#Steve and the kids

[withacapitalp]

The kids love to tease Steve and call him an old man. 

Well they call him lots of things. Mom, Goober, Steeeeeeeve, Party Pooper, Uptight, even Mother on occasions where Steve is being particularly annoying to them. 

But old man is new. 

It starts when they find him asleep on the new couch in the Byers's home. Steve doesn't even remember falling asleep, he just remembers waking up and having seven sets of eyes peering down at him and scaring the bejeezus out of him. The Party poked fun like normal, but moved on quickly to the next thing to snark about. 

Then it kept happening. 

Over and over. In Eddie's trailer when they play DnD and he's waiting to drive them home. During movie nights in the Wheeler's basement. Even at his job when they come over after school finishes. But, no matter how hard they push, Steve won't tell them why he's so tired all of a sudden. 

He's just sure they would never let him live it down if he admitted that the reason he kept falling asleep was because he only felt safe enough to relax if all of his kid were close. He really can only sleep these days if knows that he would hear if they were in trouble and needed him. 

[rain-on-the-moon]

in season 3, steve thought he was looking for a girlfriend bc he thought that's what he needed, a romantic relationship. when he met robin, he thought she was the one, the right girl who could love him so much to made him forget every bad thing.

steve was incredibly wrong.

he wasn't looking for a girlfriend, he was looking for a best friend.

he needed love in the purest and most platonic with capital p way. he needed a shoulder to cry on. he needed a other half. he needed someone to laugh with. he needed someone to share secrets to. he needed someone to be himself without any filter. he needed a friend, a silly little friend.

so he found robin.

[lumaxcntrl]

ever since someone said eddie would have the same bond with will that steve has with dustin i haven’t been able to sleep…

[audhd-nightwing]

steve is the Party’s older brother

he shows his affection through insults, he fights anyone who tries to hurt the kids, they go annoy him at his minimum wage job, he complains when they hang around but actually enjoys it, they force him to drive them everywhere, he gives dustin relationship advice, he has inside jokes and a secret handshake with dustin, he can tell when something is wrong and checks in on them, he went to lucas’ game when no one else did, he has to supervise when they do stupid shit, he sacrifices his own wellbeing in order to keep them safe, he sees el at the mall & doesn’t snitch, etc.

he gives off such older brother energy it’s insane

[inverted-writes-stuff]

Royal au where Steve is a prince, and he ends up bumping into the new servant, Dustin. Basically, Steve is an asshole prince, but he meets this nervous kid that got a job here because his mother also works at the castle, and boom he gets his life turned upside down). Then he becomes the caring motherlike character we know and love, possibly pseudo-adopting all of the children who work around the castle.

[self-proclaimed-chaotic-good]

Long Rest and a Level Up | Hawkins Crew

Prompt: Promise

Words: 1518

Fandom: Stranger Things

A/N: Something sweet to start of Writer's Month. Would have gone longer, but then I won't be able to finish it on time. Background Steddie, The Party is the main focus in this one.

Summary: Steve surprises the kids with a road trip to California to visit the Byers.

-

Saving up money for a used RV was hard when he worked at a video store and had to drive teenagers around town every week, but Steve managed. Well, it was more like he saw the kids needing a break from everything and were also missing Will and El, so he made a promise to do something special for them. It was then they decided to pool in their money and a little borrowing from the Wheelers to be able to afford it. Steve didn’t want to even attempt to ask his parents. They had cut him off and were only allowing him to stay at the house in case they felt like coming back. 

Before he bought the RV, he called Joyce, wanting it to be a surprise for Jonathan, Will, and El. She agreed and even offered to help pay the gas money. The plan was all coming together, now they just need to tell the kids.

“Oh, my god!” Dustin screeched, practically bouncing off the walls of his house once Steve broke the news. “We’re doing it! We’re finally doing it!”

“Jesus, Henderson,” Steve said, wincing. Good thing Dustin’s mom was out or else he’ll have to explain why her son was going wild. “I haven’t told the others yet, so you need to help me surprise them. The Wheelers know, but not Mike. None of the Byers kids know, either. Oh, and Hopper might come with us.”

Dustin froze, collapsing on his couch as he gaped up at him. “Why?” he asked incredulously.

“He’s using his paid vacation time?” Steve said with uncertainty, “Can the Chief of Police do that?”

“I think he can because he’s Jim Hopper.”

“True.”

“Who else is going? Can Eddie come with us? I want him to meet Will so bad, I can’t even wait for him to move back to Hawkins.”

“Breathe, dude. Of course he’s coming. So is Robin and Nancy. Do you think the Byers house will be able to fit nine more people? I guess some of us can just stay in the RV.”

“We’ll figure it out. How bad can it be?”

Dustin helped him clear up and stock the RV to make it ready for the trip. Steve called their parents ahead of time, asking permission to drive them to California. 

The gremlins were having DnD in the Wheeler basement when Steve rolled up with the RV. They were deeply immersed in a heavy roleplaying moment that they didn’t notice Steve making his way downstairs. He paused for a moment, watching the kids lean in as Eddie described the scene so vividly that even someone like Steve who doesn’t have much imagination could picture it. Eddie looked up for a brief moment and winked at him before turning his attention back to the game.

Steve sat next to Max on the couch, playfully nudging to make room. She rolled her eyes and smiled, scooting over and continued to read her Wonder Woman comic. He eyed the small pile of comics on the coffee table, then at his watch. He’ll give them fifteen minutes to wrap it up, then he’ll take them home. He picked up an X-Men comic, not really knowing each of the characters, but it wasn’t a bad way to pass the time.

When time was up, he clapped his hands, gathering everyone’s attention. “Okay, shitheads, time to go!”

There was a collection of groans from the boys while Max sighed, packing up her things silently before holding her hand out to Steve.

“What?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

“What do you think? Keys,” she said, smirking.

He sighed, fishing them out from his pocket. “Yeah, I was afraid about that.”

He dropped the keys into her palm and held a finger to his lips. Her eyes widened, fingers quickly clutching them tightly. “Hurry up or we’re leaving without you guys!” she shouted, running up the stairs before anyone could respond.

Lucas stood there in confusion, wondering why she was so eager to leave. Sure, DnD wasn’t her thing, but she said she liked hanging out in the basement no matter how nerdy she thinks it is. Steve clapped his shoulder and snapped his fingers.

“Chop, chop, guys. If you’re late again, your parents will ruin my plans,” he said.

“What plans?” Erica asked, because of course she’d be the one to catch onto that.

Steve ignored her scrutiny and walked over to Eddie to help him pack away his things, the two of them moving around each other seamlessly. With the DM divider the last to pack, Eddie zipped up his bag and grinned at Steve.

“Well, aren’t you a gentleman,” he teased, leaning in until their noses brushed and a pink tint dusted Steve’s cheeks.

Dustin rolled his eyes. “You act as if he doesn’t do that every time we have DnD.”

“Shh, your parents are having a moment right now, Dusty.”

Erica mimicked a barfing motion before stomping up the stairs to find Max. Lucas followed his sister closely behind with Mike by his side. While the latter got used to Steve’s presence, it was still awkward to be in a room with just him and Eddie. Dustin’s already used to it and as much as the group joked about them being a family, they sure do act like it.

The kids were already ransacking the RV by the time Steve and Eddie walked out the house. Karen and Nancy were standing by the door, shaking their heads fondly at the group. Mike turned to his mom with wide eyes.

“Really? We’re going on a road trip? You’re letting me go?” he rapidly spat out.

“Nancy is coming with,” his mom said, smiling when Mike’s face turned into a look of disgust.

“Why?”

“Mike.”

“Face it, loser,” Nancy said, “It’s either I go with you guys or you don’t go at all.”

Mike groaned, hitting his head on the side of the van. Max was already at the driver’s seat, hands gripping the wide steering wheel as her and Lucas pretended that they were racing down the streets and out of Hawkins. Dustin was double checking their snack and water supply, factoring in the stops and the weather and everything in between while preventing Erica from eating their candies before they could even leave.

“I’m starting to regret this if it’s going to be like this the entire trip,” Steve muttered.

-

The trip was so far so good. Their initial excitement as they climbed into the RV with their bags  knocked them out cold two hours after passing the ‘Leaving Hawkins’ sign. Steve knew that it was a good idea to leave first thing in the morning. Five AM was too early for them. The older kids relished this time to talk amongst themselves, discussing the routes they planned for the trip, along with occasional sightseeing and rest stops.

“I’m glad that this one is bigger than the van we stole,” Robin said, stretching her legs out as she sat at the table with Nancy.

“Oh, yeah. How did Hopper manage to sort that one out?” Eddie asked. Fortunately, Hopper had said that he was going to join the group later after something came up at the station, so there weren't any adults monitoring them.

“We had to clean the entirety of the van to make up for it. You weren’t there because you were sitting in jail.”

“Yes, thank you for reminding me, Buckley.” 

“You’re welcome.”

It was nice seeing the kids being carefree, as if the air in Hawkins was as dense and stuffy as the Upside down and that once they left they could finally breathe. Even Nancy seemed to be more open and talkative than usual. Steve doubted that any of them ever had a road trip like this and he worried that they would get bored or impatient before they were halfway to California. Dustin had helped with the itinerary, knowing exactly what his friends would enjoy seeing.

“Hey. let me switch on the next stop,” Eddie said, his round eyes watching him like a hawk. Twice he had caught his head jerking up as he tried to stay awake. “We’re almost there.”

Steve stifled a yawn and nodded. “Thanks, Ed.”

“Don’t forget, this trip is for you, too. Take time to relax. The evil has been defeated, the world is saved. We did it, big boy. Long rest and XP points all around.���

Steve sat up straighter at the nickname, eyes focused on the road but he just knew that Eddie was smiling widely. He shook his head, waving a hand over to the radio. Eddie quickly twisted the knob, leaning close to listen for any familiar guitar riffs. Once he found the right station, he immediately recognized the song, bursting into an air guitar solo with as much energy as he would when performing at The Hideout with Corroded Coffin despite the volume being low enough to not wake the kids. Steve smiled, his fingers tapping along with the rhythm. 

Even if he had to tolerate the Wheelers bickering and Dustin’s nagging, seeing Eddie like this made it all worth it.

[canigirl]

need more steve with any of the kids except dustin

no hate to dustin and steve’s friendship!! i just want to see steve with the other kids too lmfao

[svd126]

Steve Harrington made the family he needed out of the party before Dustin and the rest of the kids came along Steve was lonely he never had a true best friend until Robin. Nancy might’ve been his first love but she became more like a sister. Eddie is the person he wants to build a life with. 

[withacapitalp]

"The kids love to tease Steve and call him an old man."

🥺🥺🥺 this fic was so good!! My heart melted!!!!

Oh!!! That little ficlet is one of my favorites. I love the 'everyone has a special part of Steve's heart' trope because the boy has spent so much time longing to love people and not even realizing that he was filling the hole of platonic love with romantic. Now he's got all the platonic love in the world <3333

Thank you nonnie!!! I'm sorry this is like weeks late!!!

Favorite Stories Ask

[silverflameataraxia]

I love both Max and Billy, but some people are seriously out here justifying all of Billy's actions while hating on Max for "humiliating" Billy, treating him like a "rabid dog," and "behaving like his abuser."

Umm, what?

Both are mean to each other, but Billy is the aggressive one, who goes around breaking her things if she doesn't listen to him. Who do you think he got that behavior from?

Now let's address the scene in question that somehow makes Max worse than Billy. Billy finds his little sister surrounded by dudes at some stranger's house. Even worse, he finds her with Lucas...the boy he told her to stay away from. I do believe that deep down Billy does want to protect Max, therefore he threatens to kill Lucas and beats up Steve with no intentions of stopping. Yes, he probably did this as a way to protect Max, but that does not mean what he did was justified. No one in that house ever harmed Max. It was a complete misunderstanding. Therefore, when Billy is beating Steve half to death, Max does the only thing she can do to stop him and protect her friends: she drugs him. What else was she supposed to do? Nothing? Let him murder Steve and then go after Lucas and her other friends? Obviously not, and Billy wasn't listening to the kids yelling at him to stop it, and Max can't exactly take her brother on in a fight, so she drugged him. Would her actions be more acceptable to some if she hit him over the head and knocked him out? People complain that she treated him like a "rabid dog," but he was behaving like one. He can't go around threatening to murder people and beating people to a pulp whenever he feels like it, that's not acceptable behavior.

Max threatening Billy - the one who frequently threatens her and is currently threatening her friends - is not Max behaving like his abuser. If Billy's actions are justified because he's "protecting his sister" then her actions are 100% justifiable because she's protecting her friends.

And to say that she humiliated him? He literally barged in and threatened her friends. If anyone's humiliated, it's her being humiliated by him.

Quite frankly, this is one of my favorite scenes with Billy and Max because it shows how much he cares about her (even if he doesn't realize it himself) and it shows that Max is finally ready to stand up for herself.

[dingusandsmartypants]

I just reblogged a bunch of prompts, and I'm itching to write! Please send me some Stranger Things requests! I have hyperfixated very much again and this is all I will be thinking about for the next 2-5 business months (or more)

The only stuff I won't write is NSFW or abusive relationships, everything else I'm pretty chill with!

Feel free to be as vague or specific as you'd like with prompts, make your own or send me prompts from the list, or whatever else! Messages and asks are open!

[chloesimaginationthings]

FNAF movie Vanessa and Michael Afton fight their Dads

[erod-doi]

You only gotta worry about one thing.

[steddie-as-they-come]

Steve's pinning his polaroids up on his wall when his new roommate walks in.

Steve's immediate thought is oh, I'm gonna hate this guy.

Shaggy hair, leather jacket, rings glinting off his fingers, electric guitar slung over his back. Hot as hell, but compared to Steve's polos and perfectly coiffed hair, they could not be more different.

The guy looks like he had the same thought. His shoulders slump as he takes in Steve's appearance.

A man comes in behind his roommate, toting a suitcase full of clothes. "Oh, are you Eddie's roommate?" he says to Steve, who shakes himself out of his thoughts.

"Yes, I am." he says politely. "I'm Steve Harrington."

The man sets down the suitcase. "Wayne Munson." he offers, shaking Steve's hand. "I'm Eddie's uncle."

He nudges Eddie forward, who lets out an almost inaudible groan. "Eddie." he says snippily, shaking Steve's hand.

This'll be a fun year, Steve thinks.

They don't talk. Steve didn't think he was going to be best friends with whoever he got saddled with, but he thought they could at least be civil to each other. Their room is split down the middle. Eddie's half is absolutely covered in posters and music and cutouts of magazines. Steve's is...almost as blank as his room back home.

He misses the shitheads.

No one can ever tell them that. They'll get even more insufferable.

Once or twice, when Steve comes back from a class, he'll catch Eddie peering at Steve's pictures, but he’ll jump away before Steve can call him out on it. It's awful. Steve misses Robin.

It takes him a horribly long amount of time to stop flinching awake at every little sound. He'd stored his nailbat under his bed, out of sight of Eddie, but every time someone yells in the hallway or shouts in the room next door, Steve startles awake, already grabbing his bat. Luckily, Eddie sleeps like the dead, because Steve's not sure he'd be able to explain the weapon without breaking his NDA.

It's three A.M., early November, when there's a knock on their door. Steve isn't asleep yet, so he stands and answers it.

Eight people pile in, talking in hushed whispers. They slam into him, knocking him over.

In the middle of the hug, Steve counts his kids. It's Dustin, nestled against his side, then Lucas, El, and Will under his arm, Max draped over his back, Erica leaning into his shoulder, and Mike on the very outskirts of the group. He pulls them all in tighter, and they all yelp and squawk at him.

"Let us go, Steve!" Erica says, annoyed.

"Nope." Steve says. "You came to find me at three in the morning, you can tolerate a hug."

"Shoo, move." another voice says, and all the kids part like the sea. Robin pushes her way through the group and hugs him tightly. "I don't know how you do it." she says to Steve. "Driving all these nerds around, it's exhausting."

He buries his face in her hair. "Missed you, Robbie." he mumbles.

She leans her head against his. "Missed you too, dingus."

Steve pulls back. "You got your license!"

"I did!" Robin jingles her keys happily.

Eddie sits up, and everyone in the room freezes. "Wha's happenin'?" he slurs sleepily. Then he registers all the people in the room. "Whoa, what the fuck?"

Steve stands up, brushing himself off. "I'm sorry, man, I didn't know they were coming." He shoots a glare at the group, who looks appropriately cowed. Minus Dustin. Steve can now see whose idea this was.

Eddie swings out of bed. "No, it's- wait, are these the kids from your polaroids?"

"Yeah," Steve says. "Dustin, Mike, Lucas, Will, El, Max, Erica, and this is my best friend Robin."

"Awww, you have polaroids of us?" Max teases over his shoulder. "That's sweet."

Steve reaches behind him and tussles her hair, shoving her gently. "Shut up, shithead."

"Your room is cool." Mike says. "Not Steve's side. But this part is cool!"

Steve glares at Mike, but Eddie grins big. "Thanks! I'm Eddie Munson." He shakes Mike's hand.

"Is that a DnD poster?" Will says. "That's amazing!"

"It certainly is!" Eddie says. "I used to DM back in high school. Played a bit too."

The nerdier section of the group reacts appropriately, oohing and ahhing, while Max and Erica just roll their eyes and nudge each other.

Steve hesitates. “I know these guys don’t really do anything on Saturday afternoons, and I think they’ve been wanting to start another campaign. Would you mind if they come up, maybe every weekend, and you can…” he doesn’t know enough about DnD “…run a game for them?”

Eddie looks amused. “You mean DM a campaign?”

“Yeah, that.” It’s an olive branch that Steve’s offering.

Eddie takes it. “Well, how can I turn that down? Sheepies of the Harrington flock, how would you like to join a new campaign?”

“I’ll keep the rest of you occupied,” Steve mutters as the guys (and El) start talking excitedly. “Max, Rob, you guys wanna find the closest arcade and set some new high scores?”

“Only one person will be setting high scores.” Max says, gesturing to herself, but she looks excited at the prospect.

Steve lets Eddie and the kids talk for a couple more minutes, then claps his hands. “Okay, it is three in the morning and I have a nine A.M. class tomorrow SO! I have enough blankets for all of you to sleep on the floor if Eddie doesn’t mind-“ Eddie shrugs. “Or Rob can drive you back home.”

Steve looks around and Robin is already in his bed, cuddled up like the blanket hog she is. “Okay, well, sleepover here it is then.”

He whisks out his ungodly amount of throw blankets (courtesy of Joyce’s knitting spree) and the kids get together in their usual movie-night-at-Steve’s cuddle position.

Will’s got his head on Mike’s shoulder, Lucas next to Mike, Max leaning on Lucas, El’s head in Max’s lap and her legs thrown over Dustin’s lap, and Erica with her back against Dustin’s shoulder. Sometimes Robin and Steve are wedged into the pile somewhere, but just as often they’re tangled up under six different blankets across the room, which is why Steve whispers “Scoot over, dumbass,” as he climbs into bed next to Robin.

Eddie watches them assume their positions with an expression of what could be awe on his face. “When I saw those pictures,” he whispered, “I thought they were like your siblings? Or maybe old pictures of your friends. I didn’t think you were a soccer mom.”

Steve glares at him, but unlike earlier in the year, there’s no heat behind it. “Hope you like coparenting then, because these guys need to be watched 24/7 or they’ll run off and start the apocalypse.”

Eddie laughs like it’s a joke. To him it is. He hops back into bed. “Goodnight, weird little family.”

The kids murmur a collective sleepy goodnight, and Steve shuts his eyes.

It’s the most relaxed he’s felt since he moved in.

part two!

[lazylittledragon]

mini comics from the steddie dads au!

i’m having too much fun with this

[self-proclaimed-chaotic-good]

Casting a Sound Barrier | Steddie

Prompt: Melody

Words: 4248

Fandom: Stranger Things

A/N: I wasn’t sure where I was going with this, I just wanted more interactions between Steve and Will, El, and Max. Mentions symptoms of anxiety. They all need a hug. Steve and Eddie have a crush on each other and everyone knows except them.

Summary: Steve is stretched out thin and is tired from being the sole ‘babysitter’ for the kids. That’s when Eddie Munson, who left Hawkins to be a rockstar, suddenly returned and helped lessen the burden on his shoulders.

-

“You guys can’t keep scaring my dates away!” Steve scolded, hands on hips as he stared down at the group of freshmen giggling.

“Come on, she was kind of lame,” Dustin said, waving a hand where Steve’s date ran to. “She doesn’t like Star Wars and she doesn’t like camping. Look me in the eyes and tell me that you weren’t growing bored of her five minutes into the date.”

Steve groaned, shaking his head tiredly. “Okay, that’s enough. Are you guys done at the arcade?” He was met with a chorus of confirmations and demands of sustenance. “Alright, you brats. Get in the car or else I’m leaving you here.”

They all rushed into his BMW, Max reaching the passenger’s seat before Dustin. “Steve!” Dustin whined.

“I am not going to have her be squished in the back with you sweaty losers, Dustin. Get in the back.” 

Steve jerked his head to the back seat before climbing in. The car jostled around as the boys tried to find their spot. He sighed, leaning his back and closing his eyes, willing the tension in his shoulders to ease. It’s been some time since they’ve dealt with the Upside Down for good, but his body was so used to being on edge, the stress and near paranoia getting worse with each encounter. Vecna had hit the hardest, an entity that could not be defeated by fire and bullets alone.

“Dude, stop moving around,” Mike snapped at Dustin.

“I would if your bony ass elbow wasn’t digging into my ribcage,” Dustin countered.

“God, it’s suffocating being in the back with you two,” Lucas muttered.

Good thing Will and El were picked up earlier. There wouldn’t have been any room for them and Steve would not want to subject them to the chaos of the backseat.

At least the kids have been adjusting relatively well. They have each other, of course, and they were always free to come to him when they needed anything. He loves those kids, he really does. It’s just that, as much as he wanted to, he won’t be able to be there for them all the time or have the right energy or mentality to deal with things.

Nancy’s off honing her skills as an investigative journalist. Her trip to Pennhurst with Robin had sparked inspiration in the latter and now Robin’s studying to be a psychologist. Jonathan was going into photojournalism, making him and Nancy a kickass pair. And Eddie? Steve had only heard about Eddie’s whereabouts through the boys, but apparently he’s been doing well with his band in the big city. All while Steve was still here, being the number one babysitter of Hawkins while adjusting to his new job as a clerk at the police station, courtesy of the chief himself, and juggling at least two courses at the community college. Thank god it was spring break again.

“Steve?” Max asked quietly so the others won’t hear.

Steve cracked his eyes open and turned his head. “Hm?”

“You sure you’re okay?” She frowned in concern, recognizing the signs of mental exhaustion and being overworked. She’d seen it everyday with her mom.

“I’m just tired. Burgers and milkshakes sound good?”

“Yeah!” they all shouted.

Steve shook his head with a smile, pulled out of the parking lot and drove towards their usual diner.

-

Three hours. That’s how much sleep he managed to get that night when an insistent pounding on his apartment door woke him up. Steve swore under his breath, throwing on a shirt and sluggishly made his way over to the door.

“Steve!” Of course it’s Dustin.

“Hold on, don’t get your panties in a twist,” Steve grunted.

It took a moment to register what he was seeing as soon as he swung the door open. Dustin was bouncing on the balls of his feet next to Eddie frickin’ Munson. Steve rubbed his eyes, looking between Eddie and the small pile of bags at his feet, then back up at him. Eddie waved and flashed a forced smile at him. Steve sighed, opening the door wider and walked away, assuming that they’ll help themselves anyways.

“Sorry for barging in like this, but you can’t really predict where life takes you, y’know,” Eddie said, tossing his luggage and duffel bags by the worn out couch. 

He looked around and let out a low whistle. He had only been in casa Harrington a handful of times, but this apartment gave off a completely different vibe. Simple, but lived in, and very much Steve Harrington. Eddie walked over to the small bookshelf against the wall and admired the carefully displayed artwork with Will’s signature on the bottom. In the middle shelf were a few Dungeons and Dragons related books, a dice box, and a painted mini figure.

“You’re finally playing?” he asked, turning to see Steve making a pot of coffee with his eyes threatening to close again.

“I did for a while, then I got too busy,” Steve said, leaning against the counter.

“You’re not gonna ask me why I’m here?”

Steve grunted again, crossing his arms. “I haven’t had coffee yet.”

“Fair enough.”

Dustin flung himself on the couch, making himself at home like he always did. The sound of the TV filled in the silence of the apartment as the sun began to filter through the opening of the curtains. Eddie sat on the armchair, feeling the exhaustion from traveling weighing him down. The smell of coffee soothed him and helped him drift off to sleep.

By the time he woke up, there was a smell of eggs and bacon mixed with the coffee scent that was already in the air. There was clattering in the kitchen as Dustin rambled to Steve, probably explaining why Eddie was suddenly here not only in Hawkins, but at Steve’s apartment. Eddie stretched with a loud groan, feeling more refreshed, even with the sore neck.

“I made breakfast,” Steve said, setting down two plates on the small rectangle dining table.

Dustin plopped down on the seat at the head of the table with his own plate, whipping his head over to Eddie and gave him a big toothy grin. “Steve’s omelets are pretty good. You have to try them!”

Eddie pulled himself up from the armchair and shuffled over, taking the chair opposite from Steve. He ignored Dustin’s anticipating gaze as he cut into the omelet and lifted the fork to his mouth. “Wow, that’s actually pretty fuckin’ good, Harrington,” Eddie said, shoving another piece into his mouth.

Steve shrugged, sipping on his coffee. “Don’t tell anyone, but I had to ask Jonathan how to make those. Apparently Will liked his eggs a certain way, so Jon spent years perfecting it and then voila.”

“Nancy’s so lucky,” Eddie mumbled with his mouth full.

Dustin’s lips curled up in disgust as if he was the perfect example of table etiquette. “Dude.”

Eddie swallowed then ruffled the younger boy’s hair. “I’m assuming you haven’t told Steve-O, like usual.”

“Haven’t told me what?” Steve asked, narrowing his eyes.

Dustin winced, setting his fork down. “It was all last minute,” he began to explain.

“Basically,” Eddie cut in, “I’m taking a break from music and decided to come back here. Thing is, my dear uncle moved out of here as soon as I told him I was doing good with the band. Which is, you know, good for him, but not good for me, ‘cause I need a place to crash.”

“So, you brought him straight to me,” Steve said flatly, staring at Dustin over his coffee mug.

“You’ve got your own apartment!” Dustin defended, waving a hand at his surroundings. “And you guys are friends, right?”

Steve’s eyes moved over to Eddie. He wasn’t sure about their relationship exactly. They rarely met up alone unless they were getting high. Other than that, it had always been with the group.

“And what will you be doing during your… break?”

“Uh… I can do chores! I mean, I’ve gotten better at tidying and stuff. I can help drive the kids around, maybe see if the music store’s got anything for me to do. I’ll find something.”

That actually… doesn’t sound that bad. With Eddie around, if he really does keep his word and split the chores and the driving the kids, it would ease the stress on Steve and he could focus better on school and work.

“How long?” Steve asked.

Eddie shrugged. “Indefinitely? I hope that’s okay.” He blinked with those wide bambi eyes at him, Dustin adding in his puppy-dog eyes to assist him in persuasion.

Steve sighed. How was he able to resist these two? “No loud music,” he began, “No conducting your side business in my apartment -”

“I don’t do that anymore, so we’re good,” Eddie quickly assured, waving a hand dismissively.

“- No inviting strangers here, either. And make sure you clean up after yourself.”

Eddie grinned, his dimples showing more prominently. Steve’s eyes lingered on his face before looking away, hating how his heart was still doing somersaults with a simple smile like that. He pushed himself away from the table, grabbing his now empty plate and mug, and headed towards the kitchen.

“I’ve got work today, so I’ll give you the spare key. The boys have been playing DnD in the Wheelers basement again, but if you guys want to, you can play here. Just clean up afterwards and don’t get too rowdy. Don’t snoop around my room.”

“Ugh, so many rules,” Eddie whined.

“Because this is my apartment and you’re just a guest.”

Eddie clutched at his heart and feigned a pained groan. “Forgive me, your highness. It was wrong to question you in your own kingdom. I promise, it will never happen again.”

Steve rolled his eyes before disappearing into his room. “I can’t believe I actually missed that asshole. Stupid Eddie Munson,” he muttered under his breath as he got dressed.

When he came back out, Dustin and Eddie were washing the dishes while chatting about the campaign that Will was running. Now that Eddie was back, he wanted to try playing as a PC and see what kind of DM Will was. Music was playing from his second-hand stereo, one of Eddie’s selections if the heavy guitar riffs were anything to go off of. He can’t remember when was the last time he had used that thing, but at least someone was using it.

“Call only on emergencies, okay?” Steve reminded Dustin. 

Eddie froze when he saw him standing by the door, adjusting the cuffs of his white button up shirt that were tucked in his dark brown slacks that fit him just right. Never did he think he’d ever see Steve wear something semi-formal like that. Well, maybe once during a daydream when everyone thought that he would take over his dad’s business in the future. He looked good. Eddie hated that.

“Yeah, yeah. Bye, love you, mom!” Dustin said with a teasing grin.

“Love you, too, shithead. Bye. I’ll see you later, Munson.”

“Yeah. Laters, Stevie,” Eddie choked out.

Dustin nudged him as soon as the door closed. “You still got that crush on him?”

“Shut your mouth, you little shrimp!”

-

Steve told the kids that they could come to him for anything and oftentimes, they’d sleepover when their parents allowed it. They still had nightmares. Over time, they’ve gotten better at dealing with them, but sometimes, it just wasn’t enough. It was always worse near the anniversary of one of the Upside Down encounters. During those times, they’d have a sleepover at one of the houses and sleep next to each other. Tonight was one of those nights, aggravated by the rare thunderstorms that happened during spring and summer.

Scented candles were set up around the apartment, the lights turned off for many reasons. The kids brought their sleeping bags, arranging them the way that they usually do in the modest sized living room. Steve had to move some furniture around, but there wasn't much to begin with. He had been worried that he wouldn’t have the mental energy to emotionally support them until Eddie showed up. Thanks to him, he’d actually been more rested than he had been in the past year.

Will and El were the only two that Steve trusts to go in and out of his room, where they claimed to be looking for his extra blankets. Mike and Lucas were arguing which movie to watch while Eddie waited for the right time to snatch a tape from the pile and slide it into the VCR. Dustin rushed over, spilling some of the popcorn from the bowl as he shoved his way in between Mike and Lucas.

“Steve?” Max said in the same tone that she used in the car a few days ago.

Steve finished up pouring another batch of popcorn into a bowl and leaned back against the counter. “Yeah, what’s up?”

Her blue eyes drifted over to the boys who were too busy wrestling on the couch, then back at Steve. “I… I forgot my walkman at home and I can’t sleep without it,” she muttered, crossing her arms and looking down. “I hate that I have to rely on it to sleep, but ever since…”

“Yeah, I can lend you mine,” Steve assured her casually, knowing that she would change her mind if he made a big deal about it. “Got Kate Bush, too. I’ve got everyone’s favorite song since… last year.”

Max gave him a small smile. “I know. Thanks, Steve. You’re…” She pursed her lips and sighed in frustration with herself. She stood in front of Steve and suddenly lurched forward, wrapping her small arms around him like a snake constricting him. He stumbled back, his hip hitting the counter but he couldn’t be bothered to care. “You’re the big brother I wish I had.”

He rubbed her back and held her tightly. “And you’re the little sister I’ve always wanted,” he muttered into her hair. She pulled away and quickly wiped at her cheeks once she got it out of her system. Steve smiled, messing her hair up and earning a slap on his hand. “I won’t tell anyone. You’ve got a reputation to uphold, afterall.”

She huffed out a laugh, grabbing the popcorn bowl next to him and taking the neglected armchair before anyone noticed. There was a thump and a twang coming from his room, followed by a curse and a sharp hushing. Steve made his way over, nudging the door open with his shoulder and placed his hands on his hips. El had fallen on his bed, clutching his guitar tightly to her chest while Will tried to help her up as quietly as he could. 

“I didn’t know they were this big,” El whispered.

“Maybe we should have left it in the guitar case,” Will said, taking the guitar from her.

“Listen,” Steve said, startling the two,  “You guys are two of my favorite kids, but if you break that guitar, you’re paying for it.”

El gasped, her hand instinctively shooting out and slamming the door on his face. Steve fell back, pain spreading from his forehead and ass. There was scrambling from the other side of the door and hurried voices.

“Steve?” Eddie called out, peeking from over the couch.

“I’m fine,” Steve waved off from the floor.

El swung the door open with wide eyes. “I’m sorry!”

“It’s fine,” he repeated, accepting Will and El’s help getting up. “What were you two doing anyways?”

They looked at each other, small changes in their expressions showing that they were having a silent conversation. It was amazing how much like twins they were. It was almost like fate that they ended up as siblings.

“It’s been a while since you played for us and since Eddie’s also here…” Will trailed off with a shrug, giving him a look that he couldn’t quite decipher.

“I like it when you play,” El said, looking up at Steve with earnest eyes. “I like your voice, too.”

“Whoa, Harrington, you play and sing?” Eddie asked, half his body hanging off the back of the couch as he looked back at him.

“He’s surprisingly good,” Dustin said, “We bullied him into learning the guitar and then one time, he just started singing and he was finally cool again.”

“Hey, I’ve always been cool,” Steve said defensively. 

Mike snorted. “You have your moments, I guess,” he snarked, thinking back to the times where he had protected them even though he’d get beaten up every time and when he’d finally tried playing DnD but kept asking about the rules during every single turn. “Like, Eddie’s cool. He’s a literal rockstar. You file papers at the police station and answer calls.”

“I will not hear clerical work slander from you, Wheeler, when you can’t even organize your school work in your backpack.” Steve jabbed a reprimanding finger at him. Mike rolled his eyes and turned back around to face the TV. 

“Well, I for one want to hear the great Steve Harrington play for us,” Eddie said with a cheeky grin.

Well, if he was looking at Steve like that, any other time he would have done that in a heartbeat. Now, looking at the guitar still in Will’s hands, he felt his stomach twist and his heart started to palpitate. He shook his head, stepping away. 

“I’m rusty. I haven’t picked that thing up in a long time. Eddie’s the real musician, let’s just hear him play instead.”

Eddie frowned. “So, what, you don’t play DnD anymore and you don’t play music, either? When do you have time to have fun?”

It’s not that simple. Steve can’t just sit down and rest. He wished he could. Every attempt doesn’t last that long and he’ll end up finding something else to keep himself busy. Music and DnD were associated with leisure. Every time he tries to do anything remotely leisurely for himself, something goes wrong or it never turns out the way he planned. 

Sure, he’d get frustrated when the kids crashed his dates, but if he was being honest while not inflating Dustin’s ego, it wasn’t going anywhere anyways. If he relaxed now, if he let his guard down, what if something happens again? The gates should be closed for good, right? Will and El would have known by now.

A soothing melody began to play, yanking Steve out from the rabbit hole that his mind was falling into. His eyes snapped to Eddie as he sat on the armrest of Max’s chair, the guitar propped on his thighs and his long fingers wrapped around the neck and plucking its strings softly. Will and El had sat down on the floor, leaning their back against the couch as they listened closely, the boys on the couch leaning in, captivated by the ease and calm Eddie exuded. Steve sunk to the floor by Max’s feet, feeling his heart slow to a normal pace. Even with the storm rolling closer outside, the music was grounding the group, like a sound barrier.

Near the end of the song, the calm was interrupted by rapid knocking. Steve shot up, striding over to the door and peeking through the eyehole. He frowned, unlocking and swinging the door open.

“Erica?” Lucas said in shock, pushing himself off the couch and making his way over to his sister. “Thought you were at Tina’s.”

Her chin was raised up in her usual defiant posture, but her arms were clutching her backpack tightly against her chest. “The thunder was so loud, I couldn’t sleep. Came here to tell you to stop snoring so damn loud,” she quipped.

Lucas rolled his eyes in exasperation, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and gently guided her into the apartment. “Come on, then. We were about to start watching Back to the Future.”

When Erica settled down next to El, Lucas placed the popcorn bowl between them and brought out the stash of candy Steve kept in one of the cupboards for them, handing it over to her. With everyone comfortable in their spots, Eddie leaned over for the remote, brushing his shoulder against Steve, and started the movie.

Everyone had drifted off to sleep, leaning against each other for support. Steve took a moment to observe everyone in his small living room, checking if any one of them were having a fitful sleep. As he shifted to stand, Eddie’s head dropped to his shoulder, a light snore escaping his lips. Steve stiffened, not wanting to disturb the other man but knew that everyone would have a sore neck if he didn’t wake them soon. He thought of moving Eddie’s head and propping it against the armchair that they were leaning on or sit there forever and never remove Eddie from his side, but decided to shake him gently instead.

“Hm? Steve?” Eddie opened his bleary eyes and looked around. He noticed how he was leaning too close to Steve, his side completely flushed against him. “Oh, sorry about that.”

“Help me with the kids?” Steve asked softly, lifting his chin towards them.

“Yeah, sure, dude.”

They got up slowly, stretching their stiff limbs before quietly going to each kid and situating them in their own sleeping bag or, in Erica’s case, clearing out the couch and putting down pillows and blankets. Once they were all sleeping soundly in their comfy spots, Steve motioned over to his room and started to make his way there. Eddie followed silently behind, slowing when he reached the threshold.

The guitar case was propped up against the desk that was next to a dresser with a cork board that had prints and polaroids of Steve and the party, a handful of him and Robin, and surprising a few with him, Jonathan, and Nancy, and a record player sat at the corner with a small pile of sleeved vinyls next to it. His old room had a strange wallpaper and trophies lining any surface that he could put them on. Now, Eddie could see more of who Steve Harrington was beyond a varsity jock.

Steve was digging through his bedside drawer, pulled out a yellow walkman and a Kate Bush tape. He popped the tape in and wordlessly made his way back out to Max who was fighting her sleep. He slid the headphones over her ears and played the tape softly. The corner of her lips pulled up as she snuggled in her sleeping bag, eyes already drifting closed. When he was sure that the kids were fine, he headed back to his room, leaving the door wide open, and flung himself onto his bed.

Eddie stood there awkwardly, wondering why he brought him into his room. There was a time where Eddie had wished that this would happen, but under different circumstances. It was always so Steve could talk to him without the others hearing in or because he wanted to get high with the windows open or something. Steve frowned at him, patting the empty space next to him as if he was supposed to know that he was offering his bed this whole time.

“Are you sure?” Eddie asked doubtfully.

Steve nodded. “Come on, Munson. There’s enough room on the bed,” he said, pulling the blanket back for him. Eddie crawled in, lying stiffly as Steve adjusted himself to be comfortable by his side. “What is it?”

“Just never thought I’d be sharing a bed with you. All the girls in Hawkins would kill to be in my position,” Eddie said, playing it off lightly like he always did.

Steve rolled his eyes. “I doubt that. Now, go to sleep.”

Despite his longtime crush sleeping only inches away from him, Eddie managed to fall asleep within seconds. Some time in their sleep, their bodies drifted towards each other, Eddie’s arm wrapping around Steve’s waist while he buried his nose in the crook of his long neck.

A heavy crack in the air, followed by screaming, jerked Eddie and Steve awake. Steve acted quickly, stumbling out of bed and rushed towards the kids. They were all awakened by the thunderstorm, eyes wide in fear as they huddled together. Lucas had his arms wrapped around Max and Erica, having rolled down from the couch and instinctively towards her brother, was tucked closely at her side. Will and El were looking around wildly, trying to sense the danger that wasn’t there while Mike had a long arm out as if to protect them.

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s okay,” Steve soothed them, kneeling to be near eye level with them.

“Steve,” El said softly, scooting towards him. “Can you play a song for us?”

It would be wrong to say no to that, wouldn’t it? Eddie was already holding the guitar when Steve looked up. He gingerly took it from him, refamiliarizing himself with the feel and weight of it. He exhaled slowly as Eddie watched curiously, slinging an arm around Dustin.

Steve strummed the strings first, getting a feel of the strings before playing a familiar set of chords. Max smiled, leaning her head on Lucas’s shoulder. The intro of Running Up That Hill began to flow from Steve’s fingertips and then he began to sing. Eddie’s eyes were glued to Steve, completely captivated by his voice. Even Max started to hum along as the musical sound barrier surrounded them, blocking out the storm once again.