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steddiemas · 8 months ago

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rating: gen cw: death/dying, births, babies, period typical homophobia, drinking, underaged drinking, parties tags: life throughout the years, old men steddie, mentions of lumax, everyone grew up, sappy shit word count: 2353

written for @steddiemas prompt "midnights" and "first"

It’s New Year’s Eve 1987 when Eddie and Steve kiss for the first time. That Christmas and subsequent New Year's were the first holidays Eddie had celebrated out of the hospital and he overdid it a little.

Or at least that’s what they were claiming. They were drunk and swept up in the holiday. Everyone was counting down and kissing, it didn’t mean anything. Friends can kiss. A point not helped by Steve trying (and failing) to kiss Robin.

They didn’t know what they didn’t know. It was a lot of tension that had to go somewhere and for months after they both insisted it meant nothing. Leaning heavily on the two drinks they’d had and the neighbor’s fireworks. It was a nice kiss but just the sort of things friends do. It meant nothing.

By the time they were ushering out not just a year but a whole decade, Eddie and Steve were kissing on purpose. As often as possible. They’d held out for too long but both of them managed to get their heads on right and realize their feelings. Together they made 1989 insufferable for everyone around them.

As Dick Clark counted down the last seconds of the year, Eddie had already pinned Steve against the wall. If there weren’t so many witnesses, they’d have rung in 1990 with a blowjob and not just a kiss. New relationships are like that, especially when it took so long to get there.

The following year marked the first time Robin took the second runner-up friendship kiss because Eddie and Steve were right all those years ago. Friends can and do kiss and Robin is too important to Steve to not be his next kiss of any new year.

In 93, they celebrate the new year alone in their new house. Everyone else is at the bar but the new home smell hasn’t worn off yet, Eddie and Steve stay home and watch TV. Little did they know it was the start of a trend. Soon enough they’d be picking their couch over the bar. Not yet, they've got a few more years left in them, but it does give them the delicious taste of celebrating at home a little sooner than their peers.

And they did go out consistently, each year. Until they celebrated the arrival of 1996 along with their new baby. Robin surpassed best friend duties and with some help from science, she and Steve had a beautiful baby girl almost a month before the new year. Steve was given full custody (not that the courts made it easy) and their lives would never be the same.

The two exhausted dads still managed to be up as the calendar flipped from 1995 to 1996 but not by choice. A colicky child who hadn’t known a night’s sleep since coming home with them didn’t stop for the holidays. Both Steve and Eddie were too tired to care, never mind kiss. If not for the neighbor's fireworks, they wouldn't have known.

Sixteen months later, a son was welcomed into the house. This time he was Eddie’s and it was the same struggle to make that legally binding but absolutely worth it. Their little house was overflowing with love and happiness.

Something about kids made time move differently and now they were ending another decade. Their friends were all over the country and no longer able to pop down to the same bar. Most of them were in the same boat as Eddie and Steve; a house full of kids and no desire to find a sitter. It didn't matter much anymore that the date was changing, not when there were things like first steps and first words to mark time with.

They all called each other the next day, everyone talked about the family portraits in the Christmas cards and about how tired they were. While it wasn’t the same, it was nice that the year started with familiar voices and favorite people. Even nicer that none of them had to give everything up to be a parent.

A new decade gave way to a new millennium. Time kept passing. Eddie swore he could still pass for twenty but his thinning, graying hair said otherwise. He blamed all of it on Steve, which was something Steve wore like a badge of honor. He still had a full head of hair and had never minded being a menace to Eddie.

The passing of time was measured like that now. Not with big parties or the use of a calendar but with graying hair and enrolling their daughter in school. Milestones were different and had nothing to do with the date. It was a favorite sweater their kid had outgrown and the way the lawn needed mowed yet again.

Of course, they still celebrated New Year, at a respectable eight o’clock. With fabricated ball drops and sparkling apple cider, Eddie and Steve still kissed as their children danced around the backyard with sparklers. Everyone was sound asleep by midnight with smiles still on their faces.

Life got boring but never stopped. Another decade passed and they were thinking about driver’s licenses and colleges. Steve and Eddie both were content with this being the rest of their lives. Nothing exciting or new but also nothing to complain about.

They made it to 2012 before they put a new twist on an old classic. Life wasn’t done throwing them curveballs. A late-night phone call from a party two towns over, their daughter was drunk, scared, and didn’t know what else to do. So she sat on a stranger’s lawn and called her dads, both of whom rushed to get her.

Eddie filled the car ride home with talk of all the parties he went to before he was old enough and Steve let him have the lie. Especially because correcting him would mean talking about all the parties Steve actually went to (and never seen Eddie at). They got her home safely and counted every blessing that she called.

The next day was filled with more of the same. Never once did they say they were disappointed because they weren’t. Both of them had been there and wanted to make sure that she knew no matter where she was or what time it was, they’d come to get her. In its own weird way, it was a great note to start the year on.

Two years later Eddie and Steve got another first, one they never thought they would. For the first time in actual decades, they stayed up to ring in another year because this time they could as newlyweds. Their oldest was in college and they’d been living together since before they could rent a car but now they could finally, legally marry. It made Steve as mad as it did happy.

The Munson-Harrington household became an official hyphenated household. In the months that followed, they adopted the child they didn’t father, and everyone could have the same last name for the first time. It might have been the best year in recent memory. A much-needed change to their family.

Little did they know but it was also their last Christmas and New Year with Wayne. A gift they all wished they’d enjoyed while they had it. Of course, they couldn't have known, there was always going to be another year. Until there wasn’t. Not the sort of change in routine they were looking for but one they certainly felt.

They were old enough now that that’s how they celebrated, losing things. Family, hearing, the car keys. It was always something. Even the kids were gone. Both of them were away at college now, in New York and Indiana, and neither wanted to come home for the holidays. They had their own friends to celebrate with now.

Still, Steve and Eddie crashed the dorm one year, son in tow, and forced their daughter to take them to Times Square. Eddie booed the musical acts and heckled the sorry excuse for a host for simply not being Dick Clark. Things that were different sucked and never mind the fact that the man is dead, he’s the only acceptable host of Rockin’ New Year’s Eve. The location was different yet somehow things felt too familiar.

Steve expected it all to be lame but there was an atmosphere to get swept up in and boy did he. In fact, they all did. Even the kids who’d made hating things a career. Especially things Steve and Eddie liked.

Eddie kissed Steve under the actual ball everyone references this time of year and he dipped him like a soldier victoriously coming home as their kids protested and not a single person around them noticed. After all these years, the magic wasn’t gone but that wasn’t a surprise to them.

The next year brought another milestone that no one was keen to cross, the invitation to the wedding of Lucas and Max’s kid. Eddie and Steve still felt the ink drying on their own marriage license but it forced them to acknowledge both of their kids are old enough to get married. Not a point in favor of the wedding.

In fact, it resulted in a panic about the finances of that. Not that either child has shown they’re ready, Steve’s need to be prepared for everything and they start squirreling away funds and selling things they no longer need.

There aren’t many more celebrations before one of the group becomes a grandparent. From there it’s like dominoes. In the span of two years everyone who can be, is. Steve and Eddie included.

At first, it’s funny. They all tease each other about the frightening reality of their age. Gag gifts are sent in the mail and no phone call happens without a jab about the grandparenthood of both parties.

Eddie hasn’t claimed to be in his twenties in a few years and now, seemingly, is only seen in shirts proclaiming his grandpa status. The only way he could be prouder was if somehow he and Steve were having another kid. Steve doesn’t settle into the role as easily.

It’s been more years than he wanted to count since he’d talked to Joyce Byers but Steve finds himself wishing he could reach out and ask for advice. What was it like watching all of them scatter the country and have kids? How’d she cope with it?

Steve doesn’t really have the time to process it like that, though. Once it starts, it never stops. There’s an alert on social media or mass text sent every other month announcing someone else’s new bundle of joy.

Half the party’s identity gets wrapped up in their grandkids, no longer having interests of their own. Steve and Eddie try to find the balance, though it does get harder when their son moves back to town.

To prove they’re still their own people and not just granddads whose happiness rests on kids that aren’t theirs, Steve and Eddie leave the country for the first time. Not Canada, not even Mexico. They take a Mediterranean cruise. Sure, it’s a boat filled with other old people, but Eddie and Steve have a blast.

Retirement is becoming a more and more real conversation and not a far-off, one-day situation and Steve picked out several cruises for them once they’ve got the free time. Eddie would follow him to the ends of the Earth but he did veto the 90-day cruise. It was too long to be on a boat.

For now, 2025 is upon them (not retirement). A year that once felt made up, even Doc Brown only traveled to 2015. Steve and Eddie had their whole family together and were teaching their daughter how to fake a New Year's celebration so her kids felt like they got to participate but no one had to stay up until actual midnight.

Both their kids whine and protest like they’re still five, complaining that the holiday parties they remembered were faked. Eddie points out she was whining much like they had, not wanting to stay up until some ungodly hour for the kids. It’s what parenthood is. One day their kids will throw a fit about it but they’ll remember the parties with fondness.

Steve falls asleep on New Year’s Day with all his grandkids in his lap, a collective naptime of people who’ve lost all semblance of time and lived off pizza. Eddie sends a picture to everyone they know. His kids post pictures on various sites, immortalize it in videos for the world to see, and Eddie grumbles about living in the moment.

Then he tries to fake the moment by pushing his kids to pose with their dad, with their kids, and pretend to sleep. Something that doesn’t work with adult children but Eddie had to try. Instead, he settled for getting his son to help him make the picture his lock screen before they went off to eat more cold pizza and let the others rest.

No one knows what the years to come will hold but if Eddie’s learned anything, it’s to not discount the surprises. There are still firsts to come but right now, he loves the boring, the bland, and the expected. He loves sitting in his dining room, picking veggies off his pizza like he’s always done, and listening to everything his kids have been up to.

Eventually, Steve will join them. Making their son-in-law get up from “his” chair like everyone had warned would happen. Still holding a sleeping baby against his chest because he had the magic ability to make babies fall asleep and the parents were thankful for the silence.

Neither Steve nor Eddie are sure if they’ve kissed so far this year but Steve plays footsie under the table, a sly smile on his face that Eddie’s sure he’s worn since the eighties, and everything feels right. This is what people are wishing each other when they say Happy New Year. He's lucky enough to have found it and know it's his for the rest of his life.

#steddiemas2024 #prompt: firsts #prompt: first #prompt: midnight #week 5 #endings and beginnings

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steddiemas · 8 months ago

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Sharing life with old friends

rated t | 5.2k | ao3

For @steddiemas, prompt: confession, midnights

a When Harry Met Sally AU and Happy New Year!

1987 Road-trip

It all started when Steve and Eddie became roadtrip partners when members of the party introduced them. Since they were going to the same city, it just made since to ride together from their small little town of Hawkins.

On the way, they mostly bickered, but stopped at a little diner they found to grab a quick bite before heading on the road again.

How they ended up on the topic of Steve’s sex life, he didn’t know.

Eddie telling him, “Well obviously you haven’t had good sex yet.”

“Yes, I have!” Steve said, indignant.

“No you haven’t.” Eddie threw over his shoulder.

“It just so happens that I have had plenty of good sex!” Steve declared, glancing around the room as multiple eyes turned to stare. Clasping his mouth shut and slightly sheepish, he walked over to their booth.

Looking over the menu, Eddie asked, “With whom?”

“What?”

“With whom did you have this great sex?” Eddie crossed his arms over the table.

“I’m not gonna tell you that.” Steve said, affronted.

“Fine, don’t tell me.” Eddie waved a hand, feigning indifference.

“Tommy Hagan.” Steve revealed, knowing the boy had some status and reputation of being decent in bed.

“Tommy? No.” Eddie shook his head. “No, you did not have great sex with Tommy.”

“I did too.”

“No you didn’t. A Tommy can do your income taxes. If you need a paint job, Tommy’s your guy. But good sex is not Tommy’s strong suit. It’s the name, ‘Do it to me, Tommy’, ‘You’re an animal, Tommy’, Ride me, Tom-my’, doesn’t work.” Eddie pressed.

Just as Steve was about to reply, the waitress comes up. “Hi. What can I get you?”

Eddie doesn’t hesitate. “I’ll have a number three.”

“I’d like the chef’s salad with oil and vinegar and an apple pie a la mode.” Steve ordered.

“Right. I’ll have that out for you in a bit.” The waitress walked away, leaving the boys to go back to their conversation.

“So, how come you broke up with Tommy?” Eddie asked.

“How do you know we broke up?”

Eddie gave him a look. “Because if you didn’t break up, you wouldn’t be here with lovely me, Steve, you would be out with Tommy.”

“First of all, I am not with you. And second of all, it is none of your business why we broke up.” Steve was running a short wire with all the questions Eddie had about his love life.

“You’re right. You’re right. I don’t wanna know.” Eddie put his hands up in surrender, looking away.

Steve paused. “Well if you must know, it was because he was an asshole and I didn’t want to put up with his bullying anymore.”

“Huh, right on.” Eddie nodded.

Trying not to look too pleased, Steve continued talking to Eddie until they got their food.

After dinner, Steve was calculating the tip, keeping his hands busy, and looking down at the receipts.

He glanced up and noticed Eddie staring at him with a small smile. “What? Do I have something on my face?”

“You’re a very attractive person.” Eddie stated.

Surprised, Steve dropped his hands. “Thank you.” He said, not knowing how else to respond.

1997, 10 years later

They had run into each other again about 5 years ago, but only briefly talked before separating again. Although Eddie was sure the person he was staring at was the guy he had a roadtrip with to college all those years ago.

It felt like a lifetime ago, but here this man was again in his life, Steve Harrington. He was beautiful, and almost exactly how he looked when Eddie first met him.

He noticed Steve talking to an enthusiastic girl, her ranting to Steve, making gestures, and maybe talking a little too loudly for a bookstore.

Eddie didn’t mean to interrupt them, but he couldn’t let Steve go by in his life, again. He walked up to them. “Steve Harrington.”

Steve looked up with a smile. “Hi, Eddie.”

“I thought it was you.” He shrugged.

“It is.” Steve gestured to his side. “This is Robin…was Robin.” As the girl Steve was talking to waved to them from the stairs.

“How are you?” Eddie asked.

“Fine.” Steve nodded. “How about you?”

“I’m fine. Would you wanna catch up somewhere after this?”

“Sure. I’m free the rest of the day?”

“Great. Wanna go now?”

They strolled through the nearest park together, talking about what they were doing now, joking around, having a nice time without the bickering tension they used to have.

Dinners and phone calls became regular between them, each of them falling into a routine. They would call each other most nights if they hadn’t decided to meet before then. It was nice having someone to talk to everyday, someone to invite, someone to go places with, or at least that’s what he was telling himself. They were just friends, but Steve couldn’t help but maybe wanting more.

They were at a museum together, looking around at all of the things on display and Eddie started doing funny voices when walking around, pretending to be the statues talking. Steve, amused by Eddie’s antics, giggled alongside him.

Until suddenly Eddie asked in a silly voice, “Would you like to go to the movies with me tonight, your highness?” Eddie bowed.

Steve laughed, and curtsied. “Why, with a knight like you, you just might have to work for it.”

Eddie grinned. “Steve, would you like to go to the movies with me tonight?”

Face falling, Steve remembered the date he was supposed to be going on tonight. Even if he would rather spend the night with Eddie. Robin said he fell too hard, too fast sometimes, and he didn’t want to ruin the friendship he’s been building so long with Eddie. They were best friends and he didn’t want to ruin that with his overwhelming feelings. And the sooner he got over it, the better.

“Oh. Oh, well I’d love to Eddie, but I- I can’t.”

“What do you have? A hot date?” Eddie wiggled his eyebrows, talking again in a deeper voice.

“Well, yeah. Yeah.” Steve admitted.

“Really?” Eddie asked with a note of surprise.

“Yeah. I was gonna tell you about it, but I don’t know, I just…I felt strange about it.” Since really the last thing he wanted to do was talk about a date he was going on with the man he was currently crushing on.

“Why?” Eddie asked gently.

“Well, because we’ve been spending so much time together.”

“Oh, I think it’s great that you have a date.” Eddie said enthusiastically.

Steve stopped. “You do?” If Eddie was really okay with it, then Steve really had to take the hint of Eddie’s nonexistent feelings for him.

“Yeah!” Eddie put a smile on his face, and Steve couldn’t tell if it was forced or not.

Steve walked a couple feet away, trying to give them space, and for Eddie not to see the slightly disappointed look on his face.

“Is that what you’re gonna wear?” Eddie called.

Steve turned around. “Yeah.” He looked down at himself. He thought his yellow sweater and slacks were nice enough to wear, and he wasn’t trying to impress the guy all that much. But since Eddie called him out on it, he was starting to second guess how he looked. “Well, I- I don’t know. Why?”

Eddie swallowed. “I just think you look really good.”

Steve blushed. “Really?”

“Yeah.” Eddie smiled and walked closer. He turned his head away from Steve, talking about the artifacts in the museum again. “You know, I have a theory that hieroglyphics are really an ancient dnd campaign story about a character named Sphinx.”

Steve’s eyes traced the profile of Eddie’s face.

Months pass until it’s almost Christmas, snow covering the ground, leaving an untouched pure winter wonderland in the city.

Eddie and Steve bought a Christmas tree together, taking it to Steve’s apartment to decorate, putting their own touches on it. Picking out the perfect tree had been such an ordeal at the tree farm, but Eddie had to admit, it was a pretty damn perfect one.

Since it was too long of a drive to get back to Hawkins for Christmas, they spent the holiday together. Filling the other in on annual traditions each of them had, and participating with each other. It was nice, comfortable…one of the best Christmas’s either of them had in a long time, it felt like home.

They were invited to a New Year’s party, and it just made sense to go together. They were best friends, they loved spending time with one another.

That’s how they ended up here, with Eddie whipping Steve around on the dance floor, bringing him in close.

“Dipping you.” Eddie said lowly.

“Oh!” Steve arched his back, leaning into the dip of Eddie’s arms. When they were right again, Eddie’s arms tugged him in closer.

“I really want to thank you for taking me out tonight.”

“Oh, don’t be silly.” Eddie dismissed. “The next New Year’s Eve if either one of us is without anybody, you got yourself another date.”

“Deal.” Steve grinned, thinking of how much he would love to spend another year with Eddie, as friends or maybe, eventually, more.

They danced cheek to cheek, swaying with the music, arms wrapped around each other. Eddie felt the heat of Steve’s hands, one cupping the back of his neck, and one laying across his shoulder. Eddie couldn’t help but cherish this, he could smell Steve’s cologne, nuzzling a little closer to Steve’s head, getting a whiff of his shampoo. He closed his eyes, loving being this close to Steve.

“Ten seconds to New Year!” The crowd shouted, starting the countdown.

“10!”

“Want to get some air?” Eddie suggested.

“Yeah.” Steve said, dazed.

Heading outside, Eddie gripped Steve’s hand in his. Telling himself friends held hands all the time to help navigate.

“Happy New Year!” The crowd whooped right as they made it outside, dropping their hands.

Everyone started singing Auld Lang Syne, while they stood.

Eddie looked at Steve, in awe of how far they’d come. Steve was beautiful under the low light of the street lamp. His hair holding a golden sheen, the expression on his face glowing. Eddie couldn’t take his eyes off him for a couple seconds, finally opening his mouth.

“Happy New Year.” He breathed the same time as Steve. Eddie leaned in and gave Steve a chaste kiss. It was New Year’s, it was customary to kiss at midnight. Or that was the excuse he gave himself.

He wrapped his arms around Steve, holding him tight.

1998

Throughout the year, the months passed swiftly, Steve and Eddie doing what they always do. Inviting each other for different outings, calling each other at night, spending almost all their time with each other, each of them not wanting to be anywhere else. The chaste kisses between them were the only change in their relationship. It just became a thing, along with their comfortable displays of affection, not afraid to lean into each other, cuddle up, kiss cheeks or lips in a haste. But they were best friends, just best friends.

In the time that had passed, the only change was Steve’s best friend, Robin, being introduced to Eddie’s best friend, Chrissy, and them falling for one another almost immediately.

The only other change was Steve’s new boyfriend. They met sometime in October and Eddie thought the guy was a total dud. His name was Jonathan, and was really big on photography. So much so, he randomly took pictures of everyone and anything he could, even at inappropriate times when no one else wanted him to. Steve found it endearing I guess, but Eddie couldn’t help but find it creepy.

Besides, ever since they started dating, his daily phone calls to Steve and their nightly dinners dwindled down, his time always taken up by the creeper instead. Eddie was barely seeing Steve as much as he used to.

To cope with the amount of jealousy he was feeling to see them together all the time, when he was able to even get a glimpse of Steve, he found himself a new boyfriend as well. His name was Billy. He was on the buffer side, not as preppy as Steve, but still with flourishing hair.

The guy was kinda a jerk at times, but at least he wasn’t outright a douche to Eddie. He wasn’t being treated terribly, and the kissing wasn’t all that bad. He liked being picked up, and thrown around, what could he say. He knew Steve could probably do that too, though.

Everyone was invited to a couple’s night in Robin and Chrissy’s new apartment together, with Steve and Eddie, and their new boyfriends. Steve should’ve been feeling happy for Eddie, but he couldn’t get the sour feeling pooled in his gut to go away.

This guy, Billy, was a fucking douche. And not at all the right guy for Eddie. He should be with someone kind, someone who can banter without talking down, someone who’s not twice the size of him.

He couldn’t help staring over at Eddie, trying to catalogue how he was feeling, and if he was really in this with Billy.

Jonathan wrapped his arm around Steve’s waist, trying to pull his attention away from them.

Brushing it off, Steve turned to focus back on the game. Or at least he tried. The game was over before he knew it, his mind wandering for most of the time.

He got up to help Robin with getting everyone drinks, briefly giving Jonathan a kiss on the cheek.

On his way to the kitchen, Robin in front of him, he hesitated just in time to see Billy give Eddie a quick peck. Feeling his stomach churn unhappily, he stepped away to the kitchen.

Trying to sound inconspicuous, Steve started, “Billy’s a little buff for Eddie, don’t you think?”

“Well he’s buff, but look what he’s done.” Robin shrugged.

“What has he done? He looks like he takes steroids.”

“He works out everyday. Maybe Eddie likes being dominated, who knows.”

Steve scoffed, waving away the image of him dominating Eddie. “Eddie doesn’t even like muscly guys.”

“Jonathan is great.” Robin said, changing the subject.

“I know. He’s a photographer.” Steve lifted his shoulder.

December

“Hello?”

“Are you alone?” Steve asked.

“Yeah. I was just finishing a book, it’s The Hobbit, you have to read it, Stevie.”

Steve sniffled. “Could you come over?”

“What’s the matter?” Eddie asked, concerned.

“Jonathan cheated on me.” Steve said in a small voice.

“I’ll be right there.”

Eddie raced to Steve’s apartment, he was going to kill Jonathan, how could someone do that to perfect, amazing Steve. He couldn’t believe how someone could break Steve’s heart, didn’t they know it was the best thing he could offer? Waving away the singing in his head that they were both single again. (Billy was a douche.) Eddie was going to be there for Steve since he needed someone and Eddie was going to be a steady support for him.

Eddie knocked rapidly on the door and Steve opened it with tear stains streaked across his cheeks, his eyes glassy, tears slipping out. He should be considered a mess, but Eddie was just thinking how beautiful he was.

“Hi.” Steve sobbed.

“Are you alright, Stevie?” Eddie was concerned.

“Come on in.” Steve stepped back for Eddie to come in. “I’m sorry I called you so late.”

“It’s alright.” Eddie would always come when Steve called, he didn’t care how late.

Steve brought a tissue up to wipe his eyes, looking down at it in disdain like it somehow betrayed him too. “I need a kleenex!”

“Okay.” Eddie, trying to be comforting, was going for a gentle tone.

“Okay.” Steve walked away, going toward his bedroom.

“We were all normal this morning. Not talking as much because we sometimes run out of things to talk about, which now I’m seeing as a sign.” Steve started ranting, pacing along the floor of his bedroom, grabbing a tissue on his way.

Eddie sat on the bed quickly, picking up the tissue box, and holding it for Steve to take from.

“He left for work, his new job at a newspaper, taking pictures for them, the works. Only he left his camera out one day, and I thought he probably had some pictures of me since we’re together, only I looked through it, and there were so many pictures of this girl. I brushed it off because I thought she’s his coworker, it’s probably pictures he needed for the newspaper.”

Steve kept pacing back and forth, and Eddie was trying not to show the anger he was feeling while listening to this story. Jonathan was a piece of shit.

“She works in his office. She’s a reporter. Her name is Nancy.” Steve stopped in front of him, not able to contain his sobs. “He just met her!”

Steve was crying so hard, little hiccups were coming out. He moved to sit on the bed next to Eddie.

“This whole time I’ve been making excuses for him, but the truth is he didn’t want to be with me. He didn’t love me.”

Eddie finally knew he had to say something. “If you could take him back right now, would you?”

This was probably the wrong thing to say since Steve looked at him with disbelief. “No! But why didn’t he want to be with me?” And the waterworks were set off again. “What’s the matter with me?”

Steve flopped down on the bed, Eddie laying next to him. He brought a hand up to cart through Steve’s hair, wanting to help soothe him. “Nothing.”

“I’m difficult.”

“Challenging.” Eddie countered.

“I’m too protective. I’m completely closed off.”

“But in a good way.”

“No, no, no. I drove him away.” Eddie knew that was completely untrue, nothing Steve could’ve done would have changed the outcome. Jonathan would always be an asshole and a cheater. “And I’m gonna be forty!” Steve exclaimed.

“When?” Uncertain of how Steve’s mind ended up here.

“Someday!”

“In nine years!”

“But it’s there! It’s just sitting there like this big dead end.”

Since nothing else was working to help Steve calm down from crying, he pulled Steve into his chest. “Oh, come here. Come here. It’s gonna be okay. It’ll be fine, you’ll see.” Steve curled up into his chest, the tears pooling in his sweater, but Eddie didn’t care. He rubbed a hand along Steve’s back, hoping to calm him down. “It’s going to be okay. Hm?”

Steve huffed, and Eddie took deep breaths, Steve matching his rhythm. Less tears were coming, and Steve was finally unwinding.

“Okay.” Eddie pet Steve’s hair, cupping his face, pulling him back to be able to see how he was. He smiled gently at Steve, giving him a chaste kiss in comfort. Only for comfort. It was normal, it was them, it was just something they did sometimes. “I’ll make some tea.”

Steve grabbed him. “Eddie, could you just hold me a little longer?”

“Oh, sure.” Steve melted into him, Eddie wrapped his arms around Steve, offering support. Steve had his face tucked into his neck, and Eddie held him tightly against his chest. They were flush against each other, Eddie could feel whenever Steve took a breath, his chest expanding. He hoped Steve couldn’t feel his rapidly beating heart.

It felt like hours they sat in the embrace, when Steve pulled away. Eddie brushed Steve’s hair back, and gave him another peck on the lips, so he would know Eddie was there, would always be there for him.

Then Steve paused, leaning in slower than they ever had before, kissing Eddie this time. But it was longer, deeper. Steve stayed in Eddie’s space, kissed him like he meant it, and Eddie could do nothing but reciprocate. He knew he loved Steve, always had, but they were supposed to be just friends. That’s what he had prepared himself for. A lifetime of unreciprocated love, endlessly being in the friend zone. This, this was new. This felt like it meant something, like it would change their friendship forever, and yet, Eddie couldn’t stop. He finally had a taste of Steve, and he didn’t want to give that up anytime soon.

Although, after everything had happened, and they woke up tangled under the sheets together, both of them nude, Eddie couldn’t stop his mind running either. He couldn’t help think of how he took advantage of Steve. He was sad, and crying about his ex boyfriend, and had kissed him, and Eddie took advantage of that. He probably wouldn’t have kissed Eddie if he didn’t have his heart broken. They’ve been friends for almost two years, and nothing had happened between them in all that time. It must have been a rebound thing for Steve. A means to end, a way to get over Jonathan. It probably didn’t mean anything to Steve, even though it meant everything to Eddie. And he needed to leave.

He carefully unwrapped himself from Steve, crawling out of the bed. He searched for his clothes on the floor, pulling them on in rapid succession.

“Where are you going?” Steve asked from the bed, his voice soft and confused, the covers around him, but Eddie remembered what he looked like, what he felt like.

Eddie avoided looking at him. “I gotta go.”

He walked over to Steve, who pulled his covers tighter to him, and Eddie couldn’t help but feel a pang when he noticed. “I gotta go home, change my clothes, and then I have to go to work. And so do you.” He shrugged. “But I’ll call you later, if you’re free?”

“Fine.” Steve said from the bed, not offering anything in his expression. For the first time since they became friends, Eddie couldn’t get a read on him at all.

“Fine.” He said softly. He leaned down giving Steve a kiss on the forehead. If it was the last time he kissed Steve, he wanted it to be sweet. He left Steve’s apartment, his heart feeling heavy.

He didn’t call Steve later. He felt like an asshole, but he couldn’t stand the thought of calling Steve, and him telling him the night meant nothing. That he was just a transitional person.

Steve called Robin as soon as Eddie left.

“Hello?”

“I’m sorry to call so early.” Steve started.

“Are you alright?”

“I did something terrible.”

“What did you do? Do you need help hiding a body? Covering a crime? I got your back, even Chrissy doesn’t have to know.”

“It’s so awful, Robin.”

“What happened?!”

“Eddie came over last night. Because I was upset that Jonathan cheated.”

“Understandable, I’m still ready to kill that man whenever you say the word.”

“Thanks for your support Robs, but Eddie.” Steve groaned. “And before I knew it we were kissing, and then…we did it.”

“That’s great, Steve! You should’ve done it in the first place. You guys belong together! It’s like two wrongs make a right. How was it?”

“I thought it was good.” Good was an understatement, the sex was amazing. They had fit together perfectly, Steve had never felt so close to someone emotionally and physically. It was the best sex of his life because it felt like it meant something. Or at least he thought it did. “But then I guess it wasn’t. He just disappeared. I’m so embarrassed.”

“That’s horrible, I’m not opposed to going after Eddie either, though. Just so we’re clear.”

“Leave him alone, Robs. But I think I’m catching a cold. I have a migraine now.”

“Ugh, you should never go to bed with anyone when you find out your last boyfriend cheated on you. Do you want to come over for breakfast?”

“No, I feel too awful.”

“Good.” Robin said rapidly. “I- I mean it’s so early. I’ll call you later okay? I love you dingus.”

“Okay, bye Robs. Thank you, and I love you too.”

1998 New Year’s Eve

Eddie was running. He was running as fast as his goddamn legs would let him. He barely noticed the pull in his side, as he only had one goal in mind. It had been weeks since he talked to Steve, since he’d heard his voice. He knew he wanted Steve in his life, had yearned for it for weeks. He had to take a chance, throwing all caution to the wind he had to know if that night was real to Steve too.

“Hey Taxi! Taxi!” Eddie tried to wave down some taxi’s driving by, needing to be there faster. But they just sped right by him, not slowing down even a fraction. He flipped them off and continued running down the road.

His hair was matted down with all the sweat, running this far without stopping. He couldn’t stop. He knew the building was close, it had to be. He finally saw it, running faster in the last stretch. He wrenched open the door of the building, internally groaning at the tall set of stairs in front of him, but not slowing down now. He didn’t hesitate starting the climb.

Steve was crestfallen. The last thing he wanted to do was be surrounded by couples at this New Year’s Eve party and be completely alone. No one in the crowd was alone like him, and he didn’t want to be the only one at this party that won’t kiss someone at midnight. He should just leave.

He walked up to Robin. “I’m going.”

She looked up in disbelief, her arm wrapped around Chrissy. “It’s almost midnight!”

“Well, the thought of not kissing someone is just…”

“I’ll kiss you.” Chrissy piped up with a playful smile. “Come on, stay! Please.”

“Thanks, Chris, I just..I have to go.”

“Oh wait two minutes.” Robin squeezed his hands, trying to convince him to stay.

“I’ll call you tomorrow.” Steve leaned over, giving Robin a kiss on the cheek. Once he turned away, he looked for the closest exit.

He pushed through the crowd, and scanned the area, coming to a sudden halt on the person standing near the doorway. He locked eyes with Eddie, who was the last person he expected to be here. Eddie strode toward him, gaze unwavering.

Even though the sight of Eddie was crushing him, he hadn’t seen him since the night they slept together. Hadn’t even talked to him. But he still looked beautiful. Eddie was coming toward him fast and he stood tall as the man approached. He didn’t want to give Eddie any more power over him, as these past couple weeks had been miserable without him.

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. And the thing is I love you.” Eddie said right as he got close enough to Steve.

“What?” Steve asked shocked.

“I love you.” Eddie stated.

“How do you expect me to respond to this?” After three weeks of no contact, he just expected to come into Steve’s life again, telling him he loved him as a lie? No way.

“How about you love me too?”

“How about I’m leaving.” He couldn’t believe Eddie had the audacity to say all of this like he meant it. Like he actually believed he loved Steve. He wouldn’t fall for it. He couldn’t. His heart had been broken one too many times by this exact man, and he would not be privy to Eddie’s lies.

“Doesn’t what I said mean anything to you?”

“I’m sorry, Eddie. I know it’s New Year’s Eve, I know you’re feeling lonely, but you just can’t show up here, tell me you love me and expect that to make everything alright.” He couldn’t afford to get his hopes up in case he was wrong, again. The distant chant of ‘4,3,2’ could be heard with everyone at the party counting down until midnight. “It doesn’t work this way!”

“Well how does it work?” Eddie pleaded.

“HAPPY NEW YEAR!” The crowd shouted.

“I don’t know! But not this way.” Steve was trying to stay strong, walking toward an exit, but Eddie had him cornered at every turn. Eddie grabbed his hand, whipping him back around to face him. Steve just wanted to leave without having this conversation and having his heart broken at the start of a new year.

“Well how about this way. I love that you you say you get cold when it’s 71 degrees out so you have an excuse to wear your yellow sweater. I love that you take an hour and a half to talk to the kids each day. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you’re looking at me like I’m nuts! I love that after I spend a day with you, I can still smell your cologne on my clothes, and I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night.”

Steve parted his lips, shocked at the words coming out of Eddie’s mouth. He’s been wanting to hear Eddie say this for years.

“And it’s not because I’m lonely. And it’s not because it’s New Year’s Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.” Eddie asserted.

Steve looked at him in disbelief. “You see? That is just like you, Eddie. You say things like that, and you make it impossible for me to hate you! And I hate you Eddie. I really hate you.” Steve knew it was the opposite, but he couldn’t help but hate Eddie a little bit for all that he put him through. He had tears in his eyes, and hands on his hips, but he loved this man, too.

He knew Eddie could see right through him, knowing he was looking at Steve with love in his eyes.

Eddie surged forward, bringing Steve into a passionate kiss. They intertwined together, Eddie sighing into the kiss. Steve fell pliant against Eddie’s hands, following wherever Eddie pulled him. Eddie’s tongue swiped along Steve’s lip, pushing into his mouth, Steve opening for him willingly. Steve couldn’t help the corners of his mouth constantly turning up, finally getting to be this with Eddie, to be more than just friends.

The crowd started singing Auld Lang Syne, just as they did last year. Steve still remembered that night, their first kiss, taken under the pretense of being friends.

They broke apart, putting only enough space between them to talk, still wrapped in each other’s arms. “What does this song mean? My whole life I don’t know what this song means. I mean should old acquaintances be forgotten, does that mean we should forget old acquaintances? It doesn’t mean that if we happen to forget them, we should remember them, which is not possible because we already forgot them!”

“Well maybe it just means we should remember that we forgot them or something. Anyway, it’s about old friends.” Steve grinned, thinking of their long friendship fondly.

Eddie leaned forward, his mouth covering Steve’s. Eddie’s hands were caressing Steve’s face, brushing his thumbs along his cheeks. Steve had his arms around Eddie’s waist, digging into his sides with his fingers, not wanting to let him go ever again.

I took a few creative liberties from the movie! most of the dialogue is the same, only a little tweaked, and I cut out the fact they were both married/engaged before becoming friends

I’m sorry I also deleted the iconic diner scene, but I wasn’t sure if I could fit it in this version

I hope you enjoyed reading, likes and comments are always appreciated! <3

#steddiemas2024 #prompts: confession #prompt: midnight #week 5 #endings and beginnings

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steddiemas · 8 months ago

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just a little something for @steddiemas prompt 'confetti'

Thinking thoughts about Rockstar!Eddie, whose band somehow gets asked to perform in Times Square on New Year's Eve. Of course, he thinks it's pretty lame, but he convinces the producers to let them perform on top of one of the buildings.

Little does he know the building is also where all the confetti throwers are stationed, waiting for the clock to strike 12:01 to send confetti hurling down on the masses. Most of them are older people who have been doing it for years, except a handful, including Steve, who hates crowds but loves the electric feel of being in the city on NYE, so he and his best friend, Robin, have made it a tradition to volunteer.

Eddie gets one look at Steve and instantly falls in love, making it his mission to kiss the handsome stranger whose name he doesn't even know yet at midnight. And what do you know? Steve must have made the same New Year's Eve wish because just as the clock strikes midnight, Steve is abandoning his confetti post and locking lips with the handsome and downright freezing rockstar.

#steddiemas2024 #prompt: confetti #week 5 #endings and beginnings

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steddiemas · 8 months ago

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Countdown to '86

@steddieholidaydrabbles & @steddiemas

Part One Part Two Part Three

Eddie had decided not to go to the New Year’s party.

Really.

He and Wayne had finally saved enough to get the van fixed. There was no reason to not spend one night with his uncle by going to a party at Steve’s Harrington house instead.

The jacket sat in its pristine Bloomingdale’s box on his desk, taunting him.

He had no idea whether or not it fit, or if he would have a miraculous allergic reaction and could honestly never wear it.

There was (unfortunately) only one way to find out.

He had a floor-length mirror in his room, and he stared at himself in the black denim jacket that Steve Harrington had given to him as a Christmas present.

It fit. Perfectly.

Not too tight at the shoulders. Simple design, easily alterable to Eddie’s aesthetic.

Why the hell had Steve given this to him?

He could wait until after winter break to find out. Corner Steve in the parking lot and demand an explanation. But that was another week where Eddie would have to stare at the jacket and tear his hair out over the questions.

Eddie wasn’t going to go to the New Year’s party.

But he had no other choice.

Having made a decision, Eddie didn’t remove the jacket before he drove off toward the Harrington house. He didn’t bother parking a block away, setting up right in front.

He didn’t have his lunchbox, so anyone sober enough would realize that Eddie was horribly out of place. Hopefully, his stride was quick enough that he could get in, get some answers, and then get the hell out.

Finding Steve was easy.

Eddie nearly smacked him with the front door, the drink in his hand sloshing onto the floor. Steve didn’t miss a beat, avoiding the door with a move Eddie recognized from gym.

“Hey,” he said, eyes quickly traveling over Eddie. He smiled when he noticed the jacket. “You wore it. Fit okay?”

“Yeah.” Eddie glanced at the crowd, already getting bumped into two feet into the house. He shoved his hands into his pockets and said, “We need to have a discussion.”

If Steve was surprised, he only gave it away with a single blink. Otherwise, he took the request in stride, tilting his head toward the staircase.

“Upstairs?”

Eddie nodded quickly, not bothering to wait for Steve before he shouldered through the crowd and made a beeline for the (somehow) familiar space of Steve’s bedroom. He kept his back to the door until Steve closed it behind them, muffling Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.

Eddie turned and came right out with it.

“You gave me a present.”

It wasn’t the smoothest start to a conversation, since Steve only furrowed his brows at what Eddie has basically phrased as an accusation.

Eddie swallowed. Tried again.

“You gave me a ride. We hung out at the mall. And you got me…a present.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I did.” Steve agreed plainly, standing in the low light of his bedroom in his dark blue Henley and jeans.

“Why?”

“I—” Steve wavered, setting his drink on his dresser.

Eddie scoffed. “Seriously, Harrington, this is really involved if you’re just going to fuck with me. I’d rather you just came out with it.”

Steve took a long breath, his eyes downcast to the floor.

His voice, when he spoke, was barely loud enough over the sound downstairs.

“Are you going to believe me if I said I wanted to do all those things?”

“No,” Eddie said.

It was the truth. Mostly.

Steve looked at him from under his lashes, with a strange determination that contradicted the whole conversation.

“Could I prove it to you?”

Eddie found himself nodding.

And then Steve crossed the room, his warm hand sliding along Eddie’s jaw to tilt his head up to meet the soft press of his lips.

And things made…a little more sense.

Eddie inhaled through his nose, but Steve didn’t push. He moved their mouths once to make the kiss last that much longer, and then pulled back, his hand still on Eddie’s face.

It was certainly proof.

“What time is it?” he asked.

Later, if asked, he would have chocked it up to his brain severely malfunctioning from the whole being-kissed-by-Steve-Harrington thing. Otherwise, he would not have still been standing so close to him.

“What?” Steve asked.

“How much longer until midnight?”

Steve shook his head slightly, glancing over Eddie’s shoulder toward his bed. Maybe to an alarm clock.

“Few minutes,” he answered.

Eddie could work with that.

“So,” he wet his lips. Steve glanced at it, unable to hide that he’d done so. “This all start in the car?”

“No.”

“The mall?”

Steve chuckled, the sound vibrating in his chest where Eddie was pressed against him. “Lunch. I don’t really remember which one.” He got this look on his face. Eddie nearly called it fond. “You’re hard to miss.”

“Pretty sure most people would prefer I cracked my head on floor during those.”

Eddie tried for dismissive, but Steve easily sidestepped.

“You’re so…free. Defiant,” Steve continued, his thumb dragging across Eddie’s cheek. He’d nearly forgotten it was there. “So different than I am. Better.”

How that led to standing in Steve’s bedroom, seriously considering having Steve’s mouth on his again, he had no idea.

Eddie didn’t have to ask for the time. The crowd downstairs had started the countdown.

“What do you want from me?” he asked.

He’d said it before. People like Steve and people like Eddie didn’t…mesh.

“Just you,” Steve answered, biting his bottom lip. “If you’d like to, I mean.”

For weeks, Eddie had been blind. And it went against every part of him he’d thought was set in stone, what had gotten him through years of bullshit. Every part determined to say that boys like Steve did not want boys like Eddie.

“Damn it, Harrington,” he said, as the crowd cheered the last second of a passing year and Eddie pressed his mouth hard to Steve’s.

Tag list: @here4thetrama @tillystealeaves @th30ra3k3n

#steddiemas2024 #prompt: midnight #prompt: confession #week 5 #endings and beginnings

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steddiemas · 8 months ago

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Eighty-Sixing '86

Rating: E Pairing: Steddie Word count: 3094 @steddiemas prompts: confession, confetti, midnights, first (plus quickie and clothed sex, stolen from one of my wife's challenges haha) Summary:

"Shh, shh..." Eddie patted his back. "We're gonna stay in touch. And...and we don't have to be a million different places." Steve sniffled hard and pulled away. "What?" Eddie shrugged. "If Robin picks a college in Chicago, we'll hang out," he said. "Or like, you could just come there. Maybe she'll follow you." Steve blinked at him, the gears trying to turn but feeling like they were rusted stuck. "You...want me to come to Chicago?" he asked. Eddie lowered his eyes, suddenly finding Steve's tie very interesting. "I...I mean..." He was struggling with his own gears, trying to get the words out. Steve sniffled again, watching the way Eddie's eyes darted and tried to look anywhere but at him, like he was worried he'd said too much even though he'd said almost literally nothing.

Tags: New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, New Year's Resolutions, Quickies, Bathroom Sex, Clothed Sex read on AO3

#steddiemasnaughtylist2024 #prompt: confession #prompt: confetti #prompt: midnight #prompt: first #week 5 #endings and beginnings

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steddiemas · 8 months ago

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What happens in ’88, stays in '88 💝

@steddiemas ‘ends and beginnings’ prompt, ‘first’ @steddieholidaydrabbles prompt, ‘midnight’ and @steddiebingo fill, ‘room-mates au’ thank you to everyone who runs these lovely events💝

Rating: M; WC: 986 CW: mentions of smoking and drug use, sexual content (not particularly explicit); Tags: roommates au, idiots to lovers, friends to lovers, Buckingham. Summary: University room-mates Steve and Eddie have gone from hating each other to getting along just fine. Then they go and spoil it all by kissing and exit strategies must be deployed… right?

💝💝💝💝💝

The catastrophic first kiss occurred in Chrissy and Robin’s dorm room, during their end-of-semester party.

Chrissy and Robin were making out on a huge beanbag, engaged in some serious mutual boob grope-age. Steve attempted to look anywhere-but-there, while Eddie cracked up at Steve's hilarious blushes. With Debbie Gibson’s ‘Shake your love’ blaring from the stereo, he gyrated around Steve, hips wiggling, only a channel of steamy air between them.

“Wanna dance, Big Boy?”

“There’s only us four! Not that kinda party!”

“What kinda party is it then?”

“I dunno, I…”

Eddie was being a total dork, sambaing crotch-to-crotch with a wide-eyed, scared-shitless increasingly-pissed-off Steve.

Eddie grinned like an idiot. So did Steve. Okay, maybe he wasn’t that pissed off.

It happened.

Steve grabbed a handful of Eddie’s hair, mashing their faces together. Eddie plunged his tongue between those perfect teeth and invaded the rear of Steve’s jeans, enjoying a handful of that glorious ass.

They staggered apart when Chrissy whooped ear-piercingly loud, and Robin launched a party-popper above their heads.

The naked horror in Steve’s eyes reflected Eddie’s car-wreck of a reality-check.

“Fuck,” muttered Steve, plucking a streamer from his hair.

Eddie grimaced dramatically. Still wouldn’t have minded another taste of those saliva-soaked kiss-swollen lips.

They figured it out next morning, while packing to leave. Obviously, it was BAD. They’d hated each other for the first month of being roommates, had only recently figured out how to be friends.

“What happened in ’88, stays in ’88, right?” said Steve, neatly folding his underpants, which he ironed. Ribbing Steve about it would never get old, though right now, Eddie wasn’t in the mood. “Start next year like it never happened.”

“Okay.” Eddie swallowed hard. Nope. Don’t care. “No calling over the holidays. Zero contact.”

“Wasn’t gonna call anyway.” Steve’s tragic puppy-dog eyes undermined his bitchy tone.

After Steve hauled ass with his army of Armani suitcases, Eddie muttered: “Preppy douchebag.”

…

Steve struggled through Christmas. His parents' New Year’s Eve soiree was another matter.

“You really haven’t a girl to invite?” asked his father. “Never mind. I’ve asked the Wheelers. Including Nancy.”

His father winked.

Steve needed ‘out.’ He told them he’d had an invite from Chrissy—whose dad was running for Congress, so they’d not argue—then spent New Year’s Eve driving.

Dreaming of the day he’d be brave enough to simply say ‘no.’

And dreaming about Eddie, which knotted his insides and made him utterly miserable.

It would be good to figure things out alone.

Or not.

When he arrived at uni, Metallica blasted from his dorm-window and shook the foundations of the building.

“What the fuck?” yelled Eddie, when Steve edged their door open.

“Nice to see you too, Munson.”

Eddie had returned early, so his uncle could meet old friends. Wayne wanted to skip the reunion for Eddie, who in turn told a white-lie about an unmissable New Year’s Eve gig.

Steve sighed, shoulders slumping: “I’ll sleep in Robin’s bed. Got a key.”

“Yeah, to her room. Not their house.” Edde beamed daftly. “Fancy a little breaking and entering?”

Steve didn’t. Besides, as Eddie pointed out, they’d gotta negotiate the awkwardness sooner or later.

“Oh, I’m over it,” Steve said tightly. He wasn’t, but Eddie clearly was, so…

Eddie shrugged. “Guess I better find my headphones.”

“Nah, leave your music. Just… not too deafening.”

It was better than the torturous silence of his pointless thoughts.

He’d missed everything about being with Eddie. Even the stuff he hated himself for, like how he’d bitch when Eddie ‘borrowed’ his shower-gel then practically get high inhaling Eddie-ness tinged with those dark-cherry aromas. He missed even the stench of Eddie returning from a late-night Corroded Coffin gig, wired, sweaty… smokin’ hot.

He’d missed their casual banter most of all. Everything was so messed-up now.

He sat on his bed, face-palming with a slap.

“Got a few beers in,” said Eddie. “Not enough to get smashed but—”

They sat perched at the open window, so Eddie could smoke—couldn’t risk setting off alarms when they were the only students around to blame. This had become a late-night ritual, sometimes sharing a joint, giggling, stargazing.

Tonight, they shared a single beer and laughed more than ever before.

They kissed.

’Course they fucking did.

…

This time, Eddie wedged his hand down the front of Steve’s jeans. They mauled each other’s mouths like their lives depended on it.

Eddie wound up crashed against Steve, who was flattened against a wall, pants half-mast, while they hand-jobbed each other silly.

“Whoops,” panted Steve, once they were both thoroughly sticky.

Eddie lifted his chin from Steve’s shoulder to check his watch. “11.37 pm! Still ’88, dude.”

“Yeah, yeah. What happened in ’88, stays in ’88.” Steve nudged Eddie off, shivered. The radiator struggled to replace the warm air they’d let out while stargazing.

He looked so sad that Eddie wanted to kiss him again.

As if it might kiss away the dumb feelings surging in his own chest.

“Fucking HATE New Year,” said Steve. “Gonna shower.”

Eddie joined him. They kissed under the trickle of warm-ish water and then they were totally ready to jerk-off together again. So they did.

“Shit!” yelped Steve, striding from the bathroom with his towel around his waist.

Eddie, already in bed, was fantasizing about licking Steve’s chest. It took a moment to clock why Steve was so distressed.

Midnight had passed.

It was 1989.

Steve stood there, motionless, staring at Eddie, like Eddie could fix this somehow.

Which actually, he could. He rolled out of his bed and into Steve’s: “C’mon, Big Boy, room for two.”

Steve grinned and climbed in, and they snuggled together for warmth.

“We got a whole year to screw this up now, Harrington,” he murmured into Steve’s fragrant blow-dried hair.

“Or make it work?” whispered Steve, waaaaay too earnestly. “Happy New Year, Eddie.”

“Back at ya’, Babe,” smiled Eddie.

If just for now, it was.

💝💝💝💝💝

No pressure tags: @wheneverfeasible 💚 My stranger things fic on AO3

#prompt: firsts #week 5 #endings and beginnings #steddiemasnaughtylist2024

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steddiemas · 8 months ago

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@steddiemas week 5 - Confession, Confetti, Midnights, First

rating: T | words: 1,369

woo not late this time! (though it's much shorter than yesterday lmao)

<- back to previous part

Okay. So you fumbled the proverbial bag a couple weeks ago but no big deal, right?

He wasn’t actually leaning in to kiss you… right?

Eddie groans for what feels like the zillionth time in two weeks.

It’s midday on the 29th, and Eddie’s at home still wallowing over the disaster that was the night of the potluck.

He’s seen Steve since, of course, it’s a small town and an even smaller ‘Monsters are real and only we know about it’ group of people in that town, but it’s not like he could’ve said anything about it.

…Should he have said something? ‘Sorry about almost kissing you that one day, won’t happen again even though I really wanted to but I’m just a coward, you know how it is..’

Ugh. No.

He wasn’t leaning in. He is not into you like you’re into him. He would not kiss you. Ever.

From down the hall, Eddie can hear the phone start to ring.

For a moment, he condsiders not answering it, but, remembering that Wayne’s actually here for once and not at the Henderson’s, he rolls himself out of his Nest of Wallowing and scurries down the hall for the handset.

“Hello?”

“Hey Ed- Eddie, it’s me. It’s Steve.”

Eddie kicks himself for the shot of excitement that courses through him. “Hey, man, what’s up?

“Oh good, good,” …Uh.. what? “Listen, we’re having a get-together on New Year’s Eve, food and drinks and all that, you wanna come?”

“Uh,” Eddie’s brain flips through all the possible ways he could end up feeling sorry for himself when his kiss at midnight with King Steve fantasies die then says “Sure Harrington, I’ll be there.” like some heartsick loser.

“Sweet, cool, see you then? My place? Midnight? Er, for midnight?”

Eddie overhears someone say “Ten! Tell him ten!”

“Ten?”

“Sure, I’ll be there.”

“Ha! Cool, don’t be square!”

He opens his mouth to say something else, but hears a click from the other end. …Okay?

He’s already moving to hang the receiver on the hook when, “What in the hell was that, Dingus?”

Eddie freezes. Pulls the handset back to his ear.

“I panicked, okay?! I got nervous.”

“You got nervous. You. Nervous…”

“Yes, Robin, nervous.” Steve sighs.

“Wow, you’re really head over heels aren’t you?”

Eddie’s heart starts jackrabbiting in his chest, but he can’t seem to unfreeze.

Steve? Head over heels for him? Eddie?? No. There’s no way in hell. He must’ve heard wrong.

“Yeah, I am.” Ope.

“For Eddie “The Freak” Munson.”

Steve breathes out a laugh, “Who woulda thought, huh?”

Eddie hangs up the receiver.

He wanders back down the hallway.

And collapses face first onto his bed.

Then, in a fit of hysterics, starts cackling in earnest.

There’s no fucking way.

–

For the next two days it feels like nothing in the whole world can bring him down.

He feels like he’s walking on air, on the very sunshine itself.

Edde spends pretty much all day the 31st getting ready.

He takes a shower, making sure to use the curly hair stuff Steve got for him while he was recovering in the spring, he spends the whole time it’s drying spinning pieces of his hair into curls (something that he accidentally discovered actually works to make his hair more curl than frizz), he fishes out a brand new white tee shirt from the pack at the back of his dresser and takes the time to iron out the folds in it.

You know, like a sane person?

Finally, finally, it’s a reasonable enough time to head to Steve’s, heading out at the same time Wayne leaves for his shift that night.

“Have a drink for me at midnight, ‘kay Ed?”

“Sure Wayne.”

“After you smooch your boy is alrigh’ with me.”

Eddie rolls his eyes, “Har har har,” he deadpans, but can’t help but crack a smile.

He arrives at Steve’s house at 10:05.

“Eddie, hey, glad you could make it!” Steve says, smiling at him as he steps aside to let Eddie though the front door, “Here, have a Thingy.”

Eddie takes the thing, toeing off his shoes in the entryway. “A Thingy?”

“Y’know, a confetti whatever, the things people pop off at midnight?”

“Ah right, a Thingy.” he laughs

“Alight, c’mon, we’ve got lots of snacks and drinks, and I think Argyle brought some party favors.” Steve says, leading Eddie into the kitchen and waggling his brows.

“Them’s an after midnight delicacy, my fine-haired friend.” Argyle replies, heading back toward the living room with a literal handful of pretzels.

“Well okay then,”

The whole group of them spend the next couple hours just hanging out, Jonathan, Argyle, Nancy, Robin, Steve, and Eddie.

Beer, snacks, even some games that Robin fished out from Steve’s basement, Yatzee, Euchre, even fuckin’ Scrabble of all things.

A pretty tame night, and good thing too, because every minute that ticked by closer to midnight had Eddie’s stomach twisting tighter.

He barely even finished one beer, had only managed to get down a handful of potato chips all night.

What if he was making it all up, the conversation he overheard was just some wishful hallucination?

What if it was real and he somehow messed it all up by drinking just a bit too much?

What if he ate something that didn’t agree with him and he was stuck in the bathroom at the stroke of midnight?

What if his colossal loss at Scrabble when he normally knew much better words than ‘sweater’, or ‘chaste’, turned Steve off to him completely?

Minute after minute he suffered internally, stealing glances at the clock on the wall and at the television as each of their midnights tick closer (and at Steve too, who seems nonplussed about any and everything, the bastard).

Finally, when the countdown on the screen hits one minute, and Eddie’s stomach is frozen solid, his gaze is falls on Steve once again, whose eyes are already on him.

He stands up, and heads out the living room and down the hall toward the back of the house.

Eddie gulps, moves to stand, and is nearly knocked off balance when Robin elbows him, “Go get ‘im, Tiger.”

“I’m going, I’m going! Jesus H. Christ..” he whispers back at her.

Eddie scurries out of the room and down the hall after Steve, going directly to the sliding door to the patio and pulling it aside, “Steve?”

He sticks his head out the door and looks around.

There’s no one out here.

Rock still solidly in his stomach, Eddie steps outside, very much noticing there are no footsteps in the dusting of snow that started to come down at some point that night.

“Stevie?” he tries again, rock sinking lower.

Nothing.

“What the fuck..” he grumbles, turning back inside and wandering down the back hall, “Steve? Where’d you go?”

He’s coming back past the sliding door and toward the Harrington’s sunroom after a failed exploration of the doors down that hall when the garbled voices of the people in Times Square and the others in front of the TV start to count down from “20! 19! 18!”

“Shitshitshitshi– whoa!”

He’d barely gotten a toe into the sunroom when he’s pulled bodily into it.

“There you are, Munson, I thought you’d left me hanging.”

“14! 13! 12!”

Eddie breathes a sigh of relief, “Never, Big Boy.” he grins, watching Steve’s expression echo his.

“I’ve wanted to do this for a while now, you know.” Steve confesses, keeping Eddie wrapped up close to him.

“10! 9!”

“Oh, have you now?” Eddie can’t stop grinning, “Word on the street is I’ve wanted to, too.”

“6! 5! 4!”

“Well I’m not going to stop you.”

Steve’s leaning in, Eddie’s leaning in, the TV says “2! 1!”

And Eddie’s watch blares up at them annoyingly. “Oh Jesus H. Chri—” he starts, trying to wrestle with the Off button.

To Eddie’s horror and delight, Steve’s hold on him goes just a bit tighter, “You’re not planning on running this time, right?

Watch completely forgotten, Eddie blinks once, taking in the hopeful look in Steve’s eyes, and closes the gap, kissing Steve Harrington for the first time of many.

“Never.”

and then robin comes around the corner to pop her confetti thing over them yelling "Wooo!!"

dividers from @steddiecameraroll-graphics!

#steddiemas2024 #prompt: first #prompt: midnight #prompt: confession #prompt: confetti #week 5 #endings and beginnings

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steddiemas · 8 months ago

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New Year Confessional

Written for @steddieholidaydrabbles prompt: MIDNIGHT @steddiemas prompt: CONFESSION, MIDNIGHTS, CONFETTI WC:905 CW: Self- harm Rating: G Summary: Eddie and Steve have another heart to heart. AO3

Hopper and Joyce were throwing their annual New Years Eve party and for the first time in years, Steve and Eddie were both in attendance. Eddie and Lilith arrived and the first thing Joyce did was hand the little girl a confetti popper.

“Open it at midnight, okay?” She told her. Lily nodded seriously, but Eddie knew it would be popped the second she was away from adults. That was alright, it seemed like Joyce had dozens of them for this exact reason.

Abby came out of nowhere, took Lily by the hand, and ran into the living room. If Eddie wasn’t so comfortable with Joyce’s house, he wouldn’t let her out of his sight. “She got you too huh?” Steve’s voice came from behind him. Eddie nodded and laughed as Lily popped the popper.

The two watched their girls play and sat in the living room surrounded by family. “Did you ever want more?” Eddie asked as he gestured to the girls.

“One or two. Not with Abby’s mom though.” Steve said honestly. Eddie nodded, Steve explained all about Wendy: controlling, manipulative, mean. “What about you?” Steve asked tentatively.

“Yeah, we were planning on two.” Eddie smiled sadly. Steve didn’t have a response to that, so he didn’t say anything. A few minutes later, Eddie went outside for a smoke. His hands shook a little as he tried to light his Cool 100. Just then, a lighter popped into his field of vision, lighting the end of his cigarette. He glanced up to see Steve smiling softly at him. “Thanks.” He said.

“Sorry if I hit a nerve.” Steve said. “I...I regret not meeting her.” Steve confessed into the quiet night. Eddie laughed humorlessly.

“You could have, Steve. You avoided me. Not the other way around.” He reminded him.

“I know. I thought it would be easier.” Steve whispered. Eddie took a deep breath. He felt all this anger in him; Steve couldn’t ignore him for years, then pretend to care.

“You know, I was so mad at you after Lyla died.” Eddie confessed. Steve looked over confusedly. “I kept thinking, that if you never dumped me, if you never left me, Lyla and I wouldn’t have met. Then she wouldn’t have crossed that road and got hit.” Eddie paused when he heard Steve sniffle. “But then, I realized it wasn’t your fault. You may have left me, but you didn’t force me into loving Lyla. So, really it’s my fault she’s gone.” His face chilled as his tears hit the cold December air.

“It’s not your fault.” Steve whispered. Eddie huffed.

“I appreciate that Steve. But it is. It’s my fault she crossed that street. It’s my fault she died alone in the back of an ambulance.” He swung his fist into his thigh over and over. “It’s my fault my daughter cries and asks if she killed mommy because she was asleep in her stroller.” Steve caught his fist, halting his movement. Steve turned Eddie to him and held his face with both hands.

“It’s not your fault. The only person at fault, the only person you should be mad at, is that fucking drunk driver that hit her. You couldn’t have predicted it, there’s nothing you could have done.” Steve stared into his eyes and for the first time since the accident, Eddie’s starting to believe it. He felt a rush of calm flood his system, and a gentle hand, warm and soft, touched his shoulder. Steve’s hands never left his face.

“Did you feel that?” He asked as he looked behind him, searching for someone. But there was no one there. He expected Steve to stare at him but instead he was smiling.

“Not this time. But I felt it at your show.” He admitted.

“You don’t think…” Eddie trailed off, afraid to put that thought into the air.

“Come on, let’s go back inside.” Steve whispered. Eddie put his butt in the ashtray and followed Steve inside.

~~~

A few hours later, he was back outside, 100 lit just fine this time. Once again, Steve joined him. “You stalking me or something?” He laughed. Steve chuckled as he lit his own Marlboro.

“If I was, you’d be in serious trouble.” He mumbled around the cigarette. “It’s a nice night.” He said in answer. Eddie looked up at the stars.

“Lyla was a Gemini.” He said conversationally as he pointed up. “She always pointed to that star cluster and said it was Gemini.” Steve stepped closer to Eddie and looked upward. “But that’s actually Orion. You can tell by the three stars in line right there.” Eddie pointed out for Steve. “I never had the heart to tell her she was wrong.”

Steve laughed softly. “That’s sweet, Eds.” Eddie nodded in agreement. They slipped into comfortable silence after that.

Until, the countdown to midnight began. Eddie didn’t know what to do. If Steve leaned toward him, he’d let it happen; but, was he ready for that? Could he even think about that right now?

He should let Steve kiss him.

If Steve tried to kiss him he’d turn away.

He closed his eyes, if he couldn’t see it coming, he couldn’t do anything.

Happy New Year

Eddie felt Steve’s lips against his cheek softly.

“Happy New Year, Eddie.” He whispered. Eddie opened his eyes and looked at his friend.

“Happy New Year, Steve.” He was almost ready.

tags

@katyawriteswhump

buy me a coffee

#prompt: confession #prompt: midnight #prompt: confetti #steddiemas2024 #week 5 #endings and beginnings

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steddiemas · 8 months ago

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@steddiemas week 4 - Santa, Menorah, Surprise, Toys

rating: T | words: 2,916

uhh the worms hit in a big way so... 🧍‍♀️it's still late but here's the next part only 5 hours later lmao

<- back to previous part | next part ->

The week before Christmas, Steve and Robin get a surprise visitor at Family Video.

“Welcome to Family Vide– Oh! Hey Mr. Munson, what can I help you with?”

“Mornin’ Steve, how are ya?”

“I’m great,” he says, doing his best to school his features away from shock, “You?”

“Tired, should be asleep right now,” Steve opens his mouth to agree, hence his surprise, but Wayne continues on, “But, I have a proposition for you and your… Robin is it?”

“It’s Robin.”

“Who’s Robin?” Robin says, coming back from the bathroom.

“Ah, there y’are. How would the two of ya’s like to come to the 440’s Holiday Potluck this Friday?”

“Wow, really? That’s– would you like us to bring anything?”

Wayne waves him off.. No, literally.. He waves his hand dramatically in front of his face and suddenly, Steve knows exactly who Eddie got his theatrics from. “Nonsense, you’d be my guests and there will be plenty’a food to go around, whattya say?”

“Of course!” Robin says, “We’d be happy to!”

Steve nods in agreement and Wayne’s eyes and mustache crinkle up at the corners, “Great, meet Claudia and I at the Union Hall at 7 then, yeah?” he says, making for the door.

“Y– You and Claudia? Ms. Henderson, Claudia?”

Wayne stops at the door, smiling wider, prouder, “That’s the one!” then is out the door with a final jingle.

—

“Do you think we’re overdressed?” Robin asks as Steve fishes out the carefully stacked trays of brownies from his back seat.

“Hm? Nah, I don’t think so, it’s just a sweater and slacks, right?” he says, holding the trays away from him to look down at his green reindeer sweater and khakis, then up at Robin’s matching khakis and navy blue snowflake sweater.

“I dunno Stevie… I’m seeing lots of denim..”

He looks up at the clusters of people heading into the hall and… she’s right, they’re all in jeans. Jeans, jean jackets, hell, Steve wouldn’t be surprised if they had denim button-ups underneath.

He looks back at Robin. “I think we might be overdressed.”

They head inside, Robin holding the door for Steve, then follow the flow of people through the entrance.

A friendly woman directs Steve to set his trays with the other desserts at a far line of tables, and he’s just taking off the lid for the second when he hears a boisterous “Ho! Ho! Ho!”

The stage.

The hall was relatively open, wood paneled and warm, and it had a short stage on the far side of the room.

And he hadn’t even noticed.

Nor had he noticed the Santa and the line of kids queued upon it.

…There’s no way.

Steve makes his way back to Robin’s side, where she’s standing awkwardly in the space between food tables and round table-clothed ones with chairs, fiddling with a loose thread on her sweater.

She looks up briefly when he comes up to her side, then goes back to her sweater.

And Steve can’t stop staring at the Santa.

At this point he’s just waiting to see if he notices, to see if Eddie notices.

Because that is Eddie, there’s no doubt in his mind about it.

The obviously padded out suit, the chunky combat boots, the now sweaty, stingy pieces of dark bangs peeking out from under his Santa hat..

That’s Eddie.

Eddie is the local Union’s Holiday Party Santa Claus.

All the kids that are waiting their turn look so excited, and even the ones that get more nervous as they get closer to their turn are almost bouncing off the walls ecstatic after hopping from Eddie’s lap.

Steve is so head over heels for this man it’s not even funny.

It’s almost as if all this thinking about him Steve is doing alerts Eddie to the additional attention on him; his eyes find Steve’s between one kid bounding off excitedly to their parents and the next timidly stepping up for their turn.

Horrified surprise flits over his eyes as he realizes who caught him out.

Steve feels his face stretch into a horribly gleeful smile, and Eddie’s face goes nearly as white as his beard.

“Rob, look.” he says, pointing over to Eddie Claus

“What? What’s wro— oh. My. God.”

“Wayne did this on purpose.” Steve can’t stop smiling, Robin can’t seem to either.

“Oh definitely. Him and Ms. H. are Class A conspirators”

“Which, by the way, those two? Who would’ve thought, huh?” Steve says, finally giving Eddie a moment of peace by turning away.

“Right?! They’re adorable together, did you see him help her out of the truck earlier?”

“No, I must’ve been inside alre—”

“Steve, how’re you, son?”

Steve turns to face the voice, “Oh, hey Mr. Munson, Ms. Henderson,” he says, smiling at them and shaking Wayne’s hand.

“None of that boy, I’m Wayne to you, just Wayne.” he says, giving Steve’s hand a firm shake then moving to shake Robin’s.

“Thanks for the invite Just Wayne, we’re having a great time.” she says, not even bothering to hide her laughter.

Wayne smiles proudly at her, “Thought you two’d be tickled by that.”

“Has Dustin found out yet?” Steve asks

“Dusty hasn’t arrived yet, the Sinclairs are dropping him off on their way out of town.” Ms. Henderson says, similarly doing a terrible job of hiding the mischievous smirk on her face, “He’s going to go into hysterics.”

The four of them chat for a bit, but after a while, Wayne is pulled away by a friend of his.

“You three go sit, grab some grub, I’ll find you, hm?” He presses a kiss to Claudia’s temple, and merges seamlessly with a nearby boisterous group of similarly denim-clad, shiny headed, mustachioed men.

“Would never have thought of Mr. Munson as a mingler.” Robin states with a hint of laughter still in her voice as they sit at a table near to the stage.

Claudia sighs, “He’s a favorite around here, that’s for sure. Oh you shoulda heard the union guys back in the spring, going on and on about ‘There ain’t no way!’, and ‘Not Wayne’s boy, nosiree.’.”

Steve’s heart swells at the thought of all these people being behind Eddie, sticking by him and Wayne through hell.. And from the look on Robin’s face, she’s thinking the same.

Dustin whirlwinds in twenty or so minutes later, just in time to jump in line with Steve at the food tables.

“There you are,” he says, sounding exasperated.

“Wh– what do you mean ‘There I am.’? I’ve been here the whole time!” Steve says, affronted.

“And yet no offer of a ride, typical.” he says, shaking his head and heaping a spoonful of green bean casserole onto his plate.

“What th– you’re jus– I can’t—” Steve splutters, then huffs, scooping green beans onto his own plate. “You’re the worst, you know that?”

“I know.”

They fill up their plates, all of it looking amazing, and head back to the table they’ve commandeered.

Dustin sits across the table from Wayne and Claudia, the former twisted around in his seat to talk to someone at the next table over, and the latter chatting with Robin about her plans for school.

They both turn back when Steve and Dustin sit, “There you are Dusty, have fun at Lucas’s?”

“Yeah, we were trading comics and—” he cuts himself off, looking between his mom and Wayne.

“What’s wrong, dude?” Steve asks around a mouthful of potatoes

Dustin just keeps flicking his gaze between the two, “Are you shitting me?”

“Dusty!” Claudia complains, ready to chide him for his language, but Dustin keeps going.

“That’s why we’re here? You two are dating, aren’t you?”

Everyone at the table freezes, but a second later, he corrects himself, “Not that– it’s cool or whatever.. Right?” he looks at Steve, then shakes himself, like he’s shaking off the thought, “Right, of course it is I’m just…” He looks up at the two, “I’m just happy for you, mom.”

“Oh, Dusty!” Claudia coos, standing and hurrying around the table to hug her son.

“Moooomm, gross! I’m not a baby anymore.” he complains as she smooshes a kiss to his cheek.

The others laugh, and Wayne asks, “So you don’t want to tell Santa what you want for Christmas?” gesturing to the stage with his fork.

“Ew, what, of course n— IS THAT EDDIE?!”

Another visit to the food tables later, the man of the hour finally joins them, plate piled high with …actually, Steve’s not quite sure what each part of it is.. It just looks like mush. Like a literal little bit of each of the things left on the food table.

He’s flushed and pink and covered in a thin sheen of sweat, his bangs practically glued to his forehead.

“Lookin’ good, Munson.” Robin chides, and Steve can’t help but snicker.

“Shut your yaps, it isn’t my fault I don’t look like my usual handsome self.” he says around a mouthful of mush.

“Is that what you’re calling it nowadays?”

“Oh ha ha ha–”

“I think you look great, Ed.” Steve says, smiling softly at him.

He smiles back, “Thanks Stevie, I—” then frowns, “Shut up, no I don’t.”

“You calling me a liar now? Low blow, Munson.”

Eddie casts him a withering look, then takes another bite of mush.

“Get any good wishes?”

Eddie swallows, Steve can’t help but track the movement, “Can’t tell ya, Bobin, ‘else it won’t come true.”

“You’re not even actually Santa, you know that, right? Please tell me you know that.”

“Been Santa every year for the past seven years, and I’ve never told any wishes,” he says, shaking his head, “And haven’t had any complaints yet.”

Robin opens her mouth to respond, but Steve cuts ahead, “I think it’s sweet.”

Eddie’s expression shifts from to surprised instantly, “You do?”

“Of course I do, man, my hypothetical kids would be lucky to have you as Santa.” Steve tries to telepathically push his meaning into Eddie’s brain, ‘Our kids, that’s how you’d be their Santa’. Ugh, if anyone in the room was a mind reader, he sincerely apologizes for the rush of sappy thoughts.

But, to his dismay, Eddie’s face falls just the slightest bit, and Steve knows he took it the wrong way.

“Thanks, Harrington.” he says, turning his face down towards his plate.

Steve almost feels Robin’s ‘Oh no… Harrington.’ trickle into his brain

He winces internally, but presses on, asking Eddie, “Come over to my place later?”

Eddie looks up again, cheeks full of food and his cheeks go a bit pinker. He swallows, “Yeah, sure, if you want me to?”

“Yeah me and Rob’ll just be hanging out.” Steve shrugs, feigning nonchalance, “And I’m sure you want to give the lovebirds some privacy.” He tilts his head toward Wayne and Claudia.

Eddie just groans and drops his forehead to the table, laughing weakly. “Don’t remind me.”

- -

Steve drops Robin at home and she gives him a pat on the back and a “Go get ‘im, loverboy.” as she goes.

He gets home about 30 minutes before Eddie rings the bell.

Steve’s already in his most two-sizes-too-small shirt and slouchiest sweats when he answers the door, and it looks like Eddie’s changed too, and showered from the look of his hair.

“Hey man, c’mon in.”

“Thanks dude, where’s Robin?”

Steve shrugs as he closes the door, “She wasn’t feeling good, I think she ate too much so I dropped her off at home.”

Eddie’s face somehow goes paler and pinker at the same time, “Oh yeah, shoot,” he laughs nervously, then seems to shake himself internally because his next words are full of that patented Munson confidence, “Just you and me then, big boy?”

He gives Steve a glance over, and his flirty smirk wavers with a new rush of color to his cheeks.

“Yep, just us.. Beer?”

“Sure, if you got it.” he calls over his shoulder as he wanders into the living room.

Steve goes for the drinks, then asks “What’s in the bag?” as he heads back to the other room.

“Just my stuff,” he shrugs, “PJs and all that.”

Eddie’s sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace, and Steve’s really glad he had time to light it when he got home. The glow it gives him is something else.

“Wanna help me wrap?” Steve asks as he sits down beside Eddie, passing him one of the beers.

He nods, “S’long as I can keep sitting here, the fire feels great.”

Steve chuckles, “Sure, Ed.”

He pushes up to his hands and knees and crawls the few feet away to the tree and starts sliding boxes out from underneath it, grabbing the bag of wrapping paper tubes as he shuffles back past them.

One look at Eddie’s face has him fist pumping internally. Flustered and Flushed, nailed it.

“S-so what’s in the boxes, Stevie?”

Steve shrugs, pulling one of the boxes towards him, “Some toys for that game you and the shitheads are always going on about,” He nudges Eddie’s arm playfully as he starts rolling out some paper. “I figure each of them get a box of things, and they can trade them between themselves after they open them.”

Eddie nods, pulling a box towards him and opening it up, “Or I can help you divide them out?”

“Oh thank god, thought you wouldn’t even ask.”

Eddie cackles and shoves at him, “You just want me to do your work for you! Some big brother you are, huh?”

Steve shoves him back, “You’re the literal Santa among us, asshole.” he laughs.

They sort through the packs of dice and mini figures Steve had picked up in Chicago last time he went to meet up with his parents, piling them into boxes labeled for each of the hellions.

“Mike likes to add Orcs to his games, we’ll give that one to him, Lucas has been talking about playing a wizard character so let’s give him that one…” Steve listened to each of Eddie’s explanations as they went, and soon, each of the boys had their boxes wrapped and labeled.

“What about Max and El?”

“I’ve got them covered, no problem.” Steve waves him off, “But you can open yours now if you want?”

Eddie’s face lights up then scrunches up in confusion. “Wait, why? It’s only the 19th..”

Steve shrugs, pushing off the floor to the tree again, “I figured you already had plans with Wayne so..” he grabs the little box and plops back down next to Eddie, holding it out to him. “Here.”

After one more skeptical look, Eddie snatches up the box and tears into it in record time.

He lifts the lid and stops. Looks up at Steve. Down into the box. Back up. “Steve..”

“I had them made while I was in Chicago. They’re the Hellfire colors, right? Red, yellow, and black?” Eddie nods. “Well good, I’m glad I remembered right. The clear was just ‘cause I thought it would be fun.” He grins.

Eddie looks at him for a moment longer, then, almost angrily, puts the lid back onto the custom dice set, smacks it down onto the nearby coffee table, and fights to open his bag.

“Ed, what are you–”

“Here.” he pants, holding out a palm-sized box.

“You just.. had this with you?” Steve asks, taking it.

“I was going to leave it here before I left for the night,”

Steve tears open the newspaper and similarly lifts the lid off his box.

His heart leaps into his throat at the glittering gift inside.

It’s an aluminum tree. A mini silver one, just like Eddie and Wayne’s.

Steve looks up at him, and Eddie starts rambling, almost panicked.

“It’s an ornament. I saw it and I thought about how you said you always wanted an aluminum tree.. Sorry it’s not a real one, but I don’t have that kind of cash, y’know?” he laughs, then his face falls again, more so than it had been originally, “Oh wait, shit, should I have gotten you that Hanukkah thing? A Mendoza?

“A Menorah?”

“Aw fuck, you need a menorah..”

“Eddie,” Steve looks pointedly from him to the tree and back. It doesn’t look like Eddie’s gaze moved at all. “You literally came over to my house last week to help decorate my Christmas Tree.”

He looks over at the tree. “...Oh yeah…”

“But it’s sweet of you to be concerned…?”

“Thanks,” he laughs, “So, do you like it?”

Steve dives forward to pull Eddie into a hug, it only takes a moment for Eddie to return it. “I love it, thank you Eddie.”

He relaxes just a bit more into the hug, “You’re welcome, Stevie.”

They stay in the embrace for a couple seconds before pulling away, neither of them going very far.

Steve glances down to Eddie’s mouth, then back up to his eyes, both only inches away from his.

“Eddie, I—” He swears they both start leaning forward again when–

Eddie’s watch starts beeping rapidly, some alarm going off that sends him flying backward and onto his feet

Steve blinks “Ed?”

“Oh shit, midnight already? You know what that means, Stevie, time to hit the hay!” Eddie rambles, gathering up his gift box and backpack, “It’s cool if I stay, right? I packed some clothes for tomorrow too so I’m just gonna..”

He gestures over his shoulder, and after a breath, turns on his heel and heads for the stairs.

“...What just happened?”

dividers from @steddiecameraroll-graphics!

#steddiemas2024 #prompt: menorah #prompt: santa #prompt: toys #prompt: surprise #week 4 #holiday extravaganza

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steddiemas · 8 months ago

Text

@steddiemas week 3 - Eggnog, Baking, Sweater, Pine

rating: T | words: 1,670

this isn't late idk what you're talking about

<- back to previous part | next part ->

The feeling of Steve’s lips on his cheek haunts him for days after Steve helped him decorate.

Every time he looks at the tree, every time he sits down on the couch, hell, if he even looks at that damn spot in front of the couch, he can feel Steve’s kiss.

And now, a week later, he’s on his way to Steve’s house to help with his decorating.

“You’re abnormally quiet.” Max says, startling Eddie out of another round of Steve Kiss Reminisce (good thing too, as this one had started to push on past the first chaste cheek kiss into Steve lips on his neck, his collarbone, his ches—), “Hello?? Earth to Munson?”

“Shut up. Sorry, What?”

“What are you thinking so hard about?”

“The next campaign.” he answers immediately.

She squints at him from behind her coke-bottle glasses, “Uh huh. Sure you were.”

“I was! Gotta figure out this new royal character…” he argues, pulling into the Harringtons’ driveway, “He can’t just be any ol’ Joe Schmoe.”

Max scoffs as Eddie shifts into park, unbuckling her belt at the same time she’s opening the door. “Yeah okay.”

Eddie swears he hears her mumble something else, but it’s too quiet. Something that sounded a lot like “As if it’s gonna be anything but a Steve clone..” but that couldn’t be.

He follows her to the front door, catching up to her when the door opens in front of them.

“Wow, it smells great in here.” Max says, marching through the door like she owns the place

“Steve’s been baking since he woke up,” Robin says, ushering Eddie through the door behind her, “He’s super excited about this cheesecake recipe he found, and has been making truckloads of gingerbread.”

“And roast!” Steve calls as Eddie wrestles his boots off his feet without untying the laces.

“And roast,” Robin echoes, “It’s been taunting me with its smells for the last four hours.”

Steve emerges from one of the kitchen doors as Eddie finally removes his boots, a mug in each of his hands, “Eggnog or hot cocoa, Ed?”

Eddie about folds at the sight of him. Maroon sweater today instead of the yellow one that haunts both his dreams and nightmares, plain white apron tied snug to his waist, fuckin’ flour smeared on his cheek and in his hair..

“Nog me up, big boy,” he says, super chill-like, reaching for the mug that isn’t streaming steam into the air.

Steve snorts a laugh and passes him the mug, ushering him and Robin back into the living room after Max.

The living room looks like Christmas threw up all over it.

The tree is only maybe a third of the way built, one of those put-together-yourself artificial trees that, given how wide around it is even now, will certainly be close to scraping the ceiling by time it’s fully assembled.

There are boxes and totes and shiny tinsel garland strewn about everywhere, green gold and red ornaments that have many a’dollar on his and Wayne’s similarly colored collection, and an already impressive length of popcorn and cranberry garland that three of the boys are working on on the carpet.

Well, Lucas is working hard on it, Dustin seems to be helping by lining up the next pieces on the floor in front of Lucas (popcorn, popcorn, popcorn, cranberry, popcorn, popcorn, popcorn, cranberry..), while Mike sneaks handfuls of the stuff into his cheeks.

Robin plops onto her usual spot at one end of Steve’s couch, picking up a long mass of crinkled ribbon as she does, and Max sits in the recliner at one end of the room, taking the mug of hot chocolate Steve hands her once she’s settled.

“Joyce will be here with El and Will soon, and roast will be done in a couple hours so chop chop on that tree.”

None of the boys acknowledge him, so Eddie takes it upon himself to. “You got it boss, where do you want me?”

He busies himself with shedding his hat and jacket, completely missing the spluttering cough Steve does before responding. “You wanna help Mike finish assembling the tree?”

“On it Jefe,” Eddie says, spinning on his heel to salute Steve, following the spin around again to look down at Mike (still on the floor). “Let’s go Micycle, up and at ‘em.”

With plenty of colorful commentary, he and Mike manage to snap the monster of a tree together in almost no time at all.

The hooked ends of each branch are passed up to Mike on the ladder once it gets too tall for either of them to manage, and, in a bit of trivia that only Eddie is privy to now, Mike similarly gets entranced by ‘fixing’ the branches as Steve did with Eddie’s tree.

Robin’s gotten all the wire-edged ribbon un-crinkled, Lucas and Will are finishing up the last few feet of the garland, El and Dustin took on the task of laying out the ridiculous amount of lights and checking for blown bulbs, and Max has moved to the center cushion of the couch in order to lay out all the best ornaments and check that they all haven’t lost their hooks.

So, once the ladder is no longer needed, Eddie leaves Mike to his fluffing and moves to sit beside Max in Robin’s vacated spot closest to the tree.

This also gives him the perfect sightline to the kitchen where Steve is contentedly flitting about all over the kitchen, back and forth from sheets of cookies to the still simmering roast, and back again with a new colored frosting in hand.

Back and forth, back and forth, Eddie watches Steve move around the kitchen with the practiced ease only someone overly familiar with a space could have. Shit, if Eddie tried to move from one spot to the next like that in his kitchen? Well, one, there’s not that much room in his, but more imoportantly, he’s barely ever got a clue where one thing is on any one day, despite Wayne insisting he puts everything back in the exact same place.

…Whatever. All that to say that it’s quite entertaining, like watching him dance…

Should he join him? He could picture it sure, sliding into the room and being so familiar with the place that he and Steve have become one fluid machine..

Before his imagination has gone too far off the deep end (the Harringtons’ kitchen definitely did not just morph into a cramped and dingy but well-loved kitchen of a two bedroom apartment in Chicago, (he lies)), Eddie’s attention is yanked back with a sudden sharp tug at his hair.

“Ow! What the–” Eddie reaches to where the few strands had definitely been pulled free, only to find several somethings hooked into his hair. “What are you doing?”

He turns, and Max looks almost offended that he’s protesting. “I’m decorating the tree.”

”You may be blind, but you know damn well I'm not a tree, Maxine.” Eddie grumbles, trying to pull out the baubles and wincing when a hook gets stuck.

Instead of helping, Max hooks another ornament into his hair. “Might as well be with all the pining you’re doing.”

Eddie freezes, looks over at her, and sputters out a high pitched “What are you— no I’m n— he– I–” then leans in closer, “Again, I reiterate, you’re blind.. How the fuck do you know that?”

“You’re too quiet.” she shrugs, “Except the sighing. You’re doing a lot of sighing.”

Okay, fair, “How in the hell’d you know it was Steve?”

She gives him a shit eating grin.

Aw shit..

“I didn’t.” she grins, and Eddie’s mortified, but before he can even say anything, Max continues on with, “I’m kidding dude, I knew it was Steve. You always start sighing like a wife awaiting her husband’s return from war whenever he isn’t around; it’s even worse when he is…”

Eddie goes quiet for three whole seconds. “Well, I’m outta here.”

The others look up from their tasks “Wait, what?” Lucas asks at the same time Dustin says, “Eddie? Where’re you going?”

“I have to go lay down in the middle of the road before the 5:30 bus comes along.” he says, already at the door and tugging on his sneakers. “I’ve only got 3 minutes to get down onto Main Street.”

“Wh–”

“It comes down Cornwallis at 5:35, might be simpler to go there instead” Max calls after him

Eddie snaps his fingers and points in her direction, “You’re a real one, Mad Max. Well, It’s been great guys, but I’ve been embarrassed past the point of no return, and as such, I must never return. Aideau.”

He gives a fake little bow to the protesting gremlins and turns to the front door, only to find Steve standing against it, his arms crossed and face scowling.

“There will be no getting run over by buses on my watch, Munson. Get back in there, dinner’s almost ready.”

“...I don’t think the apron’s helping your tough guy schtick, Dingus.” Robin calls, very obviously trying to stifle laughter.

Steve ignores her, “Quit being so dramatic, Eddie, the ornaments aren’t that bad.”

Eddie forgot about the things to be completely honest, but Steve steps forward from the door, grabs him by the shoulders, and spins him back toward the still tinsel-covered mess of a living room, “Now get back to it, I’d like to have my tree done before Christmas.”

There’s a teasing tug at his hair, a shift of clothes, then one of Steve’s arms is wrapping over his shoulder and holding out a newly freed ornament for Eddie to take.

He does, and with a little nudge, Eddie’s back in the living room and Steve’s heading back to the kitchen.

There’s a short pause, Robin still doing her best not to laugh, the boys are thoroughly confused, then Max says, “Can I borrow that garland when you’re one with it? I just thought of a much better use for it.”

dividers from @steddiecameraroll-graphics!

#steddiemas2024 #prompt: eggnog #prompt: sweater #prompt: pine #prompt: baking #week 3

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steddiemas · 8 months ago

Text

Bedtime Story

Written for @steddieholidaydrabbles prompt: FAIRY-TALE @steddiemas prompt: FIRST set in the same universe as The Revenant of You WC: 999 Rating: G CW: vomit mention Summary: Dustin’s wedding led to Abigail and Lilith becoming the best of friends. Tonight is their first sleepover. AO3

After Dustin’s wedding, Steve and Eddie started a tentative friendship, mostly through play dates for their girls. The two became the best of friends after that night, forcing Steve and Eddie to be in each other’s orbit a lot more.

Tonight was their first sleepover, but Lilith was still little. She was afraid to sleep without her dad there, so Eddie was spending the night too. In Steve’s guest room. He could do this, it was next to Abby’s room, so Lily could find him. And find him she did, when her little fist knocked on his door.

“Daddy, can we have a bedtime story?” She asked. He glanced up to see Abby and Steve with her.

“She said your stories are better than Dad’s.” Abby added. Steve shrugged behind her in agreement.

“Okay, my little demon. Let’s get you two to bed and I’ll tell a story.” He walked with Steve to Abby’s room, tucked the girls in, and reached for a book.

“NO! Tell her the bard story.” Lilith exclaimed. Eddie sighed and glanced at Steve. He pulled up a chair and motioned for him to continue.

“Okay, Once upon a time…

there was a lonely bard. He traveled the kingdom, singing his woes, hoping the people would tip him enough to buy a place to lay his head.

On one such night, he had one gold piece, enough for one night. But as he walked into the tavern, he saw a lone woman, sitting hidden in the corner. The bard sat beside her and asked her what she was doing here.

“Hoping to sleep here for the night. But I’m low on coins.” She admitted. The bard looked at the beautiful woman and slid her his last gold piece.

“It would be a shame for a lovely thing like you to sleep in the mud.” He stood but she grabbed his wrist.

“You shouldn’t sleep in the mud either. Let’s share the room.” She whispered. The bard stared at the lady, looking for some sort of deception but finding none. With a nod, they paid the barkeep and went to bed.

He lay next to the woman and knew, he’d write a dozen songs about her eyes alone.

In the morning, the lady awoke and asked the bard to escort her home, she promised to pay him back the gold coin.

“No repayment necessary, my lady. But I will walk with you.” As the bard and the woman made their way to her home, he found she was funny. Smart, pretty. He did not want to leave her once he arrived...at the Queen’s castle. The bard’s eyes widened and he bowed deeply, apologies leaving his mouth at a rapid pace.

“No apologies. Be my family’s bard.” She ordered. He would be an idiot to argue. He followed her inside, as she held his hand. The Queen was lonely, but with the lonely bard filling her hall with music, she was alone no longer, the bard a constant presence at her side.

The end.” Eddie whispered as the girls’ eyes slipped shut. The two adults quietly exited the room and Eddie moved to head to the guest room when Steve stopped him.

“Come have a beer?” He asked. Eddie smiled and nodded, following him to the kitchen. He handed him a bottle and used his own to gesture into the living room. Steve plucked at the label before he spoke. “Good story.” He said.

“Thanks.” Eddie replied awkwardly. This was the hard part of their friendship. Not knowing what to say, when to say it, or what to share. Eddie was trying, but he was exhausted relearning how to read Steve.

“What’s it about?” He knew...Eddie knew he knew, but if he wanted him to say it.

“It’s the fairy tale version of how I met Lyla. In real life, she was drunk off her ass and accidentally stumbled into a hotel I was staying at. She didn’t have enough for a room so I offered to let her stay in mine. After that I walked her home, met her roommate, got her number. I never called her. Then I saw her at another show and, well you know.” Eddie rushed out. He gulped his beer and stared straight ahead.

“That’s a rom-com meet cute if I’ve ever heard one.” Steve laughed and Eddie joined in.

“It’s more of a meet-ugly. She puked on my shoes.” Eddie smiled when Steve snorted so hard beer shot out his nose.

“That was my last sip, fucker!” He laughed. Then he sobered a bit. “You really loved her, didn’t you?” Steve asked. But for once, there was no tiny vein of bitterness or jealousy. Just genuine curiosity.

“Yeah, I did.” It was getting easier to admit to Steve. The pain of losing Lyla would never go away, but the burden of carrying it got lighter and lighter the more he shared her memory.

“Thanks for staying the night. Abby has been asking for months.” Steve said, changing the subject.

“So has Lily. Thanks for letting me crash here. She still wakes up scared, looks for her mom before she remembers. She usually climbs in the bed and sits on my chest to make sure I’m still breathing.” Eddie paused. That was the hardest part for him. His own grief he could handle, but Lily holds so much in her too. “If you see her doing it, just let it happen. It’s better for both of us.”

“Whatever she needs. Whatever either of you need.” Steve promised as he placed his hand on top of Eddie’s. Eddie watched Steve for a moment, with a soft smile.

“You’re a great friend, Steve.” Eddie watched the happiness fade just a little from his eyes. “I should, go to bed.” Eddie whispered and pulled his hand away.

“I love you.” Steve whispered, so quietly like he hoped Eddie didn’t hear it. He pretended not to. He wasn’t ready yet; but, he was getting closer.