#eddie cheats

[feelsforsterek]

[buck2eddie]

[penny00dreadful]

Before He Cheats

AO3

“Munson Home for the Recently Deceased, you stab ‘em we slab ‘em. How may I direct your call?”

There was silence on the other end of the line for a few seconds before a light chuckle crackled through the speaker.

“Is that really how you answer the phone?”

Eddie smiled to himself. “Got you to laugh didn’t it?”

“Suppose.”

“Plus, no one calls the landline anymore unless they’re trying to sell something. You trying to sell me something?”

“No. No, I uh… I’m looking for an Eddie Munson?”

“Only an Eddie Munson? Only one? What a terrible fate. Well you’re in luck, my good sir. This is he. What can I do you for?”

The voice on the end of the line gave a light laugh once again but went silent almost immediately after. 

Eddie stared at the wall in his apartment, waiting for something to happen. In the quiet he could hear the guy letting out little nervous breaths before one big inhale.

“I um. I’m sorry to have to tell you like this, I’d prefer to do it face to face but I don’t know where you live and you probably wouldn’t even want me at your house afterwards and I did find you on social media but it’s not something I wanted to do in DM’s, you deserve better than that-”

“Okay, hold on, slow down.” Eddie tried to ignore the panic starting to kick around in his heart. “Is someone dead? Is someone injured?”

“No! No, Jesus, I’m sorry. I told Robin that I’d be terrible at this but I couldn’t just let it go on without saying anything-”

“You haven’t really said anything. You’re just rambling.”

“Right. Sorry. Again, blame Robin. I’m around her too much. But… okay. Do you know Rick Lipton?”

Eddie felt the panic leave him, replaced only by irritation as he sighed through his nose. “What did he do now?”

“He… um. I’m sorry to ask this but are you his partner? Like, romantic partner?”

Eddie scowled. “And if I am?”

There was movement against the line, almost as if the other guy was nodding. 

“Shit.” He muttered before picking back up in volume again. “Listen, I didn’t know. He told me he was single and I only found out because Robin lives in the same building as you and she saw him with you and asked the neighbours and they said you’d been a thing for like two years and you have to believe me if I’d known I wouldn’t have touched him, I don’t fuck around with cheaters-”

“How long?”

Eddie had expected to feel betrayal or sadness, devastation or heartbreak and they were there. 

They were just lost under a tidal wave of anger and indignation. He was even surprised at himself that he didn’t feel more caught off guard. 

Rick had never cheated before (that Eddie was aware of) but he had always had a wandering eye and a few off-colour jokes about 'going to find someone more his speed’. 

They’d never really felt all that funny.

Maybe it was because their relationship had felt dead for the last few months. 

They barely talked, they just existed around each other. The sex had all but dried up as well and whenever they did have it, it was completely impersonal. Get in, get out, move back to separate parts of the apartment if either of them even bothered to stay over. 

More often than not one of them would make a quick exit back to their home.

Eddie had been thinking a breakup was on the horizon for a while. 

But that was no excuse to cheat. 

At least have the fucking decency to end the relationship first before going out and chasing tail. 

“Um, like four or five weeks." The guy on the phone muttered, clearly ashamed. "I’m so sorry Eddie, I swear to god if I knew I would never… I have- I have proof if you need it.”

“If it’s a sex tape I don’t think I want to see it.” Eddie was trying really hard to maintain his calm and not snap through the phone. 

If what the guy was saying was true, then he was an innocent party in this.

Didn’t make it hurt any fucking less though.

Didn’t make him any less pissed.

“If- no it’s not a sex tape.” The voice sounded scandalised. “Fucking hell, do people actually do that?”

“Yes.”

There was a pause, as though the guy was waiting for Eddie to continue but Eddie just let it hang in the air. He wasn’t ashamed. 

But he was definitely going to have to purge those files now.

“Okay well… It's just a photo. I posted it to my insta a week ago but he was really weird about it being up, which in hindsight makes a lot of sense, so I took it down.” He said, quiet and sad. “I can send it to you if you want.”

Eddie pursed his lips. 

“Please hold.”

He unceremoniously dropped the phone with a clatter, leaving it dangling from the cord, bouncing against the wall and probably blowing the guy’s ear out. 

Maybe in the morning Eddie would feel a little bad about that, but for now it just felt very satisfying. 

He rifled around in his bedsheets for his phone before making his way back to the landline. 

“Still there?”

“Yes. Ow, by the way.”

Eddie just shrugged, well aware the guy couldn’t see him but whatever. He wasn’t in the mood. 

“Send it on.”

Only a moment later his phone pinged with a notification and Eddie opened the photo.

Well. 

Shit. 

There was Rick, in amongst a crowd at some nightclub, plastered to the side of some pretty boy who looked like he had a regular workout routine. 

Ugh.

Eddie couldn’t handle gym bunnies, the amount they could bench or whatever was all they ever talked about. But this must be the guy on the other end of the phone. 

@King.Steve.Of.House.Hair

Rick had King Steve’s earlobe in between his teeth and from the angle of the selfie Eddie could see his hands were wandering.

It looked like some kind of Halloween night, if the teeny tiny little sailor outfit was anything to go by.

God damn.

But even so, Eddie still wanted to be sure that what he was seeing was… well. What he was seeing. 

“Steve, is it?”

“Oh, uh, yeah. Sorry, I didn’t realise I hadn’t given you my name yet.” Steve let out a nervous laugh, like he was expecting Eddie to jump through the phone and strangle him.

Eddie was fit to strangle someone but Steve wasn’t in his crosshairs.

“Don’t worry about it. Tell me, what does Rick have tattooed on his ass?”

“Uh…” Steve paused. “He doesn’t have a tattoo on his ass? Not that I’ve seen anyway. But I can tell you he does have his taint pierced. For some fucking reason.”

Eddie gave a quiet laugh at that, despite the monumentally fucked up situation and the final cracking piece of his heart breaking away. Rick had that piercing by the time Eddie had met him. He insisted he’d gotten it because it was sexy. Eddie was pretty sure he’d just lost a bet.

Eddie was no stranger to intimate piercings himself. He had his frenum done a while back. 

That one he’d definitely done because it felt sexy.

He looked back down at his phone, idly flipping through Steve’s profile and all of his other photos. 

He probably shouldn’t be thinking about how hot Steve was, how it was juxtaposed with a soft cuteness that almost felt like it didn’t belong to someone with such broad shoulders and defined arms. 

He hated himself for thinking about Steve’s attractiveness. 

It felt wrong.

Even though he was pretty much single now.

Even if Rick didn’t know it yet. 

But fuck him. 

He’d find out.

One way or the other.

And Eddie was nothing if not a drama queen.

But he wouldn’t do anything tonight.

No tonight he would just… hurt.

And smoke.

A lot.

“Eddie?” Steve’s voice came through to him. “You okay?”

Eddie swallowed, finding it a little more difficult than he expected it to be and realised he’d just been staring down at his phone in silence. 

The screen had gone black.

“Yeah.” He answered, his voice thick. “I’m fine.”

Steve hummed. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Eddie laughed. It was wet and sniffly and vulnerable and horrible. “What are you gonna do from over the phone far away… wherever you are?”

“I dunno. I could just… talk to you I guess? Help you plot Rick's murder?”

Eddie laughed again, a little brighter this time. "Yeah, that could be good. But if I'm plotting murder I want to be a little more comfortable." He unlocked his phone and hit the follow button on Steve’s account. “This conversation requires lounging, not standing by the landline.”

“Oh-”

“How do you feel about a video call?”

A notification popped up on his phone, letting him know Steve had followed him back.

“A video call is fine.”

“Great.” Eddie paused. He wasn’t even sure how to end this call with the guy his boyfriend of two years had been cheating on him with and who he’d just asked if he wanted to video call so Eddie could smoke his feelings away. 

He just didn’t want to feel alone right now. 

He could have called Chrissy or one of the boys to come hang out with him but that would require explaining everything over again and he really didn’t want to do that right now. 

Before he could think much more on it Eddie said a quick “Okay bye,” and hung up.

Steve knew the story and Steve had been wronged too and maybe they could just be mad and sad together. 

He unlocked his phone again as he walked back into his bedroom and hit the video call button, not even bothering to turn his light on, leaving himself and his room shrouded in darkness. He propped his phone up on his desk, angled towards the window where he sat on the sil and started to roll, using the streetlights streaming in the window to see.

Steve picked up only a moment later and Eddie got his first good look at the guy live in action and not through a photo online.

He was sitting at what looked like a kitchen table fully lit by the overhead lights, a pair of wire framed glasses perched on his nose and his hair messy and dishevelled, like he’d been stressfully running his hands through it, which he probably had been. 

Eddie didn’t know how stressed he would be if he had to make a call to someone to tell them their long term partner had been cheating.

He was leaning forward, elbows on the table in a cosy yellow sweater with a slight worry between his eyebrows. 

He looked so soft. 

Nothing at all like the nautical sea queen look he’d been giving in those photos. He looked comfortable and gentle and a little worried.

“Eddie?”

“Mm-hm?” He hummed, bringing the joint to his mouth and lighting it up before pushing open the window a little more and exhaling out into the dark rainfall outside.

“You okay?”

He shrugged. “I will be.”

“I’m not asking about whether you will be, I‘m asking about now.”

Eddie looked over and watched Steve as Steve watched him through the screen.

“Alright, then no. I’m not okay.” He took another drag. “I’m fucking pissed. I’m sad, I’m upset, I’m hurt, I’m angry, I’m disappointed and I don’t know if all of that is directed more at him for doing this to me or me for not expecting it.”

“How were you supposed to expect it?” Steve shook his head in disbelief. “No one should have to expect to be cheated on.”

“Dunno.” Eddie shrugged, looking back out the window. “Relationship was dying anyway.”

“Okay, and? That doesn’t make cheating okay.”

“Suppose not.”

“I’m sorry, for what it’s worth. For my part in it.”

Eddie glanced back over, taking in the downward tilt of Steve’s mouth and his big sad eyes.

“S’not your fault. You were wronged too.”

“I guess, but…” Steve bit his lip and looked up from the screen, casting his eyes around his kitchen like something was going to pop out and answer whatever question was running through his head. 

Eddie waited. The guy had been very gracious so far and he seemed to genuinely feel bad for all the mess he’d been wrapped up in. 

“I…” Steve continued. “I know how this thing usually goes. You find out you’ve been cheated on and you still love your partner so you tend to focus all your anger towards the person they cheated with rather than the person who actually wronged you.” He looked down, fiddling with some kind of flash card on the table in front of him.

“Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.” Eddie stubbed his joint out, happy enough with his current buzz. He was sufficiently mellowed, he hadn’t cried yet though that would probably come once he was in bed, but his anger had simmered down to a level where he didn’t feel like putting his fist through a wall but still angry enough to plot.

“I am, I guess.”

Eddie nodded. “This happened to you before?” 

That was probably rude. His filter malfunctioned at the best of times but when he smoked it was all but gone.

“Yeah.” Steve stared down at the cards in his hands. “My mom had to put up with my dad’s infidelity a lot. And my ex-girlfriend cheated on me a while back.” Steve paused before taking a deep breath. “Rick was actually my first attempt to get back into the dating world so…”

“So we can both be sad and angry together.”

“Yeah.” Steve smiled and Eddie stood up, plucking his phone from his desk and settling it on his bedside table, switching his lamp on and throwing himself face down on his bed, probably barely visible to Steve.

“We can be sad and angry together.”

Eddie glanced up. Now that he was closer to his phone, he could better see exactly what Steve was fiddling with, he could read some of the text on the card.

“Stevie.” Eddie sat up, moving closer to the phone and unable to stop the smirk running over his face. Steve’s eyes snapped up towards him. “Did you write out flash cards for when you called me?”

Steve’s eyes widened before he unceremoniously swept all the cards off the table in front of him, his cheeks turning a terrific shade of red and he leaned his face on his hand, trying to act as nonchalant as possible. 

“No.”

It was adorable. Incredibly dorky and adorable.

Eddie laughed, full on braying belly laughs, collapsing backwards onto his bed. When he peeked back up to look at his phone through his giggles, Steve’s face was somehow even redder. 

“Oh my god.” Eddie breathed. “That’s darling.”

“Shut up.”

“No, no. It’s really very sweet.”

“Ugh. Whatever.” Steve rolled his eyes but was still smiling, still had a blush lighting up his cheeks.

Eddie settled himself back against his headboard. “Actually, listen, let me ask you something.”

“Okay?”

“Does Rick know? Does he know that you know? Or that you told me?”

“No.” Steve answered, finally relaxing his fake nonchalance into real relaxation, folding his hands on the table and propping his chin up on them. “I figured if anyone had the right to rip his balls off it would be you.”

Eddie nodded. 

That he could understand. 

“I get that, but there’ll be no ball ripping from where I stand. No, I want to hit him where it hurts.”

“Woulda hurt me plenty.”

“Oh, I’m sure. But the only thing Rick loves more than his own balls is his car.”

Steve nodded. “Yeah, he’s like, obsessed with that thing. It’s weird. It’s not even that nice of a car.”

“I’d love to say he has bad taste but considering he picked the both of us, I’m pretty sure his tastes are actually immaculate.”

“Just his decisions are bad.”

“Exactly.”

“Well.” Steve sighed. “I’d love to help any way I can. I hate that I was involved in this, in what he did to you.”

“To us, Stevie. To us.”

“Right, so what’s the plan then?”

“When are you due to see him next?”

Eddie pulled his van into the parking lot of the bar. It was halfway across town and a place that he never frequented if he could help it. Rick liked it though, always had. Eddie just liked other places around town more.

But it could be cute, he supposed. A small little country and sports type place that had a rainbow flag behind the bar and a small number of regulars who, according to Steve, wouldn’t do anything unless you got between them and their drink. 

He knew that Steve was inside with Rick, playing up the flirty angle and acting tipsier than he actually was to put him at ease.

Steve had mentioned one of his signature moves involved pool, bending over the table and wiggling a little bit to keep the attention on him. Pulling out a little pout whenever he missed a shot or asking for help to line up his cue.

Eddie would be more upset by the fact that he was missing the sight of it if he didn't know he'd have the opportunity to see it himself at some point in the future.

They had talked for so long that first night, long enough that the sun was starting to come up by the time they'd both dragged themselves away from their phones to sleep.

They’d talked about their families, their friends, what they were doing in life right now as opposed to what they had hoped they would be doing when they were teenagers. They talked about their school selves and their dating lives and as the conversation wore on Eddie found himself thinking again and again about how long it had been since it had felt so easy to talk to someone like that.

It had been a very long time since Rick had put any effort into getting to know him as he grew through their two years together, like he expected Eddie to stay the same person as he was at the start of the relationship.

After that first night where they’d figured out their master plan, he and Steve had just… kept talking. Throughout the rest of the week up until tonight, they were in almost constant contact, only really taking a break to sleep and work.

Eddie felt connected to Steve and in some roundabout way he was thankful to Rick for bringing him into his life.

He’d even met Robin in passing one day, living two floors below him, holding the door open for him as he tried to wrestle with grocery bags. 

She was so weird. He kind of loved her the second she opened her mouth. Honest, but with the sharpest tongue he’d ever met on a person. 

She had knocked on his apartment door later that evening to tell him Steve was calling over to visit and asking if he wanted to come around to meet him. 

Steve had apparently delegated the asking to her because he was too nervous to do it himself.

Again, adorable.

Steve was somehow even sweeter and even saltier in person than he was over the phone and Eddie tried hard, he tried really hard not to look too much or let his fucking horomones run away with him but Jesus. H. Christ it was difficult. 

The sweetness of his soft sweaters and polos, his gentle smiles and understanding words matched with his salty mean girl attitude that would slip out every so often and the bitchiest of eye rolls that made Eddie’s heart jump.

Eddie was also trying to feel bad about what was happening but honestly, he was losing reasons to care that much.

He hadn’t texted or called Rick once in the last week and Rick himself had never reached out which all at once made Eddie realise he was the primary communicator in the relationship and it hadn’t been reciprocated in a long, long time. 

Adding onto that was the knowledge that Rick was still fucking cheating on him and was in regular contact with Steve left Eddie only half heartedly feeling bad.

He and Steve would go over the screenshots of the conversation together every night and every night Eddie found it harder and harder to hang up the phone.

He was pretty sure Steve was feeling the same way. 

They kept just catching each other staring. Or smiling or, pulling back from touching too much and he was almost sure that as soon as Rick was out of the picture for the both of them, something was going to blossom.

Even now, with Steve inside, flirting up a storm with Eddie’s ex-boyfriend who didn’t know he was an ex yet, they would be ending the night together. 

Robin was waiting back at her apartment with an alibi ready if Eddie needed it though he suspected he wouldn’t.

Neither he nor Rick had a great track record with the police and it would be more trouble than it was worth to get them involved.

Speaking of, Eddie spotted Rick’s car, some souped up four wheel drive monstrosity of small dick syndrome sitting in the shadows and away from the cameras of the bar where Steve had convinced him to park with a suggestion of something happening in those shadows later on. 

He hopped out of his van and threw open the back doors, grabbing his bag of goodies before sidling around Rick’s car to wait.

When the chords of some Shania Twain number started to leak through the walls, the signal he’d been waiting for, the sound loud enough to drown out what Eddie would be doing, he dropped his bag to the floor.

Curling his keys into his fingers and with almost a skip in his step Eddie began to carve a stripe through the immaculate and expensive paint work. Working his way around to the drivers side, he lifted the key up before bringing it back down.

With a little bit of sickening glee, he hacked the word CHEATER into the side of the car, the side that would be immediately visible from the bar door and the side Rick would have to see every time he wanted to get in and get out of the driver's seat.

At least until he paid a bomb to get it fixed.

Eddie had connections in this town. Working as a mechanic here for years would do wonderful things to extend this pain. 

Rick knew fuck all about cars. 

Tucking his keys back into his pocket, he sidled back around to his duffel bag, unzipping it and pulling out his Stanley blade.

Unsheathing it, he gripped it tight in his hand and punched it down into the nearest tyre, listening with satisfaction as the thing slowly deflated before moving onto the other three.

A second Shania song had started up. 

He could hear Steve crooning out from inside, getting louder and Eddie knew he was running out of time. 

He pulled Steve’s baseball bat from the duffle and gave it a little twirl, the same one he’d seen Steve do when he’d first handed it off and he had tried so hard not to be attracted to it. 

He’d failed miserably. 

Maybe Eddie could deal with a gym bunny if that gym bunny was Steve.

With an almighty swing, he brought the bat down, shattering one of the headlights with an almighty crash that wasn’t quite drowned out by the karaoke inside.

Rearing back Eddie swung again, smashing the other headlight and while the music didn’t cut off, he could clearly hear Steve inside calling out for Rick to “Wait!”

Okay, only a few seconds left.

Pulling the bat back and letting the anger and betrayal and indignation flow through him, he brought the bat down hard into the windshield where it embedded itself, the spider cracks of the tempered glass making the thing practically opaque.

The bat was fucking stuck.

Eddie knew that if he was able to pull hard enough he would be able to release the whole windshield from the car but he didn’t even have the strength in him to budge the bat.

“What the fuck?!”

Eddie slowly released his hands from the bat and turned, looking at Rick standing in the doorway of the bar, his mouth hanging wide open in shock, unable to believe what he was seeing. Steve was standing just behind him, with one hand over Rick’s chest.

To anyone else it would look like a comforting gesture, maybe. A show of support. 

But Eddie could tell the hand was there to hold Rick back if he decided to lunge. 

Both Steve and Rick dragged their gaze over the flat tyres, the word carved into the side, the bat stuck in the windshield.

“Hey sweetheart.” Eddie called across the distance, feeling comfortable enough to turn his back to pick up his bag, trusting Steve to at least shout if Rick was about to tackle him.

“Eddie,” Rick breathed, still open-mouthed somehow. “What in the god damned hell has gotten into you?!”

“I wasn’t talking to you.” He slung the bag over his shoulder and held his hand out.

Steve patted Rick twice on the chest and stepped out from behind him. 

Rick watched him walk away looking even more bewildered than before.

With one hand Steve took Eddie’s and with the other he grabbed the bat, wiggling it a few times before pulling it free. 

They broke apart as they reached Eddie’s van, Steve climbing into the passenger seat and Eddie throwing his bag in the back before starting up the van from his position in the driver's seat.

He leaned over Steve to shout out of the window, “Have a nice life, asshole!”

As the van tore out of the lot, Steve stretched both hands out of the window, two middle fingers extended until Rick, still frozen on the spot, was out of sight.

When he pulled himself back inside, Eddie saw him glance his way, a huge grin on his face.

Eddie had a smile to match, whooping into the night as they sped down the road.

AO3

@geekymagicalpotato

Big thanks as always to @hbyrde36 for her magnificent beta work and to the STWG for their motivation.

[cholvoq]

Eddie study/cheat sheet is here! :D

This genuinely helped me so much bc while I draw him all the time, I’ve always been more confident drawing Steve over Eddie. Just know I’ll be drawing Eddie like this a LOT more now

[blushweddinggowns]

Part 2

He has no right to be here.

He knows that.

He does.

Eddie watches as people pile into the church, all of them dressed to the nines. It's a Harrington affair through and through, and the sight of all these people that he knows Steve hates makes him feel sicker than he already is.

If he wasn't on the edge of crying he would have laughed at himself, like he had any right to judge anyone here. He's the one who dumped Steve. Perfect, wonderful, lovely Steve who just needed a few more years. He just needed to make sure the kids were safe until they graduated. But Eddie couldn't do it. He needed to leave, and Steve needed to stay.

So he ended it. Just like that. He ended it.

He hasn't seen him for three years. By all appearances, it was a good choice, the best thing he could have done for himself. Because against all fucking odds Eddie Munson ends up as a success. He's a star, a famous musician discovered in a shitty little bar. He somehow managed to actually live the dream he used to fantasize about.

He lives it up. He parties, he drinks, he fucks, he spends his early twenties being young and dumb like he always wanted.

And it's horrible. It's so horrible that it becomes hilarious to him. Because he knows why it's so bad. Of course he knows. But it's better this way, really. Because Steve deserved better than him anyway. He deserved someone he didn't run away, full of flimsy excuses of wanting to be out of the shitty town that made him. When the truth was he was scared. He was terrified about how much he loved him. Because what was he going to do when the day came when Steve realized he could do better?

Eddie wouldn't have been able to surivie it. So he left instead. Like the coward he was. He left so he could be miserable and famous but at least Steve could finally find someone who deserved him.

So it really was all for the best. That's what he tells himself, because if he doesn't he'd go insane wondering about what could have been. He has himself convinced that he made the right choice. Maybe not for himself, but at least for Steve.

He doesn't realize how bullshit all of that was until Dustin lets it slip. They're doing the normal routine. Dustin visits, Eddie spoils the shit out of him, and on the last day he asks about Steve. He always tries to keep it casual. Tries to never let his desperation to know what's happening shine through. But it always does, bad enough that Dustin can't help the pity in his eyes when he tells him.

Steve's getting married.

Eddie wasn't aware just how much words could hurt him until that moment. He'd been called every bad name under the sun, a queer, a freak, a fag, you name it and it's been said. But this is the first time someone else's words make him feel like he's dying.

He wasn't invited to the wedding. Why would he be? But he still found it. Because he's a glutton for self-punishment. He hadn't seen Steve for three fucking years, and he chooses to wait till his wedding day?

But it's too late for regret, he's already here. His eyes keep scanning the room, just waiting for him to show up. He probably looks like a creep, dressed in all black and fucking sunglasses, sitting right by the door. He's basically in a fucking disguise, mostly to stop Robin from finding him and kicking his ass.

Speaking of, his eyes widen at the sight of her. She's slipping out of a door to the side, quickly wiping at her eyes before joining the crowd of people. His eyes drift back to the door.

Eddie's on his feet before he knows what he's doing. It's stupid, maybe the stupidest thing he's ever done, but where Robin is, Steve is sure to follow.

And he's right. It leads to a small dressing room. And there he is. Just like that Eddie's in front of the only man he'll ever love. Or at least, behind him. They were alone, and Steve hadn't even noticed him yet, too busy adjusting his hair in the mirror.

He still has time to leave. Besides, he didn't come here to ruin everything. He didn't, really.

But he doesn't turn around. Instead, Eddie locks the door behind him. He takes off his stupid sunglasses and clears his throat to speak, but is immediately rendered speechless when Steve turns to look at him.

He's just as gorgeous as he remembered.

His eyes widened at the sight of him, mouth opening and closing like he can't quite believe what he's seeing. Why would he? Eddie never reached out. He ignored the times that Steve did, always too ashamed of himself to face his own mistakes.

Eddie always expected Steve to lash out when he saw him, if he saw him. Lord knows he deserved it. But he doesn't. He just looks...sad. And those basset hound eyes are almost enough to bring Eddie to tears himself.

"What are you doing here?" Steve asked, voice quiet.

Eddie hadn't actually prepared anything to say. His plan was to watch the love of his life marry someone else than drink himself into a stupor at his hotel. He...he hadn't expected to end up here. But there are a million things he wants to say to him.

I'm here to tell you I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was a coward. I'm sorry I wasn't good enough and I made it your problem. I haven't stopped thinking about you. Ever. There hasn't been a day that goes by when I don't regret leaving. And I thought, maybe, just maybe if I saw you move on with my own eyes I could let you go.

But none of that is what comes out of his mouth.

"Run away with me."

If Steve didn't look shocked to see him before he sure did now, "W-What?"

"Run away with me," He repeats. Because it's what he wants. It's what he needs. It's been three years of hell without him and Eddie can't do it anymore. He can't.

He hates that he's the cause of the tears springing up in Steve's eyes, but he can't take it back. He won't.

Steve looks away, eyes trained on the floor, "You can't do this to me Eddie. You can't."

But he is.

Eddie's made his choice. He was a fool to think he was capable of coming here without trying to steal him away. Of course this is where he'd end up. And he'll say anything to get him back. He doesn't care that he's too late. He doesn't care that this whole thing makes him a bigger piece of shit than he already was.

He'll be underhanded, he'll be dirty, he'll do anything to get Steve to leave with him, he doesn't fucking care. Because Steve Harrington is not going to get married today.

He waltzes right up to him. He grabs his chin and forces him to meet his eyes. He probably looks crazy, he feels crazy, "You don't love her like you love me."

He's never met her. He doesn't need to. The way Steve freezes up is all he needs to know that he's right.

He doesn't deny it, but he deflects, "Why are you doing this? You left me. Did you forget that part? I didn't end it. You did! A-And now what? We're just going to ride off into the sunset together? Like you weren't the one to just cut me out of your life-"

"Yes," Eddie interrupts. He feels calm, eerily so as he speaks, "We're riding off into the sunset together. Even though I don't deserve it. I never deserved you. And I was so fucking scared of when you would realize that. I let it eat away at me. So I left. Before you could do it to me. And I was wrong."

"Stop," Steve tries to step back, but Eddie won't let him. He wraps an arm around his waist and pulls him close.

He can't stop talking, even if he wanted to, "I was so wrong Steve. And I've been miserable ever since. Because I couldn't stop thinking about you. I'll never stop thinking about you. Even if you tell me to go to hell and get hitched I'll just wait for a divorce. Because you are the only one for me. And it took me too long to say that out loud. And I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry Stevie."

Steve weakly tried to push him away, but his heart wasn't in it, "Please stop."

But he can't, "I love you."

Steve's eyes are closed, a futile attempt to keep the tears at bay, but his voice comes out strong, "Eddie, I-I can't do this again. I can't. If you left me again I...I just can't."

Eddie can't help but wipe a few of the tears away for him, "Angel, look at me."

He waits for Steve to open his eyes. He looks so fucking beautiful that it hurts, especially since this may really be the last time he sees him again.

But he has one more trick up his sleeve, "Tell me you're not mine and I'll leave."

"W-what?"

"Tell me you're not mine. Say the words out loud and I'll let you go."

Steve stares at him. He's mad, beyond pissed that Eddie has the audacity to throw that in his face, but he's desperate. It was the last thing he said to him, murmured through the driver's side window of the van, seconds before he drove away.

I'm still yours, even if you don't want me anymore.

Eddie had cried the entire ride there after hearing that. And then a few days after for good measure. And here he is, completely ruthless at what he's willing to pull out, "You're mine Steve. You know you're mine."

It's such a fucked up thing to say, but it's true. But it's not the whole truth, "And I'm yours. I've always been yours. Tell me that's not true and I'll leave."

But Steve can't. He can't do it, just like Eddie had known he wouldn't. But what he hadn't expected was for him to surge up and kiss him.

It feels like he fell in love all over again, just from one simple kiss. Because it felt like magic was real and it decided to take on the form of Steve Harrington's lips. It was everything he had missed. Everything he had dreamed about. Eddie tangled a hand into his hair, helpless to do anything but kiss him back, harder and deeper. He wanted to be burned into Steve's memory for all eternity. He wanted him to always remember the moment that they came back to each other.

Because that's what this is. Eddie's certain, Steve was his, and he would never let him go again.

They only stop when there is a knock at the door, a muffled question asked that they can't hear over the sounds of their own breathing. It's enough to have them pulling away from each other, but they ignore it nonetheless.

Steve searches his face, one last test. Eddie can only guess how he looks right now, probably just as desperate and terribly hopeful as he felt. Whatever he's looking for, he finds it eventually.

Steve sighs, glancing toward the back of the room, "There's a window we can probably fit through. Because I'm sure as hell not going out there."

Now it's Eddie's turn to cry. Despite all of his confidence, the certainty that they were supposed to be together, he hadn't really expected it to work. But here they were, giggling with each other as they scurried out of a first-floor window, making a run for Eddie's car.

Eddie can't help but kiss him again before they get in, muttering against his mouth, "I love you so fucking much Stevie. I'm not going to fuck this up again. You won't regret it, I'll spend the rest of my life making sure you don't."

Steve grinned into the kiss, "You better."

There was still so much to talk about. Too much. And they'll fight and they'll scream and everything will get worse before it gets better. And Eddie's so fucking grateful to get the chance.

And for the first time in three years, he feels alive again.

[allagogtoreblog]

[layla-keating]

DAISY JONES & THE SIX Episode 6: Whatever Gets You Thru The Night

[morganbritton132]

Eddie, in his Steviest voice: Hey, Eddie. Wanna come take a nap with me?

Eddie, in his Eddiest voice: Yeah, babe. Let me finish this up

Eddie: Fifteen minutes later and I get this

Eddie flips the camera over to the couch where Steve and Robin are asleep all wrapped up in each other. Steve’s currently snoring into her collarbone and has his arms wrapped around her while Robin has a leg hooked over Steve’s hip and is drooling in his hair. Eddie couldn’t get in the middle of that if he tried

Eddie: Did she materialize out of thin air? When did she get here?

[bibuckagenda]

Ravi “who’s Tommy?” Panikkar meeting Tommy for the first time and he asks him if it’s weird being eddie’s friend and dating Buck since they’re divorced.

[perfectlysunny02]

The fact that some Buddie fans think Buck and Eddie should cheat respectively on Tommy and Marisol and get together makes me so upset. I find it so weird.

First of all, cheating is gross. It’s gross. The ends to NOT justify the means here. I don’t care if you don’t ship Tuck or you don’t ship Eddie and Marisol, I don’t care. The ends do not justify the means. and if someone you knew had ended up cheating, you’d be upset. Don’t be weird.

Second, Buddie deserves a better start than that. Buddie deserves better after five seasons than a drunk, cheating hook up. We deserve better than having both Eddie and Buck cheat on their respective partners and be like oh well we cheated so let’s get together!

Can y’all just let this QUEER relationship breathe without coming up with ways to ruin Tuck and Buddie? Like please.

[neonghostlights]

I love your work! Could you do a Eddie Munson x reader where he has a big crush on her like is in love with her but she’s dating Steve and he catches Steve cheating on her and gets mad and confronts him then later on comforts her and they end up together?

Hi! Thank you!!! I don’t know why I imagined bartender!Eddie in this so here we go lol. (Also I apologize to the Steve girlies for this one)

Warnings: Steve is mean in this one, Cheating (Steve cheats on Reader), Fighting, Illness, Lies, Heartbreak, Jealousy, Alcohol, Hurt/Comfort, Happy Ending,18+ only

Wordcount: 2.1k

Fight It

Eddie wiped the glass down and hung it back up. 

Friday nights at the bar were usually busier than this. Eddie wasn’t complaining though. Maybe his boss would let him off earlier than usual so he could go check on you. A few stray patrons sat at the bar, already with their drinks. The blonde at the end of the bar had been eying Eddie all night. Eddie looked away from her, not wanting to give her the wrong idea. He wasn’t in the mood for any pointless one night stands. Not when his heart was already shattered. 

You had called earlier to let him know that you were sick. Nothing too crazy, just a cold, but he was still worried nonetheless. When he voiced his concern you assured him that Steve would take care of you. 

Steve. Your boyfriend and his best friend. 

The reminder churned painfully in Eddie’s gut. He didn’t quite recall when he fell for you. Maybe it was watching you knock bats in the head with a plank of wood in the upside down, or maybe it was during your many late night talks and hang out sessions. He fell fast and hard. 

It had been two years of going back and forth with himself on if he should grow a pair and admit how he felt. When he really thought that it was time to ask you out, Steve swooped in and swept you up off your feet right in front of him. 

Eddie had been so focused on you alone that he hadn’t even seen it coming. 

It had been a few months since you and Steve made it official, and while the friend group was ecstatic, Eddie was bitter. Steve was a good guy, Eddie knew that. But he had changed, much like the rest of the group after surviving the horrors of the upside down. He became more reckless and didn’t really think things through. Everyone thought that it would wear off, but it's been two years since they defeated Vecna and he’s still the same. Trauma and constant near death will change you though, Eddie knew that, and he didn’t fault him for how he coped. 

As long as his coping didn’t involve hurting you. 

He checked the clock again, counting down the hours until quitting time. He wondered if he should call you just to check in and make sure if you were okay. But if Steve answered he didn’t know if could handle that. 

Eddie sighed, adjusting the bandanna tied against his head to keep loose hairs from his bun out of his face. 

“Look alive,” Tony, his boss, called from farther down the bar when the door chimed. 

Steve walked in like he owned the place, striding towards the bar. Nodding his head in greeting when he saw Eddie. He sat in front of him, putting both hands on the sticky bar top. 

“What are you doing here?” Eddie blurted out instead of saying hello. 

“What? I can’t come visit my best friend at work?” Steve said with a grin. 

“Not when you’re girlfriends sick,” Eddie snapped in response. 

Steve hummed, ordering his drink. 

Eddie didn’t want to make it. He wanted to tell him to get the hell out of there and to go take care of you but his boss was watching and he couldn’t risk losing his job. Not many places around Hawkins were willing to hire him. 

“She said she’s fine. I just talked to her before I came here,” Steve admitted when he had his drink in his hand. 

Eddie nodded even though he wanted to scream. He knew you would say you were okay even if you weren’t. How did Steve not see that? 

Eddie noticed Steve’s eye catching on the blonde at the end of the bar who was now sending love eyes back to Steve. She flipped her hair, picked up her drink and made her way to the empty seat beside Steve. 

Eddie tensed, hoping that she didn’t get too offended when Steve inevitably shot her down. 

But he didn’t. He smiled at her instead. 

Eddie felt his heart drop into his stomach as he watched Steve start to obnoxiously flirt with her. Steve leaned down, whispering in her ear as she trailed a finger up her arm. 

Eddie slammed a bottle down, in hopes of getting his attention but he didn’t bother looking up, he just leaned in closer to her. 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Eddie asked in a bitter tone when Steve continued to ignore him. 

“What?” Steve finally looked up at him. 

“He has a girlfriend,” Eddie informed the girl who now had her hand in Steve’s lap. 

She just shrugged. 

“This is fucking ridiculous. I’ll call her right now and tell her what you’re doing,” Eddie announced, hoping that would scare the both of them into going their separate ways. 

Steve leaned in slowly, taking his time with what he was about to say. “Do you really want to be the one to break her heart, Eddie? I thought you were my friend. You call to tell her and that’s it for the group. You think she’ll want to come around anymore or even want to see you? I know by the way you look at her that you’d rather die than not see her anymore.”

Eddie leaned away, surprised by the way his friend was speaking to him. This wasn’t the Steve Harrington he used to know. 

“You need to get help,” Eddie said, tone softening in hopes that would help sway Steve to do the right thing. 

“You only live once, Eddie,” Steve said as he pulled out a wad of cash and slapped it on the counter, enough for him and his new friends drinks plus some. “You should know that better than anyone else. It’s nothing personal. When the opportunity arises it’s good to have fun. You should try once in a while instead of pining after someone who doesn’t want you.”

Eddie saw red as he reached over the bar and grabbed Steve by the shirt, yanking his upper half over the counter. 

“I don’t know why you’re like this but it’s gone too far. You don’t deserve her and I hope everything falls apart for you,” Eddie bit out, close enough to Steve's face that he could smell the alcohol and see the red in his blood shot eyes. 

“Woah! Knock it off!” Tony yelled, grabbing the baseball bat out from under the bar. 

Eddie let go of Steve’s shirt before Tony could start swinging, letting his feet drop to the ground clumsily. 

“Fuck you, Munson. After all I’ve done for you? You’re gonna turn on me just like that over a girl?” Steve seethed, pointing a finger in Eddie’s face. Eddie felt his arm lift, fist raised, and ready to hit Steve. 

“Both of you! Out!” Tony yelled, pointing the bat at both Steve and Eddie. 

Tony’s yelling had Eddie snapping out of it. He dropped his fist. He didn’t want to hit Steve. He had already been hit enough in the head. He did want to smack some sense into him though. 

Eddie watched as Steve backed away, grabbing the girl by her hand and pulling her behind him. Eddie groaned, turning to face Tony who was red in the face. 

“I’m leaving,” Eddie said, putting his hands up and walking away. 

Before Eddie could reach the door Tony stopped him. “Wait, Eddie?” 

“Yeah?”

“Is he really cheating on his girl?” Tony asked, putting the bat back under the bar. 

Eddie said yes, confused as to why Tony cared now since Eddie was obviously fired. 

“You should kick his ass. Just not in here I don’t need the cops sniffin’ around. Come back tomorrow with a clear head,” Tony said with a nod, dismissing him. 

Eddie said his thanks to Tony and then rushed out into the parking lot, hoping to catch Steve and make him change his mind. But when he made it out there Steve, the woman, and his car were gone. 

Eddie knew what he needed to do next. 

His knuckles met your apartment door with a quick knock. 

“I’m coming!” You croaked from the other side. Eddie could hear the sound of your feet shuffling as fast as you could. Eddie smiled to himself until he remembered what he was there to do. He couldn’t afford to be distracted. 

“Eddie,” you whined when you opened the door shielding your face with your robe. “You can’t be here. You’ll get sick.” 

“Oh, don’t worry about me,” Eddie said as he ignored your worries and walked inside. 

He could see how sick and tired you look when he got closer. You sniffled, turning away from him to cough into your arm. Eddie wished he could wait until you were feeling better but he didn’t want to risk Steve coming here first with some smooth lie. 

“Can we sit? I need to tell you something,” Eddie requested, already walking to the couch. 

You followed behind him, fishing a tissue from the box on the coffee table before sitting down in the chair farthest from him. 

“Everything okay?” Eddie could hear the worry cracking through your strained voice. There’s no way Steve couldn’t tell how sick you were over the phone. The thought brought a fresh wave of anger through him. 

“Have you talked to Steve tonight?” Eddie inquired, needing to know where to start. 

“Earlier. We talked on the phone for a bit. He said he’s not feeling well either so he’s going to try to sleep to fight it. Why?” You asked, wiping at your nose with a tissue. 

“I, uh, well he’s not sick. I saw him tonight at the bar,” Eddie explained gently. 

You tilted your head, urging him to continue. 

“And he left with a girl,” Eddie admitted, watching your face go through all of your emotions. He watched as you went through confusion, to shock, to grim understanding. 

“Oh,” is all you said in a small voice. 

Eddie wasn’t sure what to do. Should he hug you? Comfort you with words? Or let you process what he was saying alone?

Eddie was standing, crossing over to you when a small smile crossed your face. Eddie froze in place. Was this the first sign of a breakdown? 

“Why the hell are you smiling?” Eddie questioned. 

You just laughed, shaking your head and covering your mouth when it turned into a cough. 

“You’re scaring me,” Eddie admitted, sitting beside you. “Do you want to slash his tires? I’ll do it.”

“No, Eddie,” you sighed. “I’m happy. I’ve been trying to find a reason to break up with him for months.”

“Months? What?” Eddie sputtered, not believing what he was hearing. 

You nodded, mouth set in a straight line. “I shouldn’t have started this with him. I wasn’t really into it to begin with and it spiraled out of control,” you admitted. “I just wanted to-” You caught what you were saying and slammed your mouth shut. 

“You wanted to do what?” Eddie pressed, handing you a new tissue. He really needed to get you some soup and some cold medicine. 

You groaned. “I might as well just admit it now. I wanted to make you jealous.”

“Me?” Eddie gasped, pointing at himself to make sure you knew who you were talking about. “You wanted to make me jealous?” 

“I mean, it was a stupid idea…” You trailed off. 

“It fucking worked,” Eddie exclaimed. 

“What?”

“I was so jealous. You have no clue how much I hated seeing you together. I’ve wanted to be with you for two damn years,” Eddie explained. 

“Why didn’t you ever say anything?!” You yelled as much as your raw throat would remind you. 

“Why didn’t you?!” Eddie yelled back. 

“I was scared!” 

“Well, me too!” Eddie sputtered, practically jumping up and down from the excitement of the new information he was given. “You want to be with me?”

“Isn’t it obvious,” you told him. 

Eddie paused, looking over at you smiling softly at him. How could he not notice the way you looked at him? It was the same way he looked at you, full of love. 

Eddie leaned in, ready to press his lips against yours but met the palm of your hand instead. 

“Too soon?” Eddie asked with his lips still smushed against your hand. 

“No. You have no clue how much I want to kiss you but I don’t want to get you sick. And don’t you dare say you don’t care if you get sick or not,” you declared. 

Eddie jumped up, pulling his keys out of his pocket and rushing towards the door. 

“Where the hell are you going?” You shouted after him, twisting in your seat and watching him with surprised eyes. 

“I’m getting you some medicine! The sooner you feel better the sooner I can kiss you!” Eddie yelled back before he ran out the door. 

Eddie got his kiss a few nights later and every night after that from there on out.

[harrywavycurly]

Trouble Next Door Part 9: Employee of the Month

Masterlist: Here

TW: Mentions of cheating and cursing

Tag List: @sinczir @rach5ive @bruher @kellyxo1 @tiannamortis @makingmunson94 @angelina16torres-blog @tlclick73 @gretavankleep37 @melaninjhs @amira0303 @robyn-118 @idkjoequinn @jaydaaasworld @squidscottjeans @rockstarmunsons @alanamarie @dandelionnfluff @aol19 @eddiesguitarskills @vampdaisy @br66klynbaby @raven-rust @daisyridleyyyy @i-love-ptv @josephquinnsfreckles @mrsjellymunson @hideoutside

A/N: Don’t kill me for how this ended and also I LOVED hearing y’all’s theories on who you thought it was and don’t worry you’ll get to know exactly what NB stands for…eventually✨

*Eddie needs help and you just need to know if purple is too much*

[buckttommy]

One thing that was very interesting to me in this episode is the way Eddie was just... not joking about Buck's love interests.

That stuck out.

Usually when Eddie talks to Buck about his love interests, it's with an edge of fond exasperation, teasing laced around his gently delivered truths, but there was none of that this episode. Buck told Eddie he went to see Natalia and it was like something switched. Eddie's entire affect changed when Buck started talking about Natalia. He went from being loose and easy (as loose and easy as one can get when standing at a grave) to being... not combative, necessarily, but visibly actively not wanting to engage in conversation about her either, and it's not...

It's not even jealousy!! We joke a lot about Eddie and jealousy, but it wasn't that at all. It was a fatigue that comes with silence, that comes with holding your tongue, that comes with keeping secrets. Especially when Buck said that he feels like Natalia sees him. That look Eddie gave him immediately after? That was pure hurt. That was him saying I see you too, I've always seen you. But he can't say that. He can't say that, because to say that would be to say so many other things about the way he sees Buck, and to say so many other things would mean to have to unstick his tongue from the roof of his mouth about the ONE thing he's been holding onto ever since he was shot.

I don't know. I don't know, but I think Eddie taking Buck on a date and I think about how Eddie left his son—his heart—in Buck's care so they could bake cookies together (which becomes profoundly more significant in an episode where Christopher was talking about baking smores with his mom), and I think about Kenny saying Ryan has been doing some very nuanced work in the back half of this season, I'm like

Oh. Oh. I see it, thank you. Loud and clear.

[cholvoq]

This has been a long time coming but I’ve been wanting to do some character study/cheat sheets for some time now!

Up first is Steve! He’s a little harder bc his features are so prominent that if you don’t draw them right, it doesn’t really look like him :,)

[exhuastedpigeon]

Chim's genuine smile compared to Buck's suspicious, slightly offended, definitely jealous squint is killing me.

[otteranha]

Eddie’s worrying himself sick over this weird change in Steve, the sudden secretiveness- telling Eddie he was driving Erica and her minions to get ice cream when Lucas told him that Erica was grounded, abandoning their shared hamper and tossing his dirty clothes straight into the washer, and whenever Eddie comes home Steve’s always freshly showered.

Eddie is heartsick but he has to face the truth- Steve is cheating on him. He wants so badly not to believe it but he has to know, he has to know. The next time Steve heads out on one of his bullshit errands while he thinks Eddie has band practice, Eddie follows him.

And that is how he finds out that Steve is going behind his back…. and playing pick up basketball in the park.