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steddiewithachance · 7 months

Text

"Likewise"

(Steve shows up to Wayne and Eddie's house with all of his belongings on his back and it makes Eddie remember when he was in the same position)

Dedicated to my lovely and wonderful AND awesome friend, Birdie

Read on ao3 here

Eddie and Wayne have always been pretty inseparable, since Eddie was 11 and made a trek across Indiana to find him. But after all the Vecna shit happened, after the manhunt and the three week hospital visit, Wayne had been especially clingy. Wayne's version of being clingy is constantly asking Eddie to do mundane things with him, it's intense love and worry and near loss disguised as casual invitations.

Eddie is endeared by it even though he'll play his part: roll his eyes and act annoyed like it's a chore.

This afternoon Wayne had knocked on Eddie's door and asked "Hey Eds wanna come out'n watch the game with me?"

And Eddie flung open the door with a huge sarcastic grin. "Me? A sports ball match TV game? You know I wouldn't miss it for the world, Uncle Wayne!" Wayne scoffed and Eddie grabbed his acoustic guitar so that he could entertain himself while he kept Wayne company in the living room.

Which is where they are now. Eddie is spread across the couch. He's aimlessly moving his fingers around the fretboard until he finds a chord that sounds nice while a sports announcer drones on in the background. Sometimes Eddie will look up to find Wayne in his old recliner watching him instead of the game. Eddie doesn't say anything, just gives him a reassuring smile.

It's raining kind of hard today, which normally would be stressful. Eddie and Wayne would be running around the house with buckets trying to catch water from all the new places the rain was leaking in. But with their shiny new government gifted place, they could sit back and enjoy the weather.

Eddie violently startles when someone knocks on the door. He sets his guitar to the side and Wayne turns the TV volume down. "Who is it?" Eddie calls out while walking towards the door.

"Steve." He hears in response.

When Eddie opens the door he's confronted with a very distraught-looking boyfriend. He looks like he's been crying, he has two dufflebags and a backpack, and he's soaking wet from the rain. Eddie immediately steps back and lets him in.

"Sweetheart, what's going on?" Eddie asks closing the door behind them even though he has a pretty good idea what the bags mean. Steve sniffles and lets his stuff fall to the floor. He startles when he realizes Wayne is in the room too. He's quiet for a few moments, maybe composing himself, Eddie thinks. Always trying to be brave and strong even when he doesn't have to, this one.

"Can I sleep over tonight?" Steve asks like it's taking a lot of effort to do so, even if he's slept over a dozen times already. "My parents... I need a place to stay and Robin's out of town and I felt kinda weird letting any of the kids see me like this" Steve wipes his nose but his sleeve is just as wet and he looks miserable, so Eddie reaches out and wipes Steve's nose with his own sleeve.

"I'm gross, sorry" Steve apologizes.

"Of course you can stay here, Stevie, is that even a question? Let's get you something dry to wear-" Eddie tells him, when he's suddenly and overwhelmingly hit with the dreamy feeling of deja vu. He looks back at Wayne wondering if he's thinking the same thing. Wayne's meets his gaze and his mouth twitches into a half smile.

Eddie grabs Steve's stuff and pulls him into his bedroom. After he sets everything down, he gently runs his hands up under Steve's shirt, until it's all bunched up right under his chin. Eddie pulls the wet fabric over his shoulders and off his arms. Eddie leans forward and plants kisses on each of Steve's perfectly freckled shoulders.

Once Steve is all changed and sat on the foot of the bed, Eddie stands over him and wraps a blanket over his head and shoulders like a little burrito. He looks adorable like this, all cozy.

"You want to talk about what happened, or not yet?" Eddie whispers, to keep the energy in the room gentle and light. Steve shakes his head without thinking and looks up at him for reassurance. Eddie leans down to plant a soft kiss on his lips. "That's okay, Babylove. You know you gave me crazy deja vu walking through that door with your duffle bags in the rain?" Eddie places his hands on either side of Steve's blanketed head.

"When I came to live with Wayne it was raining too. I always thought rain was a bad omen, you know? But then in english class one year, we talked about how in literature, rain is like symbolic of change and new beginnings. And I thought, 'yeah actually that makes a lot of sense'." Eddie speaks quietly while Steve looks up at him, listening. "Do you want to hear the story of how I met Wayne?"

------------------

1977

When Eddie steps out of the school building he sees that the cloudy sky has gotten darker since recess. That's a bad omen, he thinks to himself, but hears it in his dad's southern drawl.

He makes his way towards the front school gates, twisting his backpack strings together, a nervous habit. A swarm of children, mostly younger than him, begin to unlock their bikes from where they're chained and wheel them towards the street. Eddie pushes his way through the crowd to do the same.

He feels kind of sick grabbing the handlebars of a bike he knows full well shouldn't belong to him. He should have known that when he asked his dad for a bike it would have been stolen from some other poor kid. He feels terrible thinking about the night his dad brought it home and put a sticker over where another kid's name was carved into the paint. He shakes his head and rides over to the tree where he promised to meet his best friend, Daniel.

Daniel's already there waiting for him, talking loudly to some kid from the other sixth-grade class.

"See you Monday!" Daniel yells out as the kid hops on his bike and takes off down the street. Daniel has a smile on his face, always has been better at making friends than Eddie. He's a sweet kid, but kind of naïve.

"Hey," Eddie mutters propping his bike against the tree. Daniel turns towards him and his eyes immediately catch on Eddies forehead.

"I still can't get used to you without hair. It's weird." Daniel says petting Eddie's buzzed head. "I kinda think it looked better before."

"Yeah yeah, I already told you my dad made me." Eddie swats his hand away. "Did you ask your brother? About driving me to Hawkins?"

"Oh yeah... he said it's too far. Sorry." Daniel barely looks regretful. Eddie's heart drops.

"What?! But did you tell him I could give him money and weed?" Eddie's starting to panic. If Daniel's older brother Paul, who just got his license wouldn't drive him to Hawkins, he was gonna have to think of a new plan, and fast.

"Oh no I forgot that part, oops. Well he's picking me up in 10 minutes, just ask him yourself." Daniel complains, and Eddie doesn't blame him for not taking it seriously. Daniel doesn't understand the urgency of the situation, Eddie hasn't really told anyone why he needs to get to Hawkins so badly.

Eventually Paul pulls up in front of them, hitting the curb a little which just screams new driver and Eddie grimaces. Beggars can't be choosers, he supposes. He follows Daniel to the car. The kid gracelessly plops into the passenger seat and Eddie leans down to talk to his brother through the open door.

Paul has long blonde hair that makes Eddie miss his own hair desperately and a scar on his lip that he apparently got while skiing one winter. As always, he looks handsome, Eddie admits to himself and tries not to blush. He shakes the thought.

------------------

"Was he more handsome than me?" Steve interrupts Eddie recounting the story. He's pouting.

"Steve," Eddie exhales exasperatedly, "Not even close. Let me finish the story though."

------------------

"Hi Paul."

"Hey kid."

Eddie's face twists up, doesn't want Paul to think of him like a kid.

"Look Paul, I really need your help. I need to see my uncle and I would really be grateful if you could drive me." And before Paul can object Eddie adds, "I have money and weed that I can give you in exchange."

Paul clearly considers this. "How much?"

"How much weed? Uh I dunno a baggie?" Eddie puts his fingers up to demonstrate how much weed he remembers there being in the bag.

"No no, how much money?" Paul chuckles fondly. Meanwhile Daniel is ping ponging his head back and forth between his brother and Eddie.

"I have like forty bucks. I know it's not a ton, and it's a far drive, but this is really important." Eddie pleads. Paul stares out the windshield for a few moments.

"And you wanted to go tonight?" He asks Eddie who nods fervently. "When would you need a ride back?"

And Eddie looks at Daniel who seems bored by the whole ordeal, who is picking at the netting on his backpack. Eddie knows that if this plan works out, he won't be coming back at all. But Daniel's been good to him and Eddie hates disappointing people, so he does what his father taught him to do: he lies.

"I'm sure my uncle will drive me back, s'all good." And Paul nods his head.

"Okay kid. Let me drop Daniel home and I'll come pick you up from your place." And Eddie's heart skyrockets. Okay shit, he's actually doing this.

"Thank you! Thank's Paul. That's cool of you. Thank you." Eddie smiles big, shows all his teeth even though he's still missing a few. Paul nods and Daniel reaches forward to close the door when Eddie realizes this might be the last time he sees his best friend.

"Wait!" Eddie interrupts and grabs the door.

Paul and Daniel look at him worriedly. "Can- can I have a hug before you go?" Eddie asks Daniel shakily. He feels his throat tighten and his eyes go a little blurry. Fuck! He's always so emotional, despite Al's best efforts to chastise the sensitivity out of him.

"I guess." Daniel says, weirded out by Eddie's sudden change of tone. He unbuckles his seat belt and holds his arms out. Eddie fiercely tugs him in and realizes that Daniel can probably feel him shaking now. "But I'll see you Monday right?"

Eddie takes a deep breath, tries to will his voice to come out strong. He pulls back giving Daniel a reassuring smile and a pat on the shoulder. "Yeah man, see you. And see you tonight Paul. Thanks again." And instead of looking Daniel in the eyes again he turns away and grabs "his" bike.

Eddie's waiting outside with his bags and a map with directions that he carefully planned out a few nights ago. He's praying to any and all gods that his dad doesn't make it home before Paul get's there. Every time he sees a car turn onto the street he panics and prepares to run.

Despite the bad weather, and Eddie's paranoia, Paul pulls up first and Eddie lets out a huge sigh of relief. Eddie smiles at him and puts his bags in the back seat. The teen looks at him with soft eyes, clearly not as gullible as his kid brother. Knows what's really happening.

"Do you have everything?" Paul asks when Eddie sits in the passenger seat and hands over two twenties and a little bag of weed he stole from his dad's dresser. Eddie nods. "Are you absolutely sure?"

Eddie thinks it would be nice to have a brother like Paul. Never got to know him too well, but he seems to care.

"Yeah man, double and triple checked." Eddie looks into the rear view mirror just in time to see his dad's black pickup truck round the corner. He sinks into the seat. "Shit man, go! Drive!"

Paul startles into action and hits the gas. It doesn't seem like Al notices because he pulls into the parking garage speeding recklessly like he always does. When they're a few streets down, Eddie sits up again and opens the map.

"Am I gonna get arrested for kidnapping you?" Paul worries, wide eyed, as he makes his way towards the highway.

"My dad's afraid of cops. I really doubt he'd call em." Eddie responds before briefing Paul on the directions (ironically) to Hawkins' police station, where hopefully someone will know where his uncle Wayne lives.

It's a quiet drive. Eddie finds that he's not sure what to talk to a 16 year old about and would rather pay attention to directions. He can tell Paul wants to ask what he's running from, but refrains, which Eddie's thankful for. When they're about ten minutes out from Hawkins, it starts raining.

Eddie feels guilty that Paul will probably have to drive two hours home in the rain. He voices this concern, but Paul, the saint he is, reassures him it's no big deal.

Eventually they pull up to the police station and Eddie hauls his bags out of the back seat before coming back around to the passenger side door. He leaves the map with Paul and the set of hand written directions on how to get home that Eddie made for him.

"Thanks again for everything, Paul. Drive safely."

"Eddie do you want me to wait to make sure you get where you're going?" He asks softly and Eddie doesn't remember a time where anyone spoke to him with such care. He wants to cry for some reason. Wants to take him up on the offer, but doesn't want to inconvenience the teenager more than he already has.

"I'm okay, but thank you." As soon as Eddie slams the car door shut and turns towards the station, he starts to cry. He hears the gravel crunching as Paul pulls out of the parking lot behind him. Maybe this was all a mistake. He takes a deep breath, wipes his eyes and steps through the glass door.

"Hello, can I help you?," the woman behind the front desk asks, pushing her glasses down to get a good look at Eddie who is dripping rainwater onto the linoleum floor.

"Yeah. I'm here hoping someone knows where Wayne Munson lives? He's my uncle."

The woman holds up a finger and makes her way to a desk in the back of the station. She clears her throat and starts talking to a man.

Eddie shifts his weight as he tries to make out their muffled conversation. He looks up when a tall man sticks his head out and examines Eddie from across the room. The cop nods at the receptionist and grabs keys from his desk.

"You're looking for Wayne Munson?" The man, "Hopper" his badge reads, says while walking over.

------------------

"That's when you first met Hopper?" Steve interrupts again with a small smile. Eddie rolls his eyes, fondly. He nods.

------------------

"Yes sir." He responds to the officer.

Eddie wonders if Al has started looking for him yet. Wonders if Al walked into his room and saw half his belongings gone. Probably not. And even if he did, he'd have no idea where Eddie went. Too uninvolved in Eddie's life to know the names of any of his friends.

"Alright, he lives in the trailer park. Forest Hills. Let me drive you over." Hopper waves his hand and steps into the rain. He opens the passenger seat of his car and ushers Eddie inside.

The thing about this whole situation is that Eddie knows next to nothing about his uncle. Only hears cutting remarks about him from his father once in a blue moon. But it's the kind of cutting remark that might actually mean Wayne's a good person, if it's coming from Al. Eddie only knows he lives in Hawkins, because Al mentioned it once, in passing. "Lives in a little shit hole town no one's ever heard of while I'm out here making it big in the city," he had bragged. But it's not like Al talks enough about Wayne to immediately suspect that this is where Eddie might have ran off to. He's trying to convince himself he's safe now.

Eddie is accompanied to Wayne's door by the officer. Hopper knocks aggressively before Eddie can even get it straight in his head what he's gonna say to Wayne. The rain is coming down hard now. He's hugging his canvas duffle bag to his chest, trying to protect his sketchbooks inside from the downpour.

"Wayne Munson? It's Jim Hopper with Hawkins PD. Open up." Hopper announces, knocking again.

And almost immediately after he knocks, the door opens a crack. Eddie sees a man with greying dark brown hair cut close to his head and a patchy beard. Wayne's eyes drop to Eddie almost instantly.

"Can I help you?" Wayne asks. His accent is stronger than Al's, Eddie notices.

"I have a kid here who claims to be your nephew?" Hopper says gruffly, scratching his mustache. Wayne opens the door wider, looking Eddie up and down with wide eyes.

"I'm uh... Al's kid?" Eddie adds quietly. And Wayne's face goes through a variety of emotions before nodding to the officer.

"Thanks Jim, I'll take it from here." Wayne mutters. Eddie watches as the officer tips his head and offers a "stay dry folks," before getting back into his car.

"Come on in, kid," Wayne says opening his door for Eddie to walk past him. Eddie takes in his surroundings. The place is... sad looking. There's hardly any furniture, just a TV and a recliner in front of a coffee table which is covered in empty beer bottles. In the corner of the room there are a handful of boxes, one of which is filled to the brim with different colored mugs. This confuses Eddie a little, but overall Eddie's not getting a good vibe. Probably still better than living with Al though.

He turns back to see Wayne watching him carefully. Eddie clears his throat.

"I'm really sorry to come unannounced like this. I know we don't really know each other, and you don't owe me anything! But I- I didn't know where else to go and I was wondering if maybe it would be okay if I stayed here for a little? I can sleep on the recliner or the floor I don't need much. I just can't- I can't go home." Eddie is shivering now, he's not sure if it's anxiety from the situation or if he's just cold and wet.

Wayne nods his head and reaches his hand out for one of Eddie's bags. "S'alright kid. Let's get you dry." He took Eddie's bags and set them against the wall. He disappears down the hallway leaving Eddie shaking by the door, before reappearing with a towel. Eddie wraps it around himself while Wayne stands and looks around the place, likely, realizing how uninviting it seems to Eddie.

Wayne walks towards the coffee table and starts grabbing empty beer bottles.

"You don't have to clean for me, I don't mind." Eddie says meekly, but Wayne continues on anyways.

"S'alright kid. Why don't you get changed into something dry. Ya have any dry clothes in those bags of yours?" Motioning towards Eddie's belongings with a hand full of bottles. Eddie kneels and unzips one of the bags feeling around for something dry which most of it is. Eddie pulls out a new pair of jeans and a sweatshirt.

"Bathroom?" Eddie asks quietly.

"Down the hall to your left."

When Eddie reemerges, the coffee table is clean. And Wayne looks up at him, puts on a smile which seems forced. He must be able to tell by Eddie's face that the smile isn't as reassuring as he was going for. He sighs and scratches the back of his head.

"Should I not have come here?" Eddie asks while stepping out of the hallway and towards the door. He's in desperate need of reassurance, just wants to know if he's safe here or not.

"No! You were right to. I mean Al, is he-" Wayne is searching Eddie's eyes for answers. "Is he hurtin' you?" Wayne crosses his arms but then quickly uncrosses them. Clearly uncomfortable, nervous. And it's making Eddie feel that way too.

"Yeah." Eddie admits into the quiet of the room softened only by the sound of rain pattering against the roof. Wayne exhales and rubs his face.

"Fuckin' bastard." Wayne mutters under his breath. "He's a piece of shit, I'm so sorry kid." Eddie just nods, agreeing. "It's uh... Edward right?" Wayne asks coyly. Eddie wonders when Wayne last talked to Al.

"I go by Eddie," he quickly amends.

"Eddie, alright. It's nice to finally meet you then, Eddie." Wayne roots around in his pocket and pulls out a pack of cigarettes before thinking better of it and tucking it back into his pocket.

"You can smoke around me, I'm used to it." Eddie shrugs and leans against the wall.

"Yeah well you shouldn't be." Wayne grumbles. He rubs his hands together and claps. "Okay so I only got one bed. I'm gonna wash the sheets and then you can take it tonight. I'll sleep on the recliner there until we figure out somethin' better. That sound okay by you?"

"No! I don't want to take your bed-"

"Just temporarily kid, s'alright. But first let's get you some food. You're as thin as store-bought thread." Wayne grabs a pair of keys off the kitchen counter and jingles them playfully.

"I don't have much around here, so lets go to the diner and then get some groceries on the way back, how's that?" He asks. Eddie nods in agreement.

------------------

"He took me to go get blueberry pancakes. It kinda became a tradition. To get blueberry pancakes any time I had a real bad day." Eddie shares while petting Steve's damp hair.

"What made you leave home that Friday? Before the school year was over?" Steve asks, seemingly distracted from his own problems which is what Eddie was aiming for.

"Al's girlfriend found out I was..." Eddie gestures between the two of them, "you know. She was constantly holding it over my head. Said she was gonna tell him. I didn't want to find out what would happen when she did."

"And he never came looking for you?" Steve furrows his brow. Eddie smooths it over with his thumb.

"I dunno. Maybe he talked to Wayne. But eventually we found out he was sent off to prison for grand theft. He's such a disaster, my god." Eddie sighs and tilts Steve's face up towards him. "Do you want to go get blueberry pancakes, Angel? It's been a day, huh?"

"I'm so sorry to say this, Eds, but I hate blueberry pancakes." Steve shrugs the blanket off his shoulders. Eddie gasps in horror.

"You dare speak ill of my comfort food, Steve Harrington?" Eddie dramatically responds, pushing his forehead against Steve's. Steve smiles and pushes him back.

"I like chocolate chip though." Steve tries to amend. And Eddie nods in understanding.

"Okay princess, let's go get you some chocolate chip pancakes. Can I invite Wayne?" Eddie starts tearing off his pajamas and scrambling around the room for outside clothes.

"Yeah, of course Wayne can come." Steve sighs and lays back on the bed looking much more like himself than he did when he got here.

"'Kay one sec," Eddie pulls on his favorite Judas Priest shirt while he stumbles back out into the living room. "Hey old man?"

Wayne looks up from the TV at Eddie. "Everything alright?" He lowers the volume again, even though it wasn't all that loud to begin with. Wayne always does this, it's like he can't think while something is playing in the background. It's impossible to add commentary when they're watching TV together because he'll either not process what Eddie said or not catch what the TV did.

"Yeah. We were thinking of going to the diner for pancakes, it's been a day. You coming?" Eddie combs his fingers through his hair realizing he probably still has bed head. Wayne looks up at him with shiny eyes.

"I'm proud of you, y'know?" Wayne whispers. This catches Eddie off guard.

"What? For what?" Eddie crosses his arm. Doesn't like when Wayne gets sappy.

"Being a decent kid. Taking care of people the way you do." Wayne gets up and reaches for his keys just like he did in '77. "Real glad you found me when ya did, son."

"Likewise, Uncle Wayne"

#steddie #steddie ficlet #steddie fic #steve harrington #eddie munson #steve x eddie #uncle wayne #wayne munson #wayne munson is a good parent #steddie fluff #steddie fic rec #steddie microfic

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ladykailitha · 5 months

Text

Exit Eddie Pursued by a Steve Part 3

The final part. It just keeps getting fluffier and fluffier. Seriously. So sweet.

Part 1 Part 2

****

The next morning Wayne found Eddie pacing the living room.

“What’s got you around the twist?” he finally asked after the hundredth sigh.

Eddie wrung his hands. “So you know how I don’t introduce you to the guys I sleep around with?”

Wayne snorted. “I figured they just liked leaping out of windows when I came home.”

Eddie giggled. “Well, this one wants to meet you.”

Wayne raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

Eddie chewed on his bottom lip. “He’s really good to me, Uncle Wayne. And I mean, really good.”

Wayne hummed. “What do you mean?”

Eddie started pacing again. “It’s like every time I think, ‘oh this is it, this the part where he gets embarrassed by me’ he does something super sweet and cements that he’s with me for the long haul. It’s like he’s inside my head reading my insecurities and coming up with things that would allay those fears.”

He stopped and handed Wayne the ring.

“He gave this to you?” Wayne asked before really looking at it.

“In front a large crowd of people so that people wouldn’t say I stole it from him.”

Wayne’s eyebrows shot up. “Seriously? Wasn’t that dangerous?”

Eddie nodded, close to vibrating out of his skin. “But he wanted people to know he belonged to me and no one else.”

“It doesn’t look very expensive,” Wayne said with a chuckle.

“No,” Eddie agreed. “It’s a chintzy thing, but it’s important to him so...”

Wayne actually looked at the ring, like really looked at it. “Ed. This is a varsity basketball ring.”

Eddie nodded again. “That’s the other reason, I’m nervous introducing you to him. We were both targets of jock bullies, until we became untouchable through admittedly different ways. And I won’t lie and say he wasn’t like that, but after getting a concussion he started to realize popularity wasn’t all it cracked up to be so he joined drama, ditched his asshole friends and–”

“Who are you trying to convince me or yourself?”

Eddie blushed. “He’s just so good, Uncle Wayne.”

“So why are you trying so hard to convince me?”

Eddie gulped and sat down on the sofa, hard.

“Because it’s Steve Harrington.”

Wayne stared at him for a moment and then moved to sit next to him on sofa. “We’ve talked about him before, what so different this time?”

“He wants to meet you for a start,” Eddie said furrowing his brow. “Like even the boys that were out when they were with me didn’t want to do that. He bitched out a bunch of boys in the locker room for ragging on me. And I didn’t hear that one from him by the way. I overheard a couple of guys from his gym class talking about it. When I asked it about it that night, he brushed it off like it wasn’t a big deal.”

“It wasn’t a big deal to defend you against bullies?” Wayne asked eyes wide.

“Yeah.”

Wayne licked his lips slowly. “All right, let’s meet this boy of yours. When is he coming over?”

“Today at noon?” Eddie said with a grimace.

Wayne looked around at the newly tidied trailer and simply said. “Ah.”

“He’s bringing pizza for lunch,” Eddie said sheepishly, “if that helps.”

“Depends from where.”

Eddie pushed him playfully. “You are such a pizza snob, God!”

There was a knock on the door and Wayne looked at his watch. “Looks like your boy is a little early.”

Eddie blushed.

“I wonder if I can have him teach that trick to you,” he said rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

He got up to get the door and had his hand on the doorknob before Eddie came to his senses.

“Don’t you dare open that door, old man,” he said scrambling to the door. “I won’t have you to scare him off because of his pizza choices.”

Wayne laughed, but let Eddie open the door. On the other side was a grinning Steve.

“I hope Carlos’s Pizza is good enough,” he said holding up the two large boxes.

Wayne took the boxes from him and peeked into the top one. “You’ll do.”

He wandered off into the kitchen for plates.

Eddie grabbed Steve by the lapels of his stupid Members Only jacket and hauled him inside to kiss the daylights out him.

Steve yelped in surprise, but went willingly into his boyfriend’s arms.

“You brought pizza from the only Italian pizzeria in town,” Eddie breathed. “He is going to love you.”

Steve laughed. “I have an Italian grandmother and rich parents, we only have ever gotten pizza at Carlos’s.”

Wayne stopped short in the small area between the kitchen and the front room, pizza shoved in his mouth. He swallowed roughly.

“I hadn’t thought about that,” Wayne said a little sheepishly. “Of course he brought good pizza.”

Steve couldn’t help feel like that had docked him points.

“I’ve set some plates out for you two,” Wayne said, jutting his thumb behind him.

Eddie and Steve went to kitchen. The plates didn’t match, but Steve couldn’t find it in him to care.

Eddie opened the top box and grimaced.

He went to pull out a slice, but Steve slid the bottom box out and opened it for him.

“Cheese?” Eddie asked looking into the new box. “You bought me a cheese pizza?”

Steve smiled. “Sure. You always pick off the pepperoni off your pizza when we had it at school.”

Eddie opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before snapping it shut to kiss Steve senseless.

“I didn’t know you noticed that,” he admitted shyly.

Steve laughed. “Dude, you used to throw the pieces into Tommy H’s hair.”

Eddie giggled. “Oops!”

They went out to the front room and Eddie sat on the sofa, and Steve sat on the floor between Eddie’s knees.

Wayne raised an eyebrow at Eddie’s meatless pizza, causing Eddie to blush.

“So Eddie tells me you’re dating now,” Wayne said after polishing off one of the slices he picked up for himself.

“Yes, sir,” Steve said, curling one hand around Eddie’s calf and rubbing it soothingly.

“You’re not worried about what’s gonna happen to two boys out in Bumfuck, Indiana?”

Steve looked up at Eddie and then back to Wayne. “Not really. I probably should. I know it’s dangerous. But I’m tired of hiding who I am to be palpable for other people.”

“You aren’t worried about what your parents are going to think?” Wayne pressed.

Steve shrugged. “They’d have to actually be home to do shit.”

Eddie and Wayne shared a glance over Steve’s head.

“What do you mean, baby?” Eddie asked softly.

“They started taking trips together when I turned sixteen,” he explained, picking at the crust of his pizza, tearing off little chunks. “The trips have gotten longer and longer the older I’ve gotten. Some days, I don’t think they remember they have a son.”

Wayne wanted to poke that statement a little bit more, but Steve was already shutting down.

“They will find out eventually,” Wayne said gently. “It’s not as though they aren’t completely disconnected from the Hawkins rumor mill.”

Again Steve rubbed Eddie’s calf, a move Eddie was starting sense was about Steve’s comfort and not his own.

“They didn’t come home when Billy Hargrove bashed my head in with a plate for stepping between him and a black fourteen year old kid for daring to hang out with his step-sister.”

The glance between Wayne and Eddie was far more concerned the last.

“Is that why you came to school after missing a couple of days with your face all black and blue?” Eddie asked softly, not sure he could say it louder. Not with Wayne nearby.

Steve nodded. “Quit the basketball team after that. That got my dad calling let me tell you. Hurt and in the hospital in the second major concussion in two years, fucking crickets. Quit the basketball team, on the phone screaming about wrecking my chances to get into a good college.”

“That’s more reason to be concerned, you realize?” Wayne asked.

Steve sighed. “Probably. But when I turned eighteen, I opened my own bank account and have been stashing away money to get out if I needed to.”

Eddie bristled at that. “You shouldn’t have to.”

Steve shrugged again. “I’ve been wanting to get out that house for a while now, and I have enough saved up to do it. Which probably why I outed myself, I guess. I knew I could walk away if I needed to.”

“So why Eddie?”

Steve blushed. He looked up at him with a dopey grin. “I’ve had a crush on him for years. Hell, my first major girlfriend was essentially fem!Eddie. Beautiful, dark curly hair, deep soulful eyes...” He ducked his head in embarrassment.

“Years?” Eddie asked. “Seriously?”

Steve stroked Eddie’s calf again and hummed in agreement. “Yeah. Ever since I started high school. You were so unapologetically yourself standing up to bullies, making sure the weirdos, freaks, and outcasts were taken care of. God, how I wished I could be one of your sheep. But I had to have the right friends, date the right people, take the right classes. So I watched you from afar.”

He looked up at Wayne. “Did he tell you how we got together?”

“Yup,” he said, sucking on his teeth.

“All of it?”

“Yup.”

Eddie laughed. “Sorry, sweetheart. I tell him everything.”

Steve shook his head. “That must be so nice.” He scratched his cheek. “When Eddie told me he was into me, that it wasn’t just about having sex, I wanted to make sure everyone knew how much I was into him.”

Eddie leaned down a kissed the top of his head. “That’s because you love loud, Stevie. And I wouldn’t have any other way.”

Steve kissed Eddie’s knee as a thank you.

“Ed said that you seemed to recognize the doubts in his head,” Wayne said, “and take steps to combat them before they took root.”

Steve blushed. “Oh, I didn’t even realize I was doing that. I just knew all the fears I had and what I would have liked my partner to do to allay them. And then did that.”

“You’re so sweet, babe.” Eddie ran his fingers through Steve’s hair and he leaned into the touch with a sigh.

Steve laid his head on Eddie’s shoulder, soaking up the comfort. Eddie kicked Steve’s thigh with his foot.

“Eat up, Stevie,” he murmured.

Steve straightened up and began to eat. The rest of the meal, descending into a comfortable silence.

They cleaned up and Steve let them keep the leftovers.

Steve said goodbye to Eddie and Wayne and him walked out to their vehicles together, Wayne for work and Steve to the final practice before the last performance.

Wayne patted his shoulder. “You’re a good kid, Steve. And if you ever need a place to run to, run here.”

Steve blushed, but nodded. As he got into his car and pulled away he shook his head fondly. In the space of two hours, he had found himself a home.

The last two days had really changed his life. He had someone who loved him for who he was and a place to run to if things got bad. The ugly step-sister didn’t need a prince to happy, all it took was one earnestly sincere metalhead and Steve would take that over Prince Charming anyway. Especially since the prince had been played by Tommy H.

****

Tag List: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @artiststarme @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @pyrohonk @a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @chaoticlovingdreamer @goodolefashionedloverboi @messrs-weasley @maya-custodios-dionach @val-from-lawrence @i-must-potato @danili666 @carlyv @rozzieroos @wonderland-girl143-blog @justforthedead89 @emly03 @bookworm0690 @itsall-taken @bookbinderbitch @redfreckledwolf @littlewildflowerkitten @vecnuthy @scheodingers-muppet @mira-jadeamethyst @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @genderless-spoon @yikes-a-bee @anne-bennett-cosplayer @awkwardgravity1 @irregular-child @mugloversonly @ellietheasexylibrarian

#my writing #stranger things #steddie #ladykailtiha writes #wip wednesday #fluff #wayne munson is a good parent

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missingexaltation · 2 years

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Wayne coming home to find the boys viciously and LOUDLY arguing and immediately getting ready to a) throw that Harrington boy out on his ear and b) be a shoulder for Eddie to cry on.

As soon as he walks through the door the Harrington boy gestures at him and screeches "TELL HIM WHAT YOU TOLD ME", and Eddie just crumples in on himself in shame, refusing to look at anyone.

Wayne standing there listening to Steve rant about how 'he doesn't care about kids or marriage or any of that shit' and how he's going to throttle Eddie for trying to break up with him because he thinks he's trailer trash and therefore has nothing to offer Steve in the long run.

Wayne excusing himself to get ready for bed, chuckling to himself as he realises that 'that Harrington boy' is gonna be around for a long time, and he's actually good with that.

#eddie munson #steve harrington #wayne munson #steddie #i can see Wayne being completely aloof and distant with King Steve 'The Hair' Harrington until he shows that he puts Eddie first #and then realising that his boy is actually in good hands and backing off completely #Wayne Munson is a god tier parent...no i don't take criticism #(Eddie thinks he's being practical but he's just scared shitless bless him)#Steve is in full 'shut the fuck up and listen to me while i aggressively tell you how amazing you are' mode and it's terrifying #how the fuck did this get 1k notes #and now 2k notes wtf...thanks guys!#3k Holy shit #This post is sponsored by 4k notes #5k notes omfg...it's an honour to be on this hellsite #6k nightmare 😂#7k superstar #8k baby!#9k nugget! 😄

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libraryofgage · 4 months

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Harlequin Prince

Part of: Steve Deserves Good Parents, Actually Debbie and Fester Addams One | Two Rick and Evelyn O'Connell One Harley Quinn One (you're here!) 10th Doctor and Rose (on the way! might take a little, I have plans for this one) Scooby Gang (there are also plans for this one lmao, so plz be patient with me orz)

I'm a simple woman who believes Steve deserves to be a little unhinged sometimes, and having Harley Quinn as a mother is the perfect excuse to make that happen lol

Anyway, I know I haven't updated some of my other series in a hot minute; I've just been busy with work and a little sick ngl

If you'd like to be tagged for any new parts in this series, let me know!

And, as always, if you see any typos, no you didn't ;)

-------

Steve's earliest memory is of being tucked into bed with a Batman night light plugged into the wall and his mother squeezed in next to him. She's wearing her softest pajamas, and Steve idly rubs the fabric under his thumb. In her lap is a huge book that she flips through, humming "Pop Goes the Weasel" under her breath before finally stopping on a page. "Okay, Dumplin', let's read about Narcissistic Personality Disorder," she finally says, wiggling some to get comfortable before clearing her throat.

Her voice is soft and a little nasally, and Steve obediently closes his eyes when she starts reading. After a few minutes, she gently cards her fingers through his hair, her palm warm as it slides over his scalp. Eventually, he drifts off, his dream so vivid that he still remembers the oversized hammers with their white doctor coats and floating clipboards.

The first time Steve's mother is sent (back) to Arkham, he doesn't realize anything is wrong until Uncle Bruce picks him up from school. Steve had been waiting long after the other kids were picked up by their parents, a misshapen pink-and-blue coaster for his mother that he made in art class in his hands, when one of Uncle Bruce's fancy cars pulled up to the school.

The passenger window rolled down, and Bruce looked almost pained as he met Steve's eyes. "Hop in," he said, leaning over to open the door from the inside.

Steve walked up to the door but didn't get in. "Mom said I should only go home with her," he said, "unless you know our secret code."

"Cognitive Behavioral Therapy."

Steve stood for a moment longer before nodding and climbing into the passenger seat. He closed the door, pulled on his seat belt, and carefully held the coaster in his lap. "Where's Mom?" he asked, watching as Bruce turned down the radio and slowly pulled away from the school.

"Your mother is....going to be away for a while," Bruce said, gripping the steering wheel tighter. "She did something bad, and now she's going to stay in time out because of it."

"Mom says you shouldn't dumb things down just because I'm young. She says it's not good for my development."

Bruce got a slight smile at that, his lips twitching up as he glanced at Steve. "Is that so," he said, his grip on the wheel loosening some. He seemed to think for a moment before saying, "Your mother blew up a warehouse. She was apprehended by Batman and has been sent to Arkham for a few months. Since I'm listed as your godfather, you'll stay with me until she's released."

Steve didn't reply. He just looked down at his coaster and wondered if he'd be able to convince his Uncle Bruce to visit Arkham so he could give it to her.

He did not, in fact, get to visit her at Arkham during that stint. But Steve did get to visit on her next one, which was almost three years later to the day. Steve's first visit to Arkham was on his 8th birthday, and he was chaperoned by Uncle Bruce and Nightwing (he wasn't allowed to call Dick by his real name when he was in costume, so Steve just didn't call him anything at all).

That was also the first time Steve truly experienced Arkham's lax security. Through no fault of his own (and he would continue to argue this point; how did two superheroes let an 8 year old wander off?), Steve had somehow ended up in another part of Arkham altogether.

This hallway had large cells with reinforced glass walls that allowed Steve to look inside. He could name most of the people he passed, recognizing Killer Croc and Riddler and the Penguin by his mother's descriptions of their defining features. Most of them tried talking to Steve, but he pushed ahead, eager to see if his mother was at the end of the hall.

She wasn't. Instead, Steve found another woman. She had green skin and bright red hair and Steve hadn't been able to contain himself. He'd practically squished his face against the glass and asked, "Are you Poison Ivy?"

"Oh, her he talks to," the Penguin said, his tone mean and his voice carrying.

Poison Ivy ignored him, choosing to instead open one eye from where she lay on the bed. She stared at Steve before sitting up. "Do I know you?" she asked.

"Nope! But my mom knows you. She talks about you all the time. She said you're the baddest badass to ever badass," Steve said.

"Oh. You're Harley's kid," Poison Ivy replied, walking over to the glass and crouching down to meet his gaze. "What are you doing all the way over here?"

"It's my birthday, so Uncle Bruce said I could see Mom."

"Well, happy birthday. Now, what are you doing here?"

Steve blinked, looked around the hall again, and realized for the first time that he was, in fact, a bit lost. "Uh, I'm not sure. I was with Uncle Bruce before."

A moment passed between the two of them in which Poison Ivy said nothing while Steve tried to remember how, exactly, he'd ended up here. When he came up blank, he simply shrugged and looked back at her. "Hey, you like plants, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, kid, I like plants," she said, her tone taking on the same inflection his mother's did when he asked something she thinks is obvious.

Steve didn't linger on the tone. Instead, he dug around in his coat pocket for a few seconds, pushing past candy wrappers and erasers until his hand closed around an acorn he'd picked up off the ground a few days ago. He pulled it out and presented it to Poison Ivy on his palm. "Is it still a plant if it fell off the tree?" he asked.

"Yeah," Poison Ivy said, her voice soft like she was staring at something unbelievable. Steve watched as a huge grin spread across her face, her eyes lit up, and she pressed her hands to the glass. "Can you do me a favor, Steve?" she asked.

"Sure! Mom said you're a person I should listen to," he said, starting to close his fingers around the acorn. Now that he was thinking about it, he didn't actually know how to give the acorn to her with the glass between them.

"Your mom is right. You should always listen to me. And her. But mostly me right now," Poison Ivy said, her gaze a bit softer as she looked at Steve. "So, go ahead and put the acorn on the ground and stand as far away as possible."

Steve didn't question her. Whatever Poison Ivy wanted to do would probably be fine. After all, Uncle Bruce didn't warn him about talking to her like he had about the Joker. So, Steve put the acorn down and hurried to the other end of the hall. "Now what?" he shouted.

The only response he got was the acorn shuddering, spinning across the floor, and then bursting open. In the blink of an eye, a tree grew, its roots breaking through the ground and its branches shattering the glass of Poison Ivy's cell. Steve was just thinking that was probably why Poison Ivy told him to stand back when she walked out, rolling her shoulders and breathing like the air is fresh.

She looked at Steve and walked over, standing in front of him for a moment before sweeping him into her arms. "Thanks, kid," she said, opening her hand and letting a tiny purple flower grow from her palm. She tucked it behind Steve's ear. "Now, let's go find your mom."

Of course, Poison Ivy's escape had set off numerous alarms, and Uncle Bruce just about fainted when he saw her carrying Steve while Nightwing looked two seconds from laughing. But Steve's mom had smiled so wide that her cheeks must have hurt after only two seconds when she saw them.

It was, by far, the best birthday Steve had ever had.

‐-----------------------------

Hawkins, Indiana, is...boring. Steve has only been in the town for a few weeks, and he's bored out of his mind. He could have been sent to Metropolis or Central City. Hell, he would have preferred Bludhaven to the absolute snoozefest that is Hawkins. But, no, Uncle Bruce insisted on somewhere safe, which means somewhere boring, which means...Steve will just have to make his own fun.

That's why he's found himself in a dive bar on the edge of town, sitting at the bar as the owner (a woman named Bev who definitely killed her husband; Steve would know, he's met plenty of women who definitely killed their husbands) refuses to give him anything alcoholic. "Listen, kid," she says, her tone hard and unyielding, "I can give you water, a Shirley Temple, or a permanent ban. Which do you prefer."

After a few seconds, Steve sighs, slaps way more money than is necessary on the bar, and says, "Gimme a Shirley Temple."

Bev nods, swipes up the cash, and starts making his drink. He watches her with a slight frown before looking away, noticing another boy his age wiping down a table. He looks, and Steve cannot say this affectionately enough, like a wannabe goon for a motorcycle gang. Between the bandana stuffed into his back pocket, his slightly frizzy hair falling to his shoulders, and the leather jacket/vest combo, the guy is the first reminder of home Steve has seen since arriving in this sleepy town.

When he notices the guy's shoulders tense, Steve looks away to keep from being caught staring. A Shirley Temple is placed in front of him, and Steve represses a sigh, missing the sounds of fights happening behind him as he drinks with Jason.

"Aren't you a little young to be hanging around here?"

Steve slowly takes a sip of his drink, the saccharine cherry flavor washing over his tastebuds, and glances at an older man a few seats down from him. He looks the man over, lingering on the half-tucked shirt, muddy loafers, and circles under his eyes. Without permission, his mother's DSM-V rushes through his mind, a blur of his mother's voice accompanying the page flips. They finally settle on "Adjustment Disorder," accompanied by his mom saying, "Sometimes, that's just a fancy term for a mid-life crisis, Dumplin'."

Without thinking, Steve asks in return, "Aren't you a little old to still be going through a mid-life crisis?"

In Gotham, that might get him a laugh, an eye roll, and possibly an elbow to the ribs from whichever friend accompanied him. Here, it gets him a tense silence that he only thought happened in bad movies gearing up for a fight sequence. Seriously, what is wrong with Hawkins?

"I'll give you one chance to apologize," the guy says, clearly thinking he's being sufficiently threatening.

It takes every ounce of Steve's self-control to keep from laughing at the guy. Does that usually work? Do people usually find this guy threatening? He's got nothing on Alfred, so Steve just can't bring himself to even fake intimidation.

"Yeah, don't hold your breath, man," Steve says, rolling his eyes as he takes another sip. The Shirley Temple isn't bad, but it's not what he was expecting, and it feels like just another disappointment atop a pile of them.

They're building in his chest, now that he thinks about it. Steve is slowly suffocating under the weight of them. They buzz in his lungs, surging through him until the energy is so overwhelming that he has to bounce his leg and tap his finger against his glass to expel some of it. He shouldn't have agreed to leave Gotham, or at the very least, he shouldn't have left the location entirely up to Bruce. Holy shit, that was a dumb decision. He ought to know better.

A sudden, annoyingly harsh drag of chair legs against the floor rings in Steve's ears, making his shoulders tense and his fingers twitch. He looks over to see the guy standing over him, glaring down at Steve like that's supposed to scare him when nothing else has.

Steve sighs, drinking the last of his Shirley Temple before standing. Over the guy's shoulder, he can see the boy his age watching them, and...well, Steve kind of wants to make a good impression on the first person to remind him of home. Plus, a fight sounds great. He'd love a chance to expel some of this disappointment-fueled energy.

The guy suddenly snorts, pulling Steve's attention back. "You're young, kid, so I'll let you off the hook this time around, but learn some respect."

What? Seriously? All of that, and the guy doesn't even start a fight? Does he know how rude that is? He'd get killed in Gotham. "Oh," Steve says, his voice flat, "you're scared of getting your ass kicked."

Somehow, that's what the guy considers the final straw. It wasn't even that good. Like, that's just fucking small talk in Gotham, and Steve can't bring himself to understand what about it was so infuriating that the guy swings his fist.

Either way, Steve happily embraces the fight. His eyes light up, and adrenaline rushes through his veins as he ducks and kicks the guy's left knee. The familiar sound of a bone snapping rings out. Steve's ready for more, hands curled into fists and held up to protect his face, when the guy drops.

After one kick, he drops. Steve blinks, staring down at the guy cursing and holding his knee. He slowly lowers his hands when he realizes this isn't some kind of fake-out diversion and looks at Bev behind the counter. She's frowning at him, hands on her hips, and Steve comes to the conclusion that bar fights are not, in fact, a thing in Hawkins. "Do they usually go down so easy around here?" he asks.

"They usually don't fight at all."

Oh. Holy shit, this place is boring.

Steve sighs and pushes some hair out of his face, frowning slightly. "Well, uh, sorry about the disturbance, then. I'll just...get going," he says, awkwardly pushing his chair in and doing the same for the guy whose kneecap he kicked. Nobody says anything as he leaves, and Steve shoves his hands into his jacket pockets, frustration and disappointment and homesickness building in him.

He's halfway to his car when somebody shouts, "Hey! Wait!"

With a huff, Steve stops and turns, his mood only lightening when he sees the boy that was wiping down tables. He waits patiently, watching as the boy runs up to him and holds out a wad of cash. "Bev said to give this to you," he says.

"What, is my money not good enough?" Steve asks, raising an eyebrow at the cash before looking up and meeting brown eyes.

"No, no," the boy says, "Bev only gives change to people she likes. She said you're welcome to come by and kick Phillip's ass whenever you want."

Steve blinks, studying the boy for any signs of lies. When he doesn't find one, he takes the cash and nods. "Good to know," he says.

"Yeah. Right. Um, I'm going back inside now."

"Hold on," Steve says, grinning when the boy listens and stands still. He takes a step closer, holds out his hand, and says, "My name's Steve. I'm new around here, if you couldn't tell."

The boy stares at his hand for a few seconds before taking it, the rings on his fingers pressing against Steve's skin. "Eddie. I could tell," he says, his shoulders relaxing some. "Where you from?"

"Gotham."

"Holy shit, no wonder you looked so ready for a fight," Eddie says, staring at Steve like he's incomprehensible. Steve tries not to preen under his gaze. "Hawkins must be dead compared to Gotham."

"Yeah," Steve agrees, glancing down at his and Eddie's hands still clasped together despite the handshake being over. "But I think I'll have some fun anyway."

#steddie #steddie fic #harlequin prince #steve harrington #eddie munson #steve deserves good parents actually #bruce wayne #dc comics crossover #harley quinn #poison ivy #this bitch has been sitting in my drafts for so long guys hfjkds #so excited to finally release it into the wild

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formosusiniquis · 1 year

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There's something about the idea that every adult that spends more than ten minutes alone with Steve Harrington is instantly enamored with him

The King Steve era house parties don't get broken up by the cops anymore. Steve is too far from his nearest neighbors for a noise complaint and the cops who would do it like Steve. They know they don't have to worry about any underage drinking and driving incidents after a Steve Harrington party because anyone who doesn't have a DD just crashes at the Harrington place, it's not like they have to worry about getting out of there before his parents get home.

His teachers can't help but let certain things slide. Excusing a middle school Steve's tardiness, the Harrington house is such a long bike ride away from the school and the bus route doesn't reach the grounds of Loch Nora. High School Steve's grades are average at best and his attention drifts, but his questions if poorly worded are insightful at heart and if you catch him away from the friends he tries too hard to keep he's polite and willing to spend time discussing his school work. By senior year they're excusing his tardiness again, they all know he has to swing by the middle school on his way over; and his forgetfulness too, two concussions in as many years it's a wonder he's not worse.

Joyce Byers, who by all accounts should hate this boy who fought her son and belittled her family, already has a snag in her armor thinking about a little boy who used to bike to Melvalds all alone for more milk and the sugar dusted cereal his mother didn't like him to have. Has her walls damaged by Jonathan coming home with a Christmas present they both know Nancy Wheeler even in her middle class glory couldn't afford. Has the adoption papers ready to be notarized when that same little boy, just a little bit bigger, offers to cart her Will around town since he knows she and Jon are busy and he has nothing better to do; really, and Will is the only one that ever says please or thank you.

Hopper, who largely left the everyday police work to the other officers, didn't interact with Steve much until the Upside Down business started. He's ready to add Harrington to the list of kids he'd die to protect the second the bloodstained boy cracks open a bleary eye from the Byers' sofa. Concussed and happy for it since it meant the youngest ones were safe.

Claudia Henderson has decided that the law has little to do with family. She's seen too many young men in the hospital grieving loved ones they can't see while parents who don't care make decisions for the dying. Steve Harrington is hers now has been since he did her Dusty's hair. The Sinclairs only let Erica roam the mall on her own on days they know Steve is working. They know no matter what Erica and Lucas promise the two of them aren't staying together. There's something rotten in Hawkins, and the kids don't whisper as quietly as they think they do. They know there's something they are missing, but they don't need to know everything to know they can trust the boy who put himself bodily in front of their child to protect him. Karen still occasionally mourns the loss of Steve as a son-in-law but the fact that he still drives Mike around even on his surliest days, she couldn't ask for more.

Wayne Munson lasted the longest. A product of night shifts and a powerful wariness around anyone whose tax bracket exceeds his by more than one jump. But he knows the kind of skittish that Steve is, remembers an eight year old boy with eyes he hadn't grown into who used to skitter away from a sharp tongue or raised hand just the same. Even then all it takes is sitting next to Steve on a rare night off, the game fuzzing in and out on the TV, listening to him softly explain the rules of it all to his boy relating it back to the ones of that dragon game Eddie likes so much and he's gone. Steve's a hard worker, a wage slave as much as Wayne these days, seems wrong to begrudge him just cause the house he's kept at is a little bigger than theirs. There are worse boys to have as future in-laws, even if he is a Cubs fan.

The only person who doesn't seem to get the memo is Richard Harrington. So rarely around his own son he isn't swept up in the charm. Richard and Stephanie Harrington make their way back to Hawkins, unannounced on a Tuesday. The sleepy morning hours are still lingering when they make their way into the house, through the foyer, and onto the kitchen; following the sounds of crooning oldies. Richard has long thought his son a disappointment, too lazy to get into college and too spoiled to leave home, catching him dancing around the kitchen like a fairy with some trailer trash punk is really the last straw. He lets the wife he wishes he didn't have make some asinine comment to this freak that's in his kitchen, and turns to the child he never wanted to say, "I want you out, I won't have a queer living under my roof."

Stephanie and that long haired bastard both rear back like they've been slapped. While Richard is forced to watch as the son he's neglected straightens up, every ounce the man every other adult on Hawkins has watched him become, look him in the eye and say, "It's not your house, it never was. Grandpa Otis left it to me. So if you've got a problem with me or my fucking boyfriend, you can get out of my house. Looks like you're already packed."

That empty house gets emptier as Richard, alone, takes the furniture he paid for and the clothes that lingered in the closet; but it's quickly filled with the hand-me-downs of everyone who has ever fallen for that Harrington charm. They're all too happy to help Steve fill what's his.

#steve harrington #stranger things #stranger things fic #steddie #steve harrington hc #wayne munson #joyce byers #chief hopper #jim hopper #steve harrington's parents #i find steves mom to be fascinating and i genuinely think she really loves her son #i think she saw her boy happy in the kitchen with eddie and immediately wanted to meet him #maybe made a comment about eddies hair like mother like son #i think theyre relationship is extremely complicated but i think push come shove her son will always beat her husband #i couldnt think of a good way to work the buckleys in here but they also think steve would be an excellent son in law

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artiststarme · 6 days

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The Gift of Not Dying Part 14

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13

It's been awhile but hopefully this will get me back in the groove of things. I hope you like it and please leave your thoughts in the comments!

~*~*~*~ Steve watched as the dazzling smile on Eddie’s face dropped to reveal absolute, unadulterated horror. He clearly wasn’t expecting his best friend/tomorrow’s date/future boyfriend to show up at fuck past two in the morning with a bruised face and blood covered sailor’s uniform. Steve could only imagine how he would respond if Eddie had shown up to Hopper's cabin looking like death the way Steve must right now.

“Oh my god, Steve?! What the fuck happened? Are you alright?” Eddie ushered him into the trailer and gently pushed him to a seat on the couch.

Steve didn't know how to respond to him. On the one hand, he didn't want Eddie to worry. On the other hand, nothing would ever be alright again. Hop was dead, his body still stuck in the Russian base under Starcourt where he himself had died multiple times. Steve could feel the throbbing of his broken heart's beats pulsating in his face still. He definitely had a concussion if the double vision and underwater hearing were indicative of anything. Worst of all, it was all Steve's fault. This entire situation never would have happened had he not tempted the universe. He was too happy, he knew everything would fall into catastrophe eventually and he hadn't warned anyone.

So instead of answering his best friend, he pulled at Eddie's shoulders until the man got the message and wrapped him in a warm embrace that smelled of Honeybunches, motor oil, and marijuana. All of Steve's favorite smells that usually calmed him down. But not this time.

He sobbed into Eddie's chest, tears and blood mixing together on his face and soaking into the thin black fabric of Eddie's shirt. Steve just couldn't stop. He cried for the pain he'd gone through in the Russian base and the incessant battery he'd endured at the hands of sadists. He cried for the loss of Robin's normal life and the fact that she would probably hate him now since he'd dragged her into the absolute shit-show that was his life. Most of all though, he cried for Hopper. He cried for his dad that adopted him into his little family and gave him a little sister, the dad that dropped everything to help Steve whenever he needed it.

Poor Eddie just hugged him through it all. He didn't know why Steve had woken him up from a dead sleep at an ungodly hour in the morning only to unveil a face more recognizable as ground beef. He didn't know who had beaten him up or why Hopper wasn't behind him in his truck ready to drag him back to the overprotected cabin in the woods. He didn't need to understand because his best friend was in need of help and a good hug which Eddie could provide.

After what felt like hours of crying, Steve rasped, “Eds, Hop is gone. He died tonight.”

Eddie’s hands stopped their soothing circles on his back and he pulled back to look him in the eyes. There was no joking there, just complete and utter dread and hopelessness in the eye that wasn't swollen shut.

“Chief Hopper died tonight? Are you okay, where are you going to go?” He backtracked for a moment and pulled Steve’s battered body to his gently once more. “I’m sorry for your loss, man. I know the Chief was like a father to you. What’s going to happen now?”

Steve wanted to cry, to scream at the world for being so unfair as to take one of the only people that had ever cared for him. But his eyes were dry and his heart was bone tired after such an arduous night. So instead of sobbing some more or breaking down, Steve shrugged. “I’m going to have to go back to my parent’s house. I can’t stay in Hop’s cabin without him there. And El is going to live with Mrs. Byers. I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

Eddie shook his head and placed a weary hand on Steve's face. He wanted to give him comfort but with all the blood and bruises on his face, he didn't know where to touch without causing more pain. “You can stay here. Wayne won’t mind as long as we don’t mess with his mug or cap collections. He’s got a habit for taking in strays. Hell, just look at me. You’ll always have a place here.”

Steve couldn’t move in though. Everywhere he went, misfortune followed. He was like a plague, sucking the life out of everything he touched. It started with his parents and he sucked the joy right out of their lives leaving nothing but bitterness and sorrow, certainly not enough love for the disappointment he became. It broke Nancy by killing her best friend and tainting their relationship. Steve should’ve kept his distance from Hop and El but his selfishness won out in the end. And now Hopper was gone. Steve’s plague had struck once again and had stolen his happiness with it. He couldn’t do that to Eddie and Wayne, they’d been through far too much already. They didn’t deserve to deal with him on top of it all.

“Thanks but I don’t want you guys to get sick of me. I’ll just stay at my parent’s house and crash here when they come home. If that’s okay with you and Wayne.”

Eddie shook his head before entwining his fingers with Steve’s. “Of course it is. We’ll worry about that tomorrow. For now, let’s deal with your face. Did you go to the hospital? I can literally see the bruises swelling in front of my eyes. There’s no way you don’t have a concussion right now, why would they let you drive like this?”

“They didn’t, I walked,” Steve corrected distractedly. His mind was reeling over grief and pain, too distracted to abide by the story he was supposed to use.

“Walked from where?”

“Starcourt,” his mouth just kept talking despite his eyes seeing the alarm on Eddie’s face. “The Russians stole my car keys so I couldn’t drive. It’s fine though, I have an extra set in the kitchen of my parent’s house. It was only four miles or so, not too bad in the grand scheme of things. I’ve had worse.”

Eddie just looked at him blankly, too indecisive to decide on concern, horror, or anger at whoever had done this to his friend. He was pretty positive he loved this weirdo, who the fuck had the audacity to keep beating him to a pulp? Couldn't these monsters see how lovable he was?!

“Um, I don’t know how to respond to that. I’m getting my keys and we’re going to the hospital. I don’t need to know what happened, especially since I’m pretty positive that you’re concussed and not making sense. I just need to know you’re okay so we’re going to the ER. Let me just call Wayne and we can go.” Eddie motioned with both hands for Steve to stay still and he did. Even when he heard crashing in Eddie’s room while he looked for his keys and panicked whispers when he finally reached Wayne on the phone, Steve remained in his seat on the old couch.

He knew he didn’t have to go to the hospital, the worst that could happen already had, but he couldn’t reveal that to Eddie. So, he’d bite his tongue and go through the motions. That was his specialty after all. For now, he’d let Eddie take care of him. He would ignore the grief that blackened his soul and the pain that accompanied the thought of his found family breaking apart. He'd deal with the trauma of loss and pain and death sometime later when he could handle a breakdown alone. At this very moment, Steve would hold himself together and lie to his friend and the doctors he was forced to see to keep the Party's secret. He had already dragged Robin into this mess and had probably lost her in the process, he didn't think he could survive losing Eddie too.

Tag list: @doubleb11 @nburkhardt @counting-dollars-counting-stars @newtstabber @estrellami-1 @thegoblinboy @manda-panda-monium @i-less-than-three-you @joruni @swimmingbirdrunningrock @mentalcyborg @vampireinthesun @spectrum-spectre @goodolefashionedloverboi @grtwdsmwhr @nam-draws @anaibis @zerokrox-blog @renaissan-vvitch @a-huge-nerdy-nerd @labels-are-for-the-weak @amoris-no-smut-allowed @5ammi90 @precursorandthedragon @i-must-potato @valinwonderland @lololol-1234 @wonderland-girl143-blog @tailsfromthecrypt @trippypancakes @ghosttotheparty @thing-a-ling @bleach-the-kitten @pyrohonk @carlyv @gregre369 @lololol-1234

@conversesweetheart @suddenlyinlove @yikes-a-bee @perseus-notjackson @merricatty @maya-custodios-dionach @lumoschild @lawrencebshoggoth @devondespresso @y0urnewstepp4r3nt @nohomoyesbi @theseaofdespair @justdrugsformethanks @space-invading-pigeon @audz-aus @mintmont

#Eddie knows something is going on but he only cares about Steve's wellbeing for the moment #Steve thinks he lost Robin but she's just trying to escape the worry of her parents so she can find him wherever he ended up #Poor El just wants to stay with her brother but Joyce is 'protecting' her from the boy she'd only heard bad things about #that doesn't mean she can't stalk him in his head however and she's going to pull a Hopper and give that Eddie boy a talk #wayne is trying to leave work early because good god that Harrington kid has been through enough and he needs him #the gift of not dying #stranger things #steddie #fanfic #steve harrington #eddie munson #chief jim hopper

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afewproblems · 1 year

Text

'Harring' flashes on the caller ID again, illuminated in bright green on the handheld phone in their kitchen.

It's the third time they've called today and Steve is anxious.

He hasn't heard from his parents in the last six years since he cut off all contact with them, so to see their name come up so many times all in the span of an afternoon is...well it's worrisome to say the least.

"Are you going to pick up," Eddie says as he comes up behind Steve, he drapes himself over his lovers back and nuzzles into his ear.

Steve smiles tightly and breathes out, "I don't know".

He turns in Eddie's arms to face him and brings his own arms around Eddie's lower back, holding him loosely.

"It's weird, right?" Steve says softly, "what do they want?" He slides his nose up and down Eddie's own before tipping his face up to his the tip of it.

Eddie hums, "well you won't know unless you answer love," he answers Steve's kiss with one of his own, soft against his lips, "if they call again, maybe pick up?"

Steve nods and flinches as the ringer starts up again behind them.

He breathes in deeply through his nose and out slowly through his mouth, Eddie brings up a hand to cup Steve's jaw and slides his thumb over his cheekbone.

"You got this," Eddie whispers, "if they say something shitty, just hang up, fuck em".

Steve nods and whirls around to snatch the phone off the console, he bites his lip for just a moment before saying a quiet, "Hello?"

"Steven?" A soft voice cracks wetly over the speaker and a sudden chill spreads over Steve's back.

"Mom?"

"Steven, honey," Diane Harrington says softly in a tone he's never heard before, "I need you to come home".

Steve turns around, Eddie is leaning against the opposite wall with his arms crossed, Steve feels his face contort with confusion which Eddie answers with a tilt of his head, "what? Mom, no--"

"Steven honey, this is important--"

"No offense," Steve intejects harshly, he's gripping the phone so hard the plastic creaks under his fingers. Eddie's concerned gaze has him releasing the phone from his death grip in a matter of seconds, but it's hard. He's right back there, nineteen years old again, in a screaming match with his dad in the living room, a red handprint blooms over his jaw as he tells Robert Harrington to, 'go fuck himself,' one last time.

"But, you don't get to do this, it's been years mom so forgive me if--"

"Steven, I'm, I'm sick".

Steve stops, his mouth opens and closes as his mother chokes on a broken sob, it comes through tinny and harsh over the speaker.

She tells him of the diagnosis, some form of leukemia, how it's spread much more rapidly than the doctors anticipated, how she refused treatment.

"I'm not going to spend the rest of my time in a hospital with no hair in one of those godawful hospital beds if I can help it Steven".

They talk for awhile, or really Mrs. Harrington talks for another half hour while Steve stands there silently with the phone in his hands. He nods every now and again but the movements are stiff, Eddie paces around the living room, stopping in front of Steve's eyeline every now and again.

"Okay," Steve finally says, his voice cracks just slightly enough to make Eddie cross the living room towards him.

"Mom...I don't know what you expect me to do?"

"Baby?" Eddie whispers, he stands just off to the side trying to catch Steve's eye.

"No, no--no! Mom, I thought I stopped being a Harrington a long time ago, right?" Steve snarls into the receiver, "you had so many opportunities to tell Dad he was wrong but you just sat there, what else am I supposed to think except that you agree with him?"

"Baby, just hang up--"

"Mom, Ma' you have to stop, I'm not coming back, I'm so-".

His mouth snaps shut and a deep flush begins to rise up his neck and over his cheeks, his eyes glassy.

"I'm sorry you're sick, but I'm not coming back, Goodluck".

Steve removes the phone from his ear, little snippets of words and crying trickle through over the speaker as Steve places the handset back on the dock.

"Baby," Eddie tries again, he reaches out tentatively, slowly letting his hands smooth over Steve's arms at the shoulder.

Steve shakes his head, his jaw clenched as his face crumples, he lets Eddie pull him into his chest and tucks his head into the juncture of Eddie's neck and shoulder.

Steve feels Eddie bring them slowly to the floor as he tries to slow down his breathing.

"I'm so sorry baby," Eddie whispers, pillowing his check onto Steve's head, he nuzzles the fluffy hair just once and squeezes Steve tighter.

"I don't, I just, where was this when she was healthy, it's..." Steve takes a deep breath, "why now, and she's not even sorry --neither of them are," he whispers into Eddies collarbone.

Eddie bites the inside of his cheek, he stays quiet, listening to Steve's breathing stop and start.

"I don't want her to be sick, but I just," he sniffles, "it's not fair, I'm so angry with her, with them both --its like they get a pass for being so shitty for so long--"

"No, no they don't, not if you don't want to," Eddie says, the words are soft but the tone firm, "you don't have to give them anything you don't want to".

"But--"

"Steve," Eddie pulls back just enough for Steve to raise his head, he lifts his hand to cup Steve's cheek, "it doesn't make you a bad person to not want to see her, to see them".

Steve starts to shake his head but Eddie's hand remains steady on his cheek.

"Do you want to see her?" He asks after a beat.

"I, I don't know," Steve pulls his lower lip into his mouth and chews the corner of it until he tastes copper, "I don't..."

Eddie tilts his head and sweeps his thumb across Steve's cheek in encouragement.

"I don't want my mom to die, I want her to want to fucking fight for herself, for me --she's just giving up again, she's just deciding to quit without even trying to be my mom," he chokes out, his voice breaks as tears finally spill down his cheeks.

"I'm not, I'm not explaining it right," Steve bites out, raising his hands to grind harshly into his eyes, "I don't want to forgive her, but I, I think I would if she would just try, I don't know what to do," he trails off as his voice wobbles and wanes, he breathes out harshly and lowers his face back into Eddies neck.

"Okay," Eddie whispers into Steve's hair as he brings Steve closer, bundling him up in his arms, "you don't have to know what to do or how to feel, especially not right now".

Eddie squeezes Steve once more before shifting to his knees to stand. He hoists Steve to his feet and leads him to the kitchen before depositing him in a kitchen table chair.

Eddie busies himself at the stove, moving the half full kettle from the far burner to the largest left coils, he flicks the element on and lowers the whistle back to alert him when the water boils.

"Did I ever tell you how I handled my mom's funeral?" Eddie asks, banishing the quiet from the room and almost startling Steve.

"I yelled at the casket," Eddie says with an air of non-chalance that does not match the words. He grabs two mugs from the cupboard before grabbing a box of tea from the pantry. He leaves the prepped cups on the counter before turning back around to face Steve.

"It was open, shouldn'ta' been," he continues with a shake of his head, "rural town, mortician wasn't used to working on overdoses so, they couldn't quite cover up the purple".

Steve reaches for Eddie's hands as he comes back to the table, in three slow strides. He smiles but a long sigh escapes Eddie as he sits in the chair next to Steve.

"I was thirteen, and I was so, so mad at her for leaving me," Eddie murmurs, "I couldn't help it, Uncle Wayne had to take me home before it was even over".

Eddie raises his head to meet Steve's eyes, "I felt like shit after though, probably cried all night once we got home".

"Im going to tell you what Wayne told me," Eddie says softly, he scoots to the edge of his seat, until his knees are brushing Steve's own.

"When you lose someone that made your life hard, you grieve more than just that person, you also grieve all that lost potential, everything you didn't have with that person," Eddie squeezes Steves hands once more before gently letting them go. He stands up as the kettle begins to squeal from the stove.

"Everything they never gave you and the possibility that they could change, it's like--like that physics guy," Eddie laughs, waving his hands at Steve's confused expression, "you know the one with the cat?"

Steve shakes his head, a small watery smile begins to bloom over his face as Eddie continues to make their tea and explain.

"You'll never know if they could have been better to you because they died, so they both are and aren't a good parent simultaneously," Eddie says, linking his fingers together, "shit, I bet Dustin could explain this better".

He walks their filled mugs over to the table and takes his seat again

"I dunno about that Eds," Steve mumbles as he wipes his eyes, "when did you get so wise?"

"'All Wayne sweetheart," Eddie hums with a soft grin that pulls at the corners of his eyes, he reaches out to wipe a stray tear from Steve's cheek, "don't tell him though, he doesn't need the ego boost".

Steve barks out a laugh, before Eddie pulls him into another tight hug, "so, you don't have to know how you feel right now, okay?"

"Okay".

Steve isn't sure how long they stay like that, but by the time Eddie let's go, their tea has gone cold.

#thank you fic #some angst #but also comfort #steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things #steve x eddie #steve harrington has bad parents #cw cancer #cw overdose #we love a protective and wise uncle wayne in this house #eddie also gives good advice but thinks hes bad at it #steve whump #thank you for the 500 follows everyone #angst as a thank you fic? its more likely thank you think

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stevesbipanic · 2 years

Text

Headcanon that Steve's Dad and Uncle Wayne were in high school together and Mr Harrington was essentially an even more of an asshole season 1 Steve. So when Wayne hears Eddie complain about Steve in highschool he's not exactly suprised. But when he finally meets Steve, who incidentally showed up in the middle of the night, cut on his forehead and a fresh shiner, being held close by his nephew with silent tears, he thinks maybe he was wrong and Steve was just another target like he was.

#uncle wayne #steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things #good uncle wayne #steve harrington has bad parents #mr harrington #his dads an asshole #stranger things s4 #st4 #steddie #stranger things season 4 #stranger things headcanons

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sadnessunderthebridge · 1 year

Text

Steve: Can you pass the salt sir?

Eddie and Wayne: *reaches for the salt*

Eddie and Wayne: ...

*Cricket Sounds*

Steve:*Blushing Violently* um..uh...so...

Eddie: *also blushing but not as bad, quickly let's go of the salt*

Wayne: *Hands Steve the salt, trying not to laugh at the boys*

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italiansteebie · 1 year

Text

someone is finally taking care of steve harrington and to everyone's surprise it just so happens to be wayne munson.

they didn't seek each other out. not really. after eddie had... passed... wayne was lonely. he wasn't afraid to admit it, his boy was gone, and his home had been ripped in half by what the government called an earthquake. he didnt have much to do these days, spending most of his time at the relief shelter at the highschool, helping take care of those a little worse for wear after the earthquake. he just didn't expect steve harrington to be one of those people.

he noticed the boy wandering around the first few days, never really going home, always helping others, making sandwiches or just keeping himself busy. wayne though, he'd raised eddie practically, and he saw right through steve's attempts to be okay.

he'd seen the boy with those kids eddie played with and how he cared for them, hell he'd even offered wayne his condolences, tearful and wobbly, but sincere, and apologetic for the way the town had treated eddie, he he'd let his friends treat eddie. so the kid wasn't that bad, not really.

and when he watched steve slip into the bathroom when he thought no one was looking to have a breakdown, he knew the boy needed someone. he needed someone too. so he followed him one day, patting him on the back, rocking him back and forth gently.

"i don't know what y'all went through, kid. and i've heard ya talking to the buckley girl about NDAs and all that junk. i know eddie got mixed up in it, and those kids told me what ya did for him. it'll be alright, okay, steve? it'll be alright."

and the truth came out not long after that, steve had broken down after a nightmare and let the truth slip, too tired to care about breaking the NDA. and so wayne learned everything and couldn't help but feel a twisted sense of gratitude that eddie didn't have to deal with all that anymore. but here was steve, shaking and stuttering in his arms, incoherently begging for his mother who hasn't set foot in hawkins in the past 6 months. and from what wayne gathered, she and her husband had no intentions of coming back, especially not after their house had been destroyed.

their lack of care for their son made his blood boil, the whole situation felt too similar to when eddie first came to stay with him. he pushed down the anger though, and he and steve worked through their grief together.

it was an odd friendship, if you could call it that, but it worked out in the end. wayne knew what happened to his boy, and steve got a stable father figure that payed attention to the things he said, and even gave him a hug once in a while.

#steve harrington #stranger things #wayne munson #after vecna #stranger things fic #steve harrington fic #ficlet #stranger things ficlet #wayne munson fic #wayne munson is a good dad #steve harringtons parents #steve and wayne #grief #steddie #almost #kind of steddie #steve ficlet #steve harrington headcanon #steve harrington drabble

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atmilliways · 9 months

Text

Wrong On The Money (23)

part 23 of ?? | 479 words | Teen+

Blackmail fic on Ao3 | on tumblr

Summary:

It’s touch and go for a long time, starting with Steve throwing his parents’ names around in the Emergency Room to get them to treat Eddie at all.

23.

It’s touch and go for a long time, starting with Steve throwing his parents’ names around in the Emergency Room to get them to treat Eddie at all. He sticks close after that, watching through a window when he’s not allowed in the operating room—which is already a lot more than even family members usually get. Every hour on the hour he checks in with Dustin over the walkie to give him an update.

Every half hour, Lucas chimes in on the same channel with an update about Max. Those are the times Steve most wants to break, but he can’t.

He keeps Eddie in sight all the way to a private room, glaring fit to kill at the police officer who handcuffs both pale, unmoving wrists to each side of the bed.

No sleep until Eddie wakes up, and no distractions. Steve moves carefully whenever the nurses are looking because he doesn’t want to draw attention to his own bites and risk being whisked away. He’s afraid to even take his eyes off Eddie for a moment, half convinced that if he blinks for too long the guy might disappear. The faint rise and fall of Eddie’s chest, more bandages visible than skin, and occasional flutter of his eyelashes are comforting signs of life.

His concentration is so blinding that he nearly jumps out of his skin when a rough hand lands on his shoulder. “You the Harrington kid that saved my boy?”

Steve looks up into the creased and tired face of Wayne Munson and can only gape at him.

“You’re the spitting goddamn image of Richard, so I’d guess so,” Wayne mutters into the lack of a response. The way he says it, Steve expects to get hauled up and shoved out of the room, because his dad is an asshole.

But Wayne squeezes his shoulder and drops into the uncomfortable chair next to him, eyes on Eddie.

“Uh,” Steve finally manages, glancing at the boy lying prone in the hospital bed. “Sorry about the cuffs, they wouldn’t. . . . They didn’t listen to me about that. About him being innocent, I mean.”

“You did what you could,” Wayne says, eyes never leaving his nephew. (And Steve finally feels like he can relax a tiny bit, now that he’s not the only one on sentry duty.) “Shit, kid, I know this town. I know how these things go. They would’ve just let him die.”

“Steve,” Steve offers, because he doesn’t feel like a kid. He feels like he’s a million years old and surrounded by strangers he happened to have some hand in saving, still haunted by the girl he hadn’t.

He passes out shortly after, and doesn’t regain consciousness until long after Wayne gets his jacket unzipped and blood-soaked shirt hiked up to angrily show the hospital staff and read them the riot act for not noticing.

#steddie blackmail fic #steddie fic #steddie #stranger things fic #steve harrington #eddie munson #wayne munson #good uncle wayne #steve is a dummy and bad at self-care #steve has bad parents

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steddiewithachance · 2 months

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@mojowitchcraft wrote me the sweetest Rockstar Eddie Munson/ Tour-Camera-man Steve fic! Go devour it like I did!!!!

#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie ficlet #steve x eddie #steddie fic #steddie fluff #rockstar eddie munson #wayne munson is a good parent

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ladykailitha · 6 months

Text

Exit Eddie Pursued by a Steve Part 1

Hello and welcome to one-shot Saturdays, the day I put out short completed (most of the time) fics for you wonderful readers.

This week we have the completed Smut to Fluff fic I had been working on on WIP Wednesdays. This has three parts. I started writing part four last Wednesday but it got angsty and not where I wanted the story to go. So those extra bits have been saved for another story somewhere down the line that it fits better in.

18+ under the cut.

****

Eddie had been on his way to the band room for his weekly “meeting” of the Hellfire Club. They had to have in there this week due to the unfortunate fact that the school musical was currently being preformed and they actually needed the drama room closet.

Suddenly a gaggle of people came tearing out of the stage in a hurry. The last of which was someone in a large red wig and bright yellow dress. But Eddie knew those hazel eyes anywhere.

He let out a low whistle. “Looking gorgeous there, Harrington.”

Steve skidded to a stop in his kitten heels and turned to see who had cat-called him.

“Yeah?” Steve said to him under half-shut eyes. “You like what you see, Munson?”

Eddie gave an appraising glance up and down. “I do indeed.”

“Too bad I have to change out of it,” Steve teased.

Eddie shook his head sadly. “Now, why would you want to go and do a thing like that?”

Steve laughed. “Because I’m in the next scene, and I ain’t wearing this!”

Eddie laughed, too. “Damn shame.”

Steve looked around and then hurried over to him. “If you like it that much, meet me after the play.”

He winked and then gathered up his skirt and ran for the changing room.

Eddie was still standing there when Jeff, Gareth, and Brian came up behind him.

“Who was the broad?” Brian asked.

Eddie licked the top row of his teeth. “That was no broad, gentlemen. That was King Steve in a ballgown.”

“Wait, what?” Jeff asked, his face screwed up in confusion. “No way.”

“Oh yeah,” Eddie hummed. “And I’m pretty sure he just asked me backstage after the play for a little action.”

All three other boys turned to him in shock.

“Ain’t no way,” Gareth hissed. “It’s probably some prank to have the basketball team jump you or something.”

Eddie grinned. “Come on, boys. We’ve got dragons to slay before they kick us out of the band room, too.”

They all followed him to the band room, a little confused on what just happened.

Steve waited nervously after getting one of the orchestra to help him back into the dress. The wig and makeup were gone, as were the shoes. Those things pinched.

His dress swished back and forth as he paced, wringing his hands.

“Oh.”

Steve stopped pacing and turned to the open door. Eddie stood there with an expression that Steve couldn’t quite make out.

“I have to know before we do this,” he rambled. “Are you wanting to do this because you thought I was beautiful as a girl? Or because you thought I looked beautiful in the dress?”

Eddie paused for a moment. “That is a very important distinction and one you are right in asking, sweetheart.”

Steve blushed deeply.

Eddie crowded his space and lifted his chin gently, “You look beautiful, Stevie.”

He gasped and Eddie dived on in, pressing their lips together. Instantly, Steve’s tongue tangled with his.

Eddie pulled away reluctantly. “We are definitely doing this.”

Steve nodded. “Just try not to get anything on the dress itself, otherwise I’ll be murdered by the drama teacher.”

Eddie chuckled darkly. “You’ve got it, babe.”

When Eddie walked in the room, Steve appeared coy. Shy even. And then when Steve asked why he was interested in fucking him in that dress, he suddenly got it.

“Anyone ever take care of you, Stevie?” he murmured, slowly pulling up the folds of the dress to get at those delicious thighs.

Steve shook his head. “I’ve only had sex with girls. They tend to expect you to do all the work.”

“Oh, darlin’,” Eddie cooed. “I’m going to make you feel so good, baby.”

Steve threw his head back and moaned as Eddie caressed the sides of his thighs.

“That’s it,” Eddie purred, mouthing along the expanse of Steve’s neck, “you sound so good.”

He tucked the dress behind his beautiful cock and sank to his knees.

Steve’s hands immediately buried into Eddie’s hair, pulling him all the way onto his cock.

Eddie lifted one of Steve’s legs and tucked it over his shoulder. He took the spit and slick from his blowjob and coated his fingers.

He pressed one finger into Steve and the boy let out the most delicious sounds.

Eddie wished he could swallow them up, but he would have to settle for swallowing Steve down entirely.

He continued to open Steve up and suck him off. Suddenly Steve was coming in ribbons down Eddie’s throat.

Eddie stood up and kissed Steve dirtily, mouth still slick with his cum.

Steve let out a low whine, taking in as much of Eddie as he could.

Eddie gathered up the skirt of the dress and pressed into to Steve’s hands. “Hold on tight to that, darling. We don’t want to get anything on it, right?”

Steve nodded.

Eddie lined himself up and slowly pierced Steve’s ass.

“Eddie!” he cried. “Oh god!”

Eddie took that as encouragement and slid all the way to the hilt.

Steve wanted to gripped the back of Eddie’s shirt and fist his hair, but his hands were occupied by the skirt of his dress. He held on tight, barely holding on as Eddie fucked him wildly.

Soon Eddie was coming into Steve, in rough, hopeless waves.

Steve let out a breathless sigh. “God, oh fuck.” He moved to lower his hands but Eddie stopped him.

“We need to get you out of this dress first, darlin’,” he murmured into Steve’s ear, “then you can lower your arms, all right?”

Steve nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, okay.”

Eddie giggled at how far gone Steve was. He removed the dress and hung everything up their proper places, while Steve laid there prone, panting for air.

Once Steve was able to catch his breath, he asked, “How did you know where everything went?”

Eddie turned back to him with a grin. “This is where my club meets for D&D. Hellfire, ever heard of it?”

Steve nodded. “I’ve got these kids I babysit that love that game. It’s all they’ve been talking about when it comes to picking out classes and clubs for next year.”

Eddie raised an eyebrow and sat down to watch Steve clean up himself and get dressed. He wondered where it was all going to go from there. Would Steve throw him out? Punch him? Mock him?

“I think you’ve ruined me for anyone else,” Steve muttered darkly as he ran his hand through his hair. He stood there in sweatpants and ratty old sweater, looking every bit as beautiful as he had in the dress.

Eddie grinned. “Yeah, big boy? How’s that?”

“I don’t think I’ve come so hard in my life.”

Eddie cackled. “Right back atcha, sweetheart.”

Steve blushed and walked over to stand between Eddie’s legs. “We’ve had dessert, what would you say to a late dinner?”

Eddie smiled up at him and then pulled him down for a kiss. “Sounds perfect, Stevie.”

“I call bullshit,” Brian said the next morning at their lockers when Eddie told them. “There is no way you sucked Harrington’s dick.”

“Did a slight more than that, Bri,” Eddie crowed.

Jeff frowned. “Prove it.” He jutted his chin across the hall. “There’s your boy as you say. Go get him.”

“And even if it is true,” Gareth growled. “There is no way he’d associate with you in the middle of the whole fucking school. He’s going to break your heart and we’ll have to pick up the pieces.”

“Watch and learn, boys,” Eddie said.

He strutted across the hall to Steve and placed his hand on the locker by Steve’s head.

Steve turned around. “Oh, hey, Eddie.”

Eddie smirked. “Morning, princess.”

Steve leaned against the lockers and laughed. “I’m the ugly step-sister, remember. Not the princess.”

“You were as pretty as one last night,” Eddie teased.

Steve grinned and put his arms around Eddie’s neck. “Hmm...that kind of talk is what got us in that position in the first place.”

Eddie grinned right back, putting his hands on Steve’s waist. “You saying flattering works on you, sweetheart?”

Steve cocked his head to the side. “I’m saying it doesn’t hurt.”

They kissed.

“Am I going to see you at lunch?” Eddie asked, pressing their foreheads together.

Steve shook his head. “You have first lunch and I have second.”

“So cruel,” he murmured, his thumb rubbing a patch of bare skin between Steve’s jeans and where his sweater had risen up because of his arms around Eddie’s neck.

“I’ll see you after school, okay?”

Eddie nodded. “It’ll be torment until I see you again.”

“For me, too,” Steve breathed.

And then Eddie was digging his fingers into Steve’s sides, tickling him.

“Eddie!” Steve protested, laughing.

Eddie leaned forward and kissed the smile off his face. “Later, Princess.”

“Later, Eds.”

Eddie turned and walked away.

“Eddie!” Steve called out. “Catch!”

Eddie managed to catch whatever it was on sheer instinct. He looked at it to see that it was Steve’s varsity basketball ring.

“Hold on to that for me,” he said with a smile. “It’s special to me.”

Eddie saluted and practically skipped back to his friends.

Steve laughed, shaking his head fondly.

****

Part 2 Part 3

@spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @artiststarme @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @pyrohonk @a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @chaoticlovingdreamer @goodolefashionedloverboi @messrs-weasley @maya-custodios-dionach @val-from-lawrence @i-must-potato @danili666 @carlyv @rozzieroos @wonderland-girl143-blog @justforthedead89 @emly03 @bookworm0690 @itsall-taken @bookbinderbitch @redfreckledwolf @littlewildflowerkitten @vecnuthy @scheodingers-muppet @mira-jadeamethyst @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @genderless-spoon @yikes-a-bee @anne-bennett-cosplayer @awkwardgravity1

#my writing #stranger things #steddie #ladykailtiha writes #smut #fluff #wayne munson is a good parent

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missingexaltation · 1 year

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"Steve stays with Eddie at the hospital" this and "Dustin stays with Eddie at the hospital" that.

Where's my "Wayne stays at the hospital with Eddie, and gets inducted into the upside down shenanigans when the other adults hear the news while comforting their kids" fic?

Hopper isn't Eddie's biggest fan because of the drugs thing. The kid's a fucking nightmare to get through to, but Wayne's a good man, a vet, and he deserves to know the truth as to why his nephew is in the hospital. On top of that, he squares things with Wayne's job to make sure he's not fired for absence, and takes the time to explain the past few years of hell in Hawkins to him. The more they talk, the more Hopper realises what they've been through, and how much bad luck and prejudice has forced them into near poverty.

Joyce stops by with Murray, and between them they manage to get the Munsons the same governmental protection and compensation that they have bargained for. There won't be any fees for Eddie's hospital stay, their old debts are wiped, and they get a new home (a house!) to replace the one they lost. The government agents are good, but Joyce is better, and Murray is terrifying.

Claudia Henderson stops by with meals, treats and books, often bringing her son with her. Eddie saved her boy's life, she says, and she'll do whatever she can do repay them both. She's the one who gets Eddie his diploma, getting him graduated on a technicality, and Wayne cries when he finds out. She's sweet and unrelenting, and a wonderful, wonderful lady. (Wayne won't admit it, but he's very much tongue-tied and brain-soupy when she's around.)

It takes a few weeks for Eddie to wake up, and a few months before he can leave the hospital. In that time Wayne realises that he has a new network of people he can rely on. For the first time in years he's out of debt, has enough cash to spoil his nephew like he deserves, and an actual house for a home, instead of that fucking trailer.

Hell, he even has a garden big enough for growing vegetables now, and that's something he's dreamed of for years. And a porch to sit on in the evenings with whoever stops by (or Eddie, who seems to be enjoying the peace and quiet for once).

#wayne munson #Wayne deserved so much fucking better...sorry not sorry #jim hopper #chief hopper #eddie munson #joyce byers #murray stranger things #claudia henderson #whatever ship Claudia x Wayne is please and thanks...they'd be so good together #i get that the kids and teens would be very concerned...but one word from Jonathan/El/Dustin would spur their parents into action #everyone what comes and goes...but Wayne is the stability in Eddie's life and that's not gonna change #stranger things headcanons #stranger things fic ideas #stranger things season 4

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steddieassheg0es · 2 years

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Not So Unrequited

Steve Harrington wasn’t the douchebag people thought he was.

Well, most people wouldn’t see it that way anyway. But he wasn’t the façade that most people couldn’t see past.

Eddie’s always been a bit of a wild child. Reckless and with a dangerous lack of self preservation instincts, it got him into many a rough spot over the years.

One such rough spot was back in middle school. He’d stupidly flirted with the wrong boy. He didn’t even like him, hadn’t even fully realized that he liked boys Eddie just didn’t always know when to turn his mouth off, or where the line was until he’d already crossed it. But that didn’t matter. It was enough for a group of boys to track him down and beat him up.

He’ll never forget that day. The day he realized being different meant being hated. The day he realized that that liking boys wasn’t allowed in Hawkins.

But also, the day that he met Steve Harrington. He’d apparently heard the hateful words that had been thrown at Eddie as those bigots left him to bleed on the pavement. And he’d crouched down next to him, reached out to gently rub his back.

“Are you ok? Do you want to me to get someone?”

Eddie lifted his head from where he’d buried it in his knees, looked up into those pretty hazel eyes. He shook his head, not sure who he’d even ask for. His dad wouldn’t care, and Uncle Wayne was great but Eddie tried not to burden him with his problems too much. He needed that safe space to run to too much to ruin it.

“Ok…well, I can stay with you. Don’t listen to those guys, they’re jerks. They don’t know anything. I think it’s ok for boys to like boys.”

And just like that Eddie was sure he liked boys. He thought he very much liked this boy.

So yeah. Steve Harrington wasn’t who people thought he was. At least not completely.

—

Once Steve’s graduates, there’s a change in him. He’s…softer somehow. Like he’s let that carefully constructed mask slip. Maybe getting out of school was enough. Maybe his relationship with Wheeler, or said relationship going down in flames, did him some good. For all that it made Eddie want to hurl. Maybe it’s his affection for the group of kids he’s inexplicably pseudo adopted. Whatever it is, it’s nice to see.

Even nicer when Steve starts talking to him.

It starts because some of his kids joined Hellfire and apparently he’s their permanent ride. First just a friendly nod as the kids scramble out of his fancy car. Then he’d smile and wave. Eddie’s embarrassed by how much those stupid little smiles made his heart flutter.

Finally one day he steps out of the car with the kids. Just leans against the roof at first, watching them run into the building with affection. Then he’s turning those eyes to Eddie.

“I hope they behave themselves for you in there.”

“Uh…” Jesus Eddie pull it together. “Heh, yeah. They’re good kids, man.”

Steve’s face is all soft fondness. “They really are. But they can be little shits when they wanna be. If you ever need any help…or, I mean can bring some snacks and shit if you want. Whatever.”

He shrugs like it’s no big deal. Like him even talking to Eddie at all is totally normal.

“Y-yeah sure. I don’t think they’d ever say no to more food. And you, uh…” Eddie can feel his cheeks heat up, “you can probably afford better shit than I can anyway.”

“Oh I wasn’t-Shit I didn’t mean it like that. I just wanted…”

Damn it. Two sentences in and he’s fucked it up. Steve’s giving him big sad eyes like he feels just terrible at the thought of offending Eddie.

“No! I uh…I know you didn’t. Forget I said that. It’s cool of you to offer to help. I know this isn’t exactly your scene.”

Steve laughs. “You’d think that, huh? But the kids love it so what can I do? I gotta admit I was a bit jealous at first, you know?”

What on earth could Steve Harrington have to be jealous of? “Of what?”

“You. Those kids, they worship you man. But then I figured, I don’t know shit about this stuff and it means a lot to them. And they still seem to think I’m not so bad. So I’m just glad they have you.”

“Steve…they’ve been singing your praises since the moment they joined Hellfire. Especially Dustin. You’re their hero.”

Now it’s Steve’s turn to go pink in the cheeks. It’s a good look on him. But then again, what doesn’t look good on him?

They’re interrupted by a loud bang from inside. Eddie just sighs and rolls his eyes.

“I should probably get in there before they burn the place down…” It’s true, but he’s reluctant to let this moment end.

“Yeah. So I’ll be back in like an hour, pizza sound good?”

Eddie blinks at him, confused.

“I mean…snacks yeah? I can grab a few pizzas and some sodas. If you don’t mind me crashing your nerd fest, that is.” He says it with a grin, but his eyes show a hint of worry. Like Eddie would ever say no to him.

“Right, yeah! Yeah pizza’s good.”

With that Steve is off, apparently to fetch Eddie Munson snacks. Well, not him specifically, but he’s included…He feels off kilter, not sure how to deal with this sudden shift, but also a little bit giddy. The kids all tease him about the daze he’s in when he joins them, but when he sits in his makeshift throne he’s in Dungeon Master mode and the game commences.

—

It turns into a semi regular thing. Steve can’t always hang around, but most nights when the club meets he’ll come back by after with food to share before hauling the kiddos back home.

Eddie thought he’d had a crush before. Now that he actually talks to Steve somewhat regularly…the guy is just so fucking sweet. He’s surprisingly dorky, and generous, and he’s so damn good with the kids. Eddie’s heart never stood a chance.

One night he hangs back as the kids pile into his car, slowing when Eddie stops to wave them off like he usually does.

“So…Me and Robin, Robin Buckley? We’re gonna go see a movie tomorrow. Probably get some food.”

“That’s nice.” Eddie says with an unmistakable tone of confusion. Is Steve trying to talk to him about girls? He desperately wants to keep this thing going, their almost kind of friendship, but he’s pretty sure listening to Steve go on about hookups or whatever will actually kill him.

“Yeah…and I figured, she’s kind of a nerd too. Seems like it doomed to surround myself with them. But I think you two would get along. If you wanted to join us?”

Steve has this adorably shy look on his face that makes Eddie’s heart thump almost painfully in his chest. How can a full grown man be so fucking cute? God he wants to say yes so bad, but…

“I don’t know that bringing a third wheel to your date would make her very happy, man.”

“Huh? Me and Robin? Oh god no. We’re, uh…just friends. ‘Platonic with a capital P’ as she puts it. I’m uh…not her type.” He says with a secretive little smirk. Oh no. This might even be worse.

“Not really looking for a set up…”

“Dude. No one’s hooking up with Robin in this situation. I just thought it would be fun and you two could be friends. But it’s no big deal, don’t worry about it.”

Shit. Well now he just feels embarrassed. And a bit like a dick. Steve starts to head back to the car and it’s a sad little wave over his shoulder and Eddie panics.

“No! I mean, yeah. I’m free. Tomorrow.”

Steve turns back and looks up at him from under his lashes. “Yeah?”

“Yeah…I’ll uh…meet you guys there?”

“That’s silly, I can pick you up. No need to waste the gas. I gotta pick Robin up anyway. She doesn’t drive. So I’ll come by tomorrow at like 6?”

Eddie nods dumbly. With a satisfied smile and a nod of his own, Steve finally gets in his car to leave. Eddie hears Dustin’s judgmental “Dude” from the back seat as they pull away and he’s not sure what to make of anything that just happened

—

He spends the next morning on the verge of panic, fidgeting and occasionally pacing. He’s being manic enough that Uncle Wayne shoots him a few concerned looks, but not enough for him to actually confront him which is nice.

Eddie’s not sure what he would say. ‘The painfully straight boy I think I’m a little bit in love with asked me on a not-date with him and his platonic gal pal and I am freaking the fuck out’? Yeah, he’ll pass on that conversation. Wayne may be incredibly chill about the whole gay thing, but Eddie doesn’t think he’d have any clue what to do with that. Eddie sure doesn’t.

Finally there’s a knock at the door (at 6 PM on the dot) that stops his restless motion. For a moment he’s completely, utterly still. Then all that frenetic energy rushes back and pushes him to the door so fast he almost face plants right into it.

When he gets it open, his breath catches in his chest. Steve has traded his dorky little polos for a black button up, top two buttons undone flashing a tantalizing peek at his collarbones. His dark wash jeans are snug in all the right places, and he has on a pair of combat boots that Eddie would’ve thought he’d never be caught dead in. He looks…fucking delectable.

“H-hey. I uh…should I change?”

He hears Uncle Wayne snort from the kitchen and dies a little inside.

“What? No, you look good man. You ready? Robin’s waiting for us.”

Shit did Steve just say he looks good? In his ratty torn jeans and metal band shirt under his usual leather jacket and battle vest, he feels utterly unremarkable. He shudders to think at what they look like next to each other. Too late now, though.

“Yeah, yeah let’s go.” He pokes his head back through the door to see his uncle smirking back at him with one eyebrow raised. So much for not saying anything.

“See you later asshole!”

—

It takes him all of five seconds to figure out why Steve isn’t Robin’s type. He’s pretty sure she clocks him right back, especially once they get out and she eyes the black hanky in his back pocket. He’s dying to ask if Steve knows, but if he doesn’t…

Anyway she actually is a cool chick, if a bit weird. Not like he has any room to talk on that front. They decide to grab food first so they can get acquainted. As soon as they’re seated she’s talking a mile a minute and Eddie struggles to keep up with he lightening fast change of topic but he thinks he’s holding his own pretty well.

Seeing Steve around her is fascinating. For all their differences, Beauty and the Band Geek, they seem to operate on the same wave length. He catches glimpses of silent conversations happening entirely with eyebrows and subtle lip movements. Steve doesn’t say much out loud, seeming content to watch them with a pleased little smile for the most part.

When the check comes, Steve takes it before either of them have a chance to even move.

“I forced you both out tonight, so it’s my treat.” Eddie tries to protest, as does Robin before she shares another eyebrow conversation with Steve and gives in. Then he turns to Eddie with his puppy dog eyes. “Please Eddie, I really want to.”

God damn it, not being able to say no to this man is going to get him in trouble.

“Fine! But I’m getting you back for this.”

The dazzling smile he gets in return makes his heart skip a beat. He’s so utterly fucked.

—

When Uncle Wayne asks him later than night how the movie was with a knowing smile, he just shrugs and says it was fine. The truth is he couldn’t tell you what movie they even picked, never mind how it was. The lights dimmed and he was hyper focused on the man next to him. Their fingers brushed as they both reached for the popcorn, their legs were almost touching, and at one point Steve had leaned over to whisper some comment into his ear and he had to bite his lip to stop any sound from escaping him.

He caught Robin’s teasing grin on their way out. At this point he might as well have “gay for Steve Harrington” stamped across his forehead, he was so transparent. At least the man himself seemed oblivious.

—

Billy Hargrove is exactly the asshole everyone thinks he is. Eddie sees how weirdly focused on Steve, in a way that make his stomach turn.

Eddie’s pretty sure the guy’s queer, but definitely the self hating kind. He looks at Eddie with disgust, calls him a slur a time or two. He knows Billy’s caught the way he looks at Steve and hates him for it. Thinks maybe he’s jealous of it as much as he is disgusted by it. It’s a weird, twisted rivalry over a boy neither one of them could have.

It wasn’t like Eddie thought he had any kind of claim over Steve, he just didn’t like the dark twist to the lustful way Billy looked at him. It scared him. He wasn’t quite sure what Hargrove was capable of or willing to do.

Now that Steve came to his place sometimes, he catches Billy outside his own trailer with a murderous look in his eye. He knows he has to keep a close eye on Steve anytime he comes by, makes sure he leaves safe. He watches his car until the taillights fade, then looks across at Billy’s trailer. He doesn’t think he’d have the guts to try to come after Eddie, Uncle Wayne may be soft spoken but he’s ex military and everyone knew he wouldn’t hesitate to kill someone who hurt Eddie.

But Eddie would have to be the one to protect Steve.

—

So they’re friends now. Like real friends. They don’t just both hang out with the kids at the same time. Sometimes Robin joins them for whatever they decide to get up to, but not always.

The first time he visits them at Scoops Ahoy he nearly chokes on his own tongue. Why would you need shorts that short to sell ice cream?

Then again…if they weren’t friends, Eddie would probably spend a small fortune just to have an excuse to come stare.

He lets out a low whistle. “Helloooo sailor.”

Steve turns a lovely shade of pink and scratches the back of his neck.

“Yeah, yeah laugh it up. Totally lame uniform, I know. But what are you gonna do? You here to take advantage of my perks like the kids?”

“Well I was just gonna hang around and see if you wanted to do something when you got off, but what kind of perks we talking about?”

Steve laughs. “Free ice cream, man. Whatever you want. And yeah, sure. I’m off in about 20 minutes. Robin’s stuck closing so it’ll just be us.”

Eddie feels a little bad being so happy Robin can’t come. He loves hanging out with her, and he loves her dynamic with Steve, but…alone time with Steve.

—

“So when you said ‘do something’, did you have something in mind?”

It’s hard to focus when Steve is still in those shorts. Especially because he’s walking slightly ahead of Eddie, leading the way to where the van is parked beside his car, making it far too easy and enticing to keep stealing glances at just how good his ass looks in said shorts. “Whuh? Oh, uh, no not really. I figured I’d be crashing you and Buckley’s plans so it didn’t really occur to me to think up my own.”

“K, well I don’t know about you but I would kill for some Chinese food right now. I could pick some up and meet you back at yours?”

It occurs to Eddie, not for the first time, that Steve never suggests his own house. He’s not sure what to think of it, but he’s not sure if Steve’s comfortable enough with him for him to ask.

“Yeah, that sounds good. I’m not picky so whatever you wanna get is fine, we can just share?”

“See you there then.”

—

He loves his uncle, but Eddie’s grateful he has the graveyard shift tonight. He doesn’t need to worry about making a fool of himself with an audience. He scrambled around to clean the place up a bit, even changing his sheets then feeling incredibly stupid for doing so.

When he hears a car door slam, he peeks out the window in excitement only for his heart to drop. Billy’s home, and from the looks of it he’s pissed about something. He stomps inside and Eddie decides now is a good time to go out for a smoke and wait for his guest to arrive.

He’s not waiting long. He greets Steve with a smile, trotting over to grab the bag out of his hand so he can get the beer he also picked up and close his door without a struggle.

Steve smiles at him gratefully. “Aren’t you chivalrous?” His voice is teasing, but Eddie still feels his face heat.

“Only the best for you, my king.”

—

Eddie decides it’s time to start Steve’s musical education, so he puts on some Metallica as they eat.

He tries to focus on the music and not stare at Steve’s mouth as he wraps his lips around an egg roll. Or licks a bit of stray sauce from them. He’s not very successful, but what else is new.

When the food is gone and they’re a few beers in each, they lay on the floor of the trailer. Bodies facing opposite directions and their heads side by side, just listening to the music.

“You play guitar, yeah?” Eddie startles out of his daze.

“I do. Even have a band. We have a standing gig every Tuesday.”

“Could I…could I hear you play? I know music is super important to you and uh…shit if it’s totally personal that’s cool, I just thought I could understand it better if I could hear it from you, but really it’s fine-“

“Steve. Chill, it’s fine. I don’t think The Hideout is exactly your kind of place, but I could be persuaded to give you a private show.”

“Yeah?” He looks so pleased that Eddie’s heart stutters in his chest.

“Sure. Maybe not tonight though. I’ve got a decent buzz going, and my coordination’s not the best. I’d hate to make a poor first impression.”

Eddie turns his head to find Steve already facing him. Those pretty hazel eyes blink sleepily back at him.

“You’ve already made quite the impression, I don’t think you could mess it up now. But that’s ok, I can wait.” Then he’s turning his head to let out a jaw cracking yawn. “Sorry, I forget how tired drinking makes me.”

“You a lightweight Stevie? It is getting pretty late, you could…you could stay tonight, if you wanted.”

“I’d hate to impose.”

“I’d hate to wake up to finding out you’ve wrapped your car around a tree. Seriously. Stay.”

Steve giggles, closing his eyes. “So bossy. Whatever you say, Eddie.”

“Alright Sleepyhead, come on, let’s get you to bed before you pass out on my living room floor.”

—

Eddie lends Steve some sweatpants and a well worn band t to change into. He sits on his freshly made bed and ponders if he should sleep on the couch or set himself up on his floor. He doesn’t think Steve is that drunk, but he’d still feel better close by just in case. At least that’s the excuse Eddie would use if anyone asked.

Steve comes back in while he’s laying a blanket out on the floor. Seeing him dressed in Eddie’s clothes stirs a possessive glee in his gut. Apparently that really does it for him.

“What are you doing?”

“Hm? Oh. Setting up on the floor, you can take the bed.”

“But the bed’s big enough…unless you’re uncomfortable sharing?”

Uncomfortable? Kind of…but not for the reasons Steve thinks. More worried that sleeping next to the source of his unrequited love will kill him, or at the very least be an exercise in sexual frustration. He can’t very well say that though.

“No, that’s…I mean yeah, we can share.”

He quickly rushes into the bathroom to change his own clothes and take a moment to collect himself. After a few minutes of deep breathing, he makes his way back to his room to find Steve already curled up under the blankets.

Eddie takes a deep, centering breath before climbing in next to him. He turns out the lights and settles in, leaving as much space between them as he can. Apparently Steve had other ideas though, because suddenly he’s pressed right up against Eddie with his arm thrown around his waist.

“Uh…”

“Oh, shit, sorry man. I’m uh…I get kind of touchy when I drink. I’m a snuggler. But I totally should have asked.” He goes to pull away and before Eddie can think better of it he grabs Steve’s wrist.

“I…I don’t mind. I just wasn’t expecting it, that’s all.”

“You sure?”

“Yes. Go to sleep, Steve.”

He hears a giggle in the darkness before Steve settles back in, this time resting his head on Eddie’s chest. There’s no way he doesn’t hear how fast his heart is beating, but luckily he doesn’t mention it.

Eddie thinks it’s going to be a very long, torturous night, but soon enough he finds himself lulled to sleep by Steve’s deep, even breathing.

—

He wakes to the front door closing, and would’ve paid it no mind if it weren’t for Steve. The other man jolts upright with a look of panic.

Eddie sits up next to him and rubs a soothing hand down his back. “Woah woah, hey, it’s just Uncle Wayne coming home from work. It’s alright.”

For a second Steve looks right through him before blinking into awareness. Then his cheeks flush with embarrassment.

“Yeah, yeah, sorry. Just uh…startled me.”

Eddie continues the gentle patterns his fingers are tracing along Steve’s back. He can’t shake the concern, that reaction too much for just a slight scare. He doesn’t want go jump to conclusions but he has to ask.

“Steve…you can tell me to fuck off if you’re not comfortable answering, but…Why do you never want to go to your house?”

Steve furrows his brows in confusion, clearly not having expected the question. “Oh, uh…shit I’m sorry, of course you’re welcome to come over if you want.”

“That’s not what I meant. Why do you never want to be there?” A little bit of the panic returns to Steve’s eyes. “Shit, I’m sorry. Seriously just tell me to fuck off.”

“No, it’s…it’s fine. No one’s ever asked me that before. I don’t think anyone’s noticed, I try not to make it a big thing. I mean if anyone asks to come over I let them, I just…prefer to be somewhere else.”

Steve pauses, then takes a deep shuddering breath and continues. “My parents…they had a kid because it’s the proper thing to do not out of any actual desire to be parents. So I was meant to be seen but not heard. Always be on my best behavior. Do all the right things, get the perfect grades. Be something they could show off to their friends. I wasn’t very good at it though. I was a sensitive kid, always wanted hugs and cried too easily. Stupid. Always fucking up somehow.”

“Steve…you’re not stupid. You’re not fucking anything up.”

He gets a sad little smile. “Yeah well, they certainly didn’t see if that way. And I guess my dad figured he could beat the stupid out of me. When that didn’t work they left. Traveling. They’d pop in now and again for appearances and to remind me of what a failure I was. Now they don’t come at all. They signed the house over to me. Made a big show of it to their friends, how their son was all grown up and they were so generous to give him a house as a graduation present. I haven’t seen them since. Which is good, I’m glad, I’m tired of trying to be someone I’m not so maybe they’ll finally love me. But I fucking hate that house. It’s huge and empty and filled with bad memories. Sometimes it’s nice when other people come over. Fill it with laughter, make good memories.” He looks up at Eddie through his lashes. “But I didn’t want you-I hate the thought of you in that house. It just doesn’t fit. You’re too fucking good for that place, man.”

Eddie feels his hands shaking with rage. He wants to find Steve’s parents and knock some sense into them. He wants to destroy them for making this amazing man feel like he was worthless.

He also falls even deeper in love. How Steve had managed to stay so soft, so kind in the wake of all of that…sure he’d made himself a mask but underneath it was the man Eddie knew now. The man he’d always known was beneath it. He hates those people so much for making Steve think he had to hide away the best parts of himself.

He throws his arms around Steve, the angle awkward but he doesn’t care.

“Steve…fuck. I need you to hear me, ok? You are the best person I know. You didn’t deserve any of that. You deserve to be loved, to be taken care of.”

He hears a broken sob as Steve’s arms tighten around him and he vows to himself that he will do whatever he can to make this man feel loved.

They stay like that for a while, Steve shifting at some point to basically curl up in Eddie’s lap and just lets himself be held. The quiet little whimpers stop after a while and they just cuddle.

—

They eat breakfast with Uncle Wayne before he heads to bed. Eddie worries that it will be awkward but they seem to get along really well. He can feel his uncles eyes on him more than once, but is too scared to meet his gaze.

Soon enough Steve needs to go get ready for work. It dawns on Eddie that Steve isn’t the rich kid anymore. He has that huge house, but he’s all on his own and has to support himself.

“I’m uh…sorry for crying all over you, man.” He pauses before look at Eddie cautiously. “Please don’t tell anyone. Not about the crying thing, I’m pretty sure everyone’s seen it at some point by now, just all the other stuff.”

It breaks his heart to think how Steve takes such good care of everyone else while no one takes care of him. He doesn’t want to burden the people in his life even though they love him. But Eddie’s here now and he’s going to change that.

“Of course. Your secrets will always be safe with me.”

He walks with him to the door, stopping to lean in the entry way as Steve continues down the steps and to his car. Eddie can’t help but smile at his dorky little wave, but his face drops when he looks up to see Billy watching them, furious. He must know Steve spent the night, clearly he’s making assumptions. A part of Eddie wants to grin lasciviously. To confirm what he only wishes were true. He thinks the better of it, and goes back to watching Steve’s car pull away.

But he can feel those hateful eyes on him until he closes the door.

—

Eddie considers heading up to Scoops a few hours later, but then figures after this morning he should probably give Steve a little space to breathe. He may be desperate to spend every moment in the other man’s presence, but that doesn’t mean the feeling is mutual.

So he ties his hair back into a low, messy bun and tinkers with the van for a bit. She was due for a tune up soon anyway, and getting his hands dirty has always been a good distraction for Eddie. Though today it’s not as successful as it usually is.

His thoughts wander to the place, or person rather, they always do lately. The conversation they had this morning weighs heavily on his mind. He can’t get the image out of his head, of Steve all alone in his way too big house. Or worse, bruised and bleeding at the hands of the ones meant to love and protect him. Eddie’s father was a piece of shit but even he’d never laid a hand on his kid.

Eddie hopes they truly stay gone for good. He’s not sure what he’ll do if he ever sees them.

Once he’s taken care of all he can in the van, he cleans his hands off with an old rag and heads inside. Just in time for the ringing phone to get sent to the answering machine.

“Hey Eddie, uh…it’s Steve. I’m off work soon and I just wanted to see if you were busy. Which clearly you are. So I’m not sure why I’m leaving this message. Shit. Sorry-“

Eddie trips over his own feet in his rush to grab the phone. “Steve! Hey!”

“Oh…hi. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to bug you, if you’re busy I can just call back some other time it’s no big deal.”

“Nah I’m never too busy for you. What’s up?”

“Well I was just…Robin’s got a hot date tonight so she’s blowing me off. I thought maybe you’d wanna do something?”

Eddie grins, tries to keep the joy out of his voice. “Ouch, Harrington, I’m the second choice huh? The back up plan?”

“What? No! No of course not!”

Steve sounds so distraught, Eddie can’t help but laugh.

“I’m just fucking with you it’s fine. Yeah man, wanna come over? I can give you that private concert if you’re still interested.”

“Yeah, that would be great!”

Robins voice interjects in the background, he hears a muffled “stop flirting and get back to work, Dingus, you’ve only got an hour left.”

“Shit, sorry, gotta go before Robin kills me for hiding in the back. I’ll see you in like an hour and a half?”

“Sounds good.”

If Eddie’s heart skips a few beats at the thought that Robin even teasingly saying Steve was flirting with him, that’s no one’s business but his own.

—

Uncle Wayne is up and about when he gets out of the shower. Takes one look at Eddie all clean and fidgety and sees right through him.

“That Harrington boy coming over tonight?”

“Is that…is that alright?” He’s never had to ask to have any company before, but then again the boys he’s had over don’t make repeat visits.

“Eddie, this is your house too and you’re grown. You can have whoever you want come over. I just…you been real happy lately Ed. That boy’s not gonna break your heart, is he?”

Well shit. Eddie doesn’t know what to say.

“We’re just friends.” He hedges.

“That’s what I’m worried about. You’re ‘just friends’ to him maybe. I seen the way you look at him Eddie, you don’t wanna be just friends. Shit I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so gone on someone. Look…I’m not tellin’ you want to do. All I’m saying is be careful.”

“Uncle Wayne…I’m not gonna say I’m not gonna get my heart broken, but I promise it won’t be his fault. He’s not leading me on. Whether I want it or not we are just friends. And I’m ok with that. If he knew-if he thought for a second he was hurting me he’d hate himself for it. So if I’m stupid with my heart and it gets broken, it’s on me, not him.”

His uncle just looks at him searchingly for a long time. Then he shakes his head. “I’m not saying he’s a bad guy. I actually like the kid, much better than anyone else you’ve ever brought home. I’m saying don’t be stupid with your heart. But for what it’s worth, son, that boy looks at you like you hung the moon. So yeah, I know he wouldn’t hurt you on purpose.”

Eddie feels his face flush. He tries so hard not to get his hopes up, he knows Steve is straight, but he imagines him looking at him like that. For a moment he lets himself live in the fantasy where this isn’t one sided. He shakes his head to clear it.

“Thanks Uncle Wayne. Love you.”

His uncle pats him on the shoulder. “Love you too kiddo.” Then he heads to the door to head out for another graveyard shift. As he opens it he smiles. “Hey son, go on it he’s expecting you.”

—

Steve must have stopped at his house before coming over, as he’s no longer in his uniform. He’s forgone his usual polo in favor of a tight black T-shirt with a dark green jacket. He’s also got on dark grey jeans. Eddie can’t help but notice his color pallet has shifted darker in recent months, wonders if it’s his own influence that’s inspired the change.

In any case he looks enticing.

“So I know you said you’d play for me, and I really want you to. But maybe after…Nancy’s throwing this party and that’s what me and Robin were gonna do before she got a better offer. Rob said you probably wouldn’t want to go, but I think the kids are going to make an appearance early on, so I thought maybe…?”

Eddie hesitates. “That wouldn’t be awkward for you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Going to a party hosted by your ex. With her new boyfriend.”

“Oh. No. Nah man me and Nancy are over. Like way over. But she’s a cool chick, and Jonathan’s not a bad guy, so we’ve stayed friends. I’m happy for them.” His cheeks are a lovely shade of pink. “I’ve got my eye elsewhere anyway.” He looks up at Eddie with his pretty hazel eyes and smiles.

Eddie tries to smile back. Thinks he should probably ask who, be a good friend and encourage Steve to go for it. Doesn’t matter who it is, of course they’d say yes. But he can’t. He allows himself to be selfish in this, to protect his heart as much as he can.

“Oh. Cool, then, yeah we can go I guess. We can just head over, I can play my guitar for you any time.”

Steve’s face falls a little, and Eddie tries not to feel guilty.

“Oh…yeah, ok.”

The van is still a bit deconstructed, so they climb into Steve’s car and make their way to the Wheeler house.

—

Eddie’s never been much of a partier, despite what people may think of him. He’s more inclined to smoke and chill at home, or hang with a few friends, than to go to some rager. He’s pretty sure Steve is much the same, at least the Steve who’s let go of his mask.

Needless to say he’s surprised and a bit concerned to see Steve dive headfirst into the alcohol.

“Hey buddy maybe you should slow down a bit? Pace yourself?”

“But it’s a party! Time to drink your troubles away!”

Eddie just shakes his head. Decides he’ll be sober tonight, watch after his little lush.

He chats with the kids for a bit, then mingles about trying to make friends with the other people Steve cares about. Eddie keeps one eye on him as he chats, highly entertained by a man he’s never seen before named Argyle. Then Nancy approaches him when Steve’s more than a few drinks in, all careful concern.

“Is he ok? I’ve never seen him like this.”

Now Eddie is worried. He’d hoped maybe he just didn’t know this side of Steve, but if Nancy thinks this is abnormal behavior…

“I’m not sure. He seemed fine earlier. He uh…he mentioned he’s into someone, maybe he hoped they’d be here and he’s disappointed?”

Nancy shoots him a look of surprise. “Oh, you’re not…huh. Ok. You should maybe talk to him about that. When he sobers up. But for now he’s going outside so you might want to keep an eye on him.”

Eddie looks around, finally spotting Steve slinking out the back. He looks back to Nancy, not really sure what to say, or what she’s trying to say. He settles for a nod before following the other man.

He finds him swinging on a porch swing.

“Hey, whatcha doing out here on your own?”

“S’too loud. Couldn’t find you, so I came out here to get away from the loud. You wanna sit?”

Eddie grins, then joins him on the swing. He kicks off the ground, sending them into a gentle sway.

Steve looks over at him and smiles. “You’ve got such pretty eyes. They’re so big. It’s very distracting. S’hard to think when you look at me with your big doe eyes all soft and pretty like that.”

Eddie has no idea what to do with that. He tries to tease. “Are you flirting with me Harrington?” He gets a manic little laugh in return.

“Have been for months, thanks for noticing!”

“I-What?” Before he can begin to process what Steve just said, he hears a voice that quickly turns the heat in his veins to ice.

“Aww Munson finally got himself a girlfriend. Careful though, that one’s got quite the reputation. But hey, if you don’t mind used goods…”

Steve curls in on himself, looking ashamed and miserable. Eddie curses himself for coming out here alone with just an intoxicated Steve. Friends party or no, they’re still in Hawkins.

“Fuck off Hargrove, go back to whatever hole you crawled out of.”

Billy keeps talking like Eddie hadn’t said anything. “He does have quite the pretty mouth though. What do you say Munson? We can share. I’ll let you fuck that tight little ass while I take his mouth. Bet he’d love it wouldn’t you Stevie?”

Before Eddie consciously realizes he’s decided to move, he’s got Billy on the ground. He’s not a fighter but fueled by protective rage he lands a few punches.

Billy gets his hand on a small potted plant and smashes it against his head and then Eddie is shoved on his back. He blinks the blood out of his vision to see the other man approaching Steve, and one glimpse of those terror filled eyes has him stumbling back to his feet.

As he stands he sees the trowel laying in the garden. He uses it to hit Billy in the back of the head, and as the man falters Eddie knocks him to the ground. Quickly hovering over him, he holds the trowel like a knife against Billy’s throat.

“If you so much as look at him again, I will kill you, do you understand me?” He pauses while Billy just stares at him, face blank. “Do you understand me?!”

“Yes! I understand.”

He stands, still gripping his makeshift weapon, and lets Billy scuttle away. He watches until he’s sure the creep is gone before he lets himself relax, swaying on his feet.

Steve is immediately at his side, tears streaming down his cheeks. He lifts his hand to brush the wetness away. “Hey, you’re ok sweetheart, please don’t cry.”

“I’m not crying for me you idiot! You’re bleeding. Jesus Eddie, I was so scared. I thought he was gonna kill you.” Steve buries his head in Eddie’s shoulder, shaking with sobs.

Eddie shushes him, cradling the back of his head. Thinks back to the moment before Billy interrupted them. He wants so badly to ask if Steve meant what he’d said, but he knows this isn’t the time. Between what just happened and Steve still being drunk…if they were going to talk about this, he needed to be sure it was real.

So for now he just presses a kiss to the top of Steve’s head and holds on tight, reassuring him that they’re both safe now.

—

Once the adrenaline wears off, Eddie becomes aware of the pain. His head is throbbing, there’s a decent chance he has a concussion. Definitely some busted knuckles. His hip aches from where it hit the ground. Could be worse.

Steve may be drunk, but he’s still Steve. He’s unsteady on his feet as he leads Eddie through the house, confidently finding the first aid kit in the bathroom. He sits Eddie down on the toilet and carefully cleans the gashes on his head, bandaging them and giving them each a sloppy kiss when he’s done. Eddie’s hand gets the same treatment, and the sight of Steve gently cradling his hand for a kiss makes his heart ache with want.

Eddie takes his other hand and wipes the tears that start leaking. “It’s ok. I’m ok. I promise it’s going to take a lot more than one slimy creep to take me away from you.” Steve giggles in response. “There’s that pretty smile, much better. No more tears. You wanna head home or do you wanna stick around for a bit longer?”

“Home. I mean…can I stay with you tonight? I know I was just there last night it’s ok if you want your space I don’t mean to be clingy-“

“Steve. You will always be welcome wherever I am. You don’t even have to ask. And there’s not a chance I’d let you go be in that house on your own, not after tonight. Besides, someone needs to make sure you don’t choke on your own tongue in the middle of the night, boozy.”

He stands and keeps Steve’s hand in his bruised grip, leading him out. Nancy spots them and shoots him a questioning and worried look, but he just waves her off. They can explain later.

He get Steve settled in the passenger seat of his own car, before holding his hand out for the keys. Steve just squints up at him, adorably confused, before reaching out to hold hands. Eddie snorts.

“No, you goof, the keys. Unless you want to sleep in your car you’re gonna have to hand ‘em over so I can get us home.”

Steve smiles fondly. “Home…that sounds nice. I wish. But my home’s no good. And I don’t think your uncle would want me to. But it’s where the heart is right?” He clumsily fishes the keys out of his pocket and hands them over. “So m’already there I guess. Don’t think you are though, which sucks. Your house is nice though, so we can go there.”

Eddie laughs. “I’m not really sure what you’re trying to say sweetheart, maybe you can try again in the morning, hm?”

As they pull in next to the van, Eddie glances cautiously across the to the Mayfield/Hargrove home to find it dark and silent. He’s pretty sure Billy won’t bother them anymore, but he won’t be letting his guard down any time soon just the same.

Steve has been drifting the whole drive over, so Eddie gently shakes his shoulder. “Come on pretty boy, let’s get you into bed so you can sleep nice and comfy.”

He groans and grumbles, but he gets out so Eddie counts it as a win. Until he tips dangerously close to face planting. Steve pouts at him like it’s Eddie’s fault he can’t stand up on his own two feet. Eddie wraps Steve’s arm around his shoulder to steady him and tries to shuffle them both forward.

Unfortunately Steve’s feet seem completely unwilling to cooperate. With an eye roll and a heavy sigh, Eddie bends down and scoops his legs out from under him. Steve squeals and almost flails right out of his arms.

“Shhh you’re gonna wake the whole trailer park!” Eddie whispers.

“Sorry, sorry” Steve giggles, “I wasn’t ready. My hero.” He swoons dramatically, then grins and wraps his arms around Eddie’s neck.

Once they get inside he gently places Steve down on the bed. He makes him drink some water, then throws the sweats from the night before on the bed and heads to the bathroom to change into his own.

He comes out to Steve curled up under the covers peeking up at him, suddenly looking shy.

“Eds…thank you. You really are my hero.”

Eddie laughs as he crawls into bed next to him. “I don’t know about that, but either way no thanks needed. You just keep smiling for me pretty thing, that’s all I need.”

Steve lives up to his word and remains a snuggly drunk. As soon as Eddie is settled there’s a body draped across his.

He knows tomorrow they have to talk and he has no idea how it’s going to go, so he enjoys this while he can.

—

Eddie wakes long before he opens his eyes. He can feel Steve’s steady breathing against his neck, an arm draped across his chest. He just wants to stay in this moment as long as possible. Live in this domestic little fantasy of waking up next to he man he loves.

But eventually he feels Steve stirring and knows he can’t delay the inevitable much longer. He opens his eyes and looks down to see Steve already looking back.

“Morning beautiful. Sleep well?”

“Mmm. Feels like I got hit by a bus.”

“That’ll be the hangover. Not too surprising considering how much you drank. You remember much about last night?”

Steve blinks through the haze of sleep and alcohol before his eyes widen.

“Billy. Shit Eddie, are you ok?” His hands come up to gently touch Eddie’s bandaged head.

“I’m fine. I’ve had worse. I may be a lover not a fighter but that didn’t stop the meat heads at school from playing ‘hunt the freak’. Anyway that’s not what I was talking about.”

“What’s more important than some psycho attacking us?”

Eddie hesitates. He’s not sure Steve will want to be snuggled up in bed after he says what he needs to say. “You know what? I can’t have this conversation like this. Come on time to get up. I’ll make you a nice greasy breakfast and get you hydrated. I need coffee.”

Steve gets up, casting nervous glances at Eddie as he heads to the bathroom to brush his teeth. He’s already claimed the spare toothbrush as his, because of course he has. Eddie swipes his own and brushes his teeth at the kitchen sink.

He hears the shower turn on and a part of him relaxes, glad that Steve feels at home enough here to do so.

Eddie may not be a great cook in general, but one thing he does right is breakfast. Bacon, eggs, hash browns, pancakes, French toast…the works. Today he settles for bacon and eggs with some toast. Just as he’s finished plating everything he hears the shower turn off. He gets gets the coffee for himself and puts out orange juice and a Gatorade for Steve.

Steve’s decided to stay in Eddie’s clothes from the night before. He sits across from Eddie looking like he may throw up, but more from nerves than the hangover.

“Eddie…look, I know what this is about and we really don’t have to do this. I can take a hint, it’s fine. I just…I really don’t want to lose you, ok? So it’s fine. We’re good.”

“I uh…I’m not sure we’re having the same conversation here Stevie. Because I have no idea what hint you think you’re taking.”

Steve laughs, but it’s a sad little thing. “Come on Eds, I know you heard me last night. I mean I lied a little, I’ve been trying not to flirt with you for months. But when I told you I had my eye on someone you shut down, you clearly didn’t want to talk about it. And when Billy called me your girlfriend you were mad. Like mad mad.”

“Jesus H Christ Steve you cannot possible think that’s what I was mad about.”

“…What?”

“The implication that we were together, that’s what you thought pissed me off last night? Fucking hell Steve. I was furious because of how he talked about you, because he said we should fucking share you. I wanted to fucking kill that little creep because he was talking about using you. Assaulting you. Jesus. The thought of him looking at you never mind touching you makes my skin crawl. Who cares if he thinks we’re together? I know you were drunk but shit, how the fuck could you think I cared about that?” He’s running his hands through his hair so hard he’s pulling strands out.

“I just…I said I was into someone and I thought you knew I meant you and you were upset, and then that happened and you were even more upset I just thought…”

“I was upset because I thought you were into someone else! Fuck Steve I thought you were straight, I thought you’d found someone and I was going to have to watch someone else make the the love of my life happy and it was going to slowly kill me.”

Steve’s head jerks up so fast from where he’d been staring at the table, it’s a wonder he doesn’t get whiplash. Eddie replays his own words in his head and realizes with horror he said more than he meant to.

“I’m the love of your life?”

And fuck, there’s this soft awed look in Steve’s face. It cracks Eddie right open.

“Fuck it.” He takes a deep breath to steady himself before he closes his eyes and dives head first. Reckless as ever. “I love you. I’m in love with you. Pretty sure I’ve been half in love with you since the day we met, but now? Yeah Steve, you’re the love of my fucking life.”

Before he can steel himself to open his eyes and see the reaction, he feels a hand on the back of his head pulling him and suddenly there’s a mouth against his. Oh. It’s soft, and sweet, and everything he’d ever hoped a first kiss with Steve could be.

It’s over as fast as it began and he leans forward to chase those lips. He feels Steve giggle before a hand at his shoulder stops him. He opens one eye to see Steve all soft and shy.

“You remember the day we met?”

“How could I forget? You were my gay awakening.” He opens his other eye and grins. “Pretty boy like you came to my rescue? I was gone.”

“You’re one to talk. My knight in shining armor.” The hand on his shoulder drops to his own bruised hand, thumb rubbing gently across the still bandaged knuckles. “Shit Eddie you really didn’t know? Everyone knows!”

“Wait what? What do you means everyone knows?”

“Eddie, everyone knows. The kids give me shit all the time. God the first time I tried to asked you to hang out with me and Robin they mocked me the whole drive to Dustin’s because I couldn’t just suck it up and ask you on a proper date. Robin also mocks me because I dressed up and paid like it was a date anyway. Hell Nancy knows….and also mocks me, Jesus I need better friends.”

Eddie laughs a little hysterically. “That explains why Nancy said I should talk to you when I told her you said you liked someone last night. Steve I thought you were straight. Why would I ever think I had a chance?”

“Well I’m bi, for the record. I mean it was me coming out to my parents that was the final straw for them leaving. I just thought you knew. Robbie said you clocked each other from day one. And she knew about me right away so I figured you did too and you were just too nice to say anything about my glaringly obvious crush. But everyone kept telling me to go for it so I thought last night I’d kind of open the door a bit and you slammed it in my face. So instead of having you serenade me and then maybe make out a little at the party I got spectacularly drunk in self pity.”

Eddie grins beatifically. “I can serenade you, baby.”

“Ugh god then there was that. Last night you called me ‘sweetheart’ and ‘pretty’ and I was so confused. You’d never called me pet names before.” He pouts adorably.

“I’ll call you whatever you want, gorgeous, as long as I can call you mine.”

“Oh Eddie, I’ve been yours for a long time.” Steve closes the gap between them once more.

I’ve had so many fic ideas in my years in fandom, but this is the first one I’ve actually written. I have like 3 others in progress, all Steddie, so there’s that. Anyway, be gentle. I’ve been writing for forever but this is the first fic and also the first story I’ve ever shared publicly.

I may write a follow up to this one too. We’ll see.

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#steddie fic #steve x eddie #steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things #stranger things fic #my fic #good uncle Wayne Munson #idiots in love #Eddie Munson has a crush on Steve Harrington #Steve Harrington has a crush on Eddie Munson #bisexual steve harrington #gay eddie munson #au: no upside down #steve harrington needs a hug #Steve Harrington has bad parents #no beta we die like barb #my stuff

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