#afewproblems writes

[afewproblems]

Eddie downs the last of his beer and tosses the empty red cup into the kitchen sink, right between a couple who were clearly gearing up to claim one of the spare rooms upstairs. 

Eddie snickers and winks as the girl tells him to fuck off while her boyfriend flips him the bird, god he loves highschool parties, and this one is no exception.

It's Halloween and business is booming for Eddie Munson.

He imagines Dian Fossey felt similarly, wandering through the Congo studying the great apes' behavior patterns and social structure from within rather than observing from afar. 

So far Eddie's observations have paid off in spades and he's managed to sell out most of his stash by targeting the basketball team and their girlfriends. No one wants to get high all by themselves after all, it's almost too easy the way these sheep all flock together. 

Eddie leaves the kitchen behind him, but not before snagging a can of something cold from a nearby cooler of half melted ice. With a decent buzz going, what's one more? He's done working for the night after all. 

Eddie climbs the stairs, dodging drunk teens left and right as they make their way past him, shirts ruffled and hair messy. Eddie snorts, ignoring the wistful pull in his chest as a tall boy on the swim team pulls his girlfriend closer to press a chaste kiss to the top of her head before smoothing her curls away from her forehead. 

Unfortunately no one Eddie would be interested in would accept him brushing their hair like that without punching him in the face.

He shakes his head and continues forward, he's an observer, nothing more. 

Eddie passes a closed door on the second floor and pauses as a raised voice splits through the wood.

"It's bullshit, you're bullshit," the voice slurs out and Eddie feels a wide grin pull at the corner of his mouth. 

He takes a step closer, nearly pressing his ear to the flat of the door.

"Like we're in love?" Another voice says softly, a guy, "you don't love me?" 

A small part of Eddie knows he shouldn't be listening to this, he can hear the waiver in this guy's voice like his heart is slowly cracking in his chest. Shit, he almost feels bad for this guy. 

But the people that go to these stupid parties, the Hawkins elite, the gorillas in the mist, deserve their bullshit --to use this girls turn-of-phrase.

The only reason they didn't mess with Eddie was because he was these highschool shit-heads main source of weed. 

Its karma, plain and simple, Eddie reasons as he presses even closer now.

"It's. Bullshit". The girl hisses emphatically and for a second Eddie hears nothing.

It happens so quickly after that. 

The door swings inward, causing Eddie to stumble into a tall firm chest as the bathroom guy collides with him.

"What the fuck?" The guy says as he pushes Eddie away from himself and --no way.

"Harrington?"

Steve blinks once, his wide hazel eyes red rimmed and shiny in the dim light of the hallway, the tip of his nose is pink as he reaches up to pinch it roughly before swiping across his eyes as well.

Even though Eddie's fairly certain that he and Steve are the same height, he seems smaller like this, deflated, standing in the hallway while a party rages down below them both. 

A cheer rings out, startling Steve into action.

He steps widely around Eddie, enough that his shoulder connects with the wall in his haste to take the stairs down, two at a time, as though Hell is hot on his heels. 

And Eddie should leave it, go back to the party, see if there are any snacks left before calling it a night, but something pushes him to follow the path Steve took.

It's like he's possessed, the haunted look in those hazel eyes forcing him forward until he's outside on the lawn.

A few other teens are outside, including a couple making out on the porch, Eddie steps over them and jogs to the end of the driveway.

He spots Steve down the street sitting on a large rock at the end of another neighbor's lawn with his face in his hands.

He looks up as Eddie gets closer and curses softly.

"Seriously? It wasn't enough that you were listening, you're following me now?" His voice cracks on the last word as he wipes his eyes again, he can't quite hide the way the moonlight catches the tear tracks running down his cheek and neck though.  

"Oh come on Harrington," Eddie says, walking up to Steve. He sits on one of the other rocks and takes a crumpled pack of smokes out of his vest pocket, "it's no fun if you're sad".

"What is?" Steve mumbles after a beat, wiping his eyes again as he stares at the ground. 

"Making fun of you," Eddie shrugs as he takes a cigarette and puts it between his lips, he smiles at the startled bark of laughter from Steve.

"You're a prick," he huffs softly, the barest of smiles slowly blooming across his face.

Eddie can count the constellation of freckles and moles across his face, giving the blanket of stars above them a run for their money. His hand twitches at the thought of touching the ones on Steve's throat.

Eddie coughs once, mentally tallying the number of drinks he must have had for those kinds of  thoughts and shifts on the rock to adjust his pants. 

He holds out the pack to Steve who looks at the nearly empty sleeve before his eyes shift to the house behind Eddie. 

"Nance hated cigarettes," Steve murmurs as the corner of his mouth twitches into a terrible frown. It's gone in an instant as Steve blinks once and reaches out for the pack.

"I got something stronger if you want?" Eddie offers, he shrugs when Steve looks up at him with suspicious eyes. 

"Come on Harrington, I'm not gonna keep kicking you when you're down, you need a pick-me-up and then I can get back into it," Eddie stands up and without thinking, holds out a hand towards Steve, "what do you say?"

Steve stares up at him, his eyes flick once to the outstretched hand before he snorts dryly and slowly takes his hand. 

It's warm in Eddie's own. The fingers squeeze gently as Steve uses it to hoist himself up until he's once again eye level with Eddie. 

From this close Eddie can see the way his eyelashes have clumped together with leftover tears and the flecks of gold in his hazel eyes

Oh…this, this was a bad idea. Eddie swallows roughly as Steve finally nods.

"Lead the way Munson," Steve says with the barest of smirks as he wipes his face one last time, "and if you tell anyone about this, I'll slash your tires".

Eddie cackles at that, "there he is!"

He claps Steve on the back as he leads them towards where he parked his van down the road, "our chariot awaits!"

Eddie ignores the small voice that whispers in his ear, the one that sounds remarkably like his uncle, as it asks him just what the hell he thinks he's doing with Harrington of all people? 

It'll be fine, he tells himself.

Besides, what's the worst that could happen?

Part Two

[strangersteddierthings]

Good morning! For the writer asks (if you're still accepting them, no pressure!) 12, 27, 35 😊

Thanks so much for asking!! I am always accepting asks haha

If a genie offered you three writing wishes, what would they be? Btw if you wish for more wishes the genie turns all your current WIPs into Lorem Ipsum, I don’t make the rules

Oh easy. First wish is to be able to easily recall the exact word I'm thinking of without The Struggle. Second wish, that when I hit save and close the document it edits itself for grammar/spelling issues. Third wish, that I will always remember the scenes/dialogue/scenarios that I think of while half asleep or busy that would be BOMB to write, instead of forgetting it.

Who is the most stressful character you’ve ever written? Why?

Keeping the answers blog related, it's Eddie. He's got a Fanon personality because he isn't in the show near enough for us to see who he is when he's not Stressed and Scared. Basically, S4E1 is the only time we see Eddie not stressed, and it's two scenes. It's stressful to write him because he's mostly up to interpretation, but also, I want him to feel like he's the same character that's shown in the show.

What’s your favorite writing rule to smash into smithereens?

I don't know, mostly because I don't really know any 'writing rules' besides ones they told us to avoid in high school English/Language Arts classes. I guess it's the 'Don't Use Parentheses' rule. I use parentheses SO MUCH, especially for characters I decide have ADHD. Because ADHD comes with Extra Thoughts (and what better way to add them?).

[wheatnoodle]

i love you, evangeline

og post | part 1 | part 2 | part 3

dustin gets the text while he’s sitting in his dorm writing an essay for class. the familiar bird tweet sound he had set up just for her. immediately, he’s closing his laptop more forcefully than he should have and jumped to begin packing his bag.

because dinner at robin’s??? with evie??? the evie?! they’d all been waiting for the day, putting bets on it even, when robin would let one of them meet who they all knew was her new girlfriend. and he was the first. he had the proof right there.

who was this girl robin was claiming was her “best friend” but wouldn’t let anyone meet? where was steve? did evie know? god, he couldn’t wait.

lucas couldn’t have come back from class at a better time. of course, he has will in tow. dustin spins on his heel, a devious smirk on his lips. “boys,” he says, drawing out the o.

“what’s up with you?” lucas asks, furrowing his brows as he locked the door to his and dustin’s dorm. will say himself on the edge of lucas’s bed, eyeing dustin suspiciously.

“guess who’s meeting evie!” dustin shouts before he can stop himself, his smirk turning into a wide grin.

“what?! how is that fair at all?!” lucas exclaims and chucks his bag on his bed, wincing at will’s flinch.

“robin invited me for dinner at her and evie’s place and even said i can stay the night!” dustin laughed.

“how do you even know evie is going to be there?” will asked and tipped his head to the side slightly.

“robin told me herself,” dustin said proudly. he turns back to his suitcase, smirking at the annoyed grumbling behind his back.

~🌷🌻~

taggie waggies:

@lololol-1234 @xo-r4e @paintsplatteredandimperfect @homohomohoe @charlies-candid-corner @tartarusfairy @howincrediblysapphicofyou @steddie-as-they-go @bestwifehaver @sexymothmanincarnate @zoeweee @romanticdestruction @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @breadboi66 @shadowofaliar @mollymawkwrites @lofaewrites @estrellami-1 @ronance-is-my-wife @afewproblems @heartsong18 @discount-izukumidoriya @mightbeasleep @bookbinderbitch @justforthedead89 @onehandedbitch @anxiouseds @sunfloweringstories

[steves-strapcollection]

WIP Weekend Accountability Pt. 1 of 3

So, for WIP weekend, I posted a poll about which of my Big WIPs I should focus on for the weekend and this was the result of that poll

I decided I would write for all 3 obviously, and post snippets with word counts based on the number of votes they got. Here are the snippet word counts:

ANYWAY TO THE FIRST SNIPPET

romcom!AU

It wasn’t like Steve was pressed for time, seeing as he had nine days left of what was supposed to be a romantic vacation with his girlfriend of seven years turned fiancée. Nine days until he returned home to an empty apartment, one that he had never lived in alone before. Nine days until he was back in a bed that he had only ever shared with Nancy, nine days until he was sleeping in the vibrant, loudly-patterned sheets Nancy bought because she thought Steve would like them. He did, very much so, but now the thought of climbing into them single made him feel sick.

Taking the little, white satin box out of his pocket, Steve placed it on the bar and stared at it. How did he fuck it up so badly? It wasn’t like he was just deciding to spring a proposal on Nancy out of nowhere, and it wasn’t like this vacation was a surprise either. This had been months in the planning.

The ring itself took months of shopping to pick the perfect one; a simple silver band, with the stone inset so it wouldn’t catch on anything when Nancy was working, with engraved vines along the flat surface. They had talked about their future, and Steve had said he saw her as part of it and she agreed. They had been together for six years at that point, they lived together for five of those. Steve had moved to New York with her for her career and everything.

When the opportunity came up, he and Nancy discussed it and what it would mean for them as a couple. Steve loved the school where he taught history back in Indiana, loved the students and they loved him. Leaving them was gut-wrenching, but the way he figured it, he could teach history anywhere, that amazing students existed everywhere. The kind of opportunity that Nancy made happen for herself was once-in-a-lifetime.

Plus, being in New York meant he was closer to his parents which was a nice bonus, even if that opened Steve up for his dad prodding him to leave teaching entirely again.

Teaching in New York was completely different than what Steve was used to, though. The classes were bigger, the funding somehow less, and the students were jaded. Steve still did his best by them, and he definitely believed he was making a difference, even if it was just with a handful of the kids, but he could feel himself plummeting to a burn-out within a year and a half of moving.

The kicker about all of it? The vacation had started as Nancy’s idea.

Tagging the buddies I think'll wanna see this the most: @patchworkgargoyle @scarcrossdlvrs @indigohightide @steddieas-shegoes @steve-harringtits @mylilplanet @afewproblems @xenon-demon @inairbinad @matchingbatbites @starryeyedjanai @sidekick-hero @stobinesque @spicysix @thefreakandthehair

[flowercrowngods]

Make me write!

🌷 Ok so basically the rules are:

1. Make a 24-hour poll with the title of your current WIPs

2. Write as many sentences as you have votes for the top fic

3. If you finish that fic, start on the next one (If you get a lot of votes you can switch to word count instead of sentence count)

4. Tag some people. I think the “rules” are 10 but I don’t think I know 10 people so. Tag people. If you want. Or don’t, I can’t tell you want to do.

i was tagged by the wonderful @every-aj-needs-an-angel and invited by @estrellami-1 🤍

links to the fics if you're curious:

🌷time travel au (i'll try. i'll try. (but i couldn't be better))

🌷 knight!steve / bard!eddie

tagging: oh lord i have no idea who's done this already but uhh @eddies-artofsuffering @willowworkswithwords @afewproblems @angels-fics @zerokrox-blog @aphroditestummyrolls @anzelsilver @steddieas-shegoes @steddielations @steddierthings @stevecarrington @aringofsalt and whoever wants to 🥰🤍

[eriquin]

✨ six sentence sunday ✨

Tagged by @thefreakandthehair. Thank you!

rules: in a separate post, write the last six sentences you wrote on a wip. if you haven't written lately, write six sentences for this challenge.

Slightly more than 6 lines:

Everyone was still arguing when Steve came downstairs. He didn’t know how long he’d slept for, and Claudia said she hadn’t really been keeping track. She checked him over before letting him get out of bed, and once he passed whatever arbitrary test she had in mind, they both headed down to talk to the everyone else. 

The noise died away when he stepped into the living room, as everyone stopped what they were doing to look at him. It was a little awkward. He saw Will and Robin with their heads together, giggling over something, and smiled. He wanted to talk to them first, but Murray interrupted. 

“You,” he said, grabbing Steve by the shoulders. “I need to pick your brain.”

Steve grimaced. “I think I’ve had enough of that for one night, thanks,” he said. 

Tagging 6 people from my script: @stevebabey, @qprstobin, @beenherewaytoolong, @vthx, @afewproblems, @lorifragolina

[steddie-there]

So I know it's been forever, but I actually managed to write recently (thank you, clearance stranger things notebooks from Walmart, a nice pen, and Steve and Eddie stickers I've had sitting around!) So I thought I'd come back to a last line tag game @afewproblems tagged me in (thank you for understanding when i cant get to something and continuing to tag me in things, it makes me so happy!) and actually share my writing for the first time in forever.

Anyway, rules: share the last line you've written and tag as many people as there are words

This is from a scene from I'd Fall For You Twice, during the time Eddie and Wayne are staying with Steve (and Steve may or may not have just come home with a black eye and a split lip... 👀)

Steve didn't groan aloud, but he wanted to. "Eddie," he protested instead, "it's really not that big a deal."

I don't think I have that many people to tag and it's also been forever since I got tagged in this, so I'm just gonna tag a few people I know may have some writing to share: @gen-has-green-vibes @willowworkswithwords @smoooothbrain @scoops-stevie

[metalhoops]

9 people you want to know better

tagged by @hellion-child. Thanks so much for tagging me ❤️

Last song: Gotterdammerung- Zeal & Ardor. It's been a long day and sometimes my brain just needs very loud music to chill out, counterintuitive as it might seem.

Currently watching: Like most of Tumblr, I just finished watching Good Omens season 2. I'm also watching the latest season of What We Do in the Shadows.

Currently reading: I just finished reading 'Our Share of Night' / 'Nuestra Parte de Noche ' by Mariana Enriquez. I would recommend it if you're looking for a tome of a horror novel that gets under your skin. It's not necessarily scary but it is haunting. Plus most of the main characters are LGBT+.

Like Lovecraftian Gods, cults, kids on bikes in the 80s, haunted houses, generational trauma, a capitalism hit peace, or a story where the characters become horrible people in order to do what they think is right only for them to become the thing they fear? Then this book is for you.

Current obsession: If I'm honest I don't have much time for my obsessions. I'm currently juggling a master's degree, placement and part-time work. So free time to exist is hard to come by.

I feel like it's obvious if I tell you I love reading or writing.

If I do have spare time I enjoy art, which you might not know from my Tumblr because I don't really do fan art. I'm not that good at digital art. I tend to do ink, Berserk-like stuff because hyper-focusing on tiny details or repetitive crosshatching also scratches an itch in my brain. I also really enjoy painting flower/ nature with a palette knife.

✨No pressure tags:✨

@glygriffe  @afewproblems @strangersteddierthings @life-love-musicaltheatre @luvgods @starrystevie @scoops-stevie @loveinhawkins

[acidicbarkbeast]

wip wordsearch game

rules: share snippets of your work containing each of the words the previous poster selected for you (optional addition: if you can't find the word in your WIPs, or you simply don't have any WIPs, you can just write a sentence around the word) invited by: @afewproblems i never get tagged in these so thank you for making yours an open invitation!!! here goes! last two happen together, just my luck. answering to the words -> concentrate, loose, fire, bubble, giddy

concentrate:

He knew that the kids would never take it seriously, how could someone like Steve be so concentrated, each stroke deft and thoughtful, meaningful.

Harrington Senior would call it useless, a waste of time better spent elsewhere, an expensive waste of money too, something that would never return a profit either.

He already knew what his mother thought of it all, when she’d stumbled to the basement instead of the wine cellar. She’d said a lot of things that evening; messy, senseless, uncoordinated and unfocused.

Steve had never stopped. He couldn’t help when the words occasionally got to him, when the basement door would stay closed for days or weeks, but ultimately he never quit. The paintings filled every corner, every wall, some sitting unfinished on easels, others stacked against furniture or piled on top of each other.

loose:

“I’m just saying that it doesn’t make any sense!” Steve threw his hands up in defense, shaking his head as if to clear the conversation from his brain. Eddie wouldn’t be surprised if he had to knock some words loose from all that hair, “Is this guy even a real, actual myth? I feel like I would've heard of him by now, if he was so interesting and important.”

"One; real myth is an oxymoron." Dustin accentuated, “Two; I’m sure there are plenty of things you don’t know, Steve. There are lots of things even I don’t know!” He patted the older teen’s chest reassuringly, “It’s good you’re curious, though. Curiosity is what drives most if not all of scientific exploration. Think of it, if not for our inquisitiveness and persistence, we would have never made it to the moon!”

“Sure.” Steve eyed the kid, “Just… Don’t call me a moron, pipsqueak.”

fire:

“Trailer shower barely fits one person, sunshine.” Not to mention, Eddie had never really been with anyone before Steve, at least, not so seriously. There was no need to say it aloud, they’d had the talk before, early on, followed by what was quite possibly the most tender night of Eddie’s life, every touch setting small fires on virgin skin.

Leaning down, Steve nosed along his jawline, breathing him in, “First time for both of us then, if you’re willing?”

Eddie leaned back, a mix of playful and surprised, “You haven't?”

“Felt too intimate, never got that far with a girl,” Steve mumbled, though not sadly. He’d been speaking quieter than Eddie’s ever known him since his hearing really went out after the bats, always unsure of how loud he was truly being. It made pulling those wanton sounds out of him all the more thrilling.

bubble:

Once. Twice. Eddie reread the letter three times before the first period bell went off, stragglers hurrying around him. He didn’t know what to think of it. Somehow, he found the odd few spelling mistakes endearing where he once might have found them annoying. It was confounding, the sheer effect this had on his lonely heart

It wasn’t like he was being summoned anywhere either, not like sophomore year, when he’d been foolishly lured to the football field and sent home with a black eye. This felt safer, like a phone call in a bubble. It felt private. He had a choice in receiving more letters. He could say no with just the flick of a marker, no time lost, no bruises. He could say yes just the same.

giddy:

An urge which he absolutely resented went off like an alarm in his head. He was mildly horrified, finding himself inclined to indulge some baser instinct of himself, something he’d normally chide others for doing. He rubbed the pads of his thumbs over the paper, possessive, before bringing the letter up to his nose, and breathing deep.

The smell had a vice on him immediately, scarily. Too sweet for a beta, too savory for an omega, not sharp and pungent like an alpha might be. It was smoked maple wood and marshmallows. It was breakfast for dinner: sausage rounds, pancakes drowning in pecan syrup, salty bacon. It had his mouth watering right there in public.

Eddie wanted more, he was giddy with it.



This was fun!!

anyone who wants to do this can say i tagged them, idc :3 Your words are -> heart, ink, brave, offence, consider

[afewproblems]

The Holiday Party had gone quite smoothly, more than he was expecting if Steve was being honest with himself.

Until about halfway through, but that was pretty par for the course.

Jonathan had unearthed an old Rummoli Board from a box labeled 'Basement Misc', the Byers were still in the middle of unpacking from their move back to Hawkins, and brought it alongside a bottle of wine that Nancy had managed to smuggle from the Wheelers liquor cabinet.

Robin, who rode with Eddie and Argyle, brought pizza, the only copy of It's A Wonderful Life from Family Video, and way too much weed for just the six of them.

"It isn't a party without a little Kush Stevie," Eddie had told him, clapping his warm hand on Steve's shoulder, his thumb just high enough to rest on bare skin above the collar of his sweater.

All Steve could do was roll his eyes and take the pizzas, quickly ducking into the kitchen before Robin or, God Forbid, Eddie could comment on the pink flush that had taken over his face at the new nickname.

Robin had been insisting that Steve just tell Eddie how he felt for the last few weeks. Rip the bandaid off and come clean. What was the worst that could happen?

Which, really Robin?

Steve knows exactly what happens when someone puts themselves out there only for the other person to not feel the same way. His whole argument was currently sitting in his living room for fucks sake.

Sure, Steve and Nancy were on better terms now, but it also took two years to get there, and even still, there was a weird tension when they found themselves alone together.

So, no, telling Eddie was not an option, Robin.

Steve could keep it together. He could deal with the ache in his chest at the sight of Eddie's smile. Steve could deal with the way his heart beat quickened whenever Eddie said his name. He could deal with the heady flush that bloomed every time Eddie touched him.

He was fine, it was fine.

And, movie nights like these were nothing new in the wake of Vecnas defeat and the destruction of the Upside Down. Steve needed to keep it together if he wanted to continue to have this. Nights without the kids to look after or the adults to hide their indulgences from, these were the nights where they could truly relax.

These were Steve's favourite, and he was not going to let some Bullshit feelings stand in the way of being able to see Eddie.

This Christmas Eve found the six of them lounging on pillows and extra couch cushions from the basement to make the 'best movie watching set-up thank you very much', according to Robin, and watching It's a Wonderful Life for the umpteenth time.

"I can't believe that George Bailey would wish for something like that, when it's so obvious that people care about him," Robin scoffs at the top of her voice about halfway through the movie, prompting a irritated Shush from Nancy.

"That bro is depressed man, it's like a cry for help, and on Christmas, this shit is heavy dude," Argyle hums, lifting his fist up to Robin who shakes it with a wild grin. The two erupt into violent giggles which begin to creep into Steve and Eddie and eventually Jonathan as well. Nancy rolls her eyes but can't help the smile that takes over her face as well.

"Who would wish to never be born when you could just wish for the bank to like, not fuck you over, seems like a waste of a wish if you ask me," Eddie says as the last traces of giggles begin to finally disapate.

"Ooo, Eddie's right!" Robin says as she reaches for the remote, hitting pause on the movie. She waves her hands through the chorus of groans from everyone except Eddie who turns around to Steve with an incredulous expression on his face.

Steve shrugs as Robin continues, unable to look away from those large brown eyes until a hand darts out to smack him in the chest.

"Steve, pay attention," Robin huffs, "let's go around and share what we would wish for!"

Oh shit.

Steve turns on the couch to fully face Robin with narrowed eyes. She grins at him, lifting a single eyebrow as her blue eyes dart between Eddie and Steve.

Steve opens his mouth to argue, to insist that they just carry on with the movie, only for Eddie to drum his hands against his knees and speak.

"Oh birdie, I'm way ahead of you, this is Wayne's favorite Christmas movie so I've done a lot of thinking 'bout this".

Eddie clears his throat and lifts his hands from his knees now as though he's about to launch into a story for Hellfire, "I would personally wish for the money to be able to fund Corroded Coffin full time, get a demo done, and then be able to kiss this fucking one horse town good bye!"

Steve feels the words hit him like a bucket of cold water.

Eddie wants to leave Hawkins.

His wish, his dream, for forever from the sounds of it, is to leave them all behind.

To leave Steve behind.

The voices from the group, pitched high and low, all blend together into one as the rest of the group share their own wishes.

Steve absently feels a small hand grip his own, he looks up to see Robin staring at him, a worried frown pinched between her eyebrows. He answers her silent question with a shake of his head.

It was fine, he was fine. This was a good thing, better to know now than later when Eddie would inevitably leave him behind.

"Stevie?"

Steve startles as a ringed hand waves precariously close to his face. Eddie smiles faintly at him, one dimple on display as he speaks again.

"Kinda lost you for a second there, what about your wish?"

"Oh," he manages to say with a slight laugh in his voice, even as his brain fills with static, "um, I haven't ever really thought about it, maybe some new music or something".

Nancy and Jonathan both boo loudly from the love seat while Argyle nods with a hazy smile.

"Right on my man, sounds like Eddie'll be able to help when his band makes it big," he says before turning back to the television and slumping even more heavily into the couch.

Steve forces out another bright laugh, ignoring how much it burns his throat and crushes his chest. The only thing keeping him in his seat is the firm hold of Robin's hand on his own.

He doesn't look at Eddie as he leans forward to press play on the movie once more, letting the music and dialogue fill the room once more.

Later, as the end of the credits roll and the tape switches back to static, Nance and Jonathan are fast asleep. The pair are cuddled up on the love seat, their heads leaning against one another. It would almost be cute if not for the pang of envy that fills Steve at the sight.

Steve tries to bask in the warmth of having Robin cuddled into his side, knowing it will alleviate at least some of the ache in his chest. Robins eyes have been steadily growing heavier as she slowly falls further and further into Steves side. He smiles, reaching up to brush her hair away from her face.

At least he has Robin, and maybe for now that is enough.

***

This is a part one, let me know if anyone would like a part Two?

[strangersteddierthings]

WIP Wednesday

I was tagged by @i-less-than-three-you, whom I love so much and I'm excited to be tagged. I haven't done one of these in forever.

The full rules, which I am barely following because I write on tumblr and therefore don't have file names, will be below the readmore.

Anyhoozle, to the fics!

Gut Instinct (a Steve has a power AU)

Omegaverse fic

Stobin bodyswap AU

No Regrets

What's Eight Plus Seven Final? Part

H&H Project Flip

Sequel to the Wayne POV fic of him not liking Steve and him overhearing Steve's little breakdown about it

And the snippet here is from No Regrets because it's the one I most recently added to.

When he opens his eyes, El is looking at him, head tilted slightly to the side, a curious expression on her face. She squints at him, as if that will help her see him better before her face goes eerily neutral and she turns, continues to lead them towards what Steve can see if a barn in the distance. El pushes the barn door open with her mind, calling out, "Dustin! It is me!" "Oh fucking- thank fuck," Dustin says before he comes into view. "Is that thing still out there?"

And now for the no pressure tags and also sorry if you've already been tagged: @skepsiss @afewproblems @finntheehumaneater @stevesbipanic @pizzaqueen @unclewaynemunson @rebelspykatie

Here’s how it works:

In a reblog of this post (so people can find you in the notes) or new thread (w/ rules attached) if you want to play on your own, post up to five (5) filenames of your WIPs; not titles, file names.

Post a snippet from one of them. Snippet must be words you wrote in the last 7 days. We’re posting progress here. If you haven’t made any, go make some and come back to play!

After you’ve posted, people can send you an ask with one of your file names. You must then write 3 sentences in that file. If the filename is one you can't share from (for example, an event or gift fic), write 3 sentences on it anyway, and then 3 more on another to share.

That’s it! You can invite others to join in, or just post. I’ll be searching the reblogs to find people to send asks to!

[monstrousfemale]

AO3 - First Lines

I was tagged by @grandmastattoo @afewproblems @daysarestranger – thanks for the tags 💖

Rules: post the first lines of your 10 most recently published AO3 stories. If you have less than 10 fics posted, post the first lines of all your fics.

I'm cheating a bit, I'm skipping my non Stranger Things fics just because...

a hot blush

Rated: M, Words: 3786, Chapters: 1/5 (finished work, posting whenever we finish editing chapters)

Summary: Eddie writes Steve fridge poetry. They're roommates and Steve has caught feelings, walking the line of telling him (and risking their friendship) or not telling him (and risking eternal suffering) while dreading the next installment of Eddie and Argyle's Challenge Triathlon. Or: straight up self-indulgent fluff with not-so-subtle The Walking Dead and Top Gun references that I bought an actual set of fridge poetry magnets to write.

buy milk

and honey

thank you

Steve stares at the fridge magnets. They weren't there at all yesterday when he went to bed, but now here they are, covering pretty much the whole fridge with random words and letters. Six of those words organized into a little message, no doubt left for him, since he's the one responsible for the grocery shopping around here. The words are a bit skewed and he pokes the "honey" so it lines up more straight. 

burn auburn (and smoke)

Rated: T, Words: 2,201 Chapters: 1/1

Summary: Eddie is sick a lot, but that doesn't deter his smoking habit. Steve is not sick, but he sure is tired of Eddie's bullshit. He finally decides to do something about it.

In the months after being released from Hospital, having been there for two weeks, Eddie gets sick a lot. His body has used up all its energy keeping him alive, and now he's paying the price.

Through it all, Eddie smokes. Eddie smokes through sore throats. He smokes through bad colds, the flu, high fevers. He smokes like there's balm in that white cloud of stink, like it helps somehow. His voice grows coarse and broken and yet, Eddie smokes.

waters so inviting

Rated: E, Words: 28566, Chapters: 9/9

Summary: When Steve's short on cash for weed, Eddie comes up with a trade.

By the time Summer of 1989 rolled around, Eddie had fallen into a routine without noticing it. He worked at the garage, and at the record shop. He ate dinners with Uncle Wayne. There were uneven times and dates for Corroded Coffin practice, gigs, and the like. Then there were even-ish dates for D&D, though he stepped down as the DM to join Dustin's sick campaign. But every week, rain or shine, there was some time between 6PM and 10PM on Fridays when he saw Steve Harrington.

led by blind faith

Rated: M, Words: 1845, Chapters: 1/1

Summary: Eddie is out on tour, and a long-distance relationship is not exactly easy to navigate. Snippets of Steve and Eddie trying to keep things from falling apart.

"I don't know why we thought this would work."

The words echo over the payphone, carried over thousands of miles. They hurt just as bad as if they had been said right in Eddie's ear.

He wants to fight, wants to ask Steve, just how could he say that? Instead, he breathes deep; in, out.

"I love you," he says, because it's true. Because he wants it to be enough.

"I know."

unconditionally cared for

Rated: T, Words: 2949, Chapters: 1/1

Summary: Steve doesn't do Christmas, and Eddie just wants some happy holidays.

When their first Christmas together rolls around, Eddie thinks he's gonna take things slow. He knows himself, he tends to go overboard. And though usually he'd just cause chaos and deal with the consequences later, this is Steve he's talking about. And he really fucking cares about Steve.

So Eddie casually waits and watches for Steve's behavior, wanting to know his opinion regarding the holidays, so he knows how to react himself. But then Steve just… doesn't react.

I'd like to tag: @p1013 @aringofsalt @strangeswift @fruityfour ~no pressure ofc ✨

[afewproblems]

Christmas Party Wish Part One

After The Christmas party, Steve manages to avoid everyone for all of two days before Robin shows up at his front door, ready to knock it down.

He crosses from the kitchen and into the foyer just as Robin starts yelling.

"Steven Marie Harrington, you open up this door or so help me--"

Steve rolls his eyes, pulling the door inward quickly enough that Robin loses her balance and nearly topples onto the inside floor mat. If not for Steve's quick reflexes she would be face down in a heap, he tells her as much with a sly grin as he helps her to stand.

"And whose fault would that be? Nice way to treat the person who is here to help you out Dingus," Robin huffs, brushing off imaginary dust from her shoulders while Steve moves aside to let her in.

"Merry Christmas to you too Rob," Steve says tugging her towards himself. He sighs as she immediately wraps her arms around his neck, content until she blows a long wet raspberry into his check. Steve drops her with a yelp and wipes away the wet mark she left behind with grinning lips.

"That was for ignoring my call," she says with narrowed eyes, "you were supposed to come for supper on Christmas day remember?"

She shrugs off her blue parka before lifting each foot to pull off her snowy boots, Steve takes the coat and tosses it over the back of the closest chair and crosses his arms over his chest.

"I know," he manages after a beat, sighing as Robin scoffs. She turns on her heel and wanders into the kitchen, leaving Steve to trail after her.

"I can only assume it's because you had other plans, you can't have possibly ignored my call for some other reason, hmm?"

Steve lifts his head to stare at the ceiling and count to five.

The thing that Steve both loves and hates about his best friend is her ability to read him through and through and call him on his shit. He'd hoped to have at least a little more time to wallow in self pity though.

"You've been wallowing for two days Steve, and I know it sucks," she chews her lip for a moment before sighing, "I'm sorry about the wish game, I feel like it's my fault".

Steve shakes his head and moves to the fridge. He opens it and reaches inside for two cans of cola before turning and using his foot to nudge the door closed again. He stacks the cans, holding them both with one hand and he moves to the pantry, grabbing an old open tube of Pringles, before making his way back to the kitchen island.

"Nah," he says eventually, "it wasn't your fault, if anything it proved why I was right not to say anything".

Steve places Robin's cola and the chips on the counter beside him and cracks the tab on his can with one hand as he leans heavily against the edge. He takes a long swig from the can, pounding his chest as he finishes to release a long burp.

Robin grimaces and swats at Steve's bicep as she grabs her own can and hops up onto the counter next to Steve.

"Dis-GUST-ing," she enunciates, wrinkling her nose, "and it doesn't prove anything Steve, of course Eddie would wish for his band to succeed, he doesn't even know you're on the table".

"And besides," Robin continues, gesturing to Steve with the can, "Nancy and Jonathan don't know that I'm a friend of Dorothy and we've known each other for over a year now. You've known them for three years and haven't said anything either, Dingus, so why would Eddie feel comfortable sharing something like that in front of everyone?"

And, huh, well what Robin says does make a lot more sense than the rambling depressing thoughts that he's been playing on repeat since their movie night.

He and Eddie have gotten a lot closer since they escaped from the Upside Down for the last time. Since Steve managed to carry him out of hell and got them to the hospital in time.

And Steve has been trying so hard for months not to expose himself, to show the most vulnerable parts of his heart to someone that could stomp on it as easily as Nancy did.

But Robin has a point.

On the one hand Steve has been protecting himself, and on the other he's also made sure that there would never be a possibility of--

Steve shakes his head, "first of all, I only just figured all of this, Bi-Sectional stuff, out Robin--"

"Bisexual," she sighs as Steve keeps talking.

"Whatever, and second, we have no idea if Eddie swings that way either…I just don't want to take the risk and end up fucking it all up".

Robin stares at him, an unhappy frown marring her normally sweet features. It feels too much like she's evaluating the inside of his mind --though she did always have the uncanny talent of knowing exactly what he was thinking.

"And what would you say if I told you I had a plan?" Robin says slowly, her gaze unwavering still.

Steve meets her eyes for a moment, taking in the smirk and the raised eyebrow. There's a challenge in her expression and Steve knows there's nothing for it but to listen to what she has to say.

"I'm going to regret letting you in today aren't I?" Steve says as he lifts his can towards her own.

Robin answers with a wide grin and knocks her can into his with a metallic click.

"Don't you always? Anyways," she clears her throat and looks at him with a mischievous smirk, lifting her hands into the air and wiggling her fingers, "I'm thinking, are you ready? New Year's Eve!"

"No--"

"New Year's Eve Steve, come on!" She insists as Steve grazes on a stack of chips from the Pringles tube.

"All we need to do is invite everyone over, Eddie included, to Casa Harrington for a little New Years Party," Robin continues, ignoring the eye roll Steve sends her way, "with enough liquid courage you'd have another opportunity to actually talk to Eddie, confess your feelings, and Boom! Maybe even get a midnight kiss out of the whole thing!"

Steve stares at her wide eyes and wider grin, forcing himself to keep his expression blank.

"So, just to be clear," Steve says eventually, around a mouthful of chips. Robin exaggeratedly gags and snatches her own stack from the tube.

"Your plan is for me to host another party and talk to him".

"Well, yeah--"

"...Robin, that's not a plan, that's a repeat of what already happened," Steve groans as he puts down the chips and runs his hands over his face until they've tangled into his hair.

"No, no, nuh uh, because you didn't say jack shit to him all night," she huffs, gently pulling his hands down, "the crucial difference my sweet bozo, is that you are actually going to tell him how you feel this time".

"How am I supposed to do that with my ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend, and everyone else here smart ass," he counters, letting her continue to hold his hands in her own smaller ones.

She rolls her eyes but squeezes his fingers as she continues, "it will be easy to get him alone, come on, you could tell him you want to give him his Christmas present in your room, you could ask him to go for a smoke outside, you could show him the basement stereo and your ridiculous music collection, must I go on while you don't write this down?"

With every suggestion Steve feels a surge of warm affection for his friend and allows for a fond grin to replace the skeptical frown on his face.

"Do I have to do all of those or should I pick one?" Steve asks, lifting his now free hands to protect his face as Robin whips her own at his chest and head.

"How you were ever considered a ladies man, I will never know," Robin says, though the words are rather undercut by a laugh that turns into a giggle as she finds a particularly ticklish rib and begins her assault.

"You are a fucking menace birdie," Steve manages to say as he catches the offending hands and steps away from the counter and his friends attack.

"You love it," she scoffs, stealing another chip and crunching it loudly as though to make her point.

And he does, Steve thinks to himself.

They have five days to figure out the final details, and Steve can't help but move back to the counter to swing an arm around her shoulders.

Because when in doubt, he can always count on Robin.

"Okay, New Years it is".

[afewproblems]

For Dio @flowercrowngods this is late but hopefully a decent little birthday gift! An homage to your beautiful yearning hours.

Steve wakes slowly, registering the hand in his hair first before anything else.

The second is that he's warm, tucked securely into Eddie side. He's talking to Robin, who sits on the recliner across the coffee table, gesturing emphatically in soft tones as he speaks.

They're in Steve's living room still, though it looks like almost everyone else has gone to bed at this point, giving up on their movie night.

The lights are off, the room instead is illuminated by the flickering television in the corner. A movie is playing, but Eddie and Robin pay little attention to it.

Eddie's hand comes up again to card through Steve's hair, so gently that Steve nearly moans at the touch.

They aren't together, but as Steve sinks even further into Eddie's side, he can let himself pretend.

Just for a moment.

He opens his eyes again to find Robin looking at him, she raises a single eyebrow at him before turning her attention back to Eddie --Steve knows they'll be discussing this later, but for now he's grateful she's kept his secret this time.

Steve lets himself drift for a bit, content to breathe in Eddie, the hint of cigarettes and weed that clings to his hair, the old spice deodorant he borrowed from Wayne. They way his voice rumbles slightly as he tries to stay quiet for Steve's sake, it all blends together, warm, nice, loved, safe.

Even if some small part knows he'll wake up alone the next day, that it isn't real, Steve can't help but hold onto this moment with shaking hands.

"I know you’re awake," Eddie hums lowly, drawing Steve out of his thoughts with a start.

Robin's seat is empty now, and the television is off. The only light now sifts through a crack in the window curtains, cutting a silver stream through the room.

"Penny for your thoughts Stevie?" He whispers, his eyes dart between Steve's own.

If only you knew.

Steve clears his throat and begins to sit up, only for Eddie's arm to curl around his shoulders firmly, keeping him in place.

"I think there's a discount if the thought, the uh feeling is mutual, ya know," Eddie says slowly, "like a two for one special".

Eddie winces slightly, looking as though he wants to bolt for the door, but Steve can't help the smile that slowly spreads over his face --even as a baffled laugh threatens to overtake him.

His chest aches with how much he loves this ridiculous man.

"Just kiss already," Robin calls out from the kitchen, making them both freeze where they sit.

His heart hammering in his throat he looks between the kitchen doorway and Eddie, his big brown eyes wide with panic.

All at once, the decision solidifies for Steve.

He takes a deep breath through his nose and releases it slowly through his mouth.

"You heard the lady," Steve hears himself say, but the words sound so far away now as Eddie turns in to face Steve better, as he flushes with an exasperated grin.

Eddie slowly leans in, and Steve lets himself drift once more, basking in the feeling of soft lips against his own and gentle hands in his hair.

[afewproblems]

I just got a tattoo done and was thinking about all of the before and after care instructions they gave me and how older Eddie would have possibly reacted to the list of things he would need to do or items to purchase for a new addition to his sleeve.

The artist reaches out to Eddie years after corroded coffin makes it big. She's fairly well known as a minor celebrity herself in the tattoo and body modification space in LA, so when she contacts Eddie's agent about offering a new piece for his eclectic sleeve he checks out her portfolio and is immediately sold.

She sends him the idea and he signs off on it right away and before they know it, he and Steve are on a plane from Chicago to Los Angeles.

It isn't until it's done, and the second skin is placed over the piece, smoothed out to ensure no bubbling, that Eddie balks at the secondary list of steps he needs to take.

The artist taps out the instruction email on her phone, hitting send with a dimpled grin before reaching out to shake his hand and Steve's, thanking them for being such great new clients. She asks Steve if he would be interested in a piece at some point, to which he smiles politely and shakes his head.

Steve has never been into tattoos for himself, though he's always gone to great lengths to admire and kiss each piece on Eddie's body.

Eddie half listens as they continue to chat, pulling out his phone to review the email she sent him.

"Ensure that you leave the second skin on for three to five days and upon its removal (see removal instructions on page two)..."

Eddie has to stop himself from rolling his eyes right then and there. It's not as though this is his first ever tattoo, he's been getting ink since before this girl was even born.

He winces at the thought, reminding himself that just because she's young doesn't mean she doesn't know her shit, and she clearly does. He shakes his head and nods when Steve says goodbye for them and they make their way to the elevator.

"Okay, what's with the face?" Steve asks quietly as soon as the door closes.

Eddie sighs and folds his arms over his chest, careful not to bump the now tender area on his forearm.

"You look like you swallowed a lemon, spill," he reaches out for Eddie's shoulder, his warm hazel eyes, now lined with gentle wrinkles at the edges search his face, "do you not like it?"

Eddie barks out a laugh, "it's probably one of the nicest ones in the whole collection, no Stevie, it's not that".

Steve raises his eyebrow now and just looks at Eddie until the elevator dings and the doors open before them.

God Dammit.

He loves and hates this ability, that Steve knows Eddie will crack eventually if he just waits long enough.

"Fine!" Eddie sighs as they make their way back to the hotel.

It's gorgeous out, nothing like the weather back home right now, the palm trees lining the streets and the twinkling fairy lights on every corner gives the area an almost magical feel, despite the bustling pedestrians packing the sidewalks.

"It's a little weird all the instructions," Eddie says eventually. He speaks slowly, doing his best to articulate exactly what he feels.

Steve nods, though the confused pinch between his brow doesn't quite fade.

"And I've been getting these done since it eighties, Steve, it's just a little--"

Eddie growls and tugs on his hair in frustration, "I don't want to be shitty".

Steve shrugs and loops his arm around Eddie's small waist, tugging him closer.

"Be shitty, you know I love it," he grins and lifts his free hand to remove Eddie's from his hair, "what about the instructions made you upset?"

"It's like I'm being talked down to," Eddie says with a frown, "I got a stick and poke from Jeff in '84 that was totally fine with out any of this," he lifts his arm now to show off the shiny second skin to Steve who nods.

"And which one was that again?" Steve asks, there's a leading lilt to his voice that makes Eddie want to sit on the sidewalk.

He huffs out a low whine, "Steve--"

"Eddie," Steve answers with a soft smile.

And Eddie knows he's lost this argument, if you could even call it that, because the bats that Jeff did for him all the way back in '84, have since been covered up.

Over the years they had morphed into six blobs of bluish grey on the back of his forearm that could no longer be distinguishable as bats, and after being asked about his 'abstract' tattoos by an interviewer a few years back, he had made the decision to get them covered.

And it could have been any number of things that lead to the eventual fading and blobification of his bats, but Eddie figured it was probably because they had almost immediately gotten infected a few days after Jeff had finished them in his parents garage.

Eddie clears his throat and opens the email on his phone again, taking another look at the list the artist had sent him.

"Fine, you gonna help me take care of this thing Stevie?" Eddie grumbles as they enter the revolving door of the hotel, stepping carefully into the pie shaped section to avoid colliding with the moving entryway.

Steve snorts and lets his hand curl through one of the belt loops on Eddie's jeans, "I think I remember agreeing to something like that, in sickness and health?"

He leans forward and nuzzels his nose into Eddie's ear, "till the end of our days".

[afewproblems]

Season 2 Halloween AU Part Four

Part One, Part Two, Part Three

A very big thank you to @strangersteddierthings for chatting with me today and being such a great sounding board for the next update!

Synopsis: What if Eddie had been at Tina's Halloween Party in Season Two? Featuring Steve!Whump, Stancy Breakup, and Eddie just trying to keep up with all these new revelations about who King-Steve actually is...

***

"So…I have to ask," Eddie blurts out, cutting through the awkward silence that has fallen between them, "how were you gonna pick up your car before you ran into me?"

"I don't think it counts as running into you, if you were waiting for me Munson," Steve side steps the question expertly, flashing him a strange smirk that seems out of place. It falls after a second and twists into something pained.

"I was hoping Nance would take me," Steve says eventually, his voice soft, "which was pretty stupid in hindsight, 'specially cuz she was counting on me to drive her this morning, which--"

Steve cuts himself, snapping his mouth shut with a harsh click of teeth, he shakes his head and lifts his hand to run roughly through his hair.

"Doesn't matter anymore".

Eddie holds his breath, feeling the conversation begin to shift. It's as though he's stepped onto a tightrope and any wrong move could potentially send him over the edge.

He settles for nodding once, turning the key in the ignition.

Steve sighs and lets himself fall back into his seat, "I know you know already, the whole fucking school does, Billy saw to that," Steve gestures to his face, "say what you really want to ask". 

Eddie's fingers tighten around the wheel as he turns them out of the parking lot, fighting the immediate urge to say, 'why did Miss Priss throw it all away?' 

"You think I believe the rumours that come out of that shithole?" Eddie lies, keeping his eyes on the road this time.

He can feel Steve's unimpressed stare as they continue down mainstreet.

"Right, so you had no clue I was in detention?"

Eddie chews the inside of his cheek to fight the sly grin that begins to creep over his face, "Alright smart ass".

He hazards another glance at Steve as they begin to hit the residential area, he looks so different from the night before.

His limbs are loose, tension free, if it weren't for the heavy bags under Steve's eyes and the nervous tap of his fingers on the passenger door, Eddie would think he was finally relaxed.

"I knew a fight definitely happened, it's Hargrove," Eddie says slowly, carefully weighing his words, "but I typically prefer to hear the whole sordid story from the source before I pass any judgements, ya know?" 

Steve doesn't say anything as they continue driving through residential  the houses getting progressively bigger as they go.

"Did you," Steve pauses and breathes out slowly before shaking his head and lifting his face to meet Eddie's gaze, "is that offer for something stronger still open?" 

Eddie smiles, "I think that can be arranged". 

***

Eddie pulls over beside Tina Cline's house, wincing as the right front tire rolls over the curb and bounces the van as it lands on the street once more, startling a snort out of Steve. 

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up Harrington," Eddie huffs as Steve shoots him a grin.

"Didn't say a word," Steve hums, unbuckling himself from the seat. Eddie watches as he opens the door and hops out. For a moment Eddie worries Steve will pull the same disappearing act from last night but he simply stops beside his car door and motions for Eddie to roll down his window. 

Eddie cracks his door open instead, "window's broken, what?" 

Steve rolls his eyes, "whatever Munson, you know the way? It's north on 5th and--"

"Then two more rights, yeah man," Eddie says with a laugh in his voice, "I dropped you off remember?" 

"Fuck off," Steve huffs out, he's grinning though.

Steve swings the Beemer’s door open and slides in. He turns on the ignition and flinches at the loud burst of music from the stereo, the volume obviously set from the mood of the previous night. 

'I want to know what love is, I want you to show me--'

Steve slams his hand against the console, cutting off the song with a harsh crack. 

The van is parked just behind the Beemer so Eddie can't see Steve's face, but his head drops down onto the wheel for just the briefest moment before he slowly lifts it, turns on his signal and pulls away from the curb. 

***

Steve beats him to the house.

He's getting out of the car, which is parked on the long driveway as Eddie pulls up to the street. 

Eddie hops out of the van, hiking his backpack higher up on his shoulders, not bothering to lock it. Who would even want his shitty van among the BMWs and Mercedes parked down this street --hell, Eddie could have sworn he saw a Jag three houses down.

Eddie stops short of the lawn. The Harrington house is so different in the light of day, the strange emptiness that seemed to ooze out of the dark windows the night before has disappeared, leaving an ordinary house in its wake. 

"Well?" Steve calls out as he pulls a pair of keys from his back pocket and spins them once on his finger, "you coming or what Munson?" 

Eddie rolls his eyes and jogs to catch up to Steve who turns on his heel to stride up the walk. He stuffs the key into the deadbolt and swings one of the double doors inwards before shucking off his sneakers.

No shoes? Fucking rich people man.

Steve must notice Eddie's expression because he blushes and shrugs, "I know, I know, but my parents will be home for Thanksgiving this year so…may as well…"

He gestures around the sterile foyer with a tight smile, as though it explains everything. 

If anything, Eddie has more questions. 

Steve cuts off the thought by clearing his throat, "we should smoke outside, last thing I need is for you to burn a hole in the couch or something".

Eddie steps over the threshold and has to stop himself from whistling, were the ceilings always this high in this place?

He lifts his foot to unlace his left chuck, snorting at the strange little table in the middle of the foyer. A giant vase sits atop it filled with a mixture of what have to be silk flowers --no way they were real. He pulls the shoe off and tosses it to the side before lifting his right foot. 

Eddie never had the greatest balance so he hops back and forth with his right foot in the air before hopping as close as he can to the wall of the foyer and leaning back against it.

He finally gets the knot in his laces undone and throws the sneaker to the floor, dropping his right foot to the hardwood.

Eddie looks up to find Steve staring with a bemused expression on his face, he ignores the wide hazel eyes and removes the backpack from his shoulders -which can't have been helping the balance issue. 

Eddie unzips the top and yanks out the trusty metal lunchbox, sliding a wicked grin into place.

"You said something about outside?"

***

By the time they've settled, facing one another on a couple of pool loungers, the sun has begun to dip low, painting the patio and empty pool a warm glowing copper. It catches Steve's hair, which shines like gold in the dying sunlight, like some Autumnal Fae King--

Eddie wants to slap himself, suddenly thankful for the November wind that cuts through the backyard, forcing him to chillout.

He picks up the grinder from his lunchbox, unscrewing the cap to open it.

"You good with a joint this evening my good King?" 

He pours a handful of a new strain Rick let him try the other day into the grinder and starts twisting. It's not something he would typically share with anyone other than Jeff, but Steve seemed like he could use something a little more special tonight.

Eddie looks up after a beat of silence, "yo, Major Tom, you with me?" 

Steve's face is pinched, tilted towards the empty pool, "please don't call me that," he says quietly.

"Major Tom?"

Steve raises his eyes to meet Eddie's gaze, his mouth cuts a hard line across his face, the typical easy grin it usually houses is gone. 

"King-Steve," he runs a hand through his hair, letting the fingers linger to grip and pull, "I just, that's not who I am anymore, I don't--"

Steve swallows harshly, "that's all anyone could talk about this morning".

He drops his voice and octave, "oh, King Steve is so pussy whipped he let his girl fuck Jonathan Byers before she dumped him".

"Is that what Hargrove said?" Eddie asks quietly as he pours out a portion of weed onto a paper.

Steve shakes his head, "that was Tommy, but that wasn't why I hit him". 

Eddie nods, and lifts the joint to his mouth to run his tongue along the edge of the paper. Steve watches him from the lounger, his eyes follow the movement before he blinks and continues.

"Tommy and I had been best friends since we were five, he uh, he knows a lot about me," Steve lifts his hand to his mouth and chews the nail of his thumb briefly before dropping it back into his lap.

"Stuff I don't tell anyone, stuff he knows will hurt". 

Eddie nods, twisting the joint closed, he can kind of understand that, although the only person in his life that knew him like that was Wayne.  

And Wayne would never hurt him. 

Did Steve really not have anyone else like that in his life, someone he could tell anything to that wouldn't look at him weird or judge him. Someone safe.

"Anyway, Hargrove started in on me after that, but he's been fucking with me for awhile so," Steve shrugs again, "he saw his big opportunity here".

"Hargrove's been messing with you?" Eddie asks sharply as he pours more weed onto another paper. He lifts it and runs his tongue along the edge of the paper before twisting it into shape. When he looks up, Steve's ears have gone slightly pink and he's sitting strangely, slightly hunched and twisted.

"Yeah," Steve says after a moment, he clears his throat and straightens his back, "yeah, it's just been at practice so far, and I thought it was just because he wanted to one up me for my spot but," he shakes his head, "it's getting worse". 

"You know, I have a bit of a reputation around school," Eddie says slowly, carefully, watching as Steve freezes and looks at Eddie with wide eyes.

"The Hellfire club is more than just the game we're playing, it's also kind of a sanctuary for kids that don't have anyone to lean on, we look after each other," Eddie continues, ignoring the way Steve relaxes slightly, "you wouldn't need to play or anything but if you need somewhere to sit at lunch now…" 

Steve looks at Eddie for a long time, his expression blank, guarded, "really? Just like that?" 

"Yeah man, besides I get to use my 'Mean and Scary Guy' persona on these fuckers so it's a win-win for me".

Steve grins, raising one skeptical eyebrow, "mean and scary?"

Eddie bristles a little bit at the questioning tone in Steve's voice and can't quite swallow the urge to snarl, "yeah I mean you looked plenty scared of the town freak yesterday". 

Steve winces and immediately starts to shake his head, inching forward in his seat so he's even closer to Eddie, their knees are almost touching.

"That's not, I wasn't," he stops and takes a deep breath, "I was upset about Nancy and it was so dark outside, the trees--"

"You afraid of the dark Harrington?" Eddie cuts him off, the lingering irritation still simmers in his voice as he coos. 

Steve just looks at him, there's something strange about the haunted expression on his face that makes the hair on the back of Eddie's arms stand on end. 

"Things happen in the dark, in the woods," Steve says softly, his eyes drift to the empty pool again. 

Eddie opens his mouth to ask Steve what the hell he means by that, when a voice shouts across the yard.

"Steve? STEVE?!" 

The sound of someone running through the grass has them both of their feet, the joints forgotten on the pool loungers. 

"Dustin?" 

A kid, he can't be more than twelve or thirteen, skids into the porchlight that has replaced the last copper rays of evening light, the sun fully set by now. The kid's blue eyes are wide underneath a mop of curly hair and hat, he's breathing hard.

"I need your help".

Tag List: @eriquin @luvinthefreaks @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @goodolefashionedloverboi @ellietheasexylibrarian @bambibiest @sadboislovebeans @howincrediblysapphicofyou @coleys-a-nerd @whycantiuseunderscore @airconditioning123 @xxfiction-is-my-realityxx @corrodedbisexual @starman-jpg @ilovecupcakesandtea @yoriposts @clumsiluni @pelinelin @phantomcat94 @lololol-1234 @anaibis @airconditioning123 @steveshairspray @hellfireone @sunswathe @eddielives1986 @tentativeghost @robin-not-batman @estrellami-1 @manda-panda-monium @tinyplanet95 @perseus-notjackson

Part Five

and for some peeps that I think may be interested! @steddierthings @steddie-there @steves-strapcollection @outpastthebrakers @henderdads @stevesbipanic