#and Mike’s annoyed so he’s like is it weird for Jonathan that you got a girlfriend before him

[heavencasteel420]

I’m definitely putting the cart before the horse, because I have three active multi-chapter WIPs, but I’m debating whether or not to put Nancy Wheeler Can’t Win (my vaguely Freaks and Geeks-inspired no-UD AU) and Life During Wartime (my Will-and-Jonathan no-UD AU) in the same universe and if so how to work out the timeline.

[eddiezpaghetti]

Okay, so my experience with Stranger Things is a weird one.

I didn't care when it first came out, started to watch it out of "might as well" in 2020, wasn't interested in it enough to make it past S2, forgot about it outside of going "oh, hey, cool, there's a lesbian in it now, I guess," in S3, got really annoyed when "Running Up That Hill" got popular from it because it was a song I listened to on fucking loop after one of my best friends died in high school and I fully expected its appearance in the show to ignore the whole survivor's guilt theme of the song (and was very happy to learn later that it did the exact opposite of ignoring the lyrics), saw people drawing Eddie, suddenly got a lot more interested, watched just the fourth season like a fucking psychopath because I was seriously only there for Eddie, then got interested enough to start the show over properly, having mostly forgotten what I did watch of the show before.

And let me tell you something from the perspective of someone who started with the complete fourth season, who wasn't there from the start, who wasn't tainted by ship goggles or this internal battle of hope and despair, who wasn't theorizing about what the painting could be or expecting Mike and Will to kiss when Volume 2 happened or rooting for Mike and Eleven's relationship to go down in flames or whatever the fuck. Just someone who went blind into Season 4.

It's really fucking obvious that Will and Mike are gonna be endgame.

Like holy fuck. It's so fucking blatant I don't even know why people are nervous.

No sane fucking person would shoot this scene this way if they wanted the audience to care about El and Mike as a couple. Despite being all blurry in the background, Will's reaction to what's happening here is smackdab in the fucking middle, clearly showing that the important part is what's going through his head here. What he's feeling. It's like the opposite of that scene from Kingdom Hearts II where Sora and Riku reunite and Kairi just fucking vanishes into the aether while it's happening because, despite the fact that she was standing between them when the scene began, she doesn't matter to the scene, so she's just kind of gone when the camera angle changes. Will could have been behind one of their heads, or so far in the distance he blends in with the background, but he's not. He's so obvious that despite being massively blurred out, he's still the first goddamn thing you look at. What, you think that's an accident? You think he's in the middle of this dramatic fucking scene because of a mistake? He basically has a big flashing neon arrow pointing at him with "THIS IS THE POINT" being screamed through a megaphone.

And then this?

They're paired up like they're taking fucking prom pictures. Each one of these pairs is so fucking close to one another and so fucking far from everyone else. It's not, "Oh, they're standing vaguely near each other in a group shot," it's fucking Noah's Ark out here. Again, there's no way to take this as an accident. It's not just a framing issue. If they wanted to make the shot look balanced while still not hiding anyone else behind El, they would have scattered people around much more naturally. Even if they wanted to keep Nancy with Jonathan and Hopper with Joyce, there's so much room on that hill for three people to stand on El's left and three on her right. But they didn't do that. They put Mike and Will together on purpose in the most obvious way possible.

Like I get that coming up with crackpot theories is fun in and of itself and I'm not blaming anyone for having fun. I totally get the appeal of arguing a point and reaching for every stupid little thing to pull into it because it's like a game, okay? I've done that. But if you're trying to actually convince someone (whether it's someone who wants to believe or someone who's pissed at the very idea that Mike and Will could be in love), stay away from blue and yellow lights, stay away from costume design, stay away from the existence of closets in backgrounds. And don't worry about whether Mike's gay or bi when he's in love with Will either way. I'll give you a little tip about persuasion: You're only as strong as your weakest argument. Even if you've got strong stuff in there, too, the person you're trying to convince is going to dismiss anything you say as complete insanity the second you start going on an entire tangent about the shape of a character's fucking pocket.

Sometimes, clothes are just clothes. Sometimes, there's a closet in the background because it helps establish that a character is in a bedroom. Sometimes, blue and yellow are just a couple of colors that look nice together. And sure, it might be set designers and costume designers and cinematographers smirking and winking at the audience from behind the camera. But if the show was just those things, instead of those things in the context of everything else, they wouldn't be saying anything of note.

But this?

This tells a story all on its own. Someone with no context can look at this and automatically assume that each paired person is standing with someone they care about deeply, seeking comfort as they watch some sort of disaster unfold. And yeah, romantic couples usually come in twos, and we live in an amatonormative society, so that's going to be the first association anyone makes seeing a bunch of people paired off.

It's the same reason you look at this

And go, "Oh..."

"Those two are probably a couple."

And I genuinely don't understand how people could have watched S4 Vol. 2 and gotten scared. Because as someone who went in with no investment whatsoever, I just looked at these two--

--and went, "Oh, those two are a couple. Good for them." And I moved on. Shut up about the trees for five seconds and just see the forest for what it is.

Oh, and if you're still nervous? Little thing from a storyteller here: You don't leave a hanging thread like "Will confessed his romantic feelings for Mike by projecting them onto El, but Mike either didn't understand or at least didn't say he understood," without coming back to that later. That's Chekov's gun hanging on the wall, babes. It's gonna fire at some point. If Mike was going to reject Will's feelings, if they weren't relevant, they would have had that discussion in Argyle's van. There'd be no reason to leave you in suspense.

[findafight]

Jonathan’s line about Steve in vol 2 was so…. I don’t know. I mean yeah it straight up confirms that Nancy and Jonathan make fun of Steve behind his back, and like I get that I have never been in Nancy’s situation so obviously it seems more mortifying to me, but I would have felt so guilty in her place. I can’t imagine not shutting Jonathan up if he started shit talking about Steve. Like Steve would have been straight up unmentionable if I was Nancy. Idk.

I get that Duffers don’t treat their characters emotional lives seriously, but like. That’s why Robin being kind to Nancy in s5 despite Nancy’s uh.. well frankly appalling attitude towards Robin, makes zero sense to me. I really wanted Nancy to struggle being in Steve’s group. Not in the “she deserves it bhahaha” way, but like… Steve dumped his friends for her (which was good for him), and her expecting to get the same treatment and meeting Robin instead? Who actively dislikes her and for a good reason? Who is smart and cool and kind? That’s way more interesting than people kissing Nancy’s ass the whole season, while she is actively putting Max’s life in danger. Like, yeah in high school she is the chief editor of the newspaper, and at home she is the eldest sister, and with Jon she makes fun of Steve, and now none of these people are here, but Steve is here and so is his bestie. And Steve is as kind as always, but Robin dislikes her, and it is not just prejudice

Nancy Wheeler you wild girl! She has no guilt lmao She's like yeah steve was dumb and annoying and didn't enable my investigation, and jon goes yep, what an idiot. All while Steve is just like. bumpin around making friends with little nerds haha. Minding his own business blaming himself for the end of their relationship. You're right, it's kinda bonkers because even if we take the stance that Nancy didn't cheat (which I believe she did) like. she still had him as her second choice and as soon as he pushed back a bit and didn't give her the kind of support she wasn't telling him she needed (until talking about exposing the lab in the library where anyone could hear) she jumped ship and ran to Jonathan. Why would she want to talk about Steve? Why wouldn't she want to try to forget he ever existed as anything other than Mike's friend Dustin's older friend? Is that not weird for her?

(i think you might mean s4? but i can work with s5 too haha) It's so much more compelling to me to have Nancy and Robin at odds with each other because Robin is like a little guard chihuahua holding a grudge for Steve. She holds grudges so well let her do it more!! like jesus give him someone in his corner! And also for herself! She got so nervous and tried to explain and defend herself, and Nancy only really started to listen once they got into the hospital. Nancy has a not great plan that puts one of the kids in danger, one of the kids Steve is close to. (Max wrote him a letter!!) I think Robin would really see Steve's people as her people, even if she wasn't personally close to them she'd still feel comfortable around the younger teens because Steve is? Let robin be critical of this plan. Let her call it out or something. Give Nancy someone to push against, it's no fun if there's no resistance! I want Nancy to be the one wanting friendship with Robin, and Robin not being receptive to it. Nancy not having a relationship handed to her would be refreshing and I want to see how she'd try to win Robin's friendship.

Let Robin not want to work with Nancy because she's heard the rumours about how her and Steve ended, even though he only mentioned that he wasn't a good boyfriend ans wasn't what she needed so it didn't work out. Robin saw that one week Steve and Nancy had a fight, and a day later she was ditching with Jonathan? yeah something is fishy there to even the most socially oblivious person. Let Robin know Steve well enough that she knew he at least thought he was telling the truth but that there must have been more. Let Robin decide she was going to do the most cliche best friend thing and not be very nice to the ex that broke her bestie's heart.

ooooh anon what you're saying is so interesting because, yeah. Steve dumped Tommy and Carol for Nancy, and that was good for him, and then Nancy got with Jonathan who doesn't really have any friends in Hawkins. So she's always been her boyfriend's main person of similar age they're close to. But now Steve's got Robin. Who is funny and kind and weird and loyal and smart and sarcastic. Who is obsessed with Steve and who Steve is also obsessed with. And that, from a s5 stancy pov, is so interesting because now Nancy is now competing (in her mind) for her boyfriend/potential bf's attention with his best friend. Like Jonathan was focused on his family, obviously (and this caused strain for them too) but it's not the same socially as a best friend taking priority. Steve would still hold those relationships, because they're good for him and good for the others, and there's zero reason for him to abandon them this time.

I think Nancy would hate it. Like Steve would obviously give her tonnes of attention, but with him having actual close friendships not just with Robin but Dustin and Max (at least) too, she'd still feel like she was bartering for time with him. That is suuuuch a fun potential dynamic between nancy and steve and also nancy and steve's friends.

[solarmorrigan]

I’ve just read made with love (and yarn) and it’s absolutely fantastic but it also made me think: Eddie gifting Steve his very own hellfire shirt and Steve wearing it but everyone just assumes that Steve is wearing Eddie’s shirt and they’re all just very nonchalantly *shoulder shrug* “guess they’re together now”

So when Eddie and Steve actually get together nobody is surprised because “we knew for months already” and Steve and Eddie are very confused because “we’ve been together for two weeks?”

Hellohellohello I am sorry I sat on this for, like, a month, but Anon, you gave me An Idea. And then life intervened and it took me forever to write it, but! It's finally done and thank you very much because it was great fun to write (and I'm so glad you liked the other story, too, thank you for saying so <3)

-

The kids aren’t oblivious. They have eyes, after all

So when Steve turns up wearing a Hellfire shirt and reveals, after Mike demands to know where he got it, that Eddie gave it to him, the kids know exactly what’s going on

Obviously, Eddie and Steve are dating

Which- finally. It only makes sense, the way they’re always in each other’s space, always staring at each other, always laughing at some little joke between the two of them while annoying everyone else. So Eddie finally gave Steve a Boyfriend Shirt, and now they’re dating

And as much as some people (coughStevecough) might like to say that the kids have no manners, or sense of personal boundaries, or common decency, they do actually know how to behave like functional human beings. Like, sometimes. If they care enough. And they do care about Eddie and Steve, so they make some allowances

For instance, significant others get shotgun privileges; if Steve is driving, Eddie gets the passenger seat, and vice versa (no matter how much Dustin grumbles about it)

On movie nights, they leave the easy chair in Steve’s living room alone even though it’s the most comfortable place to sit, because it’s Steve’s favorite place to sit, because Eddie usually ends up smooshed in there with him, insisting that it’s such a big chair it can fit two people (it can’t, really, but that seems to be the point)

When they go out to eat, they make sure that there are two empty seats left side by side so Eddie and Steve can sit together (usually at the end of the table; they both seem to like placing themselves between the kids and the door, which is completely unnecessary, but sort of nice in a way they won’t admit to)

And just occasionally, on nights when gatherings run late and Eddie and Steve seem comfortable, wrapped up in each other and dozing off like a pair of old men and not two early twenty-somethings, the kids will call someone and arrange for another ride instead of catching a lift with Steve or Eddie like they’d originally planned

See? They can be considerate

Dustin pokes at Steve, who lifts his head drowsily from where he’s nodded off curled into the corner of Eddie’s couch, Eddie himself draped all over Steve and half snoring into the crook of his neck.

“Whazzat?” Steve mumbles, shaking his head to clear the sleep and blinking up at Dustin. “Time t’go?”

“Jonathan’s gonna give us a ride, since you two are useless and fell asleep,” Dustin says quietly, his smile conveying more amusement than anything. “I’m just letting you know we’re leaving so you don’t freak out when you wake up later.”

Steve rolls his eyes, but the “thanks” he shoots back is sincere, if grumbled, and Dustin goes to wait with everyone else out in the cool air of the early fall evening. Mike, Will, and Lucas are loitering around the trailer door, waiting for Jonathan to arrive; Max and El are waiting with them before convening to a sleepover at Max’s place across the way.

“Okay, but that is still weird, right?” Mike is asking the group at large, pointing towards the door as Dustin comes out. “Them being together? They don’t even have anything in common.”

Dustin glances back over his shoulder before taking a seat on the front steps. “Who, Eddie and Steve?”

“Yeah.”

“Nah, you’re just mad you lost ten bucks betting it would take them longer to start sucking face.” Dustin smirks.

“Ew.” Mike’s face twists briefly in disgust. “No, look, I’m just saying, they have totally different interests. Like, Eddie’s into D&D and metal and cool stuff, and Steve’s got whatever lame shit he’s into, so what do they even do together?”

“Well, Mike,” Max drawls, “when two people love each other very much - or at least when they each think the other is hot, they–”

“Oh my god, shut up!” Mike screeches, shoving at Max as she cackles at him.

Jonathan arrives not long after that, stemming any further conversation (or yelling) on the topic.

Back inside the trailer, Steve shakes Eddie gently from his nap.

“Hey,” he murmurs as Eddie is stirring. “It’s late. We should go to bed, I don’t wanna sleep on the couch all night.”

(The suggestion that he and his friend both go to bed--as in together--doesn’t even register as weird anymore. His definition of what constitutes casual intimacy is beyond fucked; he and Eddie have decided to stop caring.)

Eddie hums, turning his head to rest it against Steve’s shoulder and scanning the empty room with sleep-bleary eyes. “Gremlins gone already?”

“Jonathan got ‘em,” Steve replies. “Hey– have they been acting weird lately? The kids?”

“Oh, for sure,” Eddie says, stifling a yawn. “But I haven’t had to fight a fifteen-year-old for shotgun in, like, a month, so I haven’t been questioning it.”

Steve snickers. “Yeah. It’s... like, it’s actually been kind of nice, though. Really nice.”

Eddie lifts his head finally, shuffling back a little so he can look at Steve properly. “What has?”

“Getting to be close to you,” Steve says, meeting Eddie’s gaze head-on.

“Yeah?” Eddie asks, a smile teasing across his face.

“Yeah,” Steve says. “And I’ve been thinking that... maybe we could do it more officially.”

Eddie snorts. “Official, huh? You wanna get some forms notarized before cuddling the fuck out of me? Maybe put on a suit and tie?”

“Let’s not go that far, you weirdo.” Steve rolls his eyes. “How about just a date?”

Steve tries not to hold his breath, tries not to be nervous; he’s talked himself into and out of this question so many times since Eddie had given him that club t-shirt, insisting that Steve was at least an honorary member.

“A date, huh?” The way Eddie’s smile has only grown is very promising. “Yeah, I– I think we could do that.”

Steve grins in return. “Good.”

(Barely two weeks later, they decide to announce to the party at large that they’re definitely Official now—paperwork not included—only to receive the most lackluster response they’ve ever seen come out of their loud, dramatic troupe of children.

“Uh, yeah, we know,” Dustin says, barely looking up from the notebook he’s scribbling character notes in. “You’ve been dating for months. Old news, guys.”

“Uh, no, we haven’t,” Steve parrots Dustin’s snarky tone right back at him. “Dude, the hell are you even talking about? Our first date was, like, a week ago.”

This gets everyone’s attention.

“It was what?” Dustin demands, voice gone pitchy.

“A week ago, Henderson, try to keep up,” Eddie says.

Any other forthcoming details, however, are drowned out as Mike stands, jabbing a triumphant finger at Dustin and declaring, “You owe me twenty dollars!”)

[threewaywithdelusion]

I’ve been seeing a lot of posts complaining about mom Steve and I have thoughts.

Like, I agree with a lot of it. Honestly, fictional parents confuse me sometimes (especially when people write them stricter than canon), even when they aren’t teenage boys. Like Hopper? Absolutely cares about his kids dating. El is going to be fighting to bring Mike over for the rest of her life. They’re going to be 20-something with Hopper still trying to stick them in separate rooms. Even once they get married, Hopper’s gonna grumble about them getting to share a bed. (He’ll be more careful not to overstep with Joyce’s boys, especially Jonathan since he’s older, but Will is definitely going to get a speech about being the man in the relationship and treating your girlfriend with respect (and then a later, much more confused speech about treating your boyfriend with respect)).

Joyce? That woman has been through way too much shit to give a shit. Jonathan wants Nancy to sleep over? Done. Will’s gay? Not a problem, here are some condoms. El’s sneaking Mike through the window so Hopper won’t see? Joyce walks by and casually says “the back door is unlocked, you might want to try that instead.”

Sorry, I got sidetracked. The point is Steve. If he was gonna be like anyone’s parents, it would be my parents (“you’re doing nerd stuff alone at home on a Friday night? Don’t you have friends? Go to a party!”). But barring that, he’s definitely the older brother, even if they call him mom.

He doesn’t care if they swear! El says “frick” or “gosh darn” in front of him one time because she heard it somewhere and he sits her down and teaches her proper swear words so she won’t get teased in school. He rents the kids r-rated movies and then lies to their parents faces when they have nightmares. He hears them say something anatomically impossible about sex and ends up giving them a sex talk. He chaperones their parties because he’s cooler than an adult but still old enough to make sure no one’s drinking themselves to death, and then ends up cleaning puke out of the shower. He kisses his co-chaperone at the party (you can pick your favorite Steve love interest) and all the freshmen squeal and stare and he has to go hide upstairs.

He’s in his pjs in bed and gets a frantic walkie-talkie call from Dustin that they have to go to the store RIGHT NOW because he wants to buy something and the sale ends at midnight. Steve says no a million times but gets bribed into it when Dustin promises to watch a basketball game with him in exchange for the ride. (My little sister did this to me. She wanted to go to TARGET to buy SHEETS. She was a weird child).

Steve’s the one they call when they need something but can’t go to their parents. He buys them booze and condoms and fake IDs, all of which come with lectures on being safe and a million threats on how he’ll kill them if they act stupid. He picks them up from parties when they’ve overdone it. He bails them out of jail (Dustin or El would absolutely get themselves arrested somehow) and doesn’t tell their parents but brings it up every chance he gets for the rest of forever.

Yeah, they call him mom. They’re trying to annoy him, because that’s what little siblings do. And Steve is definitely their big brother.

[thestrangestthing89]

So I'm rewatching season 4 and I think there is another scene with Mike we haven't gotten all of yet (along with the scene of him and Hopper in the car in S3). The fight between Mike and El in Lenora seems like it was also cut off. El is upset and crying and Mike says "I care for you so much". It's the Dawsons Creek reference. Jack says this line to Joey when he's breaking up with her. That was his lead in to telling her he's gay. The next scene we see of them they are coming down the stairs (when the police come) and El is visibly calmer - at least until she gets arrested when she gets upset again. She stopped crying - she was still very much in the middle of a cry fest when we saw her a few minutes before. It seems like some time has passed. Not only that but when Mike first goes to talk to her, he's eating breakfast with Will and Jonathan is there reading the paper. The conversation we saw with Mike and El was about 2 min so Will and Jonathan would have still been eating in the kitchen. But we see them in the living room watching tv before they open the door for the police. They are very comfortable here and look like they've been sitting there for a while. It implies that more time has passed.

So I think their conversation went on longer than what we see. And Mike saying to Will that his fight with her seemed more adult would now make sense if that's the case. I wrote something a while back that Mike is using El as a code for Will because scenes like this don't make sense if they are about El. His fight with her that we saw was very immature and not more adult like he says. I still think that could apply to Will. But if there is more to that scene than it could be something else.

If they did end up having a discussion like on Dawsons Creek that would feel more adult. I stand by my earlier assessment that Mike was planning on breaking up with her in Lenora and I think he maybe did that here. But they were in the middle of talking about it when the police showed up. So he felt even guiltier because he didn't fully get to explain himself. He spends the rest of the season being worried that he doesn't fit into her life at all. And it's because they didn't get a chance to discuss this fully before she ran off to the lab. He thinks she hates him now. When they reunite they don't even kiss or attempt to. Usually it's El who initiates those moments in their reunions but she doesn't. When they get to the pizza place El seems like she could be breaking up with him, but if there is more to that conversation she could just be picking up their conversation where they left off. Which is why Mike starts nervously rambling. Their interaction after is very sibling like and neither of them seems to think this is weird. And during his monologue El just seems annoyed. She knows he's full of shit to begin with but if they are already broken up and she knows why it would further explain her facial expressions during this moment. And would also further explain why they are so exasperated with each other at the cabin. We know they talked a little bit in the two day jump but it was about the situation with Henry. They don't have much else to say to each other about their relationship at this point so there was no reason for them to discuss more than that.

El also seems kind of annoyed with Will too which sticks out to me. He hasn't spoken to her at this point and we know that because he asks Mike if he has. It's like she's avoiding both of them. It makes sense if she knows how Mike feels now but she hasn't spoken to Will about it yet.

There are signs after they reunite with El at the lab that she is noticing Mike and Will. Several other people got into this more so I won't here, but it makes sense if she started paying more attention to Mike and Will after Mike explained his feelings in Lenora. She knows there is something to notice now and she was already starting to pick up on it before (at the airport and with Will's weirdness) she just didn't have enough info to connect the dots.

Edit: Decided to add a part 2

[seancekitsch]

I'd love Eddie Munson with a small but mighty fem girl with the smutty prompt “Slap my ass again and I’ll make you fuck me in that closet.” Not remotely self indulgent lol

Also you are incredible. Love everything you write AND you've got me seriously thinking about starting to write for Eddie...

omg pls write for eddie pls do it!!!! thank you for loving my writing i encourage you wholeheartedly!!!

He’d done it twice tonight already.

The first time, he pulled you in for a kiss, hands starting innocently at your waist, one drifting down to your hip, and then to your ass. He gives it a little tap. Not exactly a slap, but just enough to stir a fire within you. Just enough to get you wild under his touch and annoyed that you’re with all of your friends. You glare at him, but you let it go for now.

“C’mon, sweets, I hear the kings table calling our names,” Eddie whispers, low and almost sultry, as he heads to the table with the thirty rack and the cards and your immediate group of friends.

The kids are all busy with Max, helping her navigate Steve’s large house better by mapping it out with her. Its sweet, the way they’re so devoted to each other. You’d always seen Max as a younger sister, but you’re happy she now has so many people to rely on instead of just you like she has for the past year or so.

You take your seat in a wooden chair, one of many from the Harrington;’s impossibly large dining room set. Around you are Eddie, Steve, Nancy, Robin, Jonathan, and his new friend Argyle that you were starting to really warm up to. It was weird, the entire groups dynamic, what with at least half of this group either having dated, crushed on, or currently dating each other, but it all worked out for you guys.

“Alright, lets start!” Johnathan calls, pulling a card from the circle of facedown cards around you.

Ace.

“Waterfall!” Nancy calls, and one by one, starting with Johnathan you all start drinking. You’re only allowed to stop when the person in front of you in the clockwise order stops, and you’re thankful you picked a seat so close to Johnathan. He stopped, and then Argyle stopped, and then you kept going, just to fuck over Eddie and the rest of them for a few more seconds. Then you finally showed them mercy, a good ten seconds of gulping at their drinks later, and finally put your can of swill beer down. Eddie winks at you over his can, and you know you’re in for it. He holds on another five seconds before he finally relents for Robin, Steve, and finally Nancy. She’s going to have to get carried home by Jonathan and Argyle tonight.

Argyle pulls the next card, and has to pick a partner to drink with. Of course, he picks Jonathan.

You go ahead and pull your card, a jack. Never Have I Ever card.

“Okay fuck, never have I ever… dated anyone in this room,” you say, and it’s true. You and Eddie aren’t dating. You aren’t friends, but you aren’t dating. He never asked. You and Robin are the only ones to not drink and put down a finger, making you raise your eyebrows; did Eddie think you were dating? Not that you didn’t want to, but it wasn’t something he ever asked.

“Never have I ever,” Eddie starts, “Had a crush on Nancy Wheeler.”

He saves you from your thought spiral, Mike gags somewhere from the living room, and everyone but you and him put another finger down and drink. Damn. The Nancy Wheeler effect on these people.

Robin goes next, one of her three fingers for this round down.

“Never have I ever liked someone for more than three years.”

You, Eddie, and Steve put a finger down and drink. You’re down to two, but Eddie is out, ending the round.

“Well, I need another. Come with me?” Eddie announces; then turns to you and asks.

You nod, and he grabs your hand to lead you back to the kitchen.

“Not dating, huh?” he asks, slapping your ass again as he guides you in past the fridge.

“I don’t date people that don’t ask,” you quip.

“But I’m dating you,” he supplies.

“You never asked.”

“Maybe I thought you knew.”

You only laugh, and turn away from him to grab another beer.

He slaps your ass again. God Damn it.

“Slap my ass again and I’ll make you fuck me in that closet,” you hiss.

He pulls you in close, chest to chest.

“You promise?” he asks.

“uh huh.”

He slaps your ass again, and you drag him towards the pantry.

Pantry is an interesting word for it, more like a walk in closet with whatever Steve could scrounge from Family Video.

“You sure?”

Fucking deadly.

You grab his curls, pulling him in tightly for a kiss, tongue immediately finding his. He pushes you against the shelves, your knees almost immediately buckling at his force, and he tries to catch you as quickly as he can. Eddie holds you against him, pulling your legs around his hips but himself also buckling quickly.

“You’re drunk!” you shout.

“Only tipsy,” and he bends you back so you’re straddling him.

“Gonna make you ride me,” he says, and you can’t say no to that, already working at your pants yo unbutton and pull them off you. You get off of him only long enough to get your jeans down past your feet and he pulls you onto him again.

“Fuck,” you hiss as your knees hit the hardwood of the pantry straddling him.

“This what you wanted?”

“Yeah,” He pants.

“Lose those pants baby,” you urge.

He can’t move fast enough.

[tastytoecheese]

Stranger things headcannons!

.Will has a mixtape of queer coded songs

.El "teaches" Max how to paint, Max doesn't have the heart to tell her it's really not good

.Mike and Will struggle to verbalise love due to the environments they grew up in

.Mike's love language is touch, he will often press kisses to the back of Will's neck when he's painting or bump their knees/arms when sitting together

.Will's love language is gifts, he's always painting things for Mike or (when he has the money) will by him things he thinks Mike will like

.Jonathan and Dustin get along really well

.Lucas is the only person max will let cuddle her when she crys

.Max likes the red sweets, Lucas likes blue. This is a hot topic for the both of them, they give Dustin the other colours

.Robin had a crush on crissy at one point

.Steve acts so protective of the kids because he wants to be the person younger him would have needed

.Crissy would have liked metal music

.Mike at Will was bathed together when they was little

.Mike and Will take showers together, not in a sexual way but in a "I'm extremely comfortable and confident around you" way

.El absolutely LOVES spicy food Joyce can't handle spice but makes the food spicy anyway

.Hopper gives piggybacks to El

.Max is blind now

.Dustin has tried to teach Max to use echolocation

.Lucas helps Max to skate, he tells her where bumps are, where to turn, when to stop ect...

.Will has forced El,Joyce,Jonathan and Hopper to play DnD

.Murray visits Joyce at least once every 6 months

.Whenever Murray passes a burger King he buys a cherry slurpy because it reminds him of Alexei

.Joyce only buys the green pumpkin buckets because it reminds her of bob

.Dustin smokes weed, suzie is NOT a fan of this

.Lucas always talked to Max in her coma, Max heard everything

.Will and El do "childish" things together as they both lost their childhoods

.El is a surprisingly good skater

.Mike and El read comics together

.Will and Jonathan get high together and discuss life pretty much every Friday night

.Argyle and Jonathan have kissed, not out of attraction, just because they could

.Nancy and Robin liked each other but was too scared to say it

.Robin and Steve come up with a list of the "perfect" things to say/do on a date

.Mike,Dustin, Suzie,Joyce,Robin and Murray are autistic

.Lucas and Will have had a spontaneous(and really bad) dance off

.Mike hates swimming

.Nancy and Robin got together after they got Murray'd

.Dustin walked in on Will and Mike making out once

.The party is very supportive of byler

.Hopper has a weird hate for carrots

.Mike has made a lot of "Will the wise and his staff" jokes, Will says he finds it embarrassing/annoying but secretly thinks its funny

.Suzie and Dustin met up in real life and spent most of it talking about science and the Internet and loved every second of it

.Erica makes her girl my little pony's kiss eachother

.Erica has a crush on her best friend who's a girl

.Lucas knows about said crush but won't bring it up till Erica does

.Max loves singing to herself

.Mike collects DnD things, literally ANYTHING to do with/reminds him of DnD

.Steve's favourite ice cream is strawberry

.When Will was younger he'd hold a pillow against him in bed and pretend he's was sleeping next to mike

.Suzie practices kissing on her pillow

.When she does this she turns the Jesus figure around

.Mike has tried to do the Michael Jackson lean, failed, and fell flat on his face

.El likes to plat Mike's/Max's hair

.When Hopper found out Mike was dating Will he said "not again wheeler!"

.Mike and Will now say "not again wheeler!" as an inside joke

.Wills favourite animal is a mink

.El is vegetarian

.Robin always bumps boobs with Nancy, Nancy thinks this is extremely odd

.Suzie writes fanfics in her diary

. Dustin and El get along really well, he loves explaining things and she loves learning things

[asimpforthe80s]

Just a little drunk

Starring: Jonathan Byers x Y/N

Warnings: very drunk Y/N, Y/N acting like a toddler, annoyed Jonathan Byers

you get super drunk at a party, and your best friend Mike had to call your boyfriend Jonathan to come and pick you up. When he comes to mikes house, he and Mike help you get to the car since you can’t even sit up straight. "Why would you get so drunk, baby?" He seems super concerned, but he keeps his eyes on the road. "Heh.. I dunno." You slurred with your words.

Jonathan takes one hand from the steering wheel to gently pet your head. "Did anyone offer to buy you those drinks?"

You nodded. "Uh-huh- hic." He frowns. "And you accepted them?" He has a tight grip on the steering wheel, and he seems a little bit pissed off. "Only like.. one of em... I think.." A drunken smile was plastered on your face.

He sighs. "Well what did you drink? I swear if you say tequila…" You giggled, followed by another small hiccup. "Just.. a few shots of vodka and a lil tequila even tho you told me not to."

He lets out a long breath and grits his teeth together. "I swear if you're sick right now I'm going to freak out on you. But I'll bring you home." He pauses. "Was anyone being weird to you or making advances? Did anyone try to make a move on you?"

You tried to think about it. Your head was a blur, but you could make out some of it even in your drunk haze. "Just a guy who asked me to come out back.." Jonathan's jaw tenses and he grips the steering wheel a little bit harder before taking another deep breath. "What did you tell him?"

You out one of your hands up. "I told em to fuck off." You giggled. The tension in his face seems to lessen, and he even gives you a playful little wink. "That's my girl. And he left you alone, right?"

"No, but the bartender made him leave." Jonathan sighs. "Good god… you are such a handful sometimes." He smiles and shakes his head a little bit. "When we get home I'm going to get you a bucket and some ice-cold water and you are going to drink it, understood? But for now, you need to focus on not throwing up in my car." A slightly confused expression mixed with your very drunk one. "Why would I throw up? I don't even feel sick... - scratch that.."

He gives you a slightly panicked look. "If you're gonna get sick, try to warn me so I can pull over, because I don't have anything in the car to clean it up with." You looked at him. "Pull over.." you mumbled. God, you were such a mumbler when you were drunk. He immediately pulls over and puts the car in park. He then puts on the emergency flashers and lets out another stressed sigh. "Tell me when you're about to throw up, babe, please don't get it on my seats, I'm begging you."

You got out and decided to throw up in a nearby bush. Jonathan sighs and gets out of the car to give you a hand. "I knew it… just try to get all of it out of your system. It'll make you feel better, trust me. When you're done I'll get you some water." You tried to hold your own hair out of your face, but it didn't work. He notices, and he gently grabs your hair and tries to hold it back and away from your face as you throw up. "You're a mess, you know that?"

You giggled. "Uh-huh.." He smiles and rubs the back of your neck gently. "Come on, you know how this goes. Once you're done emptying your stomach, come back to the car and sip some water and lay down for a bit. That'll set you straight." You groaned, dried the vomit on your sleeve, and got in the backseat to lay down. Jonathan hands you a water bottle and you take a few sips. "Hey, drink the whole bottle, you need to keep yourself hydrated. Trust me, it's going to help." When you were drunk, you often acted like a toddler or an overhappy nineteen year old. "I don't wanna drink water.." you pouted.

"You're going to drink this whole bottle if you know what's good for you." Jonathan's tone changed and was now more direct. "You're going to drink this whole bottle and then you're going to relax in the car and let the water run through your body." He pauses. "No more alcohol for you tonight, and probably not for a while after this."

"But Jonathan..!" You started. He doesn't let you finish. "No buts. You're not touching one more drop of alcohol. You have been a constant pain in my ass tonight. You could've gotten yourself killed, or worse, so don't argue with me. You're gonna drink the damn water and you're gonna do it now. Got it?" You pouted, but slowly drank a little water. Jonathan watched and then smiled. "Good girl." He paused. "Drink it all, please." You groaned but kept drinking it.

After a minute you had finished the water. "Is your stomach feeling better or do you think you could throw up again?"

"I'm fine, Jonathan.." You mumbled and slightly curled up to a ball across the backseat row. He sighs and closes his eyes. "Thank god, because to be honest, I didn't feel like dealing with this again. I thought I'd be getting my hot girlfriend out of a party instead of a toddler to babysit." His comment annoyed you slightly. "I'm not a toddler!"

"You're acting like one, so I'm treating you like one." He pauses to think. "You know how this goes, you get drunk, you become a pain in my ass, so I have to babysit you." Out of absolutely nowhere, you said, "Baby, I wanna go home 'n cuddle.." Jonathan pauses and opens his eyes, and he smiles slightly. "Do you really?"

You nodded. "Mhm.." Without another word, he puts the car in gear and heads towards your home. He then checks his rearview mirror. "Hey, you want me to carry you to bed once we're home?" You nodded. "Uh-huh.."

He parks the car in the driveway and then walks over to your side of the car and opens the door. After making sure that you have your bearings under control, he gently takes you up into his arms. "Are you gonna throw up again if I carry you?"

"Nuh-uh.." you said, doing the grabbed hands. "Good, because I'm really not in the mood to clean up after you again tonight." He kisses the top of your head and walks towards the front door. "Do you want me to lay you down on the couch or in your bed?"

You'd already fallen asleep when he asked. Well, that answers how you hadn't fallen asleep in the car. He looks at you and laughs. He was going to try to lay you down on the couch, but then he sees that you've already fallen asleep. After smiling to himself a little bit, he brings you inside and gently lays you down in your bed. He then pulls the covers over you and kisses your forehead.

You whine in your sleep and tug at his shirt. He looks down at you and raises his eyebrows. "Do you need something? Do you want me to come and cuddle you instead?" You tug more at his shirt. "Mh.. baby.. don't go.." you mumbled. Jonathan sighs and comes into bed with you. He pulls you into his arms and gives you a kiss on the cheek. "There, I'm here, I'm not going anywhere, okay?"

You sighed happily and slept on his chest. He smiles and pulls you closer to him. "You're so cute when you're asleep." He kisses the top of your head and closes his eyes.

[chronicrabbit]

Ok, here’s my thing.

I don’t think Eddie and Billy would’ve been friends as is.

Similar music taste isn’t enough to bridge that gap.

But I /do/ think if Billy survived season 3 and got his chance to heal and improve himself, they could’ve gotten there eventually.

Billy spends months in the hospital, doped up on pain killers.

Max is there, or course. She brings her walkman and Billy’s tapes so he can have something to ease the mind numbing boredom.

They work hard to form some sort of sibling bond.

It’s not easy, but they do it.

It’s hard to avoid after going through something Upside Down related.

By the time he’s well enough to go home, Neil is already out of the picture.

They move to Forest Hills, into the trailer right across from the Munson’s.

Billy refuses Max’s offer of the second bedroom.

He takes the couch, carves out a space for himself in the cramped living room.

His attitude is still shitty, he’s still rude and angry and hard to talk to, but he isn’t mean for the sake of mean-ness.

His chronic pain dulls the need to swing a punch. It hurts too much to try.

El takes to calling a good deal. She, Max, and Billy have conversations over Cerebro every week that seem to do something for him.

He doesn’t smile; not really.

But he’s noticeably less miserable after their talks.

Billy gets a job to help Susan with the bills.

He hides her booze and he gives her someone to be angry at over Neil, and eventually, after a lot of screaming and crying and really really rough nights, they find some common ground.

It’s a far cry from a mother and son relationship, but it’s something they both needed.

Fall of ‘85 rolls around, and Max is starting her Freshman year, Billy his Senior.

Billy doesn’t verbally offer to drive, just nods towards the car and climbs into the drivers side.

They’ve settled into an odd sort of push and pull.

Max starts a conversation tentatively, Billy answers, usually with grunts or non verbal cues.

The first time he answers back with more than one syllable, they’re on their way to pick up his pain meds.

Billy turns the volume on the radio up a notch, not blaring, just loud enough to appreciate the guitar solo.

“Is this Metallica?” Max prompts with a careful sideways glance.

Billy’s lips tilt upwards with a barely noticeable smile as he utters a soft:

“It’s the Scorpions, Shitbird.”

Max can’t help the smile that stretches across her face, because there he is.

He’s still Billy.

From that day on, there’s a noticeable shift in their dynamic.

Suddenly, they’re siblings. Real ones.

They aren’t soft and supportive like Will and Jonathan, or reluctantly close and annoying like Mike and Nancy.

They argue, they bitch, they hurl insults, they mock each other, But if anyone raises even a harsh word to the other, they’re right there to unleash hell upon the unlucky shmuck.

And that doesn’t just extend to Max; the entire party, weirdly, ends up under Billy’s prickly protection as well.

Entering into the school year, it only takes one run in with the ex Alpha of Hawkins High for the jocks and would be bullies to get the message:

“These nerds are OFF LIMITS.”

From an outsiders perspective, the groups strangeness is undeniable, strangeness that attracts one Eddie Munson, collector of oddities.

Eddie, clocking the Weird Al tee, the nerdy speech, and general dorky vibe of the entire party, immediately swoops in and takes them under his wing.

Mind, he was never friends with Billy. He’d hardly spoken to him past the typical:

“You got the stuff?”

“You got the cash?”

But Billy had never given him too much trouble.

He’d known better than to antagonize Hawkins High’s one and only dealer.

But Eddie could tell he’d changed since the Mall fire of ‘85. He was quieter, broodier, and all around… less.

He didn’t strut the halls like he used to; like a caged lion, hungry for a meal.

He kept mostly to himself.

Took notes and worked quietly in class, ate lunch in his car with Max and, very occasionally and confusingly, Robin Buckley and Nancy Wheeler.

Eddie had even spotted him talking with Steve Harrington, once.

Talking, not peacocking, posturing, or punching as he would’ve expected.

Eddie was nosy by nature. Call it a character flaw, but when he saw something that puzzled him, he needed to get his hands on it; to work it, piece it together, and figure it out.

Billy Hargrove was a 200 piece puzzle with no picture, and he was determined to put it together.

He starts small, bringing Billy up in passing during cleanup post-Hellfire, trying his best to sound casual, though given the look from Gareth he assumes it wasn’t quite there.

“So… Hargrove. What’s his deal?”

Ok.

Subtlety was not his forte.

Dustin, Mike, and Lucas share significant looks, looks tinged with uncertainty and secrecy and Eddie is itching for a piece of this puzzle.

“What do you mean?” Dustin asks robotically.

“What do I mean?” Eddie repeats with a scoff.

“You’ve got the California Keg King as a personal guard dog, and you ask me what do I mean.”

Another glance is shared between the three, this one a bit more… wary.

Interesting.

“My, uh, girlfriend is his sister,” Lucas shrugs as if this is somehow answer enough.

Not even close.

“No, I get that,” Eddie nods, because he knows Red is his stepsister. He’d overheard Billy bitching endlessly about her in the year prior.

Now they’re not only tolerant of each other but attached at the hip?

“Level with me,” Eddie requests, leaning against the arm of his throne.

“Is this to do with the fire?”

That question garners an interesting reaction; shifting eyes and nervous shuffling.

“It is, isn’t it?”

Eddie loved being right.

Mike, as usual, was the first to speak.

“We were there that night,” he says simply, and Eddie’s grin falls from his face.

He lowers himself into his seat and nods slowly for him to continue.

“One of our friends was injured, so Billy…”

He hesitates, brow pinched and nose wrinkled as if he’s reliving the memory.

“Billy saved her,” Lucas finishes for him, looking markedly uncomfortable at the topic.

“Got badly injured in the process.”

“So that’s why you’re all buddy buddy with him now?” Grant speaks up from the sidelines.

“We’re not buddy buddy,” Lucas scoffs, crossing his arms.

“We tolerate each other due to shared trauma., but we’re not friends.”

Jeff nods grimly at Lucas’s words with an understanding Eddie couldn’t quite grasp if he’d tried.

The conversation ended there as they walked to the lot.

A single puzzle piece in place with 199 to go.

‘Maybe two pieces,’ Eddie thinks as he watches the three of them approach a blue Camaro, Hargrove and Mayfield leaning against the hood.

His joy at piecing together more of the mystery dies as Steve Harrington’s BMW pulls up beside them, the boys climbing into it instead.

‘What the fuck?’

[stevemother]

stranger things characters and what i thin they'd be for Halloween

Max: max would be Freddy Kruger so she could get another chance to hear Lucas's girly scream

El: El would want to be fairy, like a cute one you see in a Disney movie.

Dustin: Dustin would want to Weird Al, just because he thought it would be a good idea. (Would plan his costume for months till he thought it was perfect.)

Mike: he would be a werewolf because it's simple and an excuse to rip up some of the shirts he doesn't wear.

Lucas: Lucas would plan to be the grim reaper so he could be a horror movie character with Max.

Will: Will would probably be a wizard or Chucky. (couldn't choose.)

Jonathan: wouldn't want to be anything but in the end, Nancy made him do something. he would be a steampunk, but very mild.

Nancy: Nancy would be the female Sherlock Homes.

Robin: she would be the slasher from Texas Chainsaw Massare so she could annoy Steve on the job with her mask.

Steve: Steve would be an Angel. he would want to make his costume look nice, but he was too busy helping his children on their costumes and in the end when he got nothing done on his costume, he would just put on a halo headband.

Eddie: Eddie would be a devil to try and match with Steve.

hello, happy early Halloween! have a good day/night :)

[witchthewriter]

tag game: stranger things edition

Thank you @maniac-maniac-maniac for tagging me!

Btw anyone can play if they want to! Don't feel like you have to wait to be tagged 🦋

Ride or die ship (your otp)

I- I don't really have one... I don't like Mike and El; she's on another level. I think I have to ship a couple, it would be Argle and Jonathan?? Or Robin and Vickie. Oh! Robin and Nancy!

Most annoying ship

Mike and El... I hate how she feels as if she isn't good enough for him while she is literally the main character? And I can't have El being insecure because my girl is BITCHIN' 👏👏👏

Second favourite ship

Me and Eddie <3 <;3 <3

Favourite platonic relationship

STEVE AND ROBIN! They are platonic SOULMATES! Absolutely amazing chemistry by the actors.

Underrated ship

Joyce and Jim; they were already Mother ™ and Father ™ even before going on their date at Enzos.

Overrated ship

Mike and El, AND Steve and Nancy. I mean I do like the trope of Female Character Has Big Ambitions with Boyfriend Who Has None. But Steve and Nancy are too dissimilar. As well as Nancy and Jonathan - there is no chemistry there.

One thing I would change in canon

Eddie's death duh.

Something canon did right

... Introduce Eddie, I'm SORRY I'm being annoying but c'mon he is the best thing about the goddamn show. It was boring for me before.

A thing i'm proud of creating for the fandom PLEASE BRAG ABOUT YOURSELF I WANT TO SEE/READ YOUR ART

It's so old, but my Vampire!Eddie Boyfriend headcanons. Looking back it could do with a lot of editing, but the idea that Eddie was actually turned into a vampire because of the bat bites was brilliant (credit to whoever came up with that first).

A character who is perfect to me (wouldn't change a thing)

I got TWO, season 1-3 Hopper, because I really loved his whole punch first ask questions later. And his weight, I loved his weight. I think his weightloss in season 4 wasn't just for Stranger Things, I think he genuinely wanted to be skinnier. Which ... I mean his body his rules, but I loved him more when he was heavier tbh.

And OBVIOUSLY EDDIE. HOW DID THEY COME UP WITH THE PERFECT CHARACTER?! They could have made him a one, maybe even two sided drug dealer who couldn't graduate high school. But no, he has so much heart and SOFTNESS. I actually fell in love with him after the cafeteria scene, when he was with Chrissy. He just became this caring, open, kind guy who also had a LUNCHBOX full of fcking DRUGS.

The character I relate to the most and why

You already hate me by now because I've spoken about Eddie so much, but yeah ... Eddie. It's one of the reasons why he's so well-loved. The outsider, the one everyone thinks is weird - I think all can relate on one level or another. Especially growing up ... not so well off. Seeing Eddie live in a trailer but he's still so popular; it gives a lot of gratification (if that's the right word?)

Character(-s) I hate the most and why

Mr Wheeler - he is literally such a shITTY DAD. WTF. In his daily life he doesn't care about his family, or show any interest in them.

STEVE'S PARENTS - WHERE ARE THEY? WHAT ARE THEY DOING? I mean they could be travelling for work but that's still neglect.

Billy - if he wasn't a good looking character no one would like him. In the original script he was actually supposed to called Lucas the n-word because he's racist. And in the scenes with Lucas, there are underlying motifs that show his racism. So, yeah, I hate racists.

Martin Brenner aka Papa. Motherf*cking asshole.

Something I've learned from the fandom

Um... that the majority of us really love big-haired, soft-hearted, drug dealers? I mean okay, I don't really get into fandoms anymore because of bad past experiences. I guess what I've learnt then, is that everyone has their own opinion - doesn't mean yours is wrong or any less valid.

Three tags i seek out on ao3

I don't go on Ao3 a lot, but Hopper, basically just Hopper omg ahahha. Or soulmate AU.

A song I strongly associate with my otp/favourite character

I gots no songs I associate with my otp but I do for Eddie - The Sails of Chiron by Scorpions. It's a bit of rock but also ... really sensual?? I found it because Eddie made me fall in love with 80s heavy rock.

No pressure tagging: @sardonic-the-writer.

[buck-yyyy]

Maybe a little thing about little Mike and Will cheating on their homework from each other but like, something really stupid like having to talk about their families and Mike writing about Joyce of something.

eee okay i finished it!!! it’s kinda different from the original suggestion, but i hope you like it :)))

tw// period appropriate homophobia (nothing severe or direct, just comments)

~~don’t have access to my computer rn and can’t figure it out on mobile, but i’ll add a cut here eventually~~

mike sat at his desk, elbow on the desktop with his hand on his forehead, propping up his head. he stares at the singular piece of paper that’s been sitting there, intending to be written on, for the last hour. at the top, a single sentence lists the instructions for the assignment: draw a picture of your family. write a description of what your family is like. it’s a simple assignment, especially since he’s already in fifth grade, and yet he has no idea where to start. his family doesn’t feel like the kind you’re supposed to write about- a dad who does nothing but sleep and work, and barely pays attention to his kids or wife, and a mom who is so busy taking care of the kids that she barely has time for herself. it’s not the picture-perfect family that mrs. greene wants, and she should’ve known that. why couldn’t she just know that?

mike threw down the pencil, frustrated, and went to kick over his chair, but stopped. he glanced back up at his desk, with his walkie leaning against the wall. he gently set the chair back down onto the carpet, and slumped back into the chair.

picking up the walkie, mike stared straight ahead, not daring look at the stupid sheet of paper that’s been causing him so much trouble.

“will? do you copy?” mike said hesitantly, clicking the talk button. the two of them set up their own private channel months ago, a place where they could just talk for hours and hours without dustin or lucas chiming in to tease them. they’d always been closer than everyone else thought they should be- so they set up the channel to be able to be close by themselves.

“mike? what’s up? over,” wills voice chimed through the radio, making mike jump.

“hey, uh- have you, um. finished the assignment for mrs. greene? over,” asked mike, grimacing. he knew will of all people would understand, but that didn’t erase the fact that he didn’t like asking for help.

“yeah, why? over.”

“what. um. what did you put on yours? like who did you include? over.”

mike dared open one eye, and prodded at the walkie, waiting for wills response. he knew that will would be having the same problems as him- lonnie and will had never had a good relationship, and it only got worse once lonnie left. his closing remarks before leaving the house were to call will and jonathan ‘to think, both of my only sons, and they’re a pair of fucking qu-‘ before joyce had shoved him out the door and locked it behind him.

the walkie crackled and will finally responded, clearly nervous.

“i put, uh, me and jonathon next to each other, and mom next to jonathon, and uh. on my other side is you. i- i hope it isn’t weird or anything, i just. it felt empty with just the three of us, over.”

mike was stunned into silence.

“no, that’s- that’s great, i was actually gonna do the same thing, over and out.”

mike picked up his pencil, and hesitantly drew a little stick figure of himself. next to him, he put nancy, with a frowny face. she may be his sister, but the night before she yelled at him for taking the coins out of her piggy bank for the arcade- so, frowny face. next to nancy, he sketched out his mom, and then his dad, with a little speech bubble that said ‘zzz’ in it.

he looked down at the paper, gnawing on his lip. he knew they were his family, and he loved them, but it felt incomplete. his mom was always busy, his dad didn’t care, and nancy was the typical annoying sister that used to be cool but now she’s ‘growing up’ or whatever his mom said, so now she won’t play with his action figures with him or dig holes in the backyard just for fun. it didn’t feel right.

mike slowly picked up the pencil and added another figure, standing on his other side. a little boy, a bit shorter than mike himself, wearing a wizards robe and a tall purple hat. will.

he didn’t care if it wasn’t what mrs. greene specifically asked for, or that dustin and lucas teased him about it the next day, or that when his mom eventually found it, she seemed concerned and whispered in hushed tones to ted about “that byers boy and mike” and how they seemed to be just a bit too close.

will meant the world to him, and he wanted everyone to know.

[lavender-ronance]

*wheeler basement*

jonathan was busy and couldn't drive will over for their dnd session so steve picked him up and brought him. steve stays to see what the fuck dnd even is. he sits on the couch next to mike while will helps eddie set up. will and eddie are talking about the campaign. steve and mike are watching them. talking to each other but also not really listening...

steve: so... what exactly are they doing?

mike:

steve: mike? hello?

mike: oh. sorry. what did you say?

steve: you good man?

mike: yeah... i just... it's really nice seeing him so excited about something.

steve: oh... yeah i guess you're right.

mike: they get along really well.

steve: yeah.

mike: i knew they would. i mean- dnd, music, you know. they have a lot in common.

steve: it's crazy. i would have never thought we would be friends. i mean, i was such an asshole.

mike: yeah. me too.

steve: if i were him i would hate me. but he doesn't.

mike: he's too good of a person. like, i don't deserve all the second chances i got.

steve: he... just forgave me? for all that shit.

mike: and he's such a great friend. like so supportive and caring.

steve: he's kind and annoying- but in the best way.

mike: it's like, he's the first person to see me and actually like me. like the real me. not this bullshit front i put on for everyone else.

steve: it's weird. i just feel so...

mike: comfortable?

steve: yeah. i feel so comfortable around him.

mike: i feel loved.

steve: for the first time in a long time.

mike: for the first time ever... he loves me...

steve & mike: i love him...

[hazmatazz]

Fandom meme ask (it was hard to narrow down so u can pick the ones ur most interested in fjsjd)

A, B, T, X

djabskeheo hello!!! <3

A: Current OTP?

byler </3 like no competition. i love a whoooole lot of things but my obsessions are usually one at a time like rn (why most of this is stranger things. i also want to talk about things most of mutuals will understand)

B: A pairing you originally didn't think about but someone changed your mind on

wheelclair. i def got byclair immediately but i only really understood when user wibble-wobbledog started posting about them

ronance too. came around to it although it's not my top ships for nancy or robin. very good tho

T: any headcanons you're dead on defending?

i unfortunately don't have any headcanons like that rlly but i'd die defending the theory that mike understood what will was saying in the van scene so does that count?

X: top 5-10 characters that are your babies and you'd die defending them

ok for this one i think i'm just going to focus on the "die defending them" part because i can't rank them overwise. so mostly characters that i've seen ppl have issues with that i get so annoyed w/

1. mike wheeler obv. he is just like me fr (partially)

2. nancy wheeler. i'm not the most intrested in her but i'm...glaring at particular people

3. lucas sinclair. sorry he was being reasonable s1 even if he was wrong. also...racist people exist...gross...

4. will byers. 1. some ppl are weird about him. 2. homophobia :(

5. jonathan byers. not obsessed w him but some people are so annoying about him...

there are others like in st and out of st (harry osborn...) but y'know. in gym class </3

[eldritch-thrumming]

Hi! I'm so happy I found your blog because fandom ideas about Steve being a bully are sooo weird. Like not once he is actually shown bullying anyone. He is a dick in the first season but like.. a very tame dick and only to people who actively antagonize him. So he like... doesn't really like Barb, but a) he doesn't act on it b) the feeling is mutual. Barb is throwing a jealousy fit the whole time she is present in season 1 and actively dislikes Steve. It's fine. It's a very teenager thing to do and not every conflict is bullying. Not even his interaction with Jonathan is bullying, because again not every conflict is bullying. They are fighting and for a very serious reason and Steve is in the right (his actions are shitty though). I've read so many fanfics where Steve is like on his knees BEGGING Robin and Eddie for forgiveness (and they act like total dicks to him and it's all fine because he was mean three years ago), when in canon it's clear that Robin was jealous of Steve (and actually I can argue that by the time they went looking for the russians Steve and Robin were friends already), and Eddie straight up said "never talked to you before, assumed that you are an asshole, but you are actually good, what a nice surprise". And the music!!! The only song that Steve listens to in canon is "Hammer to fall" which is a protest song by Queen. Why do people think that he listens to sweetly pop music? He probably likes the Smiths or something. "Heaven knows I'm miserable now" is basically Steve and Robin's anthem

Aww thank you! Yeah, Steve is a dick in that he's like... a normal teenager, I think. Everything is a huge deal and everyone is very self-absorbed in high school. The way Robin describes him in season three is annoying for sure, but not exactly malicious. Asking stupid questions in class isn't evil.

(I will say, I feel like I'm the only person who doesn't like Barb lol like, let your bestie get laid, Jesus)

Eddie is also mean on screen? And no one calls him a bully. Please no one come for me because I love Eddie, but he is pretty mean to Lucas (they could literally do Hellfire after the break, no? Lucas doesn't make the sports schedule? but god forbid he have other interests that aren't deemed "intellectual"), he's very antagonistic in the lunch room scene unprovoked, and he's mean to Erica, who's doing Dustin and Mike a favor.

I will say, I do love Steve as a Tears for Fears fan, because they've got some great bops, but I am a "Steve listens to Springsteen" truther. He would've loved Born in the USA, I just know it.

Robin and Steve as The Smiths girlies is opening a whole new world of possibilities though. They listen to "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" on their way to work lol it's canon now.