sunswathe

[sunswathe]

STWG Daily Prompt 04/28/24

as chosen by our own @penny00dreadful

Fairytale✨

WC: 837 | AO3

He was never going to find her.

Steve sighed heavily, letting his lunch tray drop to the table as he plopped down into his seat next to Nancy and Jonathan, the spot he’d been occupying ever since he’d had some sense knocked into him and dumped Tommy and Carol as friends for good. 

He’d gotten a lot of funny looks for that move, not only because he’d nuked his popularity along with his friendships, but because Nancy had dumped him for Jonathan, or so the rumor mill said, and yet here he was beside them. The truth was that their uncoupling had been a mutual decision, they just didn’t care enough to correct the narrative. 

But, back to Steve’s lament. 

It’d been almost a week since he saw her, the mystery girl that he’d spent almost the entire Halloween Ball with. They hadn’t spoken at all, the music had been too loud for that, but they’d stuck close to each other all night, danced, shared a few laughs as they pointed out their classmates' costumes–both good and bad– and shared a brief, but earth shattering kiss in a dark corner of the gym.

Now normally, Steve wouldn’t have been caught dead at one of the school’s dances, but his high school career was rapidly coming to a close, and honestly he was just trying to get himself out there, make some better memories before he was forced to grow up and enter the adult world.

Also… Nancy and Jonathan had made him.

Then they’d ditched him to go make out in the darkroom, but that was fine, It’d all been worth it to meet—her.

Steve only stepped away for a moment to get them a couple drinks, but when he returned to their spot by the bleachers, she was gone, the only evidence that she’d ever been there at all was a ring left behind on the floor. He picked it up, remembering how she’d fiddled with them a lot, her many rings, and must have dropped this one without realizing. 

He pocketed it, knowing it would be the key to finding her again.

Because, and this was his dilemma, on top of not knowing his mystery girl’s name, he also had no idea what she really looked like. While his Indiana Jones costume had left no question as to his own identity, she’d been dressed as a mummy, wrapped up in layers of gauzy fabric, only showing off her long dark curly hair, the biggest most gorgeous brown eyes he’d ever seen, and perfect pink pouty lips.

After spending the last several days combing the school, asking every brunette he came across if the ring was hers—to no avail—Steve had all but given up, assuming the girl had been someone’s friend or cousin visiting from out of town.

“What’s all this?” Steve asked, finally noticing the stack of photos Jonathan had spread out on the table around them. 

Jonathan took a bite of his sandwich, answering with his mouth still half full. “group shots of all the clubs for the yearbook, I just got them developed.”

Steve pushed his own lunch away, not hungry, and pulled a few of the pictures closer to him. He wasn’t really looking, looking, there wouldn’t be anyone in those pictures he hadn’t already seem roaming the halls, or so he thought. Then he spotted a familiar piece of jewelry on the finger of someone entirely unexpected. 

Eddie Munson, head of the Hellfire Club. 

He reached into his pocket and pulled the ring out, keeping it hidden under the table as he looked between it and the one in the photo. Same band, same stone, same black nail polish on the hand’s fingers too.

Dark curly hair, check. 

Big beautiful brown eyes, check. 

Soft pouty pink lips, double check.

Okay, so, the mystery girl wasn’t a girl at all. It explained why he’d had so much trouble finding her at least.

Steve sat with that fact throughout the rest of the lunch period, and by the time the bell rang had decided that it didn’t change a thing. He wasn’t freaked out that he’d kissed a boy, he didn’t even care that it was Munson, certified freak and D&D nerd. He was a little embarrassed that he’d assumed his special someone was a girl just because he had long hair and pretty eyes, but moving past that—

Now Steve just had to woo his man.

“Hey, Munson?” Steve called out as he jogged down the hallway, approaching the other boy from behind just as he was closing his locker. 

Eddie startled, his eyes going wide as he turned to see who had snuck up on him, but recovered quickly.

“Steeeeeeeve Harrington, what can I do for his former-royal-highness?”

Steve stepped in close, glancing around to make sure no one was watching them before he took Eddie’s hand, gently turning it over, and placed the ring in the center of his palm.  

“I think you dropped this.”

Permanent taglist (open): @penny00dreadful @pearynice @hitlikehammers

[sunswathe]

Mother’s Love - Part Nine

part one, part eight

steddie, wenny, omegaverse, here be monsters

“What?” Steve hisses. The shock is almost enough to drop his walls. He grabs Nancy by the arm and leads her to the library, finding a nice, abandoned corner in the 700s.

“So, you didn’t know? About Billy… Or about Eddie?” Nancy crosses her arms, looks up at Steve like she’s trying to read his mind, to catch him in a lie.

Steve doesn’t think he could lie to Nancy if he tried. “I haven’t been home. My parents are out of town, and after everything… I didn’t want to be home alone. Eddie picked up some things for me.”

“You didn’t go with Eddie? It’s your house,” Nancy cocks her head to the side, nostrils flaring, subtly trying to scent his feelings. “And you stayed at his place, right?”

Steve crosses his own arms. “Yes, but… It’s complicated, Nancy. My life is really fucking complicated.”

“Yeah, but your alphafriend was fighting with Billy Hargrove in your driveway right before the guy disappeared into thin air.”

“Right before? Eddie would have told me if he saw Billy Hargrove vanish.”

“Not *right before* but still, they fought, Eddie went inside, and Billy vanished before Eddie came back out.”

Steve holds his tongue, not sure how to respond to that, and Nancy shakes her head. “We haven’t told anyone because obviously it sounds crazy-”

“Obviously.”

“Steve! This is serious! And I was worried about you. When alphas fight over an omega, it isn’t only the alphas who get hurt, and if Billy went to your house looking for you…”

Steve nods, a tiny gesture as he leans his back against the wall. “I appreciate it, really, I do. But there is some weird shit happening in Hawkins, and I don’t know what to do.”

Nancy steps in close, and takes one of Steve’s hands in her own. “Do you think your weird shit is related to whatever happened to Will?”

Taking a deep breath and letting it all the way out to give himself a moment to think, Steve makes up his mind about Nancy. “Yes,” he whispers.

His mama is gonna be so pissed.

❤️❤️❤️

“Benny is gonna be so pissed,” Eddie says on the drive home after school, eyes constantly darting over to look in his rearview mirror.

“I know!” Steve huffs, curling up in the passenger seat, arms hugging his knees. “He’s gonna find a way to ground me ‘til I’m 30!”

“Then why the fuck did you say anything, Steve?”

“Because I’d rather have Nancy Wheeler helping me than worry about her going to the wrong people.” Steve glances over his shoulder out the window, making sure Jonathan and Nancy are still following them. “Besides, Jon’s got pictures of your van next to Billy’s car in my driveway.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah.”

Steve lets the silence settle over them, and he reaches out to Eddie, the alpha easily taking his hand. “We’re gonna figure this out, Stevie. We are,” Eddie says when they arrive, cutting the engine and pulling Steve’s hand up to kiss his wrist.

“I know,” Steve agrees softly, hoping Eddie’s right because what else can he do?

They climb out of the van, and wait for Nancy and Jonathan before heading inside. Eddie has barely shut the door behind them when Benny gets his hands on Steve, tucking him protectively to his side. “Steven,” he sighs, “I thought I was clear on the necessity of laying low.” He stares down the other teens, finishing with Eddie. “Wayne needs help in the kitchen,” he adds pointedly.

Eddie nods and waves awkwardly as he shuffles out of the room, and Benny turns his attention back to Steve, staring expectantly.

“We all need each other,” Steve says, staring right back. “Because laying low isn’t going to solve this, and I don’t think it’s an option anymore.”

Benny cups his cheek, worry flooding his scent. “What happened?” His nostrils flare as he looks over Steve’s shoulder at the extra teens still waiting by the door.

“Steve didn’t do anything,” Nancy volunteers, before elbowing Jonathan in the side.

Jonathan scrambles for his backpack, withdrawing a 5x7 photograph, and hands it to Benny. “I took this last night.”

Benny pales as he looks at the photo, noticing Eddie’s van along with Billy leaning against his Camaro, the familiarity of the Harringtons’ driveway. “EDDIE! Get your ass back out here!”

“What?” Eddie shouts back, only bothering to lean through the doorframe. He knows what’s coming, bracing for Benny to go into Mama Bear mode.

“What the hell happened when you went to Steve’s house last night. And who the hell is the punk in this picture?”

Eddie gestures to his black eye. “Billy’s been giving Steve a hard time. I took care of it.”

“Then why the hell was he-”

“Mama, it’s fine!” Steve tries to soothe, “I’m fine, Billy was a jerk, but-”

“Look at the righthand side of the photo,” Nancy says. “Do you see the blurry shape in the upper corner?”

Benny’s eyes go wide. “What the hell is that?”

Nancy grimaces. “Whatever it is, we think it took Billy. One second he was there, and the next…”

“His car is still at my house, Mama. He’s missing now, too.”

“Goddamnit,” Benny growls under his breath. “We’re gonna have to talk to the cops about it. Make sure they know you weren’t even home… Christ, what the fuck was Brenner messing with…”

Nancy perks up at that. “Brenner?”

“Nope, you didn’t hear that. You do not want to get tangled up in this-”

“We’re just trying to find my brother!” Jonathan interrupts, louder than Steve has ever heard him before. “Please! My mom is freaking out, and I need to get home soon so she doesn’t freak out even more. But Steve thinks this is all related.” He takes a deep breath. “I’m just trying to find Will…”

Benny softens, his hold on Steve still fierce. “Okay,” he says softly. “We need to talk.

❤️❤️❤️

Much to everyone’s surprise, Benny starts in on Eddie, having him recount exactly what happened with Billy both times they fought.

To no one’s surprise, Eddie glosses over as much as possible, but mainly gets away with not repeating anything Billy said about Steve. “Is this really what we need to focus on right now? I didn’t see a monster and I don’t have su-”

“This is about you not getting arrested, Ed,” Benny says firmly. “Don’t care how big a jackass he is, the boy is missing, and you very publicly fought with him. Add in the car and…”

“Yeah, okay.” Eddie slumps down on the couch. “Not exactly like we can give a blurry monster photo to the cops.”

“But it’s the best evidence we have!” Nancy retorts.

“No one down at the police station will believe it’s anything, and it will just get back to the wrong people.” Benny looks between the four teens scattered around the living room. “I need you all to understand how dangerous this all is. Not just the monster. Asking the wrong questions or talking in the wrong place could get you killed.” When he finishes, he’s staring at Steve, jaw set to keep from crying. “Or worse.”

Steve does start crying, his mother’s emotions tied up in his own. “We’ll be careful, Mama,” he manages to get out as Benny engulfs him in his arms. “But I’m helping look for Will. If he’s what I felt, I’m pretty sure I can feel him again if he’s…”

“I know, Steve,” Benny whispers, clutching his boy to his heart. “But we have to be smart about this. I know what to look out for, you don’t.”

In the end, Eddie is left at home with Wayne—and Eleven, the girl properly outfitted in cords and a fuzzy sweater now, still hidden away in Wayne’s nest. Benny doesn’t want to accidentally lead anyone back to find the poor girl, so the plan is to keep Steve at his place for the night.

Benny follows Jonathan and Nancy to whole way out to the edge of town, parking on the street, eyes out for anything suspicious. But the street is empty, quiet.

Quiet enough that Joyce Byers runs out the door when she hears the engines from their vehicles. Her hands shake, half-smoked cigarette in her right, as she runs over to Jonathan. “There was another phone call,” she says, desperation in her voice as much as it’s in her eyes. “It had to be him!”

“Mom, did he say something?”

“No… And it shorted out the phone again. It was like I could feel him.”

“Mom…” Jonathan holds tight to her, overwhelmed.

Joyce looks up, like she’s only just noticed that anyone else is in her yard, much less three additional people. “Jonathan? What’s going on?” she asks in a whisper.

“I brought help.”

Joyce takes that in stride, leading everyone inside. “Not sure what you can do, but I’ll take anything. Hopper doesn’t believe me about the phone either, but he hasn’t bothered to check in today.”

“You said the phone is out?” Nancy asks gently.

“He’s got a truck. He could stop by.”

Benny can’t help grinning. He likes Joyce when she’s sassy.

“So… What exactly is going to happen here?” Joyce asks, looking between Benny and Steve, skeptical brow raised.

“Steve is special,” Benny answers, “He thinks he might be-”

“I’m gonna see if I can feel anything from Will,” Steve interrupts. “And hopefully, that’ll point us in the right direction.”

“Feel anything?” Joyce leans over to Jonathan and whispers, “Is he psychic or something?”

“Or something,” Benny says.

Joyce has brought them into the kitchen, next to the useless phone. Steve sits at one of the dining chairs, and closes his eyes. He feels his mama’s hands on his shoulders, something to ground him, and he drops his barriers.

Instantly, he’s overwhelmed with fear—the same fear from before, but muted—it’s constant, a steady march of dread rather than the intense terror of Sunday night. The fear is mixed with need, and love. Love like a tether. An umbilical cord connecting mother and child.

And it’s close.

Steve feels like he’s practically on top of it, like Will is standing next to him. He���s not as practiced at pushing out, but he does. A simple feeling of care. Trust. Hope.

He feels warmth—

The fear surges.

The lights overhead flicker.

Steve feels hunger and frustration and profound loathing surround him as Joyce Byers screams.

Eyes snapping open, Steve sees the shape of a massive clawed hand stretching the wallpaper in a way that defies logic, and he understands the screaming. He’s ready to jump to his feet, only to for his mama to scoop Steve into his arms, bolting after the others as they spill out of the house.

“What the fuck?!” Joyce yells, clutching her chest as she leans against the far-side of Benny’s pickup. “What was that?”

“Mom, are you okay,” Jonathan asks, arm protectively around her.

“Are *you* okay?” she returns, checking him over, eyes darting back to the door and waiting, watching to see if anything follows them. “Why am I the only one freaking out?”

“We’re freaking out,” Nancy argues, crouched beside Benny, looking around for potential weapons if she needs them.

“NOT ENOUGH!”

Benny sets Steve on his feet, hand cupping the back of his head, double-checking that he’s unhurt. He turns to Joyce and murmurs, “We knew there was something, just didn’t know that would happen.” Nodding to Jonathan he adds, “Show your mama the picture.”

Jonathan digs into his back pocket, pulls out the photograph, and points to the blur. “We think this is whatever that is. It took Billy Hargrove…”

Nancy pushes herself to stand up straight. “And after this, we’re pretty sure it took Will.”

“But Will is in there,” Steve says.

“In there?” Benny asks as Joyce screams, “WHAT?” She looks like she’s about to bolt back into the house, but Jonathan holds her in place.

“I could feel him in there, and he wasn’t far away. Wherever the wall monster is, Will is there. He’s scared, but he didn’t seem hurt.”

Joyce pulls out of Jonathan’s hold, but she stops at the front steps. “Oh my GOD. Will! Will, honey! I’m going to get you back!” She turns back to the little group, and marches straight to Steve, taking his hands in hers. “You’re sure he wasn’t hurt?”

“Not when I felt him.”

She wraps her slender arms around Steve, and whispers, “Thank you.” He hugs her back, tears filling his eyes.

When she lets Steve go, Joyce turns to Benny, certain he is the most in the know. “What do I need to do to get my baby back?”

❤️❤️❤️

Across town, Officer Powell stops at the Munson residence, nodding when Wayne answers the door. “Alright there, Wayne, Eddie home?”

Of course, Eddie walks out of the kitchen at that moment and into plain view of half-open the doorway. He and Powell meet eyes, and Eddie freezes, like maybe the cop can’t actually see him if he doesn’t move. Like a bear or whatever.

“Eddie, can I ask you a few questions? Everyone I talk to says you might have some insight as to Billy Hargrove’s whereabouts.”

[sunswathe]

When Steve and Eddie just start dating, Eddie finds out Steve is just as bad at the pda thing as he is, if not worse.

It helps ("helps") that they can't really hug or kiss or even hold hands in public or they'd be hanged in the town's square, but at home? With their friends? Steve has no problem pulling Eddie into his lap and planting a kiss on his mouth.

It might because he's used to dating girls, used to being able to be, freely be, whoever he wanted to be. But it might just be Steve, because he never tries anything like that in public.

In public, he'll knock his shoulder against Eddie's whenever nobody is looking. They'll share a secret smile, like an inside knowledge that once they're back inside they will not be seperated. Not by force of nature, not by anything.

Sometimes, in the back of a dark theatre, Steve slips his hand into Eddie's.

It's the bravest thing either of them do. Holding hands like teenagers in the back of the movie theatre, or during car rides, or (if they're being especially risky) under the table at the diner.

Eddie loves the way you couldn't beat Steve away from him with a nailbat. He loves his touches and kisses and anything Steve will give him.

Though he hopes that one day the secret handholding will be allowed more in the open. A secret revealed in five, ten, twenty years.

But for now, he's fine with it being their little secret. He's got Steve. That's all he needs.

[sunswathe]

The Creature

The thing is. Steve already knew CC was as good as they came in a small town like Hawkins. Hell, he knows The Creature is right up there in the same category.

What he didn't know, though, is that CC could be playing headliner shows in Chicago, or New York with how fucking good they are.

If this is a rehearsal, Steve is terrified to see the real deal. All night he is glued to his chair, denying beers when offered (he can't drink in his mask) and staring wide eyed at the sheer musicality of the band.

It's everything combined. The process of songwriting (the lyrics get tweaked while they rehearse, something Steve has honestly never thought of himself because he doesn't even write his lyrics himself most of the time. That's what he's got Chris for, after all), the tuning of the instruments, the laughter, the fucking noise they make.

It's both gruesome and gorgeous at the same time. Steve might be addicted. And maybe, just maybe, a little bit in love.

"So?" Eddie asks, after they're done. They're sitting on a nearby bench outside while the other guys went to grab more beer, or something. Steve's brain is currently preoccupied with the incredible power of this band, making it impossible to think about frivolous things like that. "What did you think?"

"You're fucking amazing," Steve replies. "Like, just. Wow. I don't even know why you come to my shows at all."

Eddie turns to him with a grin that's nearly bigger than his face. "I like to support small artists," he jokes. "And you're not on Spotify, so..."

Steve laughs, really laughs. God, he can't remember the last time he has laughed at something he genuinely found funny. He can't really remember the last time he's ever wanted to be someone's friend, not since being introduced to The Creature anyway.

"You'll be famous in no time. At least I'll be able to listen to you on Spotify while you're touring the world, then."

Eddie slaps his thigh. "Dream on, big boy. We're staying underground forever, it's half the fun."

Steve hums. "Got that right. Could I, uh, come see you again?"

This time when Eddie looks to him, it's almost shy. "You want that?" Steve nods. "Yeah, uh, whenever, really. I'll stop by again too. At your shows. I mean, I kind of missed your voice- shit, that sounds stupid. Please don't take that in the weird stalker way. I just mean-."

"I know what you mean. Don't worry." Steve thinks he'll miss Eddie's voice too. At least until he gets to hear him again, singing like he did tonight.

(Previous part)

Tags: @yesdangerpls @chaosofmanyfandoms @ollyxar @themoonagainstmers @wheneverfeasible

[sunswathe]

The Creature

The adress Eddie gave Steve is quite the walk, especially being the weirdo he is and wearing a mask on a fine Tuesday night.

After three weird looks he'd decided to just tread the woods, at least that way the cops won't get called on him.

He's nervous, for some reason. Because meeting up with Eddie at rehearsal is different than seeing him play a show.

It's more intimate. More imperfections. More real. And he'll have to introduce himself to his band members too.

He knows he's seen them at school, but how would he even go about shaking their hand? "Hi, I'm Steve Harrington, the guy you all hate." Or "Hey, I'm the lead singer of Eddie's favorite band." Or, worst of all, "Hi, I'm the king." (Though he's still not wearing the crown)

He shudders thinking about it.

He chickens out nearly three times during the walk over.

Eventually, though, he makes it.

The door to the driveway is open, light pouring out onto the road. There's a soft strumming of guitars, clicking beers and pleasant chatter.

Steve takes a couple of deep breaths before stepping up to them (in the least ominous way he can, really, but how chill can a guy be when wearing a mask at 10PM?)

Eddie is the first one that spots him. He falls backwards off his chair, beer spilling over the carpet that looks like it's already had quite a few accidents, before scrambling back up off the floor, exclaiming: "Hey, man! You made it!"

Steve is briefly hit with that feeling again. The beating of his heart speeding as Eddie walks up to him like this is normal, big grin on his face. "Hey," Steve mumbles even as Eddie pulls Steve into a one armed hug before quickly turning to the others.

"Guys, this is, uh... This is my friend I told you about."

One of them raises his eyebrows to which Eddie slaps the back of his head.

"Hi, guys," Steve says, raising his hand in a short wave. "Uh, rock on?"

Eddie laughs. "Hell yeah, take a seat, man."

(pt.3) (next)

(tags: @yesdangerpls @chaosofmanyfandoms @ollyxar )

[sunswathe]

Eddie stops going to The Creature's shows. He doesn't care about them or their stupid band or their stupid music or their stupid front man that doesn't care about him in return.

Steve notices. Of course he notices. He feels awful. Eddie had been enthousiastic, possibly their number one fan. Most of all, Eddie always smiles all pretty when Steve sings into the mic...

So, one day Steve makes up his mind. He goes to the bar, makes sure nobody sees him, and he waits outside.

He waits for nearly an hour and a half in front of the stupid bar Eddie plays at, mask pulled tight over his face. He's not wearing the crown, because it'd felt stupid to put that on now.

He feels nothing like a king. He doesn't even feel like the front man. He just feels like a mortal.

Eddie walks out and stops in his tracks as he sees Steve.

"Hey," Steve says.

"What are you doing here?" Eddie replies. His voice is sharp. Steve doesn't blame him.

"Can't come inside. With the mask and all."

Eddie walks closer to him, crossing his arms and looking out into the empty night so he doesn't have to stare at the man that hadn't bothered to keep his promise. "What, you can't take it off? Are you that ugly?"

"Uh," Steve laughs. "Yeah. Maybe. I don't know."

Eddie looks at him. Finally, looks at him. "You want to hear my shit?" He asks. "Really hear it?"

Steve nods. Eddie's eyes are intense. Steve wants to keep looking into them forever, he wants to pick his brain about music and life. He thinks he could listen to whatever Eddie wants to ramble about. "Yeah," he croaks.

"We rehearse Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. 10PM. Last house on Cherry Lane."

And Eddie doesn't get the chance to say anything more, because one of his band members appears and pulls him along to their van.

At least he'll know where to find him now.

(pt.1) (pt.2)

[sunswathe]

Steve doesn't go to Eddie's shows.

He knows he promised, it's just that he'd done so in the moment because Eddie looked so nervous and from the few times he'd seen CC play he knows their music is incredible.

But they play in bars. Steve can't show up at a bar wearing a mask! Cops will be called and Steve doesn't want another interaction with Hopper since that time Dustin made him kidnap his daughter. Story for later.

What matter is, he can't show up at the bar as little old Steve Harrington either! Not only would Eddie find out about who he is immediately, his entire reputation would go to shit. (It's a high school reputation, but a reputation nonetheless).

And so he doesn't go.

Eddie notices. Of fucking course he notices. It's hard not to notice the fact that all the people at their shows are the same drunkards as always. No new faces, or masks.

The guy just hadn't showed up.

At first he clings to the little hope he has left, maybe he's busy! But how busy can a guy really be. His hope quickly dwindles. Anger takes its place.

He storms up to Steve after one of their shows and squares his shoulders before spitting: "You too good to show up, are you? A real fucking king."

"What?" The guy has the audacity to sound apologetic, or maybe it's fear.

"You told me you'd come to a show and I haven't seen you. Meaning, you didn't fucking show up." Eddie scoffs, turning away. "Don't think just cause you've got a couple fans drunk off their asses or high on whatever that you're famous enough to do shit like this."

"I didn't mean-."

"Oh come on. Save it."

And Eddie storms off.

(pt.1) ... (Pt.3)

[sunswathe]

Modern au where Steve's in an indie, underground band to rebel against his parents (and because he actually loves music when it's not Mozarts seventh symphony, or whatever).

It's called something like The Creature and they mainly make noise music or twist popular or classical songs into their own agressive, loud little jacket.

Steve sings, along with playing electric violin, because his parents made him learn and using it against them is almost as freeing as actually flying.

The band wears masks on stage. Most of them (including Steve) don't want to be recognised. And they don't do it for the fame, either way.

During the day he plays the part of the King.

At night he can finally be himself, making music and screaming his lungs out with some of the best people he knows. The ones he can call family where his own falls short.

Eddie has just gotten into the underground music scene of Hawkins when he finds his favorite band. Most importantly, his favorite musician. The front man of The Creature, who wears a crooked crown and a mask to cover what Eddie is sure to be a beautiful face, if his voice is any indicator.

He screams lyrics into the mic like they've personally offended him and Eddie thinks he might be in love. He comes to their shows every night. He becomes their unofficial number one fan.

One day he tries talking to their front man, wearing the mask, always wearing the damn mask, as he helps their drummer set up.

He tells the man he's got a band of his own, and that he should check it out sometime.

Steve tilts his head, briefly scared that Eddie is onto him, that the Munson kid has recognised him despite the mask and the beat up clothes nobody would dare to associate with a Harrington. But he hadn't. And Steve agrees.

When Eddie lays in bed at night all he can think about is the addictive beats of The Creature's songs and the familiar edge to their lead singers voice, wondering who it is behind that mask. Wondering if he'll regocnise him when he comes to one of Corroded Coffins shows. Wondering, most of all, if he'd ever noticed Eddie in the crowd, like Eddie is sure he'd notice the man anywhere and everywhere.

(pt.2)

[sunswathe]

What is a Heart Worth if It's Just Left All Alone?

Rating: General CWs: None! Tags: Post-Canon, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Happy Ending, POV Outsider, Switching POV, Established Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Breakup (Brief), Getting Back Together, Love Confessions, Dialogue Heavy, Steve Harrington Loves Eddie Munson, Eddie Munson Loves Steve Harrington, Dustin Henderson Being a Voice of Reason, Steve Harrington & Dustin Henderson Have a Brotherly Friendship, Steve Harrington Has Self-Esteem Issues Wrote this all on Tumblr this morning literally in an hour. Hope it's good! Title from "Questions" by Jack Johnson

💕—————💕 Steve and Eddie are seen always sitting next to each other. At first, when they were just friends, it was nothing more than just an Oh, hey, this seat is empty, mind if I sit down? Now that they're several months deep into dating, it's as if they'll evaporate without the other right by their side.

Movie nights? Cuddling together. BBQ at the Byers-Hopper house? Thigh to thigh, eating off the same plate. All the seats full? A lap is now a seat.

They hold hands; Steve sometimes spinning Eddie's rings, Eddie popping Steve's tense knuckles. Arms slung over shoulders. Ankles looped around each other. Again, food shared between plates, forks, and fingers. Petting hair, twirling strands, braiding chunks. Murmured compliments and whispered questions and smiley answers. Commentary about the show or the movie or the commercial. Naps intertwined, snuffling under the only throw blanket, craning their necks to watch over each other.

It's sick.

It's sweet.

Nobody's seen them as happy as they are than when they're with each other. If they don't spend at least five of seven days in a week together, then they pout and groan and those arbitrary questions come popping back up—"Is he okay? Did I go too far with something? Why isn't he seeing me right now?" Long gaps between dates means reunions as if the world is still ending; long winded hugs and smiles too big for their faces and hushed words nobody knows how to pick up. Sometimes a kiss...or two...or three.

And then, out of nowhere, Steve and Eddie stop.

Stop hanging out. Stop talking to each other. Stop being in the same room, on the same couch, in the same conversation.

It's weird.

"We broke up," Steve says in this quiet, dismissive way. Utterly void and somehow completely flimsy. He shrugs at Dustin's confused, questioning look. "I'm fine. Eddie's fine. It was...it was mutual. Don't worry."

Don't worry?

That's all Dustin's doing now!

In what world do Steve and Eddie—or better yet, SteveandEddie—just up and leave one another's lives? Sure, the affection they put out sometimes interrupted everything else going on around it. And yeah, if he had to see basically his two older brothers mack it one more time, Dustin was going to ralph—and not in that homophobic, Billy Hargrove/Jason Carver/Troy Walsh way. But because it was always so graphic and noisy and full of pure love that Dustin had nothing else to do but look away. He had to for his own sanity!

But now it's just...gone? All of it?

The gentle, teasing remarks. The warm, sleepy, early morning laughter that followed an all group sleepover. Arcade visits where the two were fighting over the same cabinet. No more bickering over the radio station, swapping sunglasses, turning down the volume if Steve had those early telltale signs of a migraine. Goodbye coffee runs and BBQ plate sharing and grabbing the other's favorite at a convenience store—just because.

"What do you mean you guys broke up?" Dustin squawks. "What the—How in the—Just like that?! What the hell even happened? You guys were perfect for each other!"

Because, yeah, as much as he'd been cheering for the whole SteveandRobin of it all...he has eyes. He's got eyes all over his head, blinking, gazing right into the sun that is Steve and Eddie's megawatt, shiny, beautiful relationship. They're an endgame telenova couple, and Dustin just sat down with his bowl of popcorn! No way is he letting these kernels go stale.

Steve shrugs dismissively—again. He's gripping his steering wheel tight, though. And his sunglasses are sitting low enough on his nose to unsheathe his shiny, sad eyes. Dustin's a fool, but he's not a moron. These are the telltale signs of heartbreak—and yikes does Steve wear it all well...too well.

"I don't know what to tell you, Dusty. Some things just don't work out. No matter how good they were going." He flicks his turn signal to flash left, right towards Forest Hill. Right towards doom, it seems like. "We were just...we were too different, dude."

"Oh, no fucking way!" Dustin roars.

Steve brings his right hand to his ear, tweaking it. "Lang"—

"Are you intentionally being stupid or something?" he asks rhetorically. Slamming out his hands when Steve begins to answer. "Don't—Just...where the hell did you get an idea like that, man? So you don't enjoy playing some D&D like Eddie does—who actually cares? I get it now, dude, not your thing. Not your ala mode, whatever. And you listen to more radio hit, poppy songs than he does. And maybe you don't read as many novels as he does"—

"Y'know, you're kinda proving the point"—

"Ah! No! Shut up, will you? Just fuckin' slam the breaks for a minute, 'cause I'm not done." Dustin tosses his hands back to his lap, slapping them down with firm smacks. He guffaws, stuttering over the same incomprehensible, unintelligible noises of disbelief. "You guys just got each other in a way that I haven't seen out of anybody in my entire life. It's like you guys have met before, but like...like lifetimes ago. Like you've lived somewhere in the universe simultaneously in alternate timelines over and over and over again. Some real sort of Twilight Zone kind of shit.

"Who cares if you guys have different tastes? We have different tastes, don't we? You like raucous comedy videos and I'm a big sci-fi fantasy nerd in ways you don't get—and that's fine! That's completely fine!

"If you were just like Eddie—or, to take it back to me—if you were just like me, you'd be so insanely boring. No offense, but you would be. God, our conversations would just run dry.

"Some of my favorite things I'd see between you and Eddie were these just purely, like, inquisitive conversations, y'know? Where Eddie'd be complaining about some far away Lord of the Rings lore bullshit and you'd be asking all the questions. Like...like that one time you asked why Bilbo and all the other dudes didn't just take the giant eagles to Mordor! What an entertaining conversation that was. But if you knew the answer already, then why would you ever want to have a conversation about something you already know? Why would you ever want to talk to Eddie about anything fantasy wise? You'd just bore each other out!

"Or...or the whole music taste thing, right? Metal stuff gives you migraines"—

"I mean...it doesn't always give me migraines...it just gets too loud and then"—

"Okay, so it's a trigger," Dustin says flippantly, tossing up his hand. "Got it. Yeah. But the thing is, Steve, that became an obvious thing of importance to Eddie. He played his music, but he played it quieter when you were around. And...and, yeah, okay, he didn't always enjoy the pop songs—the exact same way you didn't enjoy the way Iron Maiden sounded...again, that's okay!

"The fact that you guys were willing to indulge each other, though, that's pretty big. Eddie listened to what you had to say about your favorite Madonna song. He loves hearing you talk about your music, the same way your face visibly lights up when Eddie talks about his. He wants to know you.

"Eddie wants you to be different from him. He wants to know your perspective on things, don't you get it? He wants to have somebody that'll bounce right off of him and give him something to deeply think about. He needs a person who's going to shoot him down on his stupidest shit, but he needs a person who's also going to respect him.

"Just like you do," Dustin murmurs carefully. "You used to tell me that the key to getting a girl to like you is to act like you don't care. Or to be flippant. Or to just...just go along with it. Which, yeah, pretty stupid advice, if I'm being honest.

"Something, like, visibly shines from inside you when you find yourself caring. And I think what you've been looking for all these years is a person who is not you. Or, better yet, somebody who shows up for you—in ways, maybe, a person hasn't before.

"Eddie cares about you, Steve, in ways I've never seen him care about anybody. Especially somebody who aligns with all his Munson doctrine horseshit that he's been carrying around like a fucking cement block. You align with it, maybe, but the way you show up for him is important, too. You disprove everything he's previously believed about people like you. He needed that wake up call.

"And now that he's awake, man, I don't think he's gonna want to go back to sleep." The sign at the entrance of Forest Hills is a few feet ahead, right inside his peripheral. For some reason, Steve is slowing down instead of speeding up. And Dustin feels like he's giving a debate team speech—Jesus. "I don't think you should let go of this, Steve. This relationship is right. For him...for you.

"What's the real reason you guys broke up? And don't give me the bullshit of him being too different from you. That's not true and you know it."

They could just speed right into Forest Hills. He could be dropped off. The BMW could sputter dust right in his face and leave a trail as Steve speeds back down the road, away from the trailers and the chain fence and the orange couch on the Munson porch. Instead, though, he pulls off to the side of the road.

Steve parks. Rips his sunglasses right off his face. And—for the first time ever—Dustin sees tears pour right down Steve's cheeks. He doesn't even wipe them away, just rubs the snotty tip of his nose against his Members Only jacket, and sighs.

"When'd you start giving relationship advice?" Steve crackles like he's trying for a joke. He even huffs a senseless chuckle. Eyes still wet. Cheeks ruddy pink and white. "You're gonna hate me," he mutters.

Firmly, "No, I'm not, Steve. Just be honest with me."

"I was the one who broke up with Eddie, okay?"

Dustin blinks, cowed. "What? Why?"

Steve shrugs, this time helplessly. Aimlessly. Scared. "Thought that, um...um, that he'd see that I'm not the person he wants to spend the rest of his life with. Not that—I mean, we're barely in our twenties, y'know?

"And I know, okay, I know that I'm not everybody's favorite person. No matter how much of my ego tries to blow smoke up my own ass. He's just...Eddie's brilliant in ways I've never faced before—out of partners, at least. He's, uh, intelligent and so...so fucking funny and just overall a very beautiful person. Looks and smarts and whatever other shit spreads between all that.

"I'm just..."—Steve stops to take a heaving, stuttering deep breath—"...just sorta the placeholder, I guess? I feel like, one day, Eddie's going to see me for the person he didn't expect and he's going to realize how little of me he actually loves and cares for. And I just...I don't know, man. I don't know where I'm going with this! I know that I'm basically talking myself into and endless fucking spiral and that I broke up with him for a very, very stupid reason, but I...

"I'm scared he's going to stop loving me, Dustin." Steve looks him dead on now. Swollen eyes and puffy cheeks and quivering bottom lip. Broken and splintering all at the same time. "I thought"—another stuttering, nasally breath; it chokes out at the end, teetering on a sob—"I thought that if I broke things off, then he wouldn't have to waste his time with loving me, but also...also to stop loving me. Does that even make sense? I know I'm being fucking irrational. And—What I did was pointless and cruel and stupid of me, okay? It's stupid!

"Eddie's probably way worse off compared to me. And here I fucking am, sobbing in my car to some fifteen year old kid as if I'm not the literal monster in the scenario." Steve scoffs to himself, rolls his eyes, faces towards the windshield again. "And now Eddie probably actually fucking hates my guts. He's probably...probably grateful that I ended things and showed my true clashing colors. Proved him and his dumb fuckin' doctrine right. I'm an asshole. That's all I'll ever be. King fucking Steve, a walking, talking, gaping asshole." He sniffs, rubs his wet nose against his jacket again, and scoffs at himself once more in utter disgust. "I mean, like, who does this shit, right? Who looks at the person they love the most in the world and decides—oh, look at me and my big, stupid self imposed hate. Better break up with my doting, loving, patient partner to make things not as bad. Look at me, Mr. Righteous doing the selfless thing! Who am I kidding, though?

"I'm so fucking selfish. And the only person who's actually hurt is Eddie. And I didn't even get to tell him that I do love him. I do, I really, really love Eddie.

"Didn't even give our relationship enough time for us to say that to each other." He scrubs his hands over his face, squishing his eyeballs with audible, wet squelches. Steve sighs around a humorless laugh. "I have to apologize," he decides aloud—said so low, Dustin's not even sure if he was supposed to hear it. "But if I apologize and Eddie asks for the reason, then what? I gotta be honest, right? But then, what, make myself look like a victim? I broke my own stupid heart. Squished it under my shoe and everything." He shakes his head. Clicks his tongue. Chuckles dry again. "But Eddie likes honesty, I guess. So...so I guess I have to be. He's gonna be so mad at me, isn't he?"

Dustin blinks again. Takes a deep breath. Flounders for a beat, then two. "That's...I don't know, Steve," he speaks carefully, "I mean...dude, that was a lot to process? I think you should apologize, for sure. If Eddie asks for honesty, though...If Eddie asks for honesty, I think he deserves to hear the truth.

"He'll probably be a lot upset, I can't tell you that he won't be. But I think...I think if you consider the fact that this is Eddie we're talking about, then there's always going to be room for compassion, maybe even some forgiveness. Eddie can be an asshole, but he's not cruel. And he can be mad, but he's not going to stomp you our for having insecurities." Dustin swallows, it clicks against the back of his throat. Then, "That's what that whole thing was, by the way. A lot of insecurities that, I gotta be honest, Steve, that need to be mended, man. You're walking around with a lot of heavy baggage and I think it's time to let some of it go."

Steve nods, slowly wiping the tear tracks away from his face. "I know," he croaks. "I know, I just..."—again, helplessly, Steve shrugs—"...I didn't think I was this bad."

"You're not bad," Dustin remarks quietly. "You're not cruel and you're not an asshole. Steve, you just...you're a good person who happens to have been seriously hurt before. Of course you're going to be scared of being hurt again.

"Sometimes heart talks over logic. And that's what happened. You got scared, so you backed away the only way your heart told you to. The whole...the whole messy aftermath is logic finally catching up.

"It doesn't feel good, I bet. But it doesn't make you a bad person for realizing you've made a mistake."

"Pretty fucking explosive mistake, isn't it?"

Dustin sighs. "Yeah," he says, "yeah, pretty explosive. But that's okay, Steve. You realize that, right? It's okay that you said some things and now you're learning from them?

"It's just like when you made that joke to me about punching out my teeth, dude. And then you caught what you said. And you walked it back. And you apologized.

"You put your foot, like, pretty firmly in your mouth, sure. Doesn't mean you can't dislodge it or something, right? Everybody does something that they aren't proud of. And that something comes with consequences.

"You're going to be okay, dude. No matter what happens. Eddie may not immediately forgive you. And you guys probably won't go back to being as all over each other as you were before. But that's okay. Time heals all wounds or whatever bullshit that saying is." Steve laughs at that, finally humorous and loud. "Also, gotta say, it's kind of fucking crazy that I'm the voice of reason right now. You realize that, right? I'm fifteen and obnoxious and somehow, I'm giving you the best advice in the whole universe."

Steve rolls his eyes. "Alright, alright. Don't go blowing smoke up your own ass, you butthead. But, uh...you're reasonable right now. So I guess I should listen to you."

"You guess? Just take the advice, you asshat! When we get to Eddie's, I want you to apologize to him and see what happens." When he doesn't get a response, Dustin sighs. "Seriously," he says, no longer teasing, "I'm going to go inside Eddie's and send him right out to you. You don't have to give, like, a perfect apology. But just be honest with him, alright? You'll be fine. And so will he. At least try to get some words out, okay?"

They finally turn down the Forest Hills drive. Park right outside of Eddie's. Steve turns to him. "Send him out," he says, "I'm sorry, in advance, if this takes a while."

"If you guys take the rest of the day, I won't be mad. You, uh, you guys are actually perfect for each other. I was being honest about that." Before anything else can be said, Dustin runs right up to Eddie's door, enters without a knock, and prepares himself to sit on the couch for a little while.

——— Steve's still drying off his face and rubbing the visible sheen from his eyes when Eddie approaches him. The two of them standing a couple feet apart at the BMW's front bumper.

"Dustin said we had to talk," Eddie says flatly instead of greeting. "Is it as important as he made it sound?"

"Um"—Steve nods, shakes his head, nods again—"I wanted...to...apologize. For breaking things off the way I did."

Eddie loudly scoffs and huffs. "Oh, so you're sorry for breaking my heart? Gee, thanks, Harrington. Like that's going to make it all better."

The drying his cheeks was a dumb thing to do in hindsight. Tears come back to his eyes tenfold. He can't bring himself to look up at Eddie, even though the heartbreak is clear in his voice.

"I don't know...I don't know what to say," Steve admits. "Guess I should just start with, um, the fact that I didn't actually want to break up with you?"

"God, you are terrible at apologies, you know that? Is that supposed to make me want you back or something? That you didn't want to break my heart, just testing the waters? See how far you could stretch my care for you until being able to just burn it up?"

Steve shakes his head. "No, I—I ran away, okay? That was me running. We...we were getting really deep into everything. And I scared, like, stupidly scared. Because you care about me now, sure, but what about a couple years from now when I'm too much again or maybe, like, too shallow or I'm full of shit or"—he sighs and slouches against the hood of his car, face pointed down at the dirt under his shoes—"Fuck if I know if we'd even survive a few years, y'know? Who says we would? It's not like my other relationships lasted that long."

Eddie audibly shifts, but Steve still doesn't look up. "So...so breaking up with me was the only option? What happened to talking to me when you get in your own head, Steve? One of the main things in a relationship is communication. I can't help you if I don't know what I'm supposed to help with."

"That's the thing!" Steve huffs out. "Okay? I don't know how to talk about it without sounding like a complete fucking baby or something, I don't know!

"You know how many other people have looked at me and decided that I'm just not worth the time? That my interests and my hobbies and my affection—all of it, just none of it mattered! And I—Eddie, oh my god, Eddie I'm so stupidly in love with you, you have to believe me. But it's...it's just a matter of time, right?

"It's a matter of time until you look at me for who I am. Like, really, really look at me for who I am and you realize that I'm not who you actually want. I'm not interesting enough. I'm not caring enough. I'm not doting enough. That I'm just not enough or something, I don't know.

"And like...like I'm so in it with you. I could picture myself just years down the road, you right by my side at the dinner table. With...with our tape collection mixed up and toppling over, the fridge stocked with our favorite drinks, mugs stained with each other's coffee mess. I could see myself dedicating all of my time to you. Bending my life in all sorts of ways to accommodate you in it, to make sure there's always somewhere for you to breathe, for you to just exist, for you to just...just be there in it with me.

"I wanted a whole life with you. I still want that whole life with you. And I...I'm so stupid about all this because it's so obvious that you care about me and that you want me, but for some reason I just led myself to believe that at some point, it would all go away. That, for some reason, you would just stop.

"And I didn't want you to stop wanting me. Because I don't want to stop wanting you. Because my bed is better with you. And my arms are meant for you and my whole—Everything! Everything I have is meant to be shared with you, just you, Eds.

"But you...you have so much ahead of you and I don't know...maybe I'm just not supposed to be in it? I feel like I'm picturing too much. Or maybe I'm just getting too ahead of myself. We were only eight months into it, but if I had the money, Eds, I'd get all the moments right to put myself on one knee. And that...that scares me, too. How much I want you." Steve tries for a deep breath, but this time—this time—it sputters out of him as a sob. A wet, scratchy, painful sob. "I'm sorry that I hurt you, Eds. I'm so sorry that I couldn't see past myself. I'm so fucking sorry that I tanked everything because I can't seem to get over everything else. I'm sorry, Eds, I'm so"—

"Stop," Eddie chokes out. He sniffles. Steve finally looks up, blurred vision and all, to try and clue out what emotion is flickering over Eddie's face. No dice. "I need you to stop, Steve. Just...just give me a second."

So he does. He sits on the hood of his car, looking down at the dirt again, trying to reign himself back in. It doesn't work. But he does quiet down. Enough to hear the stuttering of Eddie's own breath, which he seems to be trying to get under control, too.

Finally, Eddie croaks, "I'm hurt."

"I'm"—

"No, Steve, stop. My turn to talk, okay?" He just nods at Eddie. Collecting himself again, Eddie takes a deep, steady breath. Softly, "I'm...I'm hurt that you think of me like that. Or that you led yourself to think that. Because it's just not true, Steve. Not at all. Y'know how bad it's been to not have you around me?

"It's been awful, Steve. I think about calling you at least twenty times a day. To tell you about the stupid mundane things I did. Like what I ate for breakfast or what show I caught late last night or the best pop song I heard in the day. Because I love talking to you.

"I love your warmth, how you press right up next to me. I love your snoring when we're napping. I love the way you ask so many questions, the way you make me stop and think, the way you want to know more, or even when you want to know less. I love the way you guide your fork to my lips when you want me to try something from the absolute mountain of food we're sharing. I love your hand in mine. I love just...

"Steve, I love you." He catches himself whimpering around a sob, but it goes unnoticed right now by Eddie. Who steps closer. So close, the toes of their shoes clunking against each other. Eddie reaches out his hands and holds Steve's head up, palms on either cheek. The both of them crying. "And you tried to tell me that we should see other people. Because we're different, but then also we're too young, but then also this and that—It hurt so bad, to watch you visibly shrink away, disappear right out of the room.

"And baby, oh, baby—I'm obtuse sometimes, but I'm not stupid and neither are you. You aren't. But everything you said carried itself as these big, flashing neon signs of I'm not okay, something's wrong. You tried to trick me against it, but I could tell you were talking yourself into dumb, dumb circles.

"Do you not trust me?" Eddie asks carefully, "is that what happened? Did I do something to make you think that I was going to stop loving you?"

Steve shakes his head however much he can. Tries to swallow his tears, but to no avail. His words come out half-garbled. "No, I'm sorry."

Eddie tsks. "Stop apologizing," he whispers, "I want you to be honest with me, okay? Is there something I did?"

"No," he murmurs, "I just got too caught up."

"Too caught up in love?"

Steve shrugs. "In myself. Like...like maybe I was too many steps ahead. It felt like, sometimes, that maybe—But that's not fair to you because I just am hopeless, y'know. That's not on you. I don't know why I got so in my head."

"What's not fair to me, Steve? Please just tell me," Eddie presses.

Bursting, "It just felt like maybe you weren't on the same level or step as me, okay? Like I was letting myself get too ahead, too involved, too head first. And that's when I get to be too much. And that's when my partner usually pulls away. And I act like I'm blindsided, but it happens every time, Eddie!" Steve huffs, tries to shrug away, but Eddie only holds on tighter. "I just...I just didn't know, okay? I didn't know that you actually loved me. Which is stupid of me to think because, like, it was always so clear, now that I'm thinking about it. You care for me in ways nobody has. And even Dustin fucking saw it!

"I don't even know what I'm trying to say! That's how dumb this whole breakup thing was on my end. I don't have a real reason, okay? I just got too ahead of myself, I guess. And at the same time, I guess I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Because it does. It drops at some point."

Eddie tenderly wipes at Steve's cheeks. Drying his tears. Steve feels bad about it, that he hasn't even tried to reach out and do the same. But, selfish as it is, he soaks it all up anyway.

It may be the last time he gets it.

"Steve," Eddie whispers—even his voice is tender—"I have to be honest, it makes me sad to hear that you think of yourself...of our relationship like that. But I promise you that the other shoe was never going to drop."

"Eds, how am I supposed to believe that? Be real with me."

Eddie firmly grabs Steve's face. Holds them steady. "Look at me." He does. "I am so deeply, incredibly, and passionately in love with you. And I was a fool to not tell you before, but that's not your fault. We're both young and scared and want a lot, we both let that get in the way of things. And we didn't talk like this. But. Keep looking at me." Steve sniffs, but, again, he does what he's told. "I love you, Steve."

Steve sniffles again, tries to blink the tears out of his eyes—and he's crying all over again. "I love you, too, Eds," he mutters, nearly inaudible.

"Hey, Steve?"

"Hm?"

Whispering again, "I love you a crazy lot. I love you, I love you, I love you." Eddie gives him a small smile. "We were missing that, huh? You just needed to hear that."

"Eds," he sighs. Shakes his head to try and dislodge the lump in his throat. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I hurt you. I am."

"Hey," Eddie murmurs, "I know, sweetheart. And...and I forgive you, even if maybe I'm jumping the gun on that. But I know I'm going to forgive you eventually. I love you too much to let you go."

"You should take your time"—

"I am in love with you. And I accept all ten trillion of your apologies that you're trying to queue up, okay? We are both damaged goods, in a lot—and I mean a lot—of ways. It doesn't feel right to me to put us in a place where we're walking on eggshells, waiting.

"I forgive you. And I love you. So endlessly." Eddie swipes his hands over either side of Steve's head, brushing hair behind his ears. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry that I didn't make it clear how deep in this I am with you. In case it's still not clear, if you propose to me tomorrow, I'm going to say yes."

Steve chuckles. "That's ridiculous."

"The right kind of ridiculous for us, though." Brushing through Steve's hair again, Eddie sighs. "I wish you would've told me how you were feeling, though," he whispers, "that way we could've avoided any sort of mess."

"I'll get better at talking," Steve swears. "I'm bad at it. I don't want to be bad at it. Not with you."

"We'll both get better at it, how about that?" Eddie smiles small again, tenderly caressing Steve's head. He leans it, slow and careful, and plants a gentle kiss against Steve's lips. "You're too important to just let go. I love you from here to our neighboring galaxy and back."

"I love you, too, Eds. God, I love you so much. That feels incredible to say."

Eddie pecks him again. Murmuring against Steve's lips, "Do you wanna come in and watch a movie with Dustin and I? I want your questions and commentary."

"That's gonna be annoying, though."

"Come inside and be annoying, then. I've got your Pringles in the snack cupboard and your root beer on standby. Some cuddles and kisses in there, too."

Steve smiles, can feel the way it crinkles the tip of his nose. As if he can't resist, Eddie smacks another kiss, yet to Steve's nose this time. "I'll give you all the makeup cuddles in the world, Eds. Hold my hand the entire time, though?"

"And let 'em get all sweaty and gross? Hell yeah, baby. All the hand holding for you."

They've got a little ways to go, more potholes to pave, but it feels better to do it side by side, thigh warm against thigh, every question answered, and both hands held.

💕—————💕

[sunswathe]

Modern AU where the party have a famous paranormal investigation and unsolved mysteries youtube channel. Steve is in the background of their first ghost hunting video because he wasn't going to let them go and stay overnight in an abandoned building without supervision. Their audience finds Steve's sarcastic comments and parental attitude towards the kids really compelling and most of the comments on that video are begging for him to become a regular in their on location videos. Before long, Steve is a reoccurring presence in their videos playing the skeptic/concerned parent role.

For example:

Dustin: I’ve connected the dots guys. This must be the work of a demon.

Steve: You didn’t connect shit. It's just an old creaky building.

Dustin: I’ve connected them.

—————————————

In an abandoned hospital.

Max: Hey this giant metal door has some kind of engraving on it.

Lucas: Oh cool, it looks like old graffiti.

Steve: Yeah that’s great, do you know what else it looks like? Rusty as shit. Now get back here and don’t touch anything because your parents are gonna be so pissed if they find out you had to get tetanus shots at 2am on a Saturday because I let you wander around an abandoned hospital with a bunch of shady ass camera men. No offense.

Camera man: None taken.

Mike (from the doorway): Guys! Will, El and Dustin found an operating theatre and there are a bunch of old scalpels and needles and stuff in there.

Max: Awesome, let’s go.

Steve: No! No! Let’s not go! Let’s stay as far away as possible from the room full of potential infections. Where are Dustin, El and Will? They didn’t go inside the room, did they?

Mike: See, I could answer that, but I don’t think you’re gonna like it.

—————————————

While exploring a ‘haunted’ hotel:

Mike: Hey look, all of Steve’s bitches are in this room.

El: There is nobody in there.

Mike: Exactly.

He turns to look directly into the camera with a sly grin and the others start laughing.

Steve: Yeah, yeah. You’ll be laughing when I drive home without you.

—————————————

At the same hotel.

Steve: Dustin. Your little light box thing is broken, it’s been flashing on and off for the past five minutes.

Dustin: Oh my God, Steve! That means it can sense a spirit. Why didn’t you say anything?! Did you not listen to my long and detailed explanation of how the equipment works?

Steve: I’m gonna be so honest with you. No, I didn’t.

—————————————

On their Mothman episode trip to point pleasant.

Steve, staring at the statue (we all know which one): Ok, but why is he kinda…

Lucas: Please stop talking.

Dustin: No sexualising the cryptids please, Steve.

Steve: If they didn’t want anyone to sexualise Mothman, then why would they give his statue such a defined ass and abs?

Max: I mean, he’s not wrong.

—————————————

Eventually, Steve gets peer pressured by the comments into starting his own channel. And since he still has no idea what he wants to do with his life, he decides to go ahead and do it.

At first his audience are super confused because his content is a hard pivot from the supernatural and unsolved mysteries content people are used to seeing him in. He mainly reacts to DIY haircare videos and gives tips on how to do what the people in the videos were trying to do properly without risking ending up bald.

He also makes wholesome baking videos, and has a side podcast with Robin, where they talk shit for 3 hours about anything they want - usually celebrities and assholes on the internet - as well as having a segment where Robin makes Steve watch a movie he's never seen and they review it. People who came from the paranormal channel still love his content because he’s funny and sassy and his videos are surprisingly helpful at times. He’s soon catching up to his friends in subscriber numbers.

Eddie and his band have a channel where they upload music videos, live performances and backstage/tour vlogs. They also make the occassional song covers where they take requests in the comments for metal versions of pop songs. Eddie also has a side channel where he runs D&D campaigns with other influencers (he hates that word).

One day he’s doing a Q&A and when someone asks which influencers he’d like to invite for his next campaign, he mentions Steve and says he’s been secretly watching his videos for a while and they’re kind of a guilty pleasure. He’s even tried some of Steve’s hair care tips because his hair was looking a bit frazzled under the heat of the lights on stage and it was getting in his way during performances. Now he swears by them because his hair has never looked or felt better.

Steve’s never seen any of Eddie’s videos but he starts watching them after that, he particularly likes the metal versions of pop songs because it makes the genre more accessible to him. Sometimes he makes joke song suggestions in the comments. Every single time, the song he suggested gets covered.

The boys are all insanely jealous of this new development because they’ve been fans of Eddie’s channels for years and have been bringing up references to some of his campaigns in their videos to try and get him to consider them for the next one, but so far have had no luck. Meanwhile, Steve, who doesn’t even know the first thing about D&D has his full attention. Steve was going to ask Eddie to consider asking them out of the kindness of his heart, but after they’ve given him a little too much attitude over it, he decides he’s gonna join the campaign instead just to spite them.

Cue Steve going from completely clueless to kind of a decent player and the two of them going from fascinated with each other to constantly flirting and appearing in each other’s videos.

[sunswathe]

Take the trope of Steve’s mom becoming better and returning to Steve and flip it and reverse.

Steve called his dad an asshole but it’s just because he might be a bit of a hard ass because he’s trying to teach Steve personal responsibility (which teenagers hate), Steve knows his dad cheated on his mom and that’s why she goes with him on business trips, and because his mom keeps lowkey indicating that his dad is to blame for everything and that manipulates Steve’s thoughts on the matter.

BUT.

Steve’s dad really does love Steve and only wants what’s best for him. Wants him to be self-sufficient and responsible and not rely on others because contrary to popular belief, it’s actually Steve’s MOM who holds the power. She comes from a well-respected family, she is the one respected in town, she is the one who was the “catch” of the marriage and she never lets her husband forget that.

Her husband doesn’t even have his own company, instead working for her father’s company—another reason why he wants Steve to be able to support himself and learn how to provide for himself. He’s not even upset that Steve didn’t want to work for him, but he’s determined for Steve not to be lazy and entitled.

And one of the reason Steve’s mom is so respected, besides the rumors that her husband slept with his secretary etc? Because she’s seen to be on the right side of politics. She’s conservative and a Reagan supporter, which is what you’re supposed to be in a small town like Hawkins.

And Steve’s dad? It wasn’t his secretary he cheated on his wife with, but another man.

Steve’s dad is secretly gay and married his wife for her family wealth and name, while she married him for his looks and because it would look like a good marriage as he was from a decent family and has business savvy, and all she really cares about are appearances. It’s why her house looks more like a catalogue than a home.

Maybe she knew he was gay when they got married, or maybe she didn’t. Maybe it was unspoken but suspected. Steve was the token and necessary heir that they were obligated to have, but they don’t really have sex after he was born.

But so his dad slept with a man and his mother found out and now she follows him on trips to keep him from sleeping with other men and threatening him with “you would be nothing without me” type shit.

And then maybe one day Steve’s dad catches Steve with a boy and while Steve is terrified thinking his father is going to hate crime him, his dad is merely realizing that despite his best efforts, his son will never have an easy life. But he wants his son to have a HAPPY life, and his dad is realizing that he’s not happy either, that he’s tired of lying, of pretending just for the ease of prestige and money.

So, for the sake of his beloved son, he files for divorce, knowing that his soon to be ex-wife will get the house, the money (besides what little bit he’s granted, and what Steve’s granted in a trust), and the ability to tell everyone that her ex-husband is a queer. (She won’t, but only so she can keep it in her back pocket as a threat.)

But Steve’s dad? He gets the better end of the bargain. He gets Steve. She can have everything else, but he gets custody of his boy.

And okay maybe the boy Steve was caught with was Tommy or maybe it was a rando, but they decide they can’t lose their easy hetero-appearing life so they drop Steve and pretend nothing happened. Maybe Steve and his dad have to move to Forest Hills, at least until his dad can get back on his feet, find a new job. A BETTER job. One that lets him be part of his boy’s life more.

Maybe Steve starts interacting with the other boy around his age at the trailer park who never would have suspected Steve of all people to be new trailer trash like him.

Maybe Steve and the town Freak realize they have more in common than they thought.

Maybe Steve’s dad tries to live a little more authentically. Maybe he and Steve both do. Maybe his dad finds someone, maybe he doesn’t. But what matters is that they have each other.

Maybe Steve and his dad don’t have the life they were expecting, but it’s the life they never thought they could have: a happy one full of love and acceptance and family.

Tagging my Hostage Hotties just because:

@derythcorvinus @katyawriteswhump @scoops-aboy86 @dotdot-weirdlife @everywherenothere @bumblebeecuttlefishes @hiei-harringtonmunson @estrellami-1 @nebulaoz @renfrisol @tinyplanet95 @hairspraywhore

[sunswathe]

Ok so I can’t get the idea of slightly older Steve and Robin who are both in loving relationships helping each other when they decide they want to have kids out of my brain. Like Robin and her girlfriend ask Steve to be their donor and Robin’s worried Steve’s going to find it weird but instead he starts crying because he’s so deeply touched that Robin and her partner would be happy for their child to potentially resemble him. Robin’s like are you kidding me? of course we would choose you, no one else was even considered, and that’s what does set Steve off.

He agrees obviously because Robin’s the platonic love of his life and he’d do anything for her. Cut to a few years down the line where Robin’s noticing little things in her daughter that remind her of Steve all the time and it always makes her emotional, until it’s the one time it’s something Steve does that annoys her and then her reaction is more exasperated but still kind of fond.

When it’s Steve’s turn to ask Robin to be a surrogate for him and his partner (either his partner is having fertility issues or he’s with another guy), he’s so nervous because yeah he did it for Robin, but this is way more of a commitment because she’d have to have another human growing in her for 9 months. He’s worried he’s asking for too much and he gives her so many outs but she’s so happy that she gets to be part of the whole experience. Steve is there with her through the entire thing, getting her anything she asks for and constantly checking in with her to see if she’s okay and if there’s anything she needs.

The other people in their lives are not surprised at all because of course Steve and Robin would find a way to have kids together in the most platonic way possible. Their respective partners also knew as soon as they decided on these methods of having a child that it was going to be them and were one hundred percent on board because they know just how much those two mean to each other. They’re not threatened by it whatsoever because they know it’s platonic with a capital P and they knew they were getting a package deal when they agreed to a relationship in the first place.

Also the kids grow up together and are just as inseperable as Robin and Steve are. If they’re not at Steve’s place hanging out, they’re at Robin’s place hanging out. Steve and Robin find them sleeping on the couch curled up together one day and they both cry about it for a good ten minutes because that’s their little family.

[sunswathe]

I heard we’re in Steddie Summer again

[sunswathe]

🪑

[sunswathe]

Imagine Eddie's surprise when he and the boys go to Hooters for wings one night and he sees Steve Harrington for the first time since high school. It's been years, and the guy is as beautiful as ever—veiled in a glow of confidence he hadn't even possessed during his ‘king era.’

Hair a touch longer, somehow looking softer than ever. Lips pink and shiny, and surely tasting of the strawberry lip balm he was always rumored to wear in high-school. Skin tanned and glowing, speckled with freckles and moles just as stunning as the constellations that decorate the night sky. Not to mention the single gold earring, or the stud in his nose. Hell—he even looks like he's wearing mascara and blush.

Jesus H Christ.

He's beautiful.

And then there's the uniform of it all. Because not only is Steve at Hooters, he apparently works there now too.

Eddie's never seen so much of the man's ass before.

He wants to see more.

Helpless but to suddenly turn into a pathetic excuse of a man, Eddie can't even fathom words when Steve approaches their table with a sway in his hips and a flirty smile as he writes his name on a napkin and lays it on their table, introducing himself as their server.

With a valiant effort, Eddie tries his damndest to not look at where he knows Steve has a considerable bulge in his tiny tiny shorts. Though, unfortunately, that allows his eyes to stray upwards to thick chest hair and a gold chain.

Christ alive he's going to die here.

The wink Steve flashes him when he catches him staring makes him think that he might have already. 

Seeing Steve Harrington in the Hooters girl get up really does sound like Eddie's personal brand of heaven.

Chancing a look at Gareth and his dropped jaw, Eddie thinks his friend might feel the same.

Eventually Steve takes their drink orders and Eddie squeaks out a pathetic little ‘thank you’ as he's left thanking the stars above while he's left to watch Steve saunter away. 

What he would give to suffocate in between those thighs.

●

By the time drinks arrive and they order food, Eddie's dick is hard and straining in his jeans. 

The sultry glances, coy touches and the way Steve rasps his name obviously does nothing to help the matter.

He's hardly able to scarf down his wings—too focused on what he'd rather be eating instead.

And apparently he's being obvious, because of course Jeff calls him out saying something about not seeing Steve's ass on the menu. 

The prick.

● 

When it comes time to pay and Eddie thinks he's devised a plan to come here for wings every day for the rest of his life, until Steve's still in those tight little shorts and his balls are dragging on the ground—it’s then that he feels the soft squeeze of Steve's hand on his arm.

When he looks up, the guys are too distracted with trying to pool enough change together to notice the way Steve's looking at him…and…and slipping him his number?

AND SLIPPING HIM HIS NUMBER.

He's too gobsmacked to say anything. 

Let alone when Steve winks at him once again and whispers just loud enough for him to hear. “Call me later. I'll keep the shorts on.”

[sunswathe]

I'm Gonna Getcha Good

(Female Steve Harrington x Eddie Munson, Canon Divergence, Originally published on AO3)

A/N: I'm hoping to have updates for the Paramedic series and the final installment of "It Hits Different" up this weekend, but until then, enjoy part one of my series in which Stevie Harrington is just as obsessed with Eddie as he is with her!

“This is getting really sad, Harrington.”

Robin’s voice snaps Stevie out of her stupor, causing her to drop her ice cream scooper on the ground for the third time that day. Shit.

“I mean, seriously, Eddie Munson?”

“I know,” she groans, sparing one last look out into the food court. Eddie didn’t come to Starcourt all that often, but he usually parked himself next to the Jamba Juice with his friends when he did, which meant that Stephanie got to ogle him for the approximate fifteen minutes it took for him to slurp down his smoothie.

“Like, if there’s anyone out there who hates your guts more than me, it’s him,” Robin continues, disbelief coloring her words.

Stevie shut her eyes and exhaled sharply. It’s fine. She’s fine. “I know, Robin.”

“I mean, even if he was into preps, your friends made his life a living hell.” While Stevie normally enjoys listening to whatever Robin feels like rambling about – even though Robin has made it clear that she’s definitely not Stevie’s number one fan – she really, really doesn’t want to have to listen to this. “I’m just saying, maybe you should aim lower. I think Jim the janitor is looking for wife number three.”

Stevie slams her now dirty ice cream scooper into the wash bucket behind the counter with more force than she probably needed to use. Whatever, it shuts Buckley up, and when Stevie declares that she’s going to take the trash out, she doesn’t argue.

By the time Stevie is back in from her errands, Eddie and his friends are long gone.

/////

“Here.”

Stevie glances up from her packed lunch – leftover pizza for the second day in the row because she hasn’t had the energy to cook anything recently and just keeps ordering takeout – to see a sheepish looking Robin Buckley sliding a cup of USS Butterscotch across the small break table towards her.

“What is this?”

“It’s a genuine ‘I’m-sorry-for-being-a-bitch’ sundae.” Robin settles into the chair across from her, still looking a little peaky. “I, uh, definitely went a bit too far yesterday, and I made you upset and I get it, I mean, I’d be upset if someone made fun of me for who I like, and I didn’t know that you really liked him but I should have known because every time he shows up you get these big puppy dog eyes and - ”

“Robin, Robin, stop!” Stevie drops her pizza and holds up her hands. Robin cuts off and flushes bright red. “It’s okay. Really. Besides, if there’s anyone who deserves it, it’s me.”

“I don’t know, Harrington,” Robin replies slowly, and there’s a glimmer in her eyes that Stevie hasn’t seen before. “You keep doing things that sort of blow my mind. I think I might even be starting to like you.”

Stevie can’t help herself from smiling, nor can she stop the snort that leaves her throat. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay? Do you want me to call a doctor?”

“Ha ha, you’re hilarious.” Robin rolls her eyes, but she offers her a small smile in return. “Seriously though, Eddie Munson? Like, have you ever even talked to him?”

“Honestly,” Stevie reaches for her sundae and starts digging in, “I didn’t really notice him until after I graduated.”

“Really?” Robin scoffs. “He’s kind of hard to miss.”

Stevie shrugs. “I don’t know, I didn’t really care about anyone outside of Tommy and Carol when I was friends with them, and then after Barb died I felt like I was barely able to care about myself.”

Robin doesn’t say anything, so Stevie pulls her gaze away from her quickly diminishing sundae and towards her coworker. “What?”

“Are you, I don’t know, are you okay?”

Stevie feels herself relax which, huh, she didn’t even know she was tense. “I think so. Graduating helped. Finally getting away from Tommy and Carol and Billy Hargrove helped. Deciding to go to cosmetology school helped. And the kids - ” Stevie breaks off with a fond laugh, “the kids help a lot too.”

“Huh.” Robin is still just sort of looking at her, and that glimmer in her eyes is brighter. “Well, I’m jealous you got out of there. I still have a year left.”

“Ehh, you’ll have a better senior year than I did,” Stevie shrugs again.

“Seeing as Billy Hargrove isn’t obsessed with me, yeah, you’re probably right.”

“Just break a plate on his head, that’ll fix that.”

Now Robin’s eyes are so wide, they’re practically popping out of her head. “What?!”

Stevie bursts into laughter and yeah, Stevie thinks she’s starting to like Robin Buckley.

/////

“I still don’t get it.”

It’s been nine days since Stevie’s last Eddie Munson sighting and eight days since Robin and Stevie made up over some USS Butterscotch, and this time when Eddie and his friends sprawl around their usual table, Robin joins Stevie in her watching.

“Did you have some sort of awakening after watching The Breakfast Club or something?”

Stevie frowns, but she doesn’t pull her eyes away from Eddie. “What breakfast club?”

“You haven’t seen – no, you know what, I’m not going to let you change the subject this time. Why Eddie Munson?”

Eddie throws his head back, laughing wildly, and Stevie is suddenly wildly jealous that she’s not the one sitting at the table making him laugh.

“Stevie. Dingus.” Robin jabs her in the side and Stevie hisses but it’s a success, she’s paying attention to Robin now. “Why. Eddie. Munson.”

“I just – I don’t know,” Stevie sighs, rubbing her now sore ribcage, thank you Robin Buckley. “He just so alive and outgoing and real. And I dunno, I think it’s kind of sweet that he adopts all the weird loner kids at school, and I like his curly hair and his leather jacket - ”

“Stevie.”

“ – and that weird jean jacket vest thing that he always wears, and the rings on his hands, and his hands, his hands are huge and did you know that he can play the guitar because apparently he can play the guitar, I saw his friend putting up a sign for some band that he’s in - ”

“Stevie.”

“ – and he has such pretty eyes and a gorgeous smile and God his arms, have you seen his arms when he rolls his sleeves up - ”

“STEVIE.”

“ – and I want to drink smoothies with him and go to the movies with him and make out in his crappy van with him and then take him home and tie him to my - ”

“STEVIE!” Robin shrieks, smacking her hand across Stevie’s mouth, and it’s loud enough to draw the attention of the sophomores passing by the shop. Robin waves along with her other hand, and they shoot the pair weird looks, but they move past.

“First of all,” Robin finally says as she drops her hands from Stevie’s mouth, “never talk to me about the disgusting sex you want to have with Eddie Munson ever again, I will have literal nightmares about what you told me.”

“But - ”

“NIGHTMARES, Harrington! And second of all, Christ, I knew you had it bad, but I didn’t know you had it that bad.”

Stevie can feel herself blushing bright, bright red. “No I don’t.”

Robin just blinks at her. “Oh, really?”

“Really.”

“So you’d be able to talk to him like a normal person then?”

Stevie nods even though on the inside she is screaming NO NOPE NO WAY ABSOLUTELY NOT.

“Great, because he’s coming in here.”

Apparently her flight instincts don’t kick in when fighting interdimensional monsters, but they do kick in when Eddie Munson is within talking distance, because she’s dropping onto the floor and crawling underneath the counter before she can realize that’s precisely what she’s doing.

“Uh huh. Totally normal.” Stevie glances up at Robin and yep, Robin looks about as unimpressed as her tone. “I lied, by the way. He and his friends just left the food court.”

“Blergh.” Stevie knocks her head back against the counter and sighs. Robin shows her mercy, though, and lets her sit there and recover for five minutes until the kids come charging in, wanting Stevie to let them sneak into another movie which she does because she’s a pushover. Worrying about the kids is enough to get Eddie Munson off her mind, at least for now.

/////

If cosmetology school doesn’t end up working out, maybe Stevie should join the secret service or something because hey, she’s really good at surviving Russian torture. She can almost imagine the look on her father’s face if she added that to the resumé he continuously tailors on her behalf. Suck it, Dad.

(She might be a little high still.)

“I’d be a great secret agent,” she tells Robin, although Robin is still puking her guts up in the toilet next to her and probably isn’t listening. “Like James Bond. And Henderson could be Q!”

“Ugh,” Robin finally moans, “how do you know James Bond characters well enough to name them?”

“Uh, because my dad is obsessed with the movies, they’re, like, the only thing he watches when he’s home.”

“That sounds awful.”

“Ehh, Sean Connery is sort of hot. I like his accent.”

Robin makes a fake retching sound. “That is the worst thing you’ve ever said, ever.”

“Oh come on, are you telling me Connery doesn’t do it for you at least a little bit?”

“First of all,” Robin snorts, “he’s old enough to be my father, and second of all no, he doesn’t do it for me. I’m more of a Honey Ryder girl,” Robin sighs out, and then she falls quiet, too quiet.

Oh.

Oh.

“Well,” Stevie starts slowly, because she only has one shot at this, “your opinion is definitely wrong, because Solitaire is obviously the better choice.”

Robin sputters, and then she’s laughing, and Stevie tucks and rolls underneath the stall until she’s sitting across from Robin, and then they’re both laughing.

“Are you seriously arguing with the lesbian, dingus? Honey Ryder in that bikini is so fucking hot!”

“Uh, yeah, but she’s no Jane fucking Seymour, Robin!”

/////

Russian torture definitely sucks, but Stevie emerges on the other side with Robin Buckley as a best friend, and for Robin? She’d be tortured by a million Russians.

She’s really glad Robin is there in the aftermath. She’s a good distraction, goading Stevie into more arguments about James Bond and Bond girls and other movies when they finally run out of Bond films to talk about, and having Robin’s voice fill up the silence helps, especially on those nights when she can’t fall asleep without seeing Billy Hargrove’s corpse, or seeing the look on El’s face when she finds out that the chief isn’t coming back this time.

She doesn’t miss the mall. She doesn’t miss Scoops and its shitty customers and its even shittier uniform. She doesn’t miss Robin, because they’re working at Family Video together every day now. But in those moments where she lets herself not feel guilty for missing anything at the mall – which are few and far between, because everything has been tainted by Russians and by death – she lets herself miss the time she spent watching Eddie Munson from afar.

But then one day, Dustin Henderson walks into Family Video wearing a familiar baseball-styled tee, emblazoned with a large demon, and suddenly her days of watching Eddie Munson from afar are back, and it’s all going to be totally fine.

/////

It is not totally fine.

It is not totally fine, because now that Dustin and Mike and Lucas are in Eddie’s little club, they will not stop talking about it. More specifically, they will not stop talking about Eddie, and how cool he is, and how awesome his hair is, and did you know he’s in a band and he can play the guitar, Stevie, why don’t you play the guitarand he listens to metal music and it’s the coolest shit ever, stop telling me not to swear Stevie, you’re not my mom and Eddie’s really smart, actually, he’s just too smart for the school system and Eddie just wrote the most incredible campaign Stevie, you should have been there, and Stevie is about three seconds away from pulling her perfectly coiffed hair out of her head.

“Is this revenge?” Stevie moans, her face buried in the pile of recent returns.

“Yes, and it is so, so sweet,” Robin sings happily from behind her.

“ – was actually a lich the entire time – are you even listening?” Henderson’s outraged voice squawks from across the counter. Stevie sighs and forces herself to look over at him.

“Yeah, yeah, something about a barhop – ”

“Barkeep - ”

“ – and it turns out he was a witch the whole time?”

“ – a lich, Stevie, a lich – God, why am I even trying? Eddie was right, he said you’d never be able to appreciate the intricate world of D&D!”

Stevie feels herself gape at Dustin, because not only is apparently Dustin Henderson talking with Eddie about her, Eddie apparently doesn’t think she can appreciate D&D? Which, he’s not totally wrong, there are a lot of rules and things she doesn’t understand and she’s really bad at words, which Robin says is because she’s dyslexic, but she does actually try to understand what Dustin is talking about. It just – it makes her stomach feel icky, knowing that whatever Eddie said probably isn’t as nice as what Dustin said, and Dustin is rarely nice when he’s in one of his moods.

Robin, bless her, is apparently offended on Stevie’s behalf, and so she steps up to the plate when it becomes clear that Stevie is speechless. “Please tell Munson that he can judge other people’s capacity for decoding nonsense when he’s going to school full time and has an actual job.”

“And migraines,” Stevie adds in. “Lots of migraines.”

Dustin, at least, manages to look a little sheepish. “Sorry, Stevie. It’s just really exciting to be in Hellfire right now!”

“I know.” Stevie manages her best fond smile, even though she still feels unsettled on the inside. “I’m really happy for you, Henderson. So, how did you fight the lich?”

/////

The thing with Dustin Henderson is if you give him an inch, he’ll take forty-thousand miles, so now Stevie is treated to an hour-long play by play after every single Hellfire session wherein Dustin praises Eddie’s genius and how hard and intense the game is and you should really give it a chance, Stevie.

“Henderson,” Stevie finally cuts him off one Saturday morning. He’s cornered her behind the counter at Family Video after instructing Mike and Lucas to pick a good movie for once in their goddamn lives. Robin abandoned her to trail after the boys (traitor), and after twenty minutes of Dustin talking about the wondrous biology of acid frogs, Stevie’s patience is wearing thin. “I love you. You’re the son I never had.”

“You’re nineteen.”

“Exactly,” she nods, “the son I never had. But if I hear another word about the many uses of an acid toad’s bowel movements - ”

“Acid frog Stevie, weren’t you listening?!”

“ – I am going to lose my mind,” Stevie finishes calmly. (Much more calmly than the situation warranted, in her opinion.)

“This is important information, Stevie!”

“Dustin, how is this possibly important information?”

The bell above the door rings, signaling a customer has entered, but Robin greets them before Stevie gets a chance to. (Not that Dustin would give her the chance to, judging by how furrowed his brow is. He only gets that annoyed little squiggle in the center of his forehead when he’s about to launch into his most passionate speeches.)

“Because these are important things to know, Stevie!”

“Okay, Dustin, I hate to break it to you, but acid frogs aren’t real.”

Dustin snorts. “That’s not true, actually, the acid frogs of Eastern Australia are an endangered species - ”

“You know that’s not what I mean, Dustin!” Stevie throws her hands up in the air. “Your fantasy acid frogs aren’t real.”

“Don’t waste your breath, Henderson,” a nice voice speaks from behind Dustin. Dustin grins at the sound and turns to face the speaker. Stevie, meanwhile, freezes in place, a shiver running up her spine. “Such truths are wasted on the unenlightened.”

Eddie Munson strolls up to the counter, dropping his hand on Dustin’s shoulder and shooting her an icy smirk. “Well, well. If it isn’t the former Queen of Hawkins High. How does it feel to be one of the common folk, your majesty?”

A pair of snorts (coming from a pair of boys in matching Hellfire shirts whose names she can’t recall) trail Eddie’s proclamation, followed by Mike’s laughter from the back of the store. Dustin, the traitor, just shoots Stevie a smug grin.

(And look, she’s not panicking, okay? She’s not. It’s just that this is the first time that she’s ever talked to Eddie Munson, at least in recent memory, and it’s already off to kind of a bad start, and honestly he’s being kind of an asshole right now but ugh she still likes him and wants this to go well, why does she care so much about wanting this to go well?

Breathe, breaths, in, out. Robin rounds the corner and shoots her a worried look, but Stevie just shakes her head. She’s turned worse situations around. She can do this.)

“I don’t think there’s anything common about you, Munson,” Stevie replies, shifting her weight forward onto her right foot so now she’s leaning forward. “But I’m doing pretty well today. Or I was, until someone,” she glances quickly at Dustin before looking back at Eddie, “decided to spend fifteen minutes teaching me the seven best uses for acid frog excrement.”

“It was disgusting,” Robin chimes in as she joins Stevie behind the counter. “And also a little bit concerning, if I’m being totally honest. Like, that’s a lot of time to spend thinking about fake frog turds.”

Eddie blinks at them once, twice, before the smirk falls off his face and he collapses forward with a groan, removing his hand from Dustin’s shoulder so he can drop his head into it instead. “Really, Henderson? Has our kind not suffered enough?”

Dustin huffs out a breath. “It’s important information!”

“And I’m truly honored that you want to share it with me. I am,” Stevie cuts him off before he can continue. “I love our mother-son bonding time.”

“I’m not your son.”

“But I think I’ll go to your father if I have any questions about DND in the future, okay?” Stevie finishes, and she can barely stop herself from grinning, especially when she starts to hear Robin choke behind her.

Dustin just looks confused now. “My father?”

“Yep.” Stevie lets herself grin now and returns her gaze to Eddie Munson, who’s looking over at her now with a confused expression on his face. “Which reminds me, what’s the difference between wizards and sorcerers again? I can never keep it straight.”

Eddie drops his hand and gapes at her. Like, his jaw is practically on the ground. He backs up, away from the store counter and spins around once to look behind him (at his friends, who are also looking equally confused) before turning back around. “I’m sorry, are you – me?”

Stevie shifts closer to him, resting her chin on her hand so she’s gazing up at him. “I don’t see any other dungeon masters around here, do you?”

“What is happening right now,” Dustin murmurs out, and it’s not quite a question or a statement.

“Go play with your friends, Henderson, Mommy and Daddy are talking.”

“I – Mommy and Daddy?!” And now Henderson is shrieking, and Mike is poking his head out from behind the stacks to shoot them a glare, and Robin is trying really hard to cover up her laugh with her cough, and Eddie? Eddie is flushed bright red and just staring at her.

“So, yeah, wizards and sorcerers. I know there’s a difference, I can just never keep them straight. And since Dustin says you know the most about DND out of anyone, I might as well take lessons from the best, huh?”

“Oh my God. Oh my GOD!” Dustin is practically shrieking, and then Robin’s running around the counter and pulling him towards Mike and Lucas, ignoring his protesting.

“I – you – what? What?!” Now it’s Eddie’s turn to squawk.

“Also, I’m really glad you came in today. I mean, it probably was for a movie because, you know, Family Video,” Stevie waves her free hand around, “but I’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this to come up.”

“An opportunity for what?” Eddie parrots back slowly.

“To flirt with you, obviously.”

“Obviously – obviously? Obviously?!”

“Yeah, obviously. I didn’t get a chance at the mall because you never came into Scoops,” and okay, she wasn’t planning on laying it all out on the line here, but Eddie’s looking increasingly like he’s two seconds away from running and she’d really prefer it if he at least believed her when he ran away, “which was annoying because our ice cream was way better than Jamba Juice anyways - ”

“What?”

“ – and the kids have been talking about you non-stop for the last three months, and it really means a lot that you took them under your wing, and, I mean, I already thought you were hot - ”

“WHAT?!”

“ – and judging by the handcuffs on your belt, I think it’s safe to say we have things in common outside of the kids. And I might not be like naturally interested in DND or whatever, but I’d let you be my dungeon master anytime,” she finishes with a wink and yep, she broke him. He’s frozen and flushed she really, really wants to see just how far down that blush goes.

The taller of his friends – Jeff, that’s his name – walks forward and grabs Eddie’s arm. “This isn’t some sort of joke, right?”

“Nope!” Robin calls out before sliding to a stop in front of the counter. “She’s been crushing on him for months. It’s honestly been sort of pathetic.”

“Gee, thanks Robin,” Stevie rolls her eyes. Reaching for a nearby receipt, Stevie grabs a pen and quickly scribbles her number on the back. “Here’s my number. I’m home most nights after seven and I have every other weekend free. Make sure he calls me if he’s interested,” she finishes up with a click of her pen, and then she’s passing the phone number to Jeff.

Jeff smiles at her, a small, shy sort of smile. “I will. C’mon, Munson. Let’s go before your face freezes that way."

He grabs hold of Eddie with his free hand – Eddie, who’s still flushed and staring at her – and he motions for their other friend to grab his other arm, and with that, the trio of Hellfire boys leave Family Video.

“That was the worst thing I’ve ever heard,” Mike announces as soon as the door shuts, approaching the counter with a sour look on his face.

“I didn’t know you had game like that, Stevie!” Lucas crows, laughing at the sour look on Mike’s face. Dustin, on the other hand? Dustin looks as shellshocked as Eddie did.

“You – you’re into Eddie?”

“That’s an understatement,” Robin snorts. “Seriously, though, that was intense. I thought you were going to flirt with him, not kill him.”

“What?” Stevie shoots back defensively. “He wasn’t getting that I was serious and I wanted to make sure he knew that.”

“Don’t worry, we all know it,” Mike gags, and it’s enough to set Lucas off into giggles again.

“You’re into Eddie,” Dustin repeats, and then all of a sudden he’s beaming. “You like Eddie! This is PERFECT!”

“Oh, no, no, no! Dustin!” Mike groans, but Dustin is already running out the door.

“Don’t worry, Stevie! We’ll make sure true love prevails!”

“God, do we have to?” Mike whines again, but he dutifully follows Dustin out the door. Lucas shoots Stevie another wink and laughs before following suit, and then it’s just Robin and Stevie in an otherwise empty Family Video.

“That was probably a bit much.”

“Nah,” Robin shakes her head with a laugh. “It would take a lot for anyone to be ‘too much’ for Eddie Munson. He’s into you, dingus.”

“You think so?”

Robin knocks her head against Stevie’s. “I bet you five bucks he asks you out by next Saturday.”

“You’re on.”

/////

Three days later, Eddie Munson leaves Family Video with a wide grin on his face, and Stevie is too busy dancing around in excitement to feel too badly about her five dollars that are making a new home in Robin’s wallet.

[sunswathe]

Stevie: I'm glad estrogen is giving me boobs but do they have to be so fucking sore

Eddie: I can kiss them better if you want

Stevie:

Eddie:

Stevie:

Eddie: I'll see myself out

Stevie: how are you supposed to kiss them better if you leave