#abusive Tommy Hagan

[medusapelagia]

Eddie's month day 12 + Whumptober day 12

written for @eddiemonth and @whumptober-archive 

Prompts: Eddie’s month 12: Soulmates | Eight - Sleeping at Last | Perceptive Whumptober 12: I haven't slept in days, but who's counting? - Red | Insomnia | “I’m up, I’m up.” 

Rating: Mature Relationship: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson WT: omegaverse, Omega Steve Harrington, Alpha Eddie Munson, Nurse Steve Harrington, violence, hospitals, medical procedures, medical inaccuracies, soulmates and soulmarks WC: 2284

"You got nice veins." the nurse tells Eddie while drawing some blood.

"Sorry?"

"Your veins. They are nice. Look how they pop out." the omega repeats, smiling at him so sweetly that Eddie has to fight with all his self-control not to pop something else right there.

"Are you worried?"

"A little." he confesses. 

It's a minor surgery, everyone told him, but he is scared. He never had surgery before and he doesn't know what to expect.

"It will be fine. It's a very simple procedure and I'll be with you all the time." the nurse comforts him.

"Will you?"

The omega nurse nods "Yes. I'm in surgery today. And you are lucky I am, my partner, Robin, is not as delicate as I am. Done."

Eddie stares at his arm and sees the long needle "This is an IV access. I will remove it as soon as the doctor discharges you, ok?"

"How long?"

The nurse looks at the clock "We start at half past eight, you are the third so I think you'll be waiting for at least an hour." the omega replies, then he asks "Can you tell me where your soulmark is? It's not written on your file."

Eddie blushes, he knows that the skin around the soulmark is sensible but his soulmark is… "Oh... it's... it's on my hips. A crown."

The nurse smirks "Lucky boy, you find yourself a prince! Or is it a queen?"

Eddie shakes his head "No... I... haven't found my soulmate yet."

The nurse keeps smiling "You are young. You still have all the time in the world to find your soulmate. Some people do not even get their soulmark recorded to the register. I waited for years before registering mine. And I did it only because my family insisted. They said that it was not appropriate for an omega male to work if he was not bonded."

"So you found your match? Are they perfect for you as everyone says?" Eddie tries to take a look at the omega mating gland but it is protected by a tick collar like every omega in the hospital.

"Sadly not.” he replies “But there are a lot of people who find their soulmates by chance. Their soulmark starts to tickle when they first meet, and if they are fated mate they say it can even shine. Not that I have ever seen a shining soulmark, but you never know, right?.” he tells him while he keeps writing something on Eddie’s file “But I think that it is possible to find love even without the designated soulmate. Many people do that. I know some couples that even erase their soulmark once they bond."

"Really?"

"Of course. But I'm sure you'll find someone perfect for you, soulmark or not. Now. Here is the gown, put it on and tie it on the back, I'll call you when we are ready for you."

"Can I ask you something?" 

The nurse turns, his hand still on the handle of the door "Do you have any doubt about the procedure? I could call a doctor if you need some explanations…"

Eddie blushes "No it’s… I... I'd like to ask you your name."

The nurse's smile is so bright that Eddie feels a little bit in love.

"Steve. The name is Steve."

***

When Eddie wakes up the kind omega is working at the computer.

He turns, as he could feel that Eddie is awake “Hey. How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?”

“Is it done?” he asks, still disoriented and sleepy.

“Everything is done. Now we wait for a little bit and then you can rest in your room.” The omega replies with a smile.

“Have I… have I done something stupid?”

Eddie has a very vague memory of having made a fool out of himself but he can’t really remember what happened.

“Hey, our lover boy is back! How are you feeling?” a blond nurse asks him, getting closer to his bed.

“Lover boy?” he asks, confused.

The girl's eyes shine “Don’t you remember? That’s such a pity. You made the most wonderful love declaration I have ever heard.”

“That’s because you never heard a love declaration before, Robin.” Steve mocks her.

Robin. Why is that name familiar to him?

“What… what are you talking about?”

“Oh. You promised our Steve to make him an honorable omega and to marry him soon. I think you tried to compose some kind of wedding song too.” She grins.

“Oh my god.” he roughly remembers that, now that she is pointing it out. Fuck. He proposed to his nurse in front of his partner! 

“I’m sorry… I don’t know why I did it.”

“Don’t worry. It was the anesthesia. I know that you are not really attracted to me.” the omega replies.

“How no, you are definitely attractive! I just didn’t mean to make a declaration in front of your partner.”

Steve stares at him perplexed, wondering if they gave him too much medicine “Who?”

“Robin? Your partner?”

The girl starts to laugh “Oh, Romeo, I’m his partner in crime, we are not partners in real life.” she explains to him, taking his vitals “Even if our Steve is actually taken. How are the things between you and Tommy, by the way? Did he finally propose or is he still unsure between you and Carol?”

“Robin, that’s not professional!” Steve scolds her.

“Come on, lover boy here is so high he will not remember a thing.”

“I don’t care. Just stop it.” 

“Ok, ok. Sorry.” she says putting a hand on Steve’s arm and the omega flinches.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

“Steve Joseph Harrington, show me your fucking arm right now!” she hisses, tugging him in a corner, but even from his position Eddie can see a blue bruise that looks like a hand.

“How the fuck did this happen?”

“I argued with Tommy. I forgot to pick up dry cleaning, but he was right to be angry because he had a really important meeting today and I’m the omega of the couple…”

“What the fuck! He can’t hit you because you forgot something.”

“He didn’t hit me!” Steve protests “He just… Grabbed me.”

“So hard to leave a bruise?”

The omega lowers his eyes and covers his arm “Come on. We still have three more patients and I have to bring Mr. Munson back to his room.”

The girl sighs “But don’t think that this conversation is over.”

“Yeah, yeah…” he comes back toward Eddie who stares at him with more attention, the omega’s eyes are red and tired, and he seems dead on his feet even if he keeps smiling and cheering Eddie up.

“All done. So now you rest a little and when the doctor says that everything is fine you can go back home.”

Eddie nods, but before falling asleep he thinks about the sweet tired omega.

How is it possible that he is in a relationship with someone who grabbed him so hard to hurt him?

Someone who can’t decide between him and another person?

He feels a strange burning sensation on his waist, but he falls asleep before he can point out exactly where the pain comes from.

***

A week later Eddie is back in the hospital, he still has to do a couple of exams just to be sure that everything is fine.

This time it is Robin who draws his blood and he definitely feels the difference.

“Steve is not here today?” he says.

“Still in love with him, lover boy?” she asks, changing the vials.

“I just wanted to thank him for being so kind to me.” Eddie shrugs.

“Well, I do hope he is resting somewhere. He was here all night long covering an extra shift.” she replies “But if I know him I think you will find him in the pediatric ward. That omega loves children.” she winks at him.

Eddie thinks for a long moment, and then he goes toward the pediatric ward.

As Robin anticipated, Steve is reading a fantasy book to a couple of pups.

“And that’s all for today.” he says, closing the book.

“Come on! Steve! Read us another chapter!” a red-haired girl complains, glaring at him with her blue eyes.

“Next time, Maxine.”

“It’s Max.” she states.

“Ok. Max. Tomorrow we will read another chapter, ok?”

The pup doesn't seem happy but then the other one notices Eddie and says something in Steve’s ear.

The omega lifts his eyes and smiles at him.

“Eddie. Did you come for your last check-up?”

The alpha nods, too embarrassed to speak, but the omega is kind as usual.

“You know what? Why don’t we have a coffee? God knows that I need one.”

***

The cafeteria is nothing fancy, but the coffee is hot and strong.

“That’s exactly what I need.” the omega sighs, drinking his cup of coffee with oat milk and brown sugar “I was ready to fall asleep when I was reading to the kids.” he laughs.

“Are you having trouble sleeping?”

“I’m a nurse.” Steve replies with a smile “I haven't slept in days, but who's counting? Right?”

Eddie’s inner alpha would like to take him home, helping him make a nest in his room and keep him there until he feels better.

“Robin said that you were supposed to rest.”

“Yeah, I know. But I promised Max and Dust that we would read a chapter today and I’m not going to have any free time later on so…”

Steve takes off his collar and stretches his neck  “Every omega that works in the hospital has to put a collar on during his shift, you never know what could happen with some alpha patients. Sometimes they get violent and try to bite the omegas. But god if it’s uncomfortable!” He complains.

“For real?”

“Yeah. You know. Pain is a strong emotion and sometimes it takes out the instinctual part of some individuals.”

“Steve?!” someone calls and the omega turns.

For a moment Eddie sees a black mark on Steve’s neck, but then his attention is all on the alpha that is growling at the omega.

“You are such a slut.” the unknown alpha yells, throwing a paper bag at Steve “I made you a fucking sandwich! Your favorite! Because I thought you were too tired after a night shift! And you are here?! Having fun with another alpha?!”

The omega mewls “It’s not like that, Tommy, he is a patient and…”

“Is that so? I thought that you were supposed to wear a collar when you were with alpha patients! Why are you not wearing it, uh? Are you offering him yourself? Is that what you do when you are at work?!” the alpha growls, but Eddie growls back, pushing Steve behind him.

“What the fuck are you doing, man! We were just having coffee!”

“You were having a coffee with my omega!”

“I see no bite!”

“Well, this could be arranged, you know?” and then Tommy pushes Eddie away and throws himself at Steve, trying to bite his mating gland.

The omega whines, but Tommy manages to scruff him and he is almost biting Steve when Eddie punches him in the face.

After that, everything is a blur.

When Eddie comes back to his senses he is tied in a hospital bed and a policeman is sitting next to him.

“I’m Chief Hopper. Nurse Harrington told us what happened but I’d like to take your statement too.”

Eddie nods and explains to him what happened.

“The omega is not going to press charges. Are you?”

Why the fuck is he not pressing charges?!

“Everyone in the cafeteria testified that you were protecting the omega so you could press charges if you wanted to.”

There is something in the way the police officer is talking to him that makes him think that he should.

But in the end, he decides not to.

It’s Robin who comes back to discharge him a few hours later.

“How is he?”

“Steve?”

Eddie nods.

“He is resting. It was a hard day but we are understaffed and he knows that.”

“Can I see him?” he asks and Robin seems unsure, while she bites her lip, but then she gives him directions toward the room where Steve is resting.

“I’m up, I’m up!” Steve says, jumping on the bed as soon as Eddie opens the door, ready to get back to work.

“Sorry. Just me. I wanted to be sure you were ok.”

“Oh, Eddie. Hi. I’m fine. Yeah. Thanks for the help…”

“When I see fragile things, helpless things, broken things… I see something familiar.” he tells him, sitting on Steve’s cot “My parents were junkies so I lived in a trailer with my uncle. I’m no Prince Charming but I know how you should treat a person and how you should not.”

“You mean an omega.” Steve clarifies.

“You are more than your designation, Steve. And you deserve someone better than that piece of shit!” 

In the dim light of the room, something is shining on Steve’s neck.

“What are you looking at?” the omega asks.

“Your neck…”

“Oh, yeah, it looks bad but it’s just my soulmark.”

“It’s shining.”

“Is it what?!” Steve gets up and runs towards the bathroom. Now that Eddie can see it better he understands exactly what that is: a guitar pick.

He lowers the waist of his pants and sees something shining too.

“Are you a prince, Steve?”

Steve turns and looks at him astonished “At… at school. They called me King Steve. To mock me.”

“Well… I’m a guitarist. And I really think that I’m your fated soulmate.”

[onstrangerthighs]

👑 After Billy encounters a demodog while on his way to pick up Max from a sleepover, Steve takes a walk to Cherry Lane with a flashlight to check on him, and it soon becomes an unintentional routine. Billy has yet to call him out on it, so Steve isn't sure if he knows (he does). Steve doesn't know how to bring up what he's seen through Billy's window. He's starting to understand what Billy meant when he said that he's no stranger to monsters. He also starts leaving a light on in his house to let Billy know he's always welcome. Steve may be facing a different kind of monster, but they're all the same in the end. They thrive in the dark and prey on the lonely. Billy won't be lonely anymore; he'll make sure of it.

📸Jonathan sees the bruises that Billy's jacket can't hide. He follows Billy whenever he can, like a friendly shadow. If Billy notices, he doesn't say anything. He does, however, walk around with a small smile and a pep in his step. He's a walking masterpiece that sticks out from the drab background plaguing everyone else in Hawkins.

🤝No one understands Billy better than Patrick and Jonathan when it comes to his life at Cherry Lane. They just get it. Patrick has a curfew, so he can't stay up late, and both Jonathan and Billy have work, but they find a way to meet up whenever they can. Patrick and Billy are partners in lab and in pranks. Patrick calls Neil regularly, pretending to be a scorned ex-lover. Billy calls Patrick Senior at his job (accountant) just to annoy him. They're also on the basketball team together. Patrick secretly enjoys watching Billy get under Jason's skin. Jonathan occasionally stops by to watch them. Billy asks him if he wants to join the team. Jonathan looks at he and Patrick, all sweaty, and goes right back to his sketchbook.

📔Nancy meets Billy at the library every night at a certain time, so if he doesn't show then she'll know something is wrong. She also gives him Murray's address just in case he needs a place to go. She and Billy have a book club with Patrick and Eden, where they suggest different books to read every Wednesday. Sometimes they read to the little kids.

📢Heather covers for Billy at work if he can't come in. She'll stay with him at the pool after closing times. She helps him with his injuries and doesn't ask questions. When he's ready to talk, she'll be there. She switches shifts with him so he won't have to deal with Karen and the other creepy mothers.

🍍Argyle is always up for talking with Billy. Most of the time, it's just Argyle going on about the first thing that pops into his head. Billy chimes in whenever he feels like it. Argyle always has a story about annoying customers, and of course, everything is funnier when they're both high as hell.

🫧Carol lets Billy borrow her makeup. She takes him to the mall and they try on clothes together. Sometimes, they sit in his car, and she tells him he can let it all out.

🥋Tommy takes him to their favorite diner. Whenever Billy is filled with extra energy, Tommy lets him use his punching bag. They watch cartoons and throw chips at each other.

📣Chrissy fixes his hair into braids and ponytails. Billy reminds her that Neil doesn't like that, and she replies, "You want it. Do you really care what he wants? I don't." If he wants a hug, then she's more than happy to give him one (or three). Chrissy is also kind of a cuddle bug, and Billy is her favorite person to cuddle with because he's warm. They both talk shit about their parents. "Neil's mustache looks fake," or "Are you sure your mother's hair isn't a dead skunk?".

She drives Billy to her safe place, a hill under the stars. She says they can share it. She tries teaching him cheer routines and even gets out a uniform for him whenever they sneak into the gym. Patrick occasionally joins them to practice his free throws.

🍨Robin lets Billy into Scoops Ahoy, and they eat ice cream. They talk about crushes. They have inside jokes about their fellow classmates. Sometimes, Robin brings alcohol from her mother's stash and puts some in the ice cream for them to enjoy.

[bowiebond]

💕 could we get Tommy x Billy headcanons? If you want to of course!

TOMGROVE 👏🏻 TOMGROVE 👏🏻 TOMGROVE 👏🏻

Yes you may:

Tommy and Billy met at the gym first day he arrived. Billy was signing up for the team and Tommy had been stopping by to talk to the couch. He knew he was new right away and greeted him, offered him a handshake. His grip was firm and Tommy was offering him a spot at his table without even thinking about it.

Billy hears about the gossip pretty early in, especially when one of Tommy’s teammates points out Nancy and Steve being sweet on each other in the hall. He digs for more information from him and then Tommy at lunch.

After noticing his possible dislike for Steve, or general desire to out do him but taking his crown, Tommy he quickly latched onto him. He saw a potential friend, the enemy of my enemy sort of deal.

Tommy’s never been good at assessing the right moment to speak, the perfect inflection to get his jokes across. Being mean-spirited is easier, taunting needing little effort. People thought his insults were funny, so it’s easier to fall into them. He just says what everyone is thinking in his opinion.

So he comes on a little strong with Billy. Makes it obvious that he doesn’t like Steve either, is loose lipped about his ex-best friend. Beneath the resentment is a tender bruise, an ache from the lost friendship, but it’s easier to be angry than sad. Plus he recently got dumped by Carol, so he could do with a hot shot like Billy around. Might help him score a new girl.

Billy looks bored a lot. Like he doesn’t care about anything. Doesn’t do his work, just doodles dicks and tits while chewing his gum. Tommy often talks to Billy and the blond seems to ignore him mostly. It stings, but Tommy was sure he could make some leeway if he kept pushing. Billy was a guy from California, big place, a small town probably does bore him.

Tommy invites Billy to Tina’s party. Figures maybe he can get him to loosen up even though Billy feigns it well, being relaxed and uncaring. But his shoulders are still tense just like his jaw, and Tommy stares a lot so…he notices. Not in a weird way. It’s pure curiosity.

Billy is cool. Tommy’s a little enamoured honestly, and Billy does loosen up when he drinks. Gets loud and grins all sharp teeth and rosy lips. Tommy likes it. It’s nice. Billy’s nicer too, and when Tommy talks to him, he’s facing him but still looks faraway, not absorbing it. That’s fine. Tommy likes to talk. People ignore half of what he says anyway.

Billy comes to school with bruises sometimes. Always says it was a fight, and Tommy complains that he should call him next time, or give him a name so he can give the guy a lesson. It’s natural to bark and bite again like he did when he was King Steve’s dog again.

Billy doesn’t want him to be his guard dog though. Doesn’t want him to fight his fights. He’s tough, he smokes reds and drives a fancy car and has a near empty locker. He steals food off his tray and Tommy doesn’t mind all that much outside the “hey!” because Billy doesn’t seem to have lunch most days. Billy’s cool and he’s kind of weird. He’s not really King material, yet Tommy finds he doesn’t care. He’s mostly just thinking that Billy is friend material, if only he’d reciprocate Tommy’s attempts.

It’s approaching winter when Billy is still coming to school in too little. Tommy offers him the spare coat in his trunk his mother tucked in their months ago because she’s a worry wart, and he doesn’t get it back. Billy walks around with his black coat, keeping himself warm as winter approaches, the first snow fall Billy’s experienced. Tommy only knows because Billy complains about it a lot.

The quiet brooding boredom was fading over time to be replaced with a guy who is sleepy all the time, comes to school with bruises, and snarks and complains constantly. Tommy likes to think in a way, Billy is opening himself up to him, even if he still rarely looks at him when he rambles on about his day.

Tommy used to get weed for Steve from Munson, and now he does it for Billy. Steve usually shared with him, rolling them two blunts, and Billy shares too. Except he only rolls one and they just pass it back and forth at the quarry in the afternoon. He’s off babysitting duty today, and Tommy is glad for it. He needed a smoke. He tries not to think about the exchange of indirect kisses as he passes the weed back.

“And so I told Nicole that I couldn’t because I have the monthly Sunday church service with Ma and—“

“You don’t go to church.”

“What?” Tommy furrowed his brows at Billy’s interjection.

“You don’t go church. You told me you haven’t been to a service since you were fourteen.” Billy took a puff and held the smoke as Tommy stared in wonder.

“I…I did tell you that. I didn’t think you’d remember that is all.”

“I listen.” Billy’s still not looking at him, eyes focused ahead at the horizon as he blew out the smoke.

“Oh. I just…you don’t look at me so I assumed you were, like, ignoring me.” It feels dumb saying it out loud, like he’s an insecure kid, and he kind of is but he doesn’t want to admit that to Billy.

Billy turned his gaze to him and even with his impassive expression, there was a glimpse of focus. He was paying attention to him, to every word.

“Only sometimes.” The corner of his lip twitched up into a smirk, the corner of his eyes crinkling, and Tommy finds himself laughing. A heavy weight lifted off his chest, the space left behind filling with warm.

Billy starts looking at him now when he talks. Consciously makes the effort too. Looks away pointedly when he doesn’t like what Tommy’s saying and it makes Tommy laugh every time. This is another new side to Billy that’s coming into view and Tommy likes it so damn much. Maybe a little too much.

Sometimes Billy’s eyes are a bit intense though. Maybe because they’re so blue, sharp and framed by long lashes. But at times it feels like he’s really looking at Tommy, drilling into his very soul to map out his intentions, his thoughts and feelings. Likes he trying to say something without really saying it, but Tommy’s never been the brightest.

Billy likes Tommy’s freckles. Stares at them for hours as they talk, hanging out. Billy finds himself detaching further from his jock friends (if you could even call them that) to drift closer to Tommy. Tommy is like a sunflower; always doused in sunshine when he steps outside, facings towards it as the weather gets warmer just to soak it in, breathing deeply. Tanned petals with dark seeds scattered across his face, in his chestnut hair and rich chocolate eyes.

Tommy has a dopey smile when he’s genuine happy, eyes disappearing as they crinkle, gap teeth jutting into his lower lip. Stretched pink lips. He’s not a prodigy, he’s not amazing at sports, he’s not good at charming his way out of situations like Billy, he’s average. He’s something simple, something warm and familiar like home, and Billy likes that he’s got awful taste in jokes and laughs too hard at them.

Billy never intended to get soft on the guy, to actually start a friendship he tried to avoid, but it’s hard to ignore someone like Tommy, to not tune into his voice when he speaks. He doesn’t always say something new, reprising old stories, but his voice is nice despite its slight pitchiness around each word. It’s gets softer when it’s just them two, likes it’s slowly sinking into the fuzziness Billy feels around him at times.

Billy rarely comes to his house. He gets weirdly anxious about being around Tommy’s family, gruffly throwing out a hello if only to be polite when he drops Tommy home after an evening at the quarry or a party.

One day though, he comes unprompted. His eyes is an ugly molting yellow and blue, his lip spilt, and he’s only really answering Tommy in mumbled one or two word answers. Tommy doesn’t really understand why Billy came to him, why he’s even roughed up on a Tuesday at seven in the evening. But one thing Tommy has experience in is tending to a wounded pride and face. So he beckons him inside, gives him an ice pack, and insists to his fretting mother that they were fine, that Billy’s just had an altercation. She still offers to feed Billy leftovers and the blond awkwardly thanks her when she heats it up for him even after he said no, “just in case you change your mind, it’s good, Tomàs, tell him it’s good.”

Billy eats it in the end, even if he grunts that it burns his lips, and Tommy jokes about him being unable to handle a bit of spice. Billy practically licks it clean just to prove he could.

“Who got ya so early in the evening?” Tommy grabs a cloth to wipe the blood crusted around his nose, at his lip, and Billy lets him even if he doesn’t answer. When he gets to his hands, they’re bare of any swelling or blood. “…Ambushed, huh? What a coward.” He huffs, anger coiling in his chest. He’s teach the guy a damn lesson if he ever saw him.

“Sure. Ambushed. Good word for it.” Billy chuckles, voice hoarse, and it takes just a few moments to looking at Billy’s wry smile for Tommy to offer his home for the night. Billy says he’ll take the couch if he’s offering, but Tommy insists on him taking the bed, that it’s a double he got from his parents when they upgraded their own mattress.

Tommy goes to sleep first, has always dozed off easily (got him more than one dick marked on his face at parties). Billy spends half the night tossing, turning, settling on watching Tommy as he rests. His face half smooshed into his beaten in pillow, snoring softly, and for all accounts he should be ugly. He’s got an annoying little face and ugly, mean laugh to everyone else, but Billy finds he doesn’t mind much. When you’re Tommy’s friend, he cares for you. Offers to protect you. Bitches on your behalf. Opens his life and home to you. Laughs and smokes with you. He’s nice if he likes you.

He likes Billy a lot. And Billy likes him, even if he tried not too in the beginning. Didn’t have enough energy to like anyone when he came to Hawkins, angry at the world and bored to death. Tommy made this tiny hick town bearable.

Billy starts staying at Tommy’s place whenever he can. Gets him away from his dad, from his temper and his fists. Tommy doesn’t seem to mind, seems pretty damn happy to have Billy around even more.

Tommy’s parents like him well enough. His dad is a boisterous man, Sunday church goer and works with his hands. Earnest, warm like Tommy and accent thick. Billy kinda likes hearing Tommy speak Spanish with his father, the man refusing to use English in his own home unless he’s talking to Billy directly. Tommy has to translate when Billy stays for dinner, but Billy likes leaning in and listening to Tommy teeter between his English and Spanish, the same accent his father and mother has peaking through as he translated.

Tommy’s mother frets over him, usually about if he’s been eating. She doesn’t take well to his charming tactics, always smacking his hand like she does to Tommy when he tries to steal an extra cookie, pinches his cheek and calls him sweet endearments in Spanish with a sing-songy trill. Complains loudly to Tommy about his fashion, that he’s showing too much skin for the weather and Tommy laughs as Billy grumbles about them talking about him. Cause he understands some of it, picks it up over time, but it’s still hard to understand when they talk so fast.

Tommy doesn’t come to his place. They frequent the arcade together, occasionally diners, but Neil doesn’t have much of a clue about them. Nobody gossips about Tommy and Billy being friends because it’s old news.

Tommy sometimes gets grumpy with Billy, snarks and sneers, and it’s always ended up in a near brawl because Billy is mean and jaded, meaner than Tommy. He digs deep with his words and it’s instinct to grab at a guy who’s taunting him, even if he never plans to throw a fist as Billy. Didn’t even throw one with Steve. He was all bark and no bite when it came to friends.

Billy punches him once and only once when he shoves him after getting a fist full of his shirt and the fight ends there because Tommy hits the ground and the anger leaves him instantly, wide eyed. He just stares up at Billy in shock, holding his throbbing cheek, reflex tears in his eyes that he blinks away quickly. Billy is shaking so hard when he spits the words, “don’t try that shit with me, Hagan.”

They don’t talk for a week after that. Tommy is wearing a blue bruise on his cheek when he eventually shuffles up to Billy’s side at school and apologises. Though, he hates to. He wants to be resentful, to be angry with Billy, but deep down he knows he started that fight. He egged it on. Tommy’s not always a nice guy and he wishes he could be, but it’s ingrained into him to be tough, to be snarky, to hit where it hurts. Steve got to move on, to be better, and here he is trying, but it’s not easy to forget that part of himself.

Billy almost doesn’t forgive him. Is tempted to forget Tommy all together. But he threw the first punch, the evidence on his knuckles and Tommy’s cheek. It’s a sickening feeling and if he’s honest, he craves Tommy’s forgiveness more than he resents giving his.

It takes a few weeks to slip into their usual friendship again, both nervous to step on the others toes. But Tommy gets Billy tickets to a rock show in Indianapolis for his birthday and it’s like everything is good, better in fact.

Tommy’s not a fan of heavy metal, but he can stand rock, likes Elvis, Billy Joel and Beach Boys in his glovebox.

Billy likes anything with a heavy percussion and a good riff, screaming and growling. He likes to feel alive via his music and heavy metal/rock provides that.

They get piss drunk before the concert even begins and Billy is screaming along to the lyrics with the crowd, hanging off Tommy who’s a little dizzy on the energy alone.

It’s probably why he kisses him, doped up on adrenaline. And maybe Billy’s just as high because he grabs his face and keeps him there, kisses him like he’s trying to steal his voice. It’s dim and loud and the ground is trembling beneath them as the band plays, and Tommy’s brain is nonexistent as he buries his hands in Billy’s hair, keeping him just as close.

When the kiss breaks, they’re both panting and Billy is hooting like an owl with laughter, head tipped back and crooning along to the song. Like Tommy’s world hasn’t just been flipped upside and inside out, sobered by reality. Though, he should have seen this coming. He’s been drawn to Billy since the beginning, the blond was kind of his favourite person honestly.

Neither of them talk about it after the show. Billy is still humming as they get ready to sleep in their shared motel room, a little tipsy. Tommy is quiet because he doesn’t know how to even bring it up, if he should. He initiated on a drunken whim after all, even if Billy reciprocated.

Tommy turns out the light and it only takes a few moments for Billy to slink over to his side of the bed, hands fumbling over his freckled skin. And maybe Tommy’s still a little drunk, because he doesn’t push him away, accepts his misplaced kiss, then accepts the next one that slots right against his. They don’t fuck, all that is too complicated for them right now, Billy just wanting to touch, to be close. Kissing until they’re too tired to keep going, hard against each other but too lazy to get off despite their little grinds and soft sighs of pleasure.

Tommy feels new when he wakes up the next morning. Like something has slotted into place after years of a missing jigsaw piece being left on the edge of the table. It’s terrifying and exhilarating but it’s always been there, hasn’t it? Tommy always knew, just never…dared to make something of it. Was comfortable ignoring the jigsaw piece until it left his mind entirely, only coming back into focus when Billy picked it up and clicked it into place with his thumb, completing the picture. Now, Tommy couldn’t ignore it, because the puzzle was complete. Glued together and unable to be taken apart again and ignored.

He’s not sure how to bring it up. What comes next after last night. But Billy takes his hand while they’re driving back, plays with his fingers as he bobs his head to the music and Tommy’s heart is pounding the entire time. Watching Billy’s side profile for some kind of clue outside the warm hand in his, thumb caressing his. When Billy drops him off at his house, right on the curb, he kills the engine and looks at him.

“I’m going to kiss you now.” Tommy’s eyes bugged out at the bluntness of it. “We’re both sober too. You gonna be mad and hit me because you’re ‘not gay’ or some other bullshit?”

It takes a few moments for Tommy to respond, and when he does it’s with a curt nod. Billy quirks a brow but blows a huff out through his nose and leans it over his console, wetting his lips before he kissed the brunet. It’s different like this, subdued and blood no longer roaring in his ears, but it’s nice. Short and soft and Billy’s stubble scratches his lip but it’s pleasant. Tommy likes it.

“I’m dead if my dad finds out.” Billy says softly as the kiss breaks, looking at Tommy with serious eyes. “Nobody can know, okay?”

“Okay. Not exactly a fan of parents knowing either.” The idea makes his stomach churn, but his heart is still racing as Billy smiles wryly and kisses him again, a lingering press of lips.

After that they’re kind of boyfriends. Or at least, they act like boyfriends when they’re alone. They can’t do that in public. Billy still flirts occasionally with girls and Tommy gets jealous and flirts with them too just to get a raise out of Billy because Billy knows Tommy doesn’t need a cover. He went steady with Carol for half of his schooling. Tommy knows why Billy flirts, but he doesn’t have to like it, and he’s petty, and it leads to more than one angry make out session against Tommy’s bedroom door or in Billy’s backseat. Billy grabs and paws at him when he’s jealous and Tommy likes the attention if he’s honest. Always has.

Tommy kind of expects him and Billy to fuck early in. They were two horny teenagers and Tommy was finally able to explore that side of himself. Except Billy doesn’t go past a bit grinding, maybe an over the pants hand job. He seems to love kissing though. Kisses Tommy until his lips are red and sore, glossy with spit and Billy’s chapstick. Gives him hickies that make their teammates whistle and tease the brunet about his dirty little secret he won’t talk about.

Tommy doesn’t mind that they aren’t fucking, not really, he’s nervous as all hell to even approach the subject, but he’s also so fucking curious. Insanely curious. Likes the idea of seeing that ass without the jeans.

Tommy practically cums in three seconds flat when Billy blows him for the first time. Not his fault either! Billy had worked him up after all, caught him by surprise when he kissed down his stomach to wrap his lips around his dick.

Tommy’s nervous about evening the score. He’s never sucked a dick before, and honestly, he wasn’t sure if Billy had either. But he’s a Cali boy, so who knew. Maybe he had had a fling or two before Tommy. Had a boyfriend before him. That thought alone spurred him to finally do it, to take Billy’s cock in his mouth and suck him down hazardously. He’s sloppy and gags, can only get about half of his dick in his mouth, but Billy groans like he’s sucking his soul out so he’ll take it. Plus, Billy apparently gets hot for cumming on his face, which, gross, but Tommy liked how Billy looked at him with ropes of cum on his cheeks, his lips, his brow, a little caught in his hair. Opens his mouth up when the blond smooths the bitterness across his lip and onto his tongue.

Tommy takes Billy to prom as his ‘date’, jokes with his friends that he only did it so the junior could get laid and know what to expect when he was crowned prom king next year. They can’t slow dance together, but just being there, drinking punch and dancing to the songs that are constantly flooding the radio, it was worth it.

Tommy doesn’t expect to be on bottom. Though, he didn’t really think he’d be on top either. Billy’s got a real bad boy image, tough and masculine even if he’s a total baby face when he really smiles. Looks sweet when he’s happy. Tommy didn’t really consider the logistics at all, only that he really liked Billy’s butt, but apparently Billy thought the same and well…Tommy’s curious. Apprehensive and his ego weirdly bruised because he’s not a bitch, but curious.

You know that phrase, curiosity killed the cat? Tommy definitely feels like he’s died when Billy fucks him the first time. It’s slow, uncharacteristically gentle at first, but then it’s fast, hard, and Tommy’s head is spinning the entire time he’s trying to caught his breath and not moan too loud because his parents might be out but he still had neighbours. And like the cat, satisfaction brought him back, loose limbed and practically purring after he came, seconds from dozing against Billy’s chest. Billy is smoking, and he smells of sweat and cologne, and Tommy is pretty sure he’s in love to be honest.

Billy knew the moment Tommy got him those concert tickets that he was teetering on the edge of the deep end, about to splash into love, drown in it, and he has. He’s got a boyfriend he’s stupidly in love with and he’s planning his future out with Tommy in it like some sap.

Billy’s at Tommy’s graduation, congratulates him and asks if he’s considering college, and Tommy admits he probably won’t go but he might go into a trade job like his dad. Billy likes the idea of Tommy working a job where he gets dirty often and Tommy has to shove him off with a laugh to hide his red cheeks.

Tommy spends almost every day of his summer at the pool with Billy. Didn’t score the job there sadly, but he does get offered an apprenticeship under Wayne Munson who hurt his arm on the job and needed someone young and fit to help around the auto shop. Billy is very much enamoured by Tommy working on cars. Cars are his passion and seeing Tommy’s hands stained black with grease and striped down to a wife beater that clings to his chest and stomach and hips… it’s hot. Really fucking hot. Like, let’s Tommy fuck him off the hood of his Camaro one night after work kind of hot. He will never recover his lovely blue shirt, but it was worth it.

Summer goes by, and Tommy’s still in town as Billy finishes his final year. Gets a proper position even after Wayne is back in action. Billy breaks sometime in November when he can’t take Neil anymore, and spills the beans. Tommy is furious, offers to kill him or talk to the cops, but they can’t do much. Not with Max still in the house and Billy’s already rough reputation.

Tommy makes Billy stay at his house almost every day after that. Gets so mad he has to leave the room for a minute to take a breather when Billy shows up with a new bruise. Cause now he knows and it makes him sick to his stomach and…

Tommy rents out a trailer. Something small, barely fits one person in it but he can afford it. He asks Billy to live there. It’s Tommy’s home, and he sleeps there most nights since it’s closer to the shop and he kind of needs to be away from home to be his own person, to be independent, but it’s with the intention of Billy having a real sanctuary. A way out. Neil can’t harass Tommy’s family if Billy moves into the trailer into of his house, so it gets rid of that excuse. Max can visit and sleepover as much as he wants if it eases his conscious on leaving her in that house. And maybe, Tommy just likes to idea of coming home to Billy, to kissing his head when he finds him studying after a long day at the shop and eating dinner together and sharing the tiny shower that is not nearly big enough for all the naughty things they’re attempting to do. To wake up to Billy every day and cuddle him without fearing his parents walking in.

It takes Billy a few weeks to agree, and when he does, Tommy helps him pack all his things in the hour between getting home from school and Neil getting home. Max asks where Billy’s going when she notices them, and Billy pulls her aside to explain. Leaves Tommy to walk out of the house with another bag because Billy and Max need to be alone and he respects that. Gives them that time.

Max’s eyes are red when he returns, and so are Billy’s, but she threatens Tommy to treat Billy right or she’d kill him, and Tommy trusts that she will. Tells her so. It cracks a smile out of her.

Max does visit a lot, updates them of how things are at home, how livid Neil was when he saw Billy’s empty room. No one tells Neil where Billy is. Neil could only find him if he went directly to the school, and by god he had tried, but Tommy is a force to be reckoned with when put between a threat and his boyfriend. If Billy hadn’t held him back, he would have punched Neil Hargrove right in the teeth.

Billy’s eighteen. There’s no cop who could drag him back to that house and Neil knows it. Drags on his trailer door when he does find out where he lives and pops Billy’s tire when the blond refuses to open the door, Tommy holding him close as Billy crushed his hand in his.

Tommy fixes up his tire, fixes up most of the damages Neil makes in his attempts to get Billy to come back home. Until one day he just stops. It’s March, Billy is almost nineteen, and Neil has finally given up. Gone quiet. Somehow that’s even more terrifying then the screaming, the barking, the pounding.

They find out a week later that Neil had driven out of Hawkins. Ditched Susan with divorce papers and left them penniless. Tommy offers them space in his tiny, too tiny trailer, and it’s almost impossible to do so but if his parents taught him anything, it was to always offer someone a bed, a warm meal, and company.

Susan gets a job, two in fact, and Max and her take up residence in the trailer across the road, down a few. It’s for the best. Billy and Tommy were both getting antsy playing it coy around Susan and Max, for their sakes.

Billy graduates with flying colours and paces like a caged tiger as he awaits his college applications to come back. Tommy and him scream and jump around when Billy gets accepted into a college in California, the one he had dreamed of going to because his mom always spoke of it fondly.

Tommy knows he’ll miss his parents, the life he was used to in Hawkins, but Billy wants California and Tommy wants Billy. He’ll go wherever he does. He can take his skills anywhere.

So they move. They hang around Hawkins until August before packing their bags and driving over to sunny California. Tommy job hunts, snatched anything he can, and they live in Billy’s car for a bit, in motel rooms, before Tommy gets a job at a shop and Billy lands one in a cafe surprisingly. He’s charming and the hours are flexible, so he takes it with little grumbling.

Billy says ‘I love you’ for the first time when they get their new apartment. He’s marvelling at the place, the place they’d likely be for the next four years of his schooling, and he turns to Tommy and just kisses him. He’s thought it a million times, and it’s long overdue, but he says it and Tommy grins like an unfurling sunflower. It’s gorgeous.

“I love you too. Did you think I didn’t? You’re supposed to be the smart one.”

“We didn’t really say it. Too mushy for us, you know?”

“I guess I said it so much in my head I forgot to tell you. I like mushy. My whole brains mushy with you, B.”

Billy laughs and it spurs Tommy’s own and it feels good. Feels right. In October 1984, Tommy never would have thought he’d be dating Billy. Barely thought he’d be friends with him. But now it was September, 1986, almost two years later, and he was telling the guy he loved him. Tempted to get on one knee and ask him to marry him.

He’d give it another year. Maybe two. Tommy has all the time in the word to be with Billy. They could go slow and steady, work through their love over time like a jigsaw puzzle.

[that-ineffable-devil]

Rainbow in the Dark | Chapter 2

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Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7

Author's Note: Chapter 2 is here to introduce our dear Steve Harrington and the angst that is his familial relationships. We also see Tommy Hagan being the eternal douche that he is, but also some lovely early Stonathan teases--teases only, I'm afraid. Steddie's endgame here, but I can't help it if our Hawkins boys have so much chemistry.

CONTENT WARNING: This chapter references Steve's familial trauma. While there are no explicit scenes of abuse, there are references to it and the effects it has on young Steve.

Chapter 2: The Unloved

Steve’s first lesson was also simple: “Harringtons don’t make mistakes.”

But, as most would agree, children learn best from making mistakes. And Steve made so many. It didn’t seem to matter how hard he tried to get it right. To Harringtons, effort didn’t matter—only results. From this, Steve learned that love was always conditional—that affection was reserved only for people who do everything right. Though he wanted nothing more than to make his parents happy, it seemed like an impossible task.

To the rest of Hawkins, Steve didn’t appear to be an unhappy child. He smiled often and was always polite. And while his parents weren’t very well-liked in the community, they were respected and very well off. They always made sure Steve was presentable—dressing him in the nicest clothes and expensive shoes. He always had the newest and best of everything. To everyone else, they were a perfect nuclear family. A perfect little family in a large, empty house.

Steve’s father was often away for work, so he didn’t see him much. When he did, it was rarely an enjoyable experience. No matter what he’d done, no matter how hard he’d tried, nothing was ever quite good enough to meet that man’s expectations. And if Steve had made a mistake during his absence? His stomach churned just thinking about it.

Richard Harrington was not a violent man—words were his weapons of choice. With the right words, he could bring anyone to heel—even his son. He chose his words carefully and used a tone laced with cold disappointment. His smiles were reserved for the rarest occasions, weaponizing them to give Steve hope that he could please his father. But Steve saw how his father’s smiles never reached his eyes, failing to mask the dispassionate malice behind his dull, dark eyes. Even Steve’s accomplishments were met with disdain—either he should have done better, or whatever he’d accomplished was not worth his efforts.

His mother wasn’t as frigid toward him as his father, but she kept a certain distance. She never interfered during Richard’s judgements—or even comforted Steve after a particularly brutal one, preferring to act as though nothing had happened. But he’d never known her to be unkind, and when they were alone, she was warm and loving—though always from a distance. So, Steve held tight to the belief that his mother, at least, loved him. While her love was still conditional, it came easier than his father’s.

There were no hugs in the Harrington household. No kisses, no tickling, no physical affection whatsoever. When he was young, he used to cry for his parents to hold him when he was scared or sad—or even just to feel them there with him. Mr. Harrington would leave the room in these moments—remarking to the room how whiny and needy “the child” was. Steve was never his child unless he was talking to potential clients. Steve wondered sometimes whether he owed his very existence to his father’s career ambitions, because the man never seemed to want or even like children beyond this utility. “But then,” he’d counter himself, “maybe he just doesn’t want me.”

School was a different story. At school, he had friends. Kids who smiled at him when he entered the room, who sat with him at lunchtime, who played with him on the playground. His best friend, Tommy Hagan, was always with him in school. They sat next to each other in homeroom, ate lunch together, and even stayed over at his house sometimes. Tommy liked to watch the other kids and crack jokes about their style, or hair, or anything really. He had so many opinions, and he wasn’t afraid to share them.

Steve was enraptured by Tommy—he was so confident when he spoke, and people would listen to what he said. When he smiled, his freckles would crinkle up into his dimples, and even teachers would give him whatever he wanted. Steve made it his mission to make Tommy laugh, too—he loved to hear that infectious hyena cackle. There was no laughter at home…except the cold, cruel huff his father gave when Steve did something particularly stupid.

And he was stupid. He knew that. His father never let him forget—and neither did his teachers. He’d tried to explain—the letters and numbers would jumble up and change as he tried to read them—but no one wanted to hear his…his excuses. They just wanted him to try harder. And he did try—every single day—but what the other kids could read in five minutes might take him forty or more. So, he knew he must be stupid if everyone else could understand the jumbled letters and he couldn’t.

But Steve wasn’t terrible at everything. While he struggled with most classwork, he absolutely excelled in sports. He was a natural, and it felt so good to let out some of his pent-up energy every day at school. After hours of mind-numbing lectures and painful assignments, getting outside or into the gym to let off steam was euphoric. He felt that if he could always be in motion, everything else would be fine. Unfortunately, even star players had to pass English literature.

Steve had a particularly brutal essay due on Friday—5 pages on Hemingway—and he hadn’t even started. The deadline loomed heavily before him, and he was beginning to panic. If he was going to pass literature and stay in sports, he needed at least a B on this essay—an insurmountable task if there ever was one.

“Hey, Tommy,” Steve began as he picked up his school things, the bell for lunch clanging loudly throughout the halls.

“Ready to go to lunch?” Tommy replied.

“Uh…you know, I’m not really hungry—and I gotta work on that lit paper.”

Tommy laughed loudly. “OK, sure—and by ‘work on that lit paper’ you mean ‘make out with a girl in the stacks,’ right?”

“…You got me,” Steve chuckled nervously, hoping he’d kept his face passive.

“Sure man, no problem—I’ll even cover for you in the next class if things go on a little too long, if you know what I mean,” Tommy winked as he slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed out of the room.

Steve’s mouth was dry—he didn’t like lying to his best friend, but he didn’t want Tommy to make fun of him either. Skipping lunch to do schoolwork was decidedly uncool in Tommy’s opinion. Steve grabbed his backpack and headed toward the library, hoping Tommy wouldn’t ask for details later.

The library was even quieter than usual, as most of the other students were in class or at lunch. The librarian, Mrs. Stedwell, raised an eyebrow as he entered—he wasn’t exactly a regular here. He smiled and waved politely, hoping not to draw any further attention. He detoured quickly to the left, hunting for Hemingway’s works. Squinting at the myriad book bindings, his heart leapt when he found a copy of For Whom the Bell Tolls still on the shelf. As he shot his hand out to grab the book, another hand crashed into his.

“Ow,” Steve remarked dully, hearing it echo from the owner of the other hand.

“S…sorry, are you OK?” the other voice asked timidly, though both their hands still hovered over the book binding.

Steve turned to look at the other student.

The lanky boy next to him jumped and looked down when Steve looked at him, his mouse-brown hair falling into his eyes and hand still outstretched, but now further from the book. Steve knew this kid—Byers. Jonathan Byers. Tommy liked to make jokes about how his long hair made him look like a girl, and that his clothes were always old, worn, and ill-fitting. Steve would laugh along, but he didn’t really agree. He always thought Jonathan had nice hair—certainly better than the neatly cropped and side-slicked cut his parents demanded he maintain. Jonathan’s hair looked soft—pretty, even—if Steve was honest. And yeah, his clothes were a bit worn out, but they looked comfortable—unlike the constant itch of new clothing. His parents rarely let him keep anything long enough for it to become comfortable.

Steve realized he was staring when he noticed Jonathan’s eyes jumping between the floor and his face, looking confused.

“Oh! Yeah, I’m fine. Are…are you all right?”

The boy nodded without raising his head, now keeping his eyes squarely on the floor—Steve wondered idly if the boy was nervous.

“You’re Jonathan Byers, right? We’re in the same homeroom.”

The mousey boy’s head jerked up, looking at Steve with wide eyes. “Y…yeah, that’s me. I was just…” Jonathan’s voice dropped suddenly off as he looked away again.

Steve’s brow furrowed as he considered the other boy. Were people scared of him? Was he scary? He certainly didn’t think so. His father was scary, but him? He didn’t even know how to be scary! And he really didn’t like the idea of anyone being scared of him. He didn’t want any more in common with his father than he already had, so he chose another option, smoothing his expression into a relaxed smile.

“Cool, I’m Steve. Steve Harrington,” he said in a friendly tone, moving his hand away from the book to extend it to the other boy.

Jonathan stared blankly at Steve’s outstretched hand for several seconds too long before grasping it in his own and shaking it.

“R…right…Um. Nice to actually meet you?”

“Yeah, you too, man! So, Byers, what brings you to this cozy corner of the library during lunch?” Steve asked with an increasingly warm smile, leaning his shoulder gently against the bookshelf. He’d hoped he looked cooler than he felt.

“O…oh, well, I haven’t finished…that essay. The one about H-Hemingway.”

Jonathan was still looking away, his voice trailing off and his body tensing as if he expected something awful from Steve. He just laughed in response—not noticing that the other boy flinched at the sound.

“Oh man, you too? That’s rough.”

Once again, Jonathan’s face snapped back to Steve’s with a surprised expression.

“You haven’t finished either?”

“Man, I haven’t even started. Honestly, I struggle with this stuff, so I’ve been putting it off…but I ha…I have to…” now it was Steve’s turn to go quiet.

His traitor of a mouth had said more than he’d intended, and he didn’t know if he wanted anyone else to know about his trouble reading. If it got back to Tommy, he didn’t know how he’d react, and he didn’t think he could survive becoming one of the boy’s targets instead of his friend.

Jonathan’s face softened, looking at Steve with less fear and more understanding.

“Yeah, I get it. Gotta keep those grades up so you can stay captain.”

Steve nodded, a nervous chuckle bubbling out of him. An awkward silence hung heavily around them, the library suddenly seeming far smaller, both boys looking at each other—or maybe through each other. After several moments had passed, they both looked down to discover they still hadn’t released the other’s hand. As though synchronized, they jumped and retracted their hands simultaneously. Steve felt his cheeks flush. Noticing the pink tint on Jonathan’s face as he looked away, Steve felt a strange, fluttering twist in his gut—maybe embarrassment? But he was accustomed to feeling embarrassed and ashamed—those feelings hurt, and this was just…odd.

Jonathan cleared his throat, looking back at his shoes.

“So…” he said softly, before taking a deep breath and looking back up at Steve—who was steadfastly eyeing books on the shelf opposite of them.

“Since we both haven’t finished our essays and we both need this book, how about we work on it together—I bet we’ll both get it done faster. What do you say, Harrington?” he said, his words coming easier than before.

It was Steve’s turn to flick his eyes back to the mousey boy, surprised by the sudden shift. His eyes darted across the boy’s face, noting the smile curling across his lips—the first one Jonathan had offered him. Steve felt his brain stutter, like all its gears had locked in place and snapped his mouth shut. That is…until Jonathan’s smile faltered, and he looked down again.

“Look, if you don’t wan…”

“No! I mean, yeah! That would be great, I’d like that,” Steve rushed out, smiling brightly, “Though I don’t know if you want my help—I might bring your average down, Byers.”

They both laughed loudly, earning an even louder “SHHH!” from Mrs. Stedwell somewhere in the library—which prompted several more seconds of uncontrollable laughter.

For the rest of the week, Steve and Jonathan met at the library during lunchtime to work on their essays together. Steve kept up the pretense with Tommy that he was meeting a girl to “make out” so Tommy would cover for him if he needed more time. Tommy didn’t seem too suspicious, though he did keep trying to get the name of the mystery girl—or girls, he’d suggested. Steve would just shrug with a smirk and say, “a true gentleman would never kiss and tell.”

On the first day, Jonathan seemed to pick up on Steve’s trouble reading through the material, so he started reading the passages to him—quietly. Steve’s heart flopped uncomfortably in his chest when Jonathan started reading aloud, unprompted. No one had ever tried to help him; they’d just make fun of him or accuse him of being lazy.

Jonathan also noticed that, once he processed the material, Steve had a deep understanding of it. His interpretations were insightful and refreshing—he just seemed to see the world differently. This was not the Steve Harrington he knew—that anyone knew. Something small, but warm unfurled in his chest, like a dragon rousing from its slumber. This was his Steve...h-his friend, Steve. A version only he got to see, and no one else.

Steve was experiencing his own revelations. He’d never met anyone like Jonathan—he was kind and understanding, he was funny without any trace of judgement or meanness, and he was just…Jonathan. He didn’t try to be anyone else. Steve had never known that was even an option—he always had to be Steve Harrington, son of Richard Harrington, heir to the Harrington misery. For the first time in his life, he could relax, feeling as though the steel strings that bound him to a cold, uncaring reality had gone slack. Still present, but loose enough that he could move toward the warmth that was Jonathan Byers, melting some of the ever-present, cruel Harrington frost.

By the end of their Friday library session, they had completed their essays and were ready to turn them in. Both boys began to slowly pack up their things, their usual chatter replaced by a solemn silence. They didn’t say it, but this felt like an ending—like the closing line of a book. After they’d both packed up, they hesitated—hands on their respective backpacks. They knew they were losing something they both needed.

“Hey…” Steve started, trying to keep his voice casual, but his eyes remained on his backpack. “If…if it’s not too much to ask, I could really use some help in Herring’s class, too.”

He felt Jonathan shift next to him, but didn’t dare to look at him, suddenly fearing rejection.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

The pause stretched into a thick, smothering silence—as if the very air around them grew denser and clung to them while Steve held his breath.

“I could help with that, if you want.” Jonathan’s voice came out small, but sincere.

Steve’s lips curled into a wide smile, finally looking at Jonathan, who was sharing the same grin.

“That would be great, man! So…same time next week?”

“Yeah, sounds great!”

“Awesome—see you then!”

Both boys exited the library with matching grins, their cheeks lightly flushed at the promise of next week.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7

Post Notes: Seems like something may be brewing between Jonathan and Steve...but what will Tommy think? We'll find out in Chapter 4!

Chapter 3 Preview: Eddie has found his crew and is about to find his first life-long hyperfixation: Dungeons and Dragons. As his birthday approaches, he prepares for the end of the Party's longest running campaign yet--but the day of, his father, the Warden, comes home in a drunken stupor. Will Eddie lead the Party into battle with their greatest enemy only to face his own?

Thank you to all readers who have made it this far! Likes, comments, and shares are deeply appreciated! I, like Steve, am heavily motivated by praise.

Credits

Bat dividers courtesy of StrayWords.

Fic title courtesy of Rainbow in the Dark by Dio.

[lovebugism]

Okay soooooooo

How bout something like King Steve picking on shy!reader, then later finding out she has a shitty home life plz

ty for requesting!! this can be read as a prequel to this fic — steve comforts you when he accidentally makes you flinch (enemies to lovers, hurt/comfort, cw for brief mentions of abuse, 1.8k)

Sitting alone at the Hellfire table, you feel a little like fishbait. 

Your spot in the very back of the cafeteria is normally full and loud — with Dustin’s bickering, and Eddie’s laughing, and Gareth’s stupid jokes — but they’re not here now. They’re off getting their trays while you sit in wait for them (and the cold fries you’ll ultimately steal from Eddie’s plate). It leaves you perfect prey for circling sharks.

You hear laughter from behind you, over the sounds of the bustling lunch room. You’re certain they’re laughing at you — ‘cause you always think someone’s laughing at you — but you try hard to ignore it. You disregard the subtle pang of anxiety in your chest and stick your nose in your book, eyes flitting across the words without reading any of them.

Someone flumps down at your side then, where Mike usually sits. The overwhelming scent of spiced cologne stings your nostrils. With watering eyes, you look beside you. At Tommy fucking Hagan.

“Hey, Wallflower,” he greets like it’s normal — like he hasn’t spent the past four years pretending you don’t exist. You think he only calls you Wallflower now because his friends have been doing it for so long they don’t remember your real name.

The boy props his elbow on the table and puts his chin in his fist, trying hard to hide his boyish beam and accompanying laughter. He fails.

You cower at his presence, all but shrinking into yourself. “…Hi?” you reply in a tiny voice.

“How’s it hangin’?”

“...Fine?”

“That’s great!” he answers instantly, like he hadn’t heard you at all. “You see, my friend Steve, over there— you know him, right?”

You don’t bother to look where he’s pointing. Of course, you know Steve The Hair Harrington. You don’t think there’s a single person in Hawkins who doesn’t.

You nod in response.

Tommy’s smile widens. “Well, he’s got this massive crush on you,” he confesses, choking back a laugh halfway through. “I mean, he talks about you all the time.”

You know he’s lying. And not just because he’s grinning so hard that his eyes are crinkled and his freckled cheeks are turning pink. You’re almost certain Steve Harrington doesn’t even know who you are. He never had a reason to. Why would the King of Hawkins High ever stoop so low to know someone like you?

You glance at him over your shoulder, a couple tables down from you. He’s almost magnetically pretty. You couldn’t ignore him if you tried — with his pretty hair and his pretty eyes and his pretty smile. His golden cheeks flush as all his friends start poking fun at him. 

He rolls his eyes and scoffs a laugh you can tell is forced from here. He doesn’t think any of this is funny. You can see it on his face. But he isn’t trying to stop it all from happening. You’re just collateral damage, really.

You turn back to Tommy with a disbelieving look in your eye.

He continues to ramble despite it. “He was just a little nervous coming up to you, that’s all. So I thought I’d do him a favor and slip you his number. You know, as his wingman and all.” He tosses a folded-up index card onto the pages of your opened book. “You should call him tonight— It’ll make his day, I swear.”

He pats you a little too hard on the back before he goes. His laugh echoes over all the rest when he sits back down at his table. You watch them over your shoulder as they fall over themselves to crack jokes about you. 

Steve’s the only one not smiling. “Not cool, Tommy,” he mouths.

—————

Locker 148. The one right across from yours. Property of Steve The Hair Harrington. 

You shove the thick card with his number written on it between the slits in the metal. You’d carried it around all day, utterly unsure of what to do with it. You decided ultimately to return it, figuring he might feel a little better if a total stranger didn’t have his phone number.

You struggle to slide it through the thin gap, though. The paper gets caught halfway through, and you try to yank it back out again. The old locker moves with you, like it’s not completely shut but still somehow latched. 

You’re so in your own head you don’t hear the gymnasium door down the hall squeal open and shut again. Steve pants heavily and tries to recover from a ruthless basketball practice. He hunts for a water fountain and finds you instead.

“What are you doing?” he calls as he nears you, not malicious or unkind but genuinely curious.

Your heart lurches into your throat as you all but jump out of your skin.

Steve laughs, a pretty sound in the silent hallway. “Shit. Sorry. I didn’t— I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“You didn’t,” you assure with an averted gaze, though your frightened demeanor says otherwise. “I was just— I was trying to give you this.”

You hold the paper out towards him. He takes it with hesitant hands. “What is it?”

“Your number. Tommy gave it to me earlier, and I know it was just a stupid joke, so I… I thought you’d feel more comfortable if I gave it back to you.”

Something in Steve’s chest aches. He doesn’t understand why you would care about what might make him comfortable. It’s not like he ever gave you the time of day — or ever tried to stop his friends from being total assholes. As far as he’s concerned, you’re the last person who should give a shit about him.

“Oh. Right— Yeah… Thanks,” he stammers and shoves the thing into his pocket. “And I’m— I’m sorry about Tommy and everything. He can be a real douchebag sometimes. I didn’t… I didn’t tell him to bother you or anything—”

“I know,” you assure in a mousy voice. “Tommy gave me your number hoping I’d be dumb enough to call while your friends were over so you could all… laugh at me? I guess. He could’ve been a little more original, honestly.”

Steve cracks a smile. He almost laughs, but he can’t tell if you’re joking or not.

“I’ll talk to him later. Tell him to leave you alone—” He rambles and walks closer to you. You watch him with tentative eyes as he approaches. “—He’s a total dumbass sometimes, but he usually means well. Most of the time, anyway—”

Steve raises his hand suddenly. And, because you’re frightened by everything little thing, you flinch and stumble over yourself in the process. The lockers catch your fall, and you hit the back of your head. Hard.

“Shit— Are you okay?” 

“I’m fine,” you squeak, holding the crown of your hair and squinting as your skull pounds.

Steve rushes to your side, then idles just ahead of you because he doesn’t know if you want him touching you. His brows pinch, chiseled features swimming with concern. His cinnamon eyes glitter with it, too. “I wasn’t trying to scare you—”

“It’s okay.”

“—My locker was just jammed. I was going to shut it.”

The metal door is open now, from where it wasn’t shut all the way and where you just smacked your head on it.

“I just wasn’t expecting it,” you assure in a tight voice, trying hard to ignore the sharp throbbing. “It’s fine. I’m fine—”

“You’re hurt.”

“It’ll go away—”

“Let me get you an icepack.”

“—I’ll be fine once I get home.”

Steve, feeling purely at fault and aching at how effortlessly you shrug him off, decides to approach you fully. He curls a warm hand around the outside of your elbow. A touch surprisingly gentle. “No. C’mon. Let me help.”

You don’t feel much like you’re in any position to fight him about it. Not with the world still swaying under your feet. 

Steve guides you the short distance to the empty cafeteria. Slow and kind and dreadfully patient. He sits you down, makes sure you’re still okay, and then rushes to fix you a makeshift icepack — a ziplock bag filled to the brim with chipped ice.

He sits at the chair beside yours, slightly askew so his knees bump your thighs. He holds the pack to the crown of your head and gazes at you attentively. You’re not looking back at him to see it.

“Does it still hurt?”

You shrug, eyes flitted to the wringing hands in your lap. “It’s fine. It just feels a little like I have a migraine.”

Steve winces. “I’m sorry.”

Your doe eyes peek at him from beneath your lashes. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“I scared you.”

“Everything scares me.”

It’s a dumb joke. You mean it, but you still expect him to laugh about it. He doesn’t even crack a smile, though. He just keeps looking at you with that puppy-like twist to his features. The worry is evident in his face. 

“Do you wanna, like, talk about it or something?”

“About what?”

“Why you flinched.”

You freeze, breath hitching in your throat. No one’s ever noticed your incessant panic — outside of making jokes about it anyway. No one’s cared enough to ask about it, either. Steve Harrington is the last person you expected any kind of concern from.

You shake your head after a few long moments. “No.”

“You could,” Steve assures, suddenly shy. You didn’t know he could be anything other than totally full of himself. “You know, if you wanted to. I wouldn’t— I wouldn’t tell anyone—”

You scoff a disbelieving laugh.

Steve’s features swirl with hurt. You hate that it makes your chest ache. You hate most that he hasn’t stopped being soft with you. The hand holding the pack to your head hasn’t yet wavered, even though you know his arm must be tired now.

“I wouldn’t. ‘Cause I— I know what it’s like to… to have a bad home life or whatever,” he confesses, stammering hopelessly. He forces a laugh at himself. “Probably more than most people do, honestly.”

His admission takes you by surprise. It comforts you in a way you didn’t think someone like him could. 

Even still, you shake your head. “I— I can’t—” you murmur, clearing your throat when the words get stuck there. “I can’t talk about it…”

Steve nods, firm and reassuring. “That’s okay. You don’t have to, I was just… I was just saying, you know? I get it.”

You swallow through a tight throat, nodding wordlessly in response.

“Plus, you know, you have my number and everything… If you ever wanted to talk…”

You flash him a timid look and crack a quiet smile. “I gave it back to you, remember?”

“I’ll write it down for you again,” he promises with a shrug and a lopsided grin. It’s easier to ignore his aching arm and the ice stinging his palm when he’s looking at you. “For real this time.”

[lihhelsing]

cw: domestic abuse and mentions of violence

Eddie Munson is the most infamous hitman in Chicago. Everyone knows of him and if you ever feel like getting rid of someone he’s who you should hire.

Enters mob boss Tommy Hagan.

He hires Eddie for a delicate job, one that gets Eddie doing home visits for Tommy, something he doesn’t usually do. There he meets Tommy’s fiance, Steve Harrington.

Steve is… Addictive. Eddie couldn't take his eyes off of him, even if he tried.

And he doesn’t really feel like trying because Steve is sweet, gorgeous, everything Eddie ever wanted but could never have.

Steve might be a househusband, but he knows a lot about Tommy's business and the people he makes deals with, so under the pretense of researching his target, Eddie starts spending time with Steve.

Tommy keeps a bunch of archives in his home and he asks Steve to personally help Eddie through all of that while he's dealing with other shit. Steve is more than happy to comply, enjoying the distraction - and the company.

It doesn't take long for Eddie to realize there's something wrong happening between Tommy and Steve. Tommy keeps the facade of a good soon-to-be husband, brings Steve's flowers and gifts every time he goes out, but Eddie has never seen Steve out of the house.

He's seen Steve asking their house staff to get groceries and things like that but he always just assumed Steve preferred not to leave the house. Now...

Eddie starts to see that what he thought was a good, perfect relationship doesn't seem that perfect anymore. He sees the bags under Steve's eyes whenever Tommy greets Eddie in a bad mood. He sees the underlying tension in Steve's shoulders whenever Tommy walks into the room.

He sees the bruises, too.

The decision is made before Eddie can even think it through, and he is willing to risk his reputation, his work, and his life if it means getting Steve out of this.

But he’s not the only one with secrets and things won’t be as simple as just killing Tommy and walking away.

[solarmorrigan]

If you’re still taking prompts, could I ask for “please come get me” with Steddie?

I’ve read over all your other angst prompts and just about died this morning, you’re so good at the pain!!

Hello! :D Thank you for the prompt! I'm afraid this one is a little heavier on the comfort than the hurt, so perhaps not as much pain, but if you've been binging what I've written so far, maybe that's a good thing?? But anyway, I hope this is alright!

[Warning for implied child neglect/emotional abuse. Nothing really happens in the fic, but just as a heads up]

Angsty-ish Prompt List

-

Eddie shouldn’t be hearing this. This isn’t a conversation meant for spectators.

“I know you just got back from a trip, I just–” Harrington says into the receiver of the payphone, clinging to the handset as he practically wilts against the useless ‘privacy wall’ next to it. “I’m sorry, I was just hoping you could give me a ride home.”

All Eddie had wanted to do was cut the pep rally like any self-respecting social outcast would, except he couldn’t just ditch and go home; it’s Friday, and he has Hellfire after this. But the last thing he’d expected while loitering around outside, waiting for the pep rally to end, had been to stumble across Steve Harrington on the phone, practically begging someone for a ride home.

“No, I drove myself here today, I’m just not sure I can drive home.” Harrington pauses, then sighs. “No, Dad, this is a pep rally, I haven’t been drinking.” Whatever comes down the line next makes his posture snap straight almost immediately, before he hunches back in on himself with a wince and a hand pressed to his forehead. “No, sir. I’m sorry, sir.”

This is weird. This is so weird. Harrington is meant to be cocky – confident and in-charge and at ease, not curled around a payphone in the same way a kicked puppy tries to protect itself even as it asks someone for more attention.

Someone who is apparently his dad.

It’s just – weird. It’s like how you know a lemon is a citrus fruit, just the same as an orange, but the second you peel off the rind, you feel like you’ve seen something forbidden. Lemons aren’t meant to be peeled that way, and Harrington isn’t meant to look close to tears while trying to get someone to drive him home.

“I – I’m sick. I mean, it’s – I have a migraine,” Harrington explains haltingly. “No, it’s not just – yeah, my head hurts, but if it was just that, I swear I wouldn’t bother you, I just – I’m dizzy, and my vision’s all blurry, so I’m not sure I can drive, and I don’t…”

Shit, that sounds kind of fucked up. Eddie frowns, leaning against the wall he’s been peering around, now definitely intentionally eavesdropping. Harrington is frowning, too, rubbing a frustrated hand over his face.

“Tommy and I don’t hang out anymore, we haven’t in over a year,” Harrington says, then carries on a little more quietly, a little more subdued, “and there isn’t really anyone else here I can catch a ride with, either.”

Eddie will admit he hasn’t been paying a whole lot of attention, but anyone who doesn’t live under a rock knows that Harrington’s popularity had taken a bit of a hit last year, when he’d ditched Hagan and Perkins and decided to be a bit less of a dick. And then this year – well, even if Hargrove hadn’t crowed enough about the fight between the two of them, the state of Harrington’s face back in November had spoken volumes. Still, Eddie hadn’t been aware the condition of Harrington’s social life was so dire.

“I’m not – I’m not making this up, the doctor talked to you about this, he– I’m not trying to talk back, I just– Dad, please, can you just – please, come get me,” Harrington stutters through what sounds very much like a losing argument before going silent altogether, pressing one hand over his eyes as he lets his head hang, the other still holding the handset near his ear. “I understand,” he says dully after a minute. “I’m sorry. I’ll – I’ll figure it out… Yes, sir.”

It doesn’t seem like there’s much left to say after that. Harrington hangs up the phone and leans up against the adjacent wall before sliding down and sitting himself right there on the ground, knees drawn up and face in his hands.

Shit.

Eddie ducks back around the corner, gnawing on his lip, caught in indecision. He shouldn’t have overheard any of that, intentionally or otherwise, but now that he has, he can’t just – not do something.

Can he?

He tries to tell himself it’s not his problem, that Harrington’s certainly never done him any favors, even if he’d never been a dick to Eddie specifically, but it doesn’t work. All Eddie can see is the defeated slump of Harrington’s shoulders, the helpless way he’d just sort of dropped to the ground, the way he’d quietly admitted there’s no one else he can ask for a ride – Eddie’s always had a soft spot for the lonely ones.

But when he rounds the corner, prepared to come up with some bullshit excuse as to why he’s out here and willing to drive Harrington home, he finds that Harrington is – gone.

Eddie glances around, but he doesn’t seem to be anywhere. Poof, vanished while Eddie had been too busy trying to decide what to do.

Well, damn.

Distantly hoping that Harrington had, indeed, figured something out, Eddie tries to put the incident out of his mind. The pep rally will be over soon, and that means Hellfire will begin, and he needs to get his head in the game.

He has no real reason to think on the incident after that, and he’s fairly successful at shoving it somewhere into the back of his mind until nearly two years later, in a setting so far removed from that spring day at the school that it might as well be in another life.

Eddie has to extricate himself from a few fans (actual fans; apparently, rumors of Satanism and returning form the dead will do wonders for the reputation of your metal band) in order to get up from the table settled near the back of The Hideout. Gareth, Jeff, and Oliver are all accounted for, enjoying their drinks and chatting with whoever’s descended upon them after their set, but Steve had disappeared ten minutes ago and has yet to make a reappearance.

Ten minutes isn’t all that long, Eddie knows logically, but after last year, after everything, it still feels a little too long. If he finds Steve and Steve tells him he’s fine, then that’s great, Eddie will leave him be. But he just wants to check.

The bathroom is a bust, empty but for one drunk swaying precariously in front of a urinal, so Eddie heads outside, where, around the side of the building, settled on the ground in a triangle of sodium-glow orange thrown off by a nearby streetlight, he finds his quarry.

Steve is sitting with his back to the rough wood façade of the bar, his knees drawn up in front of him and his head leaned back against the wall behind him. His eyes are closed, but there’s a little pinch of tension between his brows, and Eddie is abruptly reminded of that day, eons ago and not really that long ago at all, when all Steve had wanted was for someone to care enough to give him a ride home when he’d been sick.

Eddie finds his ass on the concrete right next to Steve before he even has the conscious thought to go over and sit down.

“Doing okay, sweetheart?” Eddie asks, picking up one of Steve’s hands from where it’s resting on his own knee (it’s safe enough right here, Eddie knows; someone would have to actively be looking for them to spot them where they’re tucked away).

If Steve is surprised to find Eddie beside him, he doesn’t show it. He turns to look at Eddie in the low light, offering him a fond little smile.

“I’m good. It was just getting to be a little much in there, so I came out here for a break,” he says.

Things like excessive noise and heat—say, the likes of which might be experienced at a concert in a crowded bar (or maybe a high school pep rally)—tend to be migraine triggers for Steve, so why he continues attending shows at The Hideout is beyond Eddie. He’s tried telling him that he doesn’t have to come, but Steve still insists he wants to make it to every performance that he can.

Eddie squeezes Steve’s hand. “You wanna head out?”

Steve shakes his head. “You’re having a good time. I don’t want to take you away from that.”

“I’m not going to be having a good time if you’re miserable.” Eddie reaches up and cups Steve’s cheek in his hand, keeping him facing in Eddie’s direction. “You’re a priority for me, you know that, right? Say the word, and we’ll go home.”

It doesn’t seem like Steve has anything to say to that; instead, he just stares at Eddie with something like wonder, as if Eddie’s just done anything more amazing than promise Steve that he’ll never have to beg for basic consideration.

“Besides,” Eddie goes on, if for no other reason than to shift the sudden weight of Steve’s reverence, “it’s not like it would be a hardship.” He leans in, pressing a kiss to Steve’s willing mouth before he continues, speaking so close that their lips are brushing. “Getting to take you home, take you to bed, lie there in the dark, just the two of us…”

Steve presses in for another kiss, long and lingering, before pulling away.

“Let’s stay a little longer,” he says. “Jeff owes me a beer, anyway.”

“Y’know,” Eddie pauses with a grunt of effort as Steve stands and uses their joined hands to pull Eddie up after him, “the only reason you knew the movie he was referencing—and, thus, the only reason he owes you a beer—is because I made you watch it.”

“And? What do you want, a medal?” Steve snarks.

“Well,” Eddie drawls, glancing Steve up and down, “some token of appreciation wouldn’t be remiss.”

Steve raises an unimpressed eyebrow at Eddie. “It would be if we did it in the alley next to a bar.”

“Wow, Harrington, mind in the gutter much? I only meant a beer,” Eddie sniffs, all exaggerated offense.

“Sure you did,” Steve says. “Now c’mon; one more beer, and then… home?”

“You got it, sweetheart,” Eddie says, offering one more quick kiss in hopes of putting any hesitation out of Steve’s mind. “One more beer, and then home.”

[munsonfamilyband]

I love nothing more than all the adults just deciding to adopt Steve - add to that the moms all adoring Eddie and you have my favorite shit. (TW mentions of child abuse)

You would think Claudia Henderson was the first mother to fall for Steve Harrington’s charm but it isn’t. It isn’t even Karen Wheeler, who met him while he was dating Nancy. No, it’s Joyce Byers. She met Steve when he was young, still in elementary school, and he had come into Melvald’s to get groceries when his parents had left him home alone. After seeing him come in multiple times without a parent in sight she started slowly taking care of him; she knew that she couldn’t push herself into his life, he was clearly uncomfortable with talking about his home life. Over time she was able to sneak food into his bags of purchases and then she would gift him “hand-me-downs” from “Jonathan” in the winter so he wouldn’t freeze.

Hopper was next. Steve was in 8th grade by the time they met. Steve had been friends with Tommy Hagan for a few years by then, but Tommy had finally convinced him to throw a party and the party very quickly got out of hand. Hop was called to the Harrington house for a noise complaint and he broke up the party. He did notice that Steve got visibly uncomfortable when he said he had to call his parents but procedure was procedure. He threw out procedure when a few days later he saw Steve in town with a black eye and a bruise around his wrist. From then on out he would always answer calls to the Harrington’s and he never called his parents again, he would stick around and make sure Steve was okay and had medicine for the hangover he was sure to have. He couldn’t do much, wouldn’t do much with the pain of Sarah still so raw, but he did what he could.

Karen Wheeler came next, endlessly endeared to Steve when he showed up to take Nancy on a date. Ted hated him, and she could agree that Steve appears self centered but she witnessed small moments that made her realize he wasn’t completely who he tried to appear to be. She would notice him flinch minutely when Ted snapped at the kids, or the well covered bruises when she heard his parents were in town. He was also kind and doting to Nancy which made her like him more. Karen was sad when she heard they broke up but Steve never stopped coming around, just this time he was there for Mike instead.

Claudia Henderson was suspicious of Steve at first. Her Dusty was different than other kids, she never had the money to get him seen by a professional and get a name for what was so different in his brain, but she knew that children were mean to him for it - she hated that he was bullied because he was such a wonderful kid with so much brain it made her head spin. Steve was 5 years older and had a reputation around town but the first time Dustin invited him over for dinner was the day she decided that she had two sons. Steve was polite and kind, he brought flowers to thank her for letting him stay and eat her food, and he and Dustin bickered but Steve so clearly cared about her son. Then Steve showed up at her house with a bloody nose and a split lip and a distinctly hand shaped mark on his cheek and asked to spend the night and he was solidified as one of her kids forever, even if he and Dustin stop being as close as they are.

The Sinclair’s don’t know Steve as well, but they hear about him constantly, first from Lucas and then from Lucas AND Erica. They figure if Erica likes him then he’s an okay kid, and he’s never been anything but kind when they have met him.

Wayne Munson is the last to meet Steve, and it takes him the longest to warm up to Steve. He had spent years listening to Eddie complain about people like Steve, and even Steve himself, so when he started showing up at his trailer all the time, Wayne was suspicious to say the least. Eddie kept telling him that he wasn’t who he was in high school, he even went on a tangent at one point about how Steve was just trying to survive the only way he knew how, but Wayne didn’t buy it; he knew Steve’s parents, and he figured that Steve had to be like them. Even when he saw how kind Steve was to Eddie, to the kids, to that Robin girl he’s always with, he still didn’t trust him. Funny enough, the moment that changed that for him wasn’t in his trailer, where Steve practically lived by then. No, it was at Family Video. Wayne had stopped by to get a movie for he and Eddie while Eddie was at work, and he didn’t see anyone at the desk when he walked in but he heard voices in the back room that he recognized as the Robin girl and Steve. She was clearly upset with him for something but it took him a moment to gather what.

“You can’t hide this stuff from us- from me! You and me, Steve, we do not hide things.”

“I know, Rob, I just- I didn’t want to burden anyone, okay? You weren’t supposed to find out, especially like this- ow, be gentle! My nose was broken a week ago, you could clean it softly, you know.”

“I am so mad at you right now, Steve, do not push me. You’ve been living out of your car for the past week-“ Wayne was definitely surprised at this point because he knows that the Harrington’s have a big house, “-and your dad gave you a concussion. What is this, number 5?”

“Okay, fine, yeah that part was stupid. I should have said something about the concussion. But what was I supposed to do? I don’t even know who told them about me and Eddie-“ He and Eddie? What about them, that they’re friends? It made sense in some way, to Wayne at least, that the Harrington’s would be upset about their son hanging out with Eddie but living in his car seems extreme. “-and the things he was saying…. I couldn’t listen to it, I had to say something. Even if it meant that I got kicked out and disowned.”

“Have you even told Eddie?”

“Absolutely not, he would blame himself and then offer to let me stay and I know Wayne barely tolerates me - not that I blame him, but it still sucks, I want him to like me. Me and Eddie… I feel like forever with him and if Wayne doesn’t even like me now, how would he respond to finding out the rest of it?” Everything seemed to click together for Wayne and he heard a sniff from the backroom like someone was trying not to cry. He himself felt like crying, because this boy had clearly been through a lot and someone had apparently outed him to his parents who beat him and kicked him out. Before Wayne could even recover from that bombshell the backroom door was swinging open and he was making eye contact with Steve Harrington. “Wayne-! I didn’t-Hi, uh, how long have you been in the store?”

“Long enough. Come by the trailer tonight and we’ll figure out where your stuff can go. You should probably call Ed though and let him know.” Wayne nodded his head and started to leave, very uncomfortable with the tension in the store, but he stopped to say one last thing as he was leaving. “As long as you and my boy take care of each other, you and I are gonna get along fine.”

Steve ended up moving into the trailer that night and Wayne gained a new perspective on him. They began watching sports together and he got to see the love his nephew had for Steve and vice versa clearly.

For Eddie, Joyce was also the first (she seemed to just collect sad kids). He had moved to Hawkins to live with Wayne only a few weeks before and he wandered into Melvald’s for some snacks. His hair was just starting to grow again and it was all sitting awkwardly on top of his head, his curls making strange shapes. Joyce took one look at him and was brought back to how Steve had looked all those years ago, how she and her kids were before Lonnie left, and she decided to step in again. She started by giving him some tips for his hair and then, just like with Steve, she started sneaking him little things over time. When she came back from California after Vecna they met again and she was so glad to see him, so happy that he seemed to fit in his own skin.

Claudia came next, unsurprisingly. The loud music and the distinct skunk-like odor that stuck to him (Claudia wasn’t stupid, she knew what that was) made her nervous. But after having known Steve for a couple years by then, she knew better than to judge from appearances and she was correct. Eddie was like another brother for Dustin, but while Steve complimented Dustin’s quirks and nerdy interests, Eddie shared them all and they seemed to feed off of each other’s energy. He was energetic and kind to her Dusty, and that is all she could ask for him to have in life.

The Sinclairs came to like Eddie after that, mostly for the same reasons that they liked Steve, but also because they had been told that Eddie nearly died to protect their kids.

Karen Wheeler always struggled being around Eddie despite how nice he was to her and to her kids - he reminded her of a mistake she once almost made with another boy who liked his music loud and angry. She did appreciate how Eddie managed to calm Mike’s angry outbursts, he pushed Nancy out of her comfort zone, he even let Holly braid his hair a couple times. Her favorite thing about him was how happy he made Steve (her soft spot for Steve hadn’t faded with time and seeing him so happy was a joy).

Hopper was the last to warm up to Eddie, not for lack of trying. Hopper knew that he should be more understanding, but since he had become a father again his paternal instincts had gotten worse. He hadn’t even realized that he saw Steve like that until Joyce made a comment about Steve and Eddie being close and he felt something oddly similar to what he experienced with Mike and El. He knew about Steve’s history with abandonment and alcohol and drugs, he also knew about Eddie’s tendency to run and his “job” in the woods. Hopper tried to remember that Joyce knew the kid, had said that he wouldn’t hurt a fly, but his instincts were telling him that Eddie was a bad influence. That didn’t change completely until he found out that Steve had apparently been kicked out because someone told his parents that he was dating Eddie and he had been living in his car for a week. He then found out that as soon as they found out, the Munsons had taken Steve in without hesitation - and Eddie had even slashed a couple tires at the Harrington house (Hopper pretended that he didn’t know that because he refused to press charges on the Harrington’s behalf). Hearing that Eddie had taken care of Steve when Hop hadn’t even known he needed it settled his nerves and put Eddie into his heart.

[justmeinadaze]

Finally/Beautiful Stranger (Steddie X You)

A/N: Part of this AU, you don't have to have read the others to understand but it helps!

Also, please feel free to donate or buy me a coffee. Anything helps but of course you don't have to. I will still love you :)

Warnings: Former Addicts Steddie X Fem Y/N, SMUT, slight spanking, dirty talk, very light DOM dynamics touched on, mentions of lose of virginity (as well as the pain that comes along with the first time), FLUFF, These three people love each other very much and all three are happier compared to previous chapters. The talk about their new lives and careers with pride <3.

ANGST, dark themes!! of addiction and recovering addicts explored. Not new for this series but again this one is much lighter than the others. They both discussing cravings and Eddie having a slip a few months prior. Steve works at a center with children of addicts and one boy has a similar situation to Y/N's accident so she helps him through that.

The boys mention regrets including being aggressive with the reader verbally and sometimes physically when they weren't sober so DOMESTIC ABUSE TRIGGER.

There are flashbacks of them as kids so mentions of Eddie and Steve dealing with their toxic dads.

I think that's it! As always go carefully in this AU and if you choose not to read that is ok. I will still love you!

Word Count: 8358

1974

You winced as you landed back first on to the gravel underneath where you had fallen from the jungle gym. 

“Oh wow! Are you okay?!” A set of hands gripped your biceps as they helped you get to your feet. “You have some stuff on your dress. Let me…” The boy’s voice trailed off as you felt him dust off the nature that stuck to your outfit. 

“Thank you.”, you mumbled as you turned to meet your hero, coming face to face with honey brown eyes and a comforting smile. 

“You’re welcome. Are you alright? Do you need to go to the nurse or…?”

“No. I think I’m okay. My, uh, back broke my fall.” You grin when he laughs. “I’m Y/N.”

“Steve.”

“Harrington?”

“Um, yeah?”

“No! Don’t mean to sound mean. The girls in my class think you’re cute. They never shut up about you.”

The boy laughs harder and your grin grows at the sight of his scrunched nose. 

“I have no idea why. I’m not that great.”

“I don’t know. I mean…I think you are.” Steve blushes at your answer and you reach out to grab his hand leading him towards the swing set. 

The two of you talk casually about things normal children your age talk about like tv shows and music. Shouting suddenly grabs your attention causing you to slow to a stop as a boy runs around the corner and heads towards you both.

“FREAK! THIS ISN’T OVER!”

“Thomas Hagan!”, a teacher yells, blocking him with her body so he can’t follow. 

The boy pauses as he leans against pole of the swings trying to catch his breath. 

“Are you alright?” He jumped as your hand reached out to touch his arm as he held them up defensively. “Hey. Hey, it’s ok. We won’t hurt you. I’m Y/N and this is Steve.” His chocolate eyes scanned you both over before finally sighing in relief when he realized you weren’t a threat.

“What’s your name?”

“E-Eddie. Eddie Munson.”

“Oh! You’re the kid that just started here. I’m sorry, man. Welcome to hell.”, Steve joked causing an exasperated laugh to leave Eddie’s lips. 

“Did Tommy do that to you?”, you ask as you gesture towards his black eye.

Shaking his head, he came over to sit on the swings beside you both. 

You couldn’t explain it at the time, not even now, but as you sat there talking to them you felt comfortable. You felt like you had known them your entire life. Nothing in this moment could have prepared you for the future that was headed towards you all. 

##########

1993

“Where up north are you, Stevie?”, Eddie asks as he takes a big bite of the burger in front of him. 

“I’ve been up in Detroit for a few months now working at a youth clinic. There’s a lot of good kids there who just need some help.”

“I’m proud of you, dude. We’re supposed to head over there to record with this big time producer. What about you, princess? Where do you call home?”

“I don’t actually have a home right now. I’m a writer for a music magazine so I’ve been on the road mostly for the past 2 years listening to bands and staying in hotels.”, you giggle as a huge smile adorns your face. “Maybe soon I’ll get to write about you, Eddie.”

“Here’s hoping. We just got signed but the manager at the label says we ‘really have something’.”

“Of course you do. You guys were always amazing.”

“Pfft, yeah sure. Drugged out me could barely focus on the strings let alone create a melody.” 

The table went silent as a heavy energy fell around the table. 

“How have things been? Any cravings?”, Steve asks as he folds his arms to lean forward on his elbows. 

“Oh, Harrington. I’m an addict. I always have cravings but choose to resist them.”

“Has it gotten any easier. To resist them, I mean.”, you inquire.

“Yes and no. I mean I used to snort blow 24/7 and now I don’t. I can go about my day and live my life but when something hard hits me or I’m having a bad day I have to physically talk myself out of not looking for a fix.”

“I can understand that. There were a few days where I sat outside of bar staring at the front door for hours before driving away.” His eyes flick towards you as he continues. “I still struggle with regret… regret that we…ruined your life.”

“You didn’t ruin my life. You definitely didn’t make it easy but… I should have left or cut ties beforehand. I just didn’t know how. I didn’t know how…to live without you two in my life.”

“Yeah. We get that to.”, Eddie sighed as a silence fell around the table. 

It had been a long time since the three of you had been together without the vices getting in the way or taking control. You had no idea how to be around them when they were sober. 

“Hey, uh, I have an idea if you two would be up for it.”, Steve grins as he tries to elevate the mood again. “Since the two of us will be in Detroit, why don’t you come with us, honey? Maybe the three of can hang out and spend some time together again. You’re even welcome to stay at my place. I don’t have a spare room but, Y/N, you can take my bed and the two of us can sleep in the living room or something.”

“Oh, Steve, I don’t want to impose—”

“No. No imposition whatsoever!”

“I can do that.”, Eddie confirms. 

“Ok. I’m ok with that.”

They both heavily exhale as if they had been holding their breath waiting for your answer. 

#########

1976

After getting into a fight with his father, Steve ran to your house knowing you’d make everything better. As soon as he showed up, you called Eddie who biked over as quickly as he could and after he arrived, you both listened intensely as the boy vented. 

“Everything’s going to be ok, Steve. You know you’re welcome to stay here.”, you try and soothe the boy as you wrap your arms around his shoulder. 

“Why am I never enough for that asshole?!”

“Because he’s just that; an asshole.”, Eddie quips making the other boy softly smile in his direction. 

“I should just do whatever I want to since I can never make him happy.”

“That’s a good idea. Oh! I’ll be right back.”, the boy grins at you both before running up your stairs. 

“Steve, you ARE amazing. I’m sorry he can’t see that but no matter you have us.” Grabbing his face, you kiss his cheek causing him to blush. 

Music starts to play and you both look up to see Eddie coming down the stairs with your bulky radio in his hand. Placing it on the bottom step, he stagers around in place as he begins to lip sync the lyrics. 

“I'll state my case, of which I'm certain I've lived a life that´s full I've traveled each and every highway And more, much more than this I did it my way.”

The guitar starts to play and Eddie pretends to strum as he jumps to the ground, continuing to sing as he dances around you both. 

“Regrets, I’ve had a few But then again, too few to mention I did, what I had to do And saw it through without exemption.”

Grabbing Steve’s hand, you do the same, dancing to the music as you three sing along.

“I planned each chartered course Each careful step along the highway And more, much more than this I did it my way.”

Eddie spins you and you laugh as you watch wide smiles paint their faces. You loved them both so much and knew after everything they go through they deserved happy, peaceful moments like this. To you, they deserved the world. 

***

The flight up to Detroit was uneventful but Steve did fill the time by telling you about some of the kids at the clinic he worked at while Eddie crashed beside him. His eyes lit up as he spoke, telling you about the turnaround a lot of them had made and how talented they all were. 

“Amanda is such a smart girl. She’s 15 and she can draw these beautiful pictures. I’m working on seeing if I can book a gallery or something for her to show her work. Right now, she draws for her mother works two jobs to help take care of them because the dad is a junkie.”

“What kind of things does she draw?”

“She can do portraits and people. She drew me once as this like superhero. I have the picture on my fridge.”

“That’s amazing.”, you beam up at him as he smiles to himself. “Steve, I really am proud of you…of both of you.”

“Thank you. That means a lot to me.”, he softly grins as his gaze shifts towards his lap. “I’m very proud of you as well. I’m glad you found something that makes you happy. When we were growing up you had mentioned writing before.”

“Yeah. I never knew what I wanted to write about but one day a guy I was dating overheard me talking about grunge metal and offered me a job.”

“Hm. Are you two still together?”

“Uh, no. We only dated for a couple of months. I’m not with anyone right now. No time.”, you chuckle trying to lighten the mood again. “What about you? Any future Mrs. Harringtons?”

“No. No future Mrs. Harringtons. I kind of spent time focusing on me and now the kids.”

“You have to be careful with that. You don’t want to fill one addiction with a new one and miss life entirely. I’m guilty of that those first three years after I left.”

***

You and Eddie enter Steve’s apartment slowly as you take a look around. It was a bit smaller than what you were used to when it came to him but he made it his own. There were posters of bands he enjoyed along the walls with some shelves lined with books he had read. In the corner of his living room was a desk with a few papers and pictures clients had drawn him over the years. A frame caught your eye and you bent down to get a good look as you took in his sobriety coins.

“Yeah, I, uh, bought one of these little frame things because it felt disrespectful to just throw them somewhere.”

“That’s amazing, dude.”, Eddie praised as he threw down his bag. “I, uh, I had an incident a few months back. I’m on the blue 6 month one but…”

“What happened, Ed?”

“Oh, um, nothing we need to get into, sweetheart. I did the proper protocol with my sponsor and she helped get me back on track.”

Steve patted his back comfortingly, knowing how hard it was and is to remain sober. Gesturing you down his hallway, he led you towards his bedroom and you grinned at the simplicity. 

“The bathroom is right in there and please both of you feel free to take anything from the kitchen. Me casa es su casa.”, he chuckles as he nervously runs his hands through his hair. “Sorry, that was cheesy.”

“Steve, you guys don’t have to try so hard. Just be yourselves.”

“That’s the thing isn’t it?”, Eddie sighs from his spot against the wall. “The three of us don’t exactly know who we are together anymore.”

You gently smile in his direction as you reach for his hand.

“We’re best friends. Always have been.”

######################

1980

“Eddie, why does that sound familiar?”, you grin from your spot on his bed where you had been listening to him strum his new guitar his uncle bought him at the pawn shop in town. 

After his run in with the lady in town today, Rick offered him something from his secret stash. He was amazed at how fast it began working, numbing the anger he was feeling and pushing him to a blissful state he didn’t want to experience alone.  

Grinning, he continues to move his fingers as his gentle voice fills your ears. 

“Baby, if I think about you I think about love Darlin', if I live without you I live without love.”

“They’ve been playing it on the radio nonstop.”, he chuckles, rolling his eyes.

“You sound amazing. I can’t wait to see you on that stage one day.”

“Pfft. Me? Al Munson’s trailer trash kid rocking it out on stage making millions of dollars and being successful?”

 Fueled with frustration, you grip his chin and force him to look at you. 

“Don’t ever let me hear you say anything like that again, Edward Munson. You are NOT trash and you’re nothing like your dad. You can be anything you want to be.”

“Yeah…tell that to people in this backwards town.”

“Fuck what these people think! I think you’re fantastic and so does Steve. You hung out with Rick today. I’m sure he thinks you’re an awesome friend.” Your eyes scan him over when all he does is nod. “Eddie, did something happen in town today? Did someone say something to you?”

His own beautiful, chocolate color hues stare past you for a moment before he blinks back into the moment and flashes you a big, tooth filled grin. 

“No, sweetheart. I guess I’m just feeling a little low today. I’m sorry.”

Running his fingers over the strings, he plays the song with much more vigor than before. 

“I would give you both night and day Love satisfyin'

Feel like makin' Feel like makin' love.”

“Mhmm. What do you know about makin’ love, Munson?”, you giggle allowing him to lighten the mood. 

“Oh, baby. I’m going to be a rockstar, remember? I know everything.”, he winks.

***

You smile as you sit in the booth watching Corroded Coffin play their music. Eddie was in a completely different zone as his fingers ran across the strings of his guitar. This was his dream; this is what he always wanted but always felt was out of reach. 

When he was in his drugged out haze you would watch him lazily try to play but stumble as his fingers trembled against the instrument. It killed you because you could always picture him on stage with a crowd full of people screaming his name. He just never believed it himself. 

“That was good, baby.”

“That was fucking garbage, Y/N. I barely played anything that would count as a note.”

“That was fantastic guys. Eddie, your band undersold your talent!”, the producer compliments making the metalhead blush. “Ok, let’s take lunch and we’ll come back in about an hour. There’s a cafeteria on the first floor if you guys are interested. It’s on me.”

“You sounded amazing.”, you grin as you meet him in the hallway. “I told you that you were going to be a rockstar one day.”

“Ha! I’m not quite there yet but thank you, sweetheart.”

After getting your food, you both sit and talk about the last couple of years. Eddie told you about some jobs he worked at in Indiana not wanting to be too far from the guys so they could practice and work on things together for the band. He mentioned Wayne and how well he was doing especially after being promoted to a higher position at his work. 

“He deserves it. Wayne always worked way too hard for almost no money and appreciation.”

“Tell me about it.”, he chuckles. “And of course, the first day he starts his new position, he gets a crush on one of the female employees underneath him!” 

That makes you laugh hard and he relishes the sound as his eyes watch you light up. That feeling of regret washes over him and he averts his gaze to his plate as he shuffles some food around.

“So, um, any rockstar boyfriends out there touring the world?”

“No, no boyfriend. I focused on myself more than anything and honestly haven’t had time for a full-blown relationship.”, you reply. “What about you? Any new girlfriends?”

“Naw, sweetheart. I’ve kind of been doing the same thing more or less.”, he answers sullenly. “Quite frankly, I haven’t met anyone who would be willing to sneak backstage of a Metallica show and pretend to be the building manager to get her boyfriend an autograph.”

This time when you laugh, he cackles with you and embraces the warm feeling that follows. 

“I told him it was for my kid.”, you blush. “God, hopefully I never have to write for them. I’ve been lucky so far but that will be an awkward exchange if they remember me!”

“Are you kidding, princess? You definitely leave an impression! Who could forget about you?” Eddie froze as he heavily exhaled and shook his head. 

“Y/N, I’m sorry…”

“No, Ed, it’s ok…”

“You would think I’d have this down by now but…”

You nod before you rise to your feet and get on his side of the table to sit beside him. 

Wrapping your arms around his neck, you lean your head on his shoulder as he reaches up to caress your arm.

#################

1980

Steve tenderly grins your way as he watches your eyes light up at the movie Kungfu you two had been watching. Well, you had been watching. He had been stuck in his own head after that ridiculous conversation with his dad. 

“Son, you’re about to start high school which means it’s time to really buckle down and focus. No more fucking around. If you want to run my company one day you can’t keep being lazy.”

While he had been talking there was a woman in his office waiting for him to give her attention. Her dress seemed way too tight and it inched up her thighs as she sat on top of his desk. Steve would never understand why his father cheated on his mother. To him, these women weren’t nearly half as pretty as her nor anywhere close to being as loyal as she was. 

His dad said he needed to ‘buckle down and focus’ but what he heard was ‘it’s time for you to start being like me’. 

Steve hadn’t planned on coming over but he felt weird after drinking the bottle he found. He thought booze were supposed to make you happy but he found himself feeling incredibly lonely. When he showed up unannounced, you opened your front door and eagerly ushered him with no hesitation. 

You always made them feel like they mattered. 

“Steve? Are you alright?”

“Huh? Yeah, I’m ok. Just thinking.”

“Did you want to watch something else? I put this on because I know the cheesy effects make you laugh.”, you giggle as his smile grows. 

“Naw, honey. This is fine. My dad was being…himself you know?”

“I know. You know you can always talk to me. I love you and I’m always here for you.”

Opening his arms wide, you fall into his embrace and he prays you don’t smell the liquor that lingers.

***

“Oh, wow. Look at you and you have your own shelf.”, you tease as Steve leads you into his office. 

After leaving Eddie so Corroded Coffin could continue recording, you headed to the center the other boy worked at so he could give you the “grand tour” as he called it. You grinned at the drawings and pictures he had posted everywhere around him. Multiple books and files were strewn out all over the place on his desk but a particular photo caught your eye. 

“Oh, um, yeah. I still keep that there as a reminder.”

Picking up the image of you three at the amusement park, you smile as you fall into the memory. They both seemed extremely content that day as if all their worries had disappeared. You thought about that day often to especially when you passed one on the tour bus you were riding in at the time. 

“The kids ask me about you two constantly.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. Do you want to meet them?”

When you nod, his grin stretches across his face as he giddily grabs your hand and guides you to a much larger room where some kids were already sitting around waiting. 

“Mr. Harrington brought a date to group!”

“Look at Hugh Hefner over here!”

“’Bout time you settle down, old man!”

“Alright, alright. All of you settle down.”, Steve jokes as you laugh. “This is my friend from Hawkins I tell you guys about. This is Y/N.”

“You’re the girl he doesn’t shut up about.”, a young lady smiles. 

“That would be Amanda.”

“I know you. He told me all about you on the ride up here. Your work is amazing.”

“Thank you!”, she beams.

Taking a seat beside Steve, you watch as he conducts the group session, introducing each kid and responding where appropriate. You couldn’t help but marvel at his change as he took control and seemed way more confident than he ever did back home. 

There was no one he needed to impress or a “legacy” he needed to live up to. He could just be himself.

“Please, Katie. Trust me, your mom doesn’t fucking care. That’s why she drinks.”

“Derek.”, Steve warned. “That’s not how we talk to each other in here.”

Your eyes scanned over the boy across from you. He couldn’t be older than 17 but he seemed to carry years of anger and burden on his shoulders. His arms were folded tight around his chest; a barrier to protect him from anyone trying to get in. Emphasized by the oversized hoodie that he kept up over his head. 

You knew this boy; you had been him.

“What? Am I wrong? If she cared she’d stop fucking binge drinking every night and actually spend time with her daughter.”

“Who in your family drinks? Mom or dad?”

All eyes turn to you after you pose your question.

“My dad. Why? Does it matter?”

“Yes, it does. I know how hard it is…to have someone you love choose substances over you. It fucking hurts.”

“Look, I don’t need another adult to patronize to me, okay?”

“She’s not. If anyone understands what you guys are going through it’s Y/N. Especially you, Derek. Remember how I told you guys about my accident and DUI? Y/N was…was in the car with me.” Steve stumbles over his words before quickly trying to regain control again. 

“Hm. Did you rat him out? Is that why he’s clean now? Are you going to tell me I should be open and honest or some shit?”, the boy spat.

“No, I didn’t. I actually told the police I didn’t remember who was driving. Took a couple of weeks though because I needed surgery after metal from the car sliced through me. He never even came to the hospital.”

“Wow, Mr. Harrington. You were an asshole.”, a girl sighed. 

“I was wasted and terrified. I couldn’t face what I did to someone I loved.”

Derek’s eyes were suddenly glassy as he adjusted his body in his seat.

“He does love you, honey.”, you coo towards the boy as his bottom lip quivers. “If it were as easy as putting the bottle or drug down they would. Some people can but for others it’s so much harder. Whether they heal or not is ultimately up to them but no matter what happens, Derek, none of it is your fault.”

The young man sighs as he breaks down and the girl beside him wraps her arms around him as he cries. A palm touches yours and you turn your head to see Steve’s soft eyes taking you in. 

You see the never-ending apology within them as flashes of the old boy you knew before the booze pushed through before receding as he flashes you a gentle grin and lifts his hand. 

################

1983

“Guys, really? Do we have to eat all this before going on the rollercoaster?”, you giggle as you watch Eddie pour more cheese over the nachos in front of you three.

“Yes, sweetheart, we do.”, he answers in a serious tone as his tongue pokes out of the corner of his mouth. 

“And the cherry on top.” 

Steve produces a cupcake from his side and places it in front of you as the metalhead pushes a candle through the top of the frosting. You smile as Steve cups his hands around it while Eddie pulls out his lighter and ignites the wick. 

“Now make a wish and blow out your candle.”

Your gaze shifts between their happy faces as they wait for you to complete the task. 

“I wish everyday could be like today.”

As you blow it out, both boys clap and cheer making you blush as Steve kisses your cheek. 

“Happy birthday, beautiful.”

Eddie leans over to take hold of your jaw and peck your lips before sitting back down. 

“Happy Birthday, princess. Now, you eat this while sire and I devour this here.”

“Why do I have to and she doesn’t?”

“Because it’s her birthday, Steven! No stop whining and say Ah!”

As the boy scowls he unhooks his jaw and Eddie shoves a chip into his mouth making you laugh as you lean against him. 

“Oh my god, you two are ridiculous! I love you so much.”

***

You laugh hard at the joke Eddie had made as Steve struggles to keep soda inside his mouth while he cackles with you. 

“I really missed you guys.”, the metalhead announces, his gaze shifting between you both. “I mean I’ve made a lot of new friends you know but I talk about the things we used to do like me doing Karaoke to make Steven laugh or you and I, Y/N, going to the horror movie marathon just outside of town.”

“I remember that. That was so much fun.”, you smile. 

“One of the things I enjoy about my job is interacting with those kids. Most of them are sarcastic as fuck like you, Ed, or extremely kind like, Y/N. Thank you for what you did with Derek today by the way. He struggles to talk about his relationships with anyone let alone about his dad.”

“May I ask what happened? You mentioned our accident…”

“Um, yeah. It was kind of the same thing. His dad hit a car with him in it while drunk, ran from the scene, and Derek took the blame. His dad begged him to before he bolted…kid was only 15.”

“Jesus.”, Eddie sighed. “Sounds like my dad.”

“He seems like a good boy. He’ll be okay.” You flash him a comforting grin and he can’t help but smile back. “I, um, I feel like we keep ignoring the elephant in the room. I want you to know I am genuinely so proud of you both. Steve I never imagined you’d be as confident as you seem now. You always told me you thought you were worthless and I know that’s because of your asshole dad. I watched for years as you lived in his shadow but were still so terrified of becoming him… Those kids don’t have to experience that because they have you now.”

“Eddie, you were always afraid of people abandoning you and numbed yourself constantly. When you were numb you were so angry and heartbroken. When I saw you playing your guitar again with your band… you finally seemed at peace.” 

Your voice cracked as a tear escaped your eye and you awkwardly laughed as you wiped it away. 

“That’s all I ever wanted for you two.”

“6 months ago… when I relapsed… I was in such a low place. My apartment I was staying in got robbed, I had just been let go from a job I was at, and this girl I was dating said she didn’t want to see me anymore. She said I was loser and it fucking hurt like hell. I felt so alone and it was almost like a dream. I barely even remember where I bought the drugs or how I got back home but as soon as it hit my nose I regretted it.”

“Y/N, I saw your face and everything I wished I could take back. The fights, the names, the pain… The way we talked to you.” He cringed as memories flashed through his mind.

“I get that. Of course, my biggest regret is the accident but the one I think about the most is the first time we were intimate when we…I…” You looked at Steve with sincere confusion not thinking anything of that night. Then again compared to all the others you had after it was just a blip in a chaotic timeline. “Y/N, honey, you lost your virginity on my couch after threatening to leave us because of the jugs of liquor you found in my trash.”

“We should have done it right. I picture us taking you to dinner and you’d be wearing that red dress we loved.”

“Yeah, that one floofed out above your knees kind of like a tutu.”, Eddie chuckled. “With your hair up in a ponytail so we could so your face. You always wore make up but you never needed to. You were…are… so beautiful.”

“How are you two dressed?”, you murmur their way.

“Let’s see. I’d probably have my jeans and black shirt but I would have made sure it was clean with little to no cigarette smell.”, the metalhead jests causing you two to let out a little laugh.

“I’d have worn jeans to but a nice polo shirt I think to go with it and that expensive cologne my dad kept buying me.”, he smirked. “We’d take you to Enzos because you deserve a nice meal but of course you would complain about the prices even though we insist it’s no problem.”

“Some soft music would be playing and we’d ask you to dance.”

Steve rises to his feet and messes with his stereo till a slow 70s song flows through his speakers. Extending his hand to you, you take it as he pulls you to your feet and places one of his palms on your lower back as he holds the other in the air. 

“Is this ok?”, he whispers under his breath, exhaling heavily in relief when you nod. “I would tell you about how I fell in love with you the first time I met you. You said all the girls in your class had a crush on me but I didn’t get it. I think I said something along of the lines ‘I’m not that great.’ And you said—”

“I don’t know. You seem pretty great to me.”

He tenderly smiles at your response before grabbing your hand to spin you and pass you to Eddie who was waiting with open arms. 

“I would have probably made a joke about the music saying that dancing to Dio is way better.” He smiles when you giggle. “I’d tell you that the first time I saw you I thought you were way too good for me. I remember you asked about my black eye my dad had given me and it surprised me. Every other adult already assumed or were afraid to ask, staring at me constantly. But you actually fucking cared.”

“Then what would happen?”

Eddie passed you back to Steve and this time you wrapped your arms around his waist, pressing your head against his chest. You didn’t see it but he and the metalhead exchanged a glance filled with slight worry as he held you and leaned his cheek on top of your head. 

“Y/N, honey—”

“You don’t have to answer. I can let you go, we can get ready for bed, and go back to being friends. We’ll always be at least that because I agree with Eddie. I miss you two so much but unlike the first time I left…I don’t feel bad about it.” 

Pulling away from him, you back up a bit to address them both. 

“I’m happier than I’ve ever been and you were right in the letter you left me. I had some more healing to do to. I needed to find out who I was without you and now that I figured that out…I want to see if…maybe…we can start over. I mean we’ve all grown so much and I’d like to get to know the two men in front of me.”

Their eyes continually scan over you, trying to understand and get a true read to make sure you’re alright.

“But like I said, you don’t have to. We can go back to laughing or go to sleep. If it makes you feel better, you taking my virginity that morning…I don’t remember it being a bad experience. Yeah it hurt but it was going to for me anyway and not just because I was virgin.”, you tease, smirking their way.

You were surprised when Eddie was the first to move, taking agonizingly slow steps till he was directly in front of you with his nose hovering just above your own. After blinking a couple of times, he pulled you into his embrace and you closed your eyes as you inhaled his signature smell while clinging your arms around him. 

“I love you.”, you whisper. As if your words were a match, they ignited the metalhead’s passion as his hands tilted your head back and he kissed your lips. As if muscle memory was taking over, you clung to his neck as you jumped up into his arms and his hands promptly took hold of your thighs as your legs wrapped around him. 

As he starts to carry you, his feet give out underneath him as he trips over something and you both tumble to the floor. He manages to keep himself from crushing you as his palms shoot out to catch himself on the hard wood. 

“Fuck! Shit, I’m so sorry. I forgot for a moment this wasn’t my place.”, he chuckles shakily. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”, you laugh.

“I feel like a fucking teenager. I’m actually…I don’t know…nervous.”

“Would it…make you feel better if I admitted I’m nervous to? It’s been a while for me and if I’m being honest I think I’ve only been with you guys sober that one time but that was after that intense session. We’ve never been together…like this.”

Wind moves your hair and you both turn to see Steve laying out one of his blankets with a couple of pillows on the floor. 

“I wish I had lost my virginity to you.”, he admitted. “I was wasted and I’m ashamed to say I don’t even remember the girl’s name. I think you’re the only girl…woman… I’ve been with sober.”

“I was half awake.”, Eddie sighed. “Karla something in the back of my van. I barely remember it either.”

“Were you rough with the other girls like you were me?”, you asked.

“Sometimes but you were the only one that seemed to enjoy it.”

“Did you?”, the metalhead asked. “We never even asked what you liked in bed. Just kind of did our own thing…”

“I did and I didn’t. I hated when we did it after a fight. Kind of like that night we went to Steve’s house after spending time at The Hideout. Eddie said I wanted to fuck Andrew and Steve, you got mad at me because I defended you in front of your dad. You said I butted in and made things worse. You both said you were going to use me one last time before I abandoned you.”

“And I choked you too hard…”

“Sometimes if you both were angry enough the line would blur.”

Steve’s head hung knowing he was the culprit of most of your verbal sparring matches with him. He cringed every time he thought about the awful things he had said to you while drunk. 

Scooting closer to him, your hand reached out to grab his chin lifting his face so you could see his eyes. 

“I love you to.” The man sighed as your thumb caressed his bottom lip. “Show me the men you are now.”

When his lips connected with yours, you wanted to cry because for the first time in a long time you felt safe. Your tongues mingled together as his hips grinded down against yours eliciting a soft moan as you turned your head to find Eddie. Steve’s mouth continued to travel to your neck as he clung to you, your fingers threading through his hair as the metalhead leaned down to kiss the other side. 

Kisses and stolen touches were exchanged as clothes were removed, you not wanting them to be too far for very long as their lips refamiliarized them with your body. Lifting your legs open wide over both their hips, you mewled as their fingers ran delicately up your thighs. 

“This is what we should have done.”, Steve whispered in your ear. “We should have taken our time with you; made you feel more comfortable.”

“Made you feel good and help prepare you.”, Eddie added as he tenderly kissed your cheek and the side of your face. 

When his thick fingers slide into your core, your eyes rolled as your head dipped back. Both your palms ran along cocks and the sound of their groans in your ears had you clenching tightly around his digits. When Steve joined his friend and massaged fast circles into your clit, you knew you wouldn’t last long.

“Fuck, please. Just like that.”

They each grinded against you, desperate for relief as the sound of your slick filled the room as they picked up their pace. 

“That’s it, honey. Cum for us.”

“We got you, pretty girl.”

Your body trembled as you came, your lips searching for theirs as their fingers guided you through. 

“Fuck, that was sexy.”, Steve panted against your lips as he maneuvered himself on top of you. “Wait, fuck, do I need…I may have some condoms somewhere…”

“No. It’s ok. I’m still on the pill.”

Softly grinning down at you, he places a peck on your lips before trailing kisses along your cheek and to your ear. 

“We should have asked that first time. We didn’t even bother. We were so afraid you really were going to leave…”, he whispered. Reaching between your bodies, he gripped the base of his cock and gradually guided it into your core. “Oh my God, Y/N.”

Steve groans as your pussy stretches to accommodate his size and the memory of that evening smacks into you like a ton of bricks. 

“Steve, you’re so big. It won’t fit—”

“It will, honey, I promise…”

“Just go slow and keep talking to me.”

“No, no, baby. You’re ok. Eddie, fuck, can you—”

“Are you ok, sweetheart?”

“Hurts.”

“Hey, are you alright? I’m not hurting you, am I?”

Tears start to fall from your eyes but as the man lifts himself up to pull out and comfort you, you wrap your arms around him to hold him to you. 

“I’m ok. Don’t stop, please, and don’t stop talking to me. You feel so good… I just…I love you.”

His heart flutters at your admission every time he hears you say it. They both thought they had lost you forever and rightfully so but to know they have a chance… they weren’t going to waste it this time. 

Steve slowly began pumping his hips, relishing the feeling of you clinging to him again. 

“I love you to, baby. This is how I should have taken you that first time, nice, slow, and—fuck—so deep. Your pussy so fucking tight as it pulls me in. I can feel you everywhere, Y/N, you’re so warm and wet. You take my cock so well…such a good girl.”

Your eyes rolled as you clenched at the name. With anyone else you had been with you never allowed them to play rough or tell you things like how good of a girl you were or anything like that. It reminded you of them and truth be told you only really believed it when they said it. You didn’t want to push them but you wanted them to know it was ok to be a bit more passionate when it came to you. 

“I’m your good girl?”, you whimper making him moan. 

“Fuck, yeah, honey. You’re our good girl.”

“Then fuck me like a good girl deserves, Steve.” As his head falls between your neck and shoulder, your fingers cling to his hair as he thrusts his cock into you a bit harder than before. “That’s it. Just like that.”

Your eyes swiveled to look for Eddie, finding him beside you both stroking his length as he waited. The sight drove you wild as the other man moved at a faster rhythm, pounding into that sensitive spot inside you that had your jaw going slack. 

“Please…please, Steve. I’m gonna cum.”

Reaching for your hands, he pinned them above your head as he held them in his own, intertwining his fingers with yours as he sucked little marks on to your neck. 

The coil in your belly snapped as you repeatedly moaned his name, his lips hastily meeting yours to swallow your moans as he chased his high. 

“Can I swallow your cum, baby? Please?”

He doesn’t respond as his eyes stare into your own but as his hips sputter he quickly pulls out of you and crawls up your body to push his dick into your awaiting mouth. His fingers tangle in your hair as you bob your head and he mewls as he spills his release down your throat. 

As he backs away from you, you sit up and kiss his lips, his palms cupping your face as he holds you close to him. After caressing his cheek and silently assuring him you were alright, you shimmed your way to the metalhead and wrapped your arms around his neck as he adjusted himself till you were sitting on top of him straddling his waist. 

“It was my first time with the woman I loved and I didn’t even get to see your face.”, Eddie murmured as his hands traveled down your sides to rest on your thighs. “I barely even checked in to make sure you were ok.”

As he spoke, you continued to look down at him as you dragged your pussy lips along his cock.

“I should have had you on top of me just like this so I could see you and you could see me. See that beautiful face scrunch right here when you slide me in.” He smiles when you giggle as he pokes your forehead. “Fuck, Y/N, I missed a lot of things but nothing more than your laugh, sweetheart.”

Your heart skipped a beat as you tilted down to kiss his lips and his palms clung to the base of your neck as you guided your hips down onto his length. 

“I love you, Eddie.”

“Mmm—I love you to, pretty girl.” Subtly bouncing on top of him, you both mewled as his tip hit that soft spot repeatedly. “There you go, princess. Still so fucking tight.”

Your eyes searched his face as he licked his lips and arched his neck, the veins along his throat making you moan. 

“Spank me.”, you plead as your nose grazes his. “I promise it’s ok.”

His eyes fully open, meeting your own as you place his hands on your behind. Gauging your reaction, he kneads your meaty flesh as he guides your movements.

“Fuck, baby. You look so sexy riding my dick. Make yourself cum. I want to feel your pussy squeezing me.”

Bouncing as hard as you can, your head falls on his shoulder as his palm spanks your ass and he feels your warm breath heat his skin. 

“A-Again, Eddie. Just like that.”

Ring laced fingers take hold of the back of your neck as his other arm circles around your waist to hold you still as he plants his feet and thrusts up into you meeting your motions with a hard one of his own. 

“Like that, Y/N? That the spot? I know, sweetheart, I got you.”

That wasn’t the first time he had ever said those words to you but this was the first time you ever believed him. 

“Say it again.”

His head turned slightly to kiss your temple as he softly murmured his last sentence till you tumbled over the ledge and he spanked you again as he helped you ride your high. Leaning back on your knees, he followed you and you hugged his head to your chest as you rolled your hips till you felt him warm your insides. 

His lips roamed your skin as he guided your sweaty bodies on your sides. A second set of welcomed kisses glided along your shoulder blade as you felt yourself slowly drift off into bliss. 

###############

1982

“Fuck, why am I nervous? We’ve known her since like 4th grade.”, Steve hyped himself up as they sat outside your door in his car. 

“Yeah, but this is different. We’ve never looked at her that way before and vice versa.”, Eddie sighed.

“I mean…I always thought she was beautiful. I just…what would a perfect girl like that want with an asshole like me?”

“Steve, you’re not a…well you’re a little bit of an asshole.”, the metalhead teases making his friend laugh. “I get it though. She’s perfect to me to and deserves more than some trailer trash felon’s kid.”

As his hands begin to shake, he reaches into his leather jacket for his pack of cigarettes.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m ok. I just haven’t had a hit all day and I’m jumpy. I wanted to be sober for our first date with her.”

Steve smiled at his friend as he flashes him his jacket pocket. 

“Same. No flask or any alcohol.” Eddie nodded as he patted the man’s shoulder. “You’re not trailer trash, Munson. I hope you know that. You’ve been my best friend to and I’ve never once seen you that way. I love ya, man.”

“Aw. I love you to, Harrington.”, he replies in a high pitch sing song voice before glancing out the window. “Thank you. I don’t know where I’d be without you guys.”

Grinning, they both hop out of the car and knock on your door, their jaws dropping when you greet them in a beautiful blue dress they had never seen on you before. 

“Wow, you two look handsome.”

“We don’t look half as good as you. Oh my god.”, Steve compliments making you blush. 

Eddie extends his arm like he had seen so many times in movies, his smile widening when you loop your own through it and lean over to kiss his cheek. 

#############

You woke up to the sound of beeping as your eyes opened in search of the noise. Steve groaned as he rolled over, blindly searching before holding up his watch, and pushing the button to silence it. 

“Do you have to go to work?”, you whisper, smiling when he shakes his head and turns back onto his side reminding you of the little boy who used to do sleep overs with you in elementary school. 

As you try to face him as well, you realize a tattooed arm is laying across your chest and glance over to see Eddie on his tummy with his messy hair blocking his face. Tenderly, you reach over to move it to the side, rousing him from sleep as he scrunches his nose and blinks before pulling you closer to him till his nose was pressed against your cheek. 

The first time you met him his hair was extremely short and he had bruises everywhere. When he came to your house, you could tell he felt out of place but you extended your hand and allowed him to hold it if he felt uncomfortable. Those first couple of times he stayed over, you would wake up with the back of his palm near yours. 

Fingers tracing your skin bring you back to the present as your eyes meet Steve’s and he smiles as he runs them up your arm and down your stomach. Your breathing hitches when you feel the tips along the scar on your stomach. 

“Does it still hurt?”

“Sometimes…when it rains or snows… or when I dream about it…” His amber eyes scan your face as you continue. “Those are the two experiences I think about a lot still. You two screaming at each other before leaving me and finding Eddie ODed…”

The man’s thumb caressed your skin as he kissed your skin.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

“I meant what I said before that night two years ago. I forgive you both. This past week just hearing and seeing how far you two have come… I loved you both so much but I never felt safe. Last night and right now… I feel like it’s finally safe for me to let go and trust you again. If you want that…if you want me…”

Eddie’s lips abruptly crash to your own before kissing your nose and up to your forehead. 

“I love you so much, Y/N. I will always want you, baby. I promise you ARE safe with me. I got you.”

Steve lightly grips your chin, turning you to face him as he kisses your lips as well. 

“I love you, honey, and you are all I’ve ever wanted. You’re safe with me to and you both are more than welcome to stay here or we can look for a bigger place. Whatever we have to do, I’m in.”

You held them both to you as the tears began to flow, thankful that your lives would no longer be trapped in memories but new beginnings with the two people you loved the most and loved you. 

################

[medusapelagia]

Separate Ways - NSFW -Ch 1/22

Here we are... after 9 months my baby is finally here! This is my fic for the @bigbangharringrove! A huge thanks to my incredible artist @lemonhitsu (without whom I would have probably dropped out ages ago and who made this beautiful moodboard) and thank you so much to @bottombillyapologist for being my beta!

Summary: Steve Harrington is a famous model whose live depends on his manager and (more or less) lover, Tommy Hagan. After a bar fight, he meets Officer William Hargrove, recently transferred to the NY Police Department and with a deep personal experience with a violent environment, who can clearly see the signs of domestic violence in Steve's relationship with Tommy. Determined to help the pretty boy escape from his abusive relationship, Billy gets closer and closer to Steve.

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A little snippet under the cut

Steve Harrington is the most booked runway model in the world.   His face and his body are everywhere. On billboards, on magazine covers, and plastered  over ads at bus stops.   Steven Joseph Harrington, twenty-fourth years old, is the richest model in the world.  And he is about to celebrate his achievement with Tommy: Tommy Hagan, his high school friend, was the one that pushed him to pursue a modeling career and now, somehow, he owns his life. He is the one that chooses which campaign Steve is going to do a photo shoot for or which fashion show is worthy of his presence. He is the one that chooses every single thing that Steve eats. He books trainers for him when they travel abroad.   Paris, Milan, London, New York— he doesn’t have to worry about anything. Tommy books the flight— always business class— and the hotels, always luxury suites. All Steve has to do is show up and let Tommy take care of him.   It’s not bad, it's just... sometimes Steve would like to do something different from  walking on the runways or training in the gym. He used to play basketball, but Tommy  completely prohibited him from contact sports: they can't risk someone  elbowing him in the face before a fashion show.   He’s not wrong. But Steve loved team sports. He had a lot of friends, but now he feels like he has no friends left.   But he still has Tommy. And Tommy would never leave him.  

[bigbangharringrove]

Separate Ways

Author: @medusapelagia (Ao3: medusapelagia) Artist: @lemonhitsu

Summary: Steve Harrington is a famous model whose life depends on his manager and (more or less) lover, Tommy Hagan. After a bar fight, he meets Officer William Hargrove, recently transferred to the NY Police Department and with a deep personal experience with a violent environment, who can clearly see the signs of domestic violence in Steve’s relationship with Tommy. Determined to help the pretty boy escape from his abusive relationship, Billy gets closer and closer to Steve. Rating: E Pairings: Tommy Hagan/Steve Harrington, Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington, minor Jason Carver/Chrissy Cunningham, minor Eddie Munson/Heather Holloway Content Tags: psychological violence, domestic violence, eating disorders, gaslighting, drug use, angst with happy ending, slow burn, homophobic language, body issues, manipulation, Eventual Smut, gun violence, blow job, jerking off, feminization, murder, attempted murder

Excerpt:

"And why does your boyfriend get a text message when you spend your money?" "Tommy’s not my boyfriend" Steve declares "He’s just… Tommy. He takes care of me and manages my patrimony. Sometimes I spend money like water and he keeps me in line." "I supposed that being the richest model in the world had its perks." Billy says back. "How do you know? I thought you didn't recognize me!" "I didn't, but some other guy from the station did. It doesn't happen every day to put away a celebrity!" "You didn't put me in jail. Well you did, but I only remember having a very interrupted sleep on a cot in your resting room." "That's true." He agrees, then looks back at him "Did you have any problem with your head after? You didn't call and I didn't have your number, so…" Steve bites the inside of his cheek. Should he have called? But they weren't friends after all. "I'm sorry for not calling you." "No need to be. I'm actually glad you didn't have to." "Well, I'm glad that I ran into you at the shop, I was fucking tired of staying at home. The first week I couldn't get out because of the bruises, even if Robin taught me how to hide them with makeup, and then I had this crazy schedule of training so…" "I'm glad too." The blond policeman pulls over to a residential street and stops in front of a cute townhouse. "Here we are." he declares.

[steddiebang]

change your mind | explicit | 190k

Author: helix_stomper Artist: horsegirleddiemunson Beta Readers: ohstars and artaxlivs

 After his breakup with Nancy, Steve Harrington keeps it a secret that he hasn’t made an effort to meet his soulmate. When he accidentally wakes up next to them a few days after his 18th birthday, he’s surprised to find that it’s not only another guy, but somebody else in Hawkins. Between losing all his old friends, learning how not to be an asshole, and balancing his newfound sexuality in a closed-minded town, Steve has his work cut out for him. Eddie Munson doesn’t believe in soulmates, but that doesn’t stop him from waiting in the dreamscape every night for his. Balancing life as an openly queer, drug-dealing super senior in Hawkins, Indiana is no cakewalk, especially with Billy Hargrove on his ass. But maybe, just maybe, there’s something to that whole soulmate thing after all.

Link to Fic | Link to Art

Pairings: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson Characters: Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley, Nancy Wheeler, The Party, Corroded Coffin, Wayne Munson, Jim Hopper, Tammy Thompson, Tommy Hagan, Billy Hargrove Tags: Soulmate AU, Modern AU, No Upside Down, Season 2 Vibes, Slow Burn, Steve Harrington Has Bad Parents, Wayne Munson is a Good Uncle, Fluff and Angst, Sharing a Bed, POV Alternating, Eddie Munson is Bad at Feelings, Steve Harrington Needs a Hug, Idiots in Love, High School Drama, Eventual Smut, Dreamscapes, One-sided background attractions, loosely inspired by Cinderella stories Trigger Warnings: Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Bullying, Underage Drinking, Alcoholism/Alcohol Abuse, Drug Dealing, Drug Dealer Eddie Munson

[that-ineffable-devil]

Rainbow in the Dark | Chapter 4

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Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7

Author's Note: This is a glimpse into Steve's home life with his parents--I don't expect we'll see much of them after this, but we need to lay the groundwork for his relationship with them as well as the dynamic between himself and Tommy. While he won't see Tommy for what he is, yet, this is the seed that blooms by the end of S1 of the show's canon. I promise he won't always suffer so much!

CONTENT WARNING: Most of this chapter has a humming undercurrent of Steve's anxiety with Tommy and his father. It also ends with an intense confrontation with his father. There's no physical abuse, but he does yell at and heavily insult Steve. As with Chapter 3, I've placed the confrontation under the Read More cut so it can be avoided, if necessary.

Chapter 4: An Only Child in an Only Room

Steve bumped harshly into Tommy as he rounded the corner on the way to his next class, sending the other boy crashing to the floor.

“T-Tommy! Oh, man, I’m sorry—let me…” he rushed out, reaching down to help Tommy up.

The grimace on the boy’s face made Steve’s heart drop into his stomach. Was Tommy hurt? Did he hurt him? Anxiety welled up in him like a tidal wave as his eyes darted all over the other boy, searching for injuries.

Tommy’s grimace twisted into something like rage as he slapped Steve’s hand away and stood up.

“I’m fine, but you should pay more attention, Harrington,” he spat out, the words laced with venom.

Tommy had never spoken to him like this, and as the anxiety boiled over into fear, he searched the boy’s freckled face for a reason.

His friend continued to glare coldly at him as he shifted his backpack to his other shoulder.

“So. Have a good time with your mystery girl today?”

Steve though Tommy sounded hurt—or jealous? But why? Tommy had never seemed to mind him hanging out with girls before—not that it happened often. Tommy didn’t know he’d been working on his essay with Jonathan, right? And why would that make him jealous? Steve decided he must be misreading things again—emotions were tricky, and he wasn’t the best at reading them. Attempting to defuse the situation, he adopted a sheepish smile and looked away from Tommy, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand.

“Oh…y-yeah, it was great. Lotta fun.”

“I bet,” Tommy replied, voice still chilly and edged.

Steve shuffled his feet—maybe Tommy was feeling neglected? He hadn’t spent as much time with his best friend this week, so maybe Tommy thought he was abandoning him for some girl. Steve swallowed the panic that rose in his throat as he thought of losing his best friend. He couldn’t panic—now was the time for action.

“So, uh, I know we haven’t had as much time to hang out this week so I thought, maybe, if you want, you could come over to my place this weekend? My dad’s headed out of town Saturday morning, so we could pretty much have full reign of the place and stuff…” Steve stammered out, counting the scuffs on the floor because he couldn’t stand the sight of Tommy’s anger.

The silence stretched on, thicker and more cloying than it had in the library—like it would drown them if they didn’t break its surface. If Steve had looked up, he may have caught Tommy’s expression shift from cold rage to cruel calculation. When he finally met the other boy’s gaze, Tommy had schooled his face into a friendly, but devious expression—nothing out of the ordinary.

“Yeah, that’d be cool. Can I come over tonight though and stay the weekend? My dad has some ‘business friends’ coming over this weekend and I have zero interest in being their beer gopher.”

Steve smiled brightly.

“Absolutely! That’d be awesome!”

The rest of the school day passed in a blur. Though he’d been happy to agree to Tommy’s request—anything to quell the impending Hagan Wrath—he was a bit worried that he hadn’t gotten permission first. He soothed the anxiety by reminding himself that Harringtons were nothing if not impeccable hosts, and to refuse to let Tommy stay after the invitation was offered would be a grave offense to the Hagans.

He just hoped that his father would forget about it before he returned from his business trip. That his mother wouldn’t remind him.

As Steve and Tommy climbed into the back seat of his mother’s Beemer, he decided to rip the metaphorical Band-Aid off.

“Hey Mom! Tommy’s staying over this weekend—that okay?” His voice is bright and high, as if in excitement—but it was really nerves.

“My parents are entertaining business clients this weekend, Mrs. Harrington, and they’d really appreciate not having to worry about me while they’re hosting,” Tommy added in a sickly-sweet voice as he closed the car door. “I’m sure they’d gladly repay the favor.”

“Of course, dears, that’ll be just fine,” Steve’s mother replied, not turning to face them.

To anyone else, she may have sounded a little resigned but cheerful. Steve knew that something else simmered below her words, and he felt his stomach tighten as he thought of his father. If he’d already had a bad day…Steve swallowed thickly, trying to focus on anything but his thoughts. But Tommy was unusually quiet, leaving him to stew in his apprehension.

Steve just hoped his father wouldn’t do anything in front of Tommy—he felt he was already on thin ice there, though he couldn’t understand why.

As the three of them filed quietly into the Harringtons’ foyer, Steve noted his father’s luggage was already packed and ready near the entryway, their black leather and scarlet zippers a stark contrast against the neutral wall. While Richard Harrington firmly believed in being prepared for any situation, Steve thought it looked like an awful lot more luggage than normal for one of his short business trips. His mother walked past the luggage without a second glance and without a word to either boy, both of whom had stopped to hang up their backpacks.

“Richard, we have a guest!” she called out to the house, her voice loud but neutral.

Steve’s stomach twisted into knots as he heard the door to his father’s study open with the slightest click and squeak. His chest grew tighter as his father’s Oxfords clacked heavily against the floor as he approached. He wanted to bolt—to run to his room with Tommy and hide there until his father had left on his trip. But his legs were frozen, his sneakers glued to the floor. There’d be no running.

His father approached the boys as his mother finished hanging her hat and coat—she exited toward the kitchen without sparing any of them another glance, but her shoulders were as stiff as the click of her heels on the hard floor. Steve wanted to look down, look away—look anywhere his father wasn’t. But Harringtons always look men in the eye, his father had said. If a man couldn’t meet your eyes, then he was lying or a coward—both unacceptable traits for a Harrington. So, he met his father’s eyes as he approached.

“Ah, the young Hagan, I see,” his father said as he sized up Tommy, his voice deep and booming, no expression on his face.

“Yes, sir,” Tommy replied with his most winning smile.

Steve could practically hear the dimples in his voice, the ghost of a smile flickering across his face before his father fixed him with a cold glare.

“I don’t recall you asking permission to invite a friend over this weekend, Steven.”

“W-well, I…um..”

“Oh my, did you forget darling?” Steve’s mother said, having returned to the doorway. “He asked me a few days ago and I told him it would be fine, knowing you’d be on your trip anyway. I’m certain I reminded you last night,” her eyes alight with something undefinable as she stared at the back of her husband’s head.

Shock ran through Steve’s entire body as he chanced a look at his mother. She caught his eye and gave the briefest breath of a smile and nod before her neutral expression returned.

Richard stared down his nose at Steve—he did not believe his boy had asked permission, but he couldn’t contradict his wife so openly—not in front of company, at least. He took a deep breath, eyes still fixed on his son.

“Ah, yes, now I remember,” he replied, tilting his head in her direction. “Well then, Mr. Hagan, it appears you are our most welcome guest.”

As his father turned to return to his study, Steve smiled at his mother in the distance. She nodded again, her dark brown eyes warm, but sad. When Steve turned to Tommy, relief washing over him, he noticed the other boy did not seem relieved—or even happy. He looked…annoyed? Frustrated? Disappointed? Before Steve could make sense of it, Tommy turned to him and smiled widely, dispelling his concern.

“Great!” Tommy said brightly. “Let’s go up to your room, we can hang out for a while before dinner, right?”

“Yeah, of course!” Steve replied cheerfully, and they raced each other up the stairs to his room.

Dinner at the Harrington house was always a quiet affair. Although they all sat around the solid oak dining table, there was rarely any talk. Steve’s parents would sit at opposite ends of the table—his father reading the Wall Street Journal, his mother keeping her eyes on her meal. Steve had hoped he and Tommy could eat quickly and then escape, but Tommy seemed determined to engage his father in conversation. It was maddening. Steve had even tried kicking the other boy under the table, but Tommy had turned so that Steve’s feet couldn’t reach him. What was he doing?

“So, Mr. Harrington, did you see Steve’s last game? He was totally the MVP,” Tommy remarked with a grin.

Steve’s father huffed a bit, eyes still on his paper.

“Ah, yes, I heard about that. I was, unfortunately, away on business for that game.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll get another chance, especially now that Steve knows he’s passing English lit, isn’t that right Steve?”

Steve squeaked.

“What? I mean, yeah, I am…but…”

“Steve, man, you have got to tell me how you finished that ridiculous essay so quickly!” Tommy interrupted.

“Well, I…I told you; I went to the library during lunchtime all week.” Steve stuttered out, giving Tommy a confused expression.

“Right, right, the library. Good place to write about Hemingway.”

“Yeah, I thought…”

“And, of course, you got help from that weird Byers kid, right?”

The deafening silence pressed so strongly around their ears that Steve could only hear the rush of his own blood.

“W-what?” Steve stammered, his heart speeding as heat flushed into his cheeks. What was Tommy on about?

“You know—Byers. Everyone saw you with him—you even stayed late to work with him, right?”

“I…I don’t,” Steve was panicking, his eyes flicking between his father and Tommy.

“Byers?” his father asked, his voice quiet but commanding.

Steve gulped, his throat suddenly dry and raw.

“You, a Harrington, have been spending time with a mangy Byers?”

His father was staring at his meal as he spoke, his voice calm and deep, though Steve could swear he heard the waver that preceded imminent rage.

“I…I was just…the paper…”

Steve’s voice was pleading as he looked toward his mother, who kept her head down and expression neutral, but he thought her eyes were closed as if resigned. The color drained out of Steve as he realized he would face this alone, so he channeled all his effort to stopping the oncoming tremors. Any sign of nervousness or fear showed weakness and unworthiness to Richard Harrington’s eyes.

“Mr. Hagan, I’m afraid you will need to excuse us a moment, I need to have a word with my son,” his father said pointedly, looking at Tommy.

Tommy nodded, and as Steve stood from the table to follow his father into his study, he could have sworn that Tommy looked pleased—triumphant, even. It was bewildering and surreal.

Steve flinched as the door clicked shut behind him, his father walking behind his rich mahogany desk to face him. He gestured to the uncomfortable wooden chair placed under the ceiling light in front of the desk.

“Sit, Steven,” he said calmly, his fingers resting on the desktop.

Steve obeyed, his entire body a coiled spring waiting to pop. His father did not sit, opting instead to tower over his son, his face half-hidden by shadows.

“Is Mr. Hagan correct? Did you skip your lunches—perhaps even some classes—to spend time with that…Byers boy?”

His father’s voice was quiet and collected, but Steve knew it was merely the calm before the storm. If he chose his words carefully, he could minimize the damage.

“I had an English literature paper due today and had struggled to find a copy of any of Hemingway’s works. I went to the library on Monday and Jonathan and I fou…” Steve started to explain.

“Jonathan?” his father spat, as though the name were cheap wine to his refined palate.

“Y…um…the B-Byers boy,” Steve corrected himself.

His father’s eyes grew darker as he seemed to grow impossibly taller. Steve cleared his throat.

“Um, we—B-Byers and I—we both found the last Hemingway b-book at the same t-time, so we thought, since we b-both hadn’t f-finished the essay…” Steve’s voice failed as his father crossed his arms before him.

“Let me make sure I understand this. You, a Harrington, waited until the last minute to prepare for and write your essay. Rather than ask your parents to simply purchase you one of Hemingway’s novels, you sought the last one available in the library, and once finding it, agreed to share it with a Byers so that you could both write your procrastinated essays—am I correct?”

Steve’s eyes prickled with tears, but he held them back, refusing to break eye contact with his father.

“Y-yes, sir.”

“You then spent your lunch every day this week with said Byers writing your individual essays—all in close quarters, in public. Correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And am I to believe you also skipped classes to spend time with this boy?”

“N-no!” Steve shouted, fear seeping through. “We were just sharing the book so we could write our papers, nothing else! It…it wasn’t even fun. H-he was…he was weird.”

“Could you not have passed the book back and forth, each taking it for one night each week before Friday?”

“W-well…I guess we d-didn’t think about that…” Steve admitted, deflating like a punctured balloon.

“Of course, you didn’t,” his father sighed in frustration. “You both clearly have the brain power of an uneducated slug. I expect more from you Steven—you’re a Harrington and that comes with conditions. You do not fraternize with people like the Byers’.”

Steve was silent for a moment.

“Why, though?”

“Excuse me?”

“Why can’t I f-fraternize with the Byers’?”

“Those ‘people’ are trash, you embarrassment. If you associate with trash, you become it, and I’ll be damned before I let any son of mine become one of them.”

“But...w-what do you mean? J…the Byers boy seemed n-nice…”

“Stop stuttering, you idiot! Speak with confidence or do not speak at all!”

Steve curled in on himself, unable to stop the involuntary reaction to his father’s raised voice.

“Listen to me, you will learn that some people are simply worthless—beneath you and undeserving of your attention. While you may be a father’s biggest disappointment, you are still a Harrington, and I’ll not see our good name sullied by your association with a Byers.”

Steve blinked rapidly, fighting back the torrent of tears that threatened to spill over. His father leaned in over his desk suddenly, his facial features suddenly distorted and made grotesque from the light of his desk lamp. Steve flinched again.

“Now, because we have esteemed company tonight, you will not be sent to confinement. But if I hear even a whisper of a rumor that you are spending any more time with this Byers bastard, you won’t see the light of day unless you’re headed to or from school. Am I clear?”

His father’s voice was like ice—cold, calculating, and utterly merciless.

Steve, still in shock, took too long to answer.

“DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!” his father shouted in his face.

“Y-yes, sir!” Steve squeaked out, holding back the sob in his chest.

“Good. Get out of my sight, you’re done with dinner. I’ll send Tommy up to your room later.”

Steve nodded, leaving his chair and trying to make a quick exit.

“Boy!” his father said curtly behind him. “Look at me.”

Steve turned his face toward his father, hoping the tears weren’t as visible as they felt.

“I expect silence from your room tonight—I have an early flight and will not tolerate being kept awake. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir,” Steve said with as much confidence as possible.

“Dismissed,” his father replied.

Steve calmly exited the study, walked back down the hallway, then took the stairs two at a time, afraid he could no longer hold the tears at bay. Why had Tommy talked about his paper? How did he know he’d been working with Jonathan? He said everyone had seen him, but they can’t have—they’d usually worked at a table tucked behind rows and rows of shelves and books. And Tommy knew Richard Harrington’s views—didn’t he know how his father would react? He’d seen how Steve’s father treated him before, so why would he even risk inciting his rage? Was Tommy mad at him? Had he done something wrong?

Steve flung himself onto his bed after silently closing his bedroom door. He tried unsuccessfully to avoid thinking of Jonathan, waiting for him in the library on Monday, not knowing that Steve would never show. He tried to ignore the ache in his heart as the grief of losing something so good so quickly. As the sobs threatened to erupt from his chest, he hoped he could keep them quiet enough to not reach his father, and prayed that he’d be able to push the rest down so Tommy would never see him like this.

He couldn't bear to lose Tommy, too.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7

Post Notes: "Baby" Steve is breaking my heart, y'all, and I'm ready to throw hands at Richard--and even Tommy. That little jerk knows exactly what he's doing--whatever his reasons, he shouldn't do Steve like that.

Chapter 5 Preview: Jonathan Byers can't believe that Steve Harrington, friend of Hawkins' resident bully Tommy Hagan, is actually a kind and decent person--and even stranger, Steve seems to want to be his friend. After a restless weekend trying to make sense of the last week, Jonathan is excited to see his friend Steve in the library again on Monday. But he doesn't know that Steve's weekend had been an entirely different experience, and everything was about to change. Forever.

Thank you to all readers who have made it this far! Likes, comments, and shares are deeply appreciated! I, like Steve, am heavily motivated by praise.

Credits

Bat dividers courtesy of StrayWords.

Fic title courtesy of Rainbow in the Dark by Dio.

Chapter title courtesy of Suffer the Children by Tears for Fears.

[steddie-fanfic-recs]

change your mind

by helix_stomper

Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Previous Steve Harrington/Nancy Wheeler, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson & Nancy Wheeler Characters: Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley, Nancy Wheeler, Wayne Munson, Tommy Hagan, Billy Hargrove, Jim "Chief" Hopper, Tammy Thompson, Corroded Coffin (Stranger Things), The Party (Stranger Things) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, season 2 vibes, Dreamscapes, Slow Burn, POV Alternating, Hawkins High School (Stranger Things), Fluff and Angst, Falling In Love, Sharing a Bed, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Underage Drinking, Eventual Smut, Homophobic Language, Homophobia, One-sided Background Attractions, Drug Dealing, Drug Dealer Eddie Munson, Eddie Munson is Bad at Feelings, Steve Harrington Has Bad Parents, Steve Harrington Needs a Hug, Good Uncle Wayne Munson, Drama, Bullying, loosely inspired by cinderella stories, All Triggers are Tagged, steddiebang2023, Autistic Eddie Munson, Trans Gareth (if you squint), Babysitter Steve Harrington, Background Hellfire Club (Stranger Things), Smoking, Mike Wheeler is a Little Shit, Eddie Munson is Steve Harrington's Bisexual Awakening, Billy Hargrove is His Own Warning, Platonic Stobin, platonic edancy, rebel robin references, Eddie Munson is a Mess, Hand Jobs, Grinding, #tammythompsondefensesquad, Guns, Breaking and Entering, Grumpy Jim "Chief" Hopper, pen violence, Nancy Wheeler Knows Everything, Eddie Munson is a Little Shit, Steve Harrington is a Swiftie, Slow Dancing, Rimming, 69 (Sex Position), Mutual Pining, Outing, mentions of domestic violence, One-Sided Attraction, Concussions, ronance crumbs Words: 223,370 Chapters: 17/17

Summary

After his breakup with Nancy, Steve Harrington keeps it a secret that he hasn’t made an effort to meet his soulmate. When he accidentally wakes up next to them a few days after his 18th birthday, he’s surprised to find that it’s not only another guy, but somebody else in Hawkins. Between losing all his old friends, learning how not to be an asshole, and balancing his newfound sexuality in a closed-minded town, Steve has his work cut out for him. Eddie Munson doesn’t believe in soulmates, but that doesn’t stop him from waiting in the dreamscape every night for his. Balancing life as an openly queer, drug-dealing super senior in Hawkins, Indiana is no cakewalk, especially with Billy Hargrove on his ass. But maybe, just maybe, there’s something to that whole soulmate thing after all. Project # 217 for the Steddie BigBang (2023)

[alloftheimagines]

billy hargrove | bruises

masterlist | ko-fi

words: 1.9k

warnings: 18+. includes triggering themes. read with care!

abuse, bullying, attempted sexual assault on reader, violence, blood, strong language, hurt/comfort, angst, paaaiiiiinnnnn

prompt: billy and the reader have been dating for a while and billy finds a note like the song  and he finds out tommy or one of his friends is hurting her and he becomes angry and overprotective of her with some fluff and smuttt angst??:))

You thought that graduating would finally free you from the torment of Tommy Hagan and his friends — but it doesn’t quite work out that way. Instead, you’ve been forced to work with him at the pool all summer. 

He’s different now. More discrete. But he still treats you like a piece of shit whenever your co-workers aren’t around. Knocking your sandwich off the table in the break room and stepping on it so you end up without lunch. Tripping you up by the pool and claiming it an accident. Always watching you teach with that intimidating, smug, oily smirk that leaves you filled with nausea and dread because it promises something is coming. It’s always been like this at school, but somehow, now, it’s worse. Your knees and wrists are bruised. Last week, you hit your head against concrete when he tripped you. You go hungry most days. You can’t quit, though. You need the money to get the hell out of Hawkins. So you put up with it, sobbing in your car after every shift. Sometimes, you feel Billy Hargrove watching and expect him to join in, but he never does. He might not even know; Tommy is good at covering his tracks, and the two don’t seem as close as they once were. But they still laugh and joke together. They get to enjoy their job while you suffer through every second. 

You wince now as you step into the showers, hiking up the temperature as though scalding your skin might wash away the day. You dunk your head under the spray of water, raking back your hair and standing like that for a while. You don’t hear the footsteps behind you. You don’t see the intruder. You only realise he’s there when you feel cold hands on your hips. You gasp, whipping around to come face to face with Tommy. You still wear your swimsuit, but you cover up your cleavage nonetheless, stepping back to try to put some distance between you. But your spine hits the cool tiles and he follows, pressing up against you, mouth curling and eyes flashing with glee. He has you cornered. 

“Enjoying your shower, Y/N?”

“Get out of here.” You want to sound strong, but it comes out as a plea. “Jesus, these are the women’s showers.”

“Is that what you’re calling yourself?” He licks his lips like you’re a piece of meat, and dread turns you cold. If he can hurt you, assault you, what else will he do in the privacy of the showers, both of you in nothing but swimsuits?

“Leave me alone, Tommy.” Your voice shakes, and you try to squirm away, but his hands curl around your wrist in a bruising grip. You yelp, already sore from the last time he pinned you up against the wall — this morning, in the corridors, because you’d gotten in his way when he was carrying equipment out to the pool. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“What?” he asks innocently. And then his arm is pinning your neck to the wall. You let out a small whimper when your head hits the tiles, squeezing your eyes shut when his free hand begins to wander down your hip again. “You too good to be touched?”

“Please!” you scream, praying to god someone, another woman, is working as late as you. Heather or —

“What the hell is going on here?” Billy Hargrove appears through a veil of steam, his nostrils flaring and his hands balled into fists. Your eyes widen and you gulp. You’re outnumbered now. If Billy joins in…

Tommy’s grip on you loosens only slightly. “I was just having a bit of fun with Y/N here.”

“Get the hell off her, you sick fuck.” Billy’s low words surprise you, and your eyes widen as he marches towards you both. He grabs Tommy by the collar, slamming him up against the wall opposite. “You think it’s funny, you slimy prick?”

“Stop it, man,” Tommy grunts, rattled now. “We were just messing around.”

You suck in shallow breaths as you rub your neck, still throbbing from the pressure there. Still, a bleak satisfaction swells in your chest at the sight of Tommy on the receiving end for once. Finally getting what he deserves. 

“Didn’t look like Y/N was having much fun, did it?” Billy knees Tommy in the groin, causing him to hunch over and groan in pain. “Thought no one would notice, didn’t you? What you’ve been doing when you think no one’s looking? Well, I noticed. And I don’t fucking like bullies.” 

Another kick, another punch. Tommy curls onto the floor, blood coating his lips. He holds his hands up, begging for mercy. “Alright, alright. Stop!”

Billy crouches to Tommy's level. You gulp, heart in your throat. 

“Say you're sorry,” he demands.

“Billy…” you begin to protest, but Tommy is weak. Pathetic. 

He answers immediately with a stuttering, “I-I’m sorry. I’m sorry, okay?”

“It won’t happen again,” Billy commands, and you have the naive hope to believe it. You’d believe anything Billy says when he’s like this, towering over the weakest man in Hawkins. “Say it!”

“It won’t. It won’t.” Tommy begins to sob. 

“That’s right. You’re going to quit tomorrow morning. And you won’t ever look at her again. You won’t so much as touch another woman unless they ask you to. Is that clear?”

“Yes.” Tommy’s tears mingle with his blood. “Yes. Yes. Please…”

Billy lets him go, straightening up and kicking him a final time for good measure, his lip curling in disgust. 

You don’t realise you’re crying yourself until he looks at you — and then you feel pathetic, too. But you’re frozen, too stunned to move. You don’t even realise you’re still standing under the gushing shower until Billy approaches slowly, shutting the water off with a careful hand. You’re trembling, confused, embarrassed. 

His brows draw together. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

You let him guide you out, and you don’t dare look at Tommy as you leave the showers still sopping wet. A towel is draped across your shoulders, and you pull it closer. Billy stops outside the women’s locker room, and you realise you probably should, too. Your clothes are in there.

“I can wait out here for you.”

“Oh…” Your face crumples finally. “Why?”

He narrows his eyes as though puzzled. “Why?”

You bite down on your bottom lip. “I thought… I thought you were friends with him.” You can’t help but wonder if this is just a trick. Or maybe a hallucination. Maybe you hit your head too hard in the showers and Tommy is still tormenting you, and your coping mechanism is to imagine this. Being saved. But why would your mind conjure Billy Hargrove?

His jaw clenches. “Not anymore. Like I said, I don’t do bullies. I had no idea until I saw the way you came out of the break room this morning. Looked like you’d seen a fuckin’ ghost. How long —?”

“It started in middle school. I don’t even know why.” You swallow thickly. 

“Abusive assholes like him don’t always have a reason. They just…” Billy’s eyes glisten absently. “They like the pain they cause. That’s all.”

He sounds, looks, like he knows even more about it than you do. And you suppose you’ve never even seen it as abuse before, though it’s what it is. You wanted to pass it off as bullying, because that’s something you can survive. But this…

“Hey,” Billy whispers, placing a gentle hand on your shoulder. He looks at you as though asking if it’s okay — and it is. It shouldn’t be. You should be afraid of him after the way he hurt Tommy. You look at his hand, find his knuckles bruised and bloody. But he did it for you. And he’s looking at you now like there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for you. Like he understands. No one has ever understood before. “He won’t touch you again.”

“Yeah.” You shiver, a draught reaching you in the corridor. “I’m gonna go and get changed.”

“Okay. I’ll be right here.”

And when you return, he is.

***

Billy taps the steering wheel of his Camaro nervously, casting sidelong glances your way every so often. He feels sick about what he saw. So sick he hasn’t been able to turn his engine on yet. You’re damp-haired and pale and too still where you usually fidget to no end. You’re also wearing his sweater because you didn’t bring one of your own. It’s hot out, but in this car, it’s freezing. 

“Are you okay?” he asks finally.

“Yeah.” A lie. You rub the spot on your hip where he saw Tommy grabbing you earlier. The worst part is that he knows he can’t make it better. He knows there’s nothing that fixes what’s broken when somebody hurts you unprovoked, without reason, just because they can. 

“Do you wanna go somewhere? Get a coffee or something?”

“Yeah,” you whisper. “Yeah, okay.”

He starts the engine, but your voice stops him.

“Billy?”

“Yeah?”

“Why are you helping me?” Your lip wobbles, and it kills him. All of it kills him. That he didn’t see it sooner. That he didn’t step in this morning when he realised. That you’re suffering the way he has so many times. “I mean, I know you said… Has someone bullied you the way that Tommy…?”

“You know that wasn’t just bullying, right?” He needs you to know. Needs you to understand. To not dilute it. Because he did that for too long, making excuses for his dad. He was just disciplining him. Just trying to teach him a lesson. “It’s abuse. What he’s been doing to you…” Gently, he takes your hand; examines your bruised wrist. It’s an effort not to flinch as though the pain is his own. “This is serious, Y/N. You should file a police report.”

You shake your head. “No. No. I don’t…” Your chin wobbles. “I feel weak. He made me feel weak, and I don’t want everybody to know that I let him. For so long, I let him. I don’t know what he would have done if you hadn’t been there, in the showers. I don’t know…”

His fingernails dig into his palm tightly. He still holds your hand with the other, tracing soothing circles with his thumb. “He’s a fucking piece of shit. I swear to god, I wanted to kill him.”

“I’m glad you were there,” you admit, voice quivering as you turn his palm over. There are scars in his flesh that he usually tries to hide. Burns. Ruined skin from always fisting his hands. The bruises leftover from Tommy’s fucking teeth, and punching the drywall the day before after a run-in with Neil. But not for you. He doesn’t hide from you. You might be the only person who won’t think him broken. 

“I’m glad I was, too. I’m just sorry I never realised.”

“You didn’t answer my question. Does someone hurt you, Billy?”

He gulps, feeling frayed at the edges when his stomach flips. “Yeah. Yeah, they do. My dad.”

You purse your lips, pain — his pain — filling your eyes. “I’m sorry.”

He can’t look at you anymore. Nothing has ever felt this intimate. No one has ever felt this close. It’s like being trapped inside a helium balloon, floating, stuck, waiting for the pop. When it doesn’t come, he takes hold of the pin and breaks it himself. “How about that coffee?”

“Sure.” You let go of his hand and lean back, giving him a watery smile. “Coffee sounds good.”

[kallisto-k]

Fic: To Fall to Such a Little Thing by DragonsIre / @kallisto-k

Art: Stranger Things Reverse Big Bang 2023/2024 - To Fall to Such a Little Thing by DragonsIre - Illustrations by tallula03 / @alicetallula

Beta Reader: Sunny

Word Count: 45,042

Archive Warnings:  Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Rating:  Explicit

Pairing(s):  past billy hargrove/chrissy cunningham, Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington, Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Tommy Hagan/Steve Harrington, background Eddie Munson/Jason Carver

Character(s):  Billy Hargrove, Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Tommy Hagan, Heather Holloway, Nancy Wheeler, Dustin Henderson, Chrissy Cunningham, Jason Carver

Tags:   Alternate Universe - True Detective, FTM Billy, MTF Chrissy, t4t Billy Hargrove/Chrissy Cunningham, Reference Child Death, Murder, Pregnancy, Pregnant Sex, Sex Toys, C-section & hysterectomy, Character Death, Drug Use, Mental Health Issues, Threesome - M/M/M, Transphobia, Infidelity, top surgery, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, religious trauma, Homophobia, Graphic Description of Corpses, t4t sex, Vaginal Sex, Anal Sex, Double Penetration, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Blood and Violence, Oral Sex, rimming

Summary:  Louisiana wasn’t Billy’s first choice but after everything that had happened back in California, he needed to get away. He thought the more rural state would be quieter, but when a body is found staged in a tree, Billy and his partner Steve get dragged all around Louisiana on a hunt he couldn’t put out of his mind no matter how much he wanted to.