#Steve asking genuine questions so he can explain everything to Robin

[morganbritton132]

AU where Eddie is a TA for a class at a college. It’s not the first time he’s covering for his professor, but it is the first time that his lesson gets completely derailed by a guy that won’t stop asking questions.

Don’t get Eddie wrong. This is a one hundred plus student lecture hall at 8am, it’s a miracle anyone is even awake much less asking questions, but - “Seriously?”

The guy puts his hand down, “Me?”

“Yes, you!” Eddie exclaims, a chattering a snickers going around the room. “You’ve asked multiple questions for every slide of the PowerPoint.”

“Oh, sorry,” The - admittedly good looking - guy replies sarcastically. “I was under the impression that you were a teacher that taught things.”

Eddie sighs and then asks, “Did you do the reading, Mister…”

“Harrington,” He says. “Steve.”

“Okay, Steve. Did you do the reading?”

“No.”

Turns out Steve isn’t even in this class. He doesn’t even go to this university. He was only there to take notes for Robin while she was sick with a cold.

[captainlunaxmen]

The Lady and the Lord

Chapter 2

Eddie munson x fem!reader

This is a repost since the old blog doesn't work anymore. 🥰

Chapter summary: they have one mission: find Eddie.

Chapter warnings: spoiler season 4, violence description.

"And then Vicki laughed. And it wasn't like a cheap, fake laugh either. It was like... it was a real genuine laugh." Robin tells us as Steve put some vhs on the shelfs and I hold some to help them. I don't work here, but I like to help instead of sitting at home doing nothing.

"Of course. It's my Muppet joke. It's hilarious" Steve says very proudly, and I roll my eyes.

"My point is that Vicki laughed and everything was just like...it was perfect" she keeps going with a dreamy voice.

She's so cute.

"But?" I ask, knowing something's up.

"But I'm having this problem where it's like, I should stop talking." She explains "I have said everything I need to say.but then I guess I get nervous and the words keep spilling out, and it's like my.. my brain is moving faster than my mouth, or rather my.. my mouth is moving faster than my brain. And it's like I'm digging this hole for myself, and I want to stop digging, I'm trying to stop, but I can't. And I'm doing it right now, aren't I?"

She finally turns around to look at us after her babbling.

"Yeah, you are" Steve says and I nod with a half smile.

She exhales deeply and move backwards to rest against the wall.

"I'm hopeless" she says.

Steve follows her against the wall. "We both are"

I roll my eyes at their pessimism.

"If only we could just, like, combine." Robin suddenly says, I look at her confused.

"Combine?" Steve's confused too.

"No. Think about it. I know exactly what I want, and I've found the girl of my dreams, but I can't get the courage to ask her out. Meanwhile, you go on, like, a million dates, and you have no idea what you want. So if we just combine, all our problems would be solved."

Steve lets out an understanding "Oohh"

"Because, I mean, alone let's face it..."

"We totally suck." Steve finishes for her.

"Totally and utterly"

"C'mon, you guys are the most amazing persons that I know... just have hope" I look at Steve "and some courage" I look at Robin "and everything will be fine"

"Oh yeah?" Steve sends me a very sceptical look.

"Ooh, I think I found our morning movie" Robin gasps, running to a shelf and grabbing a vhs. "Doctor Zhivago"

"Ugh, you know I don't do double vhs" Steve groans shaking his hands in the air.

"But it's about doomed love" she tries.

"That's relatable" Steve agrees, and we both follow Robing behind the counter.

"Exactly. Also Julie Christie is b-b-bonkers hot in this. Like seriously the most beautiful creature I've ever seen in my life" she turn the TV on.

"I gotta agree on that" I declare.

"We're in the Forest Hills trailer park on East Roane County." The reporter's voice says loud and clear "we don't have a lot of details now, but we can confirm that the body kd a Hawkins High student was discovered early this morning. Police have not released the name although we are told they're currently in the process of notifying the family"

Oh shit.. as if alternate dimensions creature's weren't enough.

"Holy shit" Steve whispers beside me.

"Who could that be?" I ask worried.

"I don't know.." Robin replies.

"Isn't it where Max lives?" I ask again looking at them.

They just nods.

Oh shit.

We spent the morning watching the news and organising the store to keep ourselves busy.

All of a sudden the door bell rings and Dustin and Max come in.

"Hey Steve" he says, he looks visibly agitated.

"You guys see this?" Steve asks them.

"How many phones do you have?" Dustin asks, completely ignoring Steve's question.

Robin and I share a confused look

"Someone was murdered"

"How many phones fo you have?" He repeats more firmly.

"Two. Why?" He answers

"Technically three if you count Keith's in the back" Robins specifies.

Max and Dustin look at each other.

"Yeah, thee works" Max says.

So Dustin take off his backpack as Steve asks "what are you doing?" And, again, ignoring his question Dustin throw the backpack on the other side of the counter and climbs on top of it to get through.

All this while earning very annoyed reactions from both Robin and Steve.

Ignoring both of them Dustin positions himself in fron of the computer.

"What are you doing?" Steve asks.

"Setting up base of operation here." He simply answers.

"Base of operation?" I ask. "Why?"

Steve tries to get Dustin off of the computer, but with no use.

"What do you need it for? Dustin?" I ask, getting more and more confused.

"Eddie's friends' phone numbers" he answers and I look at Steve.

"Oh Eddie, your new best friend who just is cooler because he plays your nerdy game?" Steve asks, sounding quite jealous, I gotta say.

"I never said that" Dustin defends himself from Steve's accusatory tone.

"Seriously, you guys, maybe know a Monday you can play around like toddlers, but it's Saturday. It's our busiest day" Robin tells them, putting the tapes back on the counter.

"Robin, look, I empathise, but this cannot wait until Monday" Dustin firmly says.

"Calling Eddie's friends is an emergency?" She asks back.

"Correct" Dustin shouts, like that was the most obvious thing.

"Why? What happened?" I ask, now getting more worried. "Did something happen to Eddie?... Dustin?"

"Can you just fill them in while I do this?" Dustin asks Max.

"Fill us in on what?" Robin is definitely annoyed.

We all look at Max waiting for her to explain what happened.

We found ourselves calling so many different numbers, trying to find a lead to where Eddie might've gone.

I type down the numbers while Robin, Max and Dustin call them, and Steve flirts with every girls he can, pretending he's just working.

"Hey, guys. I might have a lead" Max calls pur attention.

"Seriously?" Dustin turns to her, hopefully.

"Yeah, apparently, Eddie gets his drugs from come guy names Reefer Rick, and sometimes Eddie crashes there." She explains.

"That's promising" I comment.

"Where does this Reefer Rick live?" Robin asks.

"See that's the thing. No one knows. He's more of a.. a legend than someone that people actually know." Max explains.

"And.. what about a last name?" I ask.

"I don't know that either" She answers.

"Less promising" I shake my head.

"Bet the cops knows the last name" Steve intervenes.

We turn all to him.

"What?"

"Cops. I mean listen if this Reefer Rick is actually a drug dealer, I guarantee you he's been busted at some point. Means he's in the system" he explains like he found the perfect solution to all our problems.

"The cops? Really, Steve? That's your suggestion?" Dustin asks incredulous.

"I mean, I just think they should be filled on on what we know, what's going on" he says simply.

"You think Eddie's guilty, don't you?" Dustin accuses.

"Whoa. I believe in innocent until proven guilty, all that constitutional shit." Steve defends himself " I just, you know, don't think that we can rule it out"

"That's precisely what we're trying to do here, Steve." Max says annoyed.

"And maybe we'd have a little bit more luck if you spent less time trying to find a girlfriend and more time trying to find Eddie"

"He' not wrong here, Stevie" I agree with Dustin.

"Oh well somebody has to attend to the customers" Steve says, again, to defend himself, and I roll my eyes scoffing.

"Especially if they're babes, right?" Robin teases with a wink.

"Hey, not fair, okay?" Steve points his finger st her "I attend to all customers equally, babes and non-babes alike. We've got a very big selection in here. It can be super overwhelming for people"

"Yeah it can be" Robin says, I can tell she thought something to actually help us so I quickly follow her to the computer.

"What are you doing?" Max asks.

"Maybe we don't need a last name" she answers.

She type on the keyboard, Rick's name and a list of Ricks appears on the screen.

"Twelve Ricks have accounts here" she tells us.

"That's a lots of Ricks" Max comments.

"You're a genius, Robin" I tell her.

"I know. Now, let's narrow it down, uh? Rick Alderman's latest rentals are Annie and Dumbo...what are the chances our drug dealer has a family?" She asks.

"Not likely"

"All right, Rick Conroy. Sixteen candles, Teen Wolf, Romancing the stone." She move to the next Rick.

"No"

"Okay, Rick Joiner, Mask, Footloose, and Grease"

"Nah"

"Rick Kimbrough. The Blue Lagoon, and Splash."

"Definitely no"

"Okay. Rick Lipton. Fast Times at Ridgermont High, Cheech & Chong's next movie. Cheech & Chong's nice dreams. Cheech & Chong' up in smoke."

"Bingo" Dustin chuckles.

"Lipton?"

"Spelled like the tea. 2131 Holland Road" Robin reads.

"That's out by Lovers Lake" Dustin says.

"Middle of nowhere" I comment.

"It's a perfect place to hide" Robin agrees.

That being said we all head out to Steve's car and to this Reefer Rick's house.

And hopefully to Eddie.

We all grab a torch each and get out of the car to walk to this Reefer Rick's house.

The lights are out, which could mean that no one's home or... Eddie's hiding.

Dustin repeatedly tries to ring the bell, but to no use.

"Okay. Well, that's settled. I guess he's not here." Steve says, trying to make Dustin stop.

But Dustin just start to shout for Eddie to come out and tries again with the door bell.

Me and Max move to the side of the house with our torch, seeing what looks like a boathouse. Maybe Eddie's in there.

"Hey guys!" Max calls.

"Well let's go" I say already walking towards the small building.

Robin is the first one to enter.

"Hello? Is anyone home?" She tries.

We all enter and start to look around.

"What a dump" Steve comments

The place is far from clean, there garbage everywhere and, as expected, a boat in the middle filled with something covered by a tarp.

I spot Steve grabbing an oar as a weapon and starts to poke the boat multiple times.

"What are you doing?" Dustin asks.

Steve just doesn't answer so Dustin repeats the question, more shocked.

"He might be in here." Steve simply replies.

"So take the tarp off." Dustin tells him.

"If you're so brave, you take the tarp off" he basically challenges.

"Stop bickering, you two." I say.

Steve just keeps hitting on top of the tarp covered boat.

"Hey, look over here" Max tells us. She points our attention to some food envelopes.

"Someone was here." I try.

"Maybe he heard us. Got spooked and ran" Robin suggests.

"Don't worry. Steve will get him with his oar" Dustin says sarcastically.

"Oh I know you think you're being funny, Henderson, but considering everyone in this room has nearly died about a hundred times, personally, I don't find it funny in the slight-"

Steve is cut off by a loud scream and Eddie jumping from under the tarp and pushing him against the wall, a broken bottle in his hand.

We all gather as close as possible, trying to not scare him further for Eddie to react too badly.

"Whoa whoa whoa Eddie! Eddie! Stop!" Dustin says, holding his arms out to stop us from getting further closer.

Eddie turns to look at Dustin, not moving the broken glass away from Steve's neck yet.

"It's me. It's Dustin" Dustin tries to stay calm while getting Eddie's attention. "This is Steve. He's not going to hurt you, right, Steve?"

"Right, yeah" Steve agrees, quite agitated.

"Steve, c'mon.. drop the oar, will you?" I say, as calmly as possible.

Steve does as I say, dropping the oar away, but that just startles Eddie more pointing the glass back at Steve's neck.

"He's cool, he's cool" Dustin says.

"What are you doing here?" Eddie says, voice breaking.

"We're looking for you" Dustin replies

"We're here to help, Eddie" I add.

Eddie turns his head again to us, listening carefully.

"Eddie, these are my friends. You know Robin, from band. This is my friend Max. The one who never wants to play D&D. You know Y/n too. The quiet girl you always stare at, at lunch. Eddie. We're on your side. I swear on my mother. Right guys?"

"Yeah yeah we swear"

"Yeah on Dustin's mother"

"Yeah, Dustin's.. mother"

We say no more, tense as never before, but at the end Eddie lets Steve go and moves to the side sitting down.

Steve just come to us, I check his neck in case the broken bottle accidentally cut him but he's fine.

I turn to look at Eddie, Dustin kneels in front of him and I slowly follow.

He looks... terrified.

"Eddie...we just want to talk" Dustin very slowly tries to grab the bottle in Eddie's hand, but as soon as he gets to close he flinches grabbing the glass harder.

"Eddie... we just wanna know what happened. " I tell him.

"You won't believe me" he tells us.

"Try us" Max says.

Eddie told us everything that happened, about Chrissy coming to him to buy drugs, and how she died, right in front of him.

"Her body just lifted up into the air and.. and she just like, hung there. In the air. And her bones.. she.. her bones starter to snap"

He struggling to tell us what happened, all I want to do is grabbing his hand and reassure him...

"Her eyes, man" he continues "it was like.. there was something, inside her head, pulling. I.. I didn't know what to do so.. I.. I ran away. I left her there." He sounds so ashamed... he couldn't do anything for her.

Poor girl, she was really one of the sweetest person in Hawkins.

Fuck.

Eddie looks up to us, only to turn his head away quickly, scoffing.

"You all think I'm crazy right?"

"No. We don't think you're crazy" Dustin tries to reassure him.

"Don't bullshit me, man! I know how this sounds" Eddie snaps.

"We're not bullshiting you" Max intervenes.

"We believe you" Robin says and Eddie just scoffs, still not believing us.

"Look, what I'm about to tell you might be a little.. difficult to take." Dustin starts "you know how people say Hawkins is...cursed? They're not way off. There's another world.a words hidden beneath Hawkins. Sometimes it bleeds into ours." Dustin explains.

"Like ghosts and shit?" Eddie asks.

"There are... there are some things worst than ghosts" I tell him.

"These monsters from this other world, we thought they were gone. But they've come back before. That's why we needed to find you."

"If they're back again, we need to know" Max says.

"That night, did you see anything?" Robin asks.

"Dark particles, maybe"

Eddie just shakes his head no.

"It would almost look like dust, swirling dust." Dustin specifies.

"No, man, there was nothing you could see or.. touch" Eddie explains.

I look at Steve who, now, looks more worried than before, full attention on Eddie.

"You know, I tried to wake her, man. She couldn't move. It was like she.. she was in a trance or something." Eddie explains and we all listen carefully.

"Or under a spell" Dustin points out.

"A curse."

"Vecna's curse" Dustin realises.

"Who's Vecna?" Steve asks

"And undead creature of great power" Dustin answers.

"A spell caster" I say, earning a confused look from Steve.

"A dark Wizard" Dustin finishes.

This might be worse than all the ones before...

Fuck.

We decided we have to go and get some food for Eddie.

"We'll be right back, man, I promise" Dustin says.

As we all walk to the door.

Steve and Dustin turn to me stopping me in my tracks.

"Why don't you... uh... stay here and keep him company?" Dustin asks.

"What? Why me?" Now I'm confused.

"Because you're the sweetest and he clearly has a thing for you" Steve replies as the most simple thing ever.

"He does not" I tell him sternly.

"Either way you're the best choice. You're calmer and... easier to be around than the rest of us" Steve convinces me.

"Y/n, trust me. He needs someone like you now. Please, I don't think he should be alone now" Dustin says looking me in the eyes.

"Fine" I tell him nodding "yeah, I'll stay with him. But you better stay out of trouble"

"As always" Steve shrugs.

I give him a warning look and just sigh. Watching them driving away.

I get back to the boathouse and see Eddie's figure watching nothing on the boat.

"Hey" I say quietly.

He seems to snap out of trance and looks at me surprised.

"I thought you all went" he says, with a small smile.

"Yeah well... we didn't.. uh... Dustin didn't want you to be alone right now" I tell him, fidgeting with my rings again.

"Thanks.. I guess he's right" he says.

I nod, walking a bit closer, but not too much.

"So..." he starts.

"So..." I mimic him, earning a laugh from him.

"You knew about the spell caster" he implies.

"Yeah... a-and?"

"You know about D&D..?" He asks.

"Yeah.." I say nervously.

"No way!" He whisper shouts.

"It's true!" I tell him, with a small chuckle.

"How come didn't you join Hellfire?" He asks, genuinely curious.

"I.. well.. I just..." I stutter.

"Hey.. I'm not judging, m'lady" he assures me, with a smile.

"I'm just too shy, I think.. also I'm not very good at playing" I laugh quietly.

"I could've taught you" he says.

"I... I'm not very good with people" I honestly tell him.

"What do you mean?"

"I.. I'm not very good at talking to people, I get nervous and stutter the whole time. And just... I just shut up so I don't bother anyone" I explain.

"You're not stuttering with me" he shrugs.

"I.." I stops realising it's true.

With him it feels easier, somehow..

"No need to worry about a freak's opinion, i guess." he lower his eyes, almost disappointed.

"No! Not at all!" I quickly say.

He look at me, searching my eyes to see if I'm messing with him.

"I... listen, I don't understand why people always call you that, but I personally always saw you as someone... cool" I say, getting shy as I finish my sentence.

"Really?" He says, he tries to hold back a smile, but he fails.

"Yeah.." I look away from him. "You always walk around like you don't care about anything. You have your ideas and you're not ashamed, and of course you shouldn't be ashamed of them. You're like smarter than any of those dickheads from the basketball team"

"Wow" he blushes... he blushes?

Did I make Eddie Munson blush?

"Are you blushing, my lord?" I gather some courage and make a joke.

"Oh... 'my lord' uh?" He looks at me with a smirk, that makes me instantly lower my eyes with my cheeks warming up.

"I.. yeah.. I mean, you keep calling me-"

"M'lady? Yeah, so I'd say 'my lord' fits perfectly" he sweetly smiles at me.

We stay silent for a while.

It's a comfortable silence, the kind you don't have to talk to fill it. We just need each other company to be okay.

I watch him fidgeting with his own hands.

He's getting nervous.

Instinctively I reach out for his hands and he turns to me, surprised, but he doesn't retreat his hands.

"It's gonna be okay" I tell him. "I know it sounds like a shitty cliché.. trust me I know." I let out a small chuckle "we've been through this shit a few times.. the point is, we're with you on this. We're gonna solve this."

He holds my hands in his.

"I want to believe you" he says looking me in the eyes.

"Good" I say.

He starts to stroke my knuckles gently.

"I'm glad you're the one to stay here, m'lady" he says.

"Apparently I'm the easiest to be around" I tell him with a shrug.

He's still not letting go my hands.

"Maybe... but that's not the only reason, but yeah" he says, a playful smile on his face.

"Then... w-why?" I say, feeling my cheeks warming up again.

"Well.. that's an answer for another time, uh?" He winks and I'm just speechless.

All of a sudden we hear noises from outside.

I grab the oar Steve used earlier and move to the door.

"Stay there" I tell Eddie.

I get closer and closer to the door, that suddenly opens reveling Robin, Dustin, Max and Steve holding some bags full of food and drinks.

"Fuck sake!" I exclaim as they enter with apologetic looks.

"delivery service" Dustin announces.

I look at Eddie who look just as startled, heavy breathing and all that.

I just exhale deeply and grab one of the bags they carried inside.

[steddie-there]

Eddie notices it first at Dairy Queen.

It's the first time since leaving the hospital that he's been somewhere with the whole party that isn't Steve's house or the Hoppers-Byers cabin. The younger children crowd the counter, talking over each other as they count their money and decide what to get, while the older teens and adults hang at the back, looking at the menu. Then Erica steps over to Steve and says something Eddie can't quite make out. He nods, winds his way through the gremlins, and places his order. When his name is called, he picks up two cups of ice cream and hands one to Erica, who takes it with a smirk and a comment Eddie can't make out, although it has Steve laughing and shoving playfully at her shoulder.

Eddie turns then to look at the other kids but none of them even seem to notice that Steve has seemingly paid for Erica and not them. It's confusing because Eddie is sure Henderson, at least, would be kicking up a fuss about it. Not even Robin says anything.

But, then again, maybe Steve owes Erica money. Or he lost a bet. Eddie is aware how fierce the younger Sinclair is in collecting on her debts, having made the mistake once and once only of asking her to buy him a soda. So, if no one else is bothered, neither is he. He shrugs and enjoys his sundae.

But then it happens again the next week at Baskin Robbins.

And again two weeks later.

When the last ice cream truck left in Hawkins comes through Steve's neighborhood and the only one to get anything is Erica - at Steve's expense, of course - and the other kids don't even grumble beyond wishing they hadn't blown all their allowance at the arcade, Eddie decides he's had enough.

"Okay, what is it with this ice cream thing???" he bursts out as they all settle back down next to the pool.

The burble of conversation stops as everyone turns to look at him, then glance around at each other.

"What ice cream thing?" Mike finally asks, genuinely confused.

"What ice cream... the ice cream thing!" Eddie splutters. "The thing where Steve always buys Erica ice cream and none of the rest of you munchkins seem to care!"

There's a collective ohhhh of understanding, but Eddie is still completely in the dark. He gestures for someone to explain.

"It's because of Operation Child Endangerment," Dustin answers, casual, like it's a normal, non-question-inducing answer.

Eddie scrunches his brows together and lets out a confused bubble of sound at the same time that Steve buries his face in his hands and groans, "I thought we agreed not to call it that."

Erica laughs and wags her finger at him. "Uh, no. Just because you demanded we change it doesn't mean we agreed to."

"...little lost here. What's Operation Child Endangerment?" Eddie asks, glancing sideways at Steve. He can see, between his fingers, that the other boy's face has gone bright red.

Steve groans again and sinks forward to let his head hang by his knees.

And so Eddie finds out everything about the summer of '85 and Starcourt mall. He already knew the basics, but he's still fascinated. Horrified. Impressed.

He watches Steve through the whole retelling, jumbled as it is by the kids all interrupting each other to add something they thought was being forgotten, and feels his heart ache inside his chest for the beautiful boy across from him. Watches him hunch his shoulders when Erica explains the deal they made, the one that's got her free ice cream for life. Watches him puff up a little with pride when Dustin describes him knocking the Russian comms operator out cold. Watches him squeeze Robin's hand when she mentions the Russian torture and drugs. Watches him tug El into a hug when Jonathan talks about having to cut into her leg.

Eddie watches Steve - brave, loyal, loving Steve, who won't break a promise or a deal even after he most certainly could - laughing with their friends, taking their ribbing and teasing them in return, ruffling Dustin's hair and splashing Erica, almost starting a party-wide splash fight.

Eddie waits until everyone is distracted by Max chasing Lucas across the pool after his cannonball knocked her from her floaty, various advice being shouted to both, then moves to sit next to Steve on his pool chair.

"That was, uh, a lot," he says quietly.

Steve bites his lip, turns a little away from the chaos in and around the pool, although his eyes still track the chase, Max having almost cornered Lucas. "Yeah, yeah it was," he replies, just as quietly.

"Pretty impressive," Eddie tells him, knocking their shoulders together.

Steve shrugs. He snorts as Max finally catches Lucas and dunks him a couple times before they both dissolve into laughter.

Eddie bumps his shoulder again. "Seriously, dude, you gotta know how cool you are."

"I guess," Steve says, still not looking at Eddie, fidgeting with his hands instead.

Eddie thinks he knows what thoughts might be running around inside Steve's head, so he puts a hand over Steve's. The jittery motions still under his touch. "Hey, you got them out of there. You didn't know what you were walking into and you all got out alive. I call that pretty badass."

Steve finally turns to him. The look in his eyes makes Eddie want to pull Steve close, hold him until that look disappears. But he doesn't, just squeezes Steve's fingers.

The corner of Steve's mouth ticks up, just a little. "Thanks, Eddie." He looks like he might say more, but suddenly Dustin lets out a whoop and they both turn to the pool. Jonathan, Nancy, Robin, and Argyle have started a game of chicken, Nancy on Jonathan's shoulders and Robin on Argyle's.

They watch, laughing, as the girls wrestle until they both go tumbling into the water together and come up spluttering. Steve's head is thrown back, his shoulders are shaking with giggles and Eddie feels a grin stretch across his face.

He leans forward to rest his chin on Steve's shoulder, his hand still over Steve's, a teasing tone in his voice when he says, "So, hey, I was wondering. What would it take for me to get free ice cream for life from Steve Harrington?"

Steve turns his head and Eddie pulls back so they can look at each other. And that's all they do for a long moment, Eddie's breathing speeding up when Steve's gaze drops to his lips.

But all Steve does is turn his hand in Eddie's grip, so he can tangle their fingers together. He squeezes Eddie's hand, then stands, grinning, tugging Eddie up with him.

"C'mon," Steve says, pulling Eddie over to the pool before jumping in with a splash. Eddie ducks away from the water, grinning like a fool. When he catches Erica's knowing smirk, he just shrugs helplessly and follows Steve in.

Maybe he owes Erica some free ice cream, too.

[spookysweet-heart]

Steve Harrington with a Visually Impaired Partner

As a Visually Impaired person I thought this would be cute to write. This doesn’t represent every Blind or Visually Impaired person. I‘m just writing my own experience with my disability for these head-cannons.

Steve first sees you when you walk into Family Video with your cane almost bumping into one of the cardboard displays. The door was a little hard to open with just one hand so you stumbled in apologizing.

Steve immediately helps you out telling you it's completely fine. He sort of stumbles over his words when he gets closer to you cause he thinks you're very cute.

He clears his throat and asks if he can help you with anything. When you tell him you want to look over the Horror section he’s quick to point out where it is. It takes you a second to look around and thats when Steve takes your arm in his.

"Sorry about that I wasn't thinking, let me show you exactly where."

Nodding you look up at him with a soft smile thanking him.

Steve couldn't help but grin like an idiot.

Standing in front of the aisle you run your fingers over the movie titles while leaning in closer to read them.

Steve just stares at you for a moment before he speaks up.

"So, you like horror movies?"

"I do! One of the few genres I can watch without straining my eyes."

"You can still see?" He pauses instantly registering what he just asked. "I-I mean I-"

It makes you giggle hearing him panic a little over this. But you've been asked these questions before so it's nothing new.

"Yeah I still have some vision but it's low. So things can look blurry or in bright places I just see white with outlines of my surroundings. I cant see things in dim lighting either but I still manage ya know?"

After that day, you stopped by Family Video every Friday to rent a new movie till you got the courage to ask Steve over for dinner and a movie at your place.

Steve was clueless, he didn't get that it was a date till Robin explained to him that you like him too. It had been a while since he had a proper date so he wanted to impress you even more.

It's been a couple of months since that night and you both are going strong in your relationship.

Steve is VERY protective of you.

He happily drives you around town whenever you want when he’s not working.

You love hanging out at family video before he gets off work. Not just to see Steve but to also talk to Robin.

Steve is very happy that you and Robin get along so well.

The kids were also very accepting of a new friend in the group. It was a rocky start though since they just stared at your cane or Dustin would ask something that seemed too personal.

You reassured Steve it was okay and that Dustin was genuinely curious. You are happy to answer anything the kids threw at you.

You became another parental figure in the group. Especially to Max.

Whenever you tell Steve you'd rather stay in than go out because your eyes have been hurting lately he’s completely okay with canceling the previous plans you two had.

Stays over and makes sure you relax, he'll give you head massages and kisses to help you feel better.

Steve is also super supportive. He helps you study for upcoming exams, if a professor gives you a hard time he would stand up for you cause he knows you don’t like confrontation.

Steve is always up for guiding you when you’re out and about. if you forget your sunglasses he’d lend you his pair so you won’t get tired easily while being out in the sun all day.

There's a point in your relationship where you two argue.

Steve is just worried about you because you got injured in a fall after he said he'd help you.

He ends up babying you because he feels guilty about it and doesn't see that it's bothering you a bit.

You tell him to stop when you got irritated since it felt like you couldn't do anything anymore. With Steve doing everything and being overprotective. It made you feel like a burden.

It took a day to cool off honestly.

Steve was the first one to apologize realizing he should let you do things on your own again. You apologize for going off on him about it, you knew you shouldn't have yelled at him.

Overall, you two understand each other's concerns and work through them.

Steve loves everything about you. He knows life can get difficult sometimes but he’s always there to fall back on.

He tries his best to be the greatest boyfriend he can be.

One of his favorite things to do with you is cook or bake. It's fun plus he knows whatever you two make you'd get to enjoy when it's done.

Steve's love language is gift giving and quality time so he buys you things that either remind him of you, things you mention you need so he surprises you with them, or the rare expensive gifts on your birthday or anniversary cause he wants to spoil you with them when he gets the chance.

Always makes time for you after work or on his days off.

You love those moments when you're both curled up in bed or on the couch and its just the two of you. Steve laying on your chest while you close your eyes and run your fingers through his hair.

[lunamadhatter99]

The Lady and the Lord

Part 2

Here's part 2! I'm glad you liked the first part that much, I wasn't expecting it at all😅❤️❤️

If anyone wants to be added to the tag list, just ask 🥰

Chapter summary: they have one mission: find Eddie.

Chapter warning: spoiler season 4 ⚠️ violence description.

Tag list: @deafeningempathfishcowboy

@imangy

@dragqueen-eddie

@eddie-the-banished

@hurricane-abigail

@spaceandstars

"And then Vicki laughed. And it wasn't like a cheap, fake laugh either. It was like... it was a real genuine laugh." Robin tells us as Steve put some vhs on the shelfs and I hold some to help them. I don't work here, but I like to help instead of sitting at home doing nothing.

"Of course. It's my Muppet joke. It's hilarious" Steve says very proudly, and I roll my eyes.

"My point is that Vicki laughed and everything was just like...it was perfect" she keeps going with a dreamy voice.

She's so cute.

"But?" I ask, knowing something's up.

"But I'm having this problem where it's like, I should stop talking." She explains "I have said everything I need to say.but then I guess I get nervous and the words keep spilling out, and it's like my.. my brain is moving faster than my mouth, or rather my.. my mouth is moving faster than my brain. And it's like I'm digging this hole for myself, and I want to stop digging, I'm trying to stop, but I can't. And I'm doing it right now, aren't I?"

She finally turns around to look at us after her babbling.

"Yeah, you are" Steve says and I nod with a half smile.

She exhales deeply and move backwards to rest against the wall.

"I'm hopeless" she says.

Steve follows her against the wall. "We both are"

I roll my eyes at their pessimism.

"If only we could just, like, combine." Robin suddenly says, I look at her confused.

"Combine?" Steve's confused too.

"No. Think about it. I know exactly what I want, and I've found the girl of my dreams, but I can't get the courage to ask her out. Meanwhile, you go on, like, a million dates, and you have no idea what you want. So if we just combine, all our problems would be solved."

Steve lets out an understanding "Oohh"

"Because, I mean, alone let's face it..."

"We totally suck." Steve finishes for her.

"Totally and utterly"

"C'mon, you guys are the most amazing persons that I know... just have hope" I look at Steve "and some courage" I look at Robin "and everything will be fine"

"Oh yeah?" Steve sends me a very sceptical look.

"Ooh, I think I found our morning movie" Robin gasps, running to a shelf and grabbing a vhs. "Doctor Zhivago"

"Ugh, you know I don't do double vhs" Steve groans shaking his hands in the air.

"But it's about doomed love" she tries.

"That's relatable" Steve agrees, and we both follow Robing behind the counter.

"Exactly. Also Julie Christie is b-b-bonkers hot in this. Like seriously the most beautiful creature  I've ever seen in my life"  she turn the TV on.

"I gotta agree on that" I declare.

"We're in the Forest Hills trailer park on East Roane County." The reporter's voice says loud and clear "we don't have a lot of details now, but we can confirm that the body kd a Hawkins High student was discovered early this morning. Police have not released the name although we are told they're currently in the process of notifying the family"

Oh shit.. as if alternate dimensions creature's weren't enough.

"Holy shit" Steve whispers beside me.

"Who could that be?" I ask worried.

"I don't know.." Robin replies.

"Isn't it where Max lives?" I ask again looking at them.

They just nods.

Oh shit.

We spent the morning watching the news and organising the store to keep ourselves busy.

All of a sudden the door bell rings and Dustin and Max come in.

"Hey Steve" he says, he looks visibly agitated.

"You guys see this?" Steve asks them.

"How many phones do you have?" Dustin asks, completely ignoring Steve's question.

Robin and I share a confused look

"Someone was murdered"

"How many phones fo you have?" He repeats more firmly.

"Two. Why?" He answers

"Technically three if you count Keith's in the back" Robins specifies. 

Max and Dustin look at each other.

"Yeah, thee works" Max says.

So Dustin take off his backpack as Steve asks "what are you doing?" And, again, ignoring his question Dustin throw the backpack on the other side of the counter and climbs on top of it to get through.

All this while earning very annoyed reactions from both Robin and Steve.

Ignoring both of them Dustin positions himself in fron of the computer.

"What are you doing?" Steve asks.

"Setting up base of operation here." He simply answers.

"Base of operation?" I ask. "Why?"

Steve tries to get Dustin off of the computer, but with no use.

"What do you need it for? Dustin?" I ask, getting more and more confused.

"Eddie's friends' phone numbers" he answers and I look at Steve.

"Oh Eddie, your new best friend who just is cooler because he plays your nerdy game?" Steve asks, sounding quite jealous, I gotta say.

"I never said that" Dustin defends himself from Steve's accusatory tone.

"Seriously, you guys, maybe know a Monday you can play around like toddlers, but it's Saturday. It's our busiest day" Robin tells them, putting the tapes back on the counter.

"Robin, look, I empathise, but this cannot wait  until Monday" Dustin firmly says.

"Calling Eddie's friends is an emergency?" She asks back.

"Correct" Dustin shouts, like that was the most obvious thing.

"Why? What happened?" I ask, now getting more worried. "Did something happen to Eddie?... Dustin?"

"Can you just  fill them in while I do this?" Dustin asks Max.

"Fill us in on what?" Robin is definitely annoyed.

We all look at Max waiting for her to explain what happened.

We found ourselves calling so many different numbers, trying to find a lead to where Eddie might've gone.

I type down the numbers while Robin, Max and Dustin call them, and Steve flirts with every girls he can, pretending he's just working.

"Hey, guys. I might have a lead" Max calls pur attention.

"Seriously?" Dustin turns to her, hopefully.

"Yeah, apparently, Eddie gets his drugs from come guy names Reefer Rick, and sometimes Eddie crashes there." She explains.

"That's promising" I comment.

"Where does this Reefer Rick live?" Robin asks.

"See that's the thing. No one knows. He's more of a.. a legend than someone that people actually know."  Max explains.

"And.. what about a last name?" I ask.

"I don't know that either" She answers.

"Less promising" I shake my head.

"Bet the cops knows the last name" Steve intervenes.

We turn all to him.

"What?"

"Cops. I mean listen  if this Reefer Rick is actually a drug dealer, I guarantee you he's been busted at some point. Means he's in the system" he explains like he found the perfect solution to all our problems.

"The cops? Really, Steve? That's your suggestion?" Dustin asks incredulous.

"I mean, I just think they should be filled on on what we know, what's going on" he says simply.

"You think Eddie's guilty, don't you?" Dustin accuses.

"Whoa. I believe in innocent until proven guilty, all that constitutional shit." Steve defends himself " I just, you know, don't think that we can rule it out"

"That's precisely what we're trying to do here, Steve." Max says annoyed.

"And maybe we'd have a little bit more luck if you spent less time trying to find a girlfriend and more time trying to find Eddie"

"He' not wrong here, Stevie" I agree with Dustin.

"Oh well somebody has to attend to the customers" Steve says, again, to defend himself, and I roll my eyes scoffing.

"Especially if they're babes, right?" Robin teases with a wink.

"Hey, not fair, okay?" Steve points his finger st her "I attend to all customers equally, babes and non-babes alike. We've got a very big selection in here. It can be super overwhelming for people"

"Yeah it can be" Robin says, I can tell she thought something to actually help us so I quickly follow her to the computer.

"What are you doing?" Max asks.

"Maybe we don't need a last name" she answers.

She type on the keyboard, Rick's name and a list of Ricks appears on the screen.

"Twelve Ricks have accounts here" she tells us.

"That's a lots of Ricks" Max comments.

"You're a genius, Robin" I tell her.

"I know. Now, let's narrow it down, uh? Rick Alderman's latest rentals are Annie and Dumbo...what are the chances our drug dealer has a family?" She asks.

"Not likely"

"All right, Rick Conroy. Sixteen candles, Teen Wolf, Romancing the stone." She move to the next Rick.

"No"

"Okay, Rick Joiner, Mask, Footloose, and Grease"

"Nah"

"Rick Kimbrough. The Blue Lagoon, and Splash."

"Definitely no"

"Okay. Rick Lipton. Fast Times at Ridgermont High, Cheech & Chong's next movie. Cheech & Chong's nice dreams. Cheech & Chong' up in smoke."

"Bingo" Dustin chuckles.

"Lipton?"

"Spelled like the tea. 2131 Holland Road" Robin reads.

"That's out by Lovers Lake" Dustin says.

"Middle of nowhere" I comment.

"It's a perfect place to hide" Robin agrees.

That being said we all head out to Steve's car and to this Reefer Rick's house.

And hopefully to Eddie.

We all grab a torch each and get out of the car to walk to this Reefer Rick's house.

The lights are out, which could mean that no one's home or... Eddie's hiding.

Dustin repeatedly tries to ring the bell, but to no use.

"Okay. Well, that's settled. I guess he's not here." Steve says, trying to make Dustin stop.

But Dustin just start to shout for Eddie to come out and tries again with the door bell.

Me and Max move to the side of the house with our torch, seeing what looks like a boathouse. Maybe Eddie's in there.

"Hey guys!" Max calls.

"Well let's go" I say already walking towards the small building. 

Robin is the first one to enter.

"Hello? Is anyone home?" She tries.

We all enter and start to look around.

"What a dump" Steve comments

The place is far from clean, there garbage everywhere and, as expected, a boat in the middle filled with something covered by a tarp.

I spot Steve grabbing an oar as a weapon and starts to poke the boat multiple times.

"What are you doing?" Dustin asks.

Steve just doesn't answer so Dustin repeats the question, more shocked. 

"He might be in here." Steve simply replies.

"So take the tarp off." Dustin tells him.

"If you're so brave, you take the tarp off" he basically challenges.

"Stop bickering, you two." I say.

Steve just keeps hitting on top of the tarp covered boat.

"Hey, look over here" Max tells us. She points our attention to some food envelopes.

"Someone was here." I try.

"Maybe he heard us. Got spooked and ran" Robin suggests.

"Don't worry. Steve will get him with his oar" Dustin says sarcastically. 

"Oh I know you think you're being funny, Henderson, but considering everyone in this room has nearly died about a hundred times, personally, I don't find it funny in the slight-"

Steve is cut off by a loud scream and Eddie jumping from under the tarp and pushing him against the wall, a broken bottle in his hand.

We all gather as close as possible, trying to not scare him further for Eddie to react too badly.

"Whoa whoa whoa Eddie! Eddie! Stop!" Dustin says, holding his arms out to stop us from getting further closer.

Eddie turns to look at Dustin, not moving the broken glass away from Steve's neck yet.

"It's me. It's Dustin" Dustin tries to stay calm while getting Eddie's attention. "This is Steve. He's not going to hurt you, right, Steve?"

"Right, yeah" Steve agrees, quite agitated.

"Steve, c'mon.. drop the oar, will you?" I say, as calmly as possible. 

Steve does as I say, dropping the oar away, but that just startle Eddie more pointing the glass back at Steve's neck.

"He's cool, he's cool" Dustin says.

"What are you doing here?" Eddie says, voice breaking.

"We're looking for you" Dustin replies

"We're here to help, Eddie" I add.

Eddie turns his head again to us, listening carefully.

"Eddie, these are my friends. You know Robin, from band. This is my friend Max. The one who never wants to play D&D. You know Y/n too. The quiet girl you always stare at, at lunch. Eddie. We're on your side. I swear on my mother. Right guys?"

"Yeah yeah we swear"

"Yeah on Dustin's mother"

"Yeah, Dustin's.. mother"

We say no more, tense as never before, but at the end Eddie lets Steve go and moves to the side sitting down.

Steve just come to us, I check his neck in case the broken bottle accidentally cut him but he's fine.

I turn to look at Eddie, Dustin kneels in front of him and I slowly follow.

He looks... terrified.

"Eddie...we just want to talk" Dustin very slowly tries to grab the bottle in Eddie's hand, but as soon as he gets to close he flinches grabbing the glass harder.

"Eddie... we just wanna know what happened. " I tell him.

"You won't believe me" he tells us.

"Try us" Max says.

Eddie told us everything that happened, about Chrissy coming to him to buy drugs, and how she died, right in front of him.

"Her body just lifted up into the air and.. and she just like, hung there. In the air. And her bones..  she.. her bones starter to snap"

He struggling to tell us what happened, all I want to do is grabbing his hand and reassure him...

"Her eyes, man" he continues "it was like.. there was something, inside her head, pulling. I.. I didn't know what to do so.. I.. I ran away. I left her there." He sounds so ashamed... he couldn't do anything for her.

Poor girl, she was really one of the sweetest person in Hawkins.

Fuck.

Eddie looks up to us, only to turn his head away quickly, scoffing.

"You all think I'm crazy right?"

"No. We don't think you're crazy" Dustin tries to reassure him.

"Don't bullshit me, man! I know how this sounds" Eddie snaps.

"We're not bullshiting you" Max intervenes.

"We believe you" Robin says and Eddie just scoffs, still not believing us.

"Look, what I'm about to tell you might be a little.. difficult to take." Dustin starts "you know how people say Hawkins is...cursed? They're not way off. There's another world.a words hidden beneath Hawkins. Sometimes it bleeds into ours." Dustin explains.

"Like ghosts and shit?" Eddie asks.

"There are... there are some things worst than ghosts" I tell him.

"These monsters from this other world, we thought they were gone. But they've come back before. That's why we needed to find you."

"If they're back again, we need to know" Max says.

"That night, did you see anything?" Robin asks.

"Dark particles, maybe"

Eddie just shakes his head no.

"It would almost look like dust, swirling dust." Dustin specifies.

"No, man, there was nothing you could see or.. touch" Eddie explains. 

I look at Steve who, now, looks more worried than before, full attention on Eddie.

"You know, I tried to wake her, man. She couldn't move. It was like she.. she was in a trance or something." Eddie explains and we all listen carefully.

"Or under a spell" Dustin points out.

"A curse."

"Vecna's curse" Dustin realises.

"Who's Vecna?" Steve asks

"And undead creature of great power" Dustin answers.

"A spell caster" I say, earning a confused look from Steve.

"A dark Wizard" Dustin finishes.

This might be worse than all the ones before...

Fuck.

We decided we have to go and get some food for Eddie.

"We'll be right back, man, I promise" Dustin says.

As we all walk to the door.

Steve and Dustin turn to me stopping me in my tracks.

"Why don't you... uh... stay here and keep him company?" Dustin asks.

"What? Why me?" Now I'm confused.

"Because you're the sweetest and he clearly has a thing for you" Steve replies as the most simple thing ever.

"He does not" I tell him sternly.

"Either way you're the best choice. You're calmer and... easier to be around than the rest of us" Steve convinces me.

"Y/n, trust me. He needs someone like you now. Please, I don't think he should be alone now" Dustin says looking me in the eyes.

"Fine" I tell him nodding "yeah, I'll stay with him. But you better stay out of trouble"

"As always" Steve shrugs.

I give him a warning look and just sigh. Watching them driving away.

I get back to the boathouse and see Eddie's figure watching nothing on the boat.

"Hey" I say quietly.

He seems to snap out of trance and looks at me surprised.

"I thought you all went" he says, with a small smile.

"Yeah well... we didn't.. uh... Dustin didn't want you to be alone right now" I tell him, fidgeting with my rings again.

"Thanks.. I guess he's right" he says.

I nod, walking a bit closer, but not too much.

"So..." he starts.

"So..." I mimic him, earning a laugh from him.

"You knew about the spell caster" he implies.

"Yeah... a-and?"

"You know about D&D..?" He asks.

"Yeah.." I say nervously.

"No way!" He whisper shouts.

"It's true!" I tell him, with a small chuckle.

"How come didn't you join Hellfire?" He asks, genuinely curious.

"I.. well.. I just..." I stutter.

"Hey.. I'm not judging, m'lady" he assures me, with a smile.

"I'm just too shy, I think.. also I'm not very good at playing" I laugh quietly. 

"I could've taught you" he says.

"I... I'm not very good with people" I honestly tell him.

"What do you mean?"

"I.. I'm not very good at talking to people, I get nervous and stutter the whole time. And just... I just shut up so I don't bother anyone" I explain.

"You're not stuttering with me" he shrugs.

"I.." I stops realising it's true.

With him it feels easier, somehow..

"No need to worry about a freak's opinion, i guess." he lower his eyes, almost disappointed.

"No! Not at all!" I quickly say.

He look at me, searching my eyes to see if I'm messing with him.

"I... listen, I don't understand why people always call you that, but I personally always saw you as someone... cool" I say, getting shy as I finish my sentence. 

"Really?" He says, he tries to hold back a smile, but he fails.

"Yeah.." I look away from him. "You always walk around like you don't care about anything. You have your ideas and you're not ashamed, and of course you shouldn't be ashamed of them. You're like smarter than any of those dickheads from the basketball team"

"Wow" he blushes... he blushes?

Did I make Eddie Munson blush?

"Are you blushing, my lord?" I gather some courage and make a joke.

"Oh... 'my lord' uh?" He looks at me with a smirk, that makes me instantly lower my eyes with my cheeks warming up.

"I.. yeah.. I mean, you keep calling me-"

"M'lady? Yeah, so I'd say 'my lord' fits perfectly" he sweetly smiles at me.

We stay silent for a while.

It's a comfortable silence, the kind you don't have to talk to fill it. We just need each other company to be okay.

I watch him fidgeting with his own hands.

He's getting nervous.

Instinctively I reach out for his hands and he turns to me, surprised, but he doesn't retreat his hands.

"It's gonna be okay" I tell him. "I know it sounds like a shitty cliché.. trust me I know." I let out a small chuckle "we've been through this shit a few times.. the point is, we're with you on this. We're gonna solve this."

He holds my hands in his.

"I want to believe you" he says looking me in the eyes.

"Good" I say.

He starts to stroke my knuckles gently.

"I'm glad you're the one to stay here, m'lady" he says.

"Apparently I'm the easiest to be around" I tell him with a shrug.

He's still not letting go my hands.

"Maybe... but that's not the only reason, but yeah" he says, a playful smile on his face.

"Then... w-why?" I say, feeling my cheeks warming up again.

"Well.. that's an answer for another time, uh?" He winks and I'm just speechless.

All of a sudden we hear noises from outside.

I grab the oar Steve used earlier and move to the door.

"Stay there" I tell Eddie.

I get closer and closer to the door, that suddenly opens reveling Robin, Dustin, Max and Steve holding some bags full of food and drinks.

"Fuck sake!" I exclaim as they enter with apologetic looks.

"delivery service" Dustin announces.

I look at Eddie who look just as startled, heavy breathing and all that.

I just exhale deeply and grab one of the bags they carried inside.

[atmilliways]

Dreams In Which I’m Dying (9)

part 9 of 16 | 871 words | Teen +

Donnie Darko AU | parts 1 & 2 | part 3 | parts 4 & 5 | parts 6 & 7 | part 8 | parts 10 & 11 | parts 12 & 13 | part 14 | parts 15 & 16 (complete)

Summary:

Now that the weapons are ready Robin is further afield getting a shooting lesson from Nancy, but Steve is here, with him. He’s trying not to read too much into that.

9 - Reflects

Eddie Munson reflects, as the Party prepares for the big showdown, how much of his life he's spent thinking of Hawkins as hell. Same old worn-out places, same people he’s seen every day since moving in with Wayne for lack of anywhere else to land. Hawkins has always been his absolute last resort.

“So it’s weird that I’m trying to help save it, I guess,” he explains to Steve. Now that the weapons are ready Robin is further afield getting a shooting lesson from Nancy, but Steve is here, with him.

He’s trying not to read too much into that.

Steve looks thoughtful, crosses his arms like he’s trying to hold something in. “You don’t have to, you know. All this, you kinda got thrown in with no warning—which I guess we all did, but, uh. If you wanted to get out, you could. Just get out of dodge, you know? Get somewhere safe.”

Eddie quirks a skeptical eyebrow. “What exactly is the minimum safe distance for something like this?”

The crossed arms loosen a tiny bit and Steve shrugs. 

And Eddie gets it. Steve is the protector, the Paladin with a nailbat. He’d seen it in the Upside Down when the guy had swerved his bike between them and the diving bats. For a second, Eddie had even seen it coming: a nothing reaching out from Steve’s chest that he followed like a train on a track, like a snail trail in reverse. Something inevitable, as though there wasn’t a world anymore in which Steve Harrington would simply let other people get hurt.

So Eddie shrugs back and says, “I run from it now, one way or another it’s going to keep chasing me.” He pauses, buckling briefly under the weighty truth of that, and almost regrets saying it out loud. “Um. Plus, these kids need all the help they can get, because they’re clearly never going to back down.”

Steve lets out a genuine laugh, his gaze flashing over towards where Max and Erica are doing a weird blend of pole fighting and jousting with the makeshift spears. Lucas stands back with both hands on his head like he’s just waiting for it to end in bloodshed. “Got that right. Remember how I told you Erica can take care of herself? She’s still only eleven, but point that out and she’ll go straight for the jugular.”

Eddie grins, remembering his initial confrontation with the kid. She had gotten his friends to laugh at his expense, which just went to show her talent at coming up with a good burn at a moment’s notice. 

Not that it would help her against monsters, but. That kind of spark deserves protection. Erica has it, Dustin has it. . . . Lucas has been avoiding the Hellfire lunch table lately, but championship bullshit aside he had put in the work to play both games all year. And there’s no question about Max, who on her own just about qualifies as a wildfire.

He wonders if Mike is alright, unreachable out in California for so long it seemed ominous as hell, considering everything else going on.

It occurs to Eddie that he thinks of Nancy, Robin, and Steve—young adults but still young—last. They’re the so-called responsible ones taking care of the kids. 

Although Steve looks out for Robin and Nancy, Eddie doesn’t really see anyone looking out for him because, you know. It’s Steve. Big strong guy, several concussions already under his belt, proven track record of handling himself. . . . That seems to be how he likes it.

“How’re you holding up?” Eddie asks, after a moment of rolling the question around on his tongue. It comes out in a cheeky imitation of Steve but, still, he’s asking.

Steve blinks. “That’s my line.”

“I’m older than you, so I’m pulling rank. Seriously man, your turn to answer the question.”

Looking away, still blinking, Steve doesn’t even seem like he knows how. Eddie gets that; he knows from some of the skeletons in his own closet, the things that are hardest to tell get that way because they’re the hardest to take.

“I’m, uh. . . . I’m fine,” Steve says finally, rubbing the back of his neck and glancing over at Eddie out of the corner of his eye. “The bites don’t hurt as much anymore. I’ve . . . been meaning to thank you, man. For patching me up.”

Feeling brave, Eddie bumps their shoulders together. “You’d’ve done the same for me.”

They stare at each other for a second. Then Steve’s hand encircles his wrist, tugging him unexpectedly into the RV. It’s not until they’re inside with the door closed that Steve says, “Yeah, I would’ve,” and pulls him into a kiss.

It’s a good kiss. And brief, because a moment later Lucas sticks his head in asking for bandaids for Max and Erica. But that single moment suffuses every molecule in Eddie’s body with an enthusiastic yes. Even when Steve mouths ‘Later’ at him and he catches the word because he’s too busy staring at those plush, perfect lips and absently licking his own.He hears the flap of fleshy wings and a whisper of wake up in his ear, but the sky is clear when he peers out the windows.

[sta7z]

“You Put a Spell on Me, Lifting me off my feet.” Witch!Robin Buckley x Reader Part 3. 

‿෴🦇෴‿ ♱°·.·° ♱🕯  ☾  🕯 ♱°·.·°♱‿෴🦇෴‿ 

That night you ran home. You tried to call Dustin, Nancy, Steve, anyone. The only person to pick up that night was Jonathan. He said he went to the Dark Room to clear up his photos that night. And that he saw something, something urgent. Jonathan drove over to your house. The two of you rushed up into your room, Jonathan sat down and you turned on the light. Sitting next to him. He reached into his bag and pulled out some photos. The ones of the light. “I cleared up the photos. Look!” You squinted and then gasped though blurry, the figure of a person was visible. ”so, what do you think it is?” You asked Jonathan. “I don’t want to skip to conclusions, but. Vecna could fly. But not like this. And how would that even be possible? He’s in the upside down…” Jonathan spoke partially to you, mostly to himself. You sighed, rubbing the bridge of your nose. “I’ll figure out what’s going on okay.” You shoved the photos back into Jonathan’s arms. “You seem… scared. You did on the phone too, what’s the matter?” Jonathan rested his hand on your shoulder. You explained the whole Junior situation.

You two had a plan.

‿෴⛓෴‿ ♱°·.·° ♱🔥  ☾  🔥 ♱°·.·°♱‿෴⛓෴‿ 

You went back to Robin’s house to finish sewing your costumes for the party. “Robin! Did you get the gems I asked for?” Robin walked into the room with a small pouch. The two of you were going to dress up as Nancy Thomson and Freddy Krueger. All the Freddy Costumes were cheaply made. And since Robin had to preform at the party, a mask wouldn’t do her any good. You needed the rubies to dazzle up her glove, your own twist on the iconic slasher weapon. Robin sat next to you, picking up her bass and fiddling with the chords. “What if I mess up? What if I like, pop a string, or mess up the entire song?? Nobody would ever let it go…” Your eyes were still really focused on the glove, “Robin, Babe, you’re going to be absolutely perfect. I promise.”

You put the finishing touches on the glove and set it to dry. You went towards the closet because that’s where you put your prop. The skin-like phone with a tongue sticking out of it. The one Kruger used to scare Nancy. Robin rushed infront of the closet door, “Wh-What are you looking for Moonlight? I can get it for you!” You furrowed your brows, she was being so… suspicious. You were slightly afraid to mention the DemoCat situation. “I need the phone I made, please.” You muttered, a slight frustration rising in your throat. Robin wiggled her nose and rushed over to the desk you were working on. “It’s right here! I see how you can miss it though, being focused on this absolutely amazing glove!” She smiled. Something was just so so wrong. Maybe Eleven was right. Maybe she was a-

Meow!

You jumped back, that damn thing. It pawed at the window, “Awww junior wants to come in!” Robin opened the window as you took a decent step back. “What’s the matter babe? You look really… worried? Disgusted? Did I do something wrong? If I did you can tell me! I’ll make it better… wait is it Junior?” You couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at her worried rambles, but you needed to make something up and get your girlfriend away from that creature. “You may want to put him down, I saw him scratching ALOT last night. He may have flees”

Robin plopped the cat down and brushed her clothes off, and looked down at the cat. “Why didn’t you tell me??” The question, aimed at the creature, seemed eerily genuine. As Junior, in response, rolled his eyes and mewed in response. You sighed, once you got to Byer’s house you could figure everything out. You went into the bathroom and put on your costume; a white clip on hair peice, and as you went on to do your makeup dark circles under the eyes. As you walked out of the bathroom you grabbed a walkie talkie, god you hoped Dustin would answer.

“You goin’ to the party early?” Robin said as she fiddled with the gems on the glove “let it dry! And yeah, there’s some trouble with the robots I gotta fix.” A lie, but a necessary one. You waved a quick goodbye to Robin’s mom; Who was sporting her classic yellow jumpsuit and doing Jazzersize.

‿෴🕷෴‿ ♱°·.·° ♱🎃  ☾  🎃 ♱°·.·°♱‿෴🕷෴‿ 

You finally arrived at the Byers’s house. “Y/N!! JONATHAN TOLD US EVERYTHING!” Dustin said as he pulled you through the door and locked it behind you. You looked around at the scarily decorated room. Everyone was huddled in a circle. In the very front was Steve with his nailed bat. “Guys, listen, about Junior-“ “No, we’re not cancelling the party. But we’ll be on the lookout for the democat.” Will interjected.

After a fair bit of time and decorating the house and backyard the tension eased. “Hey Nancy,” Mike’s sister awkwardly chuckled. You looked her up and down, eyeing her Airforce costume. “oh don’t tell me!” You snapped “Tom cruise right?? Top Gun Maverick!” Nancy nodded excitedly, “I’m using this helmet i found as my trick or treat basket!” The two of you rambled on as Max, Dustin, Will, Mike, and Lucas walked up. Max was Anakin Skywalker, Dustin was Han Solo, Will was C-3PO and Mike was Yoda. You helped them all with their costumes early on, specifically Will. The two of you painted it for hours. You chuckled under your breath. God These goofballs.

6:30 PM. There was a knock at the door. Steve crept towards it, bat in hand, only for Eddie, Robin, and the rest of corroded coffin to be at the door. “Sorry for being so late, Robin here forgot to do their makeup.” Eddie Munson, aka Steve’s biggest crush. You never thought you’d see the day Steve Harrington would be nearly falling over because of a crush, but hey, Halloween is a magical time.

‿෴🔮෴‿ ♱°·.·° (㇏(•̀ᵥᵥ•́)ノ) °·.·°♱‿෴🔮෴‿ 

Corroded Coffin set up everything on the stage set up in Joyce’s backyard. You were there to have fun, but more importantly to find out the truth. You saw Eddie twirling around with his cape when he was finished “Ya like what you see? Count Dracula! I liked the movie but I was more partial to the book myself.” Eddie gave a big smile as you laughed. “Wow eddie those fangs look super real!! You must’ve paid a real pretty penny for those!” Eddie chuckled, somewhat nervously. Munson was scared to come out of the shadows after the whole Vecna situation. We were able to save him, and Hawkins. Of course the government paid a mountains worth of hush money to us, and a bonus for practically saving the world. Blaming everything on an infamous serial killer they recently caught and clearing Eddie’s name.

About 30 minutes had past, a few people walked around the ‘haunted house’ as Argyle,Joyce,Jonathan, and Hopper scared everyone. It was soon time for the main event.

[oddree13]

Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want - Chapter 4

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3)

(Prior Chapter) (Next Chapter)

(Read on AO3)

Around 1PM Steve gets the call from Robin that operation Suzie Q is a go. Breathing out a sigh of relief Steve hangs up to get back to his ironing - he’s got two suits to press now. 

When Steve pulls up to the Henderson home, he fully expects to lay on the horn to get Dustin to come out but is surprised to find his friend already on the front steps. He wonders if Claudia Henderson sent him outside so Dustin wouldn’t see her charging the family camcorder, but doesn’t question it. Instead, he leans over to open the car door for Dustin, who is under the impression Steve is there to distract him from prom. 

Once Dustin is in the car, pulls out of the driveway to head to Robin’s and is about to tell Dustin as much when he’s cut off. 

“I’m sorry,” Dustin blurts out.

“Sorry? What for?” Steve can’t genuinely think of what Henderson has to apologize for. Of all his kids he's the second most well-behaved next to Byers so he's really not sure where this apology is coming from. Unless, once again, Henderson has put a demonic puppy hiding in his bedroom.  

"I'm sorry for being a dick. I know, I know language, but hear me out.” Steve nods for him to continue, hoping if he lets Henderson’s rant he won’t notice the route they’re driving. “A few weeks ago I pissed you off. I-I said that stuff about you and Eddie hiding your relationship from your parents and now you're here taking me out to distract me as if nothing happened. And I just needed to say sorry!”

Of all the possibilities, that had not been what Steve was expecting, but it was way better than another demodog. Steve can handle this. Steve cannot handle another creature of the Upside-Down.

“Well thank you for the apology Henderson that's very big of you. But it's not like you said anything untrue. It is true. It just sucks.” The admission doesn’t seem to quell Dustin’s apology though, rather it seems to give him permission to ask why. 

“But that’s it! You've never explained to any of us, to me, why you and Eddie hide. He’s an alpha, you’re an omega, it’s kind of the fit your parents are looking for! For all the talks you both give us about being yourselves, it’s messed up that you aren’t taking your own advice.”

Steve sighs because it's not exactly a conversation he's been wanting to have with any of his kids let alone Dustin. But now it's May and  Henderson is going off to college. When did he grow up so fast? It feels like yesterday he was walking down train tracks with the kid and now he’s lecturing Steve about his relationship. But then again, that was the point of all this, wasn't it? To see them all grow up. 

"Do you remember the first day at the lake the summer after Vecna happened?" Steve sees Dustin and nods and continues. “Right well that day Eddie and I made a promise - to be single and watch your kids grow up.” Steve chances a look over to Dustin and sees him looking both touched and confused. “We really didn't keep that first part as you know, but that's the day I learned Eddie and I were on the same page when it came to this pack. We realized that the only thing that was going to keep us sane in the aftermath of everything was making sure you six got out of Hawkins. Part of that plan included not letting my parents know Eddie and I were together because they’re traditional.”

“What do you mean traditional?” Dustin asks, confused and Steve’s grateful that Dustin’s living in a world where the ideas of his parents are becoming archaic.

“I'm not going to get into the details, but let’s just go with my parents are of a belief that all alpha/omega pairings should be male-female, and having an omega son threw them for a loop. So Eddie being a guy, in addition to being Eddie...well it makes things complicated.”

There is silence in the car as Dustin processes what he’s just heard. Steve’s certain all the kids would be a little stunned to know that the two older men had put in such an effort to stick around and weren’t just being townies by default, but rather an active choice.

“But we’re all leaving? I mean Erica is still in high school, but the rest of us are out of here? So what now?” 

Steve can’t help but laugh. “Now? Maybe I'll take your advice and tell my parents to fuck off.”

Dustin laughs along with Steve, the image of Mr. and Mrs. Harrington being actually told to fuck off amusing them more than it should. It's only once Dustin settles down that he realizes where the car is headed.

“Why are we going to Robin's house?” he wonders. 

“Right about that. We got you a bit of an early graduation present and I didn't want to wait to give it to you. Figured it would take your mind off of today.”

For the next few minutes, Steve humors all of Dustin's guesses until he's parked in Robin's driveway. This time he gets to lay on the horn to signal their arrival before getting out of the car. 

Steve lets Dustin walk to the front door while he takes a seat on the hood of his car and watches as the door opens to reveal Dustin’s graduation gift. 

***

The next few hours are a swirl of emotions and far too much picture-taking. Steve drives Dustin and Suzie to the Wheeler house where everyone assembles for group photos, and the shock of seeing the last-minute pair show up sends the pack into a flurry of questions, shouts, and tears. Steve knows he’s done well when Hopper claps him on the shoulder in his stoic approving dad way. 

Leaning against the back of the sofa in the Wheeler living room Steve watches as all the kids line up for photos - group, couple, girls only, boys only. He watches Lucas put on Max’s corsage, and looks on a Will introduces his new boyfriend to the parents who’ve yet to meet him. He smiles as Hop and El take sweet father-daughter photos and cracks up when Claudia Henderson starts to drive Dustin a little mad with all the poses she’s asking for. 

Glancing at his watch he knows he should head out to get to the school gym to meet up with Robin, Nancy, and the other chaperones. He stands to confirm once again with Joyce and Karen about the afterparty plans - he agreed to host the kids at his place so they was some semblance of supervision. It’s once he starts walking to the door that he hears someone run up behind him. He turns and sees Max looking bashful, and Steve begins to worry. Max Mayfield never second-guesses herself. 

“Where are you going?” she starts, and Steve points to his car out the window, explaining that he wants to pull out of the driveway before their limo arrives and blocks him in. “Well you can’t leave yet,” she orders, crossing her arms in front of her chest. 

“And why is that?” he asks, looking behind her to see the kids watching the exchange. 

Max mumbles something and Steve doesn’t quite hear it. “You’re going to have to repeat that Max, I’m old, a fact you like to remind me of.”

“You haven’t taken a photo with me, I mean us. You haven’t taken a photo with any of us...and that's sort of dumb,” she mutters. 

Steve’s eyes go from Max’s pinched face to the gaggle of teenagers peeking out from behind the living room wall and his chest hurts. A part of him didn’t want to intrude because he knows that for all their teasing he isn’t actually their mom. He’s just Steve the babysitter. But seeing his six kids look at him with expectant eyes, Steve doesn’t know what he was thinking. 

“Your right, I am dumb,” he agrees and lets Max tug him back to the living room for another round of photos. 

***

Steve walks into the Hawkins gymnasium and winces at the cheesy theme chosen for the evening - A Night In Paris. Not that his own prom’s theme was any better (Under the Sea) but something about the garish faux Eiffel Tower has him cringing. He checks in with Principal Murphy who is still skeptical about Steve’s chaperone sign-up but is soon released to go find Robin and Nancy at the drink table. 

“The dingus made it!” Robin calls out, and Steve just nods as he takes an offered glass of punch. 

“That I did. The kids' photos ran a little over, but everyone is all set. And might I say that you both look great tonight,” he compliments, earning a faux curtsy from Robin, who’s in a high-waisted suit, her sleeves rolled and cuffed. Nancy in contrast is wearing a silver strapless asymmetrical dress that will cause too many teens to come up for drinks tonight. 

“I’m surprised you two are using Nancy’s free weekend in town to babysit, not that I don’t appreciate the company,” Steve remarks as he watches the teenagers start to filter in. “I thought you two went to your class’ prom?”

“We did, but just with friends,” Nancy explains, leaning against her girlfriend. “So we figured why not have a proper do-over, without the threat of the supernatural looming over us.” “Yeah, besides, we don’t exactly get the chance to hang out together all that often. Speaking of which, where is Eddie?” Robin says looking around. 

Steve doesn’t meet their eyes, opting to sip his punch instead. “Sleeping probably, but he’ll be at my house later. He drove back and forth from Chicago this morning so he’s tired. Besides, can you picture him in a suit dancing to Madonna?” he laughs wryly, recalling his boyfriend’s words while trying to ignore his disappointment.

“Well we can have fun,” Nancy chimes in, her clap breaking Steve’s mope. “I only saw Dustin and Suzie get ready so I don’t even know what my little brother looks like all dressed up,” she starts, and Robin soon chimes in with her tales of carting Max and El to the mall to look for dresses. 

*

The upside of repeating his senior year three times is that Eddie knows all the ways in and out of Hawkins High. In the past, he used this knowledge to skip class or find a good spot to make a deal. This is why if you told Eddie he’d be using this knowledge in his 20s to break into his old high school’s gymnasium he would have laughed. 

The side door to the old coach's lounge is still busted, and Eddie slips in quietly. Through the padded walls, Eddie can hear the din of the music blaring in the gymnasium and throws his head back in frustrated recognition - "Like a Prayer" by Madonna is playing, something Eddie reluctantly knows thanks to Steve’s undying love for female pop icons. He figured with just an hour left in the night he might have escaped some of the worst chart toppers but it seems he was wrong. Walking closer to the exit, Eddie catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror and pauses. His hair was tied back and away from his face, showing off his lined eyes and pierced ears. He tugs on his suit jacket, a patched and pinned number he’d put together for a Lost Boys costume last Halloween, and paired it with his least frayed pair of pants. With a rapid polish to his boots, Eddie walked out the door before he chickened out. Steve probably deserved a guy in a tux instead of whatever Eddie could pull out of his closet, but Henderson insisted it didn’t matter what he wore as long as he showed up. His youngest friend had called him once Steve was out of the Wheeler house to scold him for not going to prom, and he hates to admit he was right.

“The road goes ever on and on, Munson, so starts walking,” he tells himself with a final look and heads into the gym. 

The change in volume is almost deafening when Eddie opens the door and finds that his exit is right next to the speakers. Keeping to the wall he scans the room and first spots Buckley and Wheeler dancing behind the drinks table, clearly trying to both enjoy themselves despite being surrounded by teenagers. His eyes pan further around the room and eventually, his eyes find Steve. The man is bobbing his head at the fringes of the crowd as he keeps a dutiful eye on the crowd. Ever the prep, despite Eddie’s best efforts, Steve is rocking the Don Johnson look, teal blazer and all. 

Doing his best not to draw attention to himself Eddie weaves through the crowd until he’s right beside Steve. “You look good tonight big boy, haven’t seen you this cleaned up in a bit,” he murmurs into Steve’s ear. His boyfriend whirls around, eyes wide in disbelief, and for a moment Eddie is worried he’s going to cry. Henderson was right - all he needed to do was show up. 

“Eddie!” Steve cries out, gripping his shoulders, “what are you doing here? I thought you were going to just meet us at my place. Did something happen?”

“Can’t a guy want to see his boyfriend?” Eddie shrugs. “Besides I got news.”

“News?”

“Was gonna wait until the after-party but nows a good as time as any,” he starts, taking in a deep breath. “I got the job babe - we’re both getting out of this hell hole. So go ahead and call that apartment back in the morning.”

Eddie watches as Steve just stares at him as he processes the news. All their planning and hard work are finally paying off - the other shoe didn’t drop, instead, it was cast so far out they’d never see it again. He’s about to ask whether or not Steve heard him when his boyfriend pulls him into a kiss. Not a peck on the cheek or a chaste brush of the lips, but a full-on kiss in view of everyone at prom. A whistle from the crowd is what makes Eddie pull back, and while he’s catching his breath, Steve is beaming. 

“So does that mean we can-”

“Yeah,” Eddie nods.

“And we can start-”

“Yep,” he grins, knowing exactly what Steve wants. His boyfriend has been waiting for the day he can toss a molotov into the life planned out for him and set it ablaze. Eddie is happy to hand him the lighter. 

Over the music, Eddie tells Steve about his conversation with Sweat Records, the fog of disbelief now cleared so he can actually remember the conversation he had on the payphone. “And it’s not just managing the shop Steve, they want me to book acts to play there too,” he rambles, telling Steve all the plans he has for the store until he feels a tap on his back and sees the disgruntled face of Principal Murphy. 

“Mr. Munson, I do recall gym was your most skipped class, which is why I’m shocked to see you in here. This is a private event for students and chaperones so I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” she begins, when Steve pulls out a ticket from his pocket. 

“Sorry Mrs. Murphy, Eddie here was my plus one but he wasn’t feeling well so I didn’t sign him in,” he begins and before the woman can continue her scolding Steve slides the ticket into her outstretched hand and drags Eddie to the dancefloor. 

He loops his arms behind Steve’s head and he figures it won’t kill him to indulge his omega in a song or two. After all, neither of them went to prom. As they sway Eddie can hear Steve murmuring the words under his breath, and can’t help but nuzzle his neck a bit. Soon enough he’s going to hear all of Steve’s shitty music choices fill their apartment, the apartment that is going to smell like them and never again like the neutralizing soap Steve has to use between his parents’ visits and the nights Eddie spends in his bed. Soon enough it won’t matter what the Harrington’s say because Steve is going to be his, and he’ll be Steve’s. He’s got a ring and everything, despite Steve’s insistence that all he needs is a bite. 

Eddie smiles into the crook of Steve’s neck, nipping it before he glances up to see Principal Murphy frowning at them. Without hesitation, Eddie turns the hands gripping Steve’s shoulder upward to flick off his former principal with both his middle fingers.

[skullrock]

the jacket - Steve x Reader

pairing: Steve x Reader

summary: you find a relic from Steve’s past and try to search for answers.

word count: 2.3k

warnings: angst!! angst!! but w a happy ending <3 also a bit of kissing and reader being kinda a shithead <3 duality of man

a/n: I was like . hmmm . what if reader found Steve’s Members Only jacket and saw the blood stains and tried to understand what happened . so I wrote it <3 hope u all enjoy

===

Steve was in the shower, and you were cold.

And it wasn’t like you’d never dug through his closet before. You’d found all kinds of gems - things Steve either let you keep or things you forced him to try on for you. So you really didn’t think it was a big deal when you came upon a pile of clothes tucked away in the very back corner.

You first pull out a few t-shirts - definitely ones he wore for practice. You place them aside and continue, picking up a black t-shirt. After that, you found a gem - that old Members Only jacket he used to wear senior year, an obvious Christmas present. Happily, you slipped it on, putting the other t-shirts into the pile and shutting his closet. You didn’t notice anything odd; and, actually, you weren’t sure why Steve didn’t wear it anymore.

“Am I sexy?” he asks, walking in with his hair up in a towel, one draped loosely around his waist.

“Always,” you answer, snuggling under his bedsheets. Steve throws on underwear before coming over to you, crawling on top of his comforter.

“You cold?” he asks, leaning down to kiss your head, then nose, then neck. “I can help.”

“Then do it,” you murmur, pulling him closer.

Steve doesn’t notice the jacket for a while. His lips eventually moved from yours and down your neck again as he stripped the covers off of you. He finally opens his eyes as he moves towards your chest and quirks a brow. “What’s th-“

And then the blood drained from his face.

“What?” you ask, concerned at his expression. “I - I was cold, so I threw it on -“

“Where did you find this?” he asks, voice hoarse, frozen still as he propped himself up above you.

“Your closet?”

“Let’s - um - let’s take it off,” he says, and his voice sounds anything but sexual. He wants it off, buried back in his closet, away from your eyes. Because there’s blood all over the collar and on the cuffs, and as much as he tried to scrub it out, it was soaked in.

You didn’t need to know any of that. He doesn’t want you to know any of that. You couldn’t know any of that.

You sit up, brows furrowed painfully, as Steve nearly rips it from you. “I’m sorry - I -“

“Don’t be,” he says quickly, moving from the bed and to his closet. “I just - I don’t think I’ve washed it -“

“It was fine,” you say. “Why don’t you wear it anymore? It was always so cute on you.”

“Grew out of it,” he says, but you can see as he’s holding it that it would definitely still fit. He throws it back in the closet and grabs some clothes, effectively ending the make out session. He grabs a new hoodie for you, too, coming back towards the bed slowly.

Steve felt sick. He was holding his breath as the anniversary of the second traumatic Upside Down incident approached quickly. Every year, something new happened - and he was convinced this year wouldn’t be different. He didn’t need you dragged into it like Robin had been dragged into it. And even if Robin was his best friend, she didn’t deserve that. His partner didn’t deserve it, either.

You’re quiet as Steve crawls under the covers and holds you close. You felt a little sick, too, but you didn’t know why. Maybe because you’d never seen Steve look so terrified. Certainly, you’d never seen him so terrified over a piece of clothing. You didn’t want to pry, but you wanted to know more. Was there something in the pockets he didn’t want you to find? Did a past lover give him the jacket? Your head spun as Steve pressed a kiss to the back of your head.

“Let’s take a nap, okay?” he whispers, wanting his racing thoughts to stop.

“Okay,” you whisper back, but you couldn’t sleep. You could only lay and listen to Steve’s soft breaths behind you, wondering what could possibly have happened to make him so terrified.

===

Things returned to normal for a week, but you could not stop thinking about the jacket. You felt bad for being so hung up on it, and you felt bad for planning to dig through his closet again. But the next time Steve showered when you were over, you rummaged through the pile again, paying more attention to the clothes in it.

The first few t-shirts were fine - probably things he really did grow out of. And then you got to a green sweater. It was dark and it wasn’t easy to find issues, but you finally noticed - multiple dark stains littered the fabric. They were blotchy and random, most focused at the collar. Your brows furrowed but you quickly put it back, anticipating Steve’s return. They must have just been clothes that were stained with wine or beer or something. You didn’t know why that scared Steve so much.

Your eye catches the Members Only Jacket again, and you grab it quickly, eyes scanning it rapidly. Your eyes land on the collar, and then you see it - faint, red stains lined it, random as they were on the green sweater.

Blood. Lots of it.

You throw it back in the closet and stumble back a bit, confused. You knew Steve had been in small fights before, sure, but this amount of blood was really bizarre and - and why did he have so many shirts that were stained with it? Were there more than just the two you’d found?

Steve returns from the shower merrily, but you quickly make an excuse as to why you need to go. He frowns but lets you part, confused with why you looked so afraid.

===

“Can we talk?”

Your voice shook as you spoke, the two of you laying on his bed and staring at the ceiling. Steve’s brows furrowed and he sat up, already anticipating your questions. “What’s up?”

“Wh… um. Do you remember when I was wearing the jacket?”

Steve nods and pulls you closer. “Babe - I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to act weird. I just haven’t worn it in a while.”

You raise your brows a bit. “And that’s why you were terrified of it?”

Steve falters. “Well - I was just shocked to see it.”

Your brows furrow. “You ripped it off of me.”

Steve shakes his head, tries to think of a better excuse, one that's close to the truth but not quite there. “It just reminds me of a bad time in my life, okay? It’s absolutely nothing to do with you -“

“Steve.” you say, narrowing your eyes. “You don’t have to lie to me.”

“I’m not lying to you,” he says lowly.

You incline your head. “Will you get it out for me?”

Steve squeezes his eyes shut, feeling bile rising. “Can’t we just watch - watch a movie?”

“Steve,” you say, but he's up off the bed in a flash. Your heart drops at his refusal to talk.

“Let’s go downstairs -“

“Steve.”

And when he turns around, he looks panicked, tears in his eyes. “Please.”

You hurry towards him, wrapping your arms around him tightly. “Hey, I’m sorry -“

You freeze up when you feel him sob into your shoulder. Hot tears land on your neck and you gently tug him to the floor with you, horrified and confused. “Hey,” you say again, running your hand through his hair, holding him close. “You’re okay, Steve.”

Steve doesn't want to cry. He hasn’t cried. But the October anniversary being nearly two weeks away and the horror of you finding out was too much for him. He wanted to curl up and push you away, but he let himself be held by you, trying to follow you as you asked him to breathe with you. He trembles and cries, clutching on to you, refusing to look up from your neck.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbles eventually, still shaking. “I….” He shakes his head. “I don’t know.”

“It’s okay,” you whisper, kissing the top of his head. “I’m sorry I pried, Steve.”

Steve doesn't answer. He sits and cries, focusing on your chest moving as you breathe. As much as it hurts, it’s helpful, and he feels a little bit lighter by the time the tears run out. He moves his lips to your ear and quietly says, “I can’t talk about it here.”

Your heart feels like it’s stopped in your chest. “What?”

“We have to go somewhere safe,” he says, even lower, and you strain to hear.

“Steve - what the -“

“Just - give me a minute, okay?”

===

Steve chooses the quarry, because it’s the only place he can think of that’s desolate enough to maybe not be bugged. He’s never told anyone about this, and it makes him shake. His palms sweat. He feels sick, but he parks, despite you begging him to just go back home. He looks sick, too, making your chest constrict with worry. He didn’t talk the entire ride, even when you exclaim as he pulls a nail-riddled bat out of his trunk. He only speaks when you’ve walked far away from the car.

Steve stares at your collarbones, exposed from your sweater draping with your posture. “What I’m going to tell you… is very dangerous.

“Steve, what the hell?” you ask, genuinely scared, eyes flicking to the bat. “Are you safe?”

He ignores the question, because he really doesn’t know. “You have to promise me you won’t bring this up or tell anyone. Okay?”

“Steve -“

“Please,” he begs, voice cracking, and you finally nod. He breathes out slowly, takes another deep breath, and then starts.

He explains everything as linearly as he can. Starts back in 1983 and works his way through, stopping to explain things to you and pausing to collect himself. It’s not so hard to talk about it, really - Steve feels like he’s reciting a comic book or recalling a dream. He rips his eyes away as he watches your facial expressions drop and contort.

“So the blood,” you interrupt at one point, “it’s from… this?”

Steve’s brows furrow. “What blood?”

You freeze a bit. “I… I looked at the other clothes in the pile with the jacket. They had blood on them.”

“Oh.” He blinks.

“I’m sorry, I really shouldn’t have -“

“It’s fine,” he says, and clears his throat. “Yeah. It’s from this. Well - the green sweater is from Jonathan Byers, mainly, but otherwise, yes. Demon blood, my blood, Russian blood.”

“Jesus Christ,” you whisper. You reach out to cup his cheek gently, running your thumb over a scar on his cheekbones. “And that’s why you’ve got those scars?”

He nods somberly, and your heart breaks.

It’s a lot of information to absorb. Like, you knew weird shit happened in Hawkins, but you didn’t know it was… inter-dimensional monsters and demons. You didn’t know Steve and others you knew were wrapped up in anything so sinister. It all sounds made up, too much to fathom, but you know Steve. You trust Steve. And you know that he doesn’t deserve any of this.

And it kind of all makes sense, really. Why he had you spend the night so often. Why he has so many nightmares. Why he's friends with a ton of kids. Why he doesn’t like going on walks in the woods, and why his curtains are always drawn shut. Why he doesn’t swim in his pool. Why he disappeared the week of the fourth of July. These quirks suddenly make sense to you, and as complicated as it all is, you still believe him.

“I know this sounds crazy - I know it sounds crazy - but you ha-“

“I believe you,” you say.

Steve’s tense shoulders relax. “You do?”

“I do,” you assure. “I mean, that’s… it’s insane, but why wouldn’t I believe you?”

Steve stares at you for a good moment before dropping his bat and wrapping his arms around you. He’s quiet as he does, and you wrap your arms around him too, trying to swallow past the ache in your throat, tears threatening to spill over.

“Steve,” you whisper, chin resting on his shoulder. “Are you safe?”

Steve doesn’t answer for a while. “I don’t know.”

You hug him closer. “I’ll make sure you are.”

“No,” he says sternly, pulling back. “No.”

“Yes,” you say, slightly irritated. “Why wouldn’t I be by your side?”

“Because you could get hurt or killed or both.”

“I….” You stare at his chest for a second before meeting his eyes. “I would do that for you.”

“That’s stupid,” he says.

“I don’t care. You did it for your friends. And I’ll do it for you.”

“That’s stupid,” he repeats, shaking his head, but he pulls you in again. “If something happens again….” Steve bites the inside of his cheek. “I can’t lose you.”

“Hell, Steve,” you say with a sad smile. “You’ve been through this shit three years in a row. I think you can handle anything.”

“But what if I don’t?” he whispers.

“Then I’m here to help,” you assure. “Always.”

He pulls back again. “I don’t want you anywhere near this shit. Okay?”

“Okay,” you say, understanding the sincerity of his request. “But if you need me, whether you admit it or not, I’m here.” You flex your muscles. “I’ve got a mean punch.”

“Sure,” he says, smiling sadly. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” You stand on your tiptoes to kiss his forehead. “And I’m right here.”

===

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[musecharm-writes]

Bad Influence, Pt 3 (Steve Harrington X Reader)

Summary: A couple of days after your first day at Melvald’s, you tell Joyce about something that’s been bothering you; Steve gets help with his crush from a couple of friends.

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV

Over the days following your first shift, things get much easier. You’ve almost totally forgotten the exchange with Harrington and his friend. You might be able to completely, if it weren’t for their extremely obvious attempts to spy on you.

You think they’re under the impression that they’re being very sneaky, which means they probably don’t know that you’ve already caught on, but it also makes you feel a little sad that this is the best they can do.

You elect to do your best to ignore it; a nosy jerk and his little pal aren’t gonna get to you, not when things are finally starting to go your way.

“You’re cleaning that counter a little forcefully, there,” Joyce observes, carrying a box past you. When she emerges from storage, she asks, “Something on your mind?”

You consider the question. You stop scrubbing the counter like it’s done something to offend you and lean against it, the rag still under your hand. “Nothing. Just thinking about the meeting with Chief Hopper.”

Joyce walks over to a nearby shelf with an inventory checklist on a clipboard. “Uh huh. Okay. So what’s really bothering you?”

You purse your lips. Putting the rag and lemon scented Pledge you were using to clean under the counter, you follow Joyce over to the shelves, shoving your hands in your pockets.

“Steve Harrington’s friend and some kid have been following me,” you confess softly. “Every time I’ve left to go home for the past three days, I’ve caught them trying to spy on me. They’re probably gonna do it again today.”

Joyce looks genuinely concerned. “Steve’s friend? Who, what’s their name?”

You shrug. “Some girl. She was in here with him the other day, I think he called her Bucky?”

Joyce’s eyebrows shoot up toward her hairline. “ Buckley ? Robin Buckley?” She gestures with one hand to indicate a height of about five and a half feet. “This tall? Short brown hair?”

“Yeah, I guess that’s her.”

Joyce has a look of growing suspicion and confusion on her face. She lowers her clipboard to put one hand on her hip. “What did the kid look like?”

You frown as you try to remember. “Uh… a little shorter than that Robin girl, with curly hair, I think. At least, from what I could tell; he was wearing a hat.”

Joyce nods slowly. “...I think I know who we’re dealing with.” She looks you directly in the eye, and says, “Do you want me to tell them to leave you alone?”

You think about saying yes, just for a second. Then, you shake your head. “I’ll tell them to stop if it really starts to bother me. They haven’t realised it yet, but they suck at spying.”

Joyce laughs. “Okay, but if you change your mind, lemme know, and I’ll rough ‘em up for ya.” She smiles playfully, and you can’t help but laugh at the image of Joyce Byers fighting two children for bothering you.

“...Thank you, Joyce,” you say softly.

She gives you an odd look. “For what?”

“For… I dunno. For not being too hard on me, even though you were the one who caught me… doing what I did.”

She sighs, looking around to double check you’re still the only two in the store. “I won’t get into it too much since we’re still working right now, but… I used to be a bit of a wild child myself. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. Plus,” she gives you a little nudge with her elbow, “Hop likes you. That counts for something in my book.”

You smile at her. “I guess it does.”

--

“You WHAT?”

Dustin and Robin look pleased with themselves, despite the fact that Steve is filled with a murderous rage.

“We’ve been following your crush to make sure the two of you would be compatible,” Dustin repeats. “To be honest, I don’t think you’re cool enough to land this one, but Robin seems to think you have a chance, so I’m gonna go with it.”

Steve points a finger angrily, about to defend himself and his infinite coolness, and then closes his mouth and folds his arms. “I don’t have to signify that with a response.”

Robin chimes in with, “I think you mean ‘dignify,’ genius,” which really doesn’t help their case with the whole ‘Steve-is-incredibly-angry-at-them’ thing.

He throws his hands up, frustrated. “Whatever, who cares! Why have you been following a person who I have zero chance of ever being in a relationship with to find out if we could date? That’s weird! And probably invasive, I think! Which means it’s also creepy!” He stalls out as he realises the possibility that you may have noticed his dunderhead friends creeping on you. “You haven’t been noticed, right?”

Dustin blows a disbelieving raspberry. “Psh! Please, you’re kidding, right? I think if we were able to successfully spy on a bunch of Russian soldiers without getting caught, we can do this, no problem.”

Robin smiles triumphantly. “Yeah, Harrington. Have a little more faith in our abilities.”

Steve shakes his head, running a hand through his hair. He prays that they’re telling the truth; otherwise, he senses some major embarrassment in his future.

Steve sighs, resigned. “Fine. Fine . I’ll let you two keep playing secret agent on my behalf. But if you get caught, lie your asses off about what you were doing, okay?”

They both promise not to put Steve in any more hot water with you than he already is, but it doesn’t fully lay his fears to rest.

“Oh, hey! You should come with us this time! We can fill you in on everything we’ve learned so far, and then you can watch the wild crush in its natural habitat,” Dustin says.

Steve frowns. “I dunno… Sounds like a bad idea.”

“No, I think it’ll be good. That way, if we do get caught, we can say it was all your idea,” Robin jokes. (Or at least, Steve hopes she’s joking.)

Which is how they all end up hiding behind Steve’s car, across the street from Melvald’s, waiting for your shift to end.

When the time finally comes and you’re walking out the door, they have to communicate via hurried whispers in order to coordinate their movements. Steve thanks their lucky stars that you’d walked to work that day.

They follow you down the street away from downtown. In the moments when it seems you’re about to turn around and catch them or you’re waiting to cross the street, they duck into alleys or alcoves, dive behind cars, or hide behind other people. Steve hates to admit it, even only to himself, but he sort of enjoys the exhilaration of sneaking around. He’d forgotten how much he enjoys it.

At the corner of 12th and Oak, after hiding behind a parked car, Dustin hisses, “Shit.”

Steve immediately snaps to attention. “Shit? What do you mean, shit? What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know where--”

“Hey.”

Robin, Steve, and Dustin all yell in surprise, whirling around to find you standing behind them. You have your hands in your pockets, a rucksack over one shoulder, and a bland expression.

“...Hi,” Dustin says awkwardly. He looks around for a moment, apparently noticing for the first time the ramifications of his and Robin’s actions. “Uh, we can explain--”

You hold up a hand. “Don’t bother,” you point at Steve. “You had them,” you point at Robin and Dustin, “follow me, for who knows why and honestly who fucking cares. Please stop. You’re not great at stalking people.”

Ouch. Okay. Well, there’s a hard truth.

“Sorry,” Dustin says, looking genuinely dejected. Steve isn’t sure whether it’s because he upset you or because you said he’s bad at spying.

Your face twitches, like you’re trying to maintain your vaguely stern expression, and then it crumbles, and you sigh. “It’s okay. I’m not really that mad about it since you guys aren’t really bugging me that much, but just…” You run a hand through your hair. “Look, please stop following me around, okay? It’s weird, and a little creepy. I don’t know why you were doing it, nor do I want to know, nor do I really care. I’m just kind of over the weird shit.”

Robin and Dustin share a look before nodding, and Steve says, “Don’t look at me, I got roped into this at the last minute.”

You look confused, but you nod back. “Okay. Cool. Bye, then.”

You go around them and start to walk away, but before you can make it to the crosswalk, Dustin calls out, “WAIT!”

You turn to look back, one eyebrow raised in a silent question.

Dustin says the last thing Steve wanted to hear him say. “Can Steve get your number?”

Steve’s entire face feels like it’s gonna melt off. He’s absolutely going to run away and change his name; this is just too goddamn embarrassing.

Then, you do something that shocks Steve to his core: you laugh. It’s a full, rich laugh, and it makes his heart pound so hard he thinks for a second he might be having a heart attack -- but, like, for real.

And then , you say, “Damn, kid, you have a lot of guts. Sure,” you swing your bag off your shoulder and root around in one of the pockets before emerging with a pen and a small notebook. You scribble your name and number down before ripping the page off and handing it not to Dustin, but to Steve, who feels like he might combust.

“I get home at one o’clock every day for the next two weeks,” you say, with a crooked smile. “Call me any time after that.”

Steve nods, dumbfounded, and you turn on your heel and saunter away.

“Holy shit,” Robin says, laughing, as soon as you’re out of earshot. “I cannot believe that that somehow worked in your favour. You are either the luckiest guy in the world or more pathetic than I originally thought.”

Steve pays her no mind. Instead, he’s desperately trying to remember if there are any rules about when to call once you get the phone number. Do you wait a day, or call that night? Or maybe you wait longer than a day? Or do you wait for them to call you? Wait, shit, he didn’t give you his number. 

Why didn’t he give you his number?

“Steve, I can practically hear you panicking. Calm down, it’ll be fine,” Dustin says.

Steve’s head whips around. He stares at Robin and Dustin, considering his options, and then realising that his only other options are Nancy and Jonathan.

“I need you guys to help me land a date,” Steve says.

--

You spend a couple of hours at home doing nothing in particular. You read a couple pages of a book you pull at random off the shelf, but you can’t concentrate on it, so you turn on the TV and start channel surfing.

All the while, you’re also trying to pretend you aren’t waiting for the phone to ring.

You gave Steve Harrington your number. If you’re being honest, you think you may be  panicking a little, but you don’t really mind the idea of him calling you so much as you mind the fear that this is some kind of joke.

A part of you is very, very afraid that it’s a joke.

You sigh, putting the remote down and stretching out on the couch. You gave him your number; all there is to do now is wait for him to do the rest. No use stressing over it since it’s out of your hands.

At least, that’s what you keep telling yourself. As the hours tick by -- as you make yourself dinner and put some in the fridge for your mom, as you watch a movie with your feet up on the coffee table and a bowl of ice cream in your lap -- you start to lose hope that Harrington ever planned on calling you at all.

Then the phone rings, and you almost drop your ice cream jumping up to get it.

“Hello?” You say casually, proud of the fact that you don’t sound out of breath from running to the phone.

On the other side, Steve Harrington says your name.

“Y-Yeah,” you say, and then clear your throat. “That’s me!”

“Cool, cool,” he says. “So, hey, uh… I was wondering if you wanted to hang out sometime?”

You chuckle. “Wow. That’s a little forward of you, isn’t it?” You’re thankful that he can’t see you blush through the phone.

“Oh. Is--Is that bad?”

You smile, a little charmed despite yourself. “Nah. I’ll give you brownie points for it, if you want.”

“Oh! Sure. I, uh, I love… brownies,” he finishes on a bit of a low note, so you decide to throw him a line.

“You wanted to hang out, Steve?”

“Y...Yeah. Yeah. Uh, if you want. I just… Wanted to give us the chance to get to know each other. Like, under the right circumstances, y’know?”

You hesitate for a moment. You have a feeling that he’s got more in mind than the arcade; after a bit of thought, you admit to yourself that you’re at least curious about where this goes.

“Sure,” you reply. “What did you have in mind?”

“I’ll meet you at your place at… seven on Friday night? If that’s cool with you, obviously. No pressure, y’know.” He sounds a little nervous, and you can’t help but feel for him a little. Poor guy’s clearly out of his depth.

“Yeah, Steve. That sounds great. I’ll see you then.”

It’s not until after you’ve given him your address and hung up that it hits you: you might, potentially, have a date with Steve Harrington.

Steve Harrington, who saw you get arrested.

Great.

[catharrington]

A fake dating Au but it’s with Robin and Billy.

They are at a party and some guy is hounding her. Saying shit like don’t be a prude don’t be a priss. You a virgin? Let me rock your world!

And Robin god love her says something like you are so not my type, lug head.

She almost outs herself, the guy is about to ask what she means by that. She can see it on his tongue- but then Billy fucking Hargrove mad dog but right then a angel in white! He slips his denim covered arm around Robin’s waist before growling out you ain’t her type, limp dick, because I’m her fuckin type. Leave my girl alone. He smells like cigarette smoke and cheep beer and Robin kinda wants to kiss him.

They watch the other guy scamper away. Then Robin’s alone with Billy. Oh god, she’s alone with Billy. He might actually want her to kiss him?

But then- he’s pulling away. Respectfully. Rearranged his jacket a little to whip out another smoke just to put it between his lips and make it dance unlit as he speaks. “Ryan’s an asshole, wouldn’t know how to please a lady even if they ever said yes.” He starts explaining. “Saved you one there. But I have a feeling, I’ve saved you a little more, tweety bird. I have a feeling.... Ryan ain’t the only one who’s looking to please some ladies?”

Robin doesn’t know if she wants to kiss him, throw a punch, or throw up. But she’s familiar with Billy’s asshole leer around school and this isn’t it. He’s leveling her with an actual heart to heart question. And she’s just inebriated enough to nod out a quiet yes.

Billy shrugs. She comes out to him and he just fucking shrugs. Whips out his zippo lighter and burns the tip of his smoke cherry red. He says then we’ve got a good thing goin on here, huh?. With a wink. And turns to leave.

Robin’s dumbfounded. It’s not until school Monday morning when Billy’s standing by her locker waiting for her hand on his belt buckle she fully gets it.

Oh, then they’ve got a good thing going on here.

Billy flashes a real smile the band weirdo. Walks her back and forth to each class. Holds her books. Makes the rumors about him simmer down to whispers as the other students assume he’s settled down his sinful ways.

Some girls send Robin glares in the hallways but it’s much better than gosship behind the back of their hands. Or being crowded against a girls bathroom stall wanting to know why she doesn’t have anyone. Is she gay? Is she looking at them? Stop being a creep Buckley.

Monday she eats lunch with Billy and pretends to laugh when he calls Tina’s new jacket hideous. He brushes her hair behind her ear and shoves his half eaten tray towards her before skipping out to smoke. Robin braces herself for the touch, but it’s not as unwanted as she imagined it to be. He’s nice in the most unexpected of ways. But still, she watches the table brushing her hair trying to get his ghost hands off when another tray slams down.

And she’s surprised it took him half the day to put his big nose into the plan.

“Tell me,” Steve’s wide eyes are cartoon wide, “everything,” he hisses.

She rolls her eyes and says later Steve, maybe.

He doesn’t let that fly. Insisting that they are friends now and he’s trying to flip a page in his shit life by being friends with a weirdo, no offense, and so he deserves to have just a little gossip still, he’s not going to judge much.

She frowns, groans as she gets up and leads them towards the parking lot. They lean against Steve’s red BMW for two whole seconds before he’s repeating the same questions: spill it, Robs.

Robin describes the party, everything that happened and everything that happened this morning at school.

Steve gets a weird look in his eyes, glances around and down. Worrying his bottom lip as he thinks and thinks under all his big brown hair.

Robin rolls her eyes at him. Says it’s a good thing. Billy’s being helpful!

What if this is a big ploy? A trick to get you to admit secrets and then twist it on you. Out you? Steve whispers. You don’t want to think but- people do shit like that in this school.

Robin follows Steve’s eyes to where Billy’s standing with Tommy and Carol around the Camaro. the sight of Carol’s fluffy red hair if familiar. She used to be his friend, Carol did. While at the same time she used to knock Robin’s books out her hands in the hallways of middle school just so she can look down her nose while Robin crawled around the floor to collect them.

Robin shivers, but she shakes her head. Billy isn’t like that. Like them.

How do you know? Steve asks.

And Robin can remember how Steve’s face looked last year. How bruised and broken and how it was all Billy’s wild fists. But his skin is healed. And Billy didn’t leer at her at the party. This is different. She says to herself before she repeats it for Steve.

Billy’s different.

Steve doesn’t know what she means until Billy comes over and wraps his arm around Robin’s shoulders. He squeezes hard. Makes himself at home. Looks at Steve with a smile that’s way to gentle for sharp teeth and messy mustache.

Hey ya pretty boy, he greets, the words make Robin snap her head up, makes Steve scoff. You hear the good news? Billy says. And it’s code for do you know? Are you hip?

Steve looks at him dumbly, like he can’t be bothered. It was only a few short weeks ago he tried to confess to Robin, just to get set down the nicest way. It feels better though, in a way he didn’t expect, to have a friend who is so genuine to him in ways he hasn’t had before. From anyone. Robin scolds him and helps him and laughs with him where he would otherwise be alone. Outcasted. The least he can do is protect her from... from who he used to be.

But Steve knows Robin’s smarter than him. It’s one of the reasons he liked her so much. Likes her, he still likes her. Even if he doesn’t have a chance.

“I guess you guys have a... good thing goin on?” He pretends he doesn’t care. Haughty, practiced, the only flick of emotion the way his tongue wets his lips. And his hand nervously sliding though his long hair.

Billy replies to that by smiling wide and mean, sliding his tongue over his bottom lip like he does in basketball. Sends shivers up Steve’s back. Makes breath hard to get out his chest.

Robin shoves off Billy’s arm. She’s standing between them, looking left and right like she’s watching the ball in pong go back and forth on the screen. Reading the pixels. Then she smirks. Her lipstick red lips parting into a devious smirk.

Why does he call you pretty boy, Steve? She asks quickly, low, should I be jealous you’re flirting with my boyfriend?

Steve’s smug mask of annoyance cracks and slips between his fingers. He’s not quick enough to catch it. His jaw drops open. But his eyes don’t turn to Robin, he keeps watching Billy. Watches as that wild dog smirk fades and a cherry blush grows over his California sun kissed freckled cheeks.

The bells rings just then. Before either boys have a chance to reply. Robin has to stop herself from skipping into the school building.

[hartigays]

11 from the list plz Ps I love ur work

11. “I thought you didn’t want me.”

it’s been a slow day at family video - slow enough to make steve’s head practically throb from boredom.

he’s been tossing a superball at the ground over and over for the past hour, letting it rebound into his hand, not a customer in sight. robin is somewhere in the back, under the guise of needing to go through the returns, though it’s more likely that she’s taking a nap.

when the bell above the door jingles, steve doesn’t even look up at first. there’s not really any point - if the customer needs help finding something, they’ll ask. it isn’t until he hears a soft, flirtatious giggle that he looks up, his stomach dropping at the scene unfolding before him.

because it’s not just any annoying couple - it’s billy hargrove and some girl from high school that steve can’t for the life of him remember the name of, browsing through movies with sickeningly cute smiles on their faces.

steve’s billy. the one he’s been holding and kissing and fucking and loving for the last six months. the one he thought loved him back, because billy said so and steve was apparently dumb enough to believe him. so, like, what the fuck?

billy leans in close, whispering something in the girl’s ear that makes her giggle and blush again, and steve’s insides feel like they’re on fire. neither of them even notice that steve is there, watching them with an expression that can only be described as livid.

it isn’t until steve clears his throat that either of them look up. steve can see all the color drain from billy’s face at once. and yeah, steve gets it. he wasn’t even supposed to be working today, but keith had to be a little bitch about his sinus infection, so here steve is. covering for him and bearing witness to the worst possible situation he could’ve ever been presented with.

it’s pretty obvious that billy knew steve wasn’t supposed to be working today, based on the expression on his face. and, man, ain’t life a bitch?

steve can’t find it in himself to feel bad for billy. not when the fucker has seemingly been running around behind his back this whole time, lying about his feelings for steve. lying about the life he supposedly wants with him. so steve sets his jaw, plastering on a faux smile.

“welcome to family video,” steve says through gritted teeth, “let us know if you need help finding anything.”

the girl just nods eagerly, thanking him and continuing down the aisle, browsing the titles on the shelves before her.

billy doesn’t move at first, frozen in place, staring at steve with wide eyes. like a deer caught in the headlights, or a kid with its hand caught in the cookie jar. steve just stares right back, before ultimately deciding he doesn’t want to give billy the time of day.

not right now. not after this.

steve turns on his heel, making his way into the back. he has to curl his hands into fists to keep them from shaking, trying not to let angry tears spill over.

“hey, you okay?” robin asks when he walks into the room in the back, where they keep all their unshelved returns and new arrivals.

“no,” steve says honestly, leaning against the doorframe and rubbing his temples. “billy just came in. with a girl.”

“like, a girl girl?” robin asks. “not like, a cousin-girl? or like, a girl who maybe likes other girls-girl?”

“if that’s how he acts with his cousins or other lesbians, i’m a little concerned.”

robin gives him a sympathetic look. “well, maybe there’s an explanation. you should probably talk to him before deciding to launch yourself off the deep end.”

“what is there to talk about?” steve groans, burying his face in his hands. “he came here to pick out a video. with another girl. who he was flirting with. she was giggling, robin. like i’m gonna fuck you later giggling.”

“maybe they’re friends and she’s just a flirty type of person,” robin suggests. “you and plenty of girls have flirted with each other, but it didn’t always mean you guys wanted to go out or fuck each other, right?”

steve doesn’t get the chance to answer, because someone from the front rings the bell at the front counter. given that there are only two customers in the whole store, who came together, there’s only one guess as to who it might be.

he gives robin a pleading look. “can you take care of it? please?”

“of course,” robin says easily. she pats his arm before walking out of the room, disappearing out onto the main floor.

steve slides down the wall he’s leaning against, sinking onto the ground with a pitiful groan. like, steve can’t totally blame billy for running around behind his back. because girls? billy can take them out in public, can flirt with them and hold their hands and kiss them without anyone batting an eye.

he can’t do those things with steve. they’ve had to sneak around the entire time they’ve been dating, only robin and heather knowing the full extent of their relationship. steve thinks joyce and hopper might suspect, maybe even max, though they haven’t asked. but the bottom line is, steve and billy have had to hide.

billy doesn’t have to hide if he’s with a girl. steve thinks that’s maybe what hurts the most, knowing that he genuinely can’t blame billy for wanting to be with someone who doesn’t have to be his dirty little secret.

it’s just - steve loves him. he really does. and billy was the one who was worried in the first place that steve would want someone else after a while, not wanting to have to hide and lie and keep secrets, running around with the only gay guy in town. steve never would’ve thought that billy would be the one to get fed up and move on, leaving their relationship and everything they’ve shared together in a cloud of dust.

“the camaro wasn’t outside,” is the first thing robin says when she returns to the back room.

steve looks up at her, his brows furrowing in confusion. “maybe he left?”

“no, billy was still here. but the camaro wasn’t outside. doesn’t he usually drive when you guys hang out?” robin asks.

“uh, yeah. maybe he’s having car trouble and she drove?” steve suggests, his nose wrinkling.

because okay, yeah, billy would rather pull out his own teeth than ever let anyone else drive if given the option. so it’s a little weird. but it doesn’t mean that there’s not still something funky going on with billy and this girl, whoever she is.

robin shrugs. “dunno. just thought that was weird. just another reason for you to talk to him, instead of wallowing.”

steve doesn’t know how to answer that, so he doesn’t. he doesn’t have an answer for her when he locks up later that evening, or when he pulls up to his house, or when he flops onto the couch to pout into his takeout.

because steve doesn’t know if he wants to know what’s going on. what if he’s right? what if billy really is running off with someone else? with some nameless girl? or what if it’s something worse?

realistically, steve doesn’t know what could possibly be worse than billy abandoning him for someone else. but it’s the fact that there could be something. something that could break his heart even more than billy finding someone else to love.

there’s a knock on his front door and it pulls steve from his thoughts, putting a momentary pause on his stewing. there’s only one person that could be knocking on his door at this hour, and steve isn’t sure he’s ready to face him yet. but then there’s another knock, this one more insistent, and steve grunts as he shoves himself off the couch. he tosses his cold takeout onto the coffee table, forgotten.

“can we talk?” billy asks, the moment steve swings open the door.

steve just stares at him for a long moment, trying to get a read on his expression. billy just looks jittery and nervous, chewing on his lip and wringing his hands. steve can’t get anything more from him than that. so he steps aside, letting billy brush past him into the house.

“she doesn’t mean anything,” billy blurts, just after steve shuts the door. “sherry, i mean. she’s just- i can explain.”

“do i even want to know?” steve asks, folding his arms across his chest. he tries not to look too broken-hearted, not wanting to give billy the satisfaction.

“neil, he... i was trying to come see you today,” billy starts, shoving a hand through his hair. “heather was at the pool and she said you took keith’s shift. neil asked where i was going, and i... i fuckin’ told him the truth. i didn’t think he’d get suspicious over me going to pick up a few movies.”

an uneasy feeling starts to blossom in steve’s gut, not liking where this is going. “what’d he say?”

“that i didn’t- i don’t need to be looking like some faggot going to see the video store boy every other day,” billy says, sighing. “i had to lie. tell him i was getting a video for me and a girl. for a date. and he- he told me to call her. to bring her over for lunch and prove it.”

“why not just call heather though? i’m sure she would’ve been more than happy to help out,” steve says, his brows coming together in confusion.

billy moves to sink down onto the stairs, looking pointedly at his feet. “she had a church thing with her family or some shit. sherry was just- we were okay friends before we graduated. i figured she wouldn’t ask too many questions if i suddenly asked her out.

“steve, i swear to god,” billy continues, pressing his eyes with the heels of his palms, “i was just gonna do the fuckin’ lunch and be done with it. but he insisted on a movie. took us to get it and sat on the fuckin’ couch. watched it with us, too. at one point i thought he was gonna make us strip and walk us through how to fuck.”

steve makes a face. because, okay, he wouldn’t put any of that past neil. the guy is a fucking tool, and a creep. if steve has his way, neil would be rotting in jail cell by now.

but it’s not his life. he can’t make those decisions for billy.

steve sinks down onto the stairs next to billy, gnawing on the inside of his cheek. “i thought... i thought maybe you didn’t want me anymore. didn’t want to be with me.”

“steve,” billy starts, then pauses. he doesn’t look at steve, but he takes one of his hands, squeezing it tightly. “i want to spend the rest of my life with you. i want out of here, away from him, with you. i just- i don’t know how to do that yet.”

putting an arm around billy, steve pulls him tightly against him, letting billy bury his face into his shoulder.

“we’ll figure it out,” steve promises, resting his chin on top of billy’s head. “together. ‘m sorry i thought you were- y’know. running off with someone else.”

billy just sits up a little, before pulling steve in for a gentle kiss. it’s nothing heated or frenzied, just a soft press of lips that has steve tingling all the way down to his toes.

“just promise me we never have to watch teen wolf again,” billy says when they break apart, his lips quirking up into a small smile.

steve can’t help but laugh, standing and pulling billy up from the stairs, tugging him towards the living room. ready to put on his rocky box set and help his boyfriend forget about this hell day, just for a little while.

“you got it, sweetheart.”

[ghostspideys-moved]

All For The Best

Chapter Five

A/N: So, tumblr is being a little bit of a bitch, but I finally managed to get this chapter posted.

Word Count: 2.7k

Pairings: Steve Harrington x OC, Nancy Wheeler x Jonathan Byers x OC

Summary: Getting trapped in a Russian elevator is about as fun as it sounds, and River doesn't quite know what to make of it.

With so much happening in the short time River had been back in Hawkins, she hadn’t really taken much time to worry about her basic needs. A habit she fell into more often than she’d like to admit. She felt it was safe to assume the rest of her friends had done much better than her. 

Naturally, she offered to get everyone food while they talked out their plan, if they even had one. She figured it might be a good opportunity for her to think and have a moment to herself. Deciding it would be quicker, she headed over to Burger King, knowing it was pretty close to Scoops Ahoy, and brought back enough food for everyone. 

The four of them sat in the break room, eating and putting together whatever intel Dustin had after his own personal stakeout earlier today. Supposedly, he’d spotted a keycard, which would be a good way to get in. Except trying to take something like that was a suicide mission.

“That keycard opens the door, but unfortunately, the Russian with this keycard also has a massive gun,” Dustin explained as he paced. “Whatever’s in this room, whatever’s in those boxes, they really don’t want anybody finding it.”

River sighed. “So, we’re back to square one basically.”

“But there’s gotta be a way in,” Robin insisted.

“Well, you know, I could just take him out.” For a brief moment, River thought Steve was joking. The serious look on his face said otherwise.

“Take who out?” Robin asked. She was glad she was not the only one concerned with his plan.

“The Russian guard.”

River scoffed and shook her head. “Yeah, if you wanna get yourself killed.”

“What? It’s not that hard. I sneak up behind him, I knock him out, and I take his keycard,” Steve insisted. “It’s easy.”

“Did you not hear the part about the massive gun?” 

“Yes, Dustin, I did. That’s why I would be sneaking.”

“Well please, tell me this, and be honest. Have you ever actually won a fight?”

River easily recalled how terrible of a beating Steve took after his fight with Billy, not that she’d been much help herself. But after that, there was no way he could take an armed Russian guard all by himself.

“Okay, that was one time.”

“Twice. Jonathan, year prior.”

“Listen, that doesn’t count.”

“Why wouldn’t it? Because it looks like he beat the shit out of you.”

“Sorry, Steve, but Dustin has a point,” River agreed. “You got the shit beat out of you too many times.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, seriously. Dude, I hate to break it to you, but you don’t have a winning streak, and adding a gun into the mix is probably just going to get you killed.”

“Wait. why can’t you do it?” Dustin asked.

River’s eyes widened. “Wait, why me?”

“You’ve got powers and shit. Can’t you use them to take the keycard?”

Steve shook his head. He was not having that idea. “Okay, woah. Not happening.” 

“Why?”

“Because, Dustin. It’s just a bad idea.”

“It’s better than your plan.”

“What? So, risking River’s life instead of mine is better?”

“No, but she could do it without anyone knowing.”

“That’s way too risky, and I’m not letting her get hurt-”

It was very hard for River to get a word in edgewise, but before she could really question that last part, Robin was taking off, grabbing whatever was in the tip jar.

“Hey, Robin. What are you doing?” Steve was up the moment he noticed her leaving.

“I need cash,” Robin said, as if it was obvious.

“Well, half of that’s mine. Where are you going?”

“To find us a way into that room. A safe way.”

River sighed in relief. It was a good thing someone in this group had the brains. Robin left them to look over the shop in the meantime. Hopefully she’d come back with a much better plan.

Steve sighed and tried to keep up with the workload by himself in the meantime. River and Dustin kept him company, especially once things slowed down enough for him to get bored. 

“Where do you think Robin went?” he asked. 

River shrugged, leaning against the back counter. “Where she said she was going. To find us a way in,” she said. “Better than either of us getting ourselves killed.”

She couldn’t help thinking back to what he’d said earlier before cutting himself off. From what she could tell, he was thinking about it just as much as her. He even seemed a bit antsy, busying himself to distract himself.

“Did you mean what you said?” she asked. 

Steve didn’t look up from the spot of the counter he was cleaning meticulously for no reason at all. “Which part?”

“The part about not wanting me to get hurt.” River knew he was just trying to avoid it, and she couldn’t really tell why. But clearly it was bugging him just as much, and she felt it needed to be addressed. 

“Well, yeah. Of course I did.” Steve finally set down the rag and turned to her. “You’re my friend, and after you almost died trying to save me last year? The last thing I want is for you to needlessly injure yourself more than you have already, if not worse.”

He sounded so sincere, as he always did. It was hard to ignore the fact that her heart skipped a beat at his words, but she tried not to think about it. For as good as that was doing her so far, she felt it was probably for the best.

“Well, someone had to keep you from becoming Demodog food,” she joked, lightly nudging him. 

Steve laughed. Somehow, River never quite noticed just how nice his laugh was. Even if he never ended up reciprocating her feelings, making him laugh felt like a worthy mission on its own. Especially while they waited for Robin’s return. The rest of their time was spent messing around as much as possible without making a mess or getting Steve in trouble. Somewhere along the line, Dustin joined in. She noticed the way he would give them weird looks every now and then, though she waved it off. As long as she wasn’t being obvious.

Robin didn’t take nearly as long as River had anticipated. What they hadn’t expected was for her to bring a friend along. Dustin, of course, had some complaints. 

“The whole town is going to know by the end of the week,” he mumbled. 

River was just glad to have another familiar face to keep her company in this chaos. If they were going to bring anyone into the loop, Annie Hardwick was probably the best person for it. They’d messed around in class together enough times to be considered friends, she supposed. 

“Well, she helped me get this, so she can help all she wants.” Robin waved a roll of paper in his face before she laid it out on the table. A map. “This is Starcourt Mall. The complete blueprints.”

Dustin looked genuinely impressed. “Not bad.” Maybe he would change his mind about Annie yet.

Robin grinned and pointed out a spot on the map. “This is us. Scoops.” She pointed to where the storage unit should be. “And this is where we want to go.”

“I mean, I don’t really see a way in,” Steve pointed out.

River couldn’t make out any visible entrances either, unfortunately. “Yeah, it looks like the only way in is past the guard,” she agreed. “There’s no way in.”

“There’s not, if you’re talking exclusively about doors.” Robin peeled away the map and revealed one that looked similar, though it looked like it was marking the vents.

“Air ducts,” River and Dustin said simultaneously. They were so lucky Robin was actually thinking all of this through more than them. 

“Exactly. Turns out this secret room needs air just like any old room.” Robin continued, grabbing a marker. “And these air ducts,” she said, drawing a path to Scoops Ahoy, “lead all the way here.”

She circled the store, and they turned to vent high up on the wall. Steve was quick to grab a ladder, and River handed him a screwdriver as he climbed up. Even as he was taking it apart, she had a feeling it might be too small to crawl through, even for Dustin.

Steve moved the flashlight around the entrance and shook his head. “Yeah, I don’t know, man. I don’t know if you can fit in here,” he said. “It’s, like, super tight.”

Just as she feared. 

“I’ll fit,” Dustin insisted. “Trust me. No collar bones, remember?”

River raised an eyebrow.

Robin seemed just as confused. “Uh, excuse me?” 

“Oh, he’s, uh, got some disease.” Steve climbed down and let Dustin take a shot at squeezing in the air duct. “Chry...Chrydo, um…something. He’s missing bones and stuff. He can bend like Gumbo.”

“You mean Gumby.”

“No, I’m pretty sure it’s Gumbo.”

River wasn’t really sure where this act of his was coming from, but she knew better. In the short time they’d spent studying together, he’d proven pretty quickly that he was by no means an idiot.

“Steve, just shut up and push me!”

“Okay!”

Steve sighed and climbed back up the ladder where half of Dustin’s body stuck out.

“So, these are your friends?” Annie asked.

River shrugged. “Yeah, unfortunately.” Though, she wouldn’t change any of this for the world. 

In the background, Steve was trying his best to push Dustin in as much as possible, to no avail. 

“Not my feet, dumbass. Push my ass.”

“What?”

“Touch my butt! I don’t care!”

Annie laughed at the two of them. “Quite the bunch,” she teased.

“Yeah, sorry you had to meet them this way,” River snorted.

So far, it looked like Steve and Dustin weren’t having any success, which meant they’d have to come up with a plan B. She might have offered to try it herself, seeing as she was the smallest one, unfortunately, except she was claustrophobic and would rather she didn’t have to try. Thankfully, Robin seemed to have another plan. 

Convincing Erica to help was going about as well as River would have expected. Which was to say, not very well at all. She could already tell Steve was annoyed, and she couldn’t blame him. Erica sent back practically everything he brought her.

Robin was trying her best to talk Erica into helping them, which wasn’t going any better. Because, yeah, Erica wasn’t wrong. Their plan was pretty half-baked. 

Dustin’s attempt didn’t go over much better.

“Know what I love most about this country? Capitalism.”

An odd statement, River realized, from someone who had been mooching off the free sample system this whole time. She couldn’t help thinking about it as Erica went on.

“Hate to break it to you, kid, but this is the opposite of capitalism,” River pointed out, gesturing at all the ice cream laid out on the table for her.

“Look, it seems to me that my ability to fit in that little vent is very, very valuable to you all,” Erica said. “So, you want my help? This USS Butterscotch better be the first of many.”

River sighed and shared a defeated look with the rest of her friends. “And I’m talking free ice cream. For life.”

It seemed like a miracle that they even managed to get Erica in on this. Robin had a walkie-talkie out to talk to Erica while they kept watch. 

They were so much closer to getting into that secret room, and the idea made her both nervous and excited all at once. There were so many ways all of this could go terribly wrong.

Steve seemed to sense her nerves and turned to her while Robin and Erica went back and forth.

“You okay?” he asked, keeping his voice low.

River offered a smile and nodded. “Just fine.”

“You know, you don’t have to help if you don’t want to.”

Sure, this was probably going to be really dangerous, but she couldn’t imagine leaving them on their own. She’d feel terrible, and to say she wasn’t curious herself would be a lie.

“No, I want to,” she assured him. “You guys might need my help, anyways.”

It would probably be pretty beneficial to have a non-evil Russian with them, she figured. Steve hesitated for a moment before nodding. She’d been worried he might think it was far too dangerous and risky for her given his reaction the last time she tried to save him. 

River turned the moment Erica walked through the doors, the five of them sharing a shocked look. She laughed and shared a high five with Annie. 

They didn’t waste any time in rushing down to meet Erica. As she’d confirmed, the room was full of the boxes they’d seen the night before. Steve quickly cut one open as they gathered around to take a look. He revealed a metal container of sorts, which he opened with some slight apprehension. 

“Maybe you guys should stand back.”

Normally, she might argue, but there was no telling what was in that container. Dustin, however, was less willing to obey orders this time around.

“No.”

“Just step back, okay?”

“No.”

“Step back, seriously.”

“No! If you die, I die.”

Steve gave up trying to stop him and pulled out something...strange looking. River wasn’t even totally sure what she was looking at, but it was green and looked like it was some sort of liquid. Whatever it was, it didn’t look good.

“What is that?” Robin asked.

River shook her head, and before any of them could come up with a guess, the room jerked unexpectedly.

“Was that just me, or did the room move?” Dustin asked, looking around.

“No, it definitely moved” River agreed.

Erica glanced between them. “Booby traps.”

Robin quickly grabbed the weird goo, River and Annie rushing around to help her take what they needed. Dustin was struggling to open the door, and Steve wasn’t having any more success. 

“Just open the door!” the girls exclaimed as they finished packing up.

None of the buttons were doing anything, and suddenly the room moved again. River scrambled to hold onto something as they suddenly plummeted with the rest of the room. The room was a goddamn elevator.

There was so much screaming around her, and River was definitely contributing to the chaos herself. The elevator was dropping alarmingly fast, and no amount of button mashing was doing them any good. 

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the elevator stopped, and River lost her footing. She fell back, landing on her hands. Steve fell close to her, a box landing on him. She groaned and shook off her pain before she went to move the box off of him with Dustin’s help.

“Is everyone okay?” Robin asked, rubbing her head where she hit it.

Steve got up, clearly agitated. “Yeah, I’m great now that I know that Russians can’t design elevators!” he exclaimed.

“Gee, thanks. I’m right here,” River huffed.

Steve pushed past her and Dustin before pressing all of the buttons frantically.

“I think we’ve clearly established that those buttons don’t work,” Robin said.

“They’re buttons, they have to do something!”

“Yeah, if we had a keycard.”

“A What?”

“It’s an electronic lock. Same as the loading dock door. If we don’t have a keycard, it won’t operate, meaning-”

“We’re stuck in here.”

River sighed and slid down against the wall. “Great. Who knows how long we’ll be in here.”

“Just so you nerds are aware, I’m supposed to be spending the night at Tina’s,” Erica said. “And Tina always covers for me. But if I’m not home for Uncle Jack’s part tomorrow, and my mom finds out you guys are responsible, she’s gonna hunt you down one by one and slit your throat.”

River rolled her eyes and rested her head in her hands. That wasn’t happening any time soon.

Steve seemed just as fed up as the rest of them were. “I don’t care about Tina! Or Uncle Jack’s party! You’re mom’s not gonna be able to find us if we’re dead in a Russian elevator.”

He let that sink in. 

Dustin pointed up to the roof of the elevator. “Hey. What if we climbed out?”

//

Taglist: @charmedtenderness @nxncywheeler​ @musicalytrashpanda​

[tvgrlz]

i told you so - r.b.

request: hey! could you do something with a hopper! reader dating robin. the reader isn’t out yet and el walks in on the two making out or something and the reader, el, and hopper have a cute heart to heart? ty!!!

pairing: robin buckley x fem! hopper! reader

word count: 1,250

summary: you finally come out to your family, but it isn’t on the terms you had originally planned

warnings / themes: some cursing, intense makeout session, fluff :)

“Shit, Rob-” You were sharply cut off as the aforementioned girl pressed your body against the front door of your house.

She pulled back briefly to question you again, “You’re sure your dad and sister aren’t home? I mean, I love you and all but-”

You pecked your girlfriend lightly and smiled at her cautious ramblings. “They aren’t home, I promise. They should still be at dinner for a while. Besides, Enzo’s isn’t exactly known for its speedy customer service.” You chuckled before reattaching your lips to her’s.

You began slowly walking the two of you towards your bedroom. Or more accurately, between the lack of light in the house and Robin’s clumsy feet, stumbling. You reached your door and blindly grabbed for your doorknob, lips and tongue clashing with Robin’s as you shoved open the door and entered your room.

She brought herself back to reality to catch her breath and push you down onto your bed. You giggled as she stared down at you with wide eyes. With a smirk, you pulled her on top of you. She straddled your hips and brought her mouth down to your own once again.

“I love you so much,” Robin panted between kisses.

“I love you more, Rob,” You breathed in return.

The exchange made you both widely smile into the kiss.

You pushed her away and tugged at the bottom of her shirt while she chuckled. She sat up and pulled off her shirt before she tossed it randomly behind her.

You threw your arms around her neck and rested them on her shoulders as you brought her face down to your level. You began to tug on her hair as your tongues and teeth clashed. After a few moments, Robin traced her hand down your chest and moved her head down to your neck.

“Robin,” You gasped as she latched her lips to your neck, lightly pulling on the skin with her teeth. You couldn’t help but let out a slight moan when she found your sweet spot and sucked until a bruise began to form. “You like that, love?” She asked, as you quickly nodded.

The two of you were so caught up in one another that neither of you took notice when quiet voices were heard from down the hall. Or when footsteps were leading down the hallway to your room. Or when the door opened.

“Hey, dad and I finished up at Enzo’s early so we grabbed some movies and ice cream for a movie nigh- Oh!” You and Robin jumped apart as Eleven walked into your room without giving it a second thought. “Shit, El, I can explain!” You quickly rambled, trying to find the words to ease your own panic.

“Uh... no, it’s my fault. I’ll just, um, get out.” She rapidly turned and walked out of your room, closing the door behind her. You could already hear her talking to your dad in the living room.

“No, no, no, no, this isn’t how I planned to come out, fuck. I was gonna take my dad out and get him nice and buttered up and then I would tell him and, fuck, what if he doesn’t accept me? Or us?” You rambled as your pace your room.

Robin, who had already gotten her shirt off the floor and put it back on, grabbed your shoulders and forced you to look at her. “Hey, it’s okay. I mean, we would’ve told them anyway, you just said so. Plus, your dad is like the coolest dad ever so I’m, like, at least eighty percent sure he’ll be alright with it.” She tried to reassure you.

“I know, Rob! I mean, at least I hope so. It’s just... I guess I wanted to do this when the time was right and I felt like it. Not because my little sister walked in on us making out.”

“Hey, Y/N/N? Can you come to the living room?” You heard your father call from presumably his recliner. “Shit,” You mumbled.

“Hey! Look at me,” Robin reached for your chin and turned it up so you were looking at her once again, “It’ll be okay. It’s just El and your dad, they’re some of the nicest people I know. I really don’t think they’ll be angry with you. Especially for something like liking girls. I mean, I know it’s not exactly typical, or whatever, but I’m sure they’ll be understanding. Steve was super cool when I told him so-” You cut off her rambles with a small peck.

“Okay, yeah. You’re right. It’s El and my dad. They love me. I got this,” Before you can begin to spiral again, you grabbed her hand and pulled her behind you as you walked towards the living room. In reality, the trek was approximately fifteen feet down the hallway, but it seemed to stretch an eternity as your nerves ate you alive. 

You met your dad’s eyes as you came into the room and you couldn’t help but take a deep breath. His ‘chief of police mode’, as you and El liked to call it, had been activated. His face was stoic, mirroring El’s, who sat beside him.

You hesitantly took a seat on the couch, Robin following in suit. “Hey... How was Enzo’s?” You attempted, smiling awkwardly.

He frowned and you briefly closed your eyes, expecting the very worst as he opened his mouth. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Why- what?” Your eyes snapped open to stare at your dad. Robin’s hand tightened around your own.

“Why didn’t you tell us you like girls?” He repeated.

El nodded from beside him. “Yeah, I thought we told each other everything?” 

Your heart nearly burst at her words. “El, we- we do, it’s just... I don’t know. I didn’t know how you guys would react and I didn’t want you guys to hate me, or, like, disown me or something.”

“Disown you? Y/N Hopper, did you ever genuinely think for one second that I wouldn’t accept you for who you are?”

“I... didn’t know,” You sighed.

“It doesn’t matter to me who you love, I just want you to be happy. And, preferably, tell me when big things in your life happen, like having your first girlfriend.” You swore you were beginning to tear up at his words.

“Really?” A huge smile stretched across your face.

“We just want you to be happy, no matter who that’s with.” El smiled.

“And I guess if you’re gonna date anyone, I should be happy it’s Robin. That way I know she’s a good kid.” Hopper grinned.

A single tear slipped down your cheek as you lept from your seat and threw your arms around your dad. “I love you,” You whispered. “I love you too, kid.” He smiled into the hug.

You pulled back and enveloped Eleven in a similar hug. “And I love you, little one.” You chuckled. “I love you more,” She said.

Once you returned to your seat with Robin, you laced your fingers through her’s and smiled blissfully.

“So, Robin, what are your intentions with my daughter?”

“Dad, seriously? Please don’t go full chief of police on her already.” You laughed.

“Alright fine,” He grumbled, but he had a smile on his face.

"Robin, do you wanna join us for movie night?” El’s eyes lit up as she asked.

“I’d like that.” Your girlfriend smiled as she squeezed your hand. She leaned in and whispered into your ear, “I told you so.”

[clericbyers]

[ because i couldn't leave this alone, here is part 2 ]

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

“Hey.”

Mike looks up from his reading and smiles awkwardly as Robin hovers over him, hands stuffed in her shorts’ pockets with a shy smile on her lips. He scoots over on the bench and watches her settle down before opening his mouth.

“Why are you here?” Robin shrugs in response and Mike frowns. “I’m sure you have better things to do than hang out with a kid.”

“Probably but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to hang out with a kid. Especially if that kid is you.” She grins and leans back in her seat with a happy sigh. “You looked like you could use some company is all. It’s no fun sitting in the snow by yourself. If you don’t want me here then—,”

“No!” Mike cries out and then huffs when Robin’s smile grows wider. “Don’t look so pleased with yourself, Buckley. It makes your face look all gross and demented.”

“Love you too, kiddo,” she pats his shoulder and then cocks her head as she inspects him. “You didn’t tell him, did you?”

Mike stiffens. His jaw involuntarily clenches with his fists as his spine hardens and the tension in his shoulders spikes. Robin makes a noise and tilts her head up to the sky. “I know it’s hard,” she begins softly with a voice Mike knows is meant for this particular conversation. “I’ve never been brave enough to tell a girl I like her myself. When you told me you wanted to tell him I was so proud. I still am, even if the words haven’t reached him yet.” Her blue eyes turn to Mike with gentle care echoing in their rich color. “I don’t know Will very much, but if he’s even half a modicum as amazing as you tell me and Steve, he won’t hold this against you.”

“It’s not that,” Mike groans, running hands down his face before tangling them in his curly hair. “I know he won’t hold it against me. I just don’t want to sound like a hopeless romantic in front of him. A pining dipshit with feelings for his best friend who doesn’t share those feelings.”

“Hey, you don’t know if—,”

“Robin,” he hisses as he turns to face her fully. Mike can feel the tears burning in his eyes and he wishes she had left him alone after all. “I know he doesn’t.” Anymore is the important word, but Mike still can’t get the word out. It would be a lot easier to deal with his feelings if he knew Will never reciprocated them. His throat tightens around that seven-letter word—anymore—reminding Mike that Will is over him, Will doesn’t have a crush on him now, Will is past the stage of affection Mike is currently stuck in. “I can’t—I can’t tell him. I can’t let him know I’m never gonna get past this…this crush I have on him.”

“You’re young! Time is on your side. You’ll get over him, let the ship sail on by.”

“That’s the problem: I can’t!” Mike can feel the tears spilling over, running ribbons down his freckled cheeks as desperation takes hold of his heart. “I can’t get over what I feel and I never want him to know I’m too weak to move on. I don’t even think it’s a crush anymore.” His voice falls to a barely-there whisper. “I think I love him.”

Robin pulls Mike into a hug and caresses his back as he silently cries into her shoulder. Mike has a clear thought for a moment, ever so thankful that Steve befriended Robin and the girl trusted him enough and saw her own struggle in him when he spent hours at the rental store rambling about Will, Will, Will. “Mike,” Robin starts after the boy manages to stop sniffling, “I say tell him anyway. Let him know you’ll always love him.”

Mike nods lightly and sends Robin a shaky watery smile that makes her laugh and ruffle his hair.

After taking a few more minutes to calm down and talk about something else with Robin, Mike makes his way back home where he knows Will is located. During the bike ride to his place, Mike builds up his courage to say something but the moment Will opens the door and grins at Mike as he sets his bike down, all courage leaves his soul in a flash of lightning. Will is—Will is everything; he is strong and gentle, caring and adorable, eyes tinted soft with affection and cheeks rosy with adoration. He’s wearing one of Mike’s oversized sweaters and it slides over his shoulders and pools over hands until just the tips of his fingers are peaking through. Will may have had a growth spurt in the time he was gone but Mike is still a good few inches taller than the other boy.

Right now, the size difference between them seen so blatantly in Will wearing his clothing is making Mike’s knees shaky. He offers Will a smile and whizzes past him in an effort to get to the couch before his legs give out. Mike only looks over once he feels the cushion beside him dip from added weight. Will is still everything and Mike’s heart speeds its frantic pace.

“Did you have a good walk?” the brunette asks with genuine curiosity in his tone.

Mike nods. “Y-yeah, yes, it was good. Grand. A good walk. I, uh, ran into Robin. Well, she ran into me when I sat down to read this X-Men comic.”

“Oh,” Will reaches over Mike to pluck the paper from where Mike had unconsciously placed it at his other side. Mike wonders if death by smiting would be less painful than Will half on his lap while he’s mentally making a checklist of all the reasons why Will Byers deserves nothing but good in the world for the rest of time.

“It’s a good issue.” Mike rambles on. “There’s some Thor universe things in there. The Alpha Flight team. Have you read X-Men and Alpha Flight? It’s good. Loki is the bad guy in this one though.”

“Yeah, being a bad guy is his role,” Will laughs and flips through the issue. “Uncanny X-Men Giant-Sized Annual. Can I read it at some point?”

Mike nods stupidly. “Of course. It’s yours as much as it’s mine.” He makes a vague motion toward his room. “I also have some Alpha Flight issues if you don’t want to listen to me explain things for you to help you understand.”

Will shrugs and places the comic issue down. “I don’t mind listening to you talk, Mike. I miss listening to you a lot actually.”

“I wish calling wasn’t so expensive,” Mike whispers hoarsely, staring into his lap for reasons he can’t explain. “I miss your voice, too.”

A nudge at his shoulder makes Mike look over and his breath catches when he locks eyes with Will. Will who is sitting so close, Will with soft pink lips begging for Mike to kiss and cherish with his own. Mike bolts from his seat and grabs at his hair with a strangled cry. He can’t take this anymore.

“Mike?” Will questions carefully with concern in his eyes and it breaks Mike in half.

“Will, please don’t hate me but I’m a thousand percent sure I’m in love with you but I can’t stop feeling this way. I’ve been trying for months; I’m so sorry.” Mike’s voice shakes and he wants to take a breath for air but he knows if he stops now he’ll never open his mouth to talk about this again. “I’m sorry I only realized this after you left and that I hurt you letting you believe you I could never like you in the way you desired and—,”

Mike comes to a sudden stop when Will presses his hand to the babbling boy’s mouth. He’s half tempted to lick Will’s hand but the seriousness in those green hazel eyes keeps Mike’s tongue at bay. Will’s hand moves from his mouth anyway, carefully cupping his cheek as a loose grin curls his lips.

“Sometimes I wonder how I came to love someone so dense like you,” he laughs and Mike scowls but feels his cheeks heating with blush. “I said I used to have a crush on you, not that I fell out of love.”

“Isn’t that the same?”

Will shakes his head. “When you love someone as long as I have loved you, the childish feelings eventually fade away.” He shrugs and rubs his thumb against Mike’s cheekbone. “I’m no longer embarrassed about what’s left behind because what’s left behind is simply me. Loving you is, well, my best me. Returned feelings is optional but I’m super happy you like me, too.”

Mike wants to cry. “You could have told me you love me instead of saying you don’t have a crush! I was scared you were gonna think I’m an idiot for having a juvenile crush on you.”

“You are an idiot but not for liking me,” snorts Will but not even the unappealing snort can wipe the wide grin off his face. Mike feels like the sun is shining directly on him. “I’m sorry I worded my confession weird. I didn’t want you to be uncomfortable if I confessed to loving you so I left that part out.”

“Lying by omission is still lying, Byers.”

“To quote my dear sister, ‘boyfriends lie,’ Wheeler.”

Mike shoves Will’s shoulder with a guffaw before plopping back onto the couch. Will sits beside him chuckling under his breath, curling his feet under his legs as he presses up against Mike with the X-Men comic in hand. Mike turns his head to press his lips to the top of Will’s head before snaking an arm around his shoulders. “You’re wearing my sweater.”

“It got cold in here after your folks left to get party supplies for New Years.” Both boys know what the cold does to Will, so Mike doesn’t question and only kisses Will’s head again to hide a happy smile at how the smaller boy turned to Mike’s clothing for comfort. Will points to the annual issue and nudges Mike’s side. “Newly minted boyfriend of mine, would you care to explain the Alpha Team to me so I can read this?”

Boyfriend. Mike Wheeler is Will Byers’ boyfriend. He can barely contain his glee.

“It would be my pleasure,” Mike replies with a posh accent he would take on to talk as random travelers the Party would run into during Dungeons and Dragons campaigns. Will laughs and the warmth that floods Mike’s body sizzles away any lingering concerns.

“Goddamn, I love you,” wheezes Will as he snuggles closer into Mike’s side.

“Yeah, me too,” is his easy effortless reply before launching into a explanation of the Alpha Team’s creation.

(It’s while he’s explaining how the Team was originally just in X-Men comics for Wolverine’s backstory that Mike remembers reading that issue with Will years back and thus, Will knows this information already. Mike just barely hides his grin and simply continues to honor Will’s request. Even if the request was only made to hear Mike’s soothing voice and nothing more.)

[hunnywrites]

Sixteen Candles: Part Two

Summary: It’s the day that Vivian has been looking forward to nearly her entire life: her sixteenth birthday. But between her sister’s wedding overshadowing her big day, and praying that her crush Billy Hargrove will finally notice her things aren’t going too well for her. If she can just survive the under the sea dance at her school and avoid the really weird and creepy Tommy H her night might be salvageable. Maybe.

Pairing: Billy Hargrove/OFC

A/N: Sorry this took so long to get out! Hopefully the next chapter will be up sooner!

“Not a single happy birthday, Robin. From anyone. They almost acted like I was fucking invisible on top of it,” Vivian huffed as she and Robin made their ways through the halls of Hawkins High. Tommy hadn’t even said anything to her and she had at least been expecting some sort of creepy comment from him. 

“Maybe this is some sort of a trick. Or like a joke,” Robin offered. “Like, maybe they’re pretending that they forgot, but when you get home they’ll have some sort of surprise party?” 

Vivian rolled her eyes. “I doubt that. They’re not thoughtful enough to think of something like that. God, I shouldn’t even be surprised. Everything’s been about Sarah lately anyways,” she grumbled, stopping in front of her locker and angrily unlocking it. It had always sort of been that way. Sarah was the golden child. Perfect at everything she did. Carol got attention because she was always getting into trouble. Vivian was the quiet kid with a B average in school. It was sort of easy for her to seem invisible to other people. “Besides, I have bigger problems at the moment.”

Robin gave her a disbelieving look. “Bigger problems than your family forgetting your birthday? Do tell.” 

“I ran into Billy in my kitchen last night.” Vivian said simply.

Robin stared blankly at her for a moment before cracking a smile and raising an eyebrow. “...Is that all?” 

“He said he liked my shirt. And he told me happy birthday.” now that she said it out loud it didn’t sound all that impressive.

“Wow, you’re practically married.” Robin teased. 

Vivian slammed her locker shut and held up a finger. “That’s not all, miss sassy pants. I almost asked him out to the dance.” 

Robin seemed speechless for a few seconds. She blinked wildly a few times, titling her head at her best friend. Vivian said all the time that she was gonna get the courage to ask Billy out one day. Neither Robin or Vivian actually believed her whenever she’d say it though. “You almost asked?” 

The pair took off down the hallway once again. “Well, I brought the dance up, but before I could he said that Cheryl was gonna make him go with her.” she said with a dramatic eye roll.

“Sounds romantic.” Robin laughed.

“I totally don’t get it. Why even date her?” Vivian groaned. That was a stupid question. Cheryl was gorgeous. Even if she was a pain in the ass. And it wasn’t really like Billy was a guy of substance as Robin just loved to remind Vivian. 

“Oh, I can think of one reason…” 

Vivian glared over at Robin. “It’s my birthday. No reminding me that they’re boning.” 

“Just trying to add perspective,” Robin grinned. “Try and keep you as sane as I can when it comes to the whole Billy subject,” it was a fair statement to make, much as Vivian didn’t want to admit it. “I suppose this means we’re gonna spend the night at the dance stalking him around the gym until he notices you?” 

“...I wouldn’t put it that way.” Vivian muttered. 

“No? How would you?”

“...Shut up. Like we have anything better to do.” Vivian and Robin never did much at dances. They normally liked to avoid them, but every once and awhile Vivian’s mom forced her to tag along with Carol in an attempt to make Vivian more “normal”. So usually they’d park out on the bleachers with some punch and make fun of other people until Carol and Tommy decided they were ready to leave. 

Robin laughed and shook her head. “Viv, I’m just teasing. If you wanna spend your birthday stalking Billy Hargrove then I can’t really say no,” Vivan shot Robin an unimpressed look. “Oh look, speak of the devil…” Robin nodded her head down the hall. 

Vivian turned to look as Billy made his way around the corner. His arm was draped casually around Cheryl’s shoulder and she was talking animatedly about something, but it was obvious he wasn’t listening to much of what she was saying. His eyes landed on Vivian and Robin, and a slow smile graced his lips before he nodded his head in their direction before he and Cheryl passed by them. 

Vivian looked over at Robin. “Tell me I didn’t just imagine that.”

Robin’s eyebrows were raised as she watched Billy and Cheryl disappear down the hall. “You didn’t imagine that.”

“...Maybe there’s hope for this birthday afterall.” Vivian said with a somewhat dreamy sigh.

Robin let out a soft laugh and shook her head. “Let’s just get to biology before we’re late, birthday girl.” 

---

Lunch was hands down Billy’s favorite subject in school. Sure, it wasn’t technically a class, but that was sort of the point. The bell at the end of his algebra class would ring and Billy would be the first one out of the room. He’d get a coke from the vending machine by the cafeteria and go out to his car and smoke. 

Some days, like today, Tommy, Carol and Cheryl and a few of their other friends would join him. Tommy and Carol would usually switch between bitching about their classes and playing tonsil hockey while Cheryl would lounge out on the hood of Billy’s Camaro. Even though he had told her more times than he could count never to sit on his baby. What a pain in the ass. 

“Billy,” Cheryl pouted over at him. “I forgot my purse in my gym locker. Can I borrow fifty cents for a coke?” Billy resisted the urge to roll his eyes before fishing two quarters from his pocket and handing them over to her. She pressed a kiss to his cheek, leaving a pink lip print behind, before hopping off of the Camaro and sauntering back towards the school. He watched her until she disappeared inside before turning his gaze to Carol. Tommy was talking to some other guy from the basketball team, so for once she was alone. 

“Hey, Carol,” he said, lighting a cigarette. “What’s the deal with your sister?” 

Carol looked at him like he was speaking a different language. “What the hell do you mean what’s the deal?” she asked. 

Billy rolled his eyes and blew out a puff of smoke. “I mean like her situation. Is she seeing anyone?” 

Carol let out a loud snort, covering her mouth the quiet her loud burst of laughter. “Seeing anyone? Fuck no. She’s a total dork. She’s like a total loser virgin. I don’t think she’s even kissed a guy,” Billy might not have put it so bluntly, but he couldn’t say he was all that surprised. He was pretty sure that other than Carol, the only person he’d ever seen Vivian around with was that girl Robin. “What do you care anyways?” she asked. 

Billy only shrugged. “Just curious.” He’d always had a mild interest in Vivian. He reminded her of the girls back home in California. Easy going. Pretty. Plus he particularly liked how she looked in her leather jacket. He found her more attractive than Carol, but then with a shitty attitude like hers he couldn’t really see how anyone could find Carol attractive. Except Tommy, of course. He was so dumb Billy was sometimes genuinely surprised he could string a whole sentence together. And it wasn’t exactly a secret that Vivian had a thing for him. He noticed the way her cheeks would turn all pink whenever he was around. It was cute. 

“You thinkin’ of gettin’ with that, Hargrove?” Tommy grinned, throwing his arm around Carol. 

Carol let out another snort. “Good luck.” she nearly spat. 

“Yeeeah dude,” Tommy laughed. “Don’t let Cheryl find out! Man, she’d totally kill you.” 

Billy rolled his eyes again. He didn’t give a shit if Cheryl found out. They weren’t dating. He could do whatever he wanted. If there was anything he even wanted to do. “How about you mind your own business for once, Tommy?” he asked, flicking the butt of his cigarette away. “I gotta get to class.” he muttered before walking off. Of course it was a lie. But any excuse to get away from Tommy and Carol was good enough for him. 

It irritated him sometimes. These two weren’t really his friend. They’d dumped Steve Harrington and latched onto Billy as soon as he had moved to Hawkins because he was the new cool kid. He couldn’t talk to them about anything real. He couldn’t ask Tommy for advice about girls or anything else. Any time he complained about the fact that he genuinely couldn’t stand Cheryl, Tommy would make some perverted joke and Billy would regret opening his mouth. So sometimes it was just best to walk away.

“...Did he just say he has to get to class?” Tommy asked as Billy disappeared towards the school.

--- 

Vivian came home to a surprise, but it definitely wasn’t the one she had been hoping for. Her mother, Sarah and Kevin were all home, but they all barely acknowledged her presence as she walked into the kitchen. There had been this tiny part of her that wondered if Robin had been onto something. Maybe they were just pretending to forget her birthday and she’d come home to a cake and decorations. But that definitely wasn’t the case. So instead of sitting around being blatantly ignored on her birthday, she decided to go throw her own pity party up in her bedroom. But her bedroom wasn’t empty. 

“There’s our little Vivian!” her grandpa greeted loudly, throwing his arms open wide as Vivian walked into her room. She looked around with wide eyes. Their luggage was everywhere. And there was so much of it. She was almost worried that it meant that they would be staying longer than just the weekend. Her grandpa wrapped her in a tight hug as her grandma smiled on at the pair, but still no happy birthday. 

“Uh, hi grandpa...what are you guys doing up here?” she asked warily. 

“Your mother said we could stay up here for the weekend,” her grandma explained. She had an almost pained expression on her face as she looked around Vivian’s room. “You know, Vivian, this room of yours isn’t very ladylike,” she scolded. “These posters are all very...violent looking. Why couldn’t you decorate a bit more like Carol or Sarah?” she asked. 

It took nearly all of Vivian’s energy to keep herself from rolling her eyes. Instead she only shrugged. It never did any good to argue with her grandma. She’d only rat Vivian out to her mother and she definitely didn’t want a lecture today of all days. “It’s just how I like it, grandma.” was all she said. Even though she wanted to add a comment about how they could find somewhere else to stay if her room wasn’t good enough. Her grandma pursed her lips.

“Awwww, leave her alone honey. This is what all the kids are into these days, right, Viv?” her grandpa asked, grinning widely at her and nudging her side with his elbow. 

Vivian looked between the two of them for a moment, almost to give them the chance to realize that they too hadn’t wished her a happy birthday. “...Yeah. It’s what all the kids are into,” she said dryly. This had to be a goddamn joke.

“You know, Vivian,” her grandma said. “If you took all these horrible things down and maybe dressed a little more like Sarah I’m sure you could get yourself a boyfriend. Don’t you think, George? You’re really quite pretty underneath all this...grunge,” she poked the tip of Vivian’s nose. “And you’ve got quite a nice little figure!” Vivian’s eyes widened. Was this actually happening?

She took a big step back from her grandma and let out a nervous laugh. “Right. So...I’ll let you two get settled in then...go find out where I’m supposed to be sleeping…” she didn’t give them the opportunity to say anything else. Vivian whirled around and stomped back downstairs and into the kitchen. She felt like she was in the twilight zone or something. 

“Grandma and grandpa are staying in my room?” she asked. 

Her mother turned towards her, giving herself a small slap to the forehead. “Oh, yes! I knew there was something I was forgetting to tell you! I’m sorry, hun. I offered it to them awhile ago and I never mentioned it,” she let out a small laugh and shook her head. “My mind is everywhere these days.” 

Vivian blinked a few times. “Oh sure, sure...is there anything else you’re maybe forgetting to tell me?” Vivian asked expectantly. 

“Hmm? Oh…” her mother shook her head. “I don’t think so. I’ll fix the couch up for you tonight, okay?”

Vivian let out a small huff. This had to be the curse of being the youngest child or something. “How come Carol gets to keep her room? Where am I supposed to get ready for the dance?” all of this on top of the fact that she didn’t even want to go to the dance was the icing on the cake. Metaphorical cake, because she sure as hell wouldn’t be getting a real birthday cake at the rate her day was going. 

“God, do you ever stop complaining?” Sarah asked. “Just get ready in my room or something. I’ll be gone by then. You’re giving me a headache.”

Vivian glared over at her sister. “I’m giving you a headache?” she asked. “Can you even hear yourself whenever you’re crying over your flowers not being the right color or whatever it is you’re always bitching about to mom?” 

“Enough you two!” their mother sighed. “Vivian, language. Sarah, leave your sister alone. Can we all just relax? Everything will be handled. Now ,Vivian, go...do your homework or something.” she waved her away. Vivian shot another glare at Sarah before heading out into the living room and flopping face first onto the couch dramatically and letting out a loud sigh.

“What are you so upset about?” Carol asked, crossing her arms as she looked down at her sister with an amused expression. 

Vivian lifted her head and shot an incredulous look at her. “Let’s think for a second, Carol. Can you maybe come up with a reason I might be upset?” 

Carol only shrugged. “...I guess I’d be pretty bummed out too if I was such a dork.” she said with a smug grin.

“Yeah, well, better to be a dork than a raging bitch.” Vivian spat.

“Vivian! Language!” her mother called from the kitchen. Vivian let out a groan. 

Carol snickered before heading to the stairs. “Dork.” she said, laughing again before bounding up the stairs. 

That was it. Vivian didn’t care that it was her birthday anymore. She didn’t care that Billy had smiled at her in the hall that morning. She wanted this day and this weekend to be over. She wanted Sarah and Kevin to fly back home and only come to visit at Christmas. She wanted her room back. But first she would have to get through the school dance.