“Be Careful” | Angst, Hurt/No Comfort, Hurt/Some Comfort
TW: mentions of HIV/AIDS and character death
This is a Steddie/Stranger Things & Falsettos musical crossover! This short fic does not necessarily match real time in either show.
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Wayne Munson led a simple, quiet life. He was never really one for all the hustle and bustle of big city life that his best friend wanted growing up.
Whizzer was obsessed with getting out of Hawkins. It was all he talked about.
“I’m too good for this town, Wayne. I know I am. You are, too. You could go with me, to New York. Where we can be open, find guys that will actually love us, instead of wanting quickies in bathrooms. I want to finally be happy,” Whizzer had said.
“My whole life is right here, Whizz. I can’t just leave. My brother, he’s got a girlfriend who’s pregnant. He’s not gonna be there for the kid, and she’s gonna need help. I can’t just leave. I can’t just let that kid grow up without help,” Wayne had argued. They were in their 20s around this time. The perfect age to just get out.
But Wayne couldn’t bring himself to do it.
So, Whizzer left. He went to New York, found a guy. He kept Wayne updated, told him all about the man’s kid and how wicked smart he was.
“He’s so sweet, Wayne. Eddie would love him. They could play together, if you ever came to visit,” Whizzer had said over the phone one day. It had been 6 years since Whizzer left.
Wayne had gotten custody of 5 year old Eddie a couple months prior.
“You could always come back with Marvin. I can’t just pick Eddie up and leave to New York. That city is no place for a youngin’ like him.” Wayne made an excuse. He was just too scared to leave Hawkins, really. He didn’t like that much change.
“You know I can’t come back to Hawkins, Wayne. I just…can’t.” Whizzer relented, his hurt emotions panging Wayne right in the heart through the receiver of the phone.
“I know, Whizz. Just…be careful, alright? I’m hearin’ some things about shit going around. Don’t get sick. Love you, bud.” He warned before hanging up with a soft affirmation of love for the boy. He’d always quietly loved Whizzer, the boy who was loud and unafraid to be himself. Wayne always felt too small, too afraid to love Whizzer as loud as he deserved to be. So Whizzer never knew.
Eddie grew up hearing stories and watching Wayne talk to “Uncle Whizzer”, the sweet boy his uncle once knew who ran off to New York to chase his dreams of love and passion. He would hear about him every day, about Jason, the little boy two years older than him. About Marvin, his stubborn and bitter lover. They had broken up for 2 years, but gotten back together after getting over their bullshit.
Wayne slowly got more and more bitter talking to Whizzer on the phone. The more Wayne heard about Marvin, the tighter he’d grip his coffee cup in the morning as Eddie got himself ready and watched him from the counter eating a cold bagel.
Until one day, when the calls just stopped. They just…stopped happening. Wayne shut Eddie own every time he asked about “Uncle Whizzer”.
9 years later, Wayne came home to hearing giggling and seeing shuffling in the living room. He hopped out of his truck and walked up to the door, making sure his keys jingled in the lock as he entered.
He half expected Eddie to be cuddled up with some girl, so he mentally prepared himself to make the “use protection, not on the couch, I’m always here if you need anything” talk.
To Wayne’s surprise, he walked into the trailer see his Eddie under another boy, their lips connected and hands wandering to places they definitely shouldn’t be. He felt his heart thump, his stomach twist, and his eyes prick with tears.
Not his boy. Not his Eddie. He walked right out the door he came through, slamming it shut. He heard curses, something knock over, followed by the calling of his name from inside the trailer.
“Wayne, we weren’t— I’m sorry, please come back in. We’re decent, it’s fine. Let me talk to you,” Eddie pleaded through the door.
Wayne huffed and managed to go back inside, meeting Eddie’s eyes with a firmness he didn’t usually have.
“Eddie, I need you to know I’ve got no problem with this. Just…I didn’t think I’d have to give you this talk so soon.” He sighed, his hands being shoved into his pockets. Eddie and Steve audibly groaned, moving to sit down.
“We were being safe, Mr. Munson, honest.” Steve reassures, hands coming down to anxiously rub at his knees.
“That’s just the thing, son. I just…you have to make sure this is what you want. Sex is…dangerous for you boys. Anything could go wrong at any time. A rubber could break, one of you could get cut, anything could happen. You have to be careful.” Wayne explained, avoiding saying the word. It hurt too much. That was when Eddie said it, so casually. So…desensitized.
“God, Wayne, we know about AIDS. We’ve been exposed to it almost our whole lives. We know how to avoid it.” Eddie groaned tiredly, not wanting the disease explained to him by another adult who was worried about him.
“Eddie. I know you know. But you’re not hearing me. You have to be careful. I don’t want to lose you like I lost your Uncle Whizzer,” he admitted, his eyes falling to his lap.
“Uncle who?” Steve asked, but Eddie didn’t respond.
Oh, god. He remembered. He remembered the day like it was yesterday. The clattering sound of the phone hitting the wall when Wayne dropped it. Remembered hearing his sobbing. Remembered seeing Wayne crumpled on the floor, hitting the floor with one fist and clutching his shirt over his heart with the other, like it was shattering and he was trying to hold it together.
Wayne had never cried that loud, that hard ever in front of Eddie.
“Oh, shit. That’s why he stopped calling?” Eddie asked, his voice breaking as Wayne gave a solemn nod. “And…Whizzer’s boyfriend?” He asked. Wayne sniffled and shook his head, watching as Eddie inhaled sharply and let out a sob.
“God…Wayne. I’m so sorry. We’ll be more careful. You won’t lose me. I won’t let you lose anyone else.” Eddie promised, leaning forward and grabbing Wayne’s hands.
The older man looked at Eddie with tear-filled eyes and gave an affirming nod, getting up and kissing Eddie’s temple.
They never talked about that night again.
Over the years, Wayne watched their love grow. Witnessed them get too intimate to stay in that little trailer with Wayne. Soon enough, Hawkins became too little for their big “six little nuggets” plan. They agreed to move to New York. A more accepting place, where they could easily find others like them.
Helping them move into their city apartment, it was here that Wayne got a chance to visit Whizzer for the first time in years, and meet Marvin.
He entered the cemetery on a Thursday afternoon, sniffling upon seeing two faded chess pieces on their headstones. Jason loved chess, Whizzer had said years ago. This must have been his doing.
He knew now that this was the perfect place for his Whizzer all along. Hawkins wasn’t enough. It wasn’t Wayne. It was the place. He should have gone with him, but he was just too scared. He fell to his knees, touching the headstone of his friend, his first love.
“Hey, Whizz. It’s Wayne. I’m here. I made it to visit. I’m sorry I’m so late. It’s about time, huh? God, I love ya. I love ya more than anything, Whizzer Brown.” He murmured to the grave, breaking the silence in the air.
Within a second, he felt the wind brush his cheek. It wasn’t a normal gust. It lingered and felt almost like slender, soft fingers brushing the skin. He noticed a leaf fall on the grass in front of Whizzer’s grave, watched it twitch as the wind tried to pull it free from the grass.
It was then that he knew Steve and Eddie would be safe here. Whizzer and Marvin would watch over them.
His boys belonged here. They’d have two strong gusts of wind pushing them along, keeping them together.
He was sure of it.
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