#PrideThingsBingo

[coffeewasamistake]

Wedding Ink

For the Mini Pride Bingo hosted by @genderthings.

[AO3]

Prompt: Tattoo | Rating: Gen | WC: 1230 | Relationships : Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson

Summary:

Steve wants to marry Eddie and wear a wedding ring to show the whole world they belong to each other, homophobic laws be damned. But Steve is a nurse, and hospital rules are hospital rules.

It’s not that Steve dislikes jewelry. Honestly, it’s kind of the opposite.

Take Eddie’s rings, for example.

His boyfriend has a few of them, all bulky and impossible to ignore, and he barely takes them off to shower. They are always on his hands, even when he plays guitar, even when he sleeps. And he is so full of life, his man, always waving his hands around, rings catching the light with each movement, gleaming. 

The way he touches him is no better, warm hands and soft metal sliding across his skin, gripping, grabbing. Loving.

Steve likes rings. Especially Eddie's.

He’s just not allowed to wear jewelry at the hospital.

Becoming a nurse had not been easy, but after the whole mess that happened with the Upside-Down, after breaking Eddie’s ribs, each snap resonating like thunder in his arms when he was trying to breathe life back to Eddie’s lungs, after everything the nurses at Hawkins Memorial had down for them, strong and caring when the whole town had wanted to crucify Eddie… Steve had known. 

He loves his job. He has finally found his place in the world, one where he can help people in need. No day is really easy, but the rewards are worth the long shifts and the random hours. Being a nurse makes him feel useful in a way he had been craving for years.

He just wishes he could wear a ring.

Some of his coworkers are married, and they either keep their wedding band on a chain around their neck or take it off before their shift and store it in their locker.

He could do the locker thing, realistically. 

But he can’t get out of his head the absolute panic in his coworker Mary’s eyes, the high pitch of her voice, her harsh breathing and her shaking hands when they had ended their shift at the same time and her ring wasn’t in her locker.

She had found it, eventually, because, of course, she had left it at home and had forgotten all about it in the frenzy of hospital life, but the fear had lingered. She had stopped wearing her ring, keeping it in a jewelry box on her bedside table. Just in case.

And the thing is. Steve and Eddie can’t get married. Not legally at last. They have been talks of backyard wedding, one day, maybe, but the ring… The ring is a problem.

It eats at Steve. Days and nights.

He can’t imagine getting married and only having a ring to prove his devotion to his husband. Not when he can’t wear it all the time and could lose it at any given moment. All his wedding dreams end with his ring disappearing and Eddie looking at him through tears, asking if he doesn’t love him anymore. 

When he finally opens up to Robin, she’s kind about his fears. Understanding in a way that speaks about years and years of feeling out of the norm. Different. Kept from enjoying so many things that other people take from granted.

“It’s okay to feel like that, Steve. It’s scary to realize your love is not something people are going to accept, especially when another typical married couple thing is out of your reach.” She squeezes his arm. “You have coworkers who wear their wedding ring around their neck, right? Maybe you should do that when you finally take that step with Eddie.”

Steve swallows, his throat tight, fighting through the burn in his eyes.

“Northwestern Memorial has a very strict policy about jewelry. The only pieces nurses are allowed to wear are wedding bands on necklaces. And you have to provide a wedding certificate for that.”

“So, they wouldn’t…”

Steve loses the fight against tears.

“No, they would never let me wear any ring given by Eddie.”

“Oh, babe…” Robin arms wrap around him as he sobs. 

“Say, Stevie…” Her voice is wavering. She seems so unsure of herself, in a way that differs from her usual anxiety-fueled ramblings. “I could maybe marry you? Legally, I mean. Then you would marry Eddie, and you’ll be able to wear your wedding band around your neck.”

Steve’s burrow deeper into Robin’s embrace. He can’t deal with not being held right now.

“Thank you, Rob. But it wouldn’t be the same.”

They hug for a while, before Robin manages to make him laugh with a crazy anecdote about her least favorite coworker. They end up playing a drinking game in front of Star Wars, and Eddie is woken up at 2 a.m. by his very drunk boyfriend sliding in his bed.

“Hey, Eddie, Eddie?”

“Wot?”

“You know I love you, right?”

“Mmmrrr.”

“I love you a lot, Eddie, like… like an insane amount. Scientists cannot quantify how much I love you, and…”

He is stopped by a kiss.

“Love you too, sweetheart,” Eddie tiredly wraps himself all around his boyfriend, octopus-style. “But please, go to sleep.”

_______________________

They’re celebrating Nancy’s promotion in a gay bar when Steve has a revelation.

The girls want more drinks, and Steve grumbles but leave the warmth of Eddie’s arms to bring them cocktails.

“And a beer for your humble servant, please, my liege!”

And a beer for Eddie, apparently.

The bartender is only vaguely familiar, and he is pretty sure the guy wasn’t there two months ago. Steve flags the man down, and watches with a smile as he shakes Nancy’s elaborate cocktail. He is putting on a show, but Steve can tell it’s not really meant for him, not with the wedding band glistening on his left hand and the wink he throws at the new waiter. 

The wave of jealousy hits him unexpectedly. It must be nice to wear proof of your marriage in front of everyone like that, and to be able to flirt with your husband at your own place of work without having to watch your back. Maybe he should hang up his scrubs and go into bartending.

Steve shakes his head. He loves his job. He is being ridicul…

He frowns. 

What’s that just underneath the guy’s wedding band?

The bartender winks at him this time, playing with the ring.

“Had this one for almost two years now.” He points at the waiter. “It goes with that one.”

“What’s that?”

“Hum?” The bartender blink, then smiles again. “Oh! Look.”

He leans over the bar and shows Steve his hand, palm up. He pushes the ring out of the way, and just underneath, the initials S.W. are written in black ink. 

“Scott Williams. That’s my man.”

“It’s a tattoo.” Steve says numbly. 

“It sure is, darling.”

“I can get a tattoo.” Steve cannot breathe. He can have that. He can etch Eddie’s name into his skin, keep him there forever.

“Hey, don’t forget your drinks!”

Steve turns back to the bar, disoriented, and grab the tray the bartender is nice enough to give him.

“You okay, man?” He asks, visibly worried.

“Never been better.”

He walks past the crowd without seeing it and reach their group. Robin’s head shot up at his arrival.

“You’re alright, Dingus?” She frowns. “You look a bit shell shocked over there.”

She yelps when Steve put down the tray heavily on the table, drinks splashing.

“Hey, what are you…”

Steve climbs on his boyfriend’s lap.

“Eddie,” he cradles his face with both hands, reverent. “Will you marry me?”

[after-the-end-times]

Daylight

Prompt: Red ❤️ Song: Daylight ❤️ Word Count: 2,498 ❤️ Rating: M ❤️ POV: Eddie ❤️ Relationships: Pre-Steddie ❤️ ❤️ Tags: Vampire!Corroded Coffin & Wayne, Canon Divergent, Use of lowercase to show Eddie's blood loss delirium, Eddie needs Steve's blood to recover from the bat attack, Of course Steve willing gives it ❤️For @genderthings Pride Things Bingo Prompt: Eddie Munson ❤️For @corrodedcoffinfest Somewhere Over the Rainbow: Red Ao3

Eddie hadn’t felt pain like this in...well, a long time. Too long, if a few bites from fellow bats could take him down. Clearly, he hadn’t had to fight for his life enough this century.

The boys kept telling him to keep up on his training, but it was the 1980’s! Who did he have to battle this close to the new millennium? Not like he had plans to join the U.S. military any time soon. Been there, done that, got the French Revolution t-shirt to show for it.

So, there he lay, bats spinning above and around him, taking more and more bites out of him, not caring one iota that they were kin of a sort.

Taken out by some supernatural baddie bigger and badder than a vampire and Eddie couldn’t remember the last time he updated his will. It had to be sometime in the 1900’s, right? Whatever, Wayne and the boys’ll take what they want, give the rest.

He felt what little blood was left in his body slowly sludge through his veins. The thought of biting a bat flashed through his mind, but went out as soon the bats fell all around him. Rule #7: Can’t bite the fellow dead.

Shouting pierced the fog of his permanently-dying brain. NO. Dustin. Stay away. no.

Dustin crouched over him, trying to get him to respond. He wouldn’t bite him. He wouldn’t. It’d kill the kid. He was too close to final death to only take a little. He needed…

Deeper shouting.

Steve. fuuuuck.

Eddie could feel him run closer. He forced his eyes to open. Steve. so beautiful.

Beautiful Steve Harrington bent over him, talking, shouting, commanding. Now he would’ve been a good leader of battalions.

“Stay with us Eddie, we’re getting you out of here!”

Eddie flopped his head from one side to the other, trying to tell Steve to leave him. A dying vampire was too dangerous to take around people. They’ll do anything to survive. Again, been there, done that, not doing it again.

“On three, Eddie. It’s gonna hurt, but I’ve got you.”

no

“no.”

“One.”

“No.”

“Two.”

“I need- Steve-”

“A hospital, Eddie. You need a hospital. And I’ll get you there. You just keep talking.”

“No, Steve. I need- Please, Steve, leave me.”

“Not on your life, dude. Stop using what strength you have fighting me!”

Eddie shuddered, spasming against the ground and Steve’s hold. The magic of his immortality fought hard. It wouldn’t let him just die, gently shuffling off this mortal coil. Eddie couldn’t-

His hand shot out, gripping Steve’s cheek hard, pulling him down, pressing his ear to Eddie’s mouth.

“Beautiful Steve Harrington, I need you,” his voice coiled around, sinking into his victim’s heart, promising everything, promising eternity. His magic pulsed through him, pushing him to live, do whatever was necessary to fight off Death. “Need to bite your lovely neck. Can smell your blood, it’s mouth watering. Please. Say yes, Stevie. It’s the only way. Can only live if- Fuck! No!”

He shoved with the last of his might, breaking the connection. Steve fell back on his ass, staring at Eddie with wide lovely eyes, wide calculating eyes, wide remembering eyes.

“Vampire. You, not Vecna.” His eyes hardened with determination. Eddie could tell what we was thinking, even without Jeff’s telepathy power, and wanted to throw his head back and groan in frustration. Can’t this dude not throw himself into danger just once?!

“Eddie. It’ll save you? Yeah? Just need my blood? Okay. Come on, sitting you up.” Steve’s strong strong arms pulled his shoulders off the ground, sitting him up against him. Eddie shook his head against Steve’s shoulder.

“No. Steve. You have to go. I need too much. too much. need it all. please go.”

Steve cupped his head, looking at him so soft. “It’s okay. Take what you need.”

He pressed Eddie’s mouth against those two little moles. like two little vampire bites.

Eddie couldn’t stop his tongue from lapping out, licking the skin there. Salty. Sweaty. Warm. Maybe I can drink just enough for Death to stop looming. Just a little. get more later…

He ran his teeth along the muscle, feeling for the vein. His gums itched, his fangs slid down.

Eddie bit in. Steve jerked against him. Eddie’s arms wrapped around him, holding him hard. Steve’s hand gripped Eddie’s hair at the scalp.

Eddie sucked and burning red blood flooded his mouth, flooded his senses. Red heat slid down his throat. Golden light burst before his eyes. He sucked harder.

Golden liquid daylight. Burning scarlet rays of dawn- steve steve steve only steve there’s so much life in him need need, need it all

Eddie lost himself in the first rays of sunlight he’d truly felt on his skin in hundreds of years. He stood before the sunrise and felt the golden warmth saturate his body, filling every dark dying crevasse of his body, wrapping around his stormy soul, waking it up for first time in so long. He felt so so alive.

He bathed in the heat, reveling in the light.

Hands on him.

Darkness fell around him.

Strong hands ripping him away from that light. He fought hard, clawing at whoever held him flat against the cold, ashy, dead earth. Steve was his. He needed it all. It was his, all his, only his. He’d kill any vampire who tried to take it- him away.

He growled low and long, predatory dark promises rumbling from deep within.

A voice.

He knows that voice. It’s one of his. His Family.

Why would one of his try to take Steve from him!?

no

No, they wouldn’t take Steve.

They’d try to save Steve.

“We have to turn him, son.”

no

not Steve

not lovely beautiful daylight Steve

they couldn’t

he wouldn’t let them

His magic built, roiling within him. He shoved off from the ground, bursting from the bodies holding him down. He pulled Steve from Wayne’s arms, cradled him in his own, and ran.

He could hear Gareth calling him back, Jeff shouting to please let Steve live, Freak trying to use his powers of melody to stop him in his tracks.

But he could feel a spark in Steve, felt that he still lived, that his soul still resided within his body. He wouldn’t let anyone take those from him.

He jumped straight up through the red, pulsing portal, landing hard on the balls of his feet in their old home.

Eddie would get Steve to the hospital, Steve would live a happy mortal life.

Time, and his surroundings, blurred. He ran through trees and neighborhoods, through downtown, through the hospital’s doors.

He held Steve out, “Save him.”

The doctors took him away.

Eddie sat down heavy on a waiting room bench and tipped his head back against the wall, closing his eyes against the bright lights.

Red burned behind his eyelids.

He wanted the golden daylight back.

He pushed his magic outward, following the feeling of Steve, sensing that he was still alive back there with the doctors. He saw that little golden spark still within Steve, glowing and unwavering in its strength.

Eddie heard them before they made it the door. He should stand up, update them, check on the kids.

But that glow.

He just wanted to keep an eye on it a little longer. He needed to keep it safe. What if he stopped watching and it stopped glo-

“Eddie!” Dustin collapse against him, sobbing, and Eddie slammed back into his own body.

“Kid.” Eddie wrapped his arms around Dustin, hugging him tight. “Hey, I’m okay. I got Steve here in time. The doctors have him, he’s okay.”

Dustin reared back, glaring at him from a tear stained face, and spoke tense and low. “You asshole. You’re a vampire and didn’t think to mention that? You didn’t think it might be important to our battle plan? We would’ve strategized differently! And then you, a vampire, went and almost died? What, are you new?”

Gareth snickered, it’d been a long time since anyone had accused Eddie of being new.

“Yeah, asshole,” Jeff pipped up, arms crossed over his chest, “why didn’t you call the rest of into whatever little campaign this is? No, we had to feel your magic pulling life force from us to know you were dying somewhere? It’s a good thing Wayne could see where you were. ‘Cause what was your little Steve Plan there, hm?”

Eddie met Wayne’s eyes above the group, they were always tinged with sadness, but now Eddie had put that look on his face. Blood hot tears pricked at his eyes and his nose scrunched up trying to hold the tears at bay. He hadn’t even thought about Wayne seeing his death, being helpless to do anything but watch. Wayne circled the group and sat beside Eddie, pulling him in with an arm around his shoulders.

Eddie buried his face against Wayne. “I’m sorry, Wayne. I’m sorry.”

Wayne pet his hair and squeezed his arm. “I know, son. Just gotta talk to us when things are going down.”

Eddie nodded against him. “Is everyone else okay? There’s a bunch of kids involved. Wanted to keep them safe, but I didn’t-”

Wayne sighed, pulling his magic around him. “Yeah, kid, they’re gonna live. The one girl’s gonna have a battle of it, but she’s strong. And your Steve’s girl is glaring daggers at you from the other side of the room, so you might want to talk to her.”

“Wayne, she’s his friend, not his girl,” Eddie leaned back, wiping at his cheeks, “but you know that, don’t you, you old so and so?”

Wayne just shrugged with that inscrutable frowny smile gracing his face. Eddie would take that over him looking sad any day.

He stood and his boys, his Family pulled him into a squishing group hug. Their vampiric energies pushed and pulsed around him, checking him over.

They hadn’t had one of their own come this close to final death since Gareth decided to come to America via the Titanic. Thankfully, the cold just sent him into a deep hibernation sleep until they found him in a hospital. And now Eddie had almost been eaten by bats. He was sure he’d never hear the end of it once they learned about that little detail.

He sent out a pulse of his own magic to them, reassuring them back, and stepped back sending a glance to the group across the room. He had some explaining to do.

-

Hours later, after the kids and teens who needed medical attention had been seen, and Max was finally out of her first surgery, Eddie was allowed back to see Steve.

Gareth had smoothed the way, gently coaxing the nurses into believing Eddie was Steve’s family. Eddie knew how careful Gareth was about using his powers of persuasion, so he was truly grateful to him.

Steve was dozing when Eddie entered the room. He moved a chair closer to the bed so he could watch him.

He really was lovely. Like a fallen hero, he lay sheathed in white, hands clasped over his chest; Eddie thought a sword laying flat along his length wouldn’t look out of place. He reached out, brushing the back of fingers along Steve’s side-

Steve jerked, huffing out a laugh, he met Eddie’s eyes. “Dude, that tickles.”

Eddie blinked at him. “You’re awake. How do you feel? They said with the amount of blood they had to transfuse, you could have complications and side effects and-”

“Hey, Eddie, come here,” he patted the bed next to his hip. Eddie perched on the bed and Steve took his hands in his. “Eddie, I’m fine. I feel fine, no chills, no fever, no aches- well, except for my neck, but that’ll take a little longer to heal, you really chomped on hard, dude.”

He laughed and Eddie stared. Did this dude really have that big a death wish? Did he not understand how delicate mortality was? How close he came to a quick forever death?

“Steve. I should get a nurse. They can explain how much blood I took, how close you came to dying. If I hadn’t been stopped, I would’ve-” His throat closed and his face flushed, guilt and shame waged within and he gripped Steve’s hands harder. He forced out, “Steve.”

Steve pulled him forward, tipping Eddie against his body as his shook. Steve held him and soothed him, rubbing a gentle hand along his back and pushing a hand into his hair, tucking Eddie's face against his neck.

“Shhhh, Eddie, it’s okay. I’m okay and you’re okay. We’re both alive-” Eddie huffed and Steve rumbled a laugh, “okay, undead or whatever. But, here’s a secret, baby, I was always going to be okay. Even if you took it all and killed me-”

Eddie grumbled against him, “Being okay because you’d ‘be in heaven’ or whatever would not be my takeaway if I was the reason those kids had to bury you. No offense, but we’d rather-”

“Eddie, no, I mean it literally.” Eddie leaned back far enough to look at him, staring in confusion at Steve’s gentle smile. A blush graced Steve’s cheeks and he huffed a laugh, looking up to the ceiling. “Yeah, I’ve died, like, I don’t know, eight times? That I know of? And yes, a couple of those have been for the kids. So, yeah, if you had killed me, I would’ve come back eventually. Might’ve take a little bit to recover that much blood, so I guess this worked out. So now my body just needs to recover from the bat attacks.”

Steve blinked bashfully at him.

Eddie’s brain was taking a moment to process. He held up a finger and stood. Hands moving, unable to land in one position, he took a deep breath, and spun on his heel to walk to the window before spinning to walk back to the bed, he pointed at Steve.

“You’re immortal?”

“Yep! Seems that way.”

“Not a vampire?”

“Not that I’m aware? Would I definitely know if I was a vampire?”

Eddie blinked. “Yeah. You’d know if you were a vampire. Kinda hard to miss it, I’d say.”

“Hm! Well, then, nope! Not a vampire. Just your garden variety immortal guy.”

Eddie’s mouth opened, no sound came out. Is this what a vampire stroke felt like? “Do the kids know?”

Steve shrugged. “I don’t think so? But they’re smart and have seen me beaten so bad I died, so maybe? Or they think I’m hardy? Didn’t really come up.”

Eddie’s hands came together in prayer at his lips.

“Eddie? You okay?”

Yep. Just having my understanding of the universe turned upside down. Ha. Ooooh wait, we’re both-

“Steve?”

“Eddie?”

“Would you do me the honor of going to dinner with me? Once you’re fully recovered, of course.”

Steve smiled at him, radiant and golden. “It’s a date.”

🫶

Daylight - Taylor Swift

I've been sleepin' so long in a twenty-year dark night

(Now I'm wide awake)

I once believed love would be burnin' red

But it's golden, like daylight

[genderthings]

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[after-the-end-times]

I've Built My Life Around You

💛Rating: T🩷 Words: 865 🤍 Tags: Future fic, Queer Platonic Steddie & Robin, Family Hurt/Comfort and Fluff, Slice of Life 🩶For @genderthings Pride Things Bingo Prompt: Queer Platonic Relationship 🖤Ao3

💛🩷🤍🩶🖤 💛🩷🤍🩶🖤 💛🩷🤍🩶🖤 💛🩷🤍🩶🖤

The front door slammed open and then slammed shut. Steve looked up at Eddie from his spot at the kitchen table. “You get the m&m’s, I’ll get the wine.”

Steve stood, heading to their small wine rack in the pantry, while Eddie dried his hands of soap suds and pulled the chocolates from the freezer. They converged back at the table just in time for Robin to sulk in. She stood in the doorway, eyes unsettlingly distant.

“Do you think I’m a leach? No-she said barnacle. Am I a barnacle stuck onto you guys?”

“What the fuck?!” Eddie stood up straight, his chair screeching backwards.

“What.” Steve slammed the bottle of wine on the table, checked that it was fine, and looked back at Robin outraged. “Who said that? Was is Cheryl? Fuck her.”

Robin slouched into a chair at the table and wave her hand regally over the wine. Steve went to the cupboard for wine glasses, Eddie got the corkscrew out of the drawer; together they poured her a too full glass of red wine.

She took a large sip, sat it down, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and pulled the bag of m&m’s over to her side of the table.

“Robin, I don’t know where she got that idea, but we want you here.” Steve said. Looking over at Eddie, he raised his eyebrows while pouring Eddie and himself smaller glasses.

“Yeah,” Eddie picked up, “and it’s not just that we want you here, but we also wouldn’t want you to leave.”

Robin leaned back, tipping her head to look at the ceiling. “So, I’m not just a hanger-on to your guys’ happy relationship? Some roommate you wish would get her own place and life?”

Steve’s eyes went wide. “Robin, no, you’re our best friend.”

“What, and I repeat, the fuck?” Eddie reached across the table to hold her hand. “If you didn’t already, break up with her. Who fucking says something like that? A bitc-”

“She broke up with me,” Robin said, squeezing his hand. “after she asked me to move in with her and I said I didn’t think I could- or, well, didn’t want to. I didn’t want to move out of here. Told her it’s my home. She said it wasn’t my home, that I was just a renting a room in your home.”

Steve sat back hard like he was knocked back by Cheryl’s audacity, even delivered second-hand. “That’s fucked up.”

“Robin, if we could marry you in a friend way we would. We need each other. We all balance each other. So yeah, we’re friend married! It’s official.” Eddie spoke, waving his hand around to encompass him and Steve and Robin.

Steve nodded, grabbing onto her and Eddie’s hands so they formed a lopsided triangle. “We’re a packaged set. Anyone you end up with will just have to understand that and join us.”

“And if one day, you and your partner decide you absolutely need to have your own space, we could just build in the lot next door! We’d live next door to each other and we could have a secret passage or bridge connecting them and we could share a huge back yard with a pool that runs the entire length with diving boards on both ends!” Eddie said faster and faster, running out of breath at the end.

“Oooookay, didn’t even have the chocolate and he’s already worked up and excitable.” Steve patted Eddie’s hand and took his empty wine glass to fill it with water, setting it back down in front of him. “No more wine for you.”

Robin laughed, her heart finally felt settled after her fight with Cheryl, and just from watching Steve and Eddie. They were right, they do balance each other. Reading her mind, Steve looked back over to her.

“So, it’s settled. We’re friend married and anyone you’re with will just have to accept that up front. They’ll have to understand that they’ll be moving in here rather than you moving in with them. Your room’s plenty big enough and we have the back craft room that Eddie never uses if they need an office or workroom.”

“Okay, rude. The lighting’s just better in the kitchen. That’s not something I can help.”

“Well, you could help it by going to the eye doctor for glasses. ‘Cause I can see just fine in the back room.”

Eddie reared back in not-completely-faux outrage. “How dare you call me old. What’s next? Telling me I need more fiber and need to take all those vitamins you take in the morning? Hmph! No thank you.”

Steve gave him a flat look, one eye brow raised. “38’s not old, babe, but we do need to start taking care of our bodies now, so that we can all make it to 80 and living in an old folk’s home together.”

Robin took a sip of her wine, smiling as she watched Steve and Eddie continue to bicker like an old married couple- well, like two thirds of an old married couple.

Yeah, she wasn’t going anywhere. They were hers and she was theirs.

For the rest of their lives.

💛🩷🤍🩶🖤 💛🩷🤍🩶🖤 💛🩷🤍🩶🖤 💛🩷🤍🩶🖤

[after-the-end-times]

Marjorie

Prompt: Orange 🧡 Song: Marjorie 🧡 Word Count: 1k 🧡 Rating: G 🧡 POV: Steve 🧡 Relationships: Steddie 🧡 Tags: Vampire!Corroded Coffin & Wayne, Immortal Steve, Eddie's melancholy about not being able to remember his family after 200 years on Earth 🧡For @genderthings Pride Things Bingo Prompt: Suit 🧡For @corrodedcoffinfest Somewhere Over the Rainbow: Orange Ao3 Previous Part RED

Steve knocked on the front door of Eddie’s new home, a big farmhouse outside of Hawkins. It had a wrap around porch that Steve loved, making him think of summer storms and sweet tea, long nights in rocking chairs listening to the cicadas. One day he’d have a wrap around porch again.

Jeff opened the door, looking pressed and spiffy in a way Steve had never seen any of the guys dress.

“Hey Steve, Eddie didn’t tell you we have a family thing today?”

“Oh, no, he didn’t. But we didn’t have solid plans or anything. Guess I should’ve called first. I’ll go-”

Jeff put up a hand, cocking his head to the side, listening to something only he could hear. “Nah, come on in, Eddie needs you.”

Steve headed through the living room, passing the kitchen, waving at the guys who all pointed upstairs. They were also well dressed, all in a way that would be described as old fashioned, but left Steve feeling nostalgic and comforted.

Steve jogged up the stairs to Eddie’s room, the door opening before he could knock. Eddie grabbed his wrist, pulled him in the room, and shut the door, before sagging onto the small couch in the corner, collapsing his head into his hands.

Eddie was in boxers and an undershirt, his wool suit tossed haphazardly on his bed. Steve sat down beside him and rested a hand low on Eddie’s back.

“Jeff said you have a family thing today?”

Eddie nodded, face still pressed hard to his palms.

“Do you wanna talk about it? They seem to be down there waiting for you?”

Eddie rubbed his face hard with his palms and pressed hard against his eyes.

“It’s our day of remembrance. We started it about 50 years ago to remember our families, our original families, pre-turning. We do a little thing out in a field and then we sit around and share stories and memories.”

“That’s really sweet, Eddie. What happened this morning?”

Eddie shrugged then sighed. Suddenly he flopped back, hard, the back of his head thudding against the wall above the couch. Steve reached up to rub it, sliding his fingers into Eddie’s hair to scritch at his scalp.

“I remember them less this year than last year. And less than the year before and the year before that. They’re disappearing.”

“Who?”

“My brothers. My dad. Mom. I had friends and I can’t even remember their names. You’d think being a vampire came with perfect memory, but nope. It’s like when you’re a regular mortal and you can’t really remember being a kid, all you have are impressions and bits of memories; playing in a river or running across a field or your brother putting a frog in a bed and everyone screaming, but all the details of the surrounding memory is gone.

I have whole decades that are just poof! Gone, because nothing exciting happened, just living life every day. But even then, I thought I’d always remember them. Their faces, their laughs, their birthdays. But so much of them is just impressions now, things I think I remember.”

Steve interlaced their fingers, squeezing tight, their clasped hands resting on Eddie’s knee.

“What impressions do you have of your mom?” Steve asked, gently.

He wasn’t anywhere as old as Eddie, but he understood intimately, the feeling that he was betraying people because he couldn’t remember them. The never ending cycle of impotent anger and sadness when a memory was right there out of reach.

Eddie brushed his thumb across Steve’s knuckles, his eyes going distant.

“Swimming in the river together at dawn. She loved the water with the amber and peach sunlight glittering on the surface. Teaching me to sew and weave when I was small. She was so tall and then one day she was smaller than me. It took a really long time for her to realize that I’d become different.

I apprenticed away from home and then I was working and living in another village for years before I was turned. She was old and grey when she realized I hadn’t aged past my 30s. She just brushed my hair back and held me, tucked small against her. I buried her in the church’s cemetery with the best view of the sunrise over the river...”

Tears ran down his cheeks as memories resurfaced, unfocused eyes stared, lost in the past. Steve could do nothing but sit beside him, a solid presence to come back to, a lighthouse showing him the way back through time.

Eddie blinked out of his reverie and looked over at Steve, lips twitching in a sad smile, eyes still wet and wavering. “Thank you, Steve.”

“You’re welcome, dear heart. I know how it feels to suddenly feel so unmoored from your past.” Steve smiled, small and tinged in shared pain. “Maybe later, we should write it all down, every little thing we can remember from our first lives. We’ll go to a big bank in the city and keep the memories in a safety deposit box.”

Eddie breathed a laugh, smiling so sweetly at Steve that his belly tightened. “That’s a great idea. Bet the others will wanna do it, too.”

Steve nodded, then tipped his head, realizing he’d forgotten to ask. “What was her name? Your mom.”

Eddie’s eyes softened.“Marjorie.”

His belly warmed, knowing he was just handed a delicate and precious part of Eddie’s story. He’d keep it safe for the rest of their time on Earth.

Wayne knocked on the door. “Edward, you ready to go?”

“Yeah, just gotta get dressed and we’ll be right down.” Eddie stood and headed to the bed, shaking wrinkles out of his dress shirt.

“Edward?” Steve asked, face scrunched up

“Yeah? What’s wrong with it?” Eddie looked back at him, an eyebrow raised.

“Just thought it’d be more olden timey, you know, like Edwin or something.”

Eddie barked a laugh. “Nah, Edward was a really popular name in 1700’s England. You know, the kings and all.”

“Right right. Wait. You’re ­British?!”

Eddie tipped his head back laughing.

Marjorie - Taylor Swift

The autumn chill that wakes me up You loved the amber skies so much Long limbs and frozen swims You'd always go past where our feet could touch What died didn't stay dead You're alive, you're alive in my head

🧡

[coffeewasamistake]

Strawberry

(Part 1)

For the Mini Pride Bingo hosted by @genderthings.

[AO3]

Prompt: Lipstick | Rating: T | WC: 3999 | Relationships : Steve Harrington & Eleven | Jane Hopper & Maxine "Max" Mayfield , implied future Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson

Summary:

Max and El have fun with makeup at the Harrington's.

Steve is not jealous.

Steve took the cookies out of the oven and put them on a tray to cool down a bit while he cleaned up. He had prepared caramel pecan cookies, just because Max had thrown him the sweetest look she could muster while asking him. He had immediately folded when she had told him she wanted to share her favorite cookies with El. She was an absolute terror most of the time, but she was even worse when she went out of her way to look sweet. Her little tactics were rubbing on El, too, and her big eyes were even more effective than Max’s fake innocent smile.

Of course, Steve had caved. He had never really been able to refuse anything the kids asked before, but now, after everything that had happened, he had turned into a total carpet. The kids were walking all over him and he was letting them, too glad to see them walk around, happy, unhurt, alive. Max, especially, had spent way too much time in the hospital for Steve to refuse her anything. Especially when it was something as easy to make as cookies. 

Once the kitchen was in order, everything cleaned and put in its place, he prepared a tray for the girls. He opened the fridge, hesitated a moment, then grabbed a few different cans of soda. That way, they could directly choose whatever they wanted without having to walk to the kitchen. He put the cans on the tray with the cookies and brought it to the living room.

At some point, his house had become the headquarters of the Party. He hosted Hellfire once a week, and a movie night at the same frequency, and was regularly invaded by whoever wanted a bit of space that day. Steve always complained about them coming without telling him beforehand and making a mess half of the time, but it was mostly for show. He had to keep a semblance of authority on the kids, even if seeing his house so full of life was one of the best things to happen to him.

Today his house had only been invaded by two gremlins and not the whole pack of teenage demons. Max and El were sitting on the ground against the couch, and Steve could barely see them, finding their location by following the sound giggles permeating the air. Seeing the kids mess around was one thing but hearing them laugh so freely was special. 

He walked into the living room, announcing loudly:

“Cookies for the ladies!”

His arrival, or more exactly, the cookies’ arrival was met with even more glee.

“Are they caramel pecan cookies? Steve, did you make the caramel pecan ones?” Of course Max was checking if the merchandise had been baked according to her request. She was not Erica, but she was not playing around either when it came to cookies.

“Yes, Steve, Max said they were the best type of cookies, and you are the best at making snacks.” El said softly, aiming a big smile at him.

Steve was absolutely done for. 

Were they constantly manipulating him into baking for them? … Perhaps. Were they the best kids in all of Indiana? The jury was out, and Steve had accepted a long time ago that he was biased as hell when it came to them.

“Of course I made your favorites, Max. Be careful, they’re still a bit hot.”

His warning fell into deaf ears. In two minutes maximum, all the cookies had been snarfed down, except for two they had generously put away for him.

“There are so good, Steve,” Max said, while still eating her last mouthful of cookies. She swallowed. “You brought them at the right time too, we were almost done with our makeup, and the lipstick would have smeared if we had eaten with it. Here, look,” She delicately grabbed El’s face and turned it toward Steve. “Isn’t she so pretty like that?”

Max had applied a really pretty purple eyeshadow on El, and she had definitely put other things on her face, but Steve couldn’t really tell what everything apart from the mascara and the blush. It was colorful without being too much, and she looked bright, happier than ever. Max, on the other hand, was sporting a heavy dose of black eyeliner, and for a moment all Steve could think was Eddie putting eyeliner on in his van just before a Corroded Coffin’s show. 

Steve swallowed with difficulty. He felt strangely agitated, as much by the reminder of Eddie’s pre-show ritual than by the multitude of makeup products spread on his living room table.

“You’re both really pretty.” His smile was still reaching his eyes, but it was a close call.

“We’re not done yet!” Max grabbed a pink lipstick and applied it on El’s lips. 

Steve’s heart fell into his stomach. 

El frowned a bit, looking inside the bag open on the ground between them, and finally selected a dark red lipstick.

Steve’s missed a heartbeat, then felt as if his body was making up for it by beating fucking war drums in his chest. He took a slow, deep breathe, then another, trying to stay as calm as possible, or at least look the part for the girls. He didn’t want them to see him distressed, and he certainly wasn’t planning to tell them why he felt that way.

“I think this one would look bitchin’.” El put it on her best friend very carefully, visibly less familiar with the technique. She dabbed a cotton on the corner of Max’s lips to remove an excess of makeup and took a step back, clearly satisfied with herself. Then she turned toward him.

“Steve, can you take a picture of us?”

God. He wanted to throw up.

“Yes, of course.” The polaroid camera was in his hand before he had even realized it.

Snap. Snap. Snap.

“Here. One for each of you, and one for me. I’ll put it on the wall.” They looked so happy, he could not pass up the opportunity to have such a sweet picture to his collection of the Party's best moments. Even if his smile was tight and his eyes were burning.

“I’ll leave you to your girly things, alright?” 

He fled the room, barely hearing the two teens screaming about the movie they were about to watch.

The house was empty, and Steve couldn’t sleep.

It wasn’t because of the Upside-Down. The ache in his chest was different, both old and new, and turning in his bed again and again ended up being prodigiously ineffective.

Steve stared at the clock, the red numbers gleaming like a beacon in a tempest.

3:45 a.m.

3:46 a.m.

3:47 a.m.

Steve threw the covers down and stood up. He was not going to sleep tonight. He walked around the house without thinking, until he found himself staring at the mirror in his parents’ bathroom. The curtains were open, and the night was just clear enough to illuminate his tired face in the moonlight. Steve blinked, half-surprised to see where his feet had brought him. He started drumming his fingers against the tile behind him, keeping a bit of distance between the basin and himself.

His mother was not often here, but she liked to keep what she deemed as “essentials” in the Hawkins house, just in case. Her bedroom was full of clothes she liked enough to keep but didn’t care to bring on her travels, and her bathroom was fully stocked, from her favorite shampoo to all her necessary makeup.

And Steve was standing here, in this mausoleum of his mom’s life, staring at that damn bathroom drawer. The handle had been changed when Elizabeth Harrington had gone through her latest home renovation frenzy three years ago, but the furniture was still the same, if a different color. In the dim light, it looked eerily like the bathroom he had known in his childhood.

Shit.

With trembling hands, Steve opened the second drawer. A bunch of cosmetics had been left there, waiting in vain for the return of their owners. Most had never been used, and the others were still barely used. Steve reached in the drawer and picked up a red lipstick. Slowly, he took the cap off and stared at the vibrant color, muted by the relative obscurity of the room. The lipstick was new; Steve had the intrusive thought that if he tried it on, he would leave a mark, and his mother would know.

It was stupid. She wasn’t at home enough to remember which lipstick she had used or not.

Minutes passed.

He stared.

 Finally, he put the cap back on, then threw the lipstick back in the drawer and left the room, flying both his pale reflection and the tube of makeup.

He didn’t go back to his bedroom. At this point sleep was clearly out of his reach for the night, and turning for hours in his bed for nothing was not very appealing at the moment. Instead, he took a turn, walked down the stairs, and set his course for the living room.

But between here and his goal, there was…

His dad liquor cabinet.

Steve froze in front of it, his brain working in slow motion. He had done his best to cut down on his drinking when he had started to date Nancy, but he had stopped trying when she had stomped over his heart like a herd of wild buffaloes. And he felt better now, with Robin, the kids and Eddie, but he could still remember vividly a time when he had beer for breakfast on weekdays to chase his hangover. Alcohol was… a difficult subject these days.

He opened the cabinet and picked up the first bottle he saw. Scotch. A good one at that, way older than him and probably worth more than the price of his battered liver on the black market. He swore. If his mom would not even realize it if he decided to ransack her whole bathroom, His dad would definitely notice his missing bottle. He had, before, and Steve never wanted to put himself in that kind of situation again. But even if the cabinet was off limits, there was still the wine cellar in the basement…

Steve shook his head and put the bottle back in its place, glass clinking. He took a deep breathe, his eyes closed. He wasn’t going to drink himself into a stupor just because he felt stupidly jealous of a couple of teen girls. He was better than that. 

He fled toward the living room, stopping in the kitchen just long enough to grab a can of coke, then threw himself on the couch. Maybe a movie would be enough to lull him to sleep. 

Back when he was eight years old, his parents had started going on longer and longer trips, and Steve had been left with a nanny. Linda had pretty blue eyes, pretty brown hair, a pretty smile, and was generally the prettiest person ever, according to little Steve. She had succeeded to Janice, who had only babysat him when his mother was busy, but had been mean enough that the idea of getting a nanny like her full time for weeks had been really scary. But after her, Linda was an angel, and Steve was in love.

She was so kind to him, Linda, always reading him a story before bed and telling him how strong and brave he was when she cleaned up his raw knees after a fall, just because he didn’t cry. She was the best, period. Steve wanted her to stay forever. She was way nicer than his dad, and Steve had decided quickly that he was not going to follow in his dad step and be a boring lawyer like everyone wanted him to be one day. No. Instead, he was going to be just like Linda, with her kind voice, her beautiful puffy hair and her pretty red lipstick.

One day, when Linda had been busy cooking dinner and he was supposed to do his boring homework in the living room, he had tiptoed up the stairs all the way to his parent’s bathroom, and picked up the lovely red lipstick his mom had left behind. He had tried to put it on just like he had seen her do it, making an “o” with his mouth and smearing the product on his lips.

Linda had found him there, with red all around his mouth, and had screamed at him for the first time. She had rubbed a hard cloth against his face to wash it off.

“Lipstick is for girls, Steve. Girls. Never do that again, do you understand?” Her voice had been hard, sterner than it had ever been, and her grasp on his arm had hurt.

He had promised her he would never play with his mom makeup again, and had been sent to his room without dinner. He had swallowed down his tears, and accepted her reprimand, because it was Linda, and Linda was always right.

She had been a bit more strict for a few days, but Steve was pretty sure she had forgiven him after that. 

But then his parents had come home, and the first thing his dad had done had been to slap him, hard, and give him the verbal lashing of the century while shaking him. It had been worse than that time he had helped Tommy egg his neighbor’s house. Between his dad harsh words and his mom’s disappointed face, he had understood.

Linda had snitched.

He had been punished, again, and had spent two months without any sleepover at Tommy’s. After two weeks, his fury against Linda the Snitch had abated, turning into a deep hurt. He didn’t love her anymore, and he certainly didn’t want to wear pretty red lipstick like her, because she was a traitor, and he never wanted to be mean like her. 

Lipstick was for girls anyway.

The kids were always squatting his house like a bunch of invasive little rodents, so, of course, Max and El came back two weeks later for a girls’ afternoon, just the two of them. They had asked for baking goods, again, but this time their alleged means of survival were brownies.

Steve, whipped as he was, made brownies.

When he brought the cakes to the girls, his nose was assaulted by a sharp smell.

“Steve!” Max raised her head, abandoning for a second the nail polish she was putting on El’s hand. “Come here, El needs someone else to practice using nail polish.”

Steve froze.

“What?”

“She already did my nails. It’s not exactly perfect, but she’s doing better each time!” Max wiggled her hand in his direction, showing off her bright green nails. “Look, she barely put any on my skin.”

Steve stood there, staring at the two teenage girls seated on his living room’s floor, dumbfounded. They wanted to… do his nails?

Max must have read his trouble on his face, because she immediately started to argue.

“You know, El needs more experience in normal people’s activity. So you would be helping her.” El nodded vigorously. “And you know, plenty of guys wear nail polish.” Now, that was a lie. Steve was a guy, and he had plenty of male friends back in high school when he was on top of the food chain. None of them had ever used nail polish, because it was a girl thing, and would have ended with the dude stuck in his own locker. Max was so full of shit right now. 

“Like Eddie!” El added. 

Wait what?

“What? Eddie doesn’t…”

“Yes, he does! He painted his nail black with us once before going to Indianapolis!”

There was an implication there that Steve was not ready to think about. All he knew was that Eddie definitely didn’t wear nail polish in Hawkins. People would have made even more comments against him if he had, and he really didn’t need more hatred from every asshole in town right now.

Still. Even if Eddie didn’t really paint his nail on the regular, it didn’t mean Steve could not do it once, discreetly, for the girls. He would just have to remove it before going to bed.

“You know what? Okay. I’ll do it.”

Max and El cheered as he set the brownies on the coffee table and sat down with them. The girls rummaged in a bag for a minute, before El brandished a little blue bottle. 

Oh shit. That was… a rather bright color. He winced.

“Are you sure about this one?” He asked them.

They both nodded. “It’s blue. Blue is a boy color, you’ll be fine.” Max added, rolling her eyes.

Steve tried to ignore the blue eyeshadow El was sporting and gave her his hands. 

El took her time, carefully painting each of his nail blue, sticking her tongue out in concentration. It was always very sweet to see her do mundane activities with her friends instead of fighting for her life. Steve did his best to focus on the satisfaction he felt at seeing her this happy, and ignored the pit that was trying to grow in his stomach.

He was fine. It was just nail polish.

“Aaaand done!” El threw him her best smile. “What do you think?”

It was…

It was…

Well, it wasn’t so bad. A bit unusual, of course, but the color created a good contrast with his skin. It was eye-catching, and Steve found at his great surprise that he rather liked it.

“It’s lovely,” He said, a bit breathless. 

“It’s my turn, now!” Max said, grabbing the makeup bag. Steve frowned. Everyone’s hands were already painted, what did she want to do? Steve wiggled a bit to hide his feet under himself. He was not letting her paint his toenails. 

She brandished a pink tube.

Oh.

“Max, I’m not letting you put lipstick on me,” he started, voice stern. “That’s for girls. You know I’m not a girl, right?”

“Oh, come on!” Max said with a big smile. “Just for a few minutes. It’s not even a very colorful one. It’ll be very discreet.”

“And we’ll match.” El continued.

Steve felt the pit in his stomach grew. 

“I… It’s for girls, Max.”

He watched, breathless, as they exchanged a pointed look. Had his reaction been that visible last time? Did they talk about it in his back?

They turned back toward him. Unexpectedly, El was the one to start.

“You know, I’ve seen lots of people acting like other people doing things differently than them is wrong. And at first it hurt, because I wasn’t like anyone else. Like at all. I still don’t understand everything people say, because I didn’t learn about a ton of things as a kid. But now, I don’t care anymore.” She took a deep breath, then smiled. “The most important thing I learned was to be myself, whatever ‘myself’ meant, and to try to be happy with that. Rules about what you should like or not are stupid. So don’t listen to the dumb mouth breathers who say only girls can wear lipstick.” El shuffled closer to him. “They’re wrong.” She whisper-shouted in his ear.

Steve swallowed around the lump in his throat. She… She wasn’t wrong. These rules were stupid.

“Okay,” he mumbled.

“Okay?” Max’s smile was soft. “So I can put lipstick on you?”

“Go ahead.” Steve closed his eyes tightly. “But if I don’t like the color I’ll take it off.”

He sensed more than he heard Max coming closer to him, but the weight of her hand on his shoulder made him jump anyway.

“You need to stop biting your lips, Steve.” Max’s voice was soft, and for a moment he felt like she was talking to a spooked horse. The wild staccato of his heart wasn’t breaking the comparison either.

Steve was acting like a total idiot. It was just some damn lipstick.

He let go of his bottom lip and took a deep breath, trying his best to relax.

“Here we go…”

The lipstick wasn’t cold. Steve wasn’t sure why he had expected it to be, but it wasn’t. The texture was dryer than lipbalm but it tasted vaguely fruity, and Steve had to refrain from licking his lips. The whole process was sort of underwhelming.

“Okay, it's almost over. ‘Max slipped a piece of paper between his lips. “Now, press your lips together.”

He followed her instructions, bemused.

“And we’re done! You can open your eyes.”

Steve blinked, disorientated. He didn’t feel anything. It was weird. He was wearing lipstick. Surely he should have felt different. Changed. Maybe less of a man, or something. But no.

Maybe it was just because he couldn’t see himself. 

El picked up a hand mirror and waves it in his direction. 

“Here, look at yourself! You’re so pretty!”

Steve caught the mirror and angled it toward his face.

Oh.

It was. Nice.

Very nice. El was right, he did look really pretty like that. Max had chosen a lovely strawberry color, and it matched well with his reddened cheeks. He ran his hand though his hair and tilted his head, admiring his reflection.

“Yeah, I think that color is really working for me.” He smiled at the mirror. “Damn. I look fine.”

El and Max started giggling madly.

“You do!” El said. “It’s very nice.”

“I think you should show it to Eddie,” Max continued with a plotting look on her face.

Steve blinked owlishly. Why? How? Did she really expect him to drive like that all the way to Forest Hill just to show to Eddie how the soft red of his lips complimented his face?

“Why would I do that?”

The giggling resumed.

“He likes makeup.” El said.

“Yeah, sometimes he put some eyeliner on.” Max added.

’ I know, but I don’t think I ever saw him with eyeliner unless he’s playing with his band? That’s part of his rock star persona. Like ABBA’s crazy concert clothing.” Then again Steve wasn’t spending all his time with Eddie. Maybe the guy had hobbies he shared with other friends. Like the ones he met in Indianapolis.

“No, I saw him with eyeliner on weekends too. I think he’s a bit shy about it.”

“Eddie? Shy? Have you met him?”

“He probably thinks you would react badly if you saw him with makeup in a sort of normal setting? You did just imply makeup was only for girls…”

Steve sputtered. “I wouldn’t have said anything mean to him if he had shown up to a movie night with eyeliner!”

“Yeah, but he doesn’t know that. And you have a huge jock vibe, so that doesn’t help.”

El nodded. Traitor. 

“So if you showed him you’re not against wearing a bit of lipstick, he should appreciate another guy who does nonconforming things, like him.”

Steve took a second to really think about it. Eddie was always very vocal about non-conformity. They were probably right. He should show him how he looked right now. Show him how he wasn’t just a former jock. Eddie didn’t need to go all the way to Indianapolis to find interesting friends. Steve had dept. He could be unconventional if he wanted. 

“You know what?” He stood up. “I’m going to Eddie’s.”

“Wait, what? Right now?” In Max’s defense, he had decided to never leave the kids unsupervised in his house after the carpet incident. But it was El and Max, they were not like Mike and Dustin. He could trust them with the furniture.

“Yeah, why not?” He briefly turned back toward the girls, one shoe in his hand. “Are you going to destroy the house if I leave you alone?”

“Of course not!”

Okay, I’ll be right back,” Steve said, walking out.

He closed the door, nearly missing Max’s last comment.

“You won’t!”

[after-the-end-times]

Rating: E 🌹Words: 999 🌹 Tags: Indulgent Daddy Dom Steve, Sub Eddie, Voyeurism, Feminization, Mild Public Play, Renegotiation during scene, Patronizing, Mentions of Impact Play 🌹For @genderthings Pride Things Bingo Prompt: High Heels 🌹For @domstevemonth Prompt: Mirror Ao3

The wind rushed out of the alleyway, swirling around his bare ankles, sending the ends of his trench coat fluttering and flapping. He glanced around the nearly empty dark street and pulled the collar up, hiding his face and picking up his pace. He was nearly to his destination and couldn’t afford anyone stopping him.

The only sounds echoing around him were his own steps, loud staccato cracks with every step. He flushed, heat curling deep in his belly, at the thought of someone walking behind him seeing him and fantasizing, picturing what they thought they saw, what they thought they could have. They’d see the floor length coat ending just above his shiny red patent leather heels. They’d imagine pushing their fingers into his long, thick curls, their hands disappearing into the depths of his inky tresses. He sped up. He was already claimed.

His destination loomed ahead of him, tall and brick, lamps casting him in light for merely a moment until he tucked himself into the door’s alcove. He hit the buzzer, asking to be let in, wanting to finally be seen. Anticipation licked around him, making him pulse, heavy and wet.

The elevator doors opened and his Daddy finally saw him, dressed just for him. He sucked in a harsh breath, eyes darkening. “Baby.”

Steve stepped aside just enough for Eddie to squeeze past, their bodies brushing, his hand grabbing at the tie around Eddie’s cinched waist. Steve pulled Eddie in, holding him flush against his body as he shut the door, twisting the deadbolt into place. “Go to the bedroom, baby. It’s ready for you.”

Eddie trembled; for the first time since putting them on, he had to focus on walking in the heels, his steps no longer harsh staccato, but unsteady, slow, and mellow. He entered the bedroom and, halting, he almost wept.

His plush kneeling pillow was set on the floor in front of a large mirror. But he wanted Steve to touch him, to use him now. He was so wet, dripping arousal that’d been sizzling through his body since the moment he stripped off his normal clothes in his bedroom and slid into Steve’s outfit for him.

“Eddie?”

Eddie blinked, clearing his blurred eyes. Steve stood solid in the doorway looking at him, asking why wasn’t he kneeling, asking if he was ok with just one word and a look.

“I want-” Eddie licked his lips, trying to pull his thoughts together, but they were so scattered. He shook his head.

Steve cupped his jaw, pushing his hand into his curls, fingers gripping the locks. Eddie’s mind flashed back to his earlier fantasies and he moaned, leaning into Steve’s hand, eyes fluttering shut. This is what he wanted.

“Ooooh, has my baby been thinking about this all evening?” Steve gripped the tied belt, twisting it around his hand, pulling it tighter around Eddie’s waist. “You don’t want me to put you in front of the mirror to see how fucking gorgeous you are? How pretty you are for me? How you walked allll the way from your apartment only wearing what I put you in? You don’t want to see how good you’ve been? What do you want then, baby? Maybe I’m feeling generous tonight.”

Eddie turned his head into Steve’s palm, nipping at the meat of his thumb and then soothing it with a little lick. He looked up at Steve through half lidded eyes and breath out, “You. Just need you. However, you want me.”

Steve breathed out slowly, gently sweeping his thumb over Eddie’s cheek and untying the belt one handed, he smiled. “Aww, baby, you just need me to take care of you tonight, hm? Well, you’re lucky your Daddy’s so kind and thoughtful, baby.” He pushed the coat off Eddie’s shoulders and stepped back to admire him as it dropped, pooling around Eddie’s feet.

Eddie stood before Steve in nothing but his red heels, locked silver day collar, and black negligee. He breathed and the thin black material brushed his hard, sensitive nipples and swished around his hips, doing nothing to hide the heavy cock beneath. Steve’s eyes darkened, filling with possessive want. Eddie shivered at what that look promised, even as Steve played at being merciful.

“On the bed.” Steve said, Eddie’s belly tightening at the low and commanding voice. “Crawl for me, baby. Wanna see you.”

Eddie trembled and delicately lifted his heeled feet, one by one, from the pile of trench coat, stepping toward the end of the bed. He hitched a knee up on the bed and paused. Looking back at his Daddy he tipped forward onto his hands, wanting to see Steve’s face the moment the nightie slid up his ass, revealing the little silver plug nestled within him.

His Daddy’s instructions were to open himself at home thinking about tonight, but Eddie hadn’t wanted all his work to be for naught, so he’d pushed in the smallest plug they’d ever bought just because it matched his collar so wonderfully. Eddie wasn’t a brat in their scene life, but on the very rare occasion, he pushed his direct commands, usually resulting in their mutual pleasure.

Eddie’s breath hitched as Steve’s dark eyes caught the glint of the plug and a single eyebrow quirked up, his lips stretching into a smirk. Eddie crawled up the bed as Steve walked toward the assortment of toys on the dresser.

Eddie stayed on all fours, his Daddy hadn’t told him to get comfortable.

His chest flushed thinking about the display he presented as he waited. He watched Daddy pick up a paddle, glance at Eddie, eyes flicking down to the plug and put the paddle back.

Deft fingers danced across their toys, his Daddy choosing his punishment and his reward. He picked up the crop and stepped to the bed.

Eddie’s mouth filled with saliva and his cock twitched where it hung heavy in the silky fabric. Daddy smiled at him and Eddie moan.

[after-the-end-times]

✅️Make Up - Summerween in Hawkins M

❎Beard

❎Queer-owned

✅Eddie Munson - Daylight M

✅High Heels - Under the Skin is the Truth E

✅Queer-Platonic Relationship - I've Built My Life Around You T

✅Suit - Marjorie G

✅Dress - * Lady in Black M

✅Chrissy Cunningham- Stevie Rescues a Blonde T

*Only on Ao3 right now bc they're part of other, later Tumblr events

[after-the-end-times]

🩷❤️🧡💛💚🩵💜🩷❤️🧡💛💚🩵💜🩷❤️🧡💛💚🩵💜

After-The-End-Times

Pride Month Steddie Fic Prompts

🩷❤️🧡💛💚🩵💜🩷❤️🧡💛💚🩵💜🩷❤️🧡💛💚🩵💜

*Separate Bingo Card Post with only Ao3 links*

✅Make Up - Summerween in Hawkins M

❎Beard

❎Queer-owned

✅Eddie Munson - Daylight M -cc

✅High Heels - Under the Skin is the Truth E

✅Queer-Platonic Relationship - I've Built My Life Around You T

✅Suit - Marjorie G -cc

✅Dress - * Lady in Black M

✅Chrissy Cunningham-Stevie Rescues a Blonde T

*Only on Ao3 right now bc they're part of other, later Tumblr events

🩷❤️🧡💛💚🩵💜🩷❤️🧡💛💚🩵💜🩷❤️🧡💛💚🩵💜

CORRODED COFFIN FEST:

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW

✅️RED ❤️ - Daylight M

✅ORANGE 🧡- Marjorie G

✅YELLOW💛- Castles Crumbling G

✅GREEN 💚- Dyed Key Lime Green - T

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Stevie Week

✅** Lady in Black M

✅ Stevie Rescues a Blonde T

✅ Summerween in Hawkins M

** Posting to Tumblr June 22-28

🩷❤️🧡💛💚🩵💜🩷❤️🧡💛💚🩵💜🩷❤️🧡💛💚🩵💜

Dom Steve Month

✅ - Under the Skin is the Truth

[after-the-end-times]

🩵Rating: T 🩷 Words: 700 🤍 CW: Chrissy unknowingly dead names Stevie 🩷 Tags: Trans!Steve Harrington, Established Steddie, Pre-Buckingham, Spicy Six go to a Pride Parade, Chrissy's first time at Pride, Community building Fluff 🩵 For @genderthings Pride Things Bingo Prompt: Chrissy Cunningham 🩷 For @stevieweek day 4 Prompt: Pride Parade 🤍 Ao3

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The sounds of the parade and craft vendors wafted over to where Stevie lay, her head on Eddie’s chest, his hand petting through her short locks. She shifted her hips, hooking a leg over Eddie’s. Her skirt shifted around her hips and she rubbed their legs together like crickets. Crickets with hairy legs, she giggled to herself. Wonder if they can make a sound. Snuffling closer to Eddie's chest, a pink and blonde figure wandering around uncertainly caught her eye.

“Hey guys, do I see who I think I see over there? Those are definitely the wide, panicked eyes of a first timer.” Stevie pointed, elbow resting on Eddie’s belly.

Robin looked over, though too briefly to actually see where Stevie was pointing, shrugged and continued to point out shapes in the clouds. Argyle, Jonathon, and Nancy didn’t even look up from their cuddle pile. Eddie just hummed, eyes closed, his head pillowed by his arm. Stevie huffed. Sure, it’d been a long day and sure, they’d partaken of Argyle’s fancy Californian weed, but still!

“I’m gonna go save her.” Stevie rolled up from the ground in one motion. Standing, she pushed her tank and spaghetti straps back into place and checked to see if the tight legs of her boxers were visible from beneath her skirt. Eh, whatever. If people see, people see.

She picked her way across the lawn, side stepping couples and groups splayed across blankets on the grass. She’d thought about wearing heels that morning, but thankfully decided on tennis shoes, even if her pinks ones didn’t match the exact shade of her pleated tennis skirt; she sighed, oh, the things one sacrifices for comfort.

She approached the lost girl from behind and tapped her on the shoulder. Chrissy Cunningham spun around, eyes still wide.

“Sorry, am I in the way? Oh! Oh my god, Steve Harrington? Hi! It’s me, Chrissy! From Hawkins High?”

Stevie chuckled. “I know, hi Chrissy. And actually, it’s Stevie now,” she casually pointed to the blue, pink, and white flag painted on her cheek.

Chrissy’s faced morphed into a horrified moue. “I am so sorry. Stevie. Sorry.”

Stevie smiled and gave her a gentle shrug, “Eh, you didn’t know. Plus, it seems like you’re a little overwhelmed? First time to Pride?”

“Oh no, is it that obvious?” Her eyes went wide and embarrassed. She pushed her fingers into her long blond hair and pulled it in front of her, reminding Stevie so viscerally of Eddie she glanced back over to see him still lounging on their blanket. Chrissy blinked repeatedly at her. “I just- I figured out some stuff recently and I wanted- well, I’m not sure what I was expecting coming here, so maybe I shouldn’t’ve-”

“Nah, it’s just more fun with people!” Stevie cut in, hoping to cut off that line of thinking. Chrissy just needed to connect with others, not wander around feeling left out. “Come on, I think you know most everyone in our group already. Plus, you’re not the only first timer we’ve got, so you guys can compare notes!”

Stevie led Chrissy back to their blankets, introducing her to the group. Will wasn’t back from his walk about, but the cuddle pile trio waved their welcome. Eddie sat up, “So, Stevie got you to join our little ragtag group, huh? Come on, pull up a blanket.”

Robin squeaked, “Hello! Hi! Welcome to us! -to our grass. Our spot!” Groaning, she dropped her head in her hands and hid behind Eddie’s back.

Stevie shook her head lovingly as they sat down. “You remember Robin, right?”

Chrissy leaned around Eddie trying catch Robin’s eyes. “Robin, hi! You were in Click’s class, right? I always thought you looked really cool.” Robin looked at her stunned, blush flushing up her neck.

Stevie looked over at Eddie, who had a matching excited grin crossing his face. Eddie laid back down, stretching along Stevie’s side, wrapping his arms around her waist. “I have a good feeling about those two.”

Stevie watched Robin and Chrissy giggle, ducking their heads, matching blushes gracing their cheeks. “Yeah. Yeah, me too.”

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[after-the-end-times]

Summerween in Hawkins

💚Rating: M💚 Words: 4.6k 💚 Tags: TransFem!Steve, Trickster!Eddie, Buffy Halloween Episode Vibes, Everyone's turned into their costume, Stevie's pretty happy about it, coming out to the party 💚For @steddie-spooktober Summerween: Trickster 💚For @genderthings Pride Things Bingo: Make up 💚For @stevieweek Day 2: Cryptid 💚Ao3

Eddie loved Summerween. It was the one time of the year when he could truly let himself be free in public. He could finally release his tightly held glamour, dropping his human boy form, and take on his true visage.

The damp heat of late June in Indiana didn’t touch his skin. He walked unseen, unnoticed through the trees surrounding the Summerween Craft Fair and Festival. The whole town was out, everyone in costume, playing fair games, buying homemade art, eating candy, and carving watermelons. It was all so fun and silly and innocent. Eddie grinned, he was about to shake that up.

Someone needed to remind them that Summerween was not just any other summer holiday, it wasn’t 4th of July with dress up. Summerween was about celebrating the dark and spooky elements of summer; it was that feeling of standing at the edge of the deep, dark woods and knowing something older than the woods, something bigger, more powerful, more dangerous than you watched back and with one step into the cool shade, it’d snatch you right up. Summerween wasn’t about candy and silliness. It was about him.

Power flowed along his body, snapping outwards, tasting each and every person’s energy. So much joy and excitement, no one was spooked or uneasy. Well then, wouldn’t this be more fun for him. He closed his eyes, still seeing the crowds of happy families wandering around. With little effort, he pushed his power outwards, it flowed quick and easy, happy to finally be released, covering the entire festival. He leaned against a large, old tree and waited for the screams.

-

Stevie loved Summerween. It was one of two times a year when she could truly let herself be free in public. She could pull out the dresses hidden in the back of her closet, the make-up tucked below a floorboard, and walk out amongst the crowds of her town with a Hello My Name is STEVIE sticker stuck to her handbag. She finally got to relax and be happy for a whole entire day.

For the town’s festival, Robin dressed in Stevie’s normal jeans and polo shirt, her hair pinned close to her head, and a sticker telling people to call her ROB. They’d gotten dressed at Stevie’s house, giggling away in her room as Stevie showed Robin some of her subtler makeup tricks. However, just for the day, just for Summerween, Robin had convinced her to go a little more dramatic; darker lashes, a red lipstick she normally kept just for herself when her parents were out of town, hair curled down around her face. She caught herself looking in every reflection of the surrounding crafts, she looked so beautiful and happy.

They wandered around the open field of booths, only slightly sweating and fanning themselves, as the tall trees surrounding the area insulated them from the heatwave that had enveloped the town in the last week. A craft booth caught Robin’s eye and she pulled Stevie over to check out a table of small clay dragons.

Stevie thought they were cute, not something she’d normally be interested in, but maybe she’d grab one for Dustin. He and the other kids were probably over at the games, playing for candy and bragging rights, but she hadn’t run into them yet.

She kind of wanted to see their reaction to her “costume”. She knew it wouldn’t be the same as when she’d actually eventually tell them, one day in the far future, but it’d be good to at least see where they’re starting from.

She picked out a couple of the cooler looking dragons while Robin waffled between two. The vendor had just handed her a bag with her dragons and her change when she heard a distant scream.

Years of dealing with monsters, human and supernatural alike, had left her a tad jumpy, but when Robin didn’t seem to notice she let it go. Most likely kids just having fun. Annoyingly, it was often difficult to tell excited kid screams from scared kid screams.

Robin handed one of the clay dragons to the vendor and Stevie wandered out of the booth. She could see all the way down the line of booths to the fair end of the field.

A pack of blue smurf looking kids ran up the aisle screeching. Her belly clenched. A woman cried out, a man in a hockey mask ran between the booths with a huge knife, and someone started belting out Like a Virgin in a very convincing Madonna impression.

A cold breeze flowed around her, making shivers dance along her skin and twisting her hair around her face. She shoved her hair back out of her face, yanking her fingers out of the knotted strands, and pulling them out of her scalp with a sharp flash of pain.

“Ow,” she scritched her fingers against her scalp, relieving the shock of pain. She paused. “Wait, ow? Wait, is that my voice? Is that my voice? Robin! Come here!”

Robin, finally finished paying, joined her out front.

“Robin, do I sound different to you?” she turned to Robin and stepped back startled. “Uh, I think something’s going on. You look- Well, you look like if you had a brother and then turned into him.”

Robin stared at Stevie, blinking. “Yeah well, you look like a- well, I mean, you look like you. Like, you still look like you, but also girly? Okay, that sounded wrong. What I mean is, you look like the you that you want to be- Ugh, sorry, I don’t know how to- A mirror! We need a mirror. Come on. And wow, my voice sounds so deep in my head. Does it sound that deep to you? So so weird.”

Robin grabbed Stevie’s wrist, pulling her toward the booth with mirrors and crystals. Stevie looked down at where Robin held her, amazed. Her wrist was still strong looking, but also tapered where Robin’s thicker fingers wrapped around. Her belly felt wobbly and tears clogged her throat.

Stevie didn’t know how it happened, though she was getting vague idea of what happened, but she hoped it was permanent. For her at least. Maybe not for Robin. Or that guy who got turned into Jason Voorhees.

Either way, Stevie hoped whatever or whoever decided to mess with Hawkins this time would let them decide if they wanted to go back. Because she really, really didn’t want to.

Plus, this would be so much easier to explain. Ope! Just another mysterious Hawkins thing! Nothing I can do about it, Mom and Dad! Guess you’ll just have to call me Stevie forever! Stevie nodded, yeah, that’d work.

Robin shoved her in front of a hanging mirror with mushrooms painted around the edges. And she did still look like herself, except...sharper somehow. She tilted her face back and forth trying to catalog the differences. She really couldn’t put it in exact words, except that she did look different...but still like her.

She looked down, finally noticing that the padding in the bra was actually her boobs. She smoothed her hand down her dress, over her breasts and soft belly, noting a lack of penis. Okay, never really thought about not having that, so that part might actually take some getting used to.

Giddiness bubbled up and she twirled to Robin, grinning. “How long do think this will last? Wait. Do you think we’re supposed to do something about it? I mean, every other time something’s happened around here the kids are right there in it, which meant I was right there in it. But I don’t wanna do anything to stop it! But, what do you think?”

She looked at Robin imploringly, waiting for her to decide how they’d handle this.

“Wow, okay, gonna need to get used to your new puppy dog eyes,” Robin held a hand up, blocking Stevie’s eyes. “They were dangerous before, but now they’re lethal. Bet you’ll be able to get anyone to do anything with those things now!”

Stevie smiled and swished her hips side to side, making her skirt flutter. “Good to know,” she laughed.

Robin groaned, rolling her eyes. “So happy for you. I’m a guy and you’re gorgeous, yep that makes sense.”

Stevie smiled, she couldn’t stop smiling, and threw an arm around Robin’s shoulders, turning them to walk down the grassy aisle through the mass chaos that had been picking up around them. “Okay, I think the little punks were coming, so let’s go see if they’re here. And what they turned into.”

“I think Max, Erica, and El bullied them into dressing up like Care Bears,” Robin said, stepping around a flower power hippie lady just sitting cross legged in the path. “They came by the store to ask me what Care Bear I think of when they said Dustin or Mike or whatever other child’s name. Pretty sure they wanted to ask you, but you were home sick, so I got to answer your children’s questions.”

“Okay, well that’s gonna be adorable. Guess I’ll keep an eye out for Grumpy Bear, I mean, Mike,” she snickered.

-

In the soft, cool shade of the dark trees, Eddie reveled in the chaos.

His powers slid along the grounds, picking up their emotions, feasting on the prickly energy of everyone’s confusion, their compulsions to give into their roles, to act out who they’d decided they wanted to be that morning. He was just giving them what they wanted after all, he smirked.

Of course, he’d made sure no one would get hurt, trapping them all within the clearing. He wasn’t the type of trickster who fed on the swirling energy of anger or desperation. Eddie would just let everyone have an afternoon of bewilderment, where they come out of it asking themselves if that really happened, no harm, no foul. Except.

He kept picking up a different emotional energy. Something sparkling and zesty, like the blinding spots of sunlight reflecting off bouncing waves: giddy happiness. How unusual.

Even the children didn’t feel like that, in their clueless excitement at suddenly being their favorite characters.

He chased the echoes of the feeling across the field, searching for an adult so deeply thrilled with being turned into their costume that they left a trail of pure, undistilled happiness in their wake.

Got them.

In his mind, he could see one person lit up like a beacon, so bright he couldn’t even see through the burst of light to the person within. Very odd. He’d never experienced this before. Perhaps if Wayne were with him, he’d know. However, one thing he did know, he was going to be watching this beacon of light til he uncovered their identity and solved this mystery.

-

Stevie and Robin reached the end of the craft booths and stared out at the field of child sized translucent ghosts, pirates, ninja turtles, and thundercats. Stevie saw the earlier pack of smurfs setting up a little town meeting near the trees.

Oddly, everyone seem contained to the field, so no children were running off into the woods never to be seen again, which was good she supposed. But, it also seemed like none of the adults were really trying to wrangle their children or fix the problem.

There was a group of hippies holding hands in a circle off to the side, a fight breaking out between a couple of singing Madonnas, and several serial killers stalked around the perimeter hiding in whatever shadows they could find.

Stevie sighed. “Why do we always have to fix things? Can’t we just sit in the grass like those Muppet Babies?” she said, waving her arm at a pile of toddler sized muppets crawling around together.

Robin looked over at her, understanding written clear across her face, even with newly masculine features she was still easy to read.

Stevie pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed deeply, “No, you’re right. Guess I really am always the goddamn babysitter. This time for the whole town, it seems. Alright, where would a pack of real life Care Bears be?”

“Duck!” Robin pulled Stevie down to the grass as a beam of rainbow light shot over them toward the fighting Madonnas. The light swirled around them in a blaze of rainbow colors before dissipating into golden sparkles, leaving two hugging Madonnas gushing about the other’s perfect voices.

Stevie blinked over at Robin. “Found them.” She stood up, brushing off her dress, and held a hand out to pull up Robin.

“Steve! We found you!” A fluffy pink bear the size of a teenager, and sounding suspiciously like El, ran toward them. “Did you notice everyone is changed? You’re so pretty now! Hi, Robin.”

Stevie reached up, ruffling the fur between El’s bear ears, and chuckled. “Now that you mention it, something weird does seem to be going on.”

It was kind of surreal, having a group of human-sized brightly colored bears trotting towards her, but if there’s one thing Stevie was good at, it was rolling with whatever Hawkins and these children threw at her.

“Okay, no one say anything! I want to see if I can guess right” Stevie took in the bears looking at her with oddly human expressions written all over their fluffy bear faces. She started pointing, “The blue Grump in clearly Mike, Heart Bear is Will, Shooting Star is Max, Sunshine is Lucas, Flower Bear is Dustin, aaaand that leaves Erica as Pink Heart Bear! Come on, tell me I wasn’t spot on.”

The bears looked at each other, looked back at Stevie, and immediately started shouting over each other.

“None of those are their names! Did you even see the cartoon?”

“Why would I clearly be Grumpy Bear! I’m not a grump! You don’t even know!”

“I’ve been turned into a girl bear! I don’t know how I know, but I do!”

“I keep having urges to be nice and cheerful and it’s making me sick!”

“I don’t know guys, this is a really good bonding opportunity to bring our friendship closer!”

Stevie knew there was no stopping them until they just naturally ran out of steam or actually remembered there was something bigger going on. She stepped back, crossing her arms under her chest, and shifted her weight to one side, cocking a hip. She sighed, waiting.

Robin, however, was clearly done waiting. “Okaaaay! Children! Can we focus!? There’s literally a guy with a giant knife stalking us from behind that tent leg and you’re standing here arguing about Care Bears! Maybe we should put your powers of friendship to good use and think up a plan, hm?”

Dustin Bear stepped forward. “Yeah, that’s not really how our powers work. And perhaps you’d like to be a little nicer? I have to keep fighting the urge to blast a beam of kindness at you. I’m really not sure what that’d do to you. Though, maybe if I ask nicely you’ll let me blast you and we can see?”

Stevie blinked as Dustin held out his fluffy paws, nicely asking Robin if he could blast her. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh at how ridiculous it all was or preserve to memory Dustin actually speaking with a nice and sweet tone...even as he asked to experiment on her friend. Still. Maybe, when it was all undone, this whole day would be worth it just for taking Dustin down a snarky notch.

-

Eddie felt the beacon of joy and happiness dim a single iota. What had happened?

This was getting ridiculous. He should be focusing on the rest of the town members, on the chaos he’d reaped, in the lesson he’d taught them about the true meaning of Summerween. But all he could focus on was one person. One glowing, rapturous, brilliant person. He had to know.

Eddie stepped out from the tree line and followed the bread crumbs of sweet joy through the field, sidestepping the town of characters acting out their stories. A child size ghoul ran head first into his shin, fell back, bounced up, and darted toward a small witch standing at a tiny cauldron. He shook his head, blinking away the sight of the witch pushing the ghoul into the cauldron. They were fine.

His journey led him to the back of a group of giant arguing Care Bears, their paws waving at each other making hilariously adorable points, he was sure. None of them however were his beacon. He walked a wide path around them and saw her.

-

Stevie was still waiting for the kids to remember they had an actual goal to achieve with all their squabling. Robin had finally realized what Stevie had already known and was crowded beside her muttering under her breath about never wanting children if this is what it’s like. Stevie understood the annoyance, but still thought it’d be nice to one day have her own Muppet Baby. She shrugged to herself.

A dark figure to their side caught her eye. Worried it was one of the many serial killers getting too close, she shifted her weight to send a dark look over at them, hoping to intimidate them into finding another group of victims. But oh! It was just Eddie from school.

She smiled at him, waving for him to join them. “Hey, Eddie! You got caught up in this Summerween day spell too, huh? What were you dressed as, an elf or fairy or something? Your hair looks awesome.”

Eddie seemed a little out of it as he came closer. Maybe he’s still stuck in his character?

“It’s me, Stevie Harrington, we went to school together? This is Robin, obviously. And these Care Bears are our kids- uh, the kids. From Hellfire. You know, Dustin and them.”

She felt a flush crawl up her neck to her cheeks. Apparently, she blushed a lot easier now, which was unfortunate. She hadn’t meant to imply the pipsqueaks were their kids, no matter how much Dustin acts like they’re his second set of divorced parents.

But now that the thought entered her mind, she looked at Eddie again. He was pretty tall like this. And his hair was long and shiny and so very curly. And his eyes-

Were staring right into her. The hot flush rushed downwards. He gazed at her as if seeing within, seeing the truth of her, knowing her. She gulped.

He stepped forward, his eyes never leaving hers. He held out a hand. Blinking down at it and back up to him, she slid her hand in his, her heart thudding and her breath speeding up. Somehow, she knew this was an important moment in her life, one that could change it forever.

-

Eddie lifted Stevie’s hand, pressing his lips to her knuckles. He had no idea how they’d gone to school together for so many years and he’d never seen really her. She was glowing, lit up from within with a happiness that one so very infrequently gets to experience, a happiness that suffuses every little cell in their body and shines so even those without magic can see. He wanted to give that to her forever. He could.

He closed his eyes, bowing his head over her hand, pushing his power through their joined hands, down her arm, and into her. Stevie gasped. He glanced up, meeting her eyes. She looked...hopeful, her eyes wide and chest heaving. He pressed, pushing more magic within her. Her body trembled and she took a tentative step toward him, her hand coming up to grab his hip.

“Eddie,” she breathed out. She looked up at him like she couldn’t believe he was real and standing in front of her, like he’d disappear if she looked away. “Please tell me this is real and not one of your little make believe games.”

He smiled, already so enamored, “Honey, this is as real as it can get. Don’t worry, the rest of them will go back to their normal selves soon enough. But you- I just want you to stay this happy forever. Is that- Will that make you happy?”

She trembled, the hand on his waist twitched, bunching his tunic tight. She nodded. “And you? Is this...you?”

“This form?”

She nodded.

“It is, though my human form is just as real. Do you like this one, baby?”

Her cheeks flushed red and he grinned. Her face dropped into a glare.

She tsk-ed. “Don’t get too cocky, Eddie. Let’s see what you’ve got when you’re not all tall and hot.”

Eddie smirked, “So, you think I’m hot stuff, huh?”

Stevie rolled her eyes, huffing out a breath, but he could see a happy smile playing at the edges of her lips, so he’d take it. Movement from behind her caught his eye. “Incoming.”

-

Stevie was staring up at Eddie, wondering what he meant, when a wall of yellow fur shoved its way between them. She stumbled back and waved an angry hand out at Dustin’s back. “Dude!”

Robin stepped in close to her. “I couldn’t hold them off any longer. They seemed to think he was ‘working dark magics’ on you and didn’t believe me when I said their mommy and daddy were just making up for lost time.”

“Wait.” Stevie glanced over at Robin. “Am I the mommy or the daddy?”

Robin flicked a flat look at her. “Does it matter? I couldn’t hear everything, but did he do this to us? I don’t like being taller than you. It’s weird and I can see the top of your head.”

“Yeah,” Stevie smiled, watching Eddie getting surrounded and accosted by teenaged mutant Care Bears, “he said it’d wear off soon and everyone will go back to normal. Except me.”

Knowing she’d be like this forever made her pause. She was so happy, it was exactly what she wanted. But, also...she almost felt like she was cheating, skipping a thousand little steps others must take if they were like her. She thought she had time to face this future, time to tell the kids, time to tell or not tell her parents.

It was suddenly real in a way it hadn’t been before when she had to keep this to herself and could only bring it out in the open two days a year. She’d been afraid, she realized, and not just of the reaction of people around her.

She’d been afraid of doing anything that would lead her to this conclusion. If it hadn’t been for this chaotic Summerween day, she doesn’t know if she ever would’ve had the courage to walk down the hard path toward being herself. Would she have lived forever as Steve Harrington? Married a woman. Had kids with her. All while waiting every year for the two days she could bring out her hidden dress and make-up?

Welp. She may now have a different difficult path to walk, but at least she’ll do it as Stevie Harrington. And she knows she’ll have Robin by her side, the children too, once they stop haranguing Eddie. She’s also pretty positive she’s going to have Eddie by her side as well. Just a feeling.

“Stevie!” Eddie shouted, throwing a panicked look over the tops of fuzzy ears.

Stevie rolled her eyes and clapped her hands loudly. “Alright guys! Take a step back. He might actually be able to explain himself if you stopped jumping all over him.”

Four bears rolled their eyes at her and grumbled while pointedly taking one step back away from Eddie. “Eddie? Why don’t you start with how it’s not permanent?”

Robin shuffled closer and Eddie started his explanation from the beginning. Stevie looked around for the other three bears and found them sitting nearby in a little circle in some shade. She nodded, content at knowing where all her charges were. It may be a surprise babysitting situation, but she wasn’t going to let them get into trouble now that they were under her watch.

She turned back as the boys started chatting, Eddie clearly done with his explanation. Dustin turned to Stevie, “Eddie said he’s keeping everyone safe, so we’re gonna go experiment with our beams of power. We’ll start reversing in about an hour, so you guys don’t have long til you’re Steve and Robin again!”

“Dustin,” Stevie took a deep breath, Robin slipped her hand in hers, “I’m gonna stay like this. Robin will go back to being a girl and you guys will go back to kids, but I don’t want to go back to being a boy. So, yeah. This is how I’ll be forever. Except, I’ll keep getting older. Wait-”

“Yeah, babe, you’ll keep aging. I didn’t make you immortal or anything. Just changed your form.”

“Okay, then yeah. Dustin, I’m gonna be Stevie for the rest of my life. Is that- I mean, are you- That’s just how it’s gonna be.” she nodded firmly.

Dustin blinked at her not saying anything. It was probably the longest Stevie had ever seen him not speak. She glanced over at Robin, who squeezed her hand. She was suddenly surrounded by warm, yellow fur. She snaked an arm around, hugging Dustin back.

“You okay, bud?” she said automatically, the same thing she’s ever said when he hugged her out of the blue.

“I’m good,” he muttered into her shoulder. “It’s weird that you’re so pretty, but I’ll get used to it since you’re like my sister now.”

She breathed out a laugh, surprised and happy with how easy that went. She looked up over his head, noticing the rest of the kids waiting. Will gave her a thumbs up. She smiled and waved them over for a group hug, the girls crowded in from behind, pushing Robin out of the hug circle.

“Why are you so pretty as a girl, though? That doesn’t seem fair.” Stevie heard Mr. Grumpy Bear Mike mutter. She shook her head, rubbing against several fluffy ears.

“Just special, I guess.” She smiled, closing her eyes, soaking it all in. She’d probably never get them all like this again once they were back to being human teenagers, so she was going to savor it, remember it.

-

Eddie would remember this as the best Summerween. Not because he taught the town a lesson in the true meaning of the holiday, but because of that moment, right there. Seeing Stevie glow so brightly surrounded by all her favorite people and knowing he played such an enormous part.

Perhaps, Summerween wasn’t only about the spooky elements of summer, the dark shade created by the harsh sun. Perhaps, it could also be about cloudless blue skies, the hot sun high above, its light glinting off windows and lakes. Eddie sighed, knowing he would get Wayne’s “I told you so” look the moment he told him about this little revelation he had today.

Eddie had been so sure their family’s old ways were better, that the town needed to be brought down a peg for him to feast and for them to understand they were nothing compared to his and Wayne’s Trickster lineage. After years of them treating them like crap, they’d learn just how powerful they could be. That they live in the shadow of his power.

But no. His first Summerween as a full Trickster had to be the one where he met Stevie, the brightest star in his night sky. Wayne had warned him, telling him stories since he was little that Tricksters had a choice, that whichever way they chose could warp their powers.

Of course, Eddie hadn’t understood, thought he was just playing an innocent little trick on the town, that he couldn’t ever become a Trickster who feasts on anger and vengeance. But looking at Stevie shine? He realized how close he had come.

He was going to hold onto her for the rest of his life, if she let him. His beacon of happiness.

[genderthings]

Pride Things prompts & mini bingo

Guidelines:

The cards are 3x3 with 9 prompts.

Minimum wordcount is 333.

Only one bingo prompt per work can be used. EDIT: Two prompts can be used, but it doubles the wordcount to 666. (Adding prompts from other events is allowed.)

You need a black out (9 tiles) for a bingo.

You can request cards until May 31st.

Posting time is June 1st-30th.

There is no age restriction for participants, but respect other people's DNIs.

No ship or character hate is allowed.

Posting and tagging:

You can post WIPs and tag them with @genderthings before posting in June.

Tag with #pridethingsbingo

Focusing on positive themes is encouraged, but the only hard no is underage RPF.

Ships, nsfw content and disturbing themes have to be tagged and put under the cut.

REQUEST A CARD

ASK | COLLECTION | ARCHIVE | STOBIN AT WORK | STEVIE WEEK

[genderthings]

LOVE WHAT YOU DID WITH THE CARD 🌈🌈🌈

❎Make Up

❎Beard

❎Queer-owned

✅Eddie Munson - Daylight M

✅High Heels - Under the Skin is the Truth E

✅Queer-Platonic Relationship - I've Built My Life Around You T

✅Suit - Marjorie G

❎Dress

✅Chrissy Cunningham-*Stevie Rescues a Blonde T

*Only on Ao3 right now bc they're part of other, later Tumblr events