#SteveEddie

[monstrousfemale]

Eddie's Vecna song would be something completely unexpected. Even though he's not cursed, he'd leave a cassette ready, just in case. He would hand it to Steve, tell him to keep it in his back pocket.

When they save the world and all that horror is in their rearview, Steve finds his bloody pants in a pile under his bed, one week forgotten. Eddie's beat up cassette is tangled in the mess, and he's glad he checked the pockets.

He puts the tape on at a low volume, expecting heavy metal, deafening and loud.

Instead, the tape is a loop of All Of Me by Billie Holiday. At the end of the song, over the last chorus, a woman's voice crackles through, louder than the singing. "Hey, goodnight, baby. Mama loves you all the time."

Turns out the only recording Eddie has of his mother has been sitting in Steve Harrington's room. Eddie's been in hospital, hasn't had the chance to remember it with all the sleeping he's been doing (who knew extreme blood loss would really knock a guy out). But he trusted Steve with this precious thing, and the realization is all it takes for Steve to know once and for all he's in love.

Steve brings Eddie a walkman and earphones, and he sits by Eddie's bed while he listens. Eddie pauses the tape. They hold hands over the edge of his hospital bed, comfortable silence falling between them like a warm blanket over the room.

[voldiscute]

Steve, looking at a chrismas tree: why there's no star on top?

Eddie: because you're the only star I need

Steve: you broke it, didn't you?

Eddie:

Steve:

Eddie: yup

[mattmaesonnatural]

Season 4: Chapter Six — The Dive

[rollerskate2theface]

5+1 five times someone noticed Steve Harrington liking men and the one time everyone noticed he loved one

1 Steve

Steve never really put much thought into who he was attracted to. Girls were easy he didn’t even have to try for them to be all over him, really it’s just a matter of convenience.

Nancy was like that at first, all flustered and flirty. But he could tell it was all some sort of act even if she didn’t know it. He was proven correct after Nancy’s whole “bullshit” stunt on Halloween. Steve really couldn’t even blame her, he knew he was bullshit.

Going after girls only girls because it was convenient? That sure seems like bullshit to him. So, he began to actually acknowledge things. Like how no other guys on the swim team seemed to admire each other’s physiques or how Tommy never seemed to understand Carol’s constant ramblings about how hot Mel Gibson is.

Steve always knew he just began to actually act on it, ya know, occasionally.

2 Erica

The first to notice was surprisingly Erica Sinclair. Well, maybe not so surprisingly considering she seemed to make it her goal for the summer to have his complete and undivided attention. Seeing as he was the only thing between her and 4x her weight in ice cream.

“Hey Nerd what could possibly be more interesting to you, a costumer service employee, than me, a costumer?”

Without looking at her Steve spoke, “You’ve come in everyday for the past 3 weeks and have only bought 1 single scoop in total. He however,” Steve pointedly looked at a guy in his early 20’s licking a drop of melted ice cream up his hand and back to his cone, “seems to be very content with his purchase.”

Erica huffed “barf me out, if I wanted to see some narbo make goo goo eyes I would’ve just stayed home with Lukie and Max.” With that Erica made her way out of the shop in hopes of getting more free samples from Hot Sam’s pretzels.

2.5 Robin (sort of)

Robin didn’t really get Steve Harrington. First he showed up to work on Robin’s first day with that hideous sailor’s costume on before introducing himself to her as if they weren’t in the same class an entire year and romantic rivals. He acted kind enough despite his near constant complaining.

There was also those damn kids that Robin couldn’t comprehend belonged to Steve. They had the guy wrapped around their little fingers, it was honestly kinda pathetic -maybe she should make another board. He was always giving them his company provided scoops they were allowed during breaks.

“Need to stay in shape; no high school athletics anymore. Plus those kids are skinny as twigs,” he’d brush her off.

At first Robin thought it was just the kids he was giving his free ice cream to but then she’d notice how he missed the payment of a couple of guys around their age that had come in.

“Hey Dingus! You forgot to charge them, I’ve seen you do that twice now!” Robin was annoyed if Steve kept doing that they’d both get written up.

“Don’t worry, that was my ice cream mark out,” Steve said offhandedly.

That made Robin stop, those didn’t look like any of the guys in King Steve’s posse of friends. “Why’d you give them your mark out? Do you know them?” Robin’s curiosity beat out her annoyance at the older teen in front of her.

“Nope! Let’s just say I’m hoping for a good tip,” Steve tossed out as he winked and walked into the back room.

This idiot most people tipped at least a dollar even when they had to pay… whatever it’s his mark out.

3.5 Dustin

Say what you may about Dustin Henderson but he was a scientist at heart. So, when he began to notice things about one of his favorite people he decided he needed to test his theory.

“So, uh, Steve,” Dustin threw out while he and Steve were listening to music in the older man’s family room. Steve was jogging on his fathers treadmill as Dustin wrote his letter to send to Suzie in the mail.

Steve gave an uninterested ‘mmhm’ in response.

“Will’s been complaining about how all the party has girlfriends but him-”

“You go easy on him middle school’s hard enough without a bunch of dickwad friends and relationship drama-”

“High school, Steve, we start high school in the fall. No more middle school baby shit for us!”

“Yeah yeah whatever just lay off Will. Not everyone is interested in romance so young,” Steve finally finished once their bickering stoped.

Dustin scoffed, “No that’s just Mike, he’s the only one being weird about it. But anyway that’s exactly what I was about to ask! When did you start showing romantic interest?” Dustin preened himself on his subtlety.

Steve looked surprised at that, “Oh! Well I guess I really started liking people romantically in 6th grade. I mean I had my first girlfriend in 7th grade,” he snorted, “if you could even call it that, we just held hands at recess and gave messages through friends…”

Dustin tuned the other out. ‘People’ damn that was a bust alright new approach.

“Yeah yeah uh huh sooo, Steve? Which Star Wars character do you think is the hottest?” Dustin asked thinking back to the film he’d watched the night prior.

The treadmill stopped as Steve sighed and turned to face Dustin, “dude I keep telling you I’m not going to watch your geeky movie.”

“How dare you! Star Wars is a cinematic masterpiece! I-” stay on track Dustin don’t jeopardize the experiment, “whatever who do you think is the hottest actor from one of your lame rom-coms then?” Okay, so much for subtlety.

Steve raised an eyebrow at that -oh no he noticed- he walked over and plopped down on the floor next to Dustin, “Alright, what’s going on why are you acting weird?”

“What? I’m not acting weird? I just,” another unconvinced look, “Ugh fine. I’ve just started to notice how you aren’t only flirty with… with just girls anymore… Which is totally fine! Cool! Awesome even! I just, I wanted to find out if I was… right? I don’t know, now I sound like an asshole.”

Dustin isn’t sure if it’s a good sign or a bad sign when Steve began to laugh. His laughter died down after a couple seconds, “you’re a strange kid, you know that? But to prove- confirm your hypothesis or whatever. Yes I like men, and women, both I like both,” Steve stammered. “You’re actually the first one I’ve said that to.”

Dustin grinned twisting to hug Steve from where he was sat beside him. A thought just occurred to the almost high schooler, “ This means double the potential set ups.” This sentiment was met with a groan and a plead of not needing that.

4.5 Mike

Mike Wheeler has been told he’s at that ‘difficult’ age in puberty -gross- where he’s mad about everything. Well if you ask him it’s pretty freaking easy to be mad at everything including how his mom sold his bike at a yard sale because, “You’re too big for it now Michael you can barely ride it. This money is going towards a new one you’ll just have to save up.”

Hence why he’s waiting for his ride who’s currently working in a too cold, too bright shop, with an annoying smile on his face talking to some long haired weirdo with like 8 different chains hanging off his pants and a black bandana sticking out of his back right pocket. A weirdo that’s been here for over an hour making Steve stay late. “Steve! We were supposed to be out of here 12 minutes ago! Hurry up!” Mike yelled tapping his watch as though Steve could see it from across the store.

“Hold your shit Wheeler we’ll be out in a minute,” Steve yelled back earning a bark of laughter from the weirdo. Mike heard Steve start to finish up speaking with the- costumer? Actually, Mike doesn’t think he ever saw that guy even order anything.

Feeling curious Mike meandered towards them trying to catch the end of their conversation.

“-my house or yours tonight?”

“Wayne has tonight off so he’s gonna be hogging up the trailer soooo”

“Yeah yeah my place just remember no blasting music in my neighborhood the Inslee’s are already this close to calling the cops”

“Oh yeah, and heaven knows what we’ll be up to when they arrive-”

“Shut up! Alright I gotta go see you in a couple hours Ed!”

With that Steve and Mike exited the Scoops Ahoy walking through the food court and out the mall towards Steve’s Beamer where it sat in the mall parking lot. The two settled in, Steve making sure Mike had his seatbelt on before pulling out. From the passengers seat Mike eyed Steve trying to decipher what he had heard the two older men in the mall talking about.

Giving in Mike gave an annoyed huff admitting he was actually interested in something to do with Steve Harrington. “Who was that guy and how often do you have sleepovers?” he asked.

This was met with shifty eyes and a soft laugh from the older teen, “who? Eddie? The guy from the mall? He’s no one, just a friend,” there was a strange tinge of guilt in his voice.

“You shouldn’t do that.” Mike said firmly staring out at the road in front of them.

This made Steve confused turning to look at Mike before redirecting them back to the road, “do what?”

This made Mike even more pissed. “Lead people on. You and I both know you like girls, you’ve dated girls, you dated Nancy! Did you not care about her? Did you not love her? I know you broke up or whatever, but she definitely loved you once, I can’t believe you faked the whole thing!” Mike had tears welling in his eyes.

The car came to a slow as Steve pulled over to the side of the road, “woaah hey man I did- I did love your sister. Sometimes I think a little more than she loved me. I was never lying about what I felt for her.” Mike sniffled. “And yes, I do like girls always have, still do. But, I think you may have noticed,” Steve attempted to joke, “I’m also of the uh, male persuasion? Ugh that sounds gross. Men I like men too.”

Steve expected some backlash after the start of this conversation and was surprised when he was met with Mike’s odd look of clarity. “You- you can like both?” The younger boy asked. Steve hadn’t heard him sound so small since he saw him take care of an unconscious Will during their last run in with monsters.

“Yeah, you can like both.”

5 Robin (yes again)

Okay so Steve Harrington wasn’t that bad. In fact he was kind of cool. And not like popular, eggs cars and makes out with chicks under the bleachers cool. But genuinely a cool dude that basically saved her life, well, with the help of a couple children.

Maybe it was the drugs, maybe it was the probable head trauma, maybe it was even the thrill of actually escaping a secret Russian base but Robin felt like she could tell this guy anything. Which probably wasn’t great considering her… situation.

The two teenagers were sitting in the bathroom heads hanging over toilet bowl rims. They were joking around but the girl knew she didn’t want to be asked any heavy or revealing questions not when she didn’t have complete control of her mind so instead she asked Steve.

“Have you… ever been in love” she’d asked after some thought. This should be easy enough for him, he’s known for his prowess with the ladies.

She received a small cackle from the stall next to her. “Yeah a couple of times. Nancy Wheeler my first love I went insane for that girl, first semester senior year,” Steve made a gun motion shooting into his heart, “honestly I’m glad I had what I had with Nancy and also glad that it ended? If it hadn’t I would’ve never been with who I’m with today, the person I think I want to spend the rest of my life with,” Robin could tell there was a smile of his face when he’d said that.

Wow Robin really hadn’t expected that confession, she was honestly a bit worried he might admit to liking her. Who would’ve thought Steve Harrington tied down. “How’d you know?” Robin asked she’d never been able to think that strongly about anyone not even Tammy who she’s had a year long major crush on.

Steve sighed, “I don’t know… He just makes me feel happy and excited whenever I’m near him.”

Robin’s breath hitched when she noticed the pronouns he’d used, okay she definitely wasn’t supposed to be told this, he wasn’t in the right state of mind, neither was she. And yet, she couldn’t stop him; it felt so good to hear about someone like her actually being happy and finding love even if it was surprisingly Steve Harrington.

“He’s a lot different than everyone else I’ve dated, but he’s also different from everybody else in general so I guess that makes sense. He’s dramatic and weird, and impossible to look away from. I still can’t even believe he likes me back.”

Hearing Steve talk about his boyfriend gave Robin the confidence to tell him about Tammy much to his great judgment which they joked about until Dustin and Erica barged into their little sanctuary of a bathroom.

+1 Everyone

If you ask anyone, that day after Vecna was defeated the whole party piled into their meeting place at the hospital. They wouldn’t tell you the first thing they noticed was a limping Dustin crying silently as though he could no longer make sound from screaming so loudly. It wasn’t Robin walking through the door with a broken guitar in her arms. It wasn’t even the boy bleeding out, unconscious, clothes ripped to shreds.

No, they’d tell you they’d noticed Steve Harrington sobbing as he yelled for ‘someone anyone please help him please my Eddie please help him somebody Eddie please Eddie’. He held Eddie Munson in his arms as he ran through the hospital begging them to save his Eddie.

Eddie was taken into surgery immediately and nobody could think of what to say to Steve. He was hunched over in a small waiting chair right outside Eddie’s operating room.

It was Joyce Byers freshly off a death helicopter from Russia that kneeled down in front of the boy. She held his hands in hers as she said, “he’ll be okay. He knows your out here waiting for him. He won’t leave you.”

With that Steve slumped forward onto her as he began to sob.

Eddie came out of his first surgery a couple hours later but the doctors informed he was likely going to be in unconscious for at least a week. Steve stayed with Eddie and his uncle in the hospital everyday refusing to leave. The kids filtered in and out checking on Eddie and Max a few rooms down. Without fail Steve had his chair pulled up right next to Eddie’s bed just watching him.

Dustin talked to Eddie, a lot, so did Robin. Eddie probably liked that, both Wayne and Steve didn’t talk much. Preferred to sit in silence watching for any sign that the comatose boy was improving.

The day Eddie did wake up most of the party was there including Nancy, Jonathan, some guy from California, the youngest Sinclair -Lucas didn’t want to leave Max alone- a couple Russians, his uncle and his boyfriend. When Eddie slowly opened his eyes he looked towards Steve sitting directly to his left.

“Hey Stevie, I tried to be a hero. Sorry,” his vocals were strangled from lack of use.

“You should be sorry! You are such an idiot! God I love you, never do that again.” Steve then pulled Eddie into a searing kiss in front of everyone. Not that anyone was surprised.

[madaboutmunson]

Look, everytime I see these GIFs my brain does two things:

*INTERNALLY SCREAMING* WHERE IS YOUR HAND STEVEN???!!!

*tiny boop sound* little hip bump

[fxn-ghxul]

this is it. this is them.

[fangirlandtheories]

Awww the mutual jealousy, so precious! They love each other so much. 🧀 Some cheeses, to start your weekend off,hope its a good one:

Steve takes up crocheting as something to do with his hands when he feels anxious. In addition to adding to his own sweater collection, when he deems his work good enough, he starts making various things for others. He incorporates their interests, and personal details,into his work sometimes. Examples: he made Eddie a scarf with skulls on it,for Robin he made a beanie hat with little robins, and a sweater for Lucas with his jersey number. If he's not there with them at least he's still protecting them from the cold.

During a gathering Steve gets hurt doing something extremely mundane (maybe he trips or he bangs his head in the corner of a cabinet door?) and has a full breakdown that he hasn't ever allowed himself to. He just can't stop the hiccuping sobs and, embarrassed, he tries to hide away only to be stopped and held by Robin and Eddie.

My cheesy little darling, you've inspired me. This isn't my best work by any means, it was written in a haze tbh as I've been running on less than fumes all week, BUT this is just for you my love. Thank you for sending me so many sweet ideas and messages, taking time out of your day to shower me with love.

-.-.-

His mother had always loved those cabinets. Their dark stain with the little golden handles that matched the faucet. He remembered seeing her cleaning them obsessively as a child, crying while rubbing polish onto the handles just to see them shine. She never put that much effort into him, no one did.

It started over something so stupid, so small. He had barely knocked his forehead, especially in comparison to the previous assaults his brain had survived, there was a little cut from the corner that was hiding in the creases of his brows. It was nothing that a bandaid wouldn’t fix. Under the surface was a much different problem. 

He could barely hear the hushed voices around him, the placating hands of Eddie placed on his knees while he drew in practiced breaths. Nancy was on the phone with someone, face drawn in a sort of faux calm despite her eyes giving her away. Even Argyle seemed unnerved, eyes glued to the floor as he twisted and untwisted the cap of a bottle of water. Robin though, she was the kicker.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay…” She recited the mantra over and over while rocking him back and forth, he was held close to her chest, the way a mother cradles an upset child. Lying on the floor beside where his bruised and bloody knuckles were resting, was the door to his mother’s beloved cabinets.

-.-.-

“As I told you before ma’am, you can’t rent anything new if you have late fees remaining on your account. If you pay the $3.65 I can check you out, otherwise there’s nothing I can do.”  Steve winced from behind the counter. His head was killing him and he still had about 4 hours until his shift was over.

“Thanks for nothing, asshole.” The woman huffed before tossing the movie on the counter. “You’ve lost my business.”

“Sorry to hear that, have a good day.” He waved as she marched out of the store. Sighing, he put his head in his hands, exhausted. Every customer seemed to have a bee in their bonnet and his trusty sidekick had the day off. He’d spent the majority of the day squinting at the small computer screen, organizing shelves, and stacking boxes of candy. Essentially: busy work.

He could feel a slight tremor in his hands, a clear sign of too much caffeine to not enough food. He’d been sleeping a little less lately, constantly on edge and overthinking every emotion the kids seem to feel. He didn’t like to speak poorly of the dead, but he was a little bitter about the death of Hopper. He wasn’t jealous, per say, he was just very tired. Hopper seemed to have constant control, an answer to everything, and Steve felt like a poor substitute. He was spread too thin, between the missing support of Joyce and Jim, having to play both roles when necessary. The kids called him Mom for a reason.

It wasn’t until he pulled into his driveway that he realized he was driving home. It took another minute to process the cars parked on the street. He’d forgotten that he’d planned a ‘teenager’ night. He wasn’t a teenager, not anymore, technically Eddie wasn’t either. Nancy and Robin were, however, as were Jonathan and Argyle. Majority seemed to rule. He had given a key to Robin, trusting her with more than his life, so he knew they were all inside, likely laughing and telling stories, passing blunts and sipping beers. He let his head fall against the steering wheel, letting out a low whine as he cursed the past Steve who had invited everyone.

Showtime.

His mask was composed of nothing more than 28 teeth. A lazy smile that seemed to put everyone off his trail. He remembered learning about how different animals indicate that they’re venomous through color. Bright vibrant oranges and reds that drew in the eye but flashed as a warning to not get too close.

-.-.-

It had happened so quickly, the cabinet opened by Eddie in search of a snack. Steve happened to be passing at the wrong time, Eddie facing the wrong way, laughing at something Argyle had said. The cabinet, his mother’s favorite, had smacked Steve directly in the face, the corner catching on his forehead. 

It was one of those rare occasions when life felt so overwhelming, like it was throwing everything it had, that something as small as a loose thread on a sweater could throw someone into a panic. Like there were five too many straws on the camel’s back. 

Eddie’s eyes could only widen in shock as Steve swung at the cabinet, fists shaking, breaths gasping, until he managed to rip it off it’s hinges. He had made a low, animal-like growl as his eyes turned glassy. Everything moved around him as Nancy called Joyce and Robin pulled him into an embrace. Steve had been scratching at his knees as tears slipped down his cheeks, so Eddie put his hands on them to stop him from hurting himself. Robin met his eyes from behind Steve’s back, panic and uncertainty clear, and he knew he would be sitting there all night. 

“That’s it Sunshine, deep breaths.” Eddie took deep breaths with him, ignoring the tense argument going on behind him. Nancy and Jonathan were whispering about whether or not to drive over to the Byers family home. The idea was to get Jim, he’d know what to do, but he hadn’t answered the phone.

“Get out.” Robin’s voice was sharp as her head snapped to them. “You guys arguing isn’t fucking helping.” Nancy’s scowl softened as she took a hold of Jonathan’s arm, leading him out of the room, Argyle trailing behind them. “Steve, it would be really helpful to me if you could show me that you can hear us.”

“I can hear you.” His voice was a gentle whisper, a wheeze at most. His cheeks were red with embarrassment, his gaze not meeting either set of eyes. His shoulders were hitching as little sobs escaped his throat. “I-I don’t-”

“It’s okay.” Eddie grabbed his hands, rubbing the back of his hands with  his thumbs. “You just got a little upset, Pretty Boy, nothing to be ashamed of, happens to all of us.”

“No no no I’m sorry, Jesus fuck-” His hands pulled away from Eddie’s as he pressed them to his warm cheeks. “This is so stupid.”

“Hey, none of that.” Robin swatted at him gently. “Do you want to maybe walk us through it?”

“I don’t even know why…” He gasped, shivering gently. “It’s just been a long… few years I guess, but this week has been really bad. I just got overwhelmed, I guess.”

“That’s okay Sugar.” Eddie crooned, wiping a stray hair out of Steve's face. “You can ask the kids, sometimes I get real quiet during our campaigns and then 10 minutes later I come back to find Wayne shaking my shoulder and the kids looking at me like I just fucking keeled over in front of them. I can’t control it, neither can you.”

“Oh God the kids.” Steve sat forward suddenly.

“Hey they’re okay.” Robin rubbed a hand on his back. “They’re at home, probably getting ready for bed, eating dessert, and cramming for a history test most likely.”

“Yeah but…” Steve choked on a sob. “What if this happens again when I’m with them? What if one of them gets hurt?”

“Then they’ll be there for you like they are for Eddie.” She pressed a chaste kiss to his shoulder. “You worry more about them than you do yourself.”

“I have to!” Steve shot up suddenly, grasping at the counter. Eddie shot a look at Robin before slowly standing next to him. “I don’t have a fucking choice, okay?”

“Steve-’

“No, don't tell me it’s okay.” Steve whipped around to face them, eyes filled with tears. “It’s not fucking fair because I had to be the one in charge, alright? Nancy was doing shit with Jonathan and Hopper was off with Joyce, so who was left to make sure everyone else was okay? Me. Then Hopper dies and Joyce moves away, no other adults know about this, so sue me if I had to take on a parental role, no one else was there to. I had to be the grown up, but no one ever gave a shit about the fact that I was only 17. Those kids are 15, they’re too young to be dealing with this on their own. I’m so goddamn tired and I don’t… I don’t know what to do.” He cut himself off with a wet sigh, Robin wrapping her arms around him tightly.

“That’s a lot to carry around, Stevie.” Eddie cradled Steve’s chin in his hand. “If you start feeling like that again, anytime and anywhere, you call me, okay?”

“I don’t want to just unload all of this onto you guys, that’s not your job, okay?” Steve turned his head away.

“No, it’s not okay.” Robin pouted. “ Not at all. You’re not ‘unloading’ you’re working through trauma. That’s nearly impossible to do alone. Like it or not, we’re with you. We’re a team right? You’re not the only adult, not anymore.”

“I don’t want you guys to think I can’t handle this, like I’m weak or something.” Eddie wiped the tears off his cheek.

“Steve, I need you to hear this, okay?” Eddie peered deeply into his hazel eyes. “We love you. The way you are. Even if you think you’re weak, we’d love you. We will never look down on you like that, okay?”

“Okay…” Steve gave into the shaky breaths, his rough cries muffled by the shoulders of Eddie while Robin stroked a hand through his hair.

To hell with his mother’s favorite cabinets.

[mrs-assbutt]

Do you ever find yourself going on Pinterest every day to pin a few pins about your favorite gay couple, organizing them by board, or are you normal?

[monstrousfemale]

After the world finally stops threatening to end, sometime in late 1989, Steve quietly gets a tattoo across his ribs. It’s something personal and private, something he just needs etched into his skin because to not have it there would feel like a lie. He feels disconnected from himself, he feels alone, he feels like bullshit. Going into Indianapolis for the weekend and shoving the handwritten line at a tattoo artist is the most human Steve has felt in forever. The sharp pain of the needle followed by the dull ache of the healing process finally grounds him.

No one but Robin hears about this, though. And turns out outside of saving the world, now that he doesn’t swim as much, Steve doesn’t have that many excuses to take his shirt off anymore. So, the tattoo is a secret by omission, and Steve is fine with that. It’s his thing, and it doesn’t have to be exposed for it to mean as much as it does.

And it does mean a lot. It’s a mark of a new beginning, something physical to prove to Steve he is still around and kicking. 

And after that, life feels livable again. He has his friends, his only real family. He is managing Family Video now, after the owner had moved out of town due to world-almost-ending experiences. He is finally settling into being someone he actually wants to be.

Most importantly, Steve keeps in touch with Eddie as much as he can. They’re hanging out on and off all the time, falling into an easy routine without either of them meaning to. And by 1990, before either of them knows what hits them, they’re fumbling in the backroom at Family Video, making out against a shelf, VHS tapes raining down on them like falling in love: fast, hard, unexpected.

It’s all a blur of finally expressing things they had been keeping hidden for too long. Sharing secrets at midnight, back and forth with the pass of a joint or two or five. And after they start, they couldn't stop even if they had wanted to. They need this good thing. And they both know too well how fast the shit hits the fan around them. So, they don’t care for taking things slow, not after years of dancing around each other. All this to say, it doesn’t take long at all for Eddie to find himself in Steve Harrington's bedroom.

He’s sitting against the headboard, watching as Steve gets rid of his clothes. He had been expecting an almost childish awkwardness from Steve, because Eddie knows he hadn't done this before, not with a man. Not that Eddie has that much experience to speak of himself, but he had come to terms with it way earlier. It doesn’t matter what he had expected though, because in truth Steve is smooth, sexy even. He removes his clothes with purpose and devastating eye contact. He gets rid of his pants, and then his shirt is coming off – finally, finally messing up that amazing head of hair of his.

Eddie almost gets too distracted by Steve's intensity to notice the tattoo. When he comes closer, though, Eddie places his hand over his ribs. Instinctively, he just has to look and see what his skin looks like against Steve's skin. And there it is, right by his fingers. Pitch black ink, already healed over, already fully Steve. The words are stark against his pale skin. I want to be adored. Eddie has the air knocked out of him.

Steve looks down, confused for a moment. "Wha-?" he starts to ask, but then his brain catches on. Steve feels self-conscious, kisses Eddie to distract him from what he'd found. He hadn't known this is how he would feel, had never felt ashamed or embarrassed of much about his appearance before. And this isn’t quite shame. But this is Steve, bared, naked, in ways that go above a state of undress.

Eddie breaks the kiss, hand splayed over Steve's chest. "Fuck, Steve. When did you get that?"

"A while back. It's nothing." It is everything. It means so much to Steve, he'd never have the words.

Eddie's eyes soften, skimming the words again and again. The smile that graces his lips is tiny, a kind little thing Steve usually only sees on his face whenever he is around the nuggets, Max or Dustin usually.

"I can make that happen," Eddie says, honesty dripping from his words. It isn’t his usual, larger than life rambling. This is Eddie seeing him, really seeing him.

"What?" Steve asks, to diffuse the tension. A self-sabotaging little jab at their clear connection, because he actually thinks he knows exactly what Eddie means.

"I can adore you, big boy," Eddie says, and his playful spark was back. He winks, pulling Steve close by the shoulders. He gets both of them on Steve's bed. Steve's chest aches.

"Shut up," he says, because he doesn’t know how to accept something like this. Doesn’t know how to process that anyone would care, that anyone would pay attention.

Eddie rolls his eyes at him, flips them on the bed so he can straddle Steve's hips. Eddie traces the ink on his skin like it is precious. He kisses Steve hard, kisses his love into his lips, pushes it into his mouth like he does his tongue.

"I do adore you," Eddie says later, after they're both tired and spent and sated. After sex has made things fuzzier. It feels so simple now. It is so true.

"Eddie," Steve starts, ready to tell Eddie about all the ways in which he, Steve, is fucked up. Instead: "Thank you."

"Hey, I got you."

And Eddie does, he really does.

[by-lers]

[groovy-bear]

Eddie and Steve in camp aus

I'm here for it

[lesbyers]

also i do mean it when i say eddie is gaycoded. if u put a bandana in the back pocket of your male character from the 80s then i know what you’re doing

[mattmaesonnatural]

Steve and Eddie in Season 4 Episode 3: The Monster and The Superhero

[aberfaeth]

transfiguration’s gonna come for me at last

[stranger things, Eddie/Steve but also Eddie&Robin, Eddie&Max, And Such. character study/fix it. 6k]

“So, like, what’s up with your mailbox?”

Trust Steve Harrington to waltz into your house, sprawl out on your armchair, and hit you with a whammy like that. Eddie pauses, midway through locking the door behind them. “What?”

“Your.” Steve fumbles. He gestures to nothing, lips pursed. “Y’know, the thing on the wall outside. You always touch it when you walk by. I thought it was maybe, like, a tiny mailbox? But now that I’m saying it out loud, that sounds… really stupid.”

(or, Eddie Munson and Judaism.)

hi guess whos back back again. this time with a niche jewish headcanon fic! this one’s a lot of friendship, a lil romance, and a pretty solid matzo ball soup recipe. i hope u enjoy <3

read transfiguration’s gonna come for me at last here!

[madaboutmunson]

Look I am not a d&d expert I've only been playing for a few years, but hear me out, I have to say I disagree with Steve being a Paladin.

Yeah he absolutely cares ferociously about his party, and will protect/defend them like the super single mom he is but to me that guy is a Barbarian.

he is first in, meat shield, and just because you are big and tough (even though he doesn't win all his fights doesn't mean he's not tough) doesn't mean you can't also be loving and kind.

Shirtless...unarmoured.

Bat with nails in? Brute force weapon

Also...I would like to RAGE !

Not the stealthiest sometimes...

Aaaaand he's in love with the naughty little bard...which makes perfect sense because the bard can support his barbarian in indirect ways, like...distraction and buffs.