#fact: Steve canonically had a crush on Robin

[thelesbianluthor]

Robin is the mean lesbian that's legit canon. Don't let her big blue eyes and excitable mannerisms or rambling when she is anxious distract you from the fact that she can be vindictive and spiteful and she will hold a grudge. She has not spent years praying for Steve's downfall because the girl she liked had a crush on him and he was a douche for nothing. She was enjoying every single embarrassing moment of Steve she saw at that awful job and had a tally of it for her own personal entertainment.

Nancy tho? She is my lil sopping wet kitten. She is just too sad and traumatized to create new bonds and reach out in a significant way. She is no mean girl she has never been one. Getting drunk at a party while trying to deal with the loss of your best friend (which you blame yourself for) and breaking down in front of your boyfriend because he is trying to deal with it by throwing himself into a routine does not make you a mean girl.

Honestly they deserve to be mean and spiteful and angry. They deserve to lash out.

Nancy is always holding herself back she is always pushing all of it down and taking charge and protecting others with no room to delve into all the fears that keep festering inside her. She has been drowning all alone for so long. She deserves to break. She deserves to shatter and she deserves to be held.

[mousegoesmoo]

Okay I'm sure many of you all have seen this tiktok:

This tiktok has seemingly reached a very broad audience and I'm lowkey beefing with some of the comments. And then comments are stirring some byler doubt in me but I'm just gonna come on here and think through things logically. I'm only going to take into account things that are canon or have been stated by official sources.

Many commenters have stated that Byler will only be one sided, Will in love with Mike. Narratively, this does not make sense. Will's character has been pre-planned to be queer from season 1 episode 1 and in his character description. Additionally, Robin originally was not going to be gay, but that was changed during the filming of Season 3 (Maya Hawke talks about this). So, why would they have the only canonically gay character be used as a plot device to further El and Mikes relationship? It just doesn't make sense for his love to be unrequited. They have stretched out the plot point of Will's sexual orientation and love for Mike for many seasons, it has been slow burned. They could have given Will a sharp rejection in Season 3 during the rain fight, but they didn't. If they did, moving to California would be an opportune time for Will to move on from his love for Mike. But they didn't. Will made an entire painting for Mike and gave him a veiled confession- if it ends in unrequitedness they stretched out this plot line for far to long. It is unnecessary. It would just be unnecessarily devastating for Will to be rejected in the final season. Plus, we have seen it before, entire relationships can form in one season. Mike and El were formed in one season, Nancy and Steve broke up and then Nancy and Jonathan got together, why can't the same happen with Mike and Will?

2. Mike has never been implied or done any actions to suggest he is gay or reciprocates Will's feelings. First of, to quote the byler slides, Mike has more queer coding than Will (slide 7, slides linked). To preface, queer coding is "...when a character’s sexual orientation is implied by significant subtext without being stated outright."(Elizabeth Duarte). So, this doesn't necessarily prove that Mike is in love with Will, but it does imply that he is in the very least bicurious. Personally, I believe that one of the strongest bits of queer coding for Mike is during his initial attraction to Eleven. Eleven was often described to look very similar to Will and boy-ish. A little suspicious if you ask me. To add on to that, the problems in Mike and Eleven's relationship have grown as El has explored her femininity and self. Granted, the problems could have arose due to them both aging, but, it is still another common denominator. But, the byler slides have many instances of queer coding for Mike (some probably better than what I presented), so I would suggest looking into those rather than having me repeat them here. But queer coding implies queerness, therefore, Stranger Things has suggested that Mike is not straight.

2.5 Mike's feelings have never been reciprocated for Will. Now this is a trickier one. We haven't had a scene from Mike's perspective in a while, making it very difficult to have hard evidence that he is into Will as well. However, we can prove that Mike is heavily queer coded (because he is). So, if Mike were gay, who would he direct his affections towards? Lucas, who is trying to rekindle his relationship Max, Dustin, who has had a steady long distance relationship with Suzie, or Will, who has never shown interest in any girls despite having many opportunities (arguably, more opportunities than the other party members)? They would not put Mike into a one sided pining with Lucas or Dustin for the final season, it simply does not make sense. But Will, who has already had a developed crush on Mike for several seasons, the pieces start to click together. Mike liking Will is very dependent on Mike being queer, which we have proven through the fact that he is heavily queer coded. So, the only same sex individual that would make logical sense as his love interest is Will. Also: a huge point about not having a Milkeven endgame is that Eleven was supposed to die and, consequently, so would their relationship.

3. Unlikely for the time, so it will never happen. Girlypops. It is unlikely for someone to be dating someone with superpowers in the 80's. It is unlikely for a parallel dimension to take over and infect this one random town in Indiana in the 80's. ITS FICTION. Additionally, it is know that homophobia exists in the fictional Stranger Things universe (Lonnie, Troy, Robin's extreme hesitance to come out, etc.), ,but on the other hand, the Duffers are actively pursuing a relationship between Robin and Vickie. As of our knowledge right now, Vickie's sole purpose in the show is to be a love interest of Robin's. If they don't end up together it is most likely because Robin either gets a new love interest or one of the two dies in the final season. Ultimately, I do not think that Stranger Thing's taking place in the 80's will have an impact on whether or not byler becomes canon.

So those were the main three points made in the comment section of that tiktok.

I just want to also state that if Byler isn't canon, I would want to consider this to be a case of queerbaiting (but, this still depends on how they wrap up Season 5). Also, I would consider slapping a new love interest for Will to wrap up the season as very sloppy and lazy writing. AND, I think using Will's love for Mike as a stepping stone to progress a heterosexual relationship deeply offensive. If they were going to have Will be rejected, they should have done it way earlier in the series.

Thats all I have to say xx

[steddieas-shegoes]

that's what friends are for

for @steddieholidaydrabbles prompt 'enemies to lovers' rated t wc: 996 cw: mention of hospitals and injury, mentions of selling and using recreational drugs tags: enemies is more implied than anything, getting together, canon events happening in the background

------------------------------------

Somewhere along the way, Steve Harrington became Eddie’s number one customer.

It was mostly by accident, and Eddie should tell him to get lost and find another supplier, but he couldn’t.

Especially not after the last time they met up in the woods and Steve looked…haunted.

But Eddie wasn’t going to let Steve’s sad puppy dog eyes convince him that he was anything other than the asshole he’d always been.

Not even when he walked up to Steve furiously wiping tears off of his cheeks.

He cleared his throat awkwardly before sitting down, trying to avoid eye contact with the man who seemed to be trying to hide the fact that he’d been having any emotion at all.

“So, the usual today?” Eddie asked.

“Uh, you got anything stronger?”

Look, Eddie knew for a fact he had plenty of stronger stuff that he could overcharge Steve for, and Steve wouldn’t even bat an eye.

But he had a pretty strict rule of never selling the strong stuff to someone who didn’t pass the mental test. Someone who was crying did not pass the mental test.

“Nah, ran out. Got a new mix though, if you’re interested. Might help you sleep if that’s somethin’ you need.”

The dark circles under Steve’s eyes told him that was exactly what he needed, but Steve shrugged and acted like he was just here for fun.

Eddie didn’t care enough to push.

That’s what he told himself, anyway.

—----------

Steve looked like shit.

“You look like shit.”

Steve rolled his eyes. Or, well, eye. The other eye was swollen and bruised, probably hurt like hell.

“Thanks for the update,” Steve said.

“Don’t think weed’s gonna fix that,” Eddie said, not looking away from the cuts and scrapes along his cheek. “At least not the kind I have.”

Eddie looked down to see more cuts and bruises along his hands, and most shocking of all, a dull red line along both wrists.

Eddie’s brows raised as he looked back up at Steve.

“You, uh, you good?” He couldn’t help asking.

Anyone would be concerned to see these injuries on anyone, even the guy you definitely don’t like or have a crush on.

“Sure. Is $20 okay today? I can get you more for next time.”

“$20 is fine.”

$20 was technically $5 more than he would normally charge anyone who isn’t an ex-jock, so it’s not like he was doing Steve a favor.

Eddie watched Steve walk away with more questions than answers.

—-----------------

Robin Buckley was sitting next to Steve at the table, kicking her feet and rambling on about who knows what.

Steve wasn’t looking at her, but he could tell he was listening.

“I don’t usually like to be outnumbered, but something tells me I can handle myself if Buckley decides to throw a punch,” Eddie said as he walked towards the table.

Robin suddenly froze and tilted her head.

“Steve, why is Eddie here? You said we were meeting a friend.”

“Is that what we call buying drugs from someone these days?” Eddie laughed. “Times have changed.”

Steve rolled his eyes, but couldn’t quite hide a small smile.

Eddie tried not to feel flustered about making Steve smile.

“Well, I see you more than most people, so I’d say we’re friend-adjunct,” Steve said, handing over the usual $20.

“He means friend-adjacent,” Robin added, not unkindly.

Eddie nodded once.

“Well, if that’s all, your friend has another friend to meet behind the McDonald’s. All good here?”

“All good. Thanks.”

“Anything for a friend,” he winked.

—-------------------

He was pushing Steve against a wall, broken bottle to his neck.

“This doesn’t seem very friendly,” Steve said breathlessly.

Eddie held him there for a moment, then let out a small laugh, slowly releasing his grip.

“I have to be careful about who I consider a friend right now, man,” Eddie said, ignoring Dustin’s confused voice yelling behind him.

“We’re here to help. As friends.”

Steve’s eyes were big, that look that left Eddie wondering how he’d gone from hating him so much to wanting to understand everything about him.

“Not sure if you can help me.”

“We’re gonna.”

Steve sounded so sure. Eddie had no option but to trust him.

—-----------------------

“Hey, Wayne. Anything new today?” Steve’s voice whispered when he entered the room.

Eddie’s eyes were closed, but he wasn’t asleep.

They’d lowered his dose of pain meds slowly over the last 48 hours and he was barely getting any sleep as he adjusted to the constant aches of the bites.

“He’s tired. Nothin’ new, though. You okay?”

“Yeah. You got a shift?”

“Yep. Should be back by lunch tomorrow.”

“See you then.”

Eddie didn’t know how it happened, but Steve trading shifts with Wayne was an everyday occurrence.

They got to know each other, relaxing more as the days wore on, no end in sight for Eddie’s hospitalization.

“You know, I’m okay alone for a bit,” Eddie said as he opened his eyes.

“Nah, I’d rather be here.”

“Really?”

“That’s what friends are for, right?” 

Eddie nodded. “Yeah.” He frowned. “Is that what we are? Friends?”

Steve slowly reached over and grasped his hand. 

“Is that all we are?”

Eddie thought back to how he used to dread running into Steve at school, mostly out of his own fear that he would harbor a crush on him. He thought about how he wondered why the boy who seemed untouchable in high school looked so fragile last summer and how he could help. He thought about the guy who didn’t have to risk his life to save him from monsters made sure everyone was safe so he could rescue him.

“I don’t think friends sit in the hospital for days like this,” he finally settled on.

“I don’t think friends have crushes on their friends for years, either.”

If Steve didn’t follow those words with a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth, he probably wouldn’t have believed them. 

[rebelspykatie]

It’s funny that anyone would think that Steve and Robin aren’t platonic soulmates when they’re canonically attached at the hip.

Steve has a whole conversation with Robin that’s loaded with inside jokes as he literally ignores his date at the basketball game.

They follow each other around the video store talking about their love lives where they make reference to stealing each others jokes, wishing they could combine into one person with both of their skill sets, and regularly picking movies to watch while they work (and knowing their interests in movie genres).

Steve wakes up early to pick Robin up for school before he has to go to work, even though there’s several hours between that and when they open. He also doesn’t know that Robin can’t drive, so he’s obviously just been chauffeuring her around no questions asked. He was already doing this at the end of season 3 for their job interview.

This all started in season 3, but was solidified in that final scene where they’re going after jobs together, spouting off to potential employers about their best qualities to land the job. Robin has clearly had time to warm up to Steve and jokes with him about his resume and with Keith about Steve’s terrible taste in movies, but excellent taste in women.

During that drive to school in season 4, they talk about both of their love lives, in which they reference an off screen conversation where Robin gave Steve advice to just be himself and girls would like him more, the same advice he’s giving Robin for wooing Vickie.

They openly talk about Vickie throughout season 4, so clearly there’s no shyness or residual awkwardness from the coming out or Steve’s former crush on her. In fact, it appears to have made them even closer. See: the boobies conversation in episode one.

They’re close enough that Dustin has obviously mocked Steve for not dating Robin repeatedly after the events of Starcourt. They have that platonic with a capital P speech down pat. They joke twice about being in charge of the kids together, once when Dustin and Max barge in to search for Eddie and they joke about taking turns strangling the little idiots and then again when they get on the boat about bedtime’s at 9 kiddos.

Both joke and poke fun at each other. Robin makes fun of Steve’s protective streak with the whole ‘unless you think us ladies need you to protect us’ comment. Steve makes fun of Robin snooping in Nancy’s room and jokes about her not giving off an academic scholar vibe. Steve jokes about wanting to punch her in the face when she won’t stop rambling about rabies. Steve teases her about her muppet joke working because he’s the one who made it up. Robin’s previously teased him about how many children he’s friends with, not knowing he’s protecting them from supernatural horrors.

By the end of season 4, we find out that they both had issues learning to walk. They both think their romantic interests are doomed. They give each other the same advice.

They always gravitate towards each other, especially when they’re in danger, always in the same group. Robin clutching at Steve and making sure he’s okay after Eddie held the bottle to his throat. Robin jumping in directly after Nancy when Steve got sucked into the watergate. Robin moving behind Steve in the upside down when the bats were coming at them because she knew he’d protect them (actually everyone goes to stand behind him). Robin crying out for Steve first when the vines snatch her. Steve finding Robin to grab the supplies for the Molotovs and then chasing after her when Vickie kisses that boy.

Any time we see people break off into groups, they’re together. Paired up to discuss end of the world strategies and their unrequited love lives. Team search for Eddie. Team keep Eddie safe and hidden. Team destroy Vecna. Always the same team.

Steve encouraging Robin, even after the incident with Vickie in the store because he doesn’t want them to give up on love. Him being so happy to see her flirting and chatting with Vickie at the school. Robin comforting him when Nancy runs into Jonathan’s arms.

If you’re watching all of that, I don’t see how you could come away with anything less than them being platonic soulmates. They’re practically finishing each others sentences while they bounce one brain cell back and forth between them.

[steddieunderdogfics]

Operation Homewrecker by hbdtotheground

@hbdttg

Rating: Teens and Up

23,797 words, 3/3 chapters

Archive Warning: No Warnings

Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, No Vecna (Stranger Things), Fake/Pretend Relationship, Oh Steve where is your brain??, Gay Eddie Munson, Bisexual Steve Harrington, If you're not sabotaging relationships to benefit your platonic soulmate are you really soulmates?, Recreational Drug Use, Steve Harrington Has a Crush on Eddie Munson, Steve sets out to play matchmaker, But maybe the real treasure was the bi awakening he had along the way, Eddie Munson Wears Eyeliner, Steve has thoughts about it, Pining, Sharing a Bed, Getting Together, Minor Robin Buckley/Vickie, Friends to Lovers

Summary:

“So let me get this straight,” Robin says, her brows knitting together. “Not straight,” Steve mutters, because if there’s anything he does know, it’s that. Robin leans back against the wall, sighing heavily. She drops any pretense of real irritation, her expression adopting a strange mix of fond exasperation and burning curiosity instead. “You tried to break up Vickie’s relationship for me—which I never asked you to do, by the way—and then ended up falling for her boyfriend.” “Yes.” “And said boyfriend is Eddie Munson.” “…Yes.” In which Robin is distraught over the fact that Vickie’s got a new metalhead boyfriend and Steve takes it upon himself to intervene. Commence Operation Homewrecker — with some unforeseen complications.

Thanks for the rec!

This rec is a part of Theme Weekend. The theme this weekend is Only One Bed.

Know a fic that deserves extra love? Submit through our asks or the submission box!

[apatheticlexicographer]

i'm about to get mauled ALIVE for saying this but here goes:

i think m'leven's relationship should be based on a mutually requited crush. both the implications it would have on their personal development as characters and the message it would send to the audience would be substantially more impactful, healthy, and progressive than if they only dated out of obligation. in fact, the thematic message of their relationship SIMPLY DOESN'T MAKE SENSE without a foundation of genuine romantic attraction.

still with me??? okay, good.

when shows deal with romance they tend to fall into the categories of either having pretty much every character shipped with every other character at some point, or of having the endgame ships be the most obviously pushed from the start. byler has definitely been built up from the start, but the majority of the show's audience didn't consider it as an option for canon until s4, when they started making it blatant. hell, a lot of people didn't even realize WILL was queer until s3 (again, when the show started to place heavy emphasis on it), and even then a lot of people thought he might be ace rather than gay.

mike and el, on the other hand, were practically the show's flagship couple for the first 2 seasons at least. it wasn't until s3 that their popularity started to dip and their relationship began to receive a lot more criticism. which makes sense, considering they hadn't actually been IN said relationship in the previous seasons. they had a couple of romantic interactions, sure, but we didn't see how they would interact *as a couple*. people obviously couldn't predict how their dynamic would actually pan out!!! that isn't to say that the negative aspects of their relationship were a bait-and switch, though: red flags were visible since at least s2, but they were far from being the focal point and a lot of shippers interpreted them as being cute (like el's jealousy over max).

having a show acknowledge the fact that the first person you get a crush on (because correct me if i'm wrong, but i'm pretty sure they're canonically each other's first crush???) isn't necessarily your ~soulmate~ is a great thing. even better when they go a step further, and play with the concept!!! the text of stranger things doesn't actually push m'leven as a paragon of romantic love. if you listen to what the other characters say about their (romantic) relationship, their opinions are entirely neutral/negative???

lucas teases mike about his crush in s1, but calls him hopeless in s3. hopper is out of line with how agressively he acts about their relationship, but the resolution of that character arc for him is about him acknowledging that he's been overbearing and accepting that he needs to let el grow up, and NOT some hammy realization that "what they have is true love, i was wrong to interfere!!!" max thinks their clinginess is sweet at first in s3, but she isn't very close with either of them. once she and el start to bond AND SHE LEARNS THAT EL HAS NO EXPERIENCE WITH ROMANTIC ATTRACTION OUTSIDE OF MIKE she encourages el to assert her own self-worth and dump him. [which... actually mirrors the progression of opinions in a lot of audience members??? 🤔🤔]

and those are just a few examples!!! i won't go on an exhaustive list, because honestly we'd be here all day.

furthermore, m'leven's steady downward trajectory is not the only instance of the show basically dunking on the trite expectation that a character's first love interest is automatically their happily-ever-after, AND the recurring motif that any relationships a character explores before their endgame ship are wrong because the alternate love interest is Bad.

dustin has his first crush (onscreen, anyway) on max in s2, but ends the season happy despite his sadness over rejection and later gets together with a girl who's basically his perfect match. in s3, robin confides to steve about how she was so far gone for tammy that she would cry into her pillow. in s4 she's able to laugh over just how bad her singing is without denying it, and is tentatively flirting with vickie. joyce was genuinely really happy with bob, but after having time to heal from the tragedy of what happened to him she's ready to move on with hopper.

again, not an exhaustive list. why??? because outside of m'leven, the only relationships where the characters ARE each other's first love interest are: lumax, whose entire arc together is about growing up as a couple (you know, the exact arc m'leven shippers pin on mike and el, as if it would make sense for 2 couples to have the same format and message...); stancy, which is only one prong of Love Triangle Hell and the controversy around it speaks for itself; and TED AND KAREN. WHO ARE POINTED OUT EXPLICITLY BY THE TEXT OF THE SHOW IN S1 NO LESS, TO BE AN EXAMPLE OF A WORST TIMELINE FUTURE THAT CHARACTERS DO NOT WANT TO REPEAT.

but if you're reading this, you already know all of that.

the point i'm trying to make is that stranger things shows a consistent palette of themes across all the relationships it portrays. i've obviously been going over the romantic ones, but this applies at least as much to the plationic bonds as well. those themes are of GROWING AND MATURING, of SHIFTING DYNAMICS, and of BECOMING SECURE IN YOUR PERSONAL INDEPENDENCE.

i'm sorry but to present a pair of characters with apparent mutual feelings; to elaborate on how dysfunctional their relationship is; and to ultimately reveal to the audience that actually they were both just confused, they never had feelings for one another in the first place and that's why their relationship didn't work out; sends an extremely mediocre message, to put it nicely. all the characters learn from that lived experience is "don't date people you don't have feelings for, and if you were unsure about how real those feelings were... get good???" meanwhile, all the audience learns from that VIEWED experience is "if the relationship doesn't work, it's because the people involved don't like each other enough." if byler goes on to be canon and is immediately much healthier, that only enforces that shitty message. in that situation the only reason THEIR relationship works while mike and el's didn't is that they actually have feelings for one another!!!

from a show which has explored complex arcs and messages with *LITERALLY EVERY OTHER RELATIONSHIP* they touch on, this would be beyond disappointing. particularly as the central message for the arc of 2 of the mainest main characters in the whole show!!!

on the other hand, to present a pair of young characters at the start of the show and flag them as having an obvious mutual crush; to allow them to explore that crush as a serious prospect; to have them realize that their relationship is dysfunctional; and to have them move on as friends; sends???

a great???

fucking???

message???

they both get to progress and move on as more enriched people than they would have been without their time in a relationship, and that is fucking wonderful.

el has a deeper understanding of romantic interactions based on actual lived experience and not just TV shows. she's able to develop into her fledgeling sense of identity more securely with the knowledge that relationships can change, and that's okay. not everything has to be forever.

mike understands how to process and manage his own feelings much better, and is equipped with a firsthand understanding of how a relationship can become emotionally dysfunctional without proper communication, making him ready to enter a new, healthier relationship. he has displayed the same overprotective behaviours towards will as he has to el, but he's begun to learn how to manage them so that he doesn't stifle his partner. after previously failing to communicate his feelings to both el and will in s3 when he fought with them, he's been making a deliberate point of doing so in s4. this didn't work with el when he tried to open up about his own experience with bullying, but it DID work with will when he admitted to his failings in balancing relationships.

are either of them finished in their personal arcs??? no, of course not!!! they're not even fifteen!!! but they have both grown as people, not in spite of their romantic relationship, but BECAUSE of it. you don't change as you grow up, so much as you start to understand yourself better. but self-discovery and subsequent self-acceptance CANNOT come without self-explaration.

it's okay to try things out, and it's okay if they don't end up being right for you.

meanwhile, the broader message about relationships that this imparts on the audience is an extremely important one. one which gets overlooked continually by storytellers in every industry. one which the show itself has brushed on, but not explored in depth.

one which fandom, in particular, likes to ignore.

ATTRACTION ≠ COMPATIBILITY

(...and that's okay!!!)

[findafight]

I just don't trust any of the additional media with Steve because it just keeps reminding us that he was an asshole.

The Robin book reminds us that he was an asshole. The Lucas book reminds us that he was an asshole. I'm almost certain that the Eddie book will remind us that Steve was an asshole, possibly make him out to be a bigger asshole than the show.

And that's on top of the way we get no backstory to him or his family. Between the show and the additional media we at least have the names for the parents for pretty much every other main kids/teens and even some non mains. The show has made a point of showing us the parents of Barb and Heather, but they can't even mention Steve's parents by name once anywhere?

Supplemental material is always sort of...half canon to me? If it includes minor stuff I like that doesn't mess with established canon I accept it (Robin's parents being Melissa and Richard and also former hippies, scoops troop playing dnd to cheer Erica up, Steve and Mike having an awkward talk about what happened post s1 where Mike cries at him), but when it has things I don't like or are contradicted by canon I ignore it lol.

It sucks because Robin tells us in the show exactly why she thought he was an asshole. The girl she had a crush on liked Steve, he didn't know who she was, he ate bagels messily, he asked what Robin perceived as stupid questions. Literally petty teenage shit!! I only have knowledge of the additional media via Tumblr but I saw that apparently in the Lucas book Lucas specifically doesn't go to Steve because he thinks (for some reason that isn't given) that if Steve plays sports again he'll revert back into an asshole (who was just a normal jerk teenager level let's be real) even though Steve, at the time he helped Dustin and then helped save Lucas, was still on the basketball team!! That's so sad and I'm glad it isn't official canon because no :( Lucas deserves to have his mentor on the basketball team and also bond with Steve practicing!!

The Eddie book better not make Steve anything other than mildly frustrated or annoyed at Eddie's loud lunchtime rants. They never spoke before! Maybe Steve bought weed from him a couple times but they never had meaningful interactions! Eddie's whole thing about Steve was that he made assumptions based on facts (big house, girls love him) he had heard about Steve, not anything Steve had directly done. It'll be so stupid if they fake retcon that!!

Steve deserves literally SOMETHING telling us a little about his parents though. Like their names. Or maybe if they're from town or not...just. something more than we have.

[steddie-fanfic-recs]

Operation Homewrecker

by hbdtotheground

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationship: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson Character: Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley, Wayne Munson, Vickie (Stranger Things) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, No Vecna (Stranger Things), Fake/Pretend Relationship, Oh Steve where is your brain??, Gay Eddie Munson, Bisexual Steve Harrington, If you're not sabotaging relationships to benefit your platonic soulmate are you really soulmates?, Recreational Drug Use, Steve Harrington Has a Crush on Eddie Munson, Steve sets out to play matchmaker, But maybe the real treasure was the bi awakening he had along the way, Eddie Munson Wears Eyeliner, Steve has thoughts about it, Pining, Sharing a Bed, Getting Together, Minor Robin Buckley/Vickie, Friends to Lovers Words: 23,797 Chapters: 3/3

Summary

“So let me get this straight,” Robin says, her brows knitting together. “Not straight,” Steve mutters, because if there’s anything he does know, it’s that. Robin leans back against the wall, sighing heavily. She drops any pretense of real irritation, her expression adopting a strange mix of fond exasperation and burning curiosity instead. “You tried to break up Vickie’s relationship for me—which I never asked you to do, by the way—and then ended up falling for her boyfriend.” “Yes.” “And said boyfriend is Eddie Munson.” “…Yes.” In which Robin is distraught over the fact that Vickie’s got a new metalhead boyfriend and Steve takes it upon himself to intervene. Commence Operation Homewrecker — with some unforeseen complications.

[powderblueblood]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Tell me everything!

FANFIC WRITERS - DIRECTOR'S CUT: ask me everything you've ever wanted to know about the behind-the-scenes of my stories

obviously, my bread and butter atm is hellfire & ice so i'll give you five scoops on that, nonny!!

⭐ - daddy issues r us - hellfire & ice very much positions hawkins as a town that has a sign at the border that says if you had daddy issues, you'd be home by now! i go nutty bananas bonkers crazy for the exploration of genetic fate-what we were given by our parents and can we outrun it-and i'm excited to explore it further not only with lacy and her dad, but eddie and al munson too.

as it stands right now, we're seeing that eddie is much more like his mom, elizabeth and lacy is much more like her father (who you'll learn more about). however, eddie lives with the constant crushing fear that he'll become his dad (which i thought was really well illustrated in flight of icarus) and lacy has become a completely vicious overachiever in order to avoid becoming her mother, who she views as an ex-beauty queen floundering in complacency. the internalized misogyny is unfortunately strong with this one. but in a town so small where almost no one gets out, can these two crazy kids avoid becoming embroiled in the dodgy enterprises masterminded by their fathers??? stay tuned and find out!!!

⭐ - lacy's wardrobe - i've mentioned this in The Narrative but lacy's wardrobe takes a drastic turn from nancy thompson from nightmare on elm street to a slightly goth-ier anna karina, which is largely due to the fact that lacy is a packrat that cannot admit to the fact she is a packrat. she breaks off from her friends at the mall go downtown and sift around thrift stores, only to pack the clothes away. now, those boxes are the only ones she can seem to find, and the clothes feel right on her finally. she has really high notions about dressing for the job you want, and prior to her life going to shit, the job she wanted was macys model with 4.0 gpa and a super hot car. now, the job she wants is 1960s literary eurocunt running on spite.

⭐ - robin at steve's party - we needed robin in this fic bad, but i thought it would be disingenuous to introduce her as a friend right away. there's no way that she and lacy would run in the same circles at school, so she only really knows of robin's existence via her working relationship with steve. i also stand by the fact that everyone knew robin buckley was gay except for steve, so the terribly unimaginative slurry nicknames were a given. steve is totally the kind of friend to naively invite robin to parties he's still sometimes having (harrington, in my eyes, remains very well-liked and will throw a damn kegger if his friends that have matriculated out of high school are back in town), but then get caught up in his own bullshit so she'll have to kind of... linger in the kitchen. who hasn't been there, baby.

⭐ - ronnie ecker - YOU'RE GONNA LOOK ME IN MY FACE AND TELL ME THIS ISN'T RONNIE ECKER, GIRL?!!!!! because we need someone who is going toe to toe with eddie munson's freak goof bitch energy and she's the only woman for the job. other than the canon characters, i don't have clear casting choices in my mind for anyone other than her and ayo edebiri inspires me in all things, particularly the comedic element of writing this damn story. love her. worshipping her.

⭐ - eddie munson, rizzless loverboy - the way i see it, and though i'd love for him to have a hot girl era, eddie couldn't be a fuckboy if he tried. he simply cares too much, about everything. even the things he doesn't care about, he cares a lot about not caring about. somebody looks at him in a way that could be construed as romantic and he's thinking about that shit for the rest of his fucking life. when it comes to lacy, eddie's had a little fixation on her that goes way back-- and we'll get into it. she still seems untouchable despite the fall from grace, and he totally needs to touch her. and he's got no idea how to communicate with her outside of sniping. luckily, she's got the same damn disease!!! every time she calls him an asshole, he swoons, but sometimes swooning looks like excessively rolling your eyes.

hope you enjoyed this!! feel free to ask me about specifics and stuff lol, i feel like this was a little word vomity which is all me baby i'm frothing at the mouth to talk about these FOOLS

[dontcallmeeds]

I just really really wish Eddie had been in Season 3 (its not just because its my favorite season)

*We all need Eddie unable to handle the Scoops Ahoy fit, that ones been said and done a million ways*

But Eddie would’ve knocked sense into Mike and Lucas about DnD, he would’ve fully been supporting Will and backing him up. (I know he was also a super senior and they were just leaving 8th grade, buh buh buh lets ignore canon for a second okay?) He could’ve been a mentor to Will, helped him pitch DnD back to Mike and Lucas to make it seem cooler. Plus the obvious.

And how would he infiltrate the group in the first place? He would also have had a job at Starcourt, there was Camelot Music back in the 80s, Spencer’s was around. People have done fics where he was a theater usher who catches the kids which I LOVE.

So he sees Steve working at Scoops, he’s fucking intrigued because duh, obviously. He remembers him from high school, remembers him being popular and kind of a douche, but barely heard anything about him senior year. Figured he was at some fancy college in another state with daddy’s money, but here he is in a ridiculous outfit. But he starts crushing hard because of the stupid little outfit.

He goes to get ice cream during his lunch even though he feels sick all the time because he does it every other freakin’ day. Finally one of those days he sees the scene we all know and love, Steve and Dustin doing the lightsaber handshake. He ends up overhearing Dustin saying something about DnD one day in passing and stops him to talk about it.

Or even better, he works at one of those sword shops with the dragon stuff and maybe Dustin goes in there to get some shit for Will to cheer him up and they get to talking to him about DnD.

oh and OBVIOUSLY him and Robin have an “are you…?” “Are YOU?” “Yes bitch I’m fuckin gay”. They end up becoming friends and Robin definitely calls him out for crushing on Steve because she thinks Steve is annoying as hell until their little Russian incident.

Either way idc, there’s some of my thoughts on the fact we were robbed of Season 3 Eddie.

[the-lark-ascending69]

How would Stobin happen in the Scoops Ahoy Ronance AU?

Answering this after a million years 😭

I imagine this AU to be kind of a Steve-Nancy role swap AU in which Nancy is with the Scoops troop while Steve is... with Jonathan. Solving mysteries. Now, I haven't watched s3 in years so I don't remember much about Nancy and Jonathan's plotline, other than Nancy was the driving force through most of it, but in this AU the timeline shifts a bit so that she gets fired, alongside Jonathan, way before the events we see in S3, so that by its start she already got a new job at Scoops Ahoy (which is humilliating to her, but she needs the money). She already did some work and by the time Jonathan realizes she was right all along, he's alone because 1) Nancy is incredibly mad at him and 2) she's too busy cracking Russian codes. Dustin is the one to pull him to the side when he tries to explain everything to her (she would have dropped the code immediately to go back to help him if that were the case) and tell him that, if there's one thing he learned at summer camp, is that when a girl is angry at you, it's best not to push her. He pats his shoulder and tells him "you know what? I got just the right man for your quest". The man in question is Steve.

Jonathan would not accept to work with Steve unless it was absolutely necessary.

Again, I don't remember much about that storyline, so I couldn't tell you exactly what happens, but I imagine it would be pretty funny, with Steve coming up with more and more idiotic ideas each time and Jonathan being pissed about it but unable to send him away because he still needs help. I imagine they wouldn't become close friends, but they'd find a way to get along just fine.

That means Robin doesn't meet Steve after much later, through Dustin, in fact. Since they're not friends, he doesn't get a job at Family Video, and is instead wandering around looking for jobs, not being hired, not doing anything with his life and being constantly roasted over it by Dustin, who's become pretty close with Robin lately and he swears she's perfect for him, dude, he should totally date her. Steve isn't so convinced - Robin? Talks non-stop Robin? Band nerd Robin famous for passing out in the middle of a theater audition in school in front of everyone because she got just a little bit passionate about a scene? (Rebel Robin is canon to ME!). Robin is weird. Steve doesn't date weird girls ("You dated Nancy" / "Yeah, 'cos Nancy isn't weird" / "Dude, she literally dressed as an elf princess for one of our campaigns. She's a nerd" / "Wait, Nancy plays that shit?" / "You have a lot to learn about women still, my friend").

But then he needs to work with Nancy and Nancy had a new best friend, and she is - let's face it - insanely hot. Like Steve is kinda left breathless, staring like an idiot when he first sees her - Weird Robin was attractive all along?? All Dustin has to say is "I told you" ("...yeah," says Steve).

So Steve makes it his new mission to ask Robin out. Nancy makes it her mission to stop anyone from talking to her Robin.

A few important notes about Nancy and Robin's friendship so far:

They're each other's first female friend in years.

Nancy has no problem at all with Robin liking girls, but Robin still feels a bit awkward about it. If Nancy were a boy it would be different but Robin really, really doesn't want to make her uncomfortable. She wants to be One Of The Girls for once.

Robin has a big crush on Vickie, but she won't tell Nancy despite Nancy's repeated attempts to talk about girls (she's trying to make Robin feel normal. Most girls like talking about boys, and she knows Robin is secretly a repressed romantic at heart who's just scared of showing emotion. A little push will help, right?).

Robin tries to act as "normal" as possible with Nancy, never bringing up anything that might remind Nancy that her new best friend is a lesbian. Nancy has no such concerns and will often ask Robin about girls she think she might find attractive.

Robin is almost physically holding herself back from seeing Nancy in a romantic light. She is NOT going to ruin this friendship.

Nancy thinks Robin is the most beautiful girl she's ever seen.

Nancy is incredibly protective of Robin.

Nancy feels a bit weird about the idea of Robin getting a girlfriend some day. She tells herself that, at first, she was just getting used to the idea of a girl having a girlfriend, then, that she just wanted to enjoy a friendship with a girl again without the involvement of boys or any romantic interest that might come between them, as a return to a more innocent time. She does want Robin to be happy, though, and would try to help her with girls if Robin allowed her to.

Steve finds all of his attempts to speak to Robin frustrated by Nancy intentionally interrupting him.

"She's not interested in you," she says.

"Did she tell you she didn't like me?" Steve asks.

"A couple of times, in fact. She did call you a douchbag."

"Maybe that's because she doesn't know me."

"Steve, believe me. She's not interested."

Every time Steve tries to speak or flirt with her, Nancy intervenes by either pulling Robin along with her, as if she were her right hand man, always by her side in every mission, or she'll begin talking to Steve, forcing him to direct his attention somewhere else.

Steve falls low. He falls very, very low, because his next step is to ask Dustin for help, which must be just the most embarrassing thing he's ever done, but jeez, Robin just has that effect on you, and Nancy is like a very mean guard dog with her, so he needs a distraction. Dustin will pretend to be interested in journalism, or girl stuff, or whatever Nancy likes, doesn't matter. Or he can just go annoy her for a few minutes so Steve gets a chance to talk to Robin alone.

Robin is not impressed. She knows what he's trying to do, but she decides she'll take the chance to bully Steve a little, just for fun. She replies with "wow" and "really?" to everything he says until he realizes she's being sarcastic. She makes fun of him for a while before making things clear to him: she's not interested.

"Why?" Steve asks.

"Because I have my eye on someone else," she says. "Besides, you're not my type."

"Really? So what's your type?"

"Well, for starters, I am drawn to profound souls and intelligent minds."

"Hey, I can be smart. I helped save the world like, two or three times."

"Given our current situation, I don't think that makes you all that special, Stevie boy."

He tries to get her to admit who this boy she likes is. He tries to guess, naming every guy their age he knows. Robin is mildly entertained and amused so she lets him provide free white noise while they walk through the woods. It helps her not get bored with all these fucking trees around them.

And then maybe they get separated. Maybe they're in the woods at night while running from the search party and from Jason, who is hunting them. Nancy, Eddie and Dustin are on one end, with Robin, Steve, Lucas and Max in the other. They'll reunite as soon as possible, but they can't stop now.

And maybe Robin realizes Steve is not that much of an asshole when she sees him comfort a terrified Max, or put himself on the line to protect Lucas. He cares about the kids more than he cares about himself. He talks to them, gives them directions, makes sure everyone stays together and safe and who would have guessed? Seems like Steve the hair Harrington has a sensitive side.

And he gets to see Robin is more than a pretty face when they do come face to face with Jason.

He's looking for Eddie, Lucas, and everyone he knows associates with them. Steve and Max would be good enough targets for him. He is only tangentially aware that Robin is friends with Nancy, Mike's sister, but she quickly turns that possible weak spot into a strength.

She tells him she's so terrified - her friend's brother might be involved in that horrible cult. That's what motivated her to join the search party. She doesn't want anyone else getting hurt (Robin spins lies like a spider spins webs). In fact, she overheard Mike say something once - Eddie was planning to leave Hawkins soon, maybe on that very same night, he could be on the road as they speak, which is why Robin found it so imperative to be with the search party tonight, to find Eddie before he leaves. Jason and his team rushes out of the woods and in direction to the nearest road, thinking themselves smarter than Robin.

They make it somewhere safe. Robin and Steve stay up to keep watch - they insist the kids have some sleep. Lucas and Max cuddle adorably, and Robin just wants to pinch their cheeks because they're so damn cute together. Steve keeps an eye on them while Robin watches out for the search party. They talk to keep each other awake - Steve tells her about how he became a mother of six, and Robin tells him how she became best friends with Nancy Wheeler, which isn't an easy feat, mind you (though she excludes the most personal details). She tells him she speaks four languages and is learning a fifth. Steve tells her he gives great hair advice (he asks her if she uses conditioner. She asks him if he rents his head out to the council on weekends to use as a speed bump). Steve laughs. He tells her he'll leave her alone - it's fine if she doesn't like him. Plus, he's probably not ready for a relationship anyway. He should focus on things other than pretty girls, like college, someday, maybe. Max is definitely his focus right now, keeping her alive and safe (as he's been doing ever since that first fight with Billy), and nothing else should matter. Robin respects that a lot, actually (she'd never thought she'd put the words "Steve" and "respect" together before). He still thinks she's cool as heck, though, and he'd love to be friends. Robin doesn't feel terrified this time, like she did when Nancy said the same thing eight months ago. She doesn't feel the need to tell him her darkest secrets. She just likes having someone pure of heart and dumb of ass to poke fun at. She can't believe she's becoming friends with Steve the hair Harrington. She wants to be real, actual friends, thogh, not friends-as-a-shortcut-into-her-pants friends. Steve laughs. "Real, actual friends," he agrees.

Nancy sees them exchanging jokes and laughing when they reunite, and she's surprised - finds it amusing - but also frels a strange pang of jealousy in her gut. She knows Robin couldn't let a boy come between them if she tried, and she's happy she's making more friends - she is! - she doesn't know where she's going with this. All she does is to embrace Robin tightly when they're together again, happy to have her partner back by her side. Steve eyes Nancy curiously. He's not the smartest, but he seems to notice something Robin doesn't, something not even Nancy sees, though he can't quite put his finger on what the strange thing is.

[qprstobin]

I get what u mean. I certainly enjoy fics where Eddie is Steve’s queer awakening, and I get the urge to go that way because it breaks canon for Steve to like Eddie, so people may be trying to stick with the canon presentation of Steve (ignoring Eddie’s death lol), but it is such a difficult thing to write. Stories like that are less believable simply bc queer realizations are usually HARD and take time to come to terms with, and for the sake of fanfic it’s a speedrun most of the time. Plus there’s so much material from Steve’s interactions with Tommy and even Billy to use as a foundation for Steve having already been aware of his queerness. That being said I love all the steddie crumbs i can get hahahaha

I mean I don't think it breaks canon for Steve to like Eddie but I also have like this whole thing about Steve having two main types of people he likes and how Eddie falls into the second type (that is not the 'he looks like boy Nancy" thing) so that's a like different post lmaooo.

But yeah that's a very good point, I think people just want it over quickly and sometimes that can be fun! (I have a joke idea that I keep claiming I'll write that involves Steve having his gay awakening at a gay bar with Robin and Eddie and immediately switching into slut mode while the other two look on in jealousy and disbelief because despite being comfortable in their sexuality they have never quite had the audacity to go full in like that and Steve is here on DAY ONE getting massive tail, but it's also obviously a humor story). I think the timing thing may be a big part of it for me actually the more I think of it!!

Because so many of these fics that have Eddie as the catalyst often have him be COMPLETELY oblivious that his attraction to men is just that, attraction or that that's abnormal to be attracted to men (so many fics earnestly have Steve being like "I thought everyone liked both that's not gay" like it was funny at first but now I'm starting to 🤨) or have him like never having been attracted to men before and the Eddie crush blindside's him hardcore.

Like, it's weird to me that people don't have him struggle with actual denial more? I would think Steve, given the time period and setting and just his personality and struggles with image it's very likely Steve has been purposefully repressing his feelings for guys for a while now. I think if Eddie is a catalyst it's a catalyst for acceptance not of realization. Acceptance that yeah this is an actual thing that Steve not only wants but is ALLOWED to want. The fics I've enjoyed where Eddie is his "realization" were often like that, where it's been this thing that's been there in the back of his mind and he's just at the point where he can't deny it anymore.

Like you said, there's so much fodder for Steve to have a queer awakening throughout the show from his weird relationship with Tommy (though that is a situation where I think he would only be willing to see it as queer after the fact/after S1), the weird tension he gets with Jonathan, the fucking shower scene with Billy and Tommy, or even the hilarious hcs people have about the jazzercise instructor in s3. There's plenty of fodder! And i also just think, as a bi person who was in denial about it for several teenage years, that there's also always going to be SO MUCH that you deliberately ignored as a kid growing up that was a big blinking sign that says THIS BITCH QUEER.

That's why when you speed run without any prior thought or attraction from Steve, it does just really feel like it's all about Eddie and not Steve. 😭

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

Eddie's bisexuality in this ship is a prime example of bi-erasure. 🗣📣

Rant under the cut. If you know Eddie is bisexual and you accept it, this is not for you.

The reason that I want people to stop erasing Eddie's sexuality is that if Steve is bisexual then he wouldn't be alone. Look, Robin knows what it's like to be queer. She knows what's it's like to be a lesbian. She, however, does not know what it's like to like both genders, to be judged and erased by your own community. Not only would it be nice for Eddie to have that, but it would also be nice for Steve to have that, too. I mean, someone that is his own age, you know. It's nice to have Vickie but you fuckers want to erase her too. It's hard, as a bisexual, when you erase Eddie's sexuality and try to erase a bisexual canon love interest. It's hard not to feel like you hate bisexuals. Even the way that some of you guys write Steve as if he's just been confused this entire time. It just doesn't seem like bisexuals are welcome on this site, sometimes. Like I get that you want your favorite character to be gay but his sexuality is practically dancing in front of you naked, you want to shut your eyes to it. I think some of you have no choice but to admit that Steve might be bisexual because his interest in women was even more obvious than Eddie's crush on Chrissy. Don't get me started on Grace Van Dien's treatment and how her character is treated. Grace Van is bisexual and she's treated like shit, so is Amybeth McNulty. God, Steve Harrington, is treated like shit continuously when his feelings are put aside constantly in favor of everyone else's, and it's written like that in fanfiction, too. Just admit that some of you guys hate bisexuals. I mean, Joseph Quinn played him ambiguously bisexual. Joseph Quinn has said many times that if Chrissy had lived, then something would have happened between them. And he was clearly flirting with Steve, too. You noticed how some bisexuals haven't done the same to you fuckers? In fact, they end up writing Eddie as gay because it's more widely accepted. Bi erasure sucks and I know some of you don't intend to do it, but you guys are erasing Eddie's sexuality. It's a headcanon that Eddie's gay and you can write about it all you want, but every once in a while, it would be nice if some of you awknowledge that Eddie is bisexual. Some of you say that Eddie doesn't feel that way to you, but I guarantee you that if you said that to a real bisexual, it would hurt them.

[clonerightsagenda]

The aro icon poll has concluded, with Murderbot claiming the lead. This is unsurprising as I wasn't sure TMD even qualified since I think the aromanticism is intentional, but I knew not including it would result in a bunch of 'where's murderbot op' comments.

Anyway! Here is a roundup of everyone's submissions for additional iconic aro works and moments.

Keladry of mindelan, tbh. she had sort of crushes, but turns out romance isn't her thing, which she learned as she got older and is totally valid. she's also canonically aroace, so yay!

when lirael in the book of the same name spends her whole life alone and treated like a child bc she fails to develop a power that most people get before puberty. and also when someone flirts with her and she leaves/changes the subject very quickly bc she doesn't want to deal with it. she's still aro to me

lirael erasure on that poll. goldenhand is not real and cannot hurt me

when rin from the books of bayern's defining moment of using her powers Wrong is when she thinks it will satisfy her to persuade someone she's told likes her to kiss her but everything abt it feels so horrible she runs away and is miserable for years. and then reclaims her powers by using them to help and befriend people on a deeper level

The entirety of Kamen Rider Fourze #The main character is determined to become friends with everyone even his enemies #he is completely oblivious to anything romantic that may involve him #he quite literally gets stronger from the power of friendship

oh Fushi To Your Eternity's whole story #being about finding humanity and connection as an immortal demi god #and still Not Getting romantic/sexual love #despite many people trying to explain it #and also a cult that has spending 200 years #trying to help the reincarnation of their founder seduce him #and never getting past the friend zone #also barely getting in the friend zone because Fushi is pretty :/ about them #seriously pls watch To Your Eternity it is SO good

everything about jo and laurie's relationship in little women

-ME from REAL LIFE

oh also tris from the emelan books is rlly quite acearo!!

deeply unpopular opinion but steve harrington is aro TO ME #i know there are multiple ways to read his character but like. his s3 character arc is about realizing he doesnt need to be in a #relationshp to be happy and he’s trying to force it anyways bc thats what he thinks he should do! #his most fulfilling relationships are with children and a qpp with a lesbian! #he tries to ask robin out and it definitely seems like he maybe just doesn’t know the difference between romantic and platonic love because #he has not in fact ever experienced the former!! #yes i know there are other ways to interpret these things. However its my god given right to project onto characters so thats what i’ll do #i also think ophelie from la passe mirroir books is aro but presumably nobody else here has read those lol #OH and cannonical acearo rep shoutout to the fires stone haha

Seren from “Seren” being exiled from her home planet for reaching the age of 25 unmarried, and her whole entire regret is the “getting exiled” and “disappointing her family” and “failing to be a Productive Citizen of her Planet” parts whereas she never seems like she actually cares about the being married part At All

I am slapping each of these works with a celebrity book club-style sticker like this

[steddieunderdogfics]

for this weekend's fake dating prompt i recommend operation homewrecker by hbdtotheground, i loved this fic! steve falls for eddie after beginning an ill advised scheme to wingman for robin. ive reread this fic so many times but i eat it up every time:)

Operation Homewrecker by hbdtotheground

@hbdttg

Rating: Teen and Up

23,797 words, 3/3 chapters

Archive Warning: No Warnings

Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, No Vecna (Stranger Things), Fake/Pretend Relationship, Oh Steve where is your brain??, Gay Eddie Munson, Bisexual Steve Harrington, If you're not sabotaging relationships to benefit your platonic soulmate are you really soulmates?, Recreational Drug Use, Steve Harrington Has a Crush on Eddie Munson, Steve sets out to play matchmaker, But maybe the real treasure was the bi awakening he had along the way, Eddie Munson Wears Eyeliner, Steve has thoughts about it, Pining, Sharing a Bed, Getting Together, Minor Robin Buckley/Vickie, Friends to Lovers

Summary:

“So let me get this straight,” Robin says, her brows knitting together. “Not straight,” Steve mutters, because if there’s anything he does know, it’s that. Robin leans back against the wall, sighing heavily. She drops any pretense of real irritation, her expression adopting a strange mix of fond exasperation and burning curiosity instead. “You tried to break up Vickie’s relationship for me—which I never asked you to do, by the way—and then ended up falling for her boyfriend.” “Yes.” “And said boyfriend is Eddie Munson.” “…Yes.” In which Robin is distraught over the fact that Vickie’s got a new metalhead boyfriend and Steve takes it upon himself to intervene. Commence Operation Homewrecker — with some unforeseen complications.

Thanks for the rec!

This rec is a part of Theme Weekend. The theme this weekend is Fake Dating.

Know a fic that deserves extra love? Submit through our asks or the submission box!

[girderednerve]

ok i'm doing it, i'm fandomposting, my treasured mutuals may at this point look away, etc etc

stranger things

i actually think it would be fun if eddie strangerthings was trans. i like trans people and i want more trans people in stories so i'm not defending this viewpoint. i just think it would be extremely funny if steve had a whole figuring out he's bi over eddie thing, they get together & are happy together for a year or so, and then eddie comes out to steve as a woman, at which point steve gets to do an extremely funny "wait. wait. i'm straight again. i'm straight again? i'm so straight i knew you were a woman before you did? that's what happened?" i would just really like steve to be the kind of straight guy who actually, you know, likes women. not that he's never an idiot about it in this scenario which i have lovingly crafted in my brain, just that he actually really likes women and he's happy that he's dating a woman.

i did this with my partner, whom i started dating before i knew she was a woman: we then got to joke for a bit that when i thought i was a lesbian i was right! there was in fact no discontinuity! no thoughts on if that's actually true or like theoretically rigorous, but it's a fun & mildly affirming joke to make with your partner, and i think all of my life experiences should be explored through silly stories about made-up people from bad television shows or whatever. i never claimed to be deep. anyway

canonically, eddie spends all this time performing an extremely specific flavor of metal masculinity that is high-risk in context. people hate him and he leans into it when we see him. the fact that he's performing is a deflection to some degree; he gets to control what people are responding to, even if he can't control how they respond. transgressive gender performance is part of that, and it's compelling to me.

the scene where eddie's talking to chrissy, which i do think was meant to nod at the 80s movie freak+prom queen romance, is a moment of mutual recognition; they literally acknowledge each other's performances. chrissy's being crushed alive by the kind of gender performance she has to do. there's a cost to being a thin cheerleader, although i think we're all reasonably tired of hearing about how hard it is to be popular and conventionally beautiful. she's swamped by jason's letterman jacket & pigeonholed by his expectations of her, and she's frankly pigeonholed in the narrative: beautiful, self-loathing in a cliché way, condemned to die before the end of the first episode and then be invoked as a justification for a witch hunt. nothing but a martyred white woman, the most gendered kind. eddie & chrissy play off of each other in an interesting way, and i'd much rather they just be girlfriends, but what show did i watch? not that show.

honestly eddie & robin would be pretty cute too, but woe betide who first creates the ao3 tag, am i right? actually, while i'm dumping all my weird stranger things takes in here, i think steve and robin should fuck exactly one time because she's curious what it's like and he's willing to indulge her. they both go "huh. well, okay" about it and continue being friends. this does a couple things for me: one, it's funny. two, it suggests to us that men & women can have sexual relationships which are not gravitational, which i like. three, i'm annoyed by the fandom trend with those two being that they have an extremely intense, codependent friendship but the very idea that they have sex is outright offensive. two dudes giving each other a handjob which doesn't have to be sexuality-defining is like, a fandom trope! do we think that robin's identity is so fragile that she can't fuck around a little bit, in the interests of finding out?