indianapolis, jumping from gay bar to gay bar and he well, he certainly enjoyed his time" she giggles at the end.

Robin is gaping seemingly trying to catch up with everything they just said. "YOU WENT ON A GAY RAMPAGE AND DIDNT TAKE ME?!" Eddie looks at her with sad eyes and simply says "you know we couldn't take you Robs" That seems to shake her a little before understanding what he meant. Right. Steve. That was what the rampage was about. Right. "Well maybe next time you can take me?" "You bet!" they smiled at her. Steve was getting more and more uncomfortable as the conversation continued. He understood he was the reason for the getaway and it stung a little. But most of all, the idea of Eddie kissing and hooking up with random guys was not sitting well in his stomach. Which was ridiculous because he had rejected him first, and well, its no secret that Steve was also known for his uhh multiple escapades. He shook his head and tried to focus back on the conversation. It seemed that this conversation hadn't only affected Steve, but Argyle as well, when he suddenly turned very interested eyes over to Nancy and Eddie. "Nancy?" "Hmm?" "You want to make that 5 out of 5?" "WHAT THE FUCK?!" "ARGYLE?!" "Sure" Nancy said easily while she got up and moved over to Argyle. She leaned down and give him a small peck on the lips and went back to sit down next to Eddie. While everyone was still processing that, Argyle only smiled and nodded over to her before turning to Eddie. "Eddie?" Eddie looked confused and titled his head while looking at him. "yeah?" "Can i have a kiss?" "Oh.. uhhhhh.. y-yeah sure ummm.. " Argyle and John exchanged a complicated number of facial expressions before Eddie was standing before Argyle, his fingers fidgeting with his rings and avoiding eye contact. Argyle only smiled calmly at him before leaning up to him, letting Eddie decide if he wanted to lean down or not. Eddie took a deep breath and pressed his lips to Argyles. He was completely intending to share a quick peck but Argyle clearly had another idea, when he slid his hand behind his head and softly twisting his hand in his hair before deepening the kiss. It took Eddie by surprise but it was nice, so he let it happen, exchanging more kisses with the long haired teen. Before he realized they were separating and he was left a little dazed from it. Before he could even clear his throat and get his mind back online, John was moving closer and asked the same. "Can I?" He didnt even had time to think abut it before Jonathan was leaning in and kissing him just as deeply as Argyle had. He made a small noise in the back of his throat without noticing and then they were separating and Eddie could breathe again. "wha... - he took a deep breath- wha wass that?" Both boys shrugged easily, smiled on their faces. "You said you were open to kissing and dating right?" Eddie nodded dumbly. "So we took our shot" Argyle replied happily. "But why?" "Why do you mean why?" "I mean WHY ?" The other two teens looked at each other and turned back to Eddie.

"You're hot" They said in unison. Eddie squeaked and turned bright red. "We've talked about it before and well, now was the chance, so we just took it" There was a long silence among them before Nancy cleared her throat, gathering everyone's attention. "So what does that mean? You guys just wanted to kiss him?" she squints at them, her protective side flaring up now that she has had a couple of drinks. He loved her for it. "And date him. If he agrees, of course"

They all turned to Eddie, waiting for an answer from the shellshocked teen. "are you serious?" "Yes" "100% dude" Eddie smiled softly and looked at this feet, feeling a little giddy. "Then sure" Jonathan and Argyle celebrated by highfiving each other "SCORE!" Eddie and Nancy could only giggle in actual gleeful surprise, they could not believe what was happening. "Next Friday dude, its a date! Be ready!" Eddie could only nod, his face still sporting a nice pink dustin. He was actually excited about it.

He was so surprised that he never even realized that Steve had left the room, a very concerned Robin quickly following behind her.

Next week was surely going to be veeeery interesting all around.

#steddie #jealous steve harrington #steve harrington #eddie munson #jonathan byers #argyle #nancy wheeler #robin buckley #stranger things #jargyle #poly i guess??

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eddievanhammettmunson · 2 years

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Robin Buckley

Robin x Female reader

Author's note- hi hi. This is my first branch out to other characters besides Eddie. So this one is a bit short but I am hoping to write a longer one for Robin soon. 2.4k words.

Summary- Falling for a friend is hard but the landings can be fun.

Warnings- 18+ minors please go away I’m asking nicely. Pretty please. Anyways we have drug use here, we got some foul language. And we got a heavy make out session here.

The smell of marijuana clouded the room as everyone sat around the Wheelers basement one Saturday afternoon. The kids had been dropped off at the arcade for the day and Robin and Steve had the day off for once. On a Saturday nonetheless so that meant the day had to be treasured.

This meant getting stoned with the whole gang. With the combination of Eddie and Argyles stash you guys were pretty sure you were set for a lifetime. As the tunes played on the radio and everything became even more hazy your eyes began to drift over to one person in particular. As she lay splayed out on the ground staring at the ceiling like a starfish you couldn’t help but giggle to yourself.

Falling for Robin definitely hadn’t happened on purpose but it’s not like you could exactly stop yourself. While working at a burger joint at star court before all the upside down shit happened, you’d gotten to know Robin pretty well from your daily trips to scoops. Totally not as if you went there everyday on purpose to try and talk to her anyways.

And it’s totally not like you’d noticed Robin before at school anyways playing in the band while you were in theatre. Yup totally 100% not what happened. At least that’s what you tell yourself. It’s only when Robin's eyes flick behind her and look at you that you realize you’ve been staring this whole time. Exhaling a cloud of smoke combined with a cough, you force yourself to look away.

“Y/n?” Shit she’d seen you. You flick your eyes back to Robin’s and raise an eyebrow to indicate you heard her.

“Come lay with me. You gotta see the lights like this”

“But Rob, I'm comfy where I am.”

“Pleaseeeeeeeeeee y/n? This is like super important!”

With a sigh you force your stoned body to fall to the floor next to Robin. Making sure your body is straight as a rail and not touching her in any way. That is until Robin sits on her elbows and looks at you.

“Y/n! You’re doing it wrong. You gotta do it like this”

Robin reaches across and moves your arms to spread them into a similar Star shape that Robin herself had been lying in. The contact of Robins hands on your arms while you were high sends tingles through your entire body and a smile erupts on your face as robins face hovers over yours. You can’t help it when you start to get giggly. Robin takes notice and giggles a bit too.

“What’s so funny?” Steve chirps in from where he’s sitting with on the couch an eyebrow quirked at the two of you. Your heart stops at the question because well. You can’t answer it.

Trying to come up with an excuse you spit out the first thing on your mind. “I’m a starfish Stevie!”

Steve laughs and shakes his head leaning back into the couch once more. Blaming your sudden burst of giggles on the marijuana. As you turn your attention back to Robin your heart begins to race because Robin in her giggle fit is still hovering above you. Your heart beat is so heavy that you fear she can hear it.

Robin moves off of you slowly and you continue to lay on the ground suddenly feeling unable to move. Maybe Robin was right, the ceiling is suddenly so interesting.

Robin moves back to her original position of starfish and her hand brushes yours and stays there. You try not to let it get to you. The thought of being able to just grab Robin's hand right then and there and just hold her. But you can’t. It almost burns where the two of you touch and you wonder if it’s just you who feels this.

You can’t do this. It’s all too much so you stand up abruptly startling pretty much everyone in the room.

“I’m going upstairs to get some water. Does anybody want anything?”

Argyle begins listing off a bunch of foods that you’re pretty sure the wheelers don’t even have or wouldn’t appreciate being used for munchies. But you make your way to the kitchen nonetheless to look for the ingredients Argyle had asked for.

As you left Steve joined Robin on the floor momentarily. He whispered as low as he could to avoid the others hearing. “I’m telling ya Rob I really think she likes you.”

“You’re wrong Steve, she totally likes you. I mean why do you think she came to scoops everyday? Or why does she come to family video? Or why does she call you Stevie?”

“Oh come on, that's bullshit and you know it. She may call me Stevie but she calls you Robbie and like 90% of the time she visits us at work you two end up talking the entire time anyways!”

“It doesn’t matter Steve there’s no way I’ll ever get the chance to ask her so it’s not like there’s any point in thinking about it.”

“Don’t sell yourself short Robin. Y/n is great and I’m sure even in the worst case scenario that she didn’t feel the same I know she’d accept you. I think everyone here would.”

“Steve, can we stop talking about this? I think I hear her coming back.”

Robin was correct as the door to the basement swung open and you had two waters in hand and then hot sauce, cereal, bread, Doritos, and beer for Argyle and Jonathan and Eddie who now looked very excited.

As you handed the boys their weird ingredients for whatever concoction they were hoping to make, you made your way back over to the floor near Robin and handed her a water bottle. “Uh thanks y/n. I didn’t ask for one though?”

“Oh right. Ha I don’t know why but when I was up there I just kinda thought you might need one.”

“Oh thanks” Robin looked at Steve who had moved back to the couch and he gave her a raised eyebrow that made Robin return with a scowl. As the hours trekked on and everyone sobered up as best as they could before the kids came back everyone was making their plans on getting rides home.

Eddie was giving Jonathan, Argyle, and Nancy, Will and El a ride to the Byers and Steve was taking Dustin, Lucas, you and Robin home.

As everyone piled into their respective cars and Dustin called shotgun so you were cramped in the back sitting bitch between Lucas and Robin. Today was a horrible day to wear shorts you thought as your now bare thigh was smushed up against Robins.

Sure you would have been wearing jeans in the summer but at least then your face would probably be a less deep shade of red right now. Steve passed by your house without stopping and you didn’t even bother to ask why. Normally on days like this when everyone was done hanging out Steve would take you and Robin back to his place where the three of you normally spent the night watching shitty movies, eating pizza, and getting stoned all over again.

After dropping both Dustin and Lucas off at their houses Steve drove back to his and as you and Robin settled in your usual spots, Steve got to ordering the pizza. As Robin got comfortable on her couch and you got cozy on the recliner you reached onto the table and started rolling a joint.

As you roll the joint you can feel Robin's eyes burning into the side of your head. “Jesus Robbie give me a minute” you laugh and look up at Robin whose face is suddenly redder than before.

Robin suddenly felt word vomit about to spew out as she watched you roll the joint. She couldn’t help but stare because somehow you made doing something so simple and mundane look so stunning. “Jeez where is Steve? How long does it take to place and order like come on man what are you doing in there calling up some date or something like come on we have shitty movies to watch man!”

You always knew when Robin was nervous or rambling but this time you had no idea as to why. So your solution was to finish rolling the joint and passing it off to Robin first to try and calm her nerves.

As you pass Robin the joint, Steve walks in the room keys in hand still fully dressed and not ready for movie night at all. “Sorry guys they don’t have any delivery boys available right now so I gotta go pick up the pizza. You two get started without me though okay?”

“Okay Stevie. Be safe and remember my red peppers!!”

Before Robin had the chance to protest suddenly Steve was gone and it was just you and Robin getting stoned in Steve’s big empty house.

“Okay Robbie. What movie do you wanna watch first?”

“You pick.”

“Oh come on Robin you’re the professional it should be you.”

“Exactly. I have to sort and sift through movies all day. This is my day off. You pick.”

“Ugh fineeeeeee”

You get off your comfy recliner and go to the movie selection Steve has. Your eyes land on “Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' and put it in. Instead of going back to your recliner you lift up Robin's legs and set them back down on your thighs that way it would be easier to pass the joint back and forth.

The movie kept playing and you weren’t very interested but the high was nice and Robin was cozy and warm so you were content. That is until the movie reached about 53 minutes in with still no Steve and suddenly a pair of boobs flashed on the screen making your whole body tense and so did Robins. You weren’t going to bring it up but Robin couldn’t help herself.

“Oh come on y/n. Never seen a pair of boobs before.”

“I see boobs everyday, Robin.”

Upon hearing this Robin sat straight up. Disturbing the comfortable bubble you two had previously set up.

“What? Whose boobs are you seeing? Why are people showing you their boobs?”

“Jesus Robin calm down! I meant my own boobs? Remember I have those too?” You said pointing a finger to each of your breasts and Robin's attention follows them. Robins high must be more intense than she realizes because her eyes are just attached to your boobs and she swallows thickly.

“Yeah I uh. I remember. Just forgot those counts in this context.”

You couldn’t help but giggle upon noticing Robin's transfixed gaze upon your breasts.

“Likin what you see over there?”

Robin's face turned yet again a deep shade of red as her eyes finally flicked up to yours. Where there would normally be word vomit there was nothing. Just Robin’s mouth hanging open as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t.

“Robbie? You okay?”

Robin still didn’t answer just looking like a deer in the headlights and it dawned on you that Robin may have really liked your breasts more than she cared to admit. You decide to take a leap and you gently place your hand over Robins. Guiding it slowly and hesitantly up to your breast giving Robin access to pull away any time but she doesn’t.

Once your hands reach your breast you move Robin's hand and make her cup your breast and Robin audibly exhales and moves closer. Gently bringing her other hand up to cup your breast. Nothing was said as you two looked into each other’s eyes.

Robin moved both hands away from your breasts and up to your face and pulled you in for a heated kiss. You can’t tell who tries first but Robin's tongue wins and you allow Robin to explore your mouth. The feeling is better than anything you could have imagined. All that combined with the high. It was like your body was on fire.

As you two continue to make out you push Robin down onto the couch and straddle her as Robin's hands move to explore you. Grabbing at your thighs and at your ass. Groping everywhere she can as if you’ll disappear at any moment.

You’re so entranced in the moment that the thing that snaps you back to reality is Steve Harrington clearing his throat making you jump and fall onto the floor after sliding off of Robin. Nearly smacking your head on the coffee table. You look at Robin with wide eyes and back at Steve as you try to find some excuse but know there’s nothing to be said. You can only fear what Steve will say to you.

Steve sets the box of pizza on the table and walks over to you reaching out a hand to help you up that you gladly take.

“Love that you two finally got together but next time you’re gonna make out on my couch make sure to call me first so I can have a front row seat.”

You grab a pillow off the couch and smack him with it and Robin does the same. You grab a slice of pizza for you and one for Robin as you sit back on the couch. You both let Steve pick the next movie and neither of you says a word. Unsure of how to begin addressing what just happened between the two of you.

As the movie Steve picked plays you feel a hand slowly creeping up next to yours and out of the corner of your eye you see Robin's pinky reaching to interlace with yours. Instead you just take robins' entire hand in yours and you two drift off next to each other holding hands on the couch.

Steve notices and shuts off the movie. He grabs a blanket and throws it over the two of you. He’s just glad his plan to go sneak time with Eddie for a while finally gave you two the time you needed to finally make a move.

#stranger things #robin buckley imagine #robin buckley #stranger things robin #robin stranger things #steve and robin #fruity four #stranger things imagine #stranger things fluff #stranger things smut #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things x reader #stranger things x y/n #stranger things 4 #robin x reader #robin x y/n

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desperate-daydream · 2 years

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👹 Stranger Things

❀ Byler (Will Byers x Mike Wheeler) ⚣︎

A/N: I just wanted some Byler fluff. Without hate or murder. Just everybody being happy.

tags/warnings: after season 4 so spoiler warning!, actually like after they killed off Vecna and won, Max is alive + in a wheelchair and blind (no sad, she's a badass queen), Eddie is alive too (getting cared for by Steve), El is happy and great, fluff, Will my bby is happy, they all just hang out at the Byers-Hopper-Home (it's a big cozy house), Steddie being Dustin's dads, Jonathan identifies as nonbinary and uses he/they

side ships: Jopper, Lumax, Dustin x Suzie (what's their ship-name??), Steddie, Ronance, Jargyle

They're what?!

It had been a quiet day at the Byers-Hopper-Home. Well, as quiet as it can get when you almost constantly have multiple teenagers and adults over.

It became a ritual that at least once or twice a week everybody would come around. They all had been through so much and especially Joyce and Steve were absolutely worried and panicking as soon as they hadn't heard from everyone the last few days.

So they would meet up, exchange stories from the last days and check if everyone was doing okay. They would order food or sometimes do a barbecue in the garden - the first time there had been a fire, definetly not including Hopper just wanting to take care of everything with Steve, Dustin and Argyle hovering around him (plus Jonathan trying to get their boyfriend away from the fire).

Today was one of those big check-in-days. Everyone was somewhere in the house or garden, doing things like talking while preparing food (Joyce, Nancy and Steve), checking out some new comics (Max, Lukas and El), nearly breaking something (Dustin, Eddie and Robbin) or making out (Jonathan and Argyle).

"Shouldn't Hopper and Murray be back by now?", Steve asked while checking the clock. "He's probably spotted something else that we 'definetly should try today'", Joyce answered mimiking her husbands voice while contuinuing to cut the pepper.

"I'm not gonna eat another one of those 'new various meat sticks'", Nancy clarified thinking back to the day Hopper had come home with two boxes of those things.

Joyce laughed. "Well, I gave these house ban so don't worry." "That doesn't promise that he won't buy some other new weird thing", Steve clarified. "Yeah", Joyce sighed, "I guess we'll just have to hope."

They contuinued chatting for a bit while finishing the vegetables. And soon they heard a "Come here, you little burglar!" coming from the living room plus laughter.

It was Eddie who just caught Dustin and tried to get his wallet back that the other had snatched from him to look at the photo of Steve that he kept in there.

"Naw, look at that", Dustin showed the photo to Robbin standing next to them and laughing her ass off. "The lightning and everything. He looks like a god. And is that a heart you drew there?", Dustin contuinued while still struggling to get out of Eddie's grasp.

Steve quickly went to end their little fight, not without a small blush at the things Dustin had just screamed technically for the whole house to hear. "Come on Eds, stop suffocating our child."

The hair, as they still jockingly called him, finally managed to sepperate them and directed his boyfriend to the sofa. "Sit down, your wounds are still not fully healed." "Only a few on my stomach", the metal head protested.

"And what about your knee?", Steve began massaging just that and gave him a knowing look at the small hiss. "I just don't want you overstraining and hurt yourself", Steve softly wispers before leaning in to kiss Eddie.

An "Ew" came from Robbin and her best friend shot her the finger before remarking: "As if you're not just hanging at your girlfriend's lips right now."

"Actually not", Nancy said, "She's hanging at my neck right now." "Thanks for defending me, babe", Robin grinned looking up." "Always", the other woman anwered before kissing her.

That was a sign for Steve to have his turn on the "Ew" and both Nancy and Robbin to give him the silent anwer. The other three just laughed at the scene, Joyce shaking her head at the teenagers.

"Man, now I miss Suzie even more", Dustin pouted. "Naw, if you want we can sing the song for you", Steve said grinning getting ready to sing. "Nooo!"

Meanwhile El and Lukas were taking turns at reading the new comic they had just found to Max. El read the dialogue and partly described the scenery while Lukas jumped in at the whoosh's and kapow's making Max laugh every time.

When they were finished El put down the comic and leaned next to Max who had gotten out of her wheelchair to sit on El's bed. Lukas was already sprawled out on the floor looking up at them.

"Sooo El, tell me", Max started, "What's that now with you and Mike?" El was confused for a second. "Me and Mike?" "Yeah, I mean. What happened? Are you in a fight? Did you dump him again, or what?", Max asked excitedly.

"No, we're not and I didn't. We're just not together anymore." "Wait, really?!", Max and Lukas simultaneously gasped. "Yeah", El shrugged, Max feeling the movement on her shoulder. "Okay, why?"

"We just both came to the conclusion it would be the best. I'm actually not really ready for a relationship since I'm partly still trying to figure out who I am."

"Mhm, understandable. And what did Mike say?", Max contuinued her investigation while Lukas had his eyes closed still laying on the floor but also attentively listening.

"Well, he totaly understood that and said he too had just recently figured something out about himself and not liking girls. It actually was what I kind of assumed and hoped for with him and Will. I mean the way the way they have always looked at each other, it's kind of obvious. So, we decided to stay friends and that's basicly it."

It was quiet for a few seconds before Max started again. "Okay, wait, what do you mean with him and Will, what were you hoping for?"

"Will and Mike like each other. They're together now. That's what I was kind of hoping for because I had noticed how much Will was hurt by seeing us. He's so happy now."

Lukas shot up: "Mike and Will are dating?! How can I not know that two of my best friends are in a relationship?!"

"Oh my god, it really is obvious if you think about it", Max whispered. Then louder to Lukas: "Well, you're really oblivious. Especially with your friends."

"Because I'm trusting them to trust and tell me when something's up", her boyfriend countered.

"Oh, do you think they maybe didn't want other people to know?", El asked concern in her voice. "We'll just ask them", the red head said at that, "Help me get in my wheelchair and then we'll get to Will's room. That's where they are, right?" "I guess so."

After a moment they got out of El's room and went down the floor. But before they got to Will's room they made a stop at Jonathan's.

After knocking shortly they opened the door to find Jonathan and Argyle hanging on each others lips. "Get a room you two." "You are literally in my room. What do you want?", Jonathan said looking at them.

"Did you know that Will and Mike are dating?", Max asked straight up. "Yeah, why?" "We didn't know", Lukas exclaimed. "Well, Will was so happy and releaved and I just came to the conclusion. So I asked him and he said yes. Soo, will you leave now?"

"Alright", El turned but then faced her brother one more time, "Don't you have the three inches rule too?" "Oh, shut up and get out", he said, "And close the door." El just laughed at that and maybe left it open a little bit.

They eventually got to Will's room and knocked again before barking in. Will was sitting on his carpet. Art utensils splattered around him. His sketch book in his lap with a picture he was just working on.

He quickly put his finger to his lips. "Shhh, he's been sleeping for the last thirty minutes", the boy pointed at Mike sound asleep on his bed. He had his raven hair open and a few strands fell in his face while one of his arms dangled of the bed.

"You drew him?", El asked getting closer and looking over her brothers shoulder. "Yeah, he hasn't moved at all and he strated silently snoring too. It's so funny." A small giggle left the boys lips.

"We actually wanted to ask you both something", Max said getting back to the reason they came there. "What is it?"

"Well I kind of told them you were dating-", El started and was cut off by Lukas, "And we want to know if that's true." "And also if it's okay that I told them", El said shooting a small glare at Lukas.

"Oh, yeah, we are. And it's okay you told them", Will answered smiling widely even though there was a small worry of not getting accepted that he quickly brushed off again.

"Why didn't you tell us?", Lukas asked a bit offended. "Well, we figured it would be obvious from time to time and we didn't want to shout it out."

In the meantime the livingroom-group had went upstairs and was now standing behind the three teenagers in Will's doorway.

"Hey, Hopper and Murray should be back any minute and we're finished too", Nancy said. "What's up in here?", Steve asked with suspicion.

Lukas turned to Dustin: "Did you know they were dating?" His friend looked at him confused. "Who?" "Mike and Will", Lukas gestured wildly between the two boys - one still inocently sitting at his carpet with his sister now perched next to him and the other still slightly snoring.

"Whaaaaat? Really?" Dustin wasn't the only one with a surprised look on his face. "Oh that little shit, he didn't tell me", Nancy remarked while Robbin just gave a nod and grin at Will who returned that. Steve got out a confused "What?" just like Dustin.

"Well I knew that mini-Byers had something for mini-Wheeler", Eddie said leaning on his boyfriend, "I just didn't know they were actually dating."

"They're what?!", echoed from behind them. Everybody equally scared for a second turned around to see Hopper, Joyce and Murray standing there. It was Hopper who had just screamed.

Will was the first one to turn away because his boyfriend had been startled by the loud exclamation and now satup halfway, a confused sleepy look on his face. "What?", he asked his eyes squinting and trying to figure out, why everyone was standing in one room.

"Noo", Will whined, "Why did you have to wake him up. Not even my sketch was finished." That got a second "What?" from Mike that Will just waved off with a small blush.

Hopper turned to his wife standing next to him. "Did you know that?" "Of course I knew. I'm his mother. He didn't even have to tell me for me to know."

"And why didn't you tell me?", he asked her. "Because I knew that you would want to strangle Mike." The boy instinctively sild back a bit at the mention of that.

Murray just stood there. He had by far probably known the longest that the two boys had feelings for each other and if they wouldn't have managed to sort it out themselves he would have Murray'ed them soon.

"Yeah, no shit", Hopper said now before turning back to Mike, "Why always my kids, Wheeler?!" Mike looked at him with big eyes, his still half asleep brain trying to comprehend what was happening. "U-uh, sorry", he muttered out.

Meanwhile El and Will were sitting on the floor trying to surpress their laughter before bursting into giggles at the situation happening.

Mike being sulky said "Thanks for your back-up" to his boyfriend. "I'm s-sorr-rry", Will got out through his giggles, "It's just-" That's when another wave of laughter hit them and the two siblings dubbled over again.

"Did y- did you see-he-he his face-", El got out before bursting once more and Will actually fell over, happy that his carpet was so big.

Mike looked away at the others: "I feel slightly insulted right now." "Oh, you should feel more than slightly insulted", Hopper said pointing at him. Joyce just calmly put a hand on his arm. "Come on leave the boy alone. We have a barbecue to do."

One after one left the room. Their friends kind of gratulated Will and Mike while Will still laughed. But that eventually died down too. El whiped the tears from her eyes before standing up. "I'm gonna leave you two now too. Bye." She even closed the door fully behind her.

Mike got up from the bed and went over to his boyfriend still laying on the floor. "Have you laughed enough about me now?", Mike tried to stay insulted but the grin on Will's face made him forget everything.

He sat down and then grabbed the other's hands to pull him into a sitting position too. "You're happy", he remarked whiping some of the laughing tears from his boyfriend's beautiful face.

His hands stayed on Will's slowly blushing cheeks. "Is that bad?", he asked slightly nuzzling into Mike's palm. "No it's great. You're great." Will smiled wholeheartedly at him before gripping his shirt and yanking him forward.

Their lips met in a soft kiss and it felt like little fireworks exploded in their stomach's making the boys giddy. One of Will's hands went up to grip into the dark strands and he let out a small moan at the feeling of Mike's tongue.

After another moment they parted slowly and leaned their foreheads together slightly panting.

"I love you, William Byers."

"I love you, Michael Wheeler."

They giggled before going into the next kiss.

#byler #will x mike #fanfic #fluff #side pairings #lumax #jopper #steddie #jargyle #byers hopper family #stranger things

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berenwrites · 10 months

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Beyond the Battle - Chapter 33 - Stranger Things - Steddie

Beyond the Battle: Action & Consequence

Click here for All Posted Chapters

Summary: Steve hits things with a bat or gets hit depending on who you ask. He definitely does not have anything to do with the psychic stuff. That is El’s domain. However, as Vecna is defeated, the rules change.

Pairing: steddie (Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson)

Other Relationships: Steve & Robin, Steve & Dustin, Eddie & Dustin

Rating: Teen

A/N: Multi-chapter story, updated regularly. Honestly not sure how many chapters it will have yet because it's still a bit hand wavy in the middle, but definitely more than 12. Thank you to my beta for find my mistakes and to all those who read/like/reblog.💖 Follow #st:beyond-the-battle for updates.

Also on AO3

Chapter 33. Resting

Steve’s nose twitched, which in turn sent a message to his stomach, which poked his sleepy brain into floating from the dark depth of restful sleep, back to the waking world. There was still a hand in his hair, only it was a different hand and was scratching at his scalp with blunt fingernails in a way that made him want to purr. Luckily for his dignity, his higher brain began to cooperate before he did.

There was no doubting that his thoughts were still a bit on the slow and muddled side, but he was perfectly used to that after an Upside Down related incident. This one might have been government sponsored, but it had been about powers and stuff, so in his head it still counted. There was a bowl of something on the coffee table in front of him, which was where the nice smell was coming from. It took him a second to realise the table was the one from the pool room, because he definitely remembered seeing the main one in several pieces.

Blinking, he looked around a little without trying to move. He was kind of surprised to find Argyle sitting on the couch opposite the one he was lying on. Things had definitely moved on while he was asleep.

“Hey, my dude,” Argyle said with a big smile, “welcome back from dreamland. I hear it has been quite a day.”

He hummed a reply.

“How’re you feeling, Stevie?” Eddie’s familiar voice asked, even as the fingers massaging his scalp stopped moving.

“Hungry,” he admitted as he valiantly fought from making a pathetic noise of complaint at the loss of Eddie’s touch.

He felt much more rested and with it this time around and decided to chance sitting up. Eddie gave him a small boost as he carefully swung his legs down and tried pushing himself into a sitting position. Somewhere along the way he noticed that the iv was gone from the back of his hand. Clearly, he had been asleep a while.

The living room had also been tidied. It was not up to its usual standards, but, apart from the bullet holes in the wall, it looked pretty normal. The front door had been patched so it was no longer hanging open. It was also dark.

“Here,” Eddie said, leaning forward and picking up the bowl from the table, “you have this one. Joyce has been producing some of her wonders.”

“It’s yours,” Steve said, rubbing his eyes as he came to the obvious conclusion.

“And there is plenty more in the kitchen,” Eddie said. “I promise I did not get my cooties all over it yet, so eat up.”

That made him smile. It also made him want to lean over and give Eddie a kiss, but not being alone made that a problem.

“What did I miss?” Steve asked, accepting the bowl despite his reservations.

“Well, to start with everyone over twenty is conspiring in your kitchen,” Eddie told him, looking much happier as soon as Steve began to eat. “We have no idea what they came up with, because they wouldn’t let us in on it, but your mom looked very pleased with herself by the time Owens left, and Owens didn’t look defeated, so I think they were conspiring together.”

“Mom was an attorney before she had me,” Steve said, more than a little proud of how his mom was dealing with the whole Upside Down situation. “She went back to it once I was old enough. She heads the legal department in the firm, doesn’t trust anyone else to do it properly.”

“Your mom is one stand up lady,” Argyle agreed from the other couch.

“The only thing I heard was Hopper mutter something about no one being able to touch this town with a fifty-foot pole.” Eddie added, “so whatever they’ve come up with it’s probably good.”

“It is.”

Steve turned to find his mom coming from the direction of the kitchen.

“Hi, Mom,” he said, giving her a small smile. “Are you saying jump and making government people ask how high?”

“Sort of,” his mom replied, coming over and perching on the edge of the couch, “but I have to admit, Sam seems to be a surprising ally.”

He blinked at the way his mom casually called Dr Owens, Sam. That went a long way to settling his immediate doubts. Not all of them, but given that him mom had been known to eviscerate people by using their titles as a weapon, the way she was referring to Owens spoke volumes.

“Unfortunately,” his mom went on, “Will has become part of the official record thanks to Sullivan’s men and their radio chatter, however, we have agreed that you and Eddie will be kept out of the official report. He assures me his people can be trusted.”

“How did you get them to agree to that?” Steve asked, so shocked he completely forgot about the fork halfway to his mouth.

“Sam is a surprisingly forward-thinking person,” his mom told him. “He is more than aware there are other factions within the government that would like nothing more than to use El and any like her as weapons. While he is sure he can downplay Will’s abilities as an echo of El’s brought on by contact with the Upside Down, he agreed with me that if yours became widely known it would bring too many eyes onto the project once again. And likewise with Eddie. Sam has, however, offered the facilities at the lab, should either of you wish to investigate what you are capable of further.”

“Wouldn’t that be dangerous?” Eddie asked.

“I wouldn’t recommend it unless either of you start having problems,” his mom said, “but I promised I would pass on the offer, so I have. And don’t worry, we have certain things in the works that should make touching El or any of the rest of you far riskier than any covert government organisation would like.”

“Do I want to ask?” Steve said.

“No, Darling,” his mom told him with a smile, “but I didn’t want you to worry. You and the other kids just need to focus on yourselves for a while, you’ve all done more than enough.”

There were many ways Steve could react to that, from rejecting the idea outright, through being put out by being kept out of the loop, but he settled on acceptance in the end. He was tired, he was starving, and really all he wanted to do was eat and curl up. It was nice to be able to let go of the reins for once.

“Okay,” he said and put the meatball on his fork in his mouth.

“Oh my god, where are they, they must be riding over the hill any minute. The four horsemen have got to be knocking on the door,” Eddie said in his usual dramatic fashion.

Steve gave his boyfriend his best bitchy look, which made Argyle laugh out loud. His mom for her part smiled widely.

“That smells so good,” Eddie said, pushing himself away from the couch. “I shall return once I have quested for such bounty. Anyone want anything from the kitchen?”

“A glass of milk would be great, thanks,” Steve said round his bite. “If there’s any left.”

“I’m good, thanks brochacho,” Argyle said.

“Thank you, but no,” his mom replied.

“Milk coming right up,” Eddie said and disappeared.

It was only when it was just him, Argyle, and his mom in the living room it occurred to him the house seemed very empty.

“Where is everyone?” he asked.

“Hopper has taken Dustin, Nancy, Mike, Lucas and Erica home,” his mom explained, “while Eddie’s friends have made their own way. The incident today has made the news, so everyone wanted to reassure their parents they are alive and well, and they’ve been given a vague cover story for now.”

“The news?” he asked.

“Not many of our neighbours have returned yet, but the explosion on the drive was enough to garner the attention of those who have,” his mom said. “The press has been told it was a paramilitary organisation masquerading as US government troops. Sam is working it into the cover story he was already arranging and is handling the news people.”

“Okay,” he said, trying to sound confident, even as he vaguely panicked about reporters lurking in the bushes. “Is everyone else staying?” he decided to change the subject, his sleepy brain couldn’t cope with everything at the same time.

“That is the plan,” his mom told him. “Will and El woke up a little while ago, long enough to have something to eat, but are sleeping again. Sam sent a clean-up crew to Joyce and Hopper’s house to make sure no one can break-in, and everyone will be staying here tonight, so as not to disturb the kids.”

“Jon is helping his mom in the kitchen,” Argyle provided cheerfully. “Broke all the speed laws to get back here when he heard the news. Dude could really have done with the healing powers of Purple Palm Tree Delight.”

Steve glanced at his mom, but she seemed to find Argyle amusing rather than anything else. He had no idea if she knew what Purple Palm Tree Delight was, but given that Argyle carried the scent of weed with him almost all the time, Steve suspected his mom could guess.

“And Robin and Wayne?” he asked, deciding he didn’t want to touch on that particular subject.

“I have just had a fantastic shower,” Robin’s voice carried from the stairs, and she appeared wearing a selection of Steve’s clothes. “I hate how hard it is to get blood out from under your fingernails.”

Steve could very much relate to that these days.

“Tell me about it,” he agreed, ignoring his own rather grubby nails for the time being.

A long hot shower sounded really good, but his first priority was his stomach. That he had almost finished his bowl of carb rich pasta and meatballs already should maybe have been a little embarrassing, but he really was starving.

“I believe Wayne is in the backyard getting some air,” his mom provided the answer to the other part of his question. “Given today’s excitement he has called in sick to the plant.”

“It took Eddie using his big ole brown eyes,” Robin revealed as she threw herself onto the couch beside him, “but it worked. Also, I think Eddie’s eyes should be listed as a lethal weapon. Devastating!”

Steve ate the last of his pasta, so he didn’t say something stupid to that. He was well aware of the effect of Eddie’s eyes, although he suspected they affected him a little differently to other people.

“They only work on Wayne when he wants them to,” Eddie said, appearing once more from the kitchen. “He’s been immune to them since I was nine.”

Steve accepted the glass Eddie handed him with a quiet thank you.

“That smells really good,” Robin said, peering at Eddie’s new bowl.

“Oh, good lord,” Eddie said, rolling his eyes and just handing it to her. “I’ll get another one.”

Robin grinned at him.

“You are an angel,” she said, which made Steve’s chest flush with fondness for both of his favourite people.

“And looks like you could do with a refill,” Eddie said, waving his hand in Steve’s general direction.

He knew when not to argue and just handed over his bowl.

“I’m not going back a third time,” Eddie said as he walked off, “so speak now or forever, etc, etc.”

Joyce and Jonathan appeared shortly after Eddie came back the second time, taking seats next to Argyle on the other couch.

“This is delicious, thank you, Joyce,” Steve remembered his manners as he tucked into his second bowl.

“Just one of my staple recipes to feed growing kids,” Joyce replied with a smile. “Also easy to keep warm.”

“If Steve leaves any,” Robin joked.

“The betrayal,” Steve said, because he could be dramatic too, when he wanted to be.

“You still love me,” Robin shot back.

“I do, remind me why again,” he replied, so she elbowed him in the side.

“I am practically perfect in every way,” Robin said primly.

“Did you just quote Mary Poppins?” Eddie said with his fork hovering in front of his mouth.

“Did the scary metal-head Dungeon Master recognise that I quoted Mary Poppins?” Robin countered, batting her eyelashes in a way that Steve was pretty sure was supposed to look innocent, not demonic.

“It’s a classic,” Eddie replied, “but it’s not like I go around dropping lines from it. And I think my reputation is less likely to take a hit from a fantasy musical than yours, it doesn’t come as a two VHS set and I don’t think Cockney counts as another language.”

Of course, that launched the pair into bickering about films, which Jonathan and Argyle chose to join in. Steve sat back, finishing his meal and enjoying the whole thing. It was kind of hilarious how Eddie, and surprisingly Jonathan, ended up teamed up against Robin and Argyle.

Food eaten, milk drunk, he put his bowl and glass on the table and sat back into the couch. His mom was still perched on the arm, and he leaned in without really thinking about it. The way she stiffened at his touch sent his thoughts reeling before he remembered why. For a second, he held his breath as well, wondering if there would be any repercussions.

“All good,” he said quietly after a moment, looking up, “sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, Darling,” his mom replied, draping her arm over his shoulder and giving it a squeeze. “Glad you’re feeling better.”

He gave her a smile and tried to enjoy the comfort of his parent’s touch while listening to his friends playfully bicker, but his mind was distracted now. His thoughts skipped back over the events of the afternoon. It almost felt like a dream. An army colonel had tried to kill his friends and invaded his home. That it had been purely human driven made it worse in a way. There were no creatures, no mad superman to blame everything on this time. It set him on edge.

When the front door opened, his almost jumped in surprise.

“Just me,” Hopper announced as everyone looked over, “but Joyce, look who I ran into.”

“Dimitri,” Joyce said, standing up from the other couch.

A hard-faced man with a moustache stood in the doorway. Steve had never seen him before and he had had never heard of anyone called Dimitri. That it was a Russian name was not settling.

End of Chapter 33

Chapter 34

#stranger things fanfiction #steddie #steve harrington/eddie munson #steve x eddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #eddie lives #stranger things #st:beyond-the-battle #fanfic #post season 4 #vampire eddie #hurt/comfort #vampire eddie munson #steve harrington has powers #steddie fanfic #steddie fic

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