#Robin calling Joyce the best >>>>

[thebestfriendstoloverstrope]

it is now time to vote for my kindred spirit, jonathan byers. can't wait for him to survive s5 and finally prioritize himself and his lifelong dream of attending nyu!! but until that time comes, tell me tumblr...

*since "best" is subjective, it can mean whatever you want: the version you love the most, the version that's most well-written, the version that's most compelling, the version that shows the character making the most "right" choices, the version that displays the greatest performance from the actor – whatever you think defines the "best"!

in case you missed it, click on each person's name to vote for: nancy wheeler, mike wheeler, will byers, dustin henderson, lucas sinclair, max mayfield, and el hopper!

see you in 12 hours for our beloved former king of hawkins high, steve harrington!

don't be afraid to tell me why you picked your season in the tags – i wanna hear it all <3

[sp0o0kylights]

Steve Harrington, who has a very “in name only” relationship with his parents, the people who claim they love him lots but have simply given him cash for his last six birthdays without bothering to send a card. 

Steven Harrington, who lost his connection to the only adults in his life who actually parented him when he had his final fight with Tommy and Carol-- not that they ever really did that much. Having an adult put a bandaid on his knee and complimenting him for being tough was plenty enough. 

Steve Harrington, who drove Dustin and co. to the Byers house that one Christmas and was told by Hopper not to come in; that Joyce was still mad at him about the ‘demodog in the fridge’ and figured his exclusion was fair--it wasn’t like Hopper actually liked him. Joyce certainly had no reason to. It wasn’t like he was doing anything for Christmas anyways. 

Steve Harrington, who is fairly certain Robin’s parents have clocked her as queer but who still treats him in that careful way many parents do when he’s hanging around their daughter. There’s a barrier there, in the way of firm handshakes and “get her back safe”’s that keep things formal. (It’s never bothered him before, and he swears it doesn’t bother him now.) 

Steve Harrington, whose relationships with adults are defined by words like “networking”, “proper connections”, “favors”, and “finances”, who has at best been treated like a miniature version of his father and at worst as a spoilt moron, who encounters Wayne Munson and has no idea what to do with the man. 

Wayne Munson, who asks him actual questions about his life. Who asks him to watch the game with him. Who calls him “boy” and “son” in ways that sound affectionate and not frustrated. Wayne, who shoos him away from the dishes and compliments his cooking, who has invited Steve over when Eddie isn’t even home.

Steve Harrington, who keeps apologizing to Eddie because “I’m not trying to steal your Uncle man, I promise.” and doesn’t believe Eddie when the latter just laughs at him.

(“You can’t steal Wayne, Steve.” Eddie says with a snicker, when he finally figures out what Steve is apologizing for.  The guy apologizes a lot for things that make no sense, it’s a bad habit Eddie’s working on him with. “Though I do believe he has been trying to steal you.” 

“Oh.” This does not relieve Steve. In fact, this seems to make him more nervous looking, which Eddie does not want. 

“I uh. I don’t want to come between you guys so I guess we can just hang at my house…?” The voice he trails off with is downright painful for Eddie to hear, and he’s already slashing his hand in the air in a wild ‘No’ before Steve can even finish speaking.

“Dude you’re fine. I’m glad you guys are getting along! Wayne needs someone to talk sportsball with and clearly so do you because you keep trying to talk about it to anyone who will listen.”

“I guess if you’re alright with it…”) 

Steve Harrington, who allows himself to be adopted by the Munsons much in the way a feral cat lets itself become domesticated, and who starts looking at Wayne like the man hung the moon. 

Wayne Munson, who is referred to by Steve as “Dad” exactly once, and feels so fucking happy about it he misses the panic attack Eddie has to talk Steve through. 

He also misses that that is the moment when Steve accidentally confesses his feelings to Eddie in the Munson’s (new) cramped bathroom, on grounds that “I can’t date you and also call Wayne dad like that, that’s weird! Isn’t that weird!? It feels weird!” 

(“Sweetheart,” Eddie says, trying not to smile and failing entirely. “I get what you’re saying, but I think in your panic you missed something kinda key, there.”) 

Steve Harrington, who gets himself an entire family in the end (and gets to both call Wayne “dad” and Eddie as his boyfriend, without issue, because “we’re not related babe, you can call your inlaw whatever you want.” 

“Now who's skipping steps? When did we get married?”

“The very second it’s legal, that’s when.”) 

--and has never been happier in his life.

[love-byers]

the first time i saw this, when i was NOT a byler shipper, i thought el was running TO mike. i thought we were getting a sweet moment where el runs to mike and he puts an arm around her or hugs her.

then i realized she was running away from him. 

and i was like, why?? they're supposed to be the couple why does she not want his comfort??

and even after will calls her out on doing mike wrong by lying to him, even after she sees that mike is attempting to talk to her and comfort her, that he's not angry at her, she still tells angela to lie to mike. more lies. that's how much she cares about keeping up the persona. had angela lied to mike, el would've continued lying to him the entire week. something she knows in her heart is wrong and not fair to mike.

this is a theme in s4. putting who you want to be seen as before being honest with your bf/gf. going above and beyond to preserve your lie, to be seen as who you want to be.

chrissy does that with jason. who she portrays herself as is completely different than who she really is and what she's really going through. jason has absolutely no idea chrissy is struggling and refused to believe chrissy would buy drugs, because chrissy didn't want to tell him. who knows how jason would've reacted if chrissy was honest, we don't know because chrissy didn't trust him enough to tell him. that's not love at all, that's sad.

this is a point in s2 as well. murray calls nancy out for being afraid to be her true self, and she stays with steve because she doesn't have to be her true self around him. she is her true self when she's with jonathan, and that's why they worked together. that's love.

the exact same thing happens with chrissy. the first time we see her genuinely smile is when she's with eddie. she's sweet and charismatic, and had she lived she totally would've gone to eddie's show, something you never would've expected from her, something her boyfriend, the person she pretends to love, would NEVER do.

robin and steve reinforce this too

you fall in love with the person who makes you feel accepted, the person who makes you feel like you can be who you are. the person you trust with your true self.

mike and el don't trust each other enough, they don't understand each other well enough.

they would have to change their behavior towards each other by leaps and bounds, and we're already at the last season. there is no time for that. stranger things isn't a multi season show about the complexity of romantic relationships and the healthy way to resolve problems. there is no time for that in just about any movie or show, especially a sci-fi show. you know what's way easier and way more likable? pairing your character with someone they naturally click with, who bring out the best in each other and for some reason can't help but be their authentic selves when they're with each other.

did it with jancy, like i said earlier

did it with lumax. when lucas and max talked on the bus max found herself spewing about things she'd never even said out loud before, and she had to stop herself. something about lucas just made her feel comfortable, like she could be herself and tell the truth. she trusted him.

"You're nothing like your brother, okay? You're cool and different, you're super smart, and you're like, totally tubular."

jopper too! joyce constantly had to hide things from bob, she was insecure about their family not being normal.

"This is not a normal family."

"It could be."

though bob had good intentions, the message of the show is not trying to be normal when you aren't. whatever it is about you that makes you weird or different, whatever you've been through that changed you, stay true to it. dont bottle it up and try to be someone else. all of vecnas victims in s4 were doing this, and it didn't end well for them.

they even did it with dustin and suzie. dustin constantly tries to impress max with his teeth, then in season 3 he says suzie thinks kissing is better without teeth. he doesn't have to be insecure about that or try to impress her. she likes him for him.

mike isn't comfortable being his true self around el either. he's insecure about his interests, he feels like he has to act older and cooler to impress her.

you shouldn't be with the person you feel you have to impress. you should be with the person who relieves that pressure, who makes you feel like being the authentic you is enough.

jonathan and nancy, lucas and max, joyce and hopper, dustin and suzie,

cough WILL AND MIKE cough...

[lexirosewrites]

I look forward to slick Sunday every week it's always so fun! Had a fun little idea that's slightly different too!

O!Steve is known to be home alone a lot but what if it wasn't because both his parents were shitty, just his dad. People assume Steve is all alone but every year when December starts Steve gets to pick up his favorite woman in the world, next to his best friend Robin, from the airport and after months away he's holding his mom so so tight.

Mrs. Harrington comes home every year because she never wants her sweet sweet pup to be alone during their favorite holiday. They decorate, her inside and him out because he loves hanging the lights all over the house, they bake cookies and cakes and brownies and while she wraps presents and shops in the city he delivers them all around Hawkins. It's their little tradition but now tradition gets to be shared.

Steve invites B!Robin, A!Nancy, O!Jonathan, B!Argyle, the pups and of course A!Eddie and all their parents (except Argyle because they don't talk much anymore but he's chill with it, he loves Joyce and calls her mom) over for Christmas this year and everyone agrees because they don't ever want Steve to be alone. Eddie is the first to show up, he arrives early in the morning with Wayne because he's eager to see the omega who stole his heart and he's been trying to ask to court officially for a year now, and when they knock a sleepy, bleary Steve answers the door and he just smiles and says "My Eddie." He just woke up so he doesn't even notice he let his inner thoughts out instead of his normal response.

Eddie? Over the freaking moon. He knows Steve was probably trying to tell him good morning but he just smiles and purrs, stepping inside and Steve just falls into his chest because he's sleepy and happy and content because now not only is the Alpha he loves here, his pack will be around later AND his mom is home. It's shaping up to be the best Christmas ever. Wayne is just chuckling as he closes the door behind them and that's when a soft and sweet scent is noticable and voice calls out. "Steve? Pup who's at the door?"

"It's my Alpha Mom!"

Eddie. Is. Ecstatic. Steve thinks of him as his Alpha. Fuck. Yes! He can't resist covering Steve in his scent as the heel clicks get closer and Dahlia Harrington, her breakfast apron on and spatula in hand, comes to the foyer and is smiling so bright. "Hello sweetheart! Oh Stevie you know how to pick them, the handsome Munson Alpha? My lucky pup. Come now everyone, breakfast is almost ready and I'm making French toast. We have lots to do before the rest of the pack gets here!" She takes Wayne's hand and leads him away while Steve and Eddie are still curled around each other by the door.

And later that day when their pack arrives, everyone gets to meet Steve's mom and they all adore her. There's games, music, dancing, presents and so much good food. The Harrington house is full of love and laughter and joy and if that night when Steve is surrounded by all his pups in a big nest next to the Christmas tree, his mom asleep in their nest upstairs with the other parents of the pack, Eddie right against his back and the rest of his friends bracketed around the pups to protect them and their pack Omega he tells Eddie to bite him. He doesn't even care their courtship was never official, he doesn't need tradition when he has Eddie's love.

The best Christmas present of all that day? Having his family together and his Alpha's mark. He's so excited for next Christmas.

what if i cry🥲

[stevie-petey]

NOW YOU’RE A STRANGER (AND I’M STILL JULY)

season three of "come home"

a lot can change in a year, and when summer comes to hawkins, you think you're finally okay with this idea. you've settled things with jonathan, nancy is now your friend, and steve harrington calls you angel. then dustin intercepts a secret russian code and your grand plans of you and robin teasing steve all summer, and maybe even falling in love, all come crashing down. (meanwhile all steve wants to do is ask you out). (but the russians complicate things). (as usual).

episode one: suzie, do you copy?

you help nancy sneak through jonathans window, the party uses you for your "in" with steve, and you sorta become the reason dustin almost blinds lucas. meanwhile, steve tries, and fails, to make you his girlfriend (this will happen all summer), but have no fear ! dustin intercepts a russian code and makes everything even harder for everyone. what a sweet brother <3

episode two: the mall rats

dreams are weird, billy is a hitchhiker, and hopper flirts with joyce in front of you (youre not sure which is scarier), somehow robin knows russian and has genius ears, you get caught in an awkward breakup showdown, and you shamefully are shocked when you discover that hawkins is anything but normal. you would think youd be a pro at this already, but at least steve is hot and really good at sneaking through windows.

episode three: the case of the missing lifeguard

dustin blackmails you for $5 and then dubs steve as boyfriend material for you, robin cracks yet another russian code, you all almost waterboard yourselves after sneaking onto the mall's roof, you have a sexy nervous breakdown, and jonathan takes you for a drive in his sick car.

episode four: the sauna test

dustin has some brotherly concern for you (dont tell anyone though), steve is offended you dont think he can fight, nancy gets upset during therapy hour, robin encourages child endangerment, erica becomes your hero, and you lose your lunch on hawkins makeshift tower of terror (aka sketchy russian elevators).

episode five: the flayed

you have the worst birthday of your life, you almost strangle steve with your bare hands and then later get snot all over him, erica is your savior, dustin is doing his best, robin starts to suspect things, and the russians have opened a gate to the upside down. its all pretty miserable tbh. but hey ! at least steve won a fight !

episode six: e pluribus unum

things get hot and heavy in the face of death, mean russians kidnap your hot almost-boyfriend, you have a philosophical discussion about nerdiness with the kids, acid becomes your new favorite weapon, and steve and robin try drugs together. yippee !

episode seven: the bite

steve and robin are your nightmare blunt rotation, you manage to escape a russian lair: mario cart style, you learn that therapy sessions are fun in public bathrooms, steve places your brother on the russian fbi most wanted list, el probably just killed a bunch of people (deserved), and reunions with jonathan are always special when one of you is gravely injured.

episode eight: the battle of starcourt

jonathan becomes a certified surgeon, hopper returns and is oddly sentimental (wonder what that could mean !), you and dustin show off your musical theater talents, the mind flayer becomes a track star, fireworks become weapons, and really a lot just happens so suddenly it gives you whiplash. dont worry though, the rest of your summer involves painful goodbyes and the scary realization that youre growing up. absolutely disgusting. but at least steve gets to kiss you whenever now, so hooray for that ! side note: you keep making promises to people, surely there wont be narrative foreshadowing as a result !

SET BETWEEN SEASONS 3 AND 4

episode nine: the good

the party battles the horrors of high school and leave you stranded, tw: applying for college is harder than fighting literal demons (you would know, youve done it), jonathan joins your nightmare blunt rotation, max worries you, and steve solidifies his position of Best Boyfriend in the World as you slowly fall apart (though is anyone really surprised ??).

STATUS: complete

season three title based on this song x

blurbs set within the "come home" universe can be found here x

“COME HOME” SERIES MASTERLIST

this is a part of my stranger things rewrite, “come home”, and other seasons can be found linked above :)

[finalgirlwillbyers]

Why and in what context do you think Will is gonna drown

This is my instinct based on the BTS picture of a soaked Noah (he's been fully submerged in water) and Ross Duffers' inclusion of Lovers Lake in a photo dump (Weeks 5-6), coupled with the understanding that Stranger Things 5 is "like season one on steroids". The writers room, as seen in Stranger Things 4 and the Stranger Things 5 teaser, likes to reference character moments from prior seasons.

Sometimes this is a gimmick (see: Joyce with an axe in S1 vs. S5), and sometimes it holds significance for a character's arc (see: Dr. Brenner/Papa carrying El in S1 vs. S4). In El's case, the contrast emphasized El's maturation in physical and emotional sense. She's outgrown him, yet he still tries to enforce their former dynamic which is, ultimately, impossible. It's very cyclical, intentionally so.

Will's staged death in S1 is pivotal moment for those around him, not necessarily Will himself, since he's stuck in a pocket dimension. The audience witnesses how Will's "accident" devastates his loved ones and, later, realize the lengths the government will go in order to hide the truth (and keep him in the Upside Down). Will is, essentially, a pawn in a larger game of science-fiction intrigue. Collateral.

If the Duffers were to reference this moment, I'd imagine they'd focus on this theme of agency. Whether it's Will's choice (he's making rash decisions) or lack thereof (he's under the influence). Maybe Will winds up in a trance and wakes up in the water (a spin on Donnie Darko)? Maybe Will & Co. investigate Lovers Lake and something happens (he's dragged under like Steve in S4)? Maybe Will engages in risky behavior, because he feels like this is penance for the curse he's brought on everyone (aligning with Hopper and Max)?

Whatever the cause, he'd still end up in the water. But, unlike before, this time it's real for him. For the others, it's always felt viscerally real. And, to be frank, that's a huge part of the appeal. How the circumstances of Will's near death compels them to react, in particular Joyce and Mike.

Mike is Will's dearest friend, yet most audience members believe he only tolerates Will nowadays. That Will is the irrational one, placing lofty significance on a fading relationship. Looking back to S1, there's a reason why Mike's reaction to Will's untimely "demise" was heavily focused on. It was tangible, physical, evidence to Mike that he's lost Will.

"Losing Will" is a recurring concern for Mike, and there's a certain tragic irony to Mike "losing Will" in every possible way (emotionally, psychologically, and physically) that can only be matched by Lucas calling Max "a ghost". I say all this because, if the Duffers are truly planning to make Mike-Will happen, they need to reveal their hand. They need to build in events which have Mike show a profound depth of feeling that crosses the line of platonic into something else. While cliché, life-or-death scenarios are effective at that, especially when playing on old fears.

Jumping into a lake named after lovers, in November, to save your best friend from drowning when not too many Novembers ago you saw his "corpse" being pulled out of water by EMS? That sounds like Mike Wheeler alright. A Mike filled with Wheeler typical bravery and a hint of trauma laden fervor. One could even say that this act is a demonstration of "unambiguous true love" (see: Joyce-Hopper 4x07 reunion).

There isn't definite proof of Mike being fully submerged, like Will, at some point. There were rumors of production filming at Lovers Lake, but no paparazzi shots of cast members. The closest evidence is the wet haired Mike in the Stranger Things 5 teaser. However, another user pointed out that, per Maya's unintentional script leak, that a pipe does drip water on Mike's head while rescuing kids with Robin (and, most likely, Joyce and Will). So, that puts a damper on things.

I'm still maintaining some hope, given the timeline indicated by the costume changes (like Lucas' water stained pants)! But, this is very speculative and self-indulgent of me. What can I say? I love Will near death scenarios.

[songforeddiemunson]

Haunting in Blackwood Hollow Part 3

An Eddie Munson x F!Reader Miniseries

Series Summary: It’s the year 1991. Eddie and reader check into a rented house in the Appalachian woods, joined by Nancy, Jonathan, Steve, and Robin. Unfortunately for our gang, things in Blackwood Hollow are never as they appear.

Tropes: established relationship, Jonathan x Nancy, no mention of the events from ST, smut, comedy, fluff, scares, bit of whump (but nothing too crazy)

Series Warnings: Swearing, drinking and weed use, sexual and scary situations, minors please DNI.

Chapter Three: The Rothschild Tale

Chapter warnings: a sad recounting, historic tragedy, pregnancy loss, missing children, non-major-character death. This is a lot of exposition, so bear with me.

Author's Note: Welp it's been more than a year since I updated this fic, so better late than never! To those who patiently hung in there, thank you for helping me endure a brutal writers block and total loss of inspo because...life. Particularly @tvserie-s-world, who has been so encouraging. If anyone would like to get caught up, please start here.

Word Count: ~3K

PART TWO

Begrudgingly, you had decided to tackle breakfast cleanup, and started gathering up dishes as the others shuffled off to get ready for the day. You weren’t in the best mood, in large part because your sleep had been fraught with weird dreams that you couldn’t quite remember, except for the vague sensation of being pursued in darkness. Your fright from the bathroom window didn’t exactly help in that regard either. You focused on your task, and tried to put all the unpleasantness out of your mind.

Joyce and Jim had decided to host a wedding picnic in the park in the center of town. You had never been to a gender-neutral wedding picnic before, and while you enjoyed the fact that everyone would be able to go to the same party, your introverted side dreaded having to schmooze with so many strangers. You sighed heavily. The idea of having to play extrovert for the afternoon did not elevate your mood.

You were lost in thought as you finished up your task, and were in the process of wiping down the counters when something caught your eye. There was an object on the floor under the counter, peeking out from behind some faded old linoleum. You bent to get a closer look.

Is that a key? 

“Hey babe,” you called to Eddie, who was helping you put away the dishes. 

He turned to you as he closed a cabinet door. “Yeah?”

“Look at this,” you said, as you reached out to pick up what looked like a small, old cast-iron key, which was rusted and pocked with age.  You tipped it into Eddie’s palm.

“That’s pretty cool, it looks super old,” Eddie said. “I wonder what it goes to?”

“I have no clue,” you shrugged. “The door it opens might not even be here anymore.”

“It’s weird that it was just there on the floor. This kitchen looks like someone tried to remodel it a few decades ago, so where has it been this whole time?”

You could only shrug as Eddie handed the key back to you. You tipped it into an unused ashtray that sat on the kitchen counter as you headed toward the shower, soon putting the key out of your mind.

A few hours later, you stood in freshly mown grass, sipping a mimosa in a cute dress, quite the juxtaposition from how your trip had gone thus far. The spring day was sunny and pleasant, and being away from the spooky house lifted your spirits, despite the strange events from the night before.

It was wonderful to see the old gang together again. The “kids” were all in college now. Gone were the days of BMX bike-riding and trick-or-treating, and a new era of cramming for exams had been ushered in.  Jim and Joyce looked so happy that it was impossible to feel gloomy in their presence, and you began to bloom under the sunshine.

You were standing off to the side and chatting with Eddie when an older woman with a kind face approached you. She had rosy cheeks and looked to be in her seventies; round, short and cheerful, with short curly hair that was neatly coiffed.

“Well I believe I’ve met everyone here except you shy folks, so I thought I’d come and hassle ya,” the woman said brightly, and she immediately disarmed you. You couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across your face.

“Are we that obvious?” Eddie replied, but he was smiling too. “Sorry I’m just… I’m not always great at meeting new people.”

“Oh nonsense,” the woman replied with a wave of her hand. “It’s as easy as pie. I’m Penny. And you are?”

You introduced yourselves.

“There, now we’re friends! That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Penny beamed.

“Penny, if everyone was as friendly as you were, there wouldn’t be any shy people in the world,” you grinned, and she looked like she could pass away from delight at your compliment.

“Oh gosh, isn’t that the sweetest thought. And I agree!”

What started as pleasant small talk evolved into regular conversation, and before you realized where the time had gone, almost an hour had passed. You liked Penny immensely, and wanted to make her your honorary aunt. 

“So where are you two lovebirds staying while you’re here?” Penny asked.

You stifled a laugh while Eddie rolled his eyes. “Well,” you started, “that’s a funny story…”

“Never let your friends handle the rental you’re supposed to stay in without checking it out first,” Eddie supplied.

“I don’t follow,” Penny replied with a little giggle.

“It’s this crazy looking, beat-up old Victorian house in the middle of nowhere. On Blackwood Hollow road….” the rest of your sentence was abruptly halted when Penny’s hand shot forward and gripped your forearm.

“Not the Rothschild place?” she asked, and her demeanor shifted from cheerful to serious in the space of a heartbeat.

“I…we have no idea, actually. Why?”

Penny shook her head while you and Eddie exchanged alarmed glances. 

“Bad things happened there,” she said.  “They should have torn that place down and had the ground consecrated.” 

Penny’s tonal switch was highly disconcerting for you. You couldn’t help but chuckle nervously. “What– really? Bad juju or something? Did people die there?”

“Well,” Penny began, “Gideon and Eloise Rothschild did, but aside from that, we can’t be sure.”

“Come again?” Eddie said.

“It’s the ones that went missing, that was the real issue. People thought Gideon was responsible, but–”

“I’m so sorry to interrupt. Can you rewind?” you said with a nervous chuckle. “I’m a little lost.”

“Me too,” Eddie said.

Penny sighed. “Well, I suppose the best place to start is the beginning. Better strap in, this is quite a story!”

“Gideon Rothschild was the eldest son of Mortimer Rothschild, a robber baron and steel magnate who struck it big in Pittsburgh in the 1860s, at a time when America suddenly got a lot bigger due to the railroad boom. Bigwigs such as Mortimer also benefited from the Union Army rapidly building railroads to maintain supremacy during the civil war, so you can add ‘war profiteer’ to the ‘robber baron’ label.

“Like most gilded age families back then, the expectation was that the eldest son would continue in his father’s footsteps and take over the family business. But Mortimer was a miserable man and gave the business to his second son instead, all because he didn’t like the woman Gideon had run off with.

“Eloise Franklin was the woman’s name, and she was neither wealthy nor from a prominent family, definitely not who Mortimer would have chosen to be the future matriarch of the Rothschild family and the fortune that went with it. Naturally when Mortimer said Eloise wasn’t good enough for his family, Gideon took matters into his own hands and the two of them eloped, and they married in the forest with Eloise’s Appalacian clan.

“It’s said that Mortimer flew into a terrible rage, and by the night’s end, Gideon’s younger brother Lewis was now the heir of the Rothschild fortune. Gideon was disappointed but knew which had true value in his life, and that was his bride, not his family fortune. So he took what money he did have left and built a lovely house in Blackwood hollow. Modest, by Rothschild standards, but surely the grandest house those woods had seen thus far.

“Gideon and Eloise lived happily and peacefully in that house for fifteen years. Eloise gave birth to three daughters and two sons, and the family benefitted from Gideon’s shrewd business sense and Eloise’s skill as an herbalist and a healer. The family was not wealthy but they were comfortable, and most importantly, they were happy.

“Unfortunately, rumors started to grow and spread. People started to whisper about how a ‘nobody’ like Eloise could ensnare a man like Gideon, and force him to give up everything for her; murmurings of spellcraft and the like. Now I know that makes no sense; after all, why would a woman go through all that effort to bewitch a man that would lose everything? But there’s not a lot of logic in gossip, and I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how ugly people can be to each other.

“I’m also sure that I don’t need to tell you how awful people can be to women, and 100 years ago it was much worse than it is now. They may smile, tip their hat, say all the polite things, but deep down they don’t assign you any real value aside from being a baby-maker and arm candy. Poor Eloise started to bear the brunt of that misogyny, along with some good old fashioned superstition and ignorance.

“It was probably somewhere around 1895 when the threats started. Anonymous letters left in the mailbox, accusing Eloise of witchcraft, and of performing rituals in the woods with her clan, absurd things like that. At first they shrugged it off, and didn’t let it get to them too much. Then things started to progress. A rock through a window. Then a bible with ‘DIE WITCH’ scrawled across its cover left on the porch.

“Gideon had suspected that his pa Mortimer was involved somehow, and one day he stormed into Mortimer’s office in town to give him a piece of his mind.  Naturally Mortimer denied everything, but said something along the lines of ‘serves you right for marrying a witch, I suppose.’  That didn’t go over well, obviously, and the two men ended up slugging it out before brother Lewis broke them up. Gideon was ordered to leave and never return.

“When Gideon had returned home that evening, he found Eloise, who was pregnant with her sixth child, in a state of hysterics. She hadn’t seen their youngest son, who was only three years old, in hours. Gideon tried to reassure her that the boy had only run off, and set out to search the surrounding woods for him. All through the night they searched the house, the grounds, and the forest, calling his name. He was never found.”

You audibly gasped, and cold tendrils of dread snaked down your spine. “Oh my gosh, that’s terrible,” you said. Eddie rubbed your back reassuringly.

Penny nodded solemnly.  “If only the family’s troubles ended there, but sadly, they did not. Next, it was the family’s youngest daughter who disappeared, then the second youngest-boy. One by one, the Rothschild children vanished without a trace. When only the eldest female remained, Eloise secretly squirrled her away under cover of night, and brought her to her forest clan. You see, there was some small truth to the rumors the villagers so callously spread. The Franklin women were known to have skills with herbs and remedies, and were renowned midwives. More than a few people would scorn the clan in public but secretly visit them for various things. You know, a fertility potion here, or a headache cure there. Most of the curealls they prescribed could easily be explained as herbcraft and simple, benign remedies. But… but they did seem to possess an otherworldly knowledge. Some said they could see your future, others believed they wove spells. I’m sure that’s all nonsense, but sometimes I wonder.

“Anyway, the eldest daughter was a spirited and lovely fifteen year old called Evie. To protect her, Eloise delivered Evie to her people in the forest, and beseeched them to look after her. Of course they agreed, and urged Evie to take the name of her mother’s people and forsake the Rothschild line, in hopes of adding an additional layer of anonymity and protection.

“The lively, happy Rothschild home turned lonely and quiet. The echoes of children running in the halls, or the laughter of them playing on the swings on the front lawn, all fell silent. In her grief, Eloise miscarried her unborn child, and soon fell ill with a horrible fever. Gideon sent for Eloise’s sisters to intervene and save her, but no tincture or poultice could halt the infection that raged in her body, and Eloise ultimately succumbed. Through her tears, one of the sisters cried, “she didn’t want to be saved. She wouldn’t let us save her.”

Penny’s words hung in the air like ice, chilling you to the bone despite the sunshine. A tear streaked down your face. Somehow, the fine spring day seemed less bright, and the breeze that cascaded down from the mountain ridge felt less warm.  The story of Eloise Rothschild, a woman condemned for her supposed witchcraft and cursed for her love, resonated with a disturbing familiarity. It felt like a forgotten memory, a whisper from the depths of your soul. But how? You had never even set foot in Tennessee before.

“Babe, are you alright?” Eddie asked, alarmed. “You look pale.”

“Yeah…yeah. I’m fine.” you replied.”i just feel…I don’t know. It’s so tragic.”

Eddie and Penny both nodded.

“It’s a horrible tale,” Penny agreed.  “Poor Gideon lost everything. His family fortune, his love, all six of his children. I can’t even imagine enduring all that loss.”

“What happened to him?” Eddie questioned.

“He was rarely seen after that,” Penny responded, sadly. “He became a recluse and stayed in the house, folk say he went mad from the grief and loneliness. He was found dead several years later."

“Oh man, that's awful,” Eddie said.

“Did they ever find out what happened to the children?” You asked.

“No, unfortunately. They were never seen again, and presumed dead. Evie was absorbed into the Franklin clan completely and supposedly remained with them, but nobody knows for sure. But people whispered and rumours spread, as they do. People said that Gideon’s father somehow found a way to curse the family. Some people said that the family was already cursed because of the Rothchild fortune being built on the backs of indentured laborers and being a war profiteer. Other people said that Gideon went mad and killed them all, which is the most enduring theory, the poor man. But no search would uncover any remains, and eventually the trail went cold. The house stood empty and fell into disrepair until someone bought it from the town for a pittance fifty years later. They fixed it up a bit, but ultimately refused to stay there, and they rented it out instead.”

“You know what’s crazy about all this?” Eddie said.

“Hmm?” you hummed in reply.

“My mother’s maiden name was Franklin, and she’s from Memphis. What’s that, like, 50 miles from here?”

Penny's jaw dropped. “WAIT. Are you? Wait–” she seemed to be doing mental math while Eddie stood awkwardly. “Are you Lizzie Franklin’s boy?”

Eddie looked shocked. You started to feel dizzy.

“Yes, I think so,” he replied, simply.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” you said, and then the world went dark.

To Be Continued...

More is coming! As always, comments and reblogs are the lifeblood of every fic writer!

MASTERLIST

[thehawkinsarchives]

Byler from other people POVs fic list

some light-hearted cute fics where everyone already figured out what is actually going on between Will and Mike, before the two of them say anything.

Mike Wheeler and the G-Word

by lunii_vii

A coming-of-age fic in which everyone realizes at their own times that Mike Wheeler is queer, but leave him to figure it out himself. (Each chapter is from a different character's POV.)

14k words

13/13 chapters

Note: very cute fic, especially chapter 11 and 12, they had me giggling and kicking my feet.

almost but not quite

by Marigold_Flowers

“Lucas you have to tell me —” she pats his arm vigorously— “is Mike blushing?” Lucas takes a moment to process this but Max can tell the moment he understands what she’s been trying to say all along when he starts patting her arm back. “Oh my God, he totally is,” he says, and he sounds awed, like he’s just made a world-changing discovery. “Is this what you meant?”. “That they’re totally crushing on each other?” Screw subtlety. “Duh.”

Or -- 5 times people agree that Will and Mike have a crush on each other + the time they discover the truth

20k words

2/2 chapters

Note: y’all have to read this one it’s just so awesome. i looove happy slice of life fics, so when i read this it became one of my favorites.

this secret language that we’re speaking

by afterglowssss

“I can’t see,” Will announces, and immediately—and when Lucas says immediately, he means the second the sentence left his mouth—he jumps onto Mike’s back, and Mike has absolutely zero reaction, he just grabs onto Will’s legs so he doesn’t, like, fall off.

OR lucas doesn’t quite understand will and mike, until he does

1k words

1/1 chapter

Note: this is a private work, so you need an account to read it. this one is really nice and well written, so if you have ten minutes i would give it a quick read

mama said you can’t hurry love

by andiwriteordie

this fic is the first part of the 9 part serie “let’s hear it from the boys”, that i strongly recommend, and the first parts are all in theme with this post, but i’ll only put the two fics i liked the most. You can read both of them without reading the other parts.

Before Mike is out of an earshot, she calls, “Mike!”The young teenager turns back around. “Yeah?”“Thank you,” Joyce says, suddenly feeling choked up. “For being Will’s best friend.” Mike’s expression softens, and a familiar sort of fondness—something she’s seen more than once on Will’s face—forms on his face. “Like I said,” he says quietly, “it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.”

Or: Will and Mike over the years, as seen through the eyes of Joyce Byers.

8k words

1/1 chapters

Note: also private, it goes from when Will and Mike are little babies to… well you have to read to find out ;)

the winner takes it all

by andiwriteordie

also part of the serie “let’s hear it from the boys”, you don’t have to read the other parts to understand this one

“Honestly, I bet they’ll end up dating at one point or another. I’ve just got a feeling.” “I’ll take that bet,” Steve says, voice filled with certainty. “Bet you ten bucks Wheeler and Byers are just friends and don’t get together.”

Or: Robin and Steve make a bet on whether Will and Mike will end up together. Naturally, chaos ensues.

9k words

1/1 chapters

Note: another private, when the description says “Naturally, chaos ensues” believe it. I’m not sure if it is a slice of life, but it sure did feel like one lol. It’s a pretty chaotic and fun fic, and i loved reading byler on robin’s POV

i think there is someone (you love)

by fireflywitch

El thinks Will’s been acting weird. But he’s not the only one. Featuring excessive 80s pop synth, secret dance parties, the sick, ruinous embarrassment of existence, blue paint spills, motel room realizations, dictionary definitions, and that four letter word.

22k words

4/4 chapters

Note: this fic is one of my faves! the author understands El so well (this is one of the best interpretations of her character I've seen) and Will is awesome here. Follows s4 and beyond.

Dustin Henderson, the Scientific Method, and Homosexuality

by crow_of_crimes (Theyna_Shipper)

Dustin Henderson is, if nothing else, a firm believer in the scientific method. As a bug collector since age 4, an aspiring computer scientist since 5th grade, a member of Hawkins A/V since 6th grade, a science camp attendee since 7th grade, and a boy with a lifelong passion for science, he recognizes its principles: careful observation, study, and peer review. So when strange things begin to happen in Hawkins, that fall outside the usual nature of strange things that happen in Hawkins, he returns to his roots to find the answers. After all, the scientific method applies to social science, too. And if any observation ever needed careful dissection, it was this one.

Or: Dustin Henderson applies the scientific method to figure out why two of his best friends have been acting so strangely.

3k words

1/1 chapter

Note: Dustin in this fic really feels like season 2 Dustin and that was really cute

friend of my brother is my enemy (or something like that)

by rosesgf

Jonathan would never hear the end of it if Will found out what he’s doing, so he needs to be subtle. Just enough to get Mike to treat him better. Just enough to redirect things. He settles on a stern, “Mike, I think we need to have a talk.”

7k words

1/1 chapters

Note: I just loved so much how they characterized Mike. angst warning, but like it’s like very good angst

[tartarusknight]

Steve froze as the mind flayer came flying downwards at their group. He could hear Hopper yell for everyone to get down. Joyce and Jonathan running for Will. Steve who had been by both Robin and El, threw himself in front of them. Covering them the best he could. The mindflayer hit them with its smoke form and it was like nothing Steve had ever felt before. As is a tidal wave and a strong gust of wind mixed together to make you feel like you were drowning on land.

It settles around their feet for a moment before it began to swirl around all of them. Tendrils ran up Steve's leg but he didn't focus on that when there was one on El. The girl was the best shot to killing this thing. If she was taken now, they were fucked. So he battered them away from her as she did her best to get free of it's grips.

Only when Steve feels a tug, not on his leg or arm but like something tugged inside of him. Like someone had gotten a good grip on his intestines and pulled. Steve stumbled back his body going taught as he felt what felt like electricity running through his veins. His hand spasms and he drops the nail bat before his knees give out. Robin shouts his name and the last thing he sees before falling forward onto the ground is her outreached arms.

Steve feels nothing and everything at the same time. It makes it difficult to open his eyes but when he does, it's to an empty landscape. Like the Upside Down but... Just nature. It wasnt the creepy hell version of Hawkins but floating rocks and yellow lightning. The vines looked more like veins than slimy killers. And there was a form, made out of black particles flickering around. Silently he wishes that they could just have normal human problems to worry about. Instead of this.

As Steve stared, frozen to his spot, he could see it solidify into a spider like form before becoming something closer to a swarm of bees. It was the mindflayer. But it wasn't attacking like it had just been, it was just watching him. "King, help," the word isn't said but Steve hears it clear as day.

His brow furrows, "what?"

"King," it responds like he should understand. But he doesn't. "Help us, my king."

That word lost all meaning to him hears ago. From Tommy starting the nickname to the distain Steve could feel when Robin teased him with it. "You are called a king." It says and the pressure from it's words is like a pressure to his skull.

He winces and takes a step back, "that- I'm no king." But it doesn't seem to understand repeating the word once more. He feels at a lost, wishing someone else was here. He barely understood Will and El when they explained it wasn't the mindflayer attacking them, it was just Henry. That technically the mindflayer was just another puppet. Yet no one else is here. Wherever here is.

He feels dread light up his limbs and sighs. "Look, I haven't been called that in a long time. It basically-"

But the mindflayer cuts him off, "you are a king without a kingdom.” It's almost like a question but said like a demand.

"Sure, I guess. But I don't- what the fuck-" he screams, starting back as the smoke spirals down in front of him, looking smaller... But like a more condensed form. It almost looked solid if not for the wisps floating around it

"We need a king." The form flickers and it's like a living shadow.

"I'm not a king," Steve presses but as it takes a step forward, he scrambles further back until he trips on one of the many vines. As it reaches out, its hand catches him from falling. The fingers wrapped around his wrist are solid, almost warm against him.

"We need a ruler, a mind to melt us." The form is growing firmer the longer they stand here and Steve is lost. "you already are changing us." And if it can, it sounds amused.

"But- it was just a nickname. I'm not special." Steve splutters and the blackness of the smoak is changing. "I don't even know how to help you."

The grip on his wrist is completely solid and when Steve glances down, long human fingers are around his wrist. "Oh, my king, you're already helping us. Henry wanted us to strike fear in his enemies, he wanted an ally in his war, he wanted a beast. You just want to be free, for your friends to be safe, for me to be human. You desire a normalcy that you've lost," and the voice isn't pounding into Steve's skull but spoken like someone is speaking to him.

But Steve can look away from the hand around his wrist. "You desire for your friends to have a normal childhood, to have friends and play their games. You desire Robin to have another friend to confide in. You desire love," the voice is smooth and it would be relaxing if it weren't for the fact that it had been the fucking mindflayer a second ago. "My king, we can give it all to you," another hand moves and cups his cheek. Tilting him to look at a man with sparkling eyes and curly brown hair. As a smile formed on the man's face, a dimple formed to wink at Steve. "I think that it could be fun for both of us," the man grinned and Steve wasn't really sure what was happening anymore.

So I was trying around with this king Steve plot thingy after reading In Over My Head by staymagical (a wonderful fic if anyone's interested💞) but I had another actual idea of something like Venom (yes from spiderman) but more of... Well it was like Eddie somehow becomes Steve's shadow as in Eddie wasn't human. But I haven't gotten around to writing it yet. I might write a small clip like this with that premise tho. Anyways I combined the two ideas because I could and you got this. Hopefully it's at least an entertaining thought for ya 💞

[ladykailitha]

The Caged Bird Still Sings Part 15

Hey guys this story is back! I feel like it's nearing the end, but we'll see. I'm hoping for another couple of chapters (than the two have backlogged anyway) at least, but I'm not sure. Steve and Eddie are already freewheeling toward each other and I have learned when that starts happening either one or both of them hit the gas and they go from zero to sixty faster than NASCAR on race day.

Steve tries to get a job, has a good cry about it, Robin is bestest and they try the mall.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10  Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14

~

Steve sat at the desk, phone pressed to his ear, newspaper next to him, and paper and pen in hand.

“Hi, may I speak to the manager?” he asked in his best customer service voice. “Thank you.”

Once the manager was on the line, he began, “Hello, sir. I’m looking at your ad in the help want ads and was wondering if the position was still open?”

Steve shoulders slumped. “I see. No, of course. I’m sure your nephew will just be absolutely smashing at slinging those hamburgers. Thank you for your time.”

He set the phone down in its cradle and put his head in his hands. He had been on the phone for the last two hours calling up people for job interviews and he was utterly exhausted.

Everyone of them had turned him down. Not taking anymore applications at this time, the job has been filled, or in the cases he actually got far enough to tell them his name, they would straight up hang up on him.

He didn’t want to work in the mall, but it was looking less and less likely he’d get a job inside Hawkins.

Which meant that Joyce was going to be on his ass again. She had gotten so insistent in him finding a job, that he was forced to stop going over there, choosing to hang out with Will and Ellie at someone else’s house.

God, he got more peace at the Wheelers and Mike was openly hostile ninety percent of the time. So that was really something.

Steve picked up Eddie’s latest gift. It was a giant canary plushie. It was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever seen. He loved it. He hugged it close.

“I miss Eddie, Kenny,” he murmured into its beak. “I know he’ll be home in a couple of weeks, but I miss being able to have him tell me I’m enough. That my worth isn’t dependent on what other people think of me.”

Steve stood up and carried Kenny over to the bed, where he fell asleep, tears falling into the soft material of Kenny’s neck.

~

He woke up slowly to soft music being played. He opened his eyes and blearily looked around. There on the sofa reading a magazine was Robin. She was listening to Blondie on his boombox but it was at a respectful volume so it wouldn’t wake him.

He had long since given her permission to just come in when she had a gift from Eddie or if she just want to hang out. As long as he wasn’t getting a shower or getting dressed, he really couldn’t care less.

Steve sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes. Next to her on the sofa was a large box.

“Hey, dingus,” she said without looking up. “I took the opportunity to order us dinner.” She looked at her watch. “It should be here in about five minutes.”

Steve slid off the bed and padded over to the sofa where he flopped gracelessly next to her.

Robin set down the magazine and looked at him properly. “Still can’t find a job, huh?”

He shook his head and pulled his knees up to his chest. She gave him a big hug and just held him until the food arrived. She rolled the food cart over lifted the cloche with gusto.

“Tada!” she said triumphantly revealing the mountains of fries, mashed potatoes, pizza, onion rings. All of Steve’s favorite things. “I figured you’d want some pick me up food and I went all out.”

“If we weren’t both gayer than the day is long,” Steve sighed happily, “I’d marry you.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek pulling out a slice of cheese pizza. He munched, grinning around the slice.

“Gross,” Robin said grabbing a handful of fries. “I mean the pizza not the marrying thing, because I agree. No, your pizza tastes are abysmal. Plain cheese? No meat, not veggies, nothing?”

Steve swallowed and set the pizza down. “It’s all my mom would let me have. Even when I’d go to parties and shit, she’d insist on them having a cheese pizza for me.”

“Okay I take that back,” Robin said. “Eat your cheese pizza, dingus. It makes you happy. But if I ever see your mother, I might accidentally scratch her eyes out.”

Steve picked up the pizza again, but paused with it half way to his mouth. ‘How do you accidentally scratch someone’s eyes out?”

Robin batted her eyes prettily. “I wouldn’t know, officer, I blacked out. The next thing I knew I was washing the blood off my hands.”

Steve threw one of the throw pillows at her head. “Don’t quote musicals at me!”

“Ha!” Robin crowed in delight, clutching the pillow to her chest. “The fact that you recognize it makes you the chump, not me!”

Steve opened his mouth to protest but then his eyes went wide when he had no argument for that.

“I’d love to see proper theater, you know,” he said dreamily. “Like with a proper orchestra and not just a tinny tape that skips in places and actual actors instead of Old Mr. Abernathy trying to play Hamlet.”

Robin winced. “He couldn’t even remember ‘To be or not to be’ and that’s like the one line everyone knows.” She shoved more fries into her face.

“Maybe when I get out on my own,” he said, snagging one of her fries right off of her plate, “I’ll go see plays in Indy or Bloomington.”

“You’ve just got to take me with you,” she huffed, grabbing the half bitten fry right out of his mouth and shoving it in her face. “I’ve been saving up all the money I’ve been getting from this job so I can get driving lessons at school. I won’t be able to drive my parents’ care very much, but it would still be nice to say I have it.”

Steve opened his mouth to say something but she held up her hand. “I know what you’re going to say and the answer is no. No, you can’t pay for my drivers’ ed classes. Because I want to pay for that myself.”

Steve pouted and crossed his arms over his chest. “What’s the point of having all this money if I can’t treat my friends to a little thing like a new car or new bikes.”

The new bikes were still a point of contention between Joyce and Steve. He had bought all of them new bikes and gear with exception of Max where he bought her a new skateboard and gear. All in their favorite colors. But she refused to let Will take his. She said it wasn’t his to spend and therefore to take it back until he could buy it with his own hard earned money.

Will stopped talking to his mother for a couple of days after that.

And Steve hadn’t blamed him, so he told Will to leave it at Mike’s and ‘borrow’ it when ever they rode out places. Joyce couldn’t stop him from doing that.

“I’m not saying not buy me a new car,” Robin huffed a little laugh. “I’m just saying I want to pay for the lessons myself. It’s more of an accomplishment thing.”

Steve perked up and batted his eyelashes at her. “Really? I can buy you a car a gift for passing your test? You’ll really let me?”

Robin laughed and threw a fry at his head. “Yes, dingus, you can but me a car. I talked it over with my parents and I told them that Eddie wanted to get me a car for all my hard work and that you’d be the one helping me pick it out.”

He grabbed the fry and threw back at her, it landing in her hair. “Oh that’s smart. I bet they had all sorts of restrictions on it being sensible and shit.”

But Robin shook her head. “My parents were hippies, not stupid. They know that if they try and restrict me I will come home with the reddest, wildest hot rod they’ve every laid eyes on.”

Steve laughed. “God, can we introduce them to Joyce? Because it sounds like they could teach her a thing or two.”

“I know right?” Robin said rolling her eyes. “Eat your pizza, you heathen and the next time I come I’m bringing proper Domino’s pizza with all sorts of toppings and you can find you actually like. In the mean time, open this present that is digging into my side.”

Steve reached out for it with grabby hands. “Oooh, I really liked the plushie from yesterday. I named him Kenny. Kenny the Canary.”

“Because of course you did,” she said dryly, handing over the package to him.

He could tell it was clothes just from the shape of the box. There was just something about them that screamed ‘hey I’m clothes!’ Inside was the most beautiful yellow cardigan. It was soft and warm.

The note said, “It may be hotter than balls in Hawkins, but up here in Canada, the weather is pretty mild. Not quite sweater weather, but I saw this and just had to get it for you. Just ten more days, little Canary.”

Steve buried his face into the softness of the sweater and nearly squealed in delight. Eddie had sprayed it with his cologne. Oh this was exactly what he needed.

Robin took the card from him and smiled. “He seems to really like you. I know a lot of the people you hang out with give you shit about Eddie and the money running out on you, but Steve, the way he writes these notes sound like someone who genuinely likes you.”

Steve set down the sweater with a sigh. “I know. But it’s the imbalance I’m worried about. I’ve already been called a gold digger. I don’t want that.”

Robin frowned for a moment. “My mom is making me apply for jobs at the mall. She says I can still do this, but she wants me to know ‘what real work is’.” She put air quotes around the last part. “Which is bullshit, but I’ll do it so I can keep doing this.”

She scooted over to him and put her arm around him. “So come with me and maybe we can get a job together, shove it everyone else’s faces, yeah?”

Steve nodded and curled up into her side. She was the only one besides Hopper who knew who his benefactor was and could offer a different perspective than anyone else.

“But in the mean time,” Robin said softly, “maybe talk to Hopper about getting Joyce to knock it off.”

He shook his head. “He’s tried. She has straight up told him that until he tells her who it is who’s funding you, she won’t drop the job thing.”

Robin winced. “And if she finds out who it is, she going to be worse. I haven’t met someone who wasn’t an adult when he left other than Hopper who liked Eddie Munson. I mean the only reason my parents are letting me do this is that Uncle Justin vetted the job and that Corroded Coffin would be on tour, while I stayed here in Hawkins.”

Steve sighed and sat back up. “That’s not even the biggest problem with them knowing. It’s having to explain where I was that Eddie would have seen me to help me out.” He changed his voice so it was higher and clutched his hands to his chest. “Yes, Mrs. Byers I was underage drinking at a bar in the hopes of getting laid so I had a place to sleep!” He dropped back down to his normal tone. “Yeah, like that will go over well.”

“Ooh,” she said with a grimace, “yeah I could see how that might cause waves with the parents. Like tsunami level waves.”

“Pretty much!”

Steve flopped his head back on the back on the sofa. “God, what a fucking mess.”

“Maybe just tell them you were going to see your cousin, Monty,” she suggested, “and you were smoking outside when you met Eddie. See if that goes over better.”

He let out a shuddering sigh. “Maybe. I know Monty would back me up if that’s the case. But I would rather wait until Eddie got home and see what he says.”

Robin nodded sagely. “That’s fair.”

~

They had decided to let Robin get all the applications and bring them over to Steve in the food court. He had ordered them a couple of large Orange Juilus’s and two huge slices of pizza from Sbarros.

She handed him a pen and they got to work filling out all the applications, by the time they were done, Steve’s hand cramped and he worked his fingers open and closed to try to get the muscles to work again.

Robin rolled her eyes, but wisely said nothing as she gathered up their applications to return to their stores.

Robin got three call backs, but Steve only got one. Thankfully it was one that Robin had also got, but it was Scoops Ahoy, the ice cream shop with the little costumes and silly hats. They were both hired on the spot.

~

Sorry if you saw chapter sixteen on here, too. I'll post it later!

Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24

Tag List: SIX SLOTS REMAINING

1- @itsall-taken @redfreckledwolf @zerokrox-blog @beelze-the-bubkiss @blondie1006

2- @gregre369 ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @cryptid-system @maya-custodios-dionach

3- @goodolefashionedloverboi @val-from-lawrence @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog @irregular-child

4- @bookbinderbitch @bookworm0690 @forgottenkanji @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @genderless-spoon

5- @dragonmama76 @ellietheasexylibrarian @thedragonsaunt @useless-nb-bisexual @disrespectedgoatman

6- @counting-dollars-counting-stars @tinyplanet95 @ravenfrog @swimmingbirdrunningrock @lingeringmirth

7- @gutterflower77 @a-lovely-craziness @just-a-tiny-void @w1ll0wtr33 @sticknpokelightningbolt

8- @scoops-aboy86 @kurofuckingshi16 @watermelonmite @eyehartart @dreamercec

9- @little-birch-boy @yearningagain @micheledawn1975 @sadisticaltarts

10- @fearieshadow @kultiras @thesecondfate

[wynnyfryd]

Trailer park Steve AU part 60

part 1 | part 59 | ao3

cw: reference to canonical minor character death

Max slams the phone down, knocking her forehead against the wall. Sixteen calls in a row and still no answer. “I give up,” she sighs. “You should just go.” “Seriously?” Steve protests. “And just leave you here? Alone? After—?” After all that? He throws his hands out like an umpire calling a safe. “No. No way.” “Look, my mom will be home soon, you can’t—” “—I’m not letting you get hurt—!” “—What are you gonna do? Fight my nightmares for me?”

“Maybe I will,” Steve mutters under his breath, pissed off and replaying the conversation on repeat while he gets ready. Feels like a psycho for doing it; feels certifiably unhinged just going about his evening after everything that happened, putting on a clean shirt and choking himself in a cloud of Farrah Fawcett spray so he can go pick up the sweet-but-stupid girl named Brenda he promised to take to the game tonight; so he can go cheer in the bleachers like he didn’t almost die.

(Or like, very vividly hallucinate his own death, which... Yeah. Doesn’t feel any less horrific.)

But whatever. Max is right. Without El, there’s really nothing to do but wait. Hop’s dead, Bob’s dead, Joyce is thirty hours away. Owens is off the table, too. What’s Steve gonna do? Call the government and tell them to come nuke the boogeyman? He doesn’t have any proof. 

He also doesn’t want to freak Dustin or any of the other kids out without knowing for sure what’s going on and what, if anything, can be done about it, so...

Fuck.

Fuck!

He gets dressed; he goes out. Picks up Brenda and does his best to be nice to her even though she gets on his nerves the moment she gets into his car, and he buys them sodas at the gas station and doesn't say a word when she spills Sprite down the side of his passenger seat.

The school is packed when they show up — the crowd in high spirits, the marching band leading chants. Nancy's reporting from the sidelines, Lucas is laughing with his teammates on the bench, and Steve leads Brenda toward the bleachers and does his best not to think. Not about the graveyard, not Max, not the looming threat of cosmic terrors. Not about the fact that Eddie is somewhere in this building, probably looking all hot and menacing while he leads tonight's campaign. Probably perched on a prop throne drinking Mountain Dew from a painted chalice like a fucking dork; probably making it look sexy, anyway. Tight jeans, legs spread, an air of casual command…

Steve could go find him. He could make everyone else leave; he could get on his knees and crawl between Eddie's legs—

"Does it bother you that we might win the championship, like, right after you graduated?"

Reality comes back like a slap in the face. "Yeah, that's an excellent question, Brenda, thank you so much for bringing that up."

They get settled into their seats, and Steve wishes he were more excited when the ref throws the jump ball, but he mostly just wants to go home. ("You always want to go home," the Robin in his head reminds him, and the Robin in real life throws him a weird look when she catches him snorting to himself about it.) He's just tired. Worn down in his bones, hollowed where he thinks his marrow should be, and he's clinging to normalcy with a sort of sweaty desperation that he’s pretty sure Brenda can smell on him because the date just sucks; it’s so bland, so mutually boring and bored. He spends most of the night mouthing stupid shit at Robin or keeping a sharp eye on the court — anything to ignore his proximity to Eddie; anything to drown out his messed-up head and heart. 

When the game finally ends Brenda gets a ride to a party with some friends. Steve goes back to Dustin’s place and paces a hole into the carpet. Stays up until 3 A.M., humming a Fleetwood Mac song.

In the morning, he tells himself as he drifts into fitful sleep. 

In the morning it’ll be fine. 

In the morning Max will come by the store like she promised, and they’ll keep trying until they get ahold of El, or Owens, or someone, and that someone will know what to do and how to help.

—

In the morning the TV tells him there’s a dead girl in his house.

—

part 61

tag list in separate reblogs under '#trailer park steve au taglist' if you'd like to filter that content. if you want to be added please comment and let me know (must be over 21; please either verify in the comment or have your age visible on your blog)

[expl0s1v3]

hey so js cuz i can here are some of my stranger things headcanons !!

1. Jonathan and Joyce know that Will is gay, even if he’s never outright said it. Joyce got upset when Hopper asked “well if he?” when Will was missing after she told him Lonnie called him a f*g because she didn’t want the only thing known about her son to be that he was gay. People were already barely looking for him as it was, she knew this would stop many searches.

2. Jonathan still doesn’t know the camera is from Steve, so whenever Steve used to see him around Hawkins using it, he would feel a bit better because he knew he did a good thing and he didn’t need an validation from it.

3. Nancy and Mike used to have tea parties in the basement, but Ted soon forced Mike to stop playing with Nancy, saying it was too “girly” for a boy his age to be doing. Nancy secretly placed her tea set in a box in Mikes closet when she stopped using them, just incase he ever needed a reminder that his big sister was always there if he was ever lonely.

4. Dustin was never the first choice in his friend groups, so hearing Mike tell him that he was also his best friend made him incredibly happy, and like he mattered for once.

5. Max has a small box under her bed of bracelets made by El, drawings made by Will, small trinkets made by Dustin, writing from Mike, and matching stuff with Lucas in a box under her bed. Sometimes when she can’t sleep, the guilt eating away at her, she’ll look through it to remind herself that she has someone, or had. She also has a bunch of pictures of Robin, Steve, Jonathan and Nancy with the rest of the party.

6. At first, Eddie didn’t like Mike. He thought he was obnoxious and a little rude. But soon enough, and with some convincing from Dustin, he began to hang out with the boy more. It made him realize that was all just walls Mike had built up, and he was really still a kid at heart.

7. Mike was completely distraught when Will’s “body” was found. He acted as if he was fine, but some days he would lay in his bed and not move an inch. He’d just lay there, staring at all the drawings that he had made by Will hung up on the walls, sometimes, he would move to the basement and stare at their D&D board, sometimes he would cry if Ted wasn’t home.

8. Lucas fell in love with Max the moment he laid eyes on her, and his opinion of her has only grown in a positive direction ever since. He was ecstatic after the snowball dance, continuously talking about it to Erica, who really couldn’t have cared less, but she listened anyway, because her brother was finally happy.

9. Steve really did fall in love with Robin, but after finding out she liked girls, he realized that everyone wasn’t the same as him, and that people like Robin already felt alone in this world, so it just made him want to be her friend even more. Sometimes, he’ll even give her girl advice.

10. El and Mike used to have English “classes”. Due to Mike’s love for writing, he helped her with her pronunciation and spelling, thats why El could tell something was up when he only wrote “From, Mike” and not “Love, Mike” in his letters when she moved away to California.

let me know if you want more 🫶🏼

[frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe]

@steddiemas Day 7 - Mall and/or Job

pairing: steddie | word count: 1,884 | rated: G

“Munson Residence, wha'd’ya want?” Eddie groans into the receiver.

Whoever this is better be someone super fucking important to have woken him up with their damn ringing. He’s surprised Wayne didn’t wake up too, but it’d be kinda hard to hear the phone over those snores.

“Eddie! Thank god,”

Oh. Steve! Very important, actually.

“Oh, hey Steve, what’s up?”

“Eddie, can you do me a huge favor?”

“Yeah, of course, what’s wrong?” he immediately spirals into what all could have gone wrong, what could be going wrong. Everything dark blue and cold, vine-y and the flashing of red lightning—

“Nothing, nothing–well, something.. Can you please run to my place later today and grab my lunch? I forgot it this morning and I know I’m not going to be able to run back and get it and get back in time to eat it before my break is over.”

“Your lunch?” “Yeah, I packed one this morning but left it on the counter. There’s a key under the mat and everything.” Eddie barks out a laugh, “Tryin’ to get robbed, big guy?”

“I don’t care about any of the shit in that house.” Steve scoffs. He shrugs even though Steve can’t see him. “Fair enough. Sure Stevie, I’ll bring your lunch; when do you want me there?” “Dude, you’re the best; My lunch break is right at noon, can you be here just before then?”

“Got it. Five to noon at Family Video.” he drawls out as if he’s writing the information down.

“Uh, actually…not Family Video..”

A short two hours later, Eddie finds himself among a throng of people inside Melvald’s. He has to fight his way forward at first, but the crowd thins out as he gets closer to the registers.

Damn, he’s not even that far into the store and he feels like he’s ran a mile.

“Ms. Byers!”

“Oh! Hello Eddie, what brings you here?” “Steve called and asked if I could drop off his lunch to him. Do you know where he is? I didn’t even know he was working here.”

Joyce just grins at him. It’s weirdly mischievous. “Only temporarily, he’s near the back of the store. Just head back there and I’m sure you’ll find him.”

“Uh..thanks. See ya later Ms. B.”

He wanders toward the back of the store through the aisles, but stops up short when a fake white picket fence blocks his path.

The whole back corner of the store has been covered in fake felt snow, a couple of those fake plastic trees like Steve’s (though these are a normal size), a candy-striped ‘North Pole’, and dozens of paper snowflakes hang from the ceiling between what seems like hundreds of string lights.

And there, sitting in the middle of it on a throne that looks suspiciously like the one he used to use during Hellfire, is Steve. Dressed in a Santa suit. With long white beard, big ol’ belt and buckle, shiny black boots..

“Psst!”

He’s got something stuffed into his Santa jacket to give him the right shape, and even some small half-moon glasses, but those sparkling eyes, the freckles, that one swoop of brown hair stubbornly sticking out from under the fuzzy brim of his hat, that’s all Steve.

“Eddie!”

Santa Steve is fully enraptured by whatever story the kid on his knee is telling him, their hands waving every which way but somehow missing smacking Santa right in the face. Steve just continues to nod along, then gives them a hearty “Ho Ho Ho!” when they try to squeeze their tiny arms around his fake belly.

“Eddie!!”

He glances over at the sound of his name, and sees Robin waving frantically at him from her spot at old school music stand-turned-podium. She’s got on some sort of outfit that honestly looks like it was supposed to be a jester costume, where’d she even get that from?

His feet start toward her, but his eyes fall back on Steve Claus, now posing for a picture with the kid who’s smiling so wide it looks like his face will split in half.

Managing to take his eyes off Steve for a moment, he sees Jonathan behind the camera, and that Argyle kid is crouched in front of Robin, talking to the next kid in line to see Santa. All three of them are wearing matching jester costumes.

Eddie steps up to her podium after Argyle and the new kid pass in front of him to see Steve, “Family Video not paying enough, Birdie?”

She rolls her eyes, “Well, the extra cash doesn’t hurt. Joyce asked us to help out.”

He nods at her, and finds his eyes drifting back to Santa Steve.

This kid is much more shy than the last one, tilting her head down and taking short glances up at Steve’s face.

Steve is saying something to her, a low comforting sound that Eddie can only make out the tone of. His one hand covers the entirety of her upper back, and his thumb is moving up and down to try and soothe her nerves. His head is ducked down to be more level with her, looking at her over those half-moon glasses.

Suddenly, the girl’s head snaps up and Steve leans back a bit. “Yeah?” he hears him say.

The girl grins, nodding her head like crazy, then she too is squeezing Steve into a hug. It’s so unfairly endearing, he can actually feel his heart swelling in his chest.

Robin speaks up then, “So..?”

“So?” he repeats dumbly.

“So wha’d’ya think, Munson?” 

“Does he need a Mr. Claus?”

He regrets the words as soon as they’re out of his mouth.

“Uh, wait, I mean Mrs.–Do you have— is someone going to—”

Eddie chances a look over at her…she’s wearing a smug, shit-eating grin. She leans toward him conspiratorially and mumbles out “I wouldn’t mind a Mrs. Claus myself.”

She leans back, still looking smug, but there’s a note of panic in her eyes.

He lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “So would he.” he mumbles out himself, jerking his chin towards Steve.

Robin only shrugs “You never know.”

“You never—what do you know, Buckley?” he asks, stepping closer and pointing an accusing finger into her still smug face.

“I know that there’s some mistletoe hanging above the breakroom door.”

He’s confused for just a moment, then understanding floods through him, “You little—”

A short whistle interrupts his incoming tirade, and Eddie can see Steve Claus moving out of the corner of his eye.

“Sorry folks, it’s time for Santa’s Cookie break!” Robin calls out over the long line of people. “He’ll be back in 30 minutes though, don’t you worry!” the smile falls off her face as soon as she turns her back to them.

Eddie follows her, Jonathan, and Argyle toward the back rooms, “I’m gonna take a nap.” She says, “Tell Santa to grab me before he goes back.” She waves toward a door as she passes it and from the sprig of greenery hanging above it, this must be the breakroom. 

Robin takes a right down a turn in the hall, and Jon and Argyle push out the back door of the building.

He expects more of the same when he opens the door to the breakroom, for Steve to huff and grouse about the kids or the parents or something, but when he does, Steve is grinning ear to ear as he combs through his (now removed) fake beard.

“Hey Santa Stevie.”

“Eds!”

“I’ve got your lunch.” he holds up the brown paper bag for Steve to see. Steve nods, and lays the beard out on an empty chair, taking off his hat and glasses too and setting them both on top before stepping forward to grab the bag. “And you have hat hair.” Eddie laughs.

Steve’s free hand jumps to his head and scruffs up the long hairs, making them stick up every which way instead of just being plastered down on his forehead.

“Better?”

“Sure, big guy.” Eddie pokes Steve’s fake belly.

Steve chuckles, then heads to a table in the corner where he dumps out his lunch bag.

“So what’d Past Steve pack for Future Steve?” Eddie asks, plopping down in a chair kitty-corner from Steve’s. “Bologna and mustard sandwich, Doritos, and half of a leftover Hellfire cookie.”

“And a Coke,” Eddie says, taking a can out of his jacket pocket, “I grabbed one for you from your fridge.”

“Thanks, Eddie.” Steve smiles warmly at him. “You want some?”

“No way dude, you gotta get your energy back after dealing with all those kids, right?” Eddie says, waving him off. 

“Eh, some of them are little assholes, but most of them are really well behaved.” he’s ripping his sandwich in half, “Gotta impress Santa, right?”

He offers him one half, and Eddie takes it.

“It’s really not a bad gig, though the beard is itchy as hell…”

Steve starts talking about some of the kids who have come by in the last couple days of them doing this, having started on that past Monday, the 1st.

There were the kids asking for baseball bats, Lincoln Logs, Malibu Barbie, Rockstar Barbie (“Barbie’s a rockstar now?”, “Barbie can be anything, I guess.”), all the usual things.

Then there were kids that asked for actual Santa stuff, “I don’t want my mom and dad to get a divorce.”, “I wish I had some friends.”, “I want my grandpa to get better.”

“Makes me wish I actually was Santa, y’know? Then maybe I could actually help them.”

Eddie’s heart is definitely getting way too fuckin’ big for his chest.

He puts his hand on Steve’s forearm where it’s resting on the table between them. “You are a good man, Steve Harrington.”

Steve’s face flushes nearly as red as his suit. “Thanks, Eddie.” he glances above Eddie’s head then, “I better go wake up Robin, if she naps too long on top of the potatoes, she gets cranky.”

Eddie snorts out a laugh, “Yeah, better get on that.”

Steve stands up and tugs on his hat, not bothering to put on the beard and glasses yet. The fuzzy white band smushes a lock of his hair onto his forehead. 

“Hold on,” Eddie stands as well, reaching forward to tuck the hair under the bottom of Steve’s hat. “Now you’ll be ready to see your adoring public.”

“Thanks,” Steve laughs, walking with him toward the door.

And of course, Eddie forgot all about the damn mistletoe until Steve’s arm stops him in the doorway.

‘Jesus H. Christ…’

He glances over at Steve, then up at the offending plant.. 

Eddie looks back down, out toward the rest of the store where they’d be clearly visible in the doorway.

“I guess you owe me one, huh big boy?” Eddie chuckles, ‘Stupid plant, stupid Robin, stupid Ed–’

His thoughts are cut off when Steve tugs him back into the breakroom, moves him against the wall, and leans down to press a kiss to his cheek. The opposite to the kiss he’d given Steve three weeks ago.

Steve leans back, a smirk on his lips and a pink flush on his face. “Now we’re even.” he winks, then turns out the door to wake up Robin.

i may have actually kicked my feet and giggled about this one lmao

also, rockstar barbie mentioned here is from the 1986 Barbie and The Rockers set

also, also, i'm getting rid of the 'pre' before the steddie up top, you all know what's happening and where this is going lol - it's steddie.

other parts! Pt. 1 (Day 1) | Pt. 2 (Day 2) | Pt. 3 (Day 5) | Pt. 4 (Day 6) | Pt. 5 (Day 7) [YOU ARE HERE] | Pt. 6 (Day 11) | Pt. 7 (Day 13) | Pt. 8 (Day 18) | Pt. 9 (Day 21) | Pt. 10 (Day 25) also on AO3! this year

[sheisjoeschateau]

"Oh, so we DO love Steve..." | PART III

⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ SERIES MASTERLIST ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

Steve Harrington x Bauman!fem!reader enemies to lovers, heavy angst, hurt/comfort, upside down mayhem, S2-S4, post S4 universe hot-take, end-of-the-world / dystopian setting, ugly fights turned smut (...but with hella plot). 18+

CHAPTER WARNINGS: mega plot-driven smut ahead in this part of the story. you've been warned. MINORS, DNI. 18+

***

Despite everything, you and Steve both get through battling Vecna. You both grin and bear it. You both set aside your differences when the moment calls for it.

Just like you have before. Many times.

And in the midst of it all, you can't help but wonder about your uncle. How he's doing. If he's somewhere in his bunker still, hopefully drinking less (ideally, not at all) and keeping up his phone calls with Joyce. You'd told her to keep tabs on him, and you also told your uncle to keep tabs on her. They needed each other. You had the kids and the teens, but they needed each other. And sure, your uncle has you. Always. But you have to work, and babysit, and hang around a guy who hates your guts because the circumstances won't permit otherwise.

Eddie and Robin really stick up for you. They do. They really like you. Steve can’t stand it.

Even Nancy doesn’t mind you. Honestly, she’s scared of you more than anything. Steve doesn’t care.

The kids love you. Steve won’t make them hate you. He never would. But he won’t endorse their kind sentiments about you either.

More groups are formed, along with more plans. Scary, life-threatening plans.

You stay behind with Dustin and Eddie, knowing that Steve is quietly a basket case over the concept leaving Dustin alone without having him there to protect him from all this shit, the way he has before. With the demodogs, the Russians, and everything up to this point. That kid is his brother. His son.

It’s the only time that Steve tells you thank you.

And he sincerely means it.

By the grace of some unspeakable force, you manage to not only keep Dustin alive...but also Eddie. The bats have done their damage, and you've got some damage yourself. Though not nearly as bad as Eddie. You can withstand yours with adrenaline and the sheer need to protect one of your kids and get this metalhead back to the real world so that he can get proper medical attention.

When Steve and the girls all get back to the three of you there, after all the shit hits the fan - you, Steve, Nancy, Robin and Dustin all manage to get Eddie back across the gate and get him majorly patched up. Thanks to Dr. Owens.

You keep Eddie hidden at Murray's bunker. You're shocked to find it empty, your worry growing more every single minute. But Steve tries to assure you that your uncle is likely fine, probably just out to eat or something. However... even he knows that is not true. Murray does not go anywhere.

"Bauman," he's saying to you, softly. So softly. Softer than he's ever spoken to you once. "He's gonna be okay. I promise. We're here, alright?"

Two days later, Jonathan and his Cali crew all show up. Nancy and him are reunited.

And you watch Steve break.

He doesn’t let it show, not really. But you see it. Both you and Robin do. You let her comfort him. He needs his best friend, much more than he needs you. Especially in this situation. You are undoubtedly the last source of comfort for him in this specific instance.

You reunite with your Uncle Murray, who has returned with Joyce and — to your surprise — a very much alive Hopper.  It’s a beautiful reunion, as you all hug tightly. 

You all fucking lived, bitch.

Given the new flurry of debris-snow-shit in the air, you all end up having to take shelter.

Steve volunteers his house, given that his parents fled to their vacation home and he told them he wasn’t going. They ditch him, so he has the house all to himself. This time, he doesn’t have to be alone though.  He has his real family.

You all move into the Harrington House. Lord knows it’s big enough. But it’s also really tight, for two people who can’t stand each other unless there’s a really ugly monster guy waltzing around that needs to be killed along with his multi-species army of little uglies.

Given the close quarters, on top of the fact that you all can’t leave the house much unless it’s for supplies, you and Steve have no choice but to coexist.

He still resents you, especially seeing Nancy and Jonathan are now getting along again and seem to be doing better. But it's much more subdued now, and you both find a way to talk. Which happens mainly because of you, initiating.

You learn more about Steve's home life, given the pictures everywhere throughout the house. They're all pretty stiff, lacking warmth. You figured that Steve was a pretty lonely trust fund baby, and being that you're a lonely child you can relate to the loneliness that comes with that. Not the trust fund part. Just the only-child-syndrome part, which you know perfectly well forces you to either become very well acquainted with yourself...or hate yourself even more. Steve clearing did not lean into becoming his own source of reliability and companionship, the way that you did. And it made you understand him better. It made you understand why he needed to be around the likes of Carol and Tommy H. He did not know how to be alone with himself.

"I think my dad and I don't even like the same beer," Steve scoffs, allowing himself a humorless chuckle. You don't laugh with him, instead giving him a soft look. An apology with your eyes.

"And my mom, she just...I dunno. Sometimes, I wonder why she never left him."

You let Steve reveal as little or as much as he wants to. It just depends on the day.

The two of you watch out for the kids. You both go with them to visit Max in the hospital. You even initiate finding a way to get her to stay there while in a coma, thanks to enlisting the help of your uncle to help enlist the help of Dr. Owens. The kids love you for that.

Steve doesn’t love you… But he appreciates you.

A lot. He's beginning to find appreciation for you, for a lot of things.

Your uncle clocks the very niche tension between the two of you, now that you’re all under the same roof and he’s given no choice but to.

And damn, it makes him curious. He is, after all, the witch doctor of love…

Nevertheless, Murray takes his time choosing when to strike.

As you and Steve both help nurse Eddie back to health, and read to Max in her coma (which leads to both of you just simply talking), and make the kids laugh together, and even make conversation with Nancy and Jonathan (…it’s very double date ish) Murray watches his niece — and mannnnnn, is he amuuuuuused.

One night, you and Steve stay up to share some drinks with the adults. It’s the first time that the two of you actually make each other really laugh, heartily. The drinks help.

That’s sort of Murray’s plan. Vodka is, after all, the holy grail.

Even Eddie joins, along with Robin. But Steve sits next to you. Not his best friend, or the new friend he’s made in the metalhead. Nope, he sits his perfect, hunky ass that makes all the ladies drool right next to little ole you.

And damn, do you both laugh.

Murray’s never seen you laugh that hard with anyone in his life. He wonders if you’ve ever laughed that way at all. 

And the way that Harrington looks at you?  Especially when you’re not looking… Holy shit. 

And the way you look at him the same way... makes Murray grin ear to ear like a mischievous kid with the plan to wreak havoc.

Hopper and Joyce are so settled into their relationship, and Jonathan seems to be winning back the love of Nancy. Eddie and Robin are so single it hurts, but it's legendary too. And you? Steve? Well, you guys are mortal enemies. And yet somehow, sitting here in the Harrington's living room with glasses of chilled vodka, belly-laughing over anything -- you and Steve exude more chemistry than all of them combined.

So when everyone goes to bed, and Murray catches you alone, he grills you. Not like the others. Nah, you’re family. He’ll cut you some slack.

…not much, though.

It sobers you right up.

"Do not tell me for one second that you don't think he's gorgeous," your uncle is saying in a low voice. You're both standing in his bedroom, having fetched him a tall glass of water which turned out just be a way to fucking lure you into his witchdoctor trap.

"I love you Uncle Murray. I really do. But this theory? -- is not one of your other bullseye's."

"Face it, kiddo," your uncle is smirking. "Your uncle's never wrong. You're just never the one on the other end of his lectures when he's making astute observations. You're always contributing to it. But this time? You're the leading lady, darling."

"False."

"You like Steve."

"Murray...!"

"You like Steve..."

You try to tell your uncle that everything he is saying is nonsense. Steve hates you. He absolutely hates you. Loathes and despises you, and plans to do so until you’re all particles of dust. 

“Plus, he is so fucking annoying and whiny and entitled and has zero self respect unless it’s up against someone who calls him out for his shit,” you tell your uncle, gesturing to yourself on the last part. “Steve Harrington is a cocky guy who would just rather suffer in his own misery than ever see or lean into being this...this incredible man that he's...capable of being, the role model he has become to those kids, who love him, they love the human most deserving of being put first —”

.................

…oh fuck.

The silence is deafening. Murray’s smirk and all-knowing glare only adds to your being aware of what you just said to him, and admitted to yourself, out loud.

“Oh…oh so we do love Steve.”

Your uncle’s words are the cherry on top of the cake you just baked, and didn’t know you had the ingredients to make.

You don’t sleep that night.

***

The next morning, you and Steve both sit with Max.

"Wondering what she wrote in yours?"

Steve is nodding at the stack of letters on the bedside table. You all left them there, promising yourselves not to open them. Because she will wake up.

Lucas took it hard, Max dying. You'd been there to hold him, comfort him, along with Steve. You both watched him burst into tears numerous times, sometimes sobbing uncontrollably, despite the fact that she was somehow still here. It broke both your hearts, but you both got through it with him. Together.

And while the other kids were taking it hard too...so fucking hard...it was Steve who carried the most guilt. Remorse, anguish and guilt.

"I failed my kid," Steve had told you at the hospital once. You looked at him with a furrowed brow and concerned eyes.

"Steve, no you didn't."

His voice shook, eyes drowning in nightmarish thoughts. "I wasn't there for her. I wasn't -- wasn't..."

"You could never fail those kids. Not even if you tried."

He didn't believe you. But he wanted to. You had squeezed his hand that day, sitting in the waiting room. And to your surprise, not only did he let you...but he squeezed it back, letting your hands rest that way for an hour as you fell asleep in the seats before being woken up.

And now, sitting in one of his guest rooms while Max lay asleep in the coma still, you can see that guilt in him is spreading.

Steve is holding the letter that she gave to him, and you ask him if he’s wanting to read it.

Steve snorts. "God, you kidding? She'll wake up just to kill me before going right back to sleep."

You smirk, biting back a real laugh. “True.”

But Steve looks conflicted. He fiddles with the letter in his hands, wanting to tear it open. You know that he does.

“…want me to read it out loud to you instead? She can kill me in your place.”

Steve chuckles at that.

...but he doesn’t say no.

In fact, after biting his lip for a minute and thinking, he finds himself nodding. Yes. Please, read it to me, he’s thinking.

So you do.

You take the letter and read it to him. You read him the words that only a little sister could write to a big brother who she loves and wishes she will grow up to be like. You read him words that make him light up like a Christmas tree, yet cause him a painful ache deep within his bones. You read him a letter of love that no one ever took the time to write, let alone express, to him his entire life.

Steve fights tears. He bites them back, successfully. You’re the last person he ever wants to see him vulnerable. Hell, he can’t even see himself like that without judging his own self harshly. He can only imagine that you will, too.

He doesn’t know, though, that not only would you never judge him for that. But selfishly, you wish he would feel safe with you. Or God, someone at least. Just not Nancy.  Someone who deserves him wholeheartedly.

"Steve," you speak softly.

He's staring into space, zoned out. But then, he finally looks over at you. He sees the kindness in him, and it almost takes his breath away. The way that you look at him...he just never thought you could...that you could --

"You're all of these things. Everything she wrote in this? You're all of it. And then some. You're the hero all those kids dream of being when they grow up. You're their favorite person. The one they trust, go to for everything. Even if you don't think that they do, they do."

He listens, unable to move. Speak. Breathe.

"You are...a great person, Steve Harrington."

***

That night, there’s a knock on your door. You’ve been given the guest room upstairs with no bunk mate. Unlike most of the people in the house. But given that Joyce and Hopper are together now, and El sleeps in Max’s room to keep watch, the four younger boys share a room with Eddie, Nancy is with Jonathan, Erica sleeps at her own house and Robin shares Steve’s room since she splits her time here and at home — you and Murray got the solo rooms.

Steve is now grateful for those sleeping arrangements tonight.

Because when you open the door, he’s on the other side. He looks sad, conflicted and lost. Like his mind is racing at a million miles an hour, yet can’t think of anything to say. He’s tongue tied, just staring at you expectantly…

What is he expecting?

“What’s wrong?” you ask. “Is it Max?”

Something about your question makes Steve brows pinch together. Like it’s suddenly confusing him even more. But he doesn’t speak.

You wait patiently. But truth be told, you are anxious as fuck. Because damn, he’s pretty. He is so stupid pretty. And fuck it’s annoying. His lips are just the right shape in a pout, and it’s really fucking annoy —

His lips are crashing into yours before you can even finish dissecting them.

Steve is kissing you like life depends on it. Gentle at first, but eager. Determined.

And when you both pulls back -- you don’t hesitate for more than a solid 2-3 seconds, your eyes shocked while his eyes silently ask, is this okay?

Your lips crashing back against his answers — yes.

Steve is a hurricane of both madness and all things serene in the ways that he touches your body. He explores your skin with his lips and hands, as if he has all the time in the world. The curve of your jaw and neck. The jut of your collarbones. The feel of your clavicle, which leads him to the shape of your tits and nipples. He cherishes your body, hungrily exploring it. It’s heated, hot and heavy. He licks a stripe down your abdomen to the waistband of your sweatpants. The way his brown irises look up at you, all round and doe eyed, makes the back of your throat groan with need. It’s not loud or brash, nor is it strained and quiet. It’s soft but certain. Steve melts at it, his fingers curling one by one around the band of your sweatpants, his eyes still asking — please?

You’re nodding without even having to hear a word out of him. And Steve pulls.

Euphoria is the feeling of Steve’s tongue exploring your folds. It’s the sound of him sighing into your portal in pure pleasure, and the way he sucks your clit with fervency yet flicks it with supple patience. His hands knead into your thighs, one of them reaching to squeeze your hips so that he can pull himself up to you and let you taste yourself on his tongue. He wraps an arm underneath your waist, hooking you to him, asking in the breathiest of whimpers, “Please let me, angel.”

He’s getting a fistful of your hair into one of his big hands, adoring the way that you squeak a yelp. You suck on his tongue, hard, and it’s enough to drive him mad. He pins himself against you, grinding. But you sit up, keeping your bodies glued together and now using your teeth to tug on his lip and paralyze him in pure ecstasy. You take the opportunity to slide your teeth and tongue down his jaw and neck, trailing pecks and kisses along the way, and the throaty whimper he lets out makes you see stars behind your hooded eyes as you drag your tongue down his chest. The wet stripe you’re leaving glides down to his toned abdomen’s bunny trail, and as you curl your fingers around his sweatpants, you pause… letting your lips press the most fluttery of kisses to each of his scars.

Steve can’t help the shudders, sighs and whimpers that escape his lips, along with your name. It��s raw, uncensored.  He clutches your hand, which you extend up to him in a greedy grab as you slowly work his pants down with your other hand. You hook your fingers onto his chin, forcing him to let go of your hand in his and look down at you. He does, and it’s game over. You watch him and never break eye contact as you use both hands to push down his briefs…

…and thank God for that — because otherwise, you would see just what you’re up against as far as pleasuring him goes.

You feel the tip of his hard length tap your chin, and you scoot farther down into the mattress — on your knees like a perfect angel. Your tongue plays with its head, tasting the tang of his pre-cum, and Steve is shaking so hard he can’t stand it. He clenches his jaw, gritting out blissful curses through his teeth. “Fuck, baby, fuck.”

You take in the intense length of him, pleasuring him until he is touching the back of your throat and nearly gagging you senseless, and the mess he is up above you — it sends your mind into a tailspin. He has never looked so pretty, eyes squeezed shut except when he’s glancing back down at you with more fondness and adoration than you ever thought possible from not only a man who hates you…but any man at all.

And when Steve is just about to cum, he begins to beg. “P-please. Wait, please.”

His hands urgently cup your jaw, forcing you to look back up at him and cease your sickeningly perfect work. He pulls, and you follow. He drinks you in with his gaze, staring into your soul, as if he’s trying to figure you out. He stares and stares, his thumbs stroking your cheeks, his brown eyes searching yours like you are the most beautiful mystery he has ever needed to solve. He looks as though he might ask you something. Say something...

But he dives in to kiss you again before he lets himself.

His hand wraps around the bend of one of your knees, tugging it up so that he can hook your leg around his waist. Then he does it to the other. And before you know it, you’re straddling him.

“Fuck, Bauman, please,” Steve Harrington groans into your mouth. Then softer, murmuring against your lips as he kisses them endlessly, “please let me, please.”

And you know what he is asking. You know what he wants. You don’t have to even think twice. Lifting yourself up, lining him with your entrance, he stretches you out and the euphoric sting of it sucks the air right out of you. And Steve.

Steve is winded by the feeling of how tight your walls are, and by just how right it feels to be inside of you. You both fit. Like a perfect match.

At this point, you’re both a frenzy of fucking. You ride him – slow, hard, fast, all of it. Steve keens into your mouth, then your neck as he buries his face there — completely overwhelmed. You hold his head there, comfortingly and securely, and so fucking perfectly as your fingers tug at the ends of his perfect hair.

“I’ve got you, baby,” your voice shakes in a breathy whisper, just for him. “Let it all go.”

And Steve does. His fingers dig into the curve of your back, pulling you impossibly closer to him as he presses the loud growl of his climax into your bare shoulder. He releases himself into you, hot and loaded, and you drip just as much onto him as he just shot into you.

As if that wasn’t enough to send you reeling — enough to make you see angels and devils and god — it’s the way that Steve shudders against you, catching his breath…and then pulls back to look at you…that renders you speechless.

His hairline leaks sweat, his face beaded with it. His eyelids are hooded, the dark brown irises dazed and daring to meet your gaze. His lips are parted perfectly — and the way he looks up at you with his tousled hair, somehow still perfect after it’s been pulled and messed with, is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen. Steve Harrington is so fucking beautiful.  He’s an all-American boy, yet a Greek god.

The way that Steve gently brings your forehead to his, breathing against you, closing his eyes at the contact — you find yourself timidly nuzzling the tip of your nose to his. And you feel him smile against you, opening your eyes just enough to steal a peek — and that’s when you feel a deep ache in your heart and soul that might as well kill you.

Because now you realize. That is love. 

Steve is love.

But you let it die inside of you tonight, not wanting to make this moment end any sooner than it has to. Instead, you let Steve entangle his limbs with yours, not daring to ask if he wants to stay. Because if you do, he’ll likely leave. He’ll realize that being in bed with you is the last place that he wants to be, and that he’s made a mistake. He’ll go back to hating you, more than he already does, and it will be the death of you. So instead, you just let it ride out however it’s supposed to.

You try not to count the minutes as Steve absentmindedly traces circles with his fingertips on your skin. Your hip bones, your shoulder blades, your spine. You tell yourself to forget that time and its limits exist as you stroke the hair at the nape of Steve’s neck, your temple against his forearm, his outer arm draped over you. You tell yourself that this is it. This is heaven. This is eternity. You tell yourself even if you wake up and it’s just a dream, you’ll remember it for as long as you live. Because on the other side of death is this, and it will never end.

You let that ease your mind as he presses his lips to your forehead and you no longer fight sleep.

So when you do wake up…and find that Steve is still there…you’re shocked. But you stay that way until he wakes. He looks at you in awestruck wonder. Not confusion or regret. Just…wonder.

He props himself up on an elbow, still looking at you, deep in thought. All you can do is stare back, wishing you knew what the hell he was thinking but not daring to ask. It wasn’t worth risking this.  You stay that way for a little while.

He finally breathes a sigh, whispering, “Kids will be up soon.”

You give him a soft smile and gentle nod. You can already see Dustin waking up to go knock down Steve’s door, and that’s…not gonna end well if he finds out that Steve is walking out of your room instead.

Steve contemplates god-knows-what for another long moment before pressing a quick kiss into your hairline as he rises.

You watch him stand and dress himself, your heart throbbing at the way he looks in the early morning light streaming through the windows. His body is god-like. Tall, lean and athletic. His skin has the most beautiful constellation of moles that put the entire galaxy of stars to shame. And you ache at the thought of never being able to touch them again.

He gives you a soft grin after he throws his t-shirt back on, and before you know it he’s gone.

You lay there staring at nothing, feeling yourself leak a couple of silent tears and wondering why. You find yourself afraid to get up and face whatever new reality lies ahead of you on the other side of that door. 

***

thanks for reading :) comment to be added to my tag list for this series.

tags: @erastourvip @xprloki @get0ut0fmyr00m @eddiemuns0nl0ver @marrowfrog00

[steddieunderdogfics]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/40217547/chapters/100732581

Waiting Room by kissmejusttokissme

Rating: Mature

55,030 words, 7/7 chapters

Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions of Violence

Tags:

Angst, Mental Health Issues, PTSD, Angst with a Happy Ending, Eddie survives episode 9, Joyce Byers is a Sweetheart, Canon-Typical Violence, Autistic Eddie MunsonAlternate Universe - Canon Divergence, , Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Found Family, background ronance, Background Byler, background Jopper, Whump, Memory Magic, Weird Plot Shit, Steve Harrington Needs a Hug, Eddie Munson Needs a Hug, joyce byers is everyone's mom

Summary:

Sometimes, Eddie thinks they should have left him in the Upside Down. But people are happy that he’s alive. Or, at least, that’s what they keep telling him. Dustin follows him around like letting Eddie out of his sight will bring about the second coming of hell. Constantly asking if he’s OK, never taking yes for an answer. The other kids do the same, lingering and worrying, but with a softer approach. Robin calls him every day and he gets used to her impromptu visits even if sometimes he doesn’t manage to get a word in edgewise. And Steve… Steve is an enigma wrapped in an atrociously good-looking riddle. Eddie navigates the aftermath of surviving the final battle and tries his best not to lose the only good thing to ever happen to him. (Even if that means making a deal with the devil.) sequel to 'i can't save us, my Atlantis'

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[dancethroughthethunder]

It's You, It's You Chapter 3

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Reader

Word Count: 1.6k

Summary: Steve’s running late to meet you, Jonathan and Nancy but what he overhears has him… confused. Are you into Jonathan? Nancy? Both? He really needs to figure this out before he breaks his own heart.

Previous Chapters: Chapter 1, Chapter 2

Author’s Note: Halfway there! The summary makes this chapter sound so angsty. There is no angst lol. I'm continuing to post the rest of this over the next few days. I am such a sucker for a doofus in love best friend Stevie. This one is complete on my ao3! Divider by @/saradika

Steve’s running late. It’s not really his fault. Somehow he let Dustin rope him into helping Mrs. Henderson with her yard work. Somehow Dustin got himself out of yard work, so instead of helping Dustin, Steve did it all by himself. And then he couldn’t say no and just leave when she offered him some lemonade as a thank you. that would just be rude. Steve's been a lot of things, but rude to nice moms isn't one of them. Dustin’s a good kid, and his mom is sweet, and Steve likes how genuine and kind she is to him. She always wants to know how she’s doing, and he knows that she knows that between her and Joyce, that’s all the maternal love he’s getting. He’s always happy to help out where he can. But today he lost track of time talking with Claudia, and then had to run home and shower so he didn’t smell like sweat and dirt.

Except it took him twice as long in the shower because somehow he managed to get shampoo in his eyes, and then when he got out of the shower, he couldn’t find the jeans he was going to wear. By the time he finally got in the car to go meet you, Nancy, and Jonathan, he remembered that earlier that morning he decided that getting gas could wait until later. Naturally, later has arrived and if he wanted to make it out to the Byers’, he needed to stop for gas.

So now Steve is nearly half an hour late, and he knows you’ll all give him shit for it. It’s nothing big, just the four of you hanging out for the first time in a while. You’ve all been so busy, you’ve barely had a chance. Sure, you and Steve are inseparable, and obviously Nancy and Jonathan are together, but you haven’t all gotten together in quite a while. Steve’s not sure but he thinks Robin might stop by once her shift ends too. You all love hanging out with the kids but it’s nice to have some time with friends that are actually your age now and then.

Luckily, the drive itself isn’t too long so before he knows it, Steve is pulling into the Byers’ driveway, parking behind you. He can’t remember what you told him the plan was for dinner and he’s really hoping for pizza.

Joyce’s car isn’t in the driveway, and he’s pretty sure he remembers Claudia saying the kids are doing something tonight, so he lets himself in, knowing that the three of you are probably busy listening to music or watching a movie. As he steps inside he can hear music coming from Jonathan’s room and knows he made the right call. Jonathan’s door is probably open but if it isn’t Steve will knock lightly as he opens it so he doesn’t startle anyone.

Steve doesn’t recognize the song that’s playing (not that it surprises him, his taste doesn’t always overlap with Jonathan’s) but as he takes his shoes off and starts down the hall, he can hear it start to end, letting him hear your voice.

“Nancy,” you’re giggling, “I don’t want to make our friendship weird, but I like you. In fact I like like you.”

Hold on, what? There’s no way you could possibly have feelings for Nancy without Steve knowing. He might be oblivious but he’s not that oblivious. Besides, he’s heard plenty of conversations between you and Robin where you’ve assured her that even though you don’t like girls, the fact that she does, doesn’t change anything in your friendship. If you did like Nancy, or any girl, you’d definitely have brought it up to Robin. Then one of you would have mentioned it to him. Right?

“Stop laughing, take this seriously.” Nancy scolds you.

Steve’s frozen in the hallway, trying to figure out what he’s hearing. Nancy doesn’t sound surprised by your confession. Does Jonathan know? Where is Jonathan?

“Okay, okay. How’s this? I know we’ve been friends for a while, and you’re very important to me. Which is why I want you to know, I have feelings for you, Jonathan.”

Okay what the actual fuck. Did Steve fall into another dimension? Is this all some sort of elaborate ploy to mess with him for being late? What should he do now? Walk into Jonathan’s room like he didn’t just hear his best friend confess to having feelings for two of your other good friends, who are in a relationship?

“Better. Jon, what do you think?”

He has to be missing something. Jonathan’s a good guy, but he’s not your type. And obviously if anyone outside of Jonathan understands having feelings for Nancy, it’s Steve. But something isn’t right here. Logically, Steve knows he has to be misunderstanding something but he also heard you clear as day. He’s only just gotten over his worries about you liking Billy, and now he hears this?

Steve decides that denial is the name of the game. He’s too busy formulating his plan to hear whatever Jonathan says he thinks about this.  It doesn’t seem like you three have heard him and know he’s here yet so he decides to pretend he's just arriving now. He tiptoes back to the front porch and this time, rings the doorbell as he opens the door.

“Hi Steve.” Nancy yells.

“We’re in here.” Jonathan calls out from his room.

He’s glad that none of you come to greet him, because he realizes he left his shoes inside and wouldn’t have an explanation for why he’s just walking in, but his shoes are already here. Steve makes his way down the hallway and as he enters Jonathan’s room, sees Jonathan changing the tape while you and Nancy are looking over a new magazine one of you must have brought.

“Stevie, hi! Fancy seeing you here.” Your face lights up as you look up at him, and Steve can’t help but smile back.

“Nice of you to finally get here.” Nancy smirks at him.

"Alright, alright, I know." He shrugs.

“We’re thinking pizza for dinner? Maybe put on a movie or something?” Steve nods enthusiastically as Jonathan heads to the kitchen to find the menu and the number for the local pizza place.

Steve stands there, leaning against Jonathan’s doorway and just watches you and Nancy for a minute. Everything seems normal, if he hadn’t heard you when he walked in, he wouldn’t have thought anything was different. He can’t quite work out what it is he heard, but he knows it was weird. Maybe he’ll mention it to Robin later. Who knows, maybe it’s some sort of study for one of your grad school classes. Or a part for a play. Yeah, that sounds feasible, right?

It’s good enough for Steve at the moment, and much better than the alternative of thinking his best friend is in love with everyone but him your friends in a very happy relationship.

“Nance, I can’t find it. Also, how much do we want?” Jonathan calls from the kitchen, and Nancy mutters something to you about men, laughing as she ducks past Steve to go to the kitchen and help her boyfriend out.

“C’mere.” You pat the spot on the bed next to you that Nancy has vacated. It’s funny, after years of friendships with people more interested in being seen in his nice car, than actually hanging out and spending any quality time, Steve’s already gotten use to this closeness with you all. Sure, you’ve always been there, but just a few years ago, Steve would never have been in the Byers’ house, much less reading a magazine with you, laying on your stomachs on Jonathan’s bed.

“Did you get stuck with Claudia?” You ask, as you lean your head onto his shoulder.

Steve starts to answer but ends up with a mouthful of your hair. It takes him a second to spit it out and gently brush your hair out of his eyes, but oh man does he love the way you’re laughing while he does it.

While Jonathan and Nancy are ordering the pizza, you’re listening to Steve tell you about his day, and how yes, he did get stuck talking to Claudia, thank you very much.

Jonathan leaves Nancy to finish ordering the pizza, and realizes his wallet is in his room. He’d rather get the money ready now than scramble to grab it when the pizza arrives. He heads back to his room and stops for a second in the hallway. He sees you and Steve laying together, your head pressed against him, your right arm over his left, reaching to turn the page of your magazine while you talk about your days.

Jonathan and Nancy are the quiet kind of love, you might find them silently holding hands or sitting next to each other working on completely separate things, they’re the type of love that feels like a warm hug and a kiss on the forehead after a long day. You and Steve are a louder type of love, full of constant laughter and smiles, sentences that include your names back to back in a single breath, the type of love that’s spinning around with your loved ones on the dancefloor of a party or a wedding. It’s not Jonathan’s style, but it’s easy to see just how well you and Steve work together.

Jonathan doesn’t get how the two of you haven’t quite figured it out yet. As ridiculous as it was, he’s hoping that Nancy making you ‘practice’ how to admit your feelings is a step in the right direction. Anyone can see how in love you and Steve are, and Jonathan is hoping you figure it out before any of your friends feel the need to come up with some scheme to get you to prove it.