#meddling robin buckley

[stevieschrodinger]

Part One Two Three Four Five

“So Steve, I know you said that you don’t think you need anyone...” Eddie sighs, “do you think that implies that I think that what he thinks is wrong?”

“I think it implies you’ve lost your fucking mind.”

Eddie doesn’t even have the energy to glare at Dustin, it’s much easier to just pretend he hasn’t spoken, “okay, Steve-”

“Yeap, you’re really strong on establishing you know the guys name, which is like, a solid point in your favor.”

“I hate you,” Eddie says to the ceiling, neck at an odd angle where he’s flopped his head back over the arm of the couch, “so, Steve, I know you said you don’t need anyone, and you are totally right-”

“You’re a strong independent Omega who don’t need no Alpha!”

“So help me Henderson I will throw you out,” Eddie waits, but Dustin is finally silent on the matter, “Steve. I totally respect the fact that you are absolutely fine handling everything alone, and if you’re...happy with us, being friends, then I’m happy with that too. I did wonder, though, if you’d like to go on a date. With me. Maybe?” Eddie sighs, flopping his arms over his face, “I’m so bad at this. This is going to go so wrong and he’s going to hate me and never want to see me again and-”

“Eddie...has the Omega broken your brain? What the fuck is wrong with you man-”

“I don’t know! I don’t...I’ve literally never felt this way before, not about anyone. And Jamie, man, I know he’s not my pup, okay, Steve and I aren't dating, he’s literally my friends pup, that’s it but...I swear I would die for that kid, no question.”

“Okay...so just...ask him out? Steve I mean, not Jamie-”

Eddie huffs, “I don’t...I’m pretty sure I can’t. The more I think about it the more it feels...like Steve’s had a pretty bad run of Alphas, it sounds like, and I just don’t think he’d be interested. And he’s just literally had a pup, like Jamie is only just a month old, who am I to add to that, you know? Steve’s got enough to think about.”

“So...don’t ask him out?”

Eddie flops over onto his side, curling up so he can smush his face into the cushions, “but I really want to. I think it’s selfish though. I’m being selfish. I should just...be a good friend. Keep being a good friend.”

“And pine to death?”

“I mean. Seems like a reasonable way out.”

“Dude I do not know what to say to you,” the timer on the oven starts to buzz, “but at least you’re going to feed me, right?”

Eddie sighs, dragging himself out of the near suffocating safety of the gap in the couch cushions. He opens his message thread with Steve, scrolling back through the shared memes and screenshots and pictures. He reads little tidbits of conversation while he pulls out bowls and plates. The three dots appear, Eddie’s heart leaps a little because Steve is, right there. Right next door, with his phone in his hand, typing to Eddie.

‘I’d love some. I’ve made a banana cream pie if you want to take it back for your games night.’

Eddie sends back a shocked emoji, ‘I can’t take an entire pie.’

‘You won’t, my slice will be gone.’

Eddie smiles and slips his phone into his pocket. He slices two thick pieces of bread from the loaf he made this afternoon, wraps them, and then fills a bowl with casserole. Eddie’s pretty sure this bowl is Steve’s anyway; so many of their plates and bowls have been migrating back and forth it’s hard to tell any more, between Eddie’s dinners and Steve’s desserts.

He likes to bake something extra special for games nights though, he always says you can’t make just one cookie, or one slice of pie. He likes to make sweet things when he knows there will be people to give it to, otherwise, “I’ll just eat the whole thing Eddie!”

Eddie doesn’t see a problem with eating the whole thing, but he slips on his adventure crocs and heads out into the hall. Dustin doesn’t even tease too badly any more, even though Eddie’s sure it’s because he’s threatened to withhold Steve’s desserts.

Eddie knocks with the hand holding the bread, letting himself in when Steve calls, “it’s open!”

“Hey Steve, hey Jamie,” he sets Steve’s dinner on the little table, next to the juice and cutlery Steve’s already set out for himself.

“What do you have planned for them tonight?” Steve brings out a pie on a plate, a slice already gone, just like he said. It has real neat swirls of cream on top; it looks professional to Eddie, like you’d buy in a store.

“Destruction. Misery. Suffering. The usual.”

Steve hums, “uh hu. What color salad did you decide on in the end?”

Eddie sighs, “you say it Slaad. And I don’t know, what do you think?”

“I actually quite liked the idea for the dog shark thing, it was cute,” Steve hands over the pie, going on tip toes to kiss Eddie on the cheek as he hands it over.

“One home brew Bulette, coming right up,” Eddie replies absently. He’s pretty sure he’s gone at least a little pink, and Steve’s scent is fresh and bright in his nose for a moment, “I’d better…” Eddie gestures lamely with the pie, “you know.”

“Have fun!” Steve calls as Eddie lets himself out, “don’t go too hard on them!”

Eddie’s doing his best not too stare, he really is.

He has one foot on the stroller, rolling it gently back and forward. He has his guitar resting on the other knee, he strums, singing quietly to Jamie, “I'd rather be a forest than a street, yes, I would...if I could, I surely would.” Jamie burbles at him, waving his arms a little and making happy pup noises.

On the court, Steve laughs, and Eddie fails, and he looks. Steve’s wearing a tank top and those obscenely short shorts. Him and Chrissy are bouncing the ball at each other, catching it, doing a squat, a little jump, and bouncing it back. They’ve done all sorts of stuff like this, sweaty jock games. Steve’s short shorts riding up even further at the slightest provocation.

Jamie makes a noise, drawing Eddie’s attention back, “I'd rather feel the earth beneath my feet, yes, I would...if I could, I surely would,” Eddie sings, soft and slow.

Steve and Chrissy come over eventually, Steve lifting the bottom of his shirt to wipe at his sweaty face, fully showing Eddie his tummy in all it’s glory. It’s thick, but firm, decorated by a handful of stretch marks and a perfect dusting of happy trail, “thanks for keeping an eye.”

“Huh?” Eddie asks, feeling kind of dumb but still managing to strum along on auto pilot.

Next to him, Chrissy snickers around her water bottle.

“Thank you, for watching Jamie,” Steve says to him more slowly, smirking, his sweaty hair flopping across his forehead.

“Right, right, sure, of course. Anytime. Pleasure. Really.”

Next to him, Chrissy huffs. Eddie pointedly ignores it.

The knocking is awful. It’s relentless. It’s obnoxious. It’s definitely Robin.

“I know you’re in there!”

Yeap. Yeap that’s definitely Robin. Eddie groans into the couch cushion before dragging himself up. She’s speaking before he has the door fully open, “this is getting old.”

“And what might that be-”

Robin puts on the most obnoxious voice Eddie thinks he’s ever heard, she clasps her hands together, holding them to her chest and she bats her lashes coquettishly at the ceiling, “oh Eddie’s cooking is just the best ever. Did you know he plays guitar! He says he’ll teach Jamie when he’s old enough! And he’s so smart, he’s got so many books in his apartment-”

“Okay.”

“Did you know he’s artistic! He paints his little dungeon game miniatures and they’re so good-”

“All right.”

“You should just see him with Jamie-”

“Robin.”

“And he’s such a good Alpha! He’s so good to his friends, he puts in so much work-”

“And we are done,” Eddie goes to shut the door. He can’t handle this. He knows Robin probably means well, in her own meddling way, but he just...can’t. This has to be Steve’s choice, right? Steve’s been pretty clear why he went it alone, and Robin is just...teasing him. It makes Eddie feel all warm and bubbly inside, knowing that Steve says these things about him, that Steve...likes him. But...Steve has a pup, and just because he says these things behind closed doors, it doesn’t mean Eddie has any right to know them.

No matter how it makes him feel.

“Wait wait wait...can’t you just, ask him out? End all of our suffering?”

Eddie sighs, “Steve has enough going on without me making it more complicated, okay? Steve can...he’s perfectly capable of telling me this himself.”

“No he isn’t. Because Steve would never ask you to take on another Alpha’s pup.”

“He’s not another Alpha’s pup, he’s Steve’s pup,” Eddie tells her reflexively.

“Uh hu,” she has her hands on her hips now, looking at him expectantly.

Eddie swallows thickly, and he can’t quite look at Robin, “what if...what if I loose him?”

“You won’t. You know you won’t.”

“But-”

“Me and Chrissy are taking Jamie for the night, did you know that? Giving Steve a night off, and we’re getting some practice in for when we’re ready to have our own, you know?”

“I...did not know that.”

“Yeah.”

Eddie stands for a second, not sure what to say, down the hall, Steve’s door opens.

“-and it’s in the changing bag.”

“I got it.”

“Don’t forget to heat the formula to-”

“Steve,” Chrissy sounds exasperated, “we’ve got it,” she has Jamie in his car seat.

“Plus,” Robin whispers to him conspiratorially, “he’s going to have a heat at some point, so we gotta be ready for that. You know, wouldn’t be fair to which ever Alpha ends up helping him out-”

“I know what you’re doing,” Eddie growls, watching Steve fuss over the pup.

“Is it working?”

“Go away.”

Robin shrugs, and Eddie watches as she goes to Chrissy, taking the bag so Chrissy is just left with the car seat, “it’s going to be fine, and you can call us any time.”

Eddie ends up watching Steve, as Steve watches his pup and his friends disappear at the end of the hall. His shoulder sag a little, and Eddie can't help but go to him.

“Hey.”

Steve sighs, “would it be weird if we followed them?”

“Maybe. I’ll drive though.”

Steve smiles up at him, and it looks kind of watery, “what if we break into their place and take him back?”

Eddie shrugs, “pretty sure we could just ask but, whatever makes you feel better, I guess.”

Steve sighs, “I sound crazy,” and a tear finally escapes, sliding down his cheek.

Eddie can’t help but scoop him up into a big hug, “I think you sound like the best dad in the world. I’ll get you one of those mugs. You know, for fathers day.”

Steve sighs, and sniffles, “thanks Eddie.”

“You want take out? I’ve primed you a miniature, if you still want to try your hand.”

“Can we watch a shit film too?”

“Oh fuck me I’d love to watch a shit film,” Eddie says vehemently into Steve’s hair.

Steve laughs against his chest.

Steve doesn’t have it in him to try painting his owlbear tonight; he picks forlornly at his duck rolls, “I’m sorry I’m not very good company.”

“It’s okay, I get it...I miss him too.”

“Oh, so you admit I’m being shit company?” Steve smiles for the first time this evening.

“Oh, yeah, the absolute worst.”

Steve phone pings and he practically dives for it, but then he melts, face going soft as he looks at the message, “Jamie’s asleep,” he shows Eddie the picture.

“Safe and sound,” Eddie reassures Steve for probably the fifteenth time this evening.

“I didn’t...I mean I knew I’d love my pup but...I didn’t know it would feel like this, you know? It feels crazy. And I mean...Jamie’s happy, and healthy, and that just makes absolutely everything feel...right? Does that make sense? Like...fulfilled.”

“I...yeah. I think I understand,” Eddie tells him quietly, because he feels like that about the both of them, as long as Steve, and by extension, Jamie, are both happy and healthy then...yeah. Yeah, the whole world feels like it’s an okay place to be.

“Eddie I-”

“Steve-”

They speak over each other, and end up laughing, leaning closer together on the couch. The remains of Steve’s half eaten dinner get moved to the safety of the coffee table. They’re close enough then that Eddie can see the dim light from the TV reflecting in Steve’s eyes.

“You go,” Eddie whispers to him.

Steve shakes his head, but takes Eddie’s hand in both of his, rubbing his thumb over Eddie’s knuckles, Steve whispers back, “you first.”

“I...I really like having you in my life Steve. And I don’t want to...to fuck that up, by expecting more from you.”

“I...yeah. Same.”

“Same?” It comes out as a surprised laugh.

Steve’s laughing too now, “what do you want me to say I mean...you pretty much covered it.”

“I have spent ages agonizing over this and and and- all I get is- yeah. Same. I guess. I suppose.”

Steve is properly laughing now, “come here, I’m sorry, I’m sorry” he pulls Eddie close, and manages to stop laughing long enough to kiss his cheek, “okay,” Steve takes a deep breath, “I’ve just had a pup, and both me and that pup care about you so very much, and I did not want to mess it up by expecting you to take that on, okay?”

“You’re not a chore Steve, neither of you are a chore.”

“I mean he was sick on me the other day and that kind of felt-”

Eddie cuts him off with a kiss. It’s soft, a gentle press of lips that Steve...sighs into. Relaxes into. Lets Eddie take both their weight. Steve’s hands find their way into Eddie’s hair as Eddie gently wets Steve’s lip, and Steve lets him in.

It feels like coming home.

[steviewashere]

Do you guys think Robin dragged Steve to see Pretty in Pink when it came out? And then Steve had to sit there and watch Robin gay it up in the theater over Molly Ringwald?

Or do you think Steve dragged Robin to see it, only for the both of them to freak the fuck out about Molly Ringwald? Or, even funnier, Robin was talking about Molly, meanwhile Steve was talking about Jon Cryer as Duckie (because, listen, Blane looks too much like Steve)—but Robin was under the assumption that they were both talking about Molly Ringwald.

And then after the movie, they go to the bathroom and Steve just goes, "Dude, I think I'm gay. Like, not full blown. But. I think I'd fuck Duckie."

Robin's like, "You were focused on Duckie? Molly Ringwald was right there!"

Steve would just shrug his shoulders and nonchalantly dry his hands off. "Yeah, well. I guess I like the freaks."

And yes, they're in the men's bathroom. And yes, absolutely, Eddie is in one of the stalls (also there to see Pretty in Pink, believe it or not). And he's just thinking, No way Steve's into guys...but also...he could be into me...I have a chance!

Cut to months later when Eddie's part of the group. He's just being himself at a hangout. Zany. Obnoxious. Weird. All the good shit.

Steve pulls Robin to the side and before he can even open his mouth, Robin places her hand on his lips and goes, "I know...I know, Steve. You wanna fuck Eddie. But I don't need to know that, you keep that to yourself."

[robinbuckleyfanclub]

choreography and dance student chrissy shares a gym schedule with sports medicine student steve, they become friends and eventually he introduces her to his best friend, music education student robin, who just happens to be the girl chrissy has secretly been losing it over in their shared music history class. little does robin know he had figured out weeks ago that his gym buddy was the pretty strawberry blond robin had been talking about gawking at every day in that same class. gay pining and hijinks ensue.

[beritybaker]

On One Condition

This is a fluffy little ditty inspired by "We Danced" by Brad Paisley (because I'm a sucker for a good country love song). It is also technically a part of the Right-Side Up universe I've been writing for a while, but works as a standalone.

Rating: G | Tags: No Upside-Down AU, Meet-Cute, Bartender Eddie, Meddling Robin, Slow Dancing | ao3

When the door opened, Eddie was ducked behind the bar, staring into the mini fridge and trying to decide whether he should bother telling Hank they were out of maraschino cherries. He cursed under his breath, kicking himself for not locking up first. The last thing he wanted to deal with was whatever drunk idiot might wander into the Hideout after 2:30 AM.

“We’re closed,” he called out, shutting the fridge as he rose to his full height.

“Oh, right. Sorry. I’ll be out of your hair in a minute,” the intruder said. “I was just wondering…if you found a wallet tonight? Would’ve left it a couple hours ago.”

Eddie was surprised by how coherent the voice was, but that wasn’t what made him frown in pure confusion. Steve Harrington? King Steve? Since when does he come here?

He must have been staring, because Harrington—or the being Eddie was beginning to suspect was his secret twin or something—sounded uncertain when he prompted, “So…did you find a wallet?”

“Uh.” Eddie shook his head to clear it. “I…yes. Yeah.” He’d found it just after midnight, in plain view on the table in the corner. A wallet getting left behind was such a regular occurrence, though, that he hadn’t even bothered to look for an ID yet. He’d been planning on dealing with it after his closing routine. Now, though, he walked to the cash drawer and popped it open, then pulled the wallet out of the special slot he’d designated for such things. It was well-worn, nondescript brown leather, and sure enough, Harrington’s face smiled up at him when he opened it.

“That’s it! Holy shit, you have no idea how happy you just made me,” Harrington cried.

Eddie couldn’t help tilting his head and asking, “What the hell were you doing here, anyway? You a secret punk rocker or somethin’?”

“Ah, no,” Harrington chuckled. All of a sudden, he looked a bit uncomfortable. “I was actually here with a friend. You know Robin Buckley?”

“Sure.”

“She dragged me here because—“ He cut himself off, then simply repeated, “She dragged me here.”

“Right,” Eddie said slowly, drawing the word out. He knew that since working at the ice cream place in the mall together, Harrington and Buckley had been attached at the hip. For some reason, that put Eddie’s mind a little more at ease—even if he was still struggling to suppress every horny teenage thought he’d ever had about the guy as they suddenly resurfaced. He tossed the wallet onto the bar and sighed, “Well. I’ll have to have a talk with her about bringing in the riffraff.”

For a split second, Harrington looked offended. Then he seemed to take in Eddie’s smirk, and he grinned back. “Don’t worry. I think she decided to steer clear of the place from now on.” He didn’t pick up his wallet, instead leaning both hands on the edge of the bar. “Sorry again, Munson. For, you know…barging in while you’re shutting things down.”

He knows my name? “Don’t worry about it, man. You had to find the Amex before your dad noticed it was gone.” Eddie winked to show him it was another joke.

“That’s actually a good point. I was mostly scared of getting pulled over without my driver’s license.”

Harrington’s sheepish grimace stirred something in Eddie. At first he chalked it up to another facet of the physical attraction that had plagued him since they’d been in gym together in school, and he’d been forced to witness King Steve stretching and sweating and prancing around in those little shorts they’d had to wear. After a moment, though, he realized there was something else to it.

Steve Harrington wasn’t just hot as hell. He had the audacity to be charming, too.

Eddie bit his lip. Against his better judgement, and seemingly without input from his rational brain at all, he murmured, “Listen…you wanna stick around while I close? I could use someone to talk to other than the walls.”

Steve blinked, but his obvious surprise quickly gave way to a pleasant smile. “I guess I could use the company, too.” He sat on the nearest stool and leaned both elbows where his hands had been before, cradling his chin in his hands. “I won’t be in your way here, will I?”

“No, you’re fine right there.” Eddie tried to ignore the heat in his cheeks. What the hell have you gotten yourself into, Munson?

“No fucking way!” Eddie said. “They fired you guys for it? That’s so fucked up.”

“No arguments here,” Steve giggled.

“That’s why I never saw you there again?”

“Sure is.” He shot Eddie a coquettish wink. “I’m surprised you noticed.”

An hour before, Eddie would’ve been supremely embarrassed at the implication of Steve’s words. But they’d been talking so long by that point that the grin he answered it with was equally flirtatious. “’Course I did. You were the only reason I ever went there.”

“Now that’s unbelievable,” Steve quipped. “You went to the mall just to see me at work and never even talked to me?”

“Sure. I mean, it was really my friend Gareth. Kid loved that U.S.S. Butterscotch monstrosity. But I could’ve made him go alone.”

“You didn’t, though.” Steve smiled in a way that somehow seemed smug and bashful at the same time.

“No, I didn’t,” Eddie agreed, smirking.

He’d taken his time cleaning up the bar; even so, he’d finished half an hour ago. Normally he would’ve been doing a belly flop into his sheets by now, but it turned out talking with Steve was as fun as it had been unexpected, and he was reluctant to put an end to it. Part of him regretted not striking up a conversation on all those visits to Scoops Ahoy—even if reality dictated he never would’ve had the guts to. In truth, Gareth was a conniving little shit who hadn’t dragged him along just for the ice cream.

There was a quiet moment, then Steve said, “Can I tell you something?”

Eddie’s brow furrowed. In all their conversation, this was the first time since sitting down that Steve seemed a little nervous. “Sure,” he said again, trying to act like he hadn’t noticed the shift.

“You know how I said I was here with Robin earlier?”

“Yeah…”

“Well, she tricked me into coming here because she knew you were working.”

Eddie stared. “She did?”

“Yeah.” Steve sighed an anxious laugh. “She, uh…she spent a whole hour trying to get me to talk to you, but I didn’t want to bother you while you were on the clock.”

“To be fair, man, talking to people is a pretty big part of the job,” Eddie chuckled.

“The truth is, I kinda have…well, I got a little bit of a crush on you.” Steve’s voice had been getting gradually softer, so that his last words were barely more than a whisper.

Steve Harrington is into me? The Freak? Eddie remained silent, unable to come up with anything intelligent to say.

“I think Robin might’ve even stolen my wallet to make sure I had to come back for it,” Steve grumbled. The way he wrinkled his nose was adorable in a way that made Eddie smile in spite of his utter shock.

Sounds like Gareth and Buckley would get along. That thought, along with the acknowledgement that his own schoolboy crush was alive and well, was what snapped him out of it.

He glanced at Steve’s wallet. It had been sitting on the bar between them since he’d put it there, and they’d all but forgotten it while they’d talked. He looked at Steve again, who was refusing to meet his eye despite the cautiously hopeful expression he wore.

“In that case,” Eddie finally said, grabbing the wallet off the counter and holding it up, “you’re only getting this back on one condition, Harrington.”

Steve finally looked at him, eyebrows raised. “What condition?”

Eddie was already facing the radio behind the bar, raising the volume and tuning it to the easy-listening station that always plagued him in the early-morning hours, when he’d had a long night at work and it was the only one actually playing music. “Dance with me,” he said.

“What?”

“You’ll only get your wallet back if you dance with me.” As he walked out from behind the bar, he stuck the wallet in his back pocket. Then he raised his arms to beckon Steve forward, carefully toeing the line between mischief and warmth.

Standing there with his arms at his sides and his eyelids fluttering rapidly, Steve looked like his brain might start dripping out of his nose. “You wanna…dance?”

“I wanna dance with you,” Eddie corrected.

“Why?”

He snorted. “Because as it so happens, loverboy, I enjoy dancing with pretty people. I’m unique in that way.”

Eddie’s sarcasm seemed to finally draw Steve out of his daze. Slowly, his lips stretched into a wide grin. “I’m pretty, huh?”

“Of course,” Eddie scoffed. He beckoned again, this time raising his eyebrows and jutting out his chin as if to say, Now c’mon, Harrington. We’re burning moonlight!

Still grinning, Steve approached with caution. He gingerly placed his hands on Eddie’s waist, then whispered, “Is this alright?”

“Yeah,” Eddie sighed. He felt himself start to melt under the slight pressure of Steve’s touch. How could he not? He’d been enamored with the guy off and on for no less than three years. Even so, it was a bit of a surprise how something so simple made his heart start hammering like it was trying to break out of his chest. He didn’t let himself think too hard about where to put his own hands; when they landed on Steve’s chest, he murmured, “What about this?”

“Yeah,” Steve said. He sounded even more breathless, and his heart was going a mile a minute under Eddie’s palm, too.

For a moment, they just stood with their hands on each other, staring. Eddie was so swept up in studying Steve’s eyes up close—noting the gorgeous way the flecks of gold in his irises caught the low light—that he didn’t notice they’d started swaying until they’d been at it for a while. In fact, the thing that finally brought it to his attention was Steve closing his eyes as his smile took on a dreamy quality.

They gently rocked back and forth, and Eddie’s fingers inched upward, past Steve’s collarbone and all the way over his shoulders, until one of his arms slid around Steve’s back. The other smoothed down his arm, urging it upward until he could catch Steve’s hand in his own. Then he let his head fall forward and tucked his cheek against Steve’s.

As they danced, Eddie closed his eyes, too, intent on taking a mental snapshot of what he considered the most sublime moment any human being had ever been blessed with.

Steve’s hand in his was firm, but soft. Every breath that puffed against Eddie’s ear was a welcome reminder of their closeness. And Steve’s cologne was somehow a perfect complement to the lingering stale-cigarette smell that had never left the Hideout and probably never would.

Eddie barely heard the music at all. Instead, they danced to a rhythm all their own, moving together with perfect ease, and without having to discuss it. It was as if they’d been dancing like that every night of their lives. Eddie never wanted it to end.

It had to, though. He knew it had to. That didn’t make the pressure in his chest or the lump in his throat any easier to bear when Steve slowly leaned away from him and met his eye.

It must have been obvious on his face, because Steve’s smile was full of genuine sympathy. “I should probably be getting home. If my folks get up and they find out I was out all night…”

“No, I…I get it.” Eddie tried to smile back, but cringed internally at how misty-eyed the whole thing was making him. For fuck’s sake, Munson. You were just dancing. Get a grip.

“Thanks for asking me to stay,” Steve said.

“Thanks for leaving your wallet,” Eddie countered, managing a smirk.

Steve made a small, startled sound, like he’d forgotten about the whole reason they’d been dancing in the first place—the whole reason he’d ended up at the Hideout after close. In the next instant, his cheeks turned pink. The reaction was encouraging, Eddie had to admit.

Without a word, and without pulling his gaze away from Eddie’s, Steve leaned closer. For a brief, lightheaded moment, Eddie thought he was about to kiss him. But then he rocked backward again, and he lifted his hand between them, holding up the wallet he’d just pulled from Eddie’s pocket.

“Oh,” Eddie breathed, before he could stop himself. Disappointment, relief, and mild embarrassment swirled through his head, making him blush, too.

Steve chuckled. As he backed away fully, his free hand seemed reluctant to part from where it was still perched on Eddie’s waist. He made his way to the door, but turned around with the same hand on the knob. He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head. “Do you always work on Saturdays?”

Eddie was so focused on the subtle sway of Steve’s hips—one he swore hadn’t been there when he’d walked in—that it took him far longer than it should’ve to answer Steve’s question. His cheeks grew even warmer as he stammered, “Uh, y-yeah. Usually.”

Steve grinned. “Good to know,” he said. Then he slipped out the door and into the sun’s first light.

It became a ritual. Every Saturday, Steve would come by for a drink and “forget” something, so that he could come back after everyone else was gone to retrieve it. Most often it was his wallet or a jacket. One time he managed to play off leaving his keys and not coming back for them until two whole hours had passed.

And every Saturday, after conversations that began to lengthen exponentially, Eddie would playfully remind him that he wasn’t going to be leaving with all of his belongings unless he agreed to a dance.

It didn’t take long for Eddie to stop bothering with the radio. They didn’t need it anyway.

One thing did take a while, though, and it was thanks to nerves more than anything else. Nearly two months after their first dance, Eddie murmured the words right into Steve’s ear as they made yet another slow turn across the bar: “Do you want to go out sometime?”

He felt Steve’s cheek shift against his as he smiled. “On a date?”

“Yeah. A real one.”

“I’d like that.”

“What would you want to do?” Eddie asked.

Steve hummed thoughtfully. “What about dinner?”

“I’d like that,” Eddie echoed. It earned him an equally playful pinch to the ribs.

“After that, we could rent a movie. Go back to my place to watch it since my parents are out of town,” Steve went on. His voice was heavy with implication.

Well. Eddie wasn’t about to say no to that. He swallowed the urge to start jumping up and down, only barely managing to rein in his excitement when he said, “Are you free on Tuesday? That’s my next day off.”

“I can get Robin to cover for me.”

“Good.”

Steve squeezed his hand. His cheek twitched again, and he repeated, “Good.”

“Hope I don’t leave anything at your house by accident.”

He threw his head back as he laughed. “It’s about time I have the home field advantage.”

[steddieunderdogfics]

El cóndor pasa by Stevieschrodinger

@stevieschrodinger

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

9,876 words, 1/1 chapters

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Tags: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha Eddie Munson, Omega Steve Harrington, Mpreg, Pre-Relationship, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, Pining, POV Eddie Munson, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, Steve Harrington is Over Nancy Wheeler, nancy isn't great, meddling robin buckly, Childbirth, steve has his pup, eddie is not the father, Background Chrissy/Robin, Mentions of Blood, mentions of body fluids, Hospital, because of the childbirth, Happy Ending, Food as a Metaphor for Love, talk about gross pregnancy stuff, Breastfeeding, pec feeding?, Platonic Soulmates Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington

Summary:

“I’m just saying it’s manipulative.” “Manipulative? Eddie you can’t be serious.” “I am, now, where’s the dish? It’s got to be around here somewhere.” “Maybe in this box, clearly labelled ‘kitchen’?” Dustin snarks, “and I don’t see how you can say behaving in a way that’s been dictated by your very biology is...manipulative. That’s not fair, man.”

This rec is a part of Challenge Monday. The challenge this week was Fics featuring food.

Know a fic that deserves extra love? Submit through our asks or the submission box!

[lavenderstobins]

The Families of Stranger Things

A short post of established family members for all your fic needs, including info taken from the books and the play. This is done for fun and interest only, but the information is accurate.

The Wheelers

“My mom was young. My dad was older, but he had a cushy job, money, came from a good family. So they bought a nice house at the end of the cul de sac, and started their nuclear family.” (Nancy Wheeler, s1)

Nancy and Mike have a younger sister, Holly, who is 13ish years younger than Nancy and 9ish years younger than Mike. Their parents are Ted and Karen Wheeler, with the play revealing Karen’s maiden name to be Childress.

They have a cousin, Joanna, though it’s unclear whether it’s paternal or maternal. They also have a grandmother referred to as ‘Nana’ in s3.

(The blonde wig Mike puts El in in s1 is said to have belonged to their grandmother who died of cancer, but this was stated in an interview with the show’s hairstylist so it’s debatable whether it’s ‘canon’ or not.)

The Byers

Jonathan and Will are the only children of Lonnie and Joyce Byers. Lonnie is shown to have a younger girlfriend named Cynthia in s1.

Joyce’s maiden name was revealed to be Maldonado by the play. She also had an aunt named Darlene who was thought to be crazy, but it hasn’t been specified what side of the family she was.

The Ives

El is the daughter of Teresa ‘Terry’ Ives. Terry has a sister, Becky. Terry and Becky also have an aunt named Shirley.

The book Suspicious Minds reveals that Becky is the older sister and that their father was named Bill Ives. Both of Terry and Becky’s parents died in a car accident.

The book also reveals that El’s biological father was a man named Andrew Rich, who died in the Vietnam war due to Brenner’s meddling. Andrew’s parents were both alive at the time of his death, but neither were named.

The Sinclairs

Lucas and Erica’s parents are Sue and Charles Sinclair. Sue’s maiden name was revealed to Anderson by the play.

Either Sue or Charles has a brother named Jack, as Erica refers to an ‘Uncle Jack’. Lucas on the Line reveals that Jack is the brother of Charles.

The Hendersons

Dustin is the only child of Claudia Henderson. The play reveals that his father is a man named Walter Henderson and that Claudia’s maiden name is Yount.

The Mayfields

Max Mayfield is the daughter of Susan Hargrove. Runaway Max reveals that her father’s name is Sam Mayfield. She also has an uncle Jack (revealed by her writing him a letter in s4) but it’s unclear what side of the family he’s from.

Briefly, Max’s stepfather was Neil Hargrove, and her stepbrother was Billy Hargrove. After Billy’s death, Neil divorced Susan. Susan’s maiden name has not been revealed.

The Harringtons

Not much is known about Steve’s family. Canonically, Steve refers to his father as an asshole and claims that his mother is ‘super well-respected’. Neither of them have yet been named.

Steve’s paternal grandfather is named Otis Harrington, revealed via the essay Steve wrote in s2.

It is unknown whether Steve is an only child or has siblings.

The Buckleys

Even less is known about Robin’s family in the show. Robin notes that her mother reminds her of her flaws on a daily basis.

Rebel Robin reveals that Robin’s parents are named Melissa and Richard Buckley. It also states that she has a grandmother named Minerva, though it doesn’t state which side of the family.

The book states Robin to be an only child.

The Munsons

Eddie was taken in by his paternal uncle, Wayne. His father was incarcerated and had previously taught him how to hotwire cars.

Flight of Icarus reveals that Eddie’s father is called Al Munson, further backed up by the play revealing him to be called Alan Munson. Eddie’s mother was named Elizabeth and she died of an illness when Eddie was just six years old.

The Hoppers

James “Jim” Hopper was previously married to a woman named Diane. They had a daughter together named Sara, who died of cancer when she was still a child.

Hopper’s father was also named James Hopper. He also has a deceased grandfather who is unnamed.

(Hopper’s ex-wife, Diane, remarried a guy named Bill and had another child whose name is unknown.)

[allyricas]

has anyone ever read a fic where tommy and carol refuse to just lose their friendship with steve, so they also get roped into everything. maybe not season 1, because both sides are still smarting from the fight. but season 2 rolls around and instead of tommy sidling up to billy, he and carol also abandon their moderate popularity to stop being assholes.

steve is a part of them. there's no tommy and carol without tommy and carol and steve. it's the three of them. and hell, if that means apologizing to nancy and jonathan than so be it. if it means, going over to nancy's the same day as steve where all three of them get intercepted by dustin fucking henderson than so be it.

when it means helping board up an old bus, tommy and carol stay. they stay when demodogs show up. they help the kids and steve. carol holds max's hand and doesn't let herself think too much about how nice it is to be helpful.

tommy and steve back to back fighting monsters. they way it should always be.

when it means standing up to billy because no one is laying a hand on steve nor on some random fucking kids, tommy takes a few punches. tommy and steve back to back fighting monsters, fighting unhinged teenage boys with rage issues-as long as he has carol and steve, things are okay. even billy cannot win two on one. no one gets any concussions. no teenagers end up driving stolen cars.

they all go into the tunnels. they help save the day and fuck, it feels good to be on the good side. it begrudgingly feels even better when they apologize to nancy and jon.

maybe in the end, it's not tommy and carol and steve anymore. because they have friends that aren't douchebags. yeah, a large amount of them are middle schoolers who are actually really fucking cool. even if its nancy wheeler. because, nancy is not a priss. she's actually a badass of epic proportions. jon's alright if he's quiet and a bit of a loner. and steve is steve. he's there between them where be belongs.

steve's decision to be a good guy ends up leading tommy and carol into choosing to be better too and they wouldn't have it anyother way.

eventually the three of them become four when robin buckley somehow seamlessly fits in with them like she'd always been there. eventually eddie munson finds his way in, too. tommy and carol aren't sure about sharing steve, but they aren't assholes (much) anymore. robin is actually snarky and witty in a way that carol enjoys immensely. eddie is cool which pains all of them, including robin, to admit out loud. he's like, genuinely funny and a little bit ridiculous in a way they can't help but like.

when tommy and carol notice that steve really, really likes eddie...they meddle a bit. because their boy deserves to be happy and loved and eddie looks at him like he hung the moon. they meddle when they notice the way robin gazes at nancy after she and jon amicably break up. robin is a goddamn delight and she's theirs too now, so they help steve make it happen.

just tommy and carol willing to do whatever it takes to make sure steve is in their life forever, okay.

[piratefishmama]

don't know about you but professional hugger Eddie and touch starved Steve absolutely reeks of some Robin Buckley meddling to me

Oh, she's Steves office workplace buddy and ABSOLUTELY got Eddie's details from her girlfriend Chrissy, Eddie's bestie.

The meddling would be STRONG in this lmal

[shares-a-vest]

@steddielovemonth Day 14: Love is... Being late to work because you can't ever say goodbye in a reasonable amount of time (Prompt by @sharpbutsoft)

wc: 1,278 | Rated: M (just to be safe, this one is a little spicer and more explicit than usual) | cw: None

Tags: Steve Harrington Loves Eddie Munson, Getting Together, Robin Buckley, Platonic Stobin, Running Late, Family Video

Note: Gosh I hope this one is Steddie enough seeing as Eddie is only here in Steve's spicy morning after thoughts...

'The Mysterious Case of the Broken Doorknob'

Steve groans when he reaches the front glass doors of Family Video and realises his best friend has already opened up. His face burns, not just from the morning sun reflecting off the store’s front windows – his shades really do nothing – as he thinks about the reason he is late.

Eddie. Eddie. Eddie.

His friend-turned-date-turned-overnight-boyfriend’s teasing words and wicked grin play over in his head like a fucking slot machine. Meanwhile, inside, Robin’s head shoots up from where she was glued to the computer, likely startled by the sound of him practically slamming into the front doors in haste.

“Where have you been!” she yells, her voice only slightly muffled by the glass between them.

Eddie, he thinks.

Eddie and the way he says (or doesn’t) say, ‘goodbye’ the morning after.

Eddie with that wild morning bed hair flicking every which way as he moved to blanket himself over Steve. His naked warmth enveloping Steve in a comfort that lulled him back into a half-sleep, his eyes only fluttering back open again as Eddie began to move, his hands roaming and carding through his chest hair.

Scratching his skin... Sinfully pitching his nipple, giggling when Steve squirmed under his touch...

Eddie's mouth joining the teasing... That mouth moving down... All the way down until a tongue playfully licked the tip of his –

“S-Sorry!” he splutters, ripping off his sunglasses when he finally gets the stupidly sticky door open.

He waves (or more, flails) a hand in Robin’s direction, avoiding his best friend’s burning gaze as he makes a beeline for the back office.

If he can just get to his shitty broken locker without any prying, he might manage to conjure up a decent enough excuse with regards to his tardiness.

Only this isn’t the first time Steve hasn’t quite made it in a reasonable amount of time because of escapades from the night before trickling into the morning after. Hell, most of the time he runs late for work the next day.

Plus, Robin knows Steve went on his first date with Eddie last night.

She knew they were going to Benny’s and that Steve had lined up precisely six separate make-out spots they could head off to afterwards.

Only, they didn’t even get that far.

They were about halfway through dinner when he and Eddie both agreed that after all this time, a full eight months after Spring Break, they should just throw away the playbook entirely.

“Wine and dine me later, sweetheart,” Eddie had joked, hopping out of the diner’s back corner booth and offering his hand.

The thing is, it didn’t exactly feel like a first date anyway.

Not after all that time. After hospital stays and visits. Not after healing and the awkwardness of Steve setting things right with Nancy. Not after he and Eddie at least began acknowledging that nagging something between them... Not after all the pining and flirting thereafter...

Not to mention all the meddling from everyone around them...

But this was different, he quickly decided as he discarded his burger – something he’d never willingly given up before.

With Eddie it is different…

So they went back to Steve’s house – something he promised himself he’d stop doing with ‘first dates’. He hastily parked the car on the drive, flicked on the inside entryway light and all but bolted up the stairs, hands interlocked with Eddie’s.

By the time they got to the upstairs hall, Eddie was ripping off his leather jacket and Steve was unbuckling his belt, all before they made it to his bedroom.

It was hot and rushed to begin with, as they both stripped down to nothing, pressing kisses to any piece of bare flesh they could get to before they lowered onto Steve’s bed.

And for once, Eddie didn’t make a quip about the checked bedspread and matching curtains. It might have been something like that, Eddie’s self-preserving snark falling away along with Steve’s uncharacteristic nervousness that turned it all soft, gentle and tender.

As they touched, skin to skin... Taking and giving as their bodies moved together... Kissing and licking as a sweaty heat grew between them... Moaning with no inhibitions and gasping into each other’s starved mouths...

Holding onto each other for dear life until they collapsed in a sweet haze, barely cleaned up but entirely sated.

Steve startles, brought back to reality by Robin’s big and quizzical knowing eyes looking back at him as she now blocks the office door.

“Spill!” she demands, poking him hard in the chest.

“Ouch – Rob... Scram!” he retorts, elbowing her in hopes she’ll move.

But she doesn’t. Instead, Robin clamps her hand down hard on the office doorknob at the exact time he does and they scuffle, grumbling and pushing and bickering unintelligible nonsense at each other –

Until the doorknob breaks clean off, the other half of it dropping to the floor on the other side of the door.

“Shit,” Steve curses, scrubbing a hand over his face while Robin is left gawking at one-half of the broken doorknob still firmly in her grasp.

“Okay… Well, know you have to tell me what happened,” Robin quips, “Or at least enough to spare some time while I think of what to do about this.”

Steve shrugs and settles for dumping his backpack by the door.

“I’ll just go to the hardware store in my lunch break.”

“A lunchbreak you think you are still entitled to seeing as you are…” Robin sucks in a breath and looks at her watch, “Almost an hour late!”

“Fine!” he relents, turning on the spot so he can all but collapse against the broken door with a hard thud.

“S-P-I-double-hockey-sticks, Dingus!” Robin repeats, her voice a whole octave higher as she plants herself square in front of him.

She begins tossing the broken doorknob expertly from hand to hand, the motion doing nothing to stop Steve’s head from spinning about everything last night – and this morning...

“Eddie and I barely made it through our date before went back to my house and boned, okay!” he admits, a hot rush creeping up his neck again.

He screws his eyes shut, trying desperately not to think about the sensation of Eddie’s pale skin against his.

His warm and soft flesh... His calloused fingers switching between deftly working and greedily exploring... The ridges and puckering of the scars that now litter Eddie’s body... The ones on his sides that match Steve’s own...

Eddie’s flushed and very nice – smooth…

“Whoa,” Robin says.

He feels the warning creak of the door as she joins him shoulder-to-shoulder.

“Yeah…” he sighs, “And then this morning Eddie gave me the best blowjob I have ever had and I didn’t want to leave – Rob, my brain feels like jello.”

“Huh...” Robin hums, pausing for a long moment, “Never took Munson for a Casanova in the bedroom – wait, no... I don’t want to think about his – ” she shudders, “No offence! Anyway, I would have covered for you.”

She knocks into his shoulder.

“Could’a told me that a few hours ago, Robs,” he quips, storing away the offer for the (hopefully, inevitable) next time.

Now at an angle – because the slightest bump is sending him off his axis in his current horny jello-brained state – Steve reaches into his back jeans pocket only to find it empty.

Fuck.

“What is it?” his best friend asks and Steve can just sense that Robin is frowning too.

“I forgot my wallet,” he dry-sobs.

“Steve!” Robin yells into his already-sensitive ear, “How in the hell are we going to pay to fix this door!”

[midsummer-semantics]

come fly with me

Here's my week 1 submission for @steddiesmuttyseptember and @softsteddieseptember 🫶🏼

Prompts: Mile High Club, Meet Cute, Watching the Sunset

Rating: Explicit

Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Las Vegas, Meddling Robin Buckley, Gay Steve Harrington, Gay Eddie Munson, Steve Harrington is a Sweetheart, Eddie Munson is a Sweetheart, Meet-Cute, First Meetings, First Dates, Blind Date, Eddie and Nancy are siblings, background Robin Buckley/Nancy Wheeler, Mile High Club, Steve Harrington Has a Breeding Kink, Eddie Munson Has a Breeding Kink, these men just want to get each other pregnant so bad, Condoms, because they're still smart about it, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Happy Ending, it's kind of cracky but whatever, Daddy Kink, almost forgot that one. it's only once but it's there

Summary:

Steve cannot believe he let Robin talk him into this. Honestly, of all her meddling and insane plans in this past, this one really takes the cake. A blind date is bad enough, but a blind date where he’ll be stuck having dinner in a plane for an hour with no way to leave if it goes bad? Steve doesn’t mind the flying aspect, it’s the idea that he can’t make an excuse to go to the bathroom and run if the guy turns out to suck. What’s he supposed to do? Do they have parachutes for this kind of thing?

————— Or: Robin and her girlfriend Nancy set Steve and Eddie up on a romantic date in the sky... or do they?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/58667440

[stevieschrodinger]

Part One Two Three Four

Eddie loads the dryer but leaves it open for now; Steve’s asleep on the couch, his pup on the play mat on the floor next to him. Eddie checks the pup every few minutes; he’s pretty content right now, making a concerted effort to get his romper covered foot into his mouth.

He’s a pretty good pup, as far as Eddie can tell. Eddie’s apartment is a mirror of Steve’s, sharing the lounge wall, which means Eddie doesn’t really hear anything at night, their bedrooms are as far apart as they can be.

He’s heard him once in the day though, mid afternoon, crying. Just that once though, and Steve says he only wakes up once in the night for a feed and a change, and apparently that’s pretty good. Or at least, Steve seems happy with it, Eddie has no clue what's normal or not for new pups. Or any pups.

Steve’s still taking the opportunity to nap, though, and Eddie’s letting him. The pup is only ten days old, after all.

Eddie figures he can do their lunch dishes too, so he heads into the kitchen to tidy up. It doesn’t feel weird, letting himself help out around Steve’s place. Feels like home. Feels right.

Eddie likes it.

His Alpha definitely likes it.

Eddie’s done the dishes, dries them, puts them away, and decides it’s time for another loop of the apartment to check on Jamie. He’s fine. He’s waving his arms about and making happy pup gurgling noises.

There’s a knock at the door. Sharp. Very confident; also very fucking annoying. Eddie’s eyes flick to Steve and, yup, whoever it is has disturbed Steve and he’s stretching on the couch, starting to wake.

Eddie answers the door, finding the most petite female alpha he’s ever seen in his life. She frowns spectacularly at the sight, and scent, of Eddie, “can I help?”

“This is Steve’s apartment.” It is not at all delivered as a question, and Eddie guesses if she knows Steve well, she can scent damn well that this is his apartment.

“...can I help?” Eddie repeats, trying his damnedest not to let his hackles rise at the strange Alpha pushing on their boundaries. There’s a new pup in the apartment, and Eddie’s Alpha is the most alert it’s ever been right now.

“Eddie, who is it?” Steve calls from inside, and the Alpha steps closer.

Eddie has to resist the urge to just slam the door, but he can’t stop himself from swinging the door tighter to himself, blocking the doorway with his body, when the Alpha takes a step forward.

“Steve, it’s Nancy,” she calls.

“Oh.” Steve says, and Eddie can’t work out that tone at all, “okay Eddie, she can come in.”

Eddie still pauses for a second, having a mad glare off with this tiny Alpha, before he backs down and makes just enough space for her to pass.

She ignores him, going straight in and hovering near the couch, clearly pausing when she catches sight of the pup, “I heard you’d had a pup but…”

Steve sighs, bending down from where he’s sitting to scoop Jamie up into his lap, “his name is James.”

Eddie can feel how fucking awkward this is, the atmosphere between these two palpable. Eddie debates leaving, for a split second, this isn’t actually, anything to do with him.

He doesn’t though, he can’t, he shuts the door, and then hovers awkwardly behind the couch, and behind Steve.

Nancy eyes him again, and Eddie stares right back. Steve sighs. “If you two want to have a pissing contest you can do it some place else. You’re making it stink in here.”

As if on cue, Jamie starts crying.

“You’re right, he should go,” Nancy says.

“Excuse you?” Eddie can feel his eyebrows dragging his whole fucking face up into a scowl.

“Oh no,” Steve stands, “we’re not doing this, Eddie, do you mind taking him a sec?”

Eddie swells with pride that Steve would trust him with the pup, right this second. He probably actually puffs his chest up like an idiot, but he can’t make himself care. He takes Jamie into the nursery, bouncing him and holding him so he can scent at his neck, making nonsensical shushing noises. Unfortunately he can’t hear Steve and Nancy talking over Jamie’s half formed warbling in his ear, but it only feels like a couple of minutes before the pup settles and the front door clicks shut.

Steve comes in, looking tired suddenly. Tired and worn, “you okay?”

Steve shrugs, “she just came to remind me that I’m a stupid omega.”

Eddie has to bite back a growl, “she what?”

Steve laughs, but it’s empty and there’s no humor in it, “she didn’t actually say that. She said I would have been better to have a little more security before I had a pup. That having an Alpha I’m not mated too around the place is a bad idea. She asked if you were the father.”

For a second, Eddie’s heart feels like it tries to beat twice in one go, “what did you tell her?”

“That I don’t know who the father is. Technically true, but I put it like that to get a rise out of her. She always thought I was...flighty.”

“That’s a very polite way of putting that.”

Steve shrugs, coming close and scenting the top of his pups head, “I just wanted a mate. A family. Someone serious,” he shrugs, “I guess you’ve got to kiss a lot of frogs or whatever. Just never...found the one that turned out to be a prince.” And Steve scents sad. He scents so godamn sad, “but I’ve got Jamie now, and we don’t need anyone? Do we pup?”

Eddie excuses himself, and goes home.

The knocking at Eddie’s door could be described as fucking obnoxious, so Eddie knows it’s Robin before he yanks it open.

“Steve said he hadn’t seen you for a couple of days.”

“Uh hu.”

“He also said Nancy had been over, was she a bitch? Did she say something to you?”

“No-”

“So why are you avoiding Steve?”

“I am not avoiding Steve-”

“Great, so you won’t mind coming over then. Me and Chrissy brought take out.”

Eddie sighs down at his adventure Crocs, listening to the happy chatter from inside the apartment. He really needs to get it together. He forces himself to think about that fact that he’s just made an amazing new friend, and that he gets to be a part of Steve’s life, and that he should be happy with that.

He really, really needs to be happy with that.

He’s just, he thinks, gotten his shit under control enough to knock when Robin drags the door open, “oh, figured you’d gotten lost, was just about to mount a search and rescue."

Steve and the girls are piled onto the couch, so Eddie takes the armchair. Jamie’s in his Moses basket, off to one side where Steve can look over him. The coffee table is covered with take out.

“Eddie,” Steve smiles all happy at the sight of him, “we missed you, you been busy?”

“Uh, yeah, work, you know, got busy,” Eddie says lamely. He can feel Robin eyeballing him, so he ignores her in favor of duck rolls and chicken chow mien.

They go back to the conversation they were clearly having before Eddie arrived, “I’ll definitely go out with you,” Chrissy is saying, “I mean, I won’t be any good at it, I’ve literally never played basketball, but you can teach me.”

“I’m sure you’ll be fine, you have cheerleader reflexes. I just need to practice with someone to get back in shape before I go out with the guys again, you know.”

“Yeah,” Chrissy agrees, “just getting out there will do you good.”

Steve hums, “I’m already getting really restless, you know?”

“I’d be climbing the walls, have you been out for a run yet?”

“Couple of times, but was more of a brisk walk, with the stroller, but I felt so much better afterwards.”

“Well, when you do get out for one, let me know, I can come with you for the first few while you find your feet?”

“Yeah, that would be great, I don’t know how far I’ll manage, but I’ve really got to get moving.”

“Eddie, help me with the coffee?” Robin distracts Eddie away from Steve and Chrissy’s, quite frankly, horrifying conversation. Sports? Running?

“You look like you’re going through the seven stages of grief, or whatever,” Robin laughs at him.

“What?”

“Don’t worry, I went though the same thing with Chris.”

“What...thing?”

She turns to him, rolling her eyes, “you just realized that you’ve fallen in love with a jock?”

“Oh. I-Oh no.”

“Oh, sure, I can watch Jamie,” Eddie finds himself agreeing easily.

Steve’s wearing...well. Eddie’s not sure. He can't look. They’re shorts, Eddie’s pretty sure. They’re...green, maybe? But the most important feature is that they’re so tiny as to be practically indecent. Hence Eddie maintaining fierce eye contact.

Behind Steve, Chrissy is...stretching? Eddie guesses that’s what that is? Steve’s already got a little color in his cheeks and he’s bouncing on the spot a little.

“I’m real out of shape so we won’t be gone long, okay? Like, half hour, max.”

“Sure,” Eddie grabs his keys and slides into his adventure Crocs.

“He’s literally just been fed and had a change, he should sleep the whole time. Obviously help yourself to anything,” Steve is saying as Eddie follows him down the hall, "I've got my phone, so just call if you need and we can come straight back."

Jamie is there in his basket, the TV playing something quietly, and Steve kneels and scents his pup real quick before he goes.

The curve of Steve's ass is peeking out of the bottom of the shorts, the milky skin inside his spread thighs- Eddie stares at the ceiling. Nope nope nope, “sure,” he tells Steve, and the ceiling, “we got this.”

Eddie waits for the door to click shut before he moves again, looking down at Jamie, who gurgles, "what the fu-I. Sorry. I shouldn't swear in front of you but, I mean. I'm pretty sure I'm in love with your dad, is the thing."

Jamie farts, and then starts to cry.

Eddie sighs.

Part Six

[steddie-fanfic-recs]

Dude, Your Girlfriend Is A Lesbian!

by weirdpurplepanda

Rating: Mature Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationship: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson Character: Eddie Munson, Steve Harrington, The Party (Stranger Things), Robin Buckley, Dustin Henderson, Gareth (Stranger Things), Corroded Coffin (Stranger Things) Additional Tags: Not Canon Compliant - Stranger Things 4 Vol. 2, Fix-It of Sorts, Canon-Typical Violence, For the first two chapters - Freeform, Eddie Munson Has a Crush on Steve Harrington, Gay Disaster Eddie Munson, Eddie Munson Lives, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Jealous Eddie Munson, Eddie thinks Steve and Robin are dating, Platonic Soulmates Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington, Outing, Eddie outs Robin, To Steve so no harm done but still not super cool of Eddie, Dungeons & Dragons References, Meddling Dustin Henderson, Steve Harrington Has Bad Parents, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Fluff and Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Lesbian Disaster Robin Buckley, Minor Robin Buckley / Original Female Character, Hairdresser Steve Harrington, Period-Typical Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Nothing is as easy as it should be thanks to shitty parents, Eddie Munson Takes Care of Steve Harrington, No beta we die like Barb, Eddie Munson Has Chronic Pain, Misunderstandings, Eddie Munson Needs a Hug, Robin Buckley Needs a Hug, Robin Buckley Has a Girlfriend, Steve Harrington Needs a Hug, Therapy, Recreational Drug Use, Eddie Munson is Bad at Feelings, Eddie Munson is Bad at Flirting, When it counts, Steve Harrington is a Sweetheart, Steve Harrington & Dustin Henderson Friendship, Dustin Henderson & Eddie Munson Friendship, Awkward Flirting, Awkward Eddie Munson Words: 117,122 Chapters: 25/25

Summary

“Dude!” Eddie snapped, cutting off Steve talking about how Robin’s hair had a 'cute' little cowlick at the back. “I hate to tell you this but… Shit. Dude, your girlfriend is a lesbian!” To Eddie’s surprise, Steve began to laugh. Or: Eddie thinks Steve and Robin are dating and hates every second of it.

[kbirbpods]

Original Work: out of the closet & into the crypt by @peaktotheocean

Rating: General Audiences

Relationship: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley/Chrissy Cunningham, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington

Tags: Cemetery, Gay Pride, Matchmaking, Alternate Universe, Eddie Munson Can See Dead People, Hard of Hearing Steve Harrington

Audio Length: 30 minutes, 10 seconds

Summary:

Eddie should have known that the meddling ghosts who reside in Hawkins Historical Cemetery would use his new Pride history tours as an opportunity to try and set him up on a date

Notes: podded for @reena-jenkins for Summer Swap 2023! This was the main gift and surprised me by kicking off a love of Stranger Things podficcing for me... especially by this author!!!

[reddie-ao3feed]

Maturin the meddling turtle

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/KFBJ0qS by RandomPhantom28 Basically Mike Wheeler is Richie Tozier and Maturin decides to be a meddling piece of shit. Add in a badass, gay twin sister, lots of Mike-centred angst, and the rest of the party being little shits, while watching Mike’s past of Derry, and ‘Pennywise the Dancing Clown’, and you might get the basis of this book… Fuck this shit. Words: 16, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: IT - Stephen King, IT (Movies - Muschietti), Stranger Things (TV 2016) Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M Characters: Original Tozier Character(s), Mike Wheeler, Richie Tozier, Richie Tozier's Parents, Ted Wheeler (Stranger Things), Karen Wheeler, Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Steve Harrington, Lucas Sinclair, The Losers Club (IT), Dustin Henderson, Erica Sinclair, Eddie Kaspbrak, Eddie Munson, Eleven | Jane Hopper, Jim "Chief" Hopper, Joyce Byers, Will Byers, Jonathan Byers, Nancy Wheeler, Robin Buckley, Beverly Marsh, Ben Hanscom, Bill Denbrough, Stanley Uris, Mike Hanlon, Henry Bowers, Henry Bowers's Gang (IT), Georgie Denbrough, Betty Ripsom, Patrick Hockstetter, Reginald "Belch" Huggins, Victor Criss, Original Female Character(s), Maturin | The Turtle, Pennywise (IT) Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Bill Denbrough/Stanley Uris, Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh, Joyce Byers/Jim "Chief" Hopper, Eleven | Jane Hopper/Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Richie Tozier & Stanley Uris, Richie Tozier & Everyone, Beverly Marsh & Richie Tozier, Maggie Tozier & Richie Tozier & Wentworth Tozier, Richie Tozier & Original Female Character(s) Additional Tags: Watching it, Twins, Richie Tozier as Mike Wheeler, Mike Wheeler Needs a Hug, Mike Wheeler Needs Therapy, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Watching the past, Secrets, The Party are Little Shits (Stranger Things), apart from Mike (surprisingly), Break Up, like everyone is gay, Blood and Injury, Original Character(s), I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, How Do I Tag, I Don't Even Know read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/KFBJ0qS

[ilovecupcakesandtea]

Chapter one Chapter eight My master list

Title: Chapter seven

Word Count: 1628

Archive Warnings: Smut in future chapters. Slight angst. Alcohol misuse.

Rating: E

Pairing(s): Eddie Munson/Steve Harrington Robin Buckley/Chrissy Cunningham

Character(s): Eddie Munson, Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley, Chrissy Cunningham, Benny, Uncle Wayne & The Party

Tags: Smut. Angst. Steddie. Buckingham. Steve Harrington. Eddie Munson. Robin Buckley. Chrissy Cunningham. Band AU. TW Alcohol use.

Summary (optional): Two different styles of music, two boys that really don't like each other. What could possibly go wrong?

Beta Reader: Thank you so much to my beautiful beta readers @slippy-slip @ladydarklord & @dontwasteyourchances

Art link and credit: Art is by the wonderfully talented @pink-luna-moth (as is the banner)

Fic link and credit: Ao3 Link

AN: First off thank you to Alex for the art and being just amazing to work alongside. Thank you to Slip for dragging me back from the edge so many times over this. I really am so excited to have this out here!!

I wrote this for the @strangerthingsreversebigbang event and had a lot of fun doing so!!

Divider links: reblog and music notes

Two weeks later, the girls set their plan into motion. Chrissy had told Eddie that she wanted to meet him at his favourite coffee shop and Robin told Steve the same. The morning of, all they could both do was wait and hope it all went ok. 

Eddie was the first to arrive, thinking back he should have known something was wrong. Chrissy wasn’t a fan of this coffee shop, she preferred the sugary drinks from the place around the corner. He sat down and knowing full well he was about 10 minutes early got his book out to kill time. 

“Have you seen Robin?” a voice asked from beside him, “I was meant to be meeting her here” 

“And I was meant to be meeting her little meddling witch of a girlfriend.” Eddie sighed, looking up at the face of Steve. 

“This was a set up, wasn’t it?” Steve grumbled.

“ ‘fraid so” Eddie replied, “you don’t need to stay if you don’t want to” 

“No, we should talk, if they’re getting involved it’s gone on too long,” Steve said sitting down with his coffee opposite the other brunette. “What have I done? Don’t say it’s not me because I’m the only one you’ve been ignoring and I’m the only one you avoid. So, what have I done?” 

“That night at the club hurt, ok? I wasn’t expecting declarations of love or even a date. But damn, it was cold as fuck to just go and find someone else to take home right under my nose.” Eddie said, fidgeting with his fingers. 

This felt like a make-or-break moment; there was a chance Steve could get really freaked out and walk away from everything. Steve could tell him he was with that other guy and that they could still be friends or he could tell him that taking that guy home was a mistake. 

“You zipped up your pants and walked away from me within seconds” Steve pointed out. “We walked back into the club, grabbed drinks, and you walked away from me without a second thought.”

“I wanted to give you space. We haven’t exactly been the best of friends, well ever. I wanted to give you a chance to work out what you wanted, if anything, from me.” Eddie replied, finally looking at Steve. “You went and found someone within a handful of minutes and didn’t take too much longer after that to take him home, so I figured you didn’t want anything from me. It just really hurt to see it thrown in my face is all.” 

“I’ve been such an idiot.” Steve declared moving to sit by the other man “I thought you walking away meant you didn’t want anything and regretted what had happened. I found him to make myself feel better, he was actually awful in bed” he ended with a laugh. 

“I’m not even going to pretend to be sorry that my replacement was bad in bed” Eddie smirked, turning to face Steve. 

“He could never replace you. You’re the most insufferable person I know, but despite that, I’d like a do-over of this whole thing. If that’s ok with you.” Steve asked. 

“I’m sure we can do that. It was a miscommunication on both parts.” Eddie said

“Can we turn this into a date? A coffee date or a date somewhere else, you choose, I just want to take you on a date” Steve said.

“How about take away coffee and a walk back to mine?” Eddie asked, suggestively raising an eyebrow.

“I’ll get the coffee” Steve replied, standing up and heading back to the counter as quickly as he could, leaving Eddie cackling after him on the couch. 

The walk back to Eddie’s consisted of holding hands, drinking coffee, and pressing each other into as many walls as they could with kisses and giggles. 

Stumbling through the door to the apartment, clothes were quickly shed. The two boys made their way through to the bedroom, where they spent the next few hours wrapped together.  

“Shall I make us something to eat before we have to head to band practice?” Eddie asked later in the day, walking out of his bedroom in just his sweatpants slung low on his hips. 

“Please babe, I am hungry after that workout.” Steve laughed, following him in his boxers and a t-shirt he’d grabbed off the floor that he was sure was Eddie’s now he looked at it again.

“We can’t tell the girls their plan worked, we’d never hear the end of it if we did.” Eddie said, starting to go through his cupboards for the ingredients he needed.

“Agreed, say nothing has changed but make it very obvious something has?” Steve suggested. 

“I like your way of thinking,” Eddie declared as he started to cook.

Walking into Chrissy’s garage in the early evening they noticed that the girls were both already there and going over some lyrics they must have been working on. 

“Look bunny, it looks like they made up” Robin cheered, nudging Chrissy and nodding toward the boys that had just walked in.

“Not at all, your ridiculous plan didn’t work, I walked out as soon as I saw him” Eddie frowned, his arm very clearly slung over Steve’s shoulder and Steve’s arm very clearly around his waist. 

“Which is for the best because I wouldn’t have stayed anyway,” Steve said. 

“Ok, sure,” Robin shrugged. “Eddie’s shirt looks good on you though so maybe steal from his wardrobe more” 

“You’re welcome asshole” Chrissy shouted as she headed back into her house to grab something. 

Things changed from that evening onwards. Band practice was a lot more relaxed and hanging out for a little bit afterward always happened. Writing practice also saw a change in the lyrics, gone were the days of Eddie being poetic over doomed love he was now waxing lyrical over ‘big brown doe eyes’ and thick heads of soft brown hair. 

The band interacted more on stage as well in their next gig which the fans seemed to love. Eddie was his normal charismatic self but he was all over Steve, touching him every opportunity he got, running his hands through Steve’s chest hair, on display as it always was when he was on stage, and singing any kind of dirty lyric to him.

“So, guys, you know my mom’s been in contact with a few record studios to get us sometime in a booth so we can record some of our songs and finally get them out there?” Chrissy asked as they all sat around her garage writing one evening. “Well, she’s managed to get us one week next month! We need to decide what we’re going to be recording.”

Chrissy’s mom had taken an almost manager’s role, her job as a lawyer and specialising in contract law she wanted to make sure if the band did get shown any kind of contract that they were treated fairly. Letting the band manage the actual running of the band and any drama there, keeping to making calls and checking contracts. 

“That’s amazing! I’ll make sure to get her some flowers to say thank you” Steve said from his spot on Eddie’s knee. 

“Should I be jealous? You never get me flowers, are you trying to woo Mrs Cunningham under my nose?” Eddie teased, poking Steve’s ribs and making him giggle.

“Yes, I’m trying to seduce Chrissy’s mom.” Steve replied, rolling his eyes “Think it’ll work Chris or do I need to add more Harrington charm to things when I see her next?” 

“Please don’t talk about you and my girlfriend’s mom” Robin gagged, causing everyone else to fall around laughing.

One of Eddie’s friends, Gareth, was a producer and was free enough to join them for their recording session. The band had spent the three weeks they had between finding out and recording to practise the songs they wanted to record as much as possible and running through the track order so it all flowed smoothly. 

The Monday morning of recording week saw the band awake and at the studio bright and early setting everything up ready for when Garetharrived. He had already spoken to them over speakerphone to give them a rundown of how the week would go and a timeline for what would happen after. They had decided that the album would be 10 songs lasting roughly 50 minutes. 

“Let's get this show on the road!” Gareth shouted as he walked into the studio where the band was waiting. “Quicker we start laying things down, the quicker all this comes together. Almost no song ever gets recorded just once so be patient and stick with it and it’ll be magic, okay?” 

It was decided that the bass and drums for each song would be recorded first so that they could be used to keep the beat for the vocals and guitar. The first couple of songs were recorded fast and by the end of the first day the band walked away exhausted and achy but with a feeling that something great really was happening. 

The rest of the album was recorded during the rest of the time they had, the band having to take breaks to rework things with Gareth's Input so that everything flowed better. As they left the studio in the early hours of the Saturday morning, there was a real buzz of excitement over what they had managed to accomplish in the last few days. They had been able to have a listen to a rough copy of the album before they left and they were all really proud of what they had been able to accomplish on their own, well with Gareth’s help. Now to get it out there and on sale.

[steddieunderdogfics]

El cóndor pasa by Stevieschrodinger

@stevieschrodinger

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

9,876 words, 1/1 chapters

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Tags: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha Eddie Munson, Omega Steve Harrington, Mpreg, Pre-Relationship, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, Pining, POV Eddie Munson, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, Steve Harrington is Over Nancy Wheeler, nancy isn't great, meddling robin buckly, Childbirth, steve has his pup, eddie is not the father, Background Chrissy/Robin, Mentions of Blood, mentions of body fluids, Hospital, because of the childbirth, Happy Ending, Food as a Metaphor for Love, talk about gross pregnancy stuff, Breastfeeding, pec feeding?, Platonic Soulmates Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington

Summary:

“I’m just saying it’s manipulative.” “Manipulative? Eddie you can’t be serious.” “I am, now, where’s the dish? It’s got to be around here somewhere.” “Maybe in this box, clearly labelled ‘kitchen’?” Dustin snarks, “and I don’t see how you can say behaving in a way that’s been dictated by your very biology is...manipulative. That’s not fair, man.”

This rec is a part of Challenge Monday. The challenge this week was Fics between 5k - 10k.

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