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madaboutmunson · 2 years ago

Text

Again - Part 24 - The End

Part 1 | Part 23 | Full list of Again series links inc AO3 Link

Steddie fic where Steve and Eddie are in their mid 30's and everyone has sort of drifted apart

Notes: We made it! All the way to the end. A big thank you to everyone that makes it this far. I know there are thousands of other fics you could be reading, and I am honored you take the time out to read mine. This is the longest fic I've ever written, and I'm gonna miss writing these versions of the characters. I hope youve enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it and reading your thoughts on it :)

Taglist: @adaed5 @grtwdsmwhr @swimmingbirdrunningrock @mightbeasleep, @jewellthebooknerd, @fentiibratzz @rvllybllply2014

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The next few weeks, they fall into a happy routine. Every day starts with a breakfast tray with two oat shakes and half of Steve’s meds. Eddie hated it at first, but the novelty of toppings made him grow to love them.

Depending on the day, Eddie either goes through the exercise routine with Steve or if he has to go to work, Wayne coaches him through it, occasionally taking part himself.

Then Steve checks in with the builders to see how Wayne’s mini ranch house is coming along further out on the land. Wayne never complains if anything is wrong or not to his original requests, but Steve has been busy deciphering the eyebrow and sigh slash grumble code with Eddie’s expert knowledge, and he’s almost got it down to a fine art.

The kids were to stay at Jenny and Val’s for a few more weeks, but Steve called them every day once they were home from school.

Their evenings always end the same way. Wayne bids them goodnight and goes back to the RV, then Eddie and Steve build their living room fort together, and Steve got the front seat tonight. So that means Eddie has TV control. He selects a music DVD and talks through the meanings behind the songs or some random factoids that Steve probably wouldn’t remember. Still, he could watch Eddie talk enthusiastically about mostly anything. The way his eyes widen and sparkle, they either stare intensely at the screen or Steve, his one hand always at Steve's chest, the other wildly gesticulating around. Maybe a cushion falls victim to it on occasion.

“You got any plans tomorrow, babe?” Eddie asks happily.

“Other than beating my exercise personal bests and kissing you….hmmm….nope,” Steve answers.

“Awww, Steve, do you have a lil’ crush on me?” Eddie jokes, fluttering his eyelashes and grabbing one of Steve’s hands in each of his own.

“I guess you could say that. I think you’re alright, you know? Kinda cute. Tolerable,” Steve teases and is immediately jostled from side to side by Eddie's knees.

“Kinda cute? Tolerable? Ooof, am I losing my charm? Do I need to revert to my nerdy ways and grow my hair out?” Eddie pretends to be devastated and flops forward on Steve’s shoulder in mock defeat.

“I love you, you stupid ass.” Steve laughs, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek and snuggling backwards into him more.

"You sure about that? Like one hundred per cent, sure? No take backsies? If destroyed still true forever?" Eddie mutters softly as he nuzzles against his cheek and ear. Steve turns slightly to look into his eyes.

"Yes." Steve answers with a gentle smile of adoration, "Of course. Without a shadow of a doubt. To the end of the universe and back. Three hundred and sixty-five days a year, twenty-four hours a day. I absolutely, one hundred per cent adore you. I love you." Steve kisses him softly to seal his declaration, and this is where Eddie normally bundles him up in his arms somehow, and they kiss and melt into one another for hours until it's time to sleep.

But not tonight.

Tonight Eddie gets up and changes the DVD he puts on The Breakfast Club. Steve admires his tattooed topless form as he moves. He looks stronger still these days. Steve wonders if that is to do with Eddie falling into his exercise and eating regime. His jeans still slouch a little around his tiny waist, which Steve has also noted has developed a slight squidginess of content. Eddie complains about it, but Steve loves it. It means he's happy here. Eddie returns and sits back behind Steve as the film starts.

"It's good, you know," Eddie says happily as he reaches for his hands again, leans forward and wraps both sets of their arms around Steve again.

"What is? the movie?" Steve asks, a little confused.

Eddie laughs, "Well, like, everything, but specifically that you love me so much."

"Eddie, did you eat some special brownies today? You're talking in riddles. I love you every day. You love me every day. Why is it any different tonight?"

"Because otherwise, this would be silly of me" Their joined hands that had been draped around him go to Eddie's jeans pocket, and Steve can feel something gripped in their joined fingers, and it's lifted in front of his eyes a black box. Eddie's thumb flicks open the lid, and inside are two silver rings.

At first glance, they look like two plain silver bands, which is beautiful enough, but as Eddie twists the box for him, he begins to see their hammered texture. Steve uses his hand to lift the box when he notices the same word engraved on the inside of each "Aeternum".

"Hey, calm down, love. I don't want heart-monitor-Max’s spidey sense setting off wherever she is, bursting in here and kicking my ass," Eddie says with a smile in his voice, tapping their joined hands against the centre of Steve's chest delicately. Steve is so surprised he hasn't realised his heart rate has picked up, but he feels the deep thuds now. He feels Eddie's chest rise and fall against his back, and he attempts to match it to calm himself. "Don't worry. This isn't my proposal. You know, I'd never do something like that as quietly as this. This is…uh…a just-the-facts ring" Eddie lets out a soft laugh next to Steve's ear.

Steve wishes it was just the surprise making his heart pound, but it wasn't. It was fear. He's afraid he doesn't deserve this, not after what he did. "You're awful quiet with your words there, sweetheart," Eddie says with a hint of worry, and Steve shuts his eyes for a moment. Trying to compose himself.

"After what I did?" Steve asks, afraid to use too many words in case he ruins everything with another tearful display.

"Steve, please, not tonight," Eddie pleads glumly."We're done with all that. We're doing all the things we need to."

Steve deflates in Eddie's arms momentarily, "I'm sorry, Eddie. I'm trying."

Eddie clears his throat. "Well, technically, I got these before any of that happened. So, uh, I wanted to give you this before and after." Steve can hear the smile in his voice, and it's causing a twisted pain in him. He knows Eddie means well and wants to play pretend like it hadn't happened. Steve remembers Eddie sitting opposite him in the kitchen, how he told him he didn't deserve Steve's love, and if this was what he felt like at the time, Steve regrets not being more patient, but Eddie had tried for Steve, and so he must do the same now.

"Why didn't you get ones like your other rings?" Steve asks, and he feels Eddie snuggle up to him a little more, happy for his effort.

"I wanted something special. I wanted them to be like us. A mixture of moments of perfection and imperfection, but it's glaringly obvious they belong together," Eddie says with a hint of excitement. Steve untangles their fingers on both hands, leaving Eddie holding the box in his eye line, and finds the one finger of Eddie's that has no ring adorning it.

Steve carefully takes a ring out of the box and slides the ring onto Eddie's finger, then kisses the back of his hand. As he reaches for the other ring, Eddie softly bumps his fingers out of the way, takes Steve's hand in his, and puts the ring on for him. He kisses the back of Steve's hand and then his temple, "I'll love you for all eternity," Eddie whispers as he casts aside the box, weaves their fingers back together, and moves their hands back where they were.

"And I, you," Steve replies softly, unable to take his eyes off him. He amazed him. How could something that made so much sense right now have at one time seemed entirely impossible? At one time, he thought there was no way Eddie could love him back, and yet here they are wrapped up together, shacked up together, making promises until the end of time together, "So much, honey." He pauses, taking a few breaths, "I'm sorry, Eddie."

"How many times, Steve! Stop saying sorry." Eddie kisses him as if to swallow up his unwanted apologies.

"Oh, I'm not apologising for that," Steve says, getting to his feet and hoisting Eddie up with him, who looks puzzled but smiles all the same, especially when he finds himself wrapped up in Steve's arms, being gently swayed to some non-existent music, as Steve's gentle eyes gaze sleepily into his.

"No? Then what are you apologising for?" Eddie inquires. Though his voice is soft, his words trail away, completely distracted by what is happening between them.

"Because I'm impatient, honey, and because if I love you any more, I'm certain my heart would explode," Steve's eyes swim with fondness as they trail over Eddie's features, as he tilts his head to the side in adorable confusion, "Eddie?" Steve says softly.

"Yeah?" Eddie mutters as he leans against his love, their bodies pressed together so no glimmer of light can get between them.

"Eddie Munson. That's a nice name. You like it?" Steve asks softly, his mouth barely an inch for Eddie's. Their eyes have yet to glance away from one another.

Eddie laughs softly, "I don't mind it, I guess. You like yours, Steve Harrington?"

"I guess," Steve replies dreamily, a smile creeping over his face, "Edward Munson?" Steve asks again, making Eddie's smile stretch into a grin and giggle.

"Yes, Steven Harrington," he says, looking a little confused but happy regardless. Steve readjusts his arms so one wraps around Eddie's back, pulling him in close, and the other reaches up to cradle the back of his neck.

"Will you marry me?" Steve asks in a whisper. Even with knowing how deeply Eddie adores him, it is still a genuine question. Eddie's eyes sparkle as they well up, but they crease at the corners as his smile widens and he nods his head a few times.

"Yeah." Eddie answers, his voice cracking, "Yeah, I think I will." He beams and kisses Steve tenderly. Eddie tucks some of Steve's hair behind his ear as they part, "I love this for us, baby, but you know I can't let this be it, though, right?"

"I know." Steve smiles with understanding.

Over the next few weeks, it was a competition of who could propose to who in the grandest way, and each time they'd pretend to be nervous, even though they already knew the answer.

Eddie calls up a national radio station and gets them to prank Steve with a competition win just so he can propose to him live on air.

Steve hires a skywriter to propose to Eddie when he brings him his lunch at work.

Eddie interrupts a parent-teacher meeting and proposes to Steve playing his BC Rich Warlock through a portable amp, singing "Will you marry me?" to the tune of We Will Rock You. He even gets everyone else in the room to do the stomps and claps.

Steve buys a page in Rolling Stone magazine to propose to Eddie.

Eddie proposes right at the end of an elaborate scavenger hunt they put on after a massive party that everyone is invited to at their house. Steve declares him the winner after that one. Eddie claims his super secret prize when everyone else has gone home later that night.

With same-sex marriage still not legal in the state, they decided there was little point organising anything, but as far as they, their loved ones and anyone bothered enough to ask knew, They were as good as married, and they never referred to one another in conversation as anything less than Husband. If either of them got a hint that it bothered anyone they were talking to, they just talked about their husband more.

***************************************************************

Their first Halloween together is a full-blown production. With a blank cheque at his disposal, Eddie goes hog wild with the kids, making the whole place into a house of horrors. Eddie told everyone to keep it on the cartoony side of things and expressly forbade any jump scares or smoke machines in the house. He said it was tacky, and everyone did that. He didn't want their house to be the same as the next. But Steve knew he'd done it for him so he could enjoy everything without fear of flashbacks. Eddie even hooked up his guitar to play the theme tunes of the trick-or-treater's costumes. Steve dressed as Dr Van Helsing, and Eddie as the infamous Count Dracula. Morgan and Mackenzie opt for Princess Fiona and Shrek (sporting his prize-winning pie rosette), and after much aggressive and whiny persuasion from Corey, Wayne agrees to Agent Smith from The Matrix to complement his Neo outfit.

That night Steve mainly watches. He converses with other parents from the neighbourhood about school topics, but his eyes fall back to the same thing. Eddie. But a specific Eddie. An Eddie with his heart full of unbridled joy. Whether he was running around chasing after kids Corey's age with his fake plastic fangs bared, regaling a group of teens around a small fire pit with a story so terrifying an occasional audible squeal would ring out, or handing out the gift bags of full-size treats and toys with the hugest toothy smile on his face. But what absolutely kills Steve is the little witch, crying her eyes out in the middle of the lawn.

She must be around two or three, Steve guesses, clinging onto a little bucket full of candy, but she's looking around like she's lost something. She tugs on the back of Eddie's cape, and as he turns, he kneels. She takes a step back in fright. He takes out his fangs and shows her he is nothing to fear. He even wipes a finger across his makeup, showing her it's all pretend. She mimics him swiping her on her own finger across his face, and Eddie smiles gently at her, listening and nodding intently as the little girl talks. He asks her something, she nods, and he hoists her up onto his hip, cradling her to his side, and pointing and turning around, constantly checking in with her, making her giggle as she twists the curled ends of his hair in her fingers until a flustered woman runs up and thanks Eddie profusely. He just shrugs, waves them goodbye and pops his teeth back in.

"Everythin' ok, Sunny?" Wayne's deep drawl breaks Steve's focus.

"Yeah, just I dunno." Steve looks at the ground. His voice is a little sad, "Doesn't seem fair." he sighs, looking back at Eddie. Wayne's eyes follow his line of sight, and his mouth parts slightly, maybe in surprise. Perhaps his own sadness presents itself silently this way because Wayne doesn't have the right words for a change, "I just think he would have been great at it."

There is a beat of silence, "You asked him?"

Steve shakes his head, "No. Wanted to a bunch of times. Just can never quite figure out how." Wayne hums in understanding and pats Steve on the back, leaving him to look longingly at his husband as he thumbs at the only ring on his fingers. Eddie senses him as always, turns and gives him a gigantic grin, gesturing at the festivities around him, before blowing Steve a kiss, which he catches out of the air and puts in his pocket, making Eddie roll his eyes and laugh, before heading back to the next lot of trick or treaters.

***************************************************************

A month later, the house's energy is at a fever pitch. Tonight Steve had taken Eddie out. First, to the local premiere of The Fellowship of the Ring so that Eddie could watch it with a room full of people, but then surprises him when he asks if he wants to stay behind and watch it one more time, just the two of them. Of course, Eddie nearly spontaneously combusted on the spot, having no idea Steve had arranged a second surprise viewing for him. Steve doesn't think he'll ever forget how happy Eddie looked in that moment or how many times he'd clench his fists with excitement and then turn and kiss Steve, babbling happily about something he didn't quite catch the first time around.

He was so easy to fall for. Steve could do that every day over and over. Like breathing. Like he was built to do this. To love Eddie. Forever.

Steve doesn't usually make it through a standard-length film, let alone one of this length. Twice. Not without yawning or nearly falling asleep. But the second time around, he only partially watches the screen. Most of the time, he's watching his own blockbuster, a cast of one, Eddie. He watched his eyes with wrinkles at the corners, full to the brim with childlike wonder. Tapping Steve's hand when something comes up that is slightly different in the book, whispering the secret information to him. Even after it's over, Eddie is still full of energy, gushing about how things on screen were like they fell out of his mind, and that's when he sees it. Amid the chill winter wind, a family is dressed up like some of the characters in the movie. A wizard, an elf and held by both of them in the middle, as someone snaps a picture is a baby in a waistcoat and trousers, curls falling around their face, and for the first time tonight, Eddie's smile falls for a second, as he looks over at them, but as soon as he turns to Steve the smile is back again. He twists his ring around his finger, feeling over its texture.

Tonight, Steve was going to ask him.

***************************************************************

Steve turns over and opens his eyes. His bed covers have long since been thrown off in the heat. He runs his hand over the empty bed beside him, sighs, rolls over to stare at the ceiling, and checks the time. It's just gone three in the morning. He swings his legs over the side of the bed, steps into his slippers, decides it's much too hot to put on his robe, and picks up his water. He quietly pads downstairs, walks into a kitchen strewn with bottles, adds his water bottle to the mix, and smiles. He tip-toes to the lounge. The lights are set to their lowest dim, and he can hear a faint voice. He moves closer towards it, staying as silent as he possibly can. Steve's eyes find their target in the low light, Eddie’s topless form pacing around the living room, still softly muttering. He is oblivious to his presence, focusing on something else entirely. Unfortunately, Steve is so entranced by the scene he accidentally bumps into an end table, sending a plush bat rattling to the floor.

Eddie turns to him, whispering, "Not a ninja, Sweetheart". With his cover blown, Steve freely approaches, sweetly scoops in behind him, arms around his waist as he gently nuzzles into the side of his hair, but Eddie's hands don't find his.

"You gonna be much longer? Need anything?" Steve quietly asks next to his ear.

"Nah, I'm good, babe. Just had to find the right song. Seems to have settled things down." Eddie yawns, and Steve looks at his tired but unmistakably happy face. For a second, his eyes look up into Steve's, "Didn't think I'd ever be here, babe. I know things are a little different these days, but I love you just as much," he chuckles and looks down, "Even more some days, you know that, right?"

"Of course," Steve says, leaning over Eddie's shoulder to look down too. In his arms, a beautiful baby girl, a short set of dark ringlet curls adorn her head, her sweet round cheeks rosy from the heat, her long eyelashes rest on her skin as she slumbers sweetly against Eddie's chest, "I'll just bide my time and make her life hell when she's old enough to want to sleep in." Steve jokes and presses a soft sleepy kiss to Eddie's cheek, "What song was it tonight?"

"Through the Never," Eddie beams at Eowyn, "Are you collecting these songs or something?"

"Right now, she's stealing your sleep and my time with you, which I don't blame her for, but that doesn't mean when she hits, I dunno, thirteen and sleep becomes precious to her that her old Dads aren't gonna wake her up blaring a mix CD of all the songs that stole their own." Steve smiles.

"Wow, what happened to sweet old dad Steve?" Eddie jokes.

"I'm still as sweet as ever," Steve kisses Eddie's shoulder, "I'm just trying to arm myself. Wayne's been telling me all about what a cakewalk you were when you hit puberty," he says sarcastically. "And also…" Steve plants a trail of kisses along Eddie's shoulder and up his neck to his ear, "It's pretty lonely up there for sweet old dad Steve, you know?" He whispers playfully, squeezing Eddie's hips gently. "What do you say l go wash up the bottles, prep the next one, and tidy up here? You can get this little one back in her own very expensive custom-made upcycled Fender guitar cot that her Daddy absolutely had to have, and then you can get your sweet self back in ours, huh?" Steve pecks a kiss on his cheek, "And then I'm gonna slide in next to you, and we're gonna pass out on one another with exhaustion until her Royal Highness calls for us again."

"My god, Steve. You say the sexiest, most accurate things." Eddie laughs and kisses him on the cheek, "I love you."

"Love you too, honey."

***************************************************************

The house is chaos.

"Well, WHERE THE HELL IS IT???" Eddie screeches, jogging from room to room before he's stopped abruptly by the sudden appearance of the twins in the doorway.

"Daddy, which one of us do you think is taller?" Ozzy asks, scrunching up his freckled nose.

"Neither of you. You're the same height!" He pauses to look, "Almost exactly, in fact, now, if you'll excuse me, gentlemen, I have a vital ancient artefact to find."

"Can we help? We're good at finding things!" Ronnie looks up at him with his wide hazel eyes. Eddie eyes them suspiciously, crouches down and ruffles their hair.

"No, what I really need you to do is get your hats and sunglasses and the things you want to play with in the RV. Then use the bathroom and line up next to the door. Maybe help Beans get her things together, too,' Kay?" He smiles, gets back to his feet, and runs to the foot of the stairs, almost going flying over a suitcase that slides into his path, but he hurdles it at the last moment.

"Almost, Damn it!" Is a whispered voice, "Sorry, Eddie!" Corey calls out much louder with a slight laugh.

"You gotta be quicker than that, buddy. Line up in ten Cor’,'" Eddie says, shaking his head and laughing, before reaching the foot of the stairs and yelling up them through cupped hands, "Wyn, Morgan and Zee, line up in…nine minutes, and if you see my old iPod bring that with you, please!" He drops his hands, "Nearly there." He whispers to himself.

The front door swings open and in bursts, a Bermuda-shorted, Hawaiian-shirted, wayfarer-sporting Steve. "RV check all done, full tank of gas, road snacks stocked, we're good to go!" He grins.

"And the map?" Eddie looks at him wide-eyed.

"What map?" Steve tilts his head, and just before Mount Eddie erupts, he pulls it from his back pocket and wiggles it at him, "All ready for your plotting, my love. Oh, Jenny, Val, and Mariella are gonna meet us at the first scheduled stop, so if you find something before that, drop them a message way in advance. Jen is already gonna be sweltering in his heat in the third trimester, so please, no last-minute changes because otherwise, she might lose it entirely."

Eddie's tense shoulders drop, and he takes a minute to rush over, fling his arms around him for a kiss, and mutters into his collar, "This place is hell, babe. Full chaotic evil!"

"Wanna switch for a bit?" Steve offers, rubbing his hands over Eddie's back.

"I wanna say yes, but too much has happened in the thirty minutes you were gone, and I'm not sure I have the energy or time to go over the new storylines, babe," Eddie pouts.

"How about this? You sit here." Steve pulls a chair to the front door and guides him to it, "You supervise. Ok? That way, you get to take a breath and make sure I don't miss anything at the same time?" Eddie nods sweetly.

Steve picks up his megaphone from the doorway, and Eddie covers his ears, ready for the inevitable feedback when Steve switches it on, "Kids, cases, journey items at the door in…" he releases the button and looks at Eddie who checks his watch and holds up four fingers. Steve presses the button again and bellows through it. "Four minutes! Don't forget chargers, and to use the bathroom, we won't be making a stop for…" he turns to Eddie, who holds up two fingers, "Two hours. And may I remind you all that Uncle Dustin and Aunt Erica will eat all the ice cream if they get there before us. Uncle Jonathan wants to take a big group photo this year, so please make sure you have something suitable for that. I mean it, Corey! One non-heavy metal or unoffensive t-shirt wouldn't kill you." He clicks off the megaphone again, turns to Eddie excitedly grinning from ear to ear, and starts singing and dancing to his rendition of Madonna's Holiday.

Eddie smiles and shakes his head with a chuckle, "Why do we do this to ourselves every year?"

"Ah, I know this one…Because we love our friends and family?" Steve says with a grin, which immediately drops from his face into panic, and Eddie is out of his chair.

"Oh, what, Steve?! What is it? Dear gods, just one year where we leave on time," Eddie says, hands in his hair.

Steve looks horrified, "I um…I think…I kinda…yeah…I forgot Wayne at the gas station."

Eddie's eyes widen, "How did you even do that, Steve?!" He gasps frantically, pulling his phone from his pocket.

"He's just so quiet sometimes! I didn't mean to leave him. I was thinking about all the other hundred things I needed to check, honey!" Steve complains.

"You lost a full-grown man, babe. This is a new low for you." Eddie says, pacing as he holds the phone up to his ear.

The All along the Watchtower ringtone is coming from somewhere nearby, and they both frantically look around for it before Wayne's head appears around the door frame, "Bumped into Ms Monterello, she gave me a ride back, Sunny." He chuckles deeply, and Steve practically throws his arms around him.

"Oh, you've saved my bacon there, Pops" Steve smiles with relief, patting Wayne on the back.

Morgan and Zee appear at the door first, as always, "Do we have to do this every year?" Morgan complains with his much deeper voice, Zee hanging off his arm.

"Yeah, yeah, we do, actually, Mister fancy college pants, we do. Steve here has already lost a whole human, and we watch Home Alone every Christmas as a warning. This is why we do the lineup."

The kids fall in line, the count is correct, the humongous RV gets packed with people and luggage, and Morgan and Zee get in her car with the excess and Beans.

Steve does the final lock checks around the house with Eddie, and finally, they get into the front seats. Eddie opens the map in front of him, his little packet of different colour stars and flag stickers resting gently on top.

"Ok, guys, who got first dibs?" Eddie shouts, not looking up from his map but raising a hand with one finger extended upwards to retrieve the incoming CD from Corey. Eddie looks at it, "Ohhh, a classic from Cyborg. Nice!" And places it into the stereo.

"Everyone buckled in?" Steve shouts back and receives a chorus of Yeses. He picks up the walkie-talkie and presses the button, "Caboose! You all buckled up, tunes at the ready? Over."

"Yes! Let's go already!" Zee's impatient voice crackles out of the speaker.

“You didn’t say over. Over.” Steve says, confused.

“Dad, I swear….” there is a little whispering which Steve smugly knows is Morgan encouraging her to get on board, “Yes, we’re ready to go. Over!”

"Alright then, let's do this!" Steve says way too enthusiastically for the slow, gradual speed this great hulking vehicle leaves the driveway at.

Despite how crazy it is to organise and how far they have to drive to find a midpoint in the country to meet up with all their old friends from Hawkins that were now spread all over. Steve's heart is packed to the brim. He reaches one hand out to Eddie, who gives him his pinky finger as the rest of his hand is busy with stickers, as the heavy metal screams throughout the RV. He sighs happily to himself.

So yeah, Steve still loved being a Dad, but he also loved being a husband, an easy-going ex-husband, a best friend, a son-in-law, a future father-in-law, and a godfather. But more than anything, he loved the people around him that made him all those things.

#steddie #steddie fan fiction #eddie munson x steve harrington #steddie fan fic #steddiefanfiction #steddiefanfic #madaboutmunson #madaboutmunsonagain #eddie munson #steve harrington

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madaboutmunson · 2 years ago

Text

Again - Part 23

Part 1 | Part 22 | Part 24 | Full list of Again series links inc AO3 Link

Steddie fic where Steve and Eddie are in their mid 30's and everyone has sort of drifted apart

Taglist: @adaed5 @grtwdsmwhr @swimmingbirdrunningrock @mightbeasleep, @jewellthebooknerd, @fentiibratzz @rvllybllply2014

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When Steve opens his eyes the next morning, the first thing that happens is he smiles. Hugely. Something only yesterday he thought might be impossible to do again. He feels a weight and heat all over him from the extra blanket made of Eddie.

Where they fell asleep neatly tucked up together, Eddie's head on his chest, his one arm holding him close, and their legs slightly intertwined, has now morphed into Eddie's and his limbs splayed over him like a starfish. His head is still at the centre of Steve’s chest, but face down, both sets of their hands are clasped together, their fingers have woven between one another's, and the muffled noises and intermittent moisture on his skin let him know Eddie is still asleep. Steve puts the softest, lightest kiss he can on the curl nearest his face.

Eddie jolts, his body tenses, and his hands squeeze Steve's as he gasps awake, looks around a few times and then realises where he is and calms. Sometimes Steve forgets Eddie also can be a very light sleeper. He rests his chin on Steve's thatch of chest hair and gazes up at him with barely open eyes, "Did I die again? Cus I'm lookin’ at an angel" he smiles sleepily, and Steve rolls his eyes but grins back at his stupid pick up line.

"You're already sharing a bed with me. You don't need to use your cheesy lines on me anymore." Steve says adoringly.

"Uh, yeah, actually I do, because the magic is in the cheese, Steve and you threw yourself across a table of tacos at me. I didn't get a chance to use that many, if any! So you're in for a lifetime of them. Mmm, cheese. Are you hungry? I'm hungry." Eddie says, smacking his lips together. He quickly wiggles up Steve, plants a peck on his lips, then violently throws back the covers and rolls off the bed to the floor with a thud.

"Urgh, your bed is wider than mine and much," Eddie groans in pain, "higher up. Three rolls." Eddie mutters as he gets to his feet, paces towards the window, and throws it open, "WAYNE!!" he bellows, half hanging out the window, "WHAT YOU MAKIN' DOWN THERE?"

"Nothin' for you, you dirty stop out," Steve hears a far away Wayne call up.

"AWW, COME ON, MAN. I CAN ALREADY SMELL THE BACON. YOU GOT PANCAKES? WAIT, HAS MORGAN MADE PASTRIES?" Eddie shouts back, suddenly wide awake.

"Young Miss Maxine tol' me, you eat with us, or you eat with your husband. You can't have both, Eddie!" Wayne calls back.

"That little tyrant!" Eddie seethes under his breath, screwing up his fists and nose, "FINE!" Eddie says, closing the window angrily. That's when Steve catches a glimpse of it, and it turns his stomach, the dark purple bruising on his neck, the edges melting into a green-yellow. A putrid reminder of what he'd done.

"Eddie," Steve says sympathetically, "Why don't you go eat with your Uncle and Morgan. It's fine. I've eaten breakfast with Robin and Max the last few days." Steve doesn't know if he does this out of kindness, self-preservation, or maybe a mixture of the two, but it definitely isn't what he truly wants. He didn't want to be apart from Eddie.

"No way. Uh-huh. No way. I know what they're doing. He's trying to tempt me out there, knowing full well you have to eat whatever cardboard you're being forced to eat." Eddie tries to look as serious as he can in his Batman boxer briefs whilst putting his hands on his hips, "Steve. I love you, but you gotta get on board with spotting your loved ones' sneaky ways, ok? What they are trying to do, Steve, is have little private conversations with us before we get a chance to talk about things together. I can feel the scheming!" He throws himself dramatically back down on the bed.

"Maybe it's not such a bad idea. Having a little pep talk beforehand reminds us to stay on point, avoid getting distracted, and keep brushing it under the rug, honey." Steve says, turning his head to him.

"I know, babe, and we will. We absolutely will. But right now should also be our reunited breakfast. We love breakfast! I don't wanna eat without you. That's just stupid. How are we gonna do that cute thing round the table you do if I'm at a different table, huh? I know it wouldn't bother you if we ate different things, and they know that too. It's just an excuse. They aren't as smart as they think they are, you know…and yet you're right, it wouldn't hurt to have a briefing beforehand, I guess" Eddie flops his arms down to his sides on the bed with a thud.

"You think it's cute, do you?" Steve says, lowering his voice, flirtatiously coaxing Eddie's face towards his own. A flash of surprise fills Eddie's face before he flutters his eyelashes and giggles.

"Oh yeah, the cutest." He answers, rolling back on top of Steve.

"Cuter than this?" Steve asks, kissing the tip of Eddie's nose.

"Oh, much cuter than that," Eddie grins.

"What about this?" Steve kisses Eddie's cheek with an audible mwah sound.

"Hmmm, still a little cuter than that," Eddie says, running his hand through Steve's hair, looking at him lovingly.

"And this?" Steve asks, holding Eddie's face in both hands and kissing him softly.

Eddie doesn't answer. He just kisses back.

"Wakey, wakey, time for your oatmeal shakey," Max calls out happily before there is a scream from Robin.

"What, Robin? What's going on? Is Steve ok?" Max's voice sounds panicked, "What the hell are you doing?? Why on earth are you covering my eyes?" Max complains.

Steve kisses Eddie one more time, and they both turn to look in his bedroom doorway. Max is holding a tray with a now upturned oat shake on it, whilst Robin has a hand over Max's eyes and her own. Beans runs past them both and pounces on Eddie, sending him flying off the bed again with an oof, then a string of giggles and baby talk.

"Sorry, we thought Eddie had already gone downstairs. We heard him privately conversing with Wayne." Robin stumbles over her words a little.

"Oh, gross! Please tell me they're dressed, at least." Max's face contorts in disgust.

"Yeah…yeah, absolutely totally dressed, just kissing, that's all." Robin tries.

"Oh my god, you are the worst liar. You know that." Max complains.

Eddie's head appears from the side of the bed, mischief written all over it. Beans' head pops up next to his with her tongue hanging out.

"Oh ladies, I'm so sorry, we weren't expecting guests. Let me just find my underwear. I know Steve tore it off and threw it over here somewhere." Eddie says thoughtfully as Steve hides behind a pillow, only his eyes peering over the top, one to hide his laughter, two so he might be safe from Storm Maxine if he set her off.

Max turns, passes the oat-filled tray to Robin, and rounds on Eddie, "You better be joking, Edward Munson. Otherwise, I will accept this as a declaration of war; believe me, I am not an opponent to be trifled with. I will win."

Eddie blows a raspberry, "You can't defeat me. You don't have the leverage."

Max walks forward, hands on her hips, and she leans forward to Eddie's space and says quietly, "Oh no? Wanna test that, do you? Hmmm." Eddie looks defiant.

"It doesn't say anything in those leaflets about kissing, ok. That's allowed!" Eddie complains.

"You better be joking about that underwear, Eddie. Otherwise," Max folds her arms and says quietly, "I'm gonna call his kids and tell them you put him in danger."

"You wouldn't dare!" Eddie gasps.

"Oh, but I would. Now can we all just keep to the rules?"

"Yes, on a few conditions. We eat breakfast altogether, and you teach me how to make that oat shake abomination. I know you're trying to get us apart for pre-talk talks, but can we do those after breakfast?" Eddie requests.

"How did you-" Robin starts.

"Because you aren't as sneaky as you think you all are. Wayne grilling bacon, pancakes and Morgan making pastries? Crazy coincidence." Eddie laughs, and to Steve's surprise, Max smiles. He couldn't shake the feeling that Eddie had missed an essential element of their whole plan, and it didn't look like Max would confess.

"Deal," Max says, putting her hand out to shake, but soon thinks better of it, turns it into a wave, and walks back towards Robin, who closes the door behind them.

Eddie walks back to the bed and offers his hands for Steve to take, "Best get you ready for breakfast, big boy," Eddie grins as Steve takes his hands and allows himself to be hoisted to his feet, "What do you wanna wear?" He asks eagerly, moving towards the chest of drawers.

"Well, um, probably something smart-ish, maybe?" Steve says thoughtfully. He absolutely can dress himself, but after how happy Eddie was helping him yesterday, he doesn't resist it this morning, and also, if he's honest with himself, it's kind of sweet.

Once he learned about Eddie via the kids, he was initially a little jealous because of how cool Dustin, Lucas and even Mike painted a picture of him. A rebel, the music he listened to had the kids foaming at the mouths to talk about it first. Eddie was into all their geeky stuff and knew more about it than they did, so he was some kind of nerd god and shredded on guitar. Steve had made peace with the fact that he couldn't and didn't want to compete on those levels. He had other things to offer them that Eddie couldn't, girl advice, style, a vehicle without its own personal weed cloud, he had fought alongside them several times, and everyone's parents liked golden boy Steve. But when the kids told him about Eddie inviting them to join Hellfire Club, when they told him about how Eddie ran distraction when anyone gave them any trouble, he sometimes took a punch to keep his club and his friends safe. He had taken them under his wing, but he was crowding Steve's wing, which was already there. That is what made Steve jealous. And the feeling, as it turned out, was very much mutual. So he knows care is something so ingrained in Eddie, just like it is in himself.

Though they only talked about it a few times, and their childhoods were utterly different, they both suffered an absence of care and instead of repeating that cycle, they had both chosen to break it and care and protect others in abundance. Even if it was always under a thin layer of false annoyance.

So, yeah, Steve can't do many things right now to show Eddie how much he means to him, but he can give him this, and Steve emphatically knows if the tables were turned, Eddie would let him have that too. He loved him so much.

Eddie chuckles and walks towards the closet, "Ok, I see what's going on here."

"You do?" Steve says nervously.

"Hit the shower. I'll use Corey's, and we'll reconvene in a few, ok?" Eddie instructs.

By the time Steve is done. Eddie is already in his closet. He's rushed. His wet footprint trail has given away his hurry.

Eddie remerges with a designer black polo shirt and some black Levi 501s, holding them up for approval.

"Could I have some colour, babe, please?" Steve asks with a soft laugh. Eddie wrinkles his nose in slight annoyance at not getting it right the first time and ventures back in. Steve calls after him, "Eddie. Why didn't you just tell her I started it?"

Eddie remerges with some more fitted black jeans and an olive green polo shirt, holds them up, and Steve nods. Eddie lays out the clothes and steals Steve's towel away so quickly in one fluid movement that it catches him by surprise, and he lets out an unexpected high-pitched noise, making Eddie laugh.

"Oh sweetheart," Eddie says, rustling in drawers to find some underwear and socks, "If I told Max it was you, and you had got in trouble with her, you might not ever flirt with me again. You're too well-behaved, honey." He kneels on the ground and helps Steve into his smalls and socks. Once on, he stands back up. "As much as I'd love to, the adjustments are, uh, all yours. I did make a deal." Eddie looks him up and down with a sweet smirk.

"Ah. No, actually. I'll have you know. I've snuck in and out of many a window. Like a ninja. Skull Rock was a make-out place I basically invented!" Steve defends as Eddie helps him into his jeans.

"Steve Harrington, I see the way you look at Max, like she's one of your own, and I know she's got you twisted around her little finger. So don't even try to pretend you're some kind of delinquent on demand. Maybe to the wider world, you could be," Eddie laughs, lifts his chin up, and Steve raises his arms so he can put the polo shirt on him. "But to all your little ones and not so little ones anymore. No chance. Zero." He smooths down the collar and kisses him lightly, "All done, handsome. It's not gonna help you, though." He says, half-smiling, picking up Steve's towel and drying his hair roughly.

"Eddie! Jesus Christ, stop doing that to your hair!" Steve wrestles the towel away from him. He takes Eddie's hand and sits him on a stool in front of his vanity dresser, "Why would you do that?" Steve looks through Eddie's hair which is starting to frizz, where he's scrubbed at it.

"You like my hair now. I always do it like this, apart from the painting day at the library and the taco date. I had a professional do it those days," he beams back at Steve in the mirror.

"I've always liked your hair, even when it was a wild and untamed thing. I just think you should be more careful with it. It didn't deserve to be treated that way." Steve says, reaching for some product, rubbing it into his hands and easing it into Eddie's curls for a while in thoughtful silence."I understand if he's mad, Eddie. He should be. I would be, wouldn't you?"

Eddie's eyes are closed as he's enjoying the hair treatment at Steve's hands, "Yeah, well, I'm a grown-up. I don't need Wayne to be mad about something you had no control over. It was an accident. We do the doctor appointments, and we do the therapy, and we fix it. End of. There isn't anything left to talk about."

"Eddie," Steve says sadly, cleaning off his hands, "We can't just forget it."

Eddie's eyes open, and a frown appears as he looks back at Steve in the mirror, "Yes, we can, actually. We can forget it. It was a stupid mistake. A unique set of circumstances that will never happen again. I want to forget all about it. If it were up to me, we wouldn't even need these stupid talks, bringing up things we can't change. What is the point? Let's just move on and get back to the good part." Eddie says firmly.

"That's just not possible," Steve says, which must trigger something in Eddie because he is out of his seat.

"Yes, it is! It is possible! It's entirely possible to forget. You should know that, of all people." Eddie pokes him in the chest a little hard, "It's absolutely without a shadow of a doubt possible to forget whole time periods, events, places and people, Steve!" The corners of Eddie's mouth plummet downward, his hand rubs soothingly at where he poked Steve, and his eyes brim with tears, "Sorry." He says, voice breaking.

Without missing a beat, Steve wraps him up in his arms. He realises there is so much Eddie hasn't unpacked from the last week, not just what happened between them but his own trauma being triggered and losing Jack on top of all of that.

"Honey. It's ok. I know you're eager for the good parts, me too. I just don't want us to brush things under the carpet, and end up like so many people do, tip-toeing around or tripping over all the bumps when they least expect it and clashing with one another. I don't wanna do that with you." He squeezes him tighter, and Eddie nods into his neck.

"You're right. I know you are. I just hate this. When I came home and saw Beans outside, I knew something was wrong, but instead of calling anyone. I just charged in like an idiot. I should have figured out a way to restrain you, but I was so scared. You were looking right through me. Like I wasn't me. I can't explain it; it just wasn't how you look at me, and then I tried to calm you down, but it just made everything infinitely worse, babe. If I'd just been smarter, none of this would have happened." Eddie sighs and takes a deep breath straightening up and wiping his eyes like he's determined not to actually cry.

One arm still around him, the other raises to touch his neck, and Eddie goes to move away but Steve holds him in place, earning him a concerned wide-eyed look, but not fear. Steve swallows hard moving his shaking fingers until they are centimetres from contact with the purpling bloom across Eddie's throat. He stares at it, "Does it still hurt?" Steve asks in a whisper.

"No, not really, unless I bump it or press it. I mean, the likelihood of me bumping it on anything is minimal," Eddie tries to joke, but he can feel the seriousness between them.

"May I? Gently?" Steve asks quietly as his sad eyes finally reach Eddie's, who reluctantly nods. Steve stretches his fingers out and barely touches Eddie's skin in case it hurts more than he lets on. He moves around the yellowed edge first and then across into the darkened centre. "I'm so sorry, baby," Steve mutters desperately. "I know last night you didn't want to talk about it, and I respect that, and in a way, if I'm honest, it was both a relief and the most frustrating thing in the world." He cradles the side of Eddie's neck like it's made of the finest porcelain. "Not frustrating because I want to talk about it and you forgive me, but frustrating, I want you to know how fucking sorry I am I hurt you. I never wanted to do that, honey, not ever, in any way. I love you so much. I'm so fucking sorry." Steve says remorsefully and looks back up into his eyes.

"Is there ever gonna be a sorry that's gonna be enough for you, Steve? Which one is gonna be the one where you forgive yourself because I forgave you a billion sorrys ago, even before the first one. You know you were apologising to me in your sleep? Begging me not to leave?" He takes Steve's hand away from his neck and puts it to the side of his face, "I understand, and I know you mean every single apology, babe. I just want you to know I don't need them. I believe you. I'm not leaving. I know you would never do that intentionally, not to me." Eddie looks deeply into Steve's eyes like he's trying to embed his words into Steve's mind for good. Steve can only stand there and look over him for a few seconds in silence. He only had two things on his tongue, another torrent of apologies, which Eddie said he didn't need, and the insanity Eddie was shut out of.

So Steve opens the door to it.

"You are not stupid. I am. You told me to turn the TV off and wait. I didn't because it was drawing me in. It was spilling out of the TV, Eddie. Filling my home up with its darkness. All that tragedy, all those plumes of smoke, all the floating pieces in the air. All that destruction. All that death. It was like my brain had changed channels, and before I knew it, I was somewhere else. I couldn't see the room I was in. I was back in The Upside Down. Back in 1986, well, '83. Alone this time. Outside that house. Monsters everywhere. No weapons, but I had to stop him. It must have twisted your voice when you spoke, and I thought you were him. Vecna. I didn't know it was you or where I was until it was too late. As soon as I realised what was going on, I stopped." Steve confesses it all.

"Oh my god, Steve. That must have been terrifying." Eddie says, concern swimming in his eyes as his hands reach up to his face and thumb over his cheeks. Steve nods.

"I thought about it, you know. When I was outside the house. I thought about running away. But then I thought about all of you, and I couldn't turn my back, Eddie. I couldn't let all this horror get to you. I couldn't let my kids live like that in a world of fear. That's no life. So I had to stop him, you know. Even when I knew I probably wouldn't make it. I had to try." Steve can feel himself trembling and the tears falling from his eyes, but he doesn't look away from Eddie, who wipes them away for him, and though he looks devasted, Steve watches the corner of his mouth twitch up.

"You were cute. You tried to be a hero or something." Eddie forces a trembling smile, and Steve nods and crashes forward into Eddie's shoulder, "You aren't fighting anything alone anymore, understand?"Eddie rocks him gently from side to side as his one hand cradles the back of his head. "You gotta stop charging into things without me. I'm supposed to be next to you every step of the way, and so is everyone else who loves you. Look at them, Steve. Look at all of us. No one blames you. Not even Wayne. He's mad because I got hurt. That's all, but he's not an idiot. He knows you didn't premeditate that. He just wants to see for himself what he already knows. And from what you told me, he's gonna completely understand." Eddie tightens their embrace. "I love you so much. As long as I'm around, baby, you'll never, ever have to face anything alone again. Never. You're our keep, and we your knights, but deep down in you, right there," Eddie puts his fingers on the centre of Steve's chest, "That's my treasure, and if anyone or anything tries to damage or steal it. They best be ready for Ancient Dragon levels of fury and fiery vengeance. That's my hoard," he says, kissing his forehead. "Thank you for telling me all of that. That must have been fucking terrifying to do too." He sweeps a hand over Steve's hair. "And look at me. I'm still where I was before you told me. I still love you. Maybe more. Please don't shut me out anymore, Steve. Even if it's the craziest, most horrendous, most bizarre shit. It's not your fault that happens to you. We'll find a way." Eddie tilts his head and smiles sweetly, "Apparently, according to your kids, that's the way it's done in Chez Harrington." Eddie smiles lovingly at him.

Steve's eyes raise to his again in gentle adoring surprise, "They said that?"

"Sure did. In Jenny's kitchen, before we all came over," Eddie's smile grows, "Now how about we get some breakfast before it's cold and disgusting. I mean, yours started cold and disgusting, but there is hope for mine still."

After breakfast has been consumed and cleared away, Max shows Steve and Eddie how she organised his medication in a box with many labelled compartments. Eddie makes notes, listening intently to her, which distracts Steve entirely because he looks so adorable when concentrating. His little tongue poking out, eyes wide, peppering her with questions. He feels someone looking at him and lifts his eyes from Eddie to find Robin, who looks adoringly between them both, drawing a heart in the air with her fingers, and mouths "Perfect" before giving Steve two thumbs up. He wasn't after Robin's approval, but it made him so proud to have it. She always liked Eddie, but as Steve's best friend for the longest time, she had made her opinions known on some of his quirks or sometimes problematic behaviour without even knowing how Steve felt about him.

"Wow, Max. Thank you for doing all that. I have no idea how I'll ever repay you for everything you've done." Steve says gratefully.

"I don't need to be repaid. I need you to follow the instructions, and when you go to the appointments, you have an important one with your specialist later today. Make sure you know exactly what you need to do and if there are any changes." Max says kindly, “Let's just make sure Steve here gets back up to full speed and stays there.” She reaches out her hand to roughly where Steve is, and he moves his arm towards her, so she can put her arm around him for a quick squeeze, which for Max was huge.

“Max and I thought we’d go out for the day. Maybe I could describe the world’s largest ball of paint to her whilst we sample some local goodies.” Robin says, grabbing for her car keys and their jackets.

"So here's your chance, Edward. Do a good job, and I won't need to be your personal shadow tomorrow." Max smirks at him.

"The specialist is today?! Christ give me a chance," Eddie says in surprise.

"Don't worry, Max, we've got this. Go enjoy your day. Let us know if you're coming back for food later or staying over somewhere." Steve says confidently and reaches out to hold Eddie's hand.

"Will do." Max smiles and flicks out her cane to make her way around to where Robin is.

Wayne looks up from the paper, “On account of you being busy this afternoon, you got time now, Sunshine?”

“Yeah, of course,” Steve says a little nervously, and immediately he feels the warm reassurance of Eddie’s hand at the small of his back, and Steve tries desperately not to look at Eddie, not like Wayne would judge him as weak for looking for support, just he didn't want Wayne to feel uncomfortable about saying what he wanted to. They both make their way to sit opposite Wayne at the kitchen table again.

It wasn’t so much that Steve was concerned with what Wayne had to say. Eddie had already explained Wayne’s eagerness to speak with him, and as a father, Steve absolutely understood that. He’d even understand if Wayne tore into him, no holds barred, or gave him a taste of his own medicine. None of that worries Steve. He’d expect that. Maybe some toxic part of him would even welcome it. It is, after all, what he felt he deserved, but the indisputable worst part of this is being a disappointment to Wayne. An adult to look up to, to aspire to be like, who had embraced Steve for everything he was and wasn’t. Showed him what real nurturing looked like, and to disappoint a man who gave him all that for no reason might be more than he can take. Steve never had to earn anything with Wayne. Not a term of affection, a hug, a smile, a compliment, a congratulations, a plate of food, not a place in his home. That was brand new to Steve.

Wayne points a finger at Eddie and then to the kitchen door, “Why don’t you go see what young Morgan is up to, huh? In light of the world events this week, he’s probably reworking one of his games, could probably do with a hand.”

Eddie’s expression wipes. He clearly was not expecting to not be at Steve’s side for this, and his eyes bore into Wayne’s, his mouth a tight line. He doesn't look angry or worried, he looks as though he is purposely not trying to display any expression at all, but something unspoken is being communicated between them both for a few seconds. Eddie grunts gets up, and leaves the table, slamming the door behind him.

Steve looks down into his glass of water and tries to look up at Wayne, but the shame is too great, “Wayne, I-” Steve starts, but Wayne raises a finger.

“Hold your horses there, Sunny,” He speaks with a gentle gruffness that Steve has come to find as much of a comfort as he does hearing him speak his nickname, so he tries to look at him again, “I’m gonna speak plainly as one man to another. Now Eddie ain’t my kid on paper, but he is my boy and always will be in my heart. An’ I know you know that,” Steve, this time looks into Wayne’s intense but compassionate eyes, and he sees where Eddie might get that look from too. “So lemme start by addressin’ the problem here. You hurt my boy, Steve. What you did physically coulda really damaged him according to the emergency room people I made him go see,” Wayne leans across the table, his fingers steepled in front of him, “But when you didn't answer him. When he thought he’d lost you. When he was tappin’ away on his phone, or starin’ at it, or throwing it down the RV. Cryin’ when he thought we weren't lookin’ at first, but then eventually didn't care if we could. Didn’t care about much of anythin’ to tell ya the truth. You coulda killed him. He don’t bounce back like you.” Wayne looks Steve directly in the eyes, “Eddie sinks right to the very bottom, has to claw his way back out from there.” Steve can’t hold his stare. Doesn’t feel worthy after what he did. Wayne's hand reaches across the table for his. “You can’t cut him off like that, Sunny. He was so lost when he couldn't reach you. You gotta just tell him, good or bad, ok?”

Steve raises his eyes to Waynes for a split second, “I-I didn't mean to do that, sir. I just couldn't bring myself to read the messages I thought might be there,” The warmth from Wayne's hand spreads over his skin, and he notices how soft his touch is now. The comforting rough texture is almost long gone, only still present on his fingertips. He still plays regularly, Steve thinks.

“Enougha that sir business. As far as Eddie is concerned, we're as good as family already. I ain't tellin' all this to make you feel bad, but I ain't sugar coatin' it, for my boy's sake. This is who he is. He's intense. He loves ferociously. You gotta know that before getting any deeper with him. It would be kinder to cut him loose now than to give him the cold shoulder again after your next fight."

Steve panics, "No. No, I don't wanna do that. It was all just a long line of mistakes, Wayne. I swear. I only didn't turn my phone on because I thought after what I'd done it was over, and I'm pretty resilient when it comes to getting rejected, but I don't know what I would have done if I had to read or hear Eddie say he didn't love me anymore." That gives Wayne pause, "When he wasn't there when I came round. I thought he was gone for good. I was so lost." Steve feels a slight heat rise to his cheeks, "I might not show it, but I love him just as intensely. I'm just not good at expressing myself and being open sometimes. I try for my family, which includes you and Eddie." He risks a look back up from the table. Something in Wayne seems to have settled, his posture and expression relaxes, but his hand squeezes Steve's tighter.

"Then what happened?" Wayne asks plainly.

"Eddie told you everything that happened in that place, right?" Steve asks carefully.

"Yeah, after I dragged it out of him," Wayne says, slightly annoyed.

"Well, when I saw all that destruction on the TV. I knew I should turn it off. Eddie even told me as much, but I could not stop watching like it was a whirlpool dragging me in and under, and then I guess my imagination spilled into my real life, and I couldn't tell the difference." Steve shifts their hands and grips Wayne's hand tightly, "This is gonna sound crazy. I could not see Eddie in there, and though I heard his words, it wasn't his voice, and it wasn't coming from him. It was one of the things we had to fight. So I fought. I fought for our lives, but please, believe me, I had no idea I was fighting Eddie." Steve tries to be brave and looks up at Wayne again to see his reaction, was he alarmed that Eddie had chosen a madman to spend the rest of his life with? Would he put a stop to that? As a father, that made sense. You'd do everything you could to keep your kid from harm, even if they hated you for it.

Steve hears the scraping on a chair and feels Wayne's arms wrap around him. One hand pulls his head in tight to Wayne's chest. The familiar care and love from Wayne completely overwhelms him, as he realises all is not lost, and Steve erupts into sobs, his painful, deeply repressed wails burst out of him, muffled by Wayne's plaid shirt, "I'm so sorry." He repeats over and over into the material like he hopes his apologies weave between the threads for eternity.

"I got you, Sunny." He repeats in return, trying to soothe Steve, Until he returns to speaking words instead of just making noises. He holds Steve's head up between his hands and looks him right in the eye, "You aren't alone, Steve. What happened to you… Your mind was tryin' to guard itself, understand?"

Steve shakes his head with tears still streaming down his face, "Oh god, Wayne. I'm so scared I'm out of control. What if that hadn't been someone strong like Eddie. What if that had been Jenny? What if that had been one of my kids?" Steve slumps his head down again, and Wayne picks it right back up. Steve opens up again and details what he saw, just like he had for Eddie.

"You are not outta control. Eddie told me how protective you are over 'em all, how you've been playing hero in fights that never shoulda been on your shoulders, but you had no other choice. How you look up to your grandpa and everythin' he did. How you wanna be more like him, less like your ol' man." Wayne readjusts in his seat and lowers himself a little to meet Steve's eyes, "What you saw on the TV, Sunny, was somethin' you recognised in a split second as something you couldn' protect 'em from. You got scared because you can't fight the unknown. Because you can't protect your kids from an unseen force. With all the familiar images on the TV, your mind just took you right back to it, warped it, threw you right back into battle mode." Steve focuses on Wayne's words to ground himself and realises his gripping his arms so very tightly. "So many young 'uns end up just like you, all because they were shoulderin' a burden that weren't theirs in the first place. Happened to me too. I got called up and saw some things I'll never unsee. That's why I lived alone for so long. I was lucky I got injured pretty quickly and got sent home. But I can't be around a bonfire without imaginin' my enemies, my brother's in arms, or innocents screamin' for help in it."

"What do I do, Wayne? I don't know what to do. I'm so afraid it could happen again, no matter what the doctors say." Steve actually pleads for Wayne's help. He feels the desperation within him. He was too afraid to show these fears to anyone else, but now he'd let it all out. "I don't wanna be that guy. I'm not that guy. I wanna be a Dad, I wanna be a Husband. I wanna love and be loved. I don't wanna hurt anyone. Why couldn't the universe just let me have that, huh? Just once!" Steve sighs, "I'm lucky in so many areas. I see that. I really do. But now, this new perfect, wonderful thing I had, it's got a huge imperfection, caused by me, at my clumsy, stupid hands. I had everything, and I almost lost it just like that."

"Just because it's battle-worn or broken doesn't mean it's worth less or isn't worth looking after with the same care," Wayne lifts his head up and pulls him back in for another bear hug. "In most cases, it needs more."

"Thank you. I promise I won't let you down again." Steve says into his shoulder.

"Take your meds, do your therapy, talk openly. Do those things, Sunshine, and you'll not disappoint yourself." Wayne says with a final squeeze and pats his back. He pulls a handkerchief from his pocket and wipes the tears from Steve's face, "Come 'ere. He'll have my guts for garters if he comes back in here and thinks I made you cry." Wayne gives him a warm smile.

"Wayne, can I ask you something?" Steve asks a little bashfully.

"O' course, shoot," Wayne says with a reassuring smile.

Steve clears his throat, "Did you know? All those years ago?"

Wayne smiles broadly, "Wasn't my place to know, Sunny. Was my place to give you both room to figure things out yourselves."

"Did he tell you why he left to go to Indi?" Steve asks.

"Eddie was always gonna leave eventually. Hawkins would never understand him. He had big dreams and had a big personality. That place couldn't hold him, so they tried to crush him, even before the murder allegations," Wayne says, clearing away his coffee cup, "He told me everything whilst he was packin'. He'd already told me how he felt about you, but he was standin' there throwing things together. I didn't say much. Just let him get it all out. I don't think he really understood himself. He just thought he'd lead you astray, put you in danger. Convinced he'd corrupted you somehow. I tried to tell him it doesn't work like that, but he wouldn't have it. I thought he'd be back in a week, but I was wrong." Wayne leans back in his chair and pockets the handkerchief, "We had so many fights about Alice, and when he started using stuff and drinking himself into oblivion, I asked him home. He refused. Didn't want to come back a failure, he said. Nearly really lost him in New York. He was hanging ‘round with some heavy users there. Something made him see sense, though. Made him come home." Wayne turns back to Steve, "I think he was just trying to fill a void with anything he could all that time, but it didn't work. Nothin' did. Not until that day at the library."

Steve smiles fondly, remembering that day.

"Be good to one another as often as you can. When you argue, make sure it's worth fighting over. Ninety per cent of the time, it never is, and you're just letting anger eat up what could have been happy memories. Be silly and stupid with him. Let him know he's loved every day." Wayne laughs, "He never looks like he needs it, but he does, feed his ego now and again too. Do that, and he'll never stray, loyal as a hound that one."

"I promise, Wayne. I'll take care of him and you if you allow it." Steve smiles and almost laughs at Wayne's shocked face, "There is plenty of room here. I've probably got enough space on the land to fix you up something static."

"Now, Sunny, that's too much-" Wayne starts to say, but Steve gently raises a finger to him.

"No, Wayne. You gave me a home when I needed one most. You welcomed me with open arms. I wanna extend that to you. Money doesn't matter to me. I'm not saying that to boast. I'm saying that so you know I wouldn't miss it, Wayne. I wouldn't miss the money it would take to make this your home too. Anyway, you want it. I know Eddie, and I would both love that." Steve says happily, "Think about it, would ya? It would be great for the kids to have a Grandpa that is still here and actually has time for them."

"I ain't no one's Grandpa," Wayne laughs.

"Not yet," Steve teases with sparkling eyes, a huge smile, and Wayne's eyes widen.

"Eddie! I think it's time for you to collect your husband now!" Wayne calls out, making Steve laugh hard.

There is the sound of running, and Eddie immediately wrenches open the door, out of breath. He looks at Wayne, then Steve and back to Wayne again before scurrying into Steve's lap and examining his face. Eddie's eyes narrow, and he turns slowly to Wayne, "You made him cry!" he frowns and pouts, stealing Wayne's handkerchief from his pocket, "Give me that!" He fans it open with a flick of his wrist, still glaring at Wayne before he eventually turns to Steve and starts drying his eyes. Wayne and Steve are desperately not trying to laugh at Eddie's theatrical display.

Hours later, on the drive back from the specialist appointment, Steve is half-sulking, and Eddie is cackling loudly. He’s trying his level best to be annoyed, but Eddie’s laugh is too infectious, and the information was actually kind of a relief.

Eddie slaps the steering wheel a few times, “Oh babe, this is your finest moment for sure!” he chuckles and wipes his eyes.

“It’s not funny! I could have died, you heard the man.” Steve emphasises.

“Oh yeah. I heard that, but that was waaaay after the other list of facts, babe. You didn't have a heart attack, which is why they didn't operate. What happened to you is rare and mostly happens to fifty-five-plus menopausal women!” Eddie smiles back, teasing him playfully.

“I’m a rare case. It’s still a valid condition. One of my heart chambers is misshapen!” Steve tries to complain, but Eddie is struggling to hold back laughter.

“Ok, ok. I’m sorry. Yes, it's very serious, ok? But, Steve, come on…you are always teasing me about being dramatic, but your body decides you are gonna have one of the most theatrical-sounding things I’ve ever heard of? Broken heart syndrome? Seriously?” Eddie shakes his head like he can barely believe it.

“Stop calling it that! It’s called Takotsubo cardiomyopathy!” Steve folds his arms. He’s actually annoyed now. Eddie rolls his eyes and reaches his hand out to Steve, and when he doesn't take it, he just starts squeezing random bits of Steve he can grab until he holds his hand.

“I’m surprised you aren’t overjoyed it wasn't an actual heart attack!” Eddie says, a little shocked, “The recovery for this could be another week, another three weeks tops. Isn’t that awesome news?”

Steve can’t deny that was great news, but he knew Eddie would never let him live this down, so he may as well admit defeat right now, “I suppose you’re right. It could be so much worse.”

“I am right, aren’t I?” Eddie beams proudly, “I’m getting pretty good at this husband stuff.”

“Don’t push it!” Steve warns, but he side glances and secretly loves how adorable Eddie looks right now.

“Oh baby, no way. I will not push it. Not today,” he turns to Steve and gives him a huge grin, “No. Not this week, not next, but after that, sweetheart….” He starts pressing buttons on the car stereo. Steve recognises the song immediately and frowns.

Eddie taps the beat on the steering wheel, winds down all the windows, turns the music up loudly, and sings along.

Sittin' here eatin' my heart out waitin'

Waitin' for some lover to call

Dialed about a thousand numbers lately

Almost rang the phone off the wall

Lookin' for some hot stuff, baby, that evenin'

I need some hot stuff, baby, that night

I want some hot stuff, baby, that evenin'

Gotta have some hot stuff

Gotta have some love tonight

“You know what, Edward, you are going the right way for a permanent ban on all things intimate!” Steve reprimands him half-heartedly.

“Oh, Edward, is it?” Eddie wiggles his eyebrows, “That's normally reserved for when I do something exceptionally naughty, babe.” he giggles mischievously, “Like you could possibly resist all this.” Eddie gestures at himself, flexes his bicep and kisses it.

“Ok, well, this is helping me find a whole host of things to help resist you!” Steve sounds upset, but a laugh slips, “I can’t believe you aren’t taking this more seriously!”

“Baby, the only thing serious about me this evening, is gonna be the serious about of snuggling and smooching I’m gonna be lavishing you with tonight, and tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, repeat to infinity,” Eddie says dreamily, looking out on the road.”In fact…” he says as he swerves the car down a side road, making Steve grip onto the door for dear life until he pulls up at the side of the road, “I’m gonna start right now. I’ve got a broken heart to mend.” He smiles as he unbuckles his seat belt, wraps his arms around Steve and kisses him lovingly.

#steddie #steddie fan fiction #eddie munson x steve harrington #steddie fan fic #steddiefanfiction #steddiefanfic #madaboutmunson #madaboutmunsonagain #eddie munson #steve harrington

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madaboutmunson · 2 years ago

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Aaaaaaaaaaah *screams with excitment*

Got an update on the commission I treated myself to for a scene from my older Steddie fic “Again” and I am so excited it looks awesome!

#steddie fan fiction #madaboutmunsonagain

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madaboutmunson · 2 years ago

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Yes!!! Finally had an Again writing breakthrough at lunch, but now I have to go back to work, wah! Oh well, hopefully I'll get the first draft of the next chapter done tonight! ☺️

Being able to write something after getting so stuck makes me so happy 🥰 especially as we are so close to the end of this one

#madaboutmunsonagain #steddie #older steddie #steddie fan fic

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madaboutmunson · 2 years ago

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This story is finally all finished.

This is my longest fic I've ever written (110K+ words.)

I really enjoyed making these versions of Steddie, and the stories and OCs that filled their lives for the 15 years they were apart.

I miss them already 🥲

Again (Complete)

AO3 Link

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Eddie Munson (Steddie)

Summary: Set when Steve and Eddie are in the 30's

Snippet of Part 1

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madaboutmunson · 2 years ago

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Again - Part 1

Part 2 | Full list of Again series links inc AO3 Link

Steddie fic where Steve and Eddie are in their mid 30's and everyone has sort of drifted apart

Thank you to @gamerdano for all their help with this 💚💚💚

================================================

Steve loved being a Dad.

Not just the caring protecting aspect, but surprising to him more than anyone, he loved the learning aspect. Nearly every day, he was learning something new. For example, today, he was learning that you can now play games in the library. That was definitely not allowed when he was a kid.

The only thing Steve loved more than being a Dad was being a Single Dad.

He didn't dislike his ex-wife. They got on really well to this day, and being a single parent was really hard, truly, but it meant that no one was hovering around telling Steve how to do things, and he didn't have the added pressure of being responsible for meeting all his partner's needs as well as his kids. He could just focus on them, and when it was mom's week, maybe he'd go on a date (probably not), treat himself to something (a haircut at most), get involved with a hobby (play a video game he's forgotten all the controls to), get some exercise (a run, god bless the invention of cell phones and in-ear headphones).

The problem for Steve was he didn't like being away from his home too much. Home was safe.

When the kids were away, he didn't like to go too far in case something happened, and they needed to come back, or one of them wanted to speak to him. If he went someplace, he'd only be worrying the whole time. The cell phone let him get a little further afield, but there was just something about being near the house phone, and he hadn't worked out how to get his cell phone out of whatever language his youngest had accidentally put it in. He'd figured out some of the main menu options by trial and error.

Steve can't believe how much had changed in his life over the last 15 years. Friends he thought he'd keep for life were now mostly just names on a Christmas card list or an occasional phone call. He often thought it was because, like himself, seeing them just brought it all back, and everyone deserves to move on, didn't they? Just be normal, average human beings.

He'd gone from King of Hawkins High to Monster Slayer to Doting Husband to Suburban Dad to Single Dad in what felt like a blink of an eye.

Steve pulled into a spot in the nearest parking lot and turned around to his eldest child, Mackenzie, 13.

"Want me to come in with you, Mac-attack?" He asks, turning to the back seat.

"Want? No! Need? Unfortunately, yes!" She frowned, lifting one headphone slightly before letting it spring back to her ear, as she returned to gazing hatefully out of the window like she was trying to set the world on fire with her mind.

Steve turns back in his seat, bites his tongue and reminds himself that Mac has got it tough.

It's not that he and his wife are divorced, causing the current issues. Sure it's a historic contributing factor, no doubt, but this was because she drew the short end of the stick, hitting puberty earlier than most, and when you're 11, that fucking sucks. The world could have at least waited two more years or something.

That's why they were here; Mac's friend group was solely boys. Steve and his wife had no issues with that. The other kids' parents in the group didn't have a problem with that until a few months ago. The changes were small. She wasn't allowed at sleepovers anymore. Then there were the comments from some of the moms, or maybe she shouldn't be wearing that spaghetti strap vest anymore; perhaps you should invest in something more supportive. Then she wasn't invited to things because they weren't for girls movies, sports events (which Steve was certain was because she would have annihilated them all at them), or parties. And because she was being pushed out and would miss out on group happenings and banter, the worst thing of all happened:

They kicked her out of their dungeons and dragons party.

Steve was sure that soon she'd lose interest in the little nerd game anyway, but as it stood, she still wanted to play on, and she saw this poster in the library last week, so here they are. Steve looks in the rearview mirror. She's not glaring out of the window anymore; she looks scared. She didn't know if in there it was going to be precisely the same or not. "Let's do this!! Whoooo!!!" Steve shouts loudly, clapping his hands to break her out of her thoughts, which gets him an eye roll. He'd take it, he thinks and smiles.

Mackenzie wasn't the first person he'd heard about the game from, he knew a few of his old friends played it, but she was undoubtedly the first person to show him the magic of it.

The escapism, the collective storytelling, the adventure, your character's fate depending on a roll of the dice. Once he understood, he made sure to get her everything she needed. She was never happier than after a game, whether it went the party's way or not because she had a story.

Corey, 8, was deeply engrossed in his Gameboy. "Hey, Cor, can you peel your eyes away just until we get inside, alright? There are cars all around, buddy" Steve gets a grunt in reply and wonders if the next 5-10 years of his life will be learning to decipher grunts from his children because it was the only language they were willing to speak to him.

Mackenzie is clutching her books to herself. There was room in her backpack for them, but Steve wondered if she was using it as some kind of shield or line of defence. He wants to say, don't worry honey, I'm right here, but he knows how well that goes down, so he lets her take the lead, "Just let me know what you need me to do, honey." He gives her a small smile as she turns to take to the woman at the counter, who seems to be directing her elsewhere.

Books held firmly against her like some kind of magically imbued chest plate and her eyes boring into the floor, she speed walks past Steve towards the front door, "Hey!! Where are you going??" He yells, running after her while making a mental note of Corey's location. As he should have suspected, he is safely in a chair, thumbs clicking away.

"Mackenzie Robin Harrington!!" He shouts, and she stops in her tracks. He's glad to see at least one thing still works. He bends down to look her in the face, "Honey, what is going on?"

Her face is bright red with embarrassment, and Steve remembers the kind of parent he wants to be, "I'm sorry I embarrassed you by shouting your name like that. I just wanted you to stop walking, so I could talk with you and understand what's going on, ok? That's all. We don't have to stay if you don't want to. I just want to make sure you aren't missing out. Please?" Steve tries his best. He sees her swallow, and her eyes flick up to his for a moment, "I got the time wrong. We're late, like nearly a whole hour late."

"I thought this was just a workshop for character creation type thing today, not an actual game session? I'm sure it won't matter. Do you wanna try at least?" Steve is amazed he's retained any of this information.

"I just…I wanted to get here before everyone else…so when other people turned up, it looked like…it looked like I belonged…because I was here first," She says, eyes blinking at the ground.

"I tell you what. I'll go in first, check it out, and then relay the info to you, and then you make the call, huh? How about that?" He says excitedly, like he's in a timeout huddle. She looks up, and her shiny eyes meet his with a nod and didn't his heart just explode into a million tiny cute plush toys when that happened. Dad mode engaged. "Ok, let's get your half-electronic game system of a brother and point me at the target, honey."

"It's a Gameboy…" Corey starts to correct him, and honestly, Steve could be mad about the attitude, but it's the most he's said to him all day so far.

"...Advance, I know I paid through the nose to get it on release day for you, Cor," Steve says, hand on hip pointing at the little plastic attention black hole.

"Er, no. I've actually completed all the games I had for that one, so I'm back on the Colour. They look completely different! Urgh," Corey almost peels his eyes from it to target Steve with his disdain. Almost.

Time was of the essence, so rather than try to engage verbally, Steve lifted Corey out of his chair and gently pulled him along with them.

Steve opens the door to the side room and can see a bunch of kids of all different ages at tables, happily scribbling away and talking. He does note the distinct lack of girls in the kids he can see. Some of the older kids have polo shirts with something printed on them. They must be like the instructors or what was it, Masters…Dungeon Masters, that was it.

Then Steve hears some booming footsteps and an almighty roar. His spirit nearly leaves him until he hears a ripple of laughter after it and sees one of the polo shirt wearers sporting a paper mache dragon head stomping around the tables.

The dragon…locks eyes with him…and runs over.

Everything in Steve says run, but he's here for Mackenzie. So he pretends he isn't alarmed in the slightest. The dragon extends their hand, and when Steve accepts the handshake, he is engulfed in a hug, the dragon head bumping him several times before it finds its way over his shoulder. Steve grimaces with something between disgust and horror. What kind of weird place was this? He's glad they were late; if this had happened to Mackenzie, this dragon's head would have been punched somewhere into next year. The dragon is gesticulating, and Steve's hearing isn't the best. He knows they're talking, but all he can hear are mumbles, and he has no mouth to read for assistance.

"I'm sorry. Can you speak up? I can't hear you."

The dragon puts its hands to its head and laughs before revealing itself.

"Shit! Long time no see, Harrington!!" The familiar voice says.

Steve takes a moment to process, The big smile and eyes, the dark wavy hair that reached his jawline, the ringed hands, and the scars. Steve knows those scars and instinctively reaches for his side. He holds up the dragon head, "Sorry about that, um, the kids find me less scary if I scare them with the dragon head first," he says quietly.

Steve laughs, "Eddie?"

"In the flesh!" He gestures at his whole self, with a flourish, and the hugest smile, that Steve can tell he's trying hard to turn down a little from max wattage.

"Wow, I mean. I know you loved this game, but it's like huge, and we're nowhere near Hawkins. I'm just surprised, is all. Pleasantly, obviously. It's just…wow…" Steve says a little nervously. It was a little guilt for not keeping in touch, mostly surprise, but also, Eddie looked different, even though the trademarks were all there. His hair was less frizzy and more defined, and his face had aged a little. He looked more manly.

"Ah, don't get all flustered over little ol' me now", he laughs, and Steve feels comforted by his teasing. It was the Eddie he remembered.

"Er…listen so. I'm not here for me."

"Well, I could have guessed that", Eddie snorts out a laugh.

"My kid wants to join."

"Ok, we'll circle back to the fact you have a kid but do continue."

"Well, I have two, but anyway, the point being she really wants to join in and was worried it would be a problem because we're late. My fault, you know. She wanted to get here first, so it looked like she belonged here, and she was just worried it would be full of assholes that might give her a hard time about it, you know."

Eddie looks at him, confused, "About being late?"

"Er..yes…but because she's a girl."

Eddie's eyebrows furrow, "Well, thankfully, for everyone concerned, a penis is not a required piece of starting equipment."

Steve's eyebrows shoot up. One because of the comment and two because Eddie censored himself by whispering the offending word.

"Look, if she wants to learn to play, there is room. I'll make sure she's good. That sexist bullshit doesn't fly in my games. Or any prejudice crap, for that matter. It's a fantasy game, for Christ's sake. It's got magic. Why would it be so unbelievable a girl can't play? That's just dumb," Steve notes the self-censoring again, tries not to laugh and pushes it into an appreciative smile instead.

"Well, she already knows how to play. Pretty well, actually, I think her Cleric, life domain, is about level 8 now, but she did say she's happy to roll up a new one. Though that does mean she'll need a new dice set and stationary.." Steve gets lost in his thoughts for a moment before he turns back to Eddie, whose expression looks like someone just presented him with a surprise puppy.

"But anyway, yeah, she's looking for a new party because the last one, well, they kinda forced her out because, you know, they're all growing up or whatever and some bullshit like that" Steve takes Eddie's lead on the self-censorship.

Eddie is gobsmacked for a second and then immediately furious, that nose wrinkle and tensed, pressed tight, mouthed expression, it’s the same as Steve remembers, but he tries to keep his voice down, no full-blown Eddie tantrum here. "The little scrotes kicked her out of the party because they're growing up? What kind of nonsensical bullshit is that? You know what, get her in here, now, Steve. We've already wasted too much time. She could be throwing away her player's handbook as we speak." The urgency in Eddie's voice is endearing because there isn't a drop of sarcasm or condescension in it. He is genuinely alarmed this massive game might lose one player. Steve got the feeling this wasn't just for him or Mac, and he'd be the same with anyone isolated that way.

Steve smiles and goes to turn around and get her before he's stopped by Eddie's hand on his shoulder and an unsure look on his face, "Think I need the dragon head to be less scary?"

"For Mac, no, you're good. She's seen mine when we've been swimming and stuff. If Corey looks at you at all, count yourself lucky he bothered to peel his eyes away from the screen."

"Ah yeah, but yours aren't…um…well…you can hide them, and they don't make you look a dollar store Joker" Eddie half smiles awkwardly, creasing up one of the scars in question.

"Eddie, your scars were the last thing I noticed about you today. You're still as pleasant to look at as you always were," Steve adds reassuringly.

"I'm still undecided if that's a compliment or not, but there are more pressing matters, like losing one of our own from the game!"

Steve rolls his eyes, "Something's don't change do they" he sighs, "It was a compliment, Eddie."

Eddie makes a bashful smile, "Well, alright then. No dragon head it is"

#steddie #steddie fan fiction #eddie munson x steve harrington #steddie fan fic #steddiefanfiction #steddiefanfic #madaboutmunson #madaboutmunsonagain #eddie munson #steve harrington

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madaboutmunson · 2 years ago

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Again - Part 2

Part 1 | Part 3 | Full list of Again series links inc AO3 Link

Steddie fic where Steve and Eddie are in their mid 30's and everyone has sort of drifted apart

Taglist: @adaed55 @grtwdsmwhr @swimmingbirdrunningrock

Thank you to @gamerdano for all their help with this 💚💚💚

================================================

Steve was still deciding whether to tell Mac Eddie was a friend of his or not. He didn't want her to feel like that's what is getting her foot in the door because Steve knew that Eddie didn't work that way. Sure he might censor his words and emotions around kids, but he did try to treat people equally for the most part. Steve liked to think his upsetting the Munson Doctrine all those years ago had a hand in this. "Hey, Mac. If you still wanna head in, you can. Doesn't look like there is a timetable or anything" He smiles at his daughter, who stands up excitedly, but stops mid-step towards the door and beckons him down to her height.

"Dad, are there any girls in there?" She asked in an unsure whisper.

"In the quick glance I had, I didn't see any, but that doesn't mean there isn't or won't be any, but even if there isn't, you have something else in there. You've got an Eddie." He says with the most reassuring smile he can.

"That's just another boy", she scoffs and holds her book a bit tighter, eyes looking at the library's main entrance, protecting herself with annoyance from the fear.

"I mean, yes, he is a boy, numbers-wise a man, but I think you really should meet him before writing him off. Eddie is er…well…how can I put this…he's unique" Steve finally grabs the diplomatic word he was looking for.

She looks back at her Dad, "How do you know that?"

"There are many reasons, but mainly he's just been running around in there, roaring, with some kind of dragon head on because he thinks it makes him less scary to kids." Steve frowns and shakes his head. But Mac's eyes light up, and she smiles as she looks over at the door, "Could be worth a shot, right? You could hang around maybe? It's not like you’ve got much else going on", she says non chalantly, but Steve can read he's needed.

"Right." Steve nods, scooping up Corey by his arm again. Mac drops in behind him as he passes through the door. Eddie was still standing exactly how and where Steve had left him, a small welcoming but almost nervous smile on his face, with his dragon head tucked under his arm. Steve sees Eddie observe Corey first, who has not looked up at all to acknowledge him, and Steve guides him towards the nearest chair for him to sit in, revealing his Daughter behind him as he does. Eddie's face erupts in a big smile like he’d just identified one of his own.

"Eddie, this is Mac, I mean Mackenzie" Steve looks to Mac for reassurance he's using the correct name she likes to go by now. She nods, "Mackenzie, this is…."

Eddie bows deeply, "Eddie The Not So Banished, humbly at your service."

Mackenzie raises an eyebrow at Eddie and looks up at Steve, who mouths, "Told you," and she smiles in reply. Her grip loosens on her book as she looks Eddie over. Her eyes study his face most of all.

"Don't worry about the scars, sweetheart. They're old. They won't bite. I'm not that scary, promise" Eddie smiles, but Steve detects a slight disappointment in his eyes as he squeezes the dragon head.

"Oh no, it's not that," she says quickly, "Just the one here", she points at his jaw, "It looks like a dragon roaring."

"Wait, really?" Eddie says, reaching for his face. There is no falseness in his voice; he is genuinely surprised and walks over to the nearest door window to look at his reflection "Huh. I've had them for longer than you've been alive, and I never even noticed that." Eddie laughs, "Anyway, enough about me, let's get started on your new character, yeah? You can keep your character, but we'd have to strip it back to level one because of the nature of the campaign, but if you're still interested, I could introduce you to one of the parties, Zee. I mean…Mackenzie, sorry" Eddie waves his hand towards a bunch of nearly full tables behind him.

"Zee is fine", she smiles up at Eddie. Steve almost feels a little jealous as they exchange smiles and walk away from him. Eddie animatedly gesticulates with the dragon head in his hand, and Mac giggles. It had been a long time since Steve had made her laugh like that, but he let it go. It's nice just to see her smiling for a change. Steve grabs a D&D book and settles into the chair next to Corey.

"How's the game, son?" He tries.

The reply is a grunt, but the tone of it goes up at the end of it, so Steve decides to quit whilst he is ahead and read for a while.

Sometime later, someone lands dramatically in the chair on his other side.

"I think we finally found a match!" Eddie says wearily with a laugh, "She does not wanna let go of that Cleric. Not that I can blame her. A lot of effort has gone into that build. At least you won't have to buy any new accessories, though," Eddie says next to Steve as he lowers his book slightly to spy over the top of it.

Eddie's ringed hand points her out, and Steve taps his hand down, "Jesus Christ, Eddie, do not do that", he says in a hushed voice.

Eddie furrowed his brow, "I was just showing you where she was, man. Calm down", he laughed.

Steve makes a whispered, incorrect buzzer sound from behind his book at Eddie, "Wrong. Let me try and remember her words exactly last time…oh hang on a second…." Steve checks his watch, "Thought so" he reaches into his pocket and pulls out 10 dollars and nudges Corey, "Go hydrate. I'll keep hold of your game", he says, putting the game on pause with his thumb and putting it in his lap careful not to touch anything else. Then he returns to Eddie, who is now also behind the book, "I pointed her out to one of the Moms at school, and apparently that was so mortifying that she would have sold her soul to satan himself to just evaporate into the ether."

Eddie's eyes go wide, and he holds back a laugh.

"It's not funny, Eddie. It haunts me. I remember every word. It hurt like a bitch. Can you believe I'm an embarrassment now?"

"Oh, Steve…you think there was a time you weren't embarrassing?" Eddie teases

"Oh ha-ha, very funny. I'll have you know I was very cool once, not just cool. The coolest!" Steve whispers in annoyance, "You know this!"

"And look at you now, Harrington. Sitting in a library, a computer game in your lap, hiding behind a d&d book from a thirteen-year-old with the Freak of Hawkins. You still feeling pretty cool?" Eddie chuckles quietly.

Steve slumps with a defeated face, and Eddie looks at him again, "If it's worth anything. If I didn't know you, I'd think you were a pretty cool Dad. Do you see any other parents here?" Steve peeks over his book, looks around, holds it up again, and shakes his head at Eddie, "A lot of parents just don't have the time, you know, but even the ones that do, have no idea what a Cleric is let alone anything else." Eddie's smile widens as he tilts his head, "You did what you always do, Steve. You jumped into the abyss first. For the record, the games are weekly, and they last a few hours. If you wanna stay, you can. I'll even set you up a station out of sight, so you aren't cramping her style, but bring something to do, for god's sake."

"Oh…well, I only see her every two weeks. Does that mean she can't join?"

Eddie holds up an imaginary clipboard, "Ah, wouldn't you look at that. My memory sometimes, sheeeesh. It's every two weeks."

"You can just do that?" Steve says in amazement.

Eddie narrows his eyes at him with a slight frown and laughs, like he can't make out if Steve is teasing or not, "Yeah, I can do what I want. It's my company." He taps the embroidery on his polo shirt.

Steve reads it "Tremelo Tales."

"We do D&D, reading stories to kids, music lessons, parties, stuff like that. Then when we make enough profit, we can do that for free for the kids that need an outlet, you know. Like today"

"You have your own company? That's incredible, Eddie!"

"Like you could ever picture me working for anyone! I mean, it's not easy, and I have to pay through the nose or legal and accounting, but at least I haven't got to do it, and it keeps everything running smoothly. I'm pretty proud of it." And the happy whistful expression on his face only served to complement his words. He really was proud of it. Steve's eyes automatically look to his kids. "What are you up to these days?" Eddie asks.

"Well…er…" Steve stumbles over his words because he is unsure exactly how much he wants to reveal at this point. So he keeps to the partial truth, "I'm a coach. Sometimes private, sometimes I get contracted, you know?"

Steve had actually hit the jackpot playing the stock market and was busy living off the interest. He'd still got some shares locked up in a few companies, but he'd been told to hold tight on Apple because they were a few months from releasing the iPod, and a cell phone might be on the horizon. He did, however, coach, just not humans. He held dog training classes at his house. Everything from puppy to agility to behavioural problems. He loved it, and so did the kids.

A shadow moves over the book, and both Steve and Eddie look up to look at Mackenzie.

"Hey, honey," Steve said carefully to her unimpressed face and folded arms.

She looks between the two of them and hands a few sheets of paper to Eddie, "So I've put the Cleric to Level 1, but I also wanted to offer something else to the party, a rogue."

"Interesting…" Eddie draws the word out and looks up at Mackenzie.

Steve feels a little left out of the unspoken significance here.

"How much for a players handbook?" Pushing the book, he's holding between the character sheets and Eddie's face.

"Um, thirty bucks, or you know, whatever you can. Just take it over to Carl over there. He'll sort you out.” It was interesting, despite the unknown truth of the matter, Eddie hadn't made the assumption that Steve was still living a more than comfortable life.

Steve approaches a braced bespectacled boy who is repeatedly rolling a die and writing down the numbers. Steve eyes him suspiciously but then hands him the player's handbook, and the kid wordlessly writes out a receipt. Steve pays, takes his copy, and pockets it.

As Steve makes his way back to the kids and Eddie, he slows his pace to observe the exchange rather than interfere immediately.

Mackenzie was standing clutching her book of protection, Eddie holding a set of sheets in each hand, occasionally looking up at Mackenzie and talking. Nothing out of the ordinary there until there is a glimmer of something on Eddie's face. He looks…concerned? But then his big smile is switched back on, and it transfers across Mac's face too.

"You thinking of joining a game sometime?" Eddie laughs as Steve approaches, hugging his new book to his chest, which he immediately drops to his side at Eddie's teasing.

Steve shrugs, "I mean, I just got it because, as books go, it wasn't bad to while away the time with. I mean, if Mac...Kenzie were to run a game. I could be tempted, maybe." He smiles at his daughter.

Eddie raises his eyebrows at Mackenzie, and she sends him a simple shrug back. Another tiny sting of jealousy. They hadn't even known one another a day, and they had secret meanings for things and now silently communicating with one another.

"So these sheets look great. Is there anything else you want to go over?" Eddie asks kindly.

Mackenzie shakes her head.

"Well, alright then. See you in two weeks, Zee!" Eddie says with a little salute.

Mackenzie smiles back at him and walks towards the exit.

"Thanks a lot, Eddie. It was really good to see you. Maybe see you again in two weeks?" Steve asks with his own little shrug.

Eddie blinks up at him, "Oh I-"

Then there are several thuds, a meep sound from Mackenzie, and another huge thud.

Steve's eyes snapped to his daughter, who was crouched down trying to pick up her books, but another teen in the widest-leg jeans Steve had ever seen. All frayed where they'd been dragging along the floor, a black t-shirt with the sleeves completely hacked off and shoulder-length dirty blonde hair is busy apologising and frantically trying to help Mackenzie pick up her books.

"Aw, man, I'm like, totally sorry, I had my earphones in, and I totally didn't see you. I was in, like, a hurry to get these to Eddie. Are you, like, ok? I didn't hurt you, did I? I'm such a stupid oaf sometimes," the boy rattles out, piling up the papers and books in his arms. A big box of papers was on the floor beside him.

Mackenzie has stopped scrabbling for her books, lets the boy scrabble around for her, and stands up.

Once everything is together, he stands also, raises his head to Mackenzie, nearly drops the books again, and swallows nervously, "Er…here you go…um…your um books, man."

"Maybe you should look where you're going next time. Stop daydreaming and observe your surroundings!! What if I'd been a little kid, huh?" Mackenzie scolds him, one hand on her hip, as she takes her books back. Steve notes she doesn't snatch them.

"Jesus, Harrington. I didn't realise attitude could be hereditary," Eddie chuckles next to Steve.

The kid swiped his hand over his head to push his hair out of his face, and it ended up nervously rubbing the back of his neck as his other hand came forward in a handshake, "I'm really sorry, man. My name's M-"

She raises a hand to stop him, saying, "Ah, don't worry about it. It's..whatever", and walks out.

Steve's eyes go wide.

"Steve?" He hears Eddie's voice next to him, but his eyes slowly burn into the little skatepunk in front of him. Picking up the box of papers and heading to one of the tables.

"Who…is that?" Steve asks with a that so sharp, that if there had been any balloons around, they would have been decimated.

"Er…that's Morgan. He helps out sometimes." Eddie says cautiously before folding his arms and narrowing his eyes at Steve suspiciously, "Steve, are you ok? It was an accident. He didn't mean to do that. I'll have a word with him. He won't do it again. I'm sure" Steve detects the waiver of worry in Eddie's voice and shakes his head.

"It's not what he did that's the problem, Eddie. Listen, I gotta go, but um, great to see you." He mutters, punctuating with a weak two-fingered two-fingered salute, picks up Corey by his arm and quickly marches to catch up with Mackenzie.

#steddie #steddie fan fiction #eddie munson x steve harrington #steddie fan fic #steddiefanfiction #steddiefanfic #madaboutmunson #madaboutmunsonagain #eddie munson #steve harrington

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madaboutmunson · 2 years ago

Text

Ok so I was messing around with elevenlabs voice ai today and put together a little scene from my again fic.

The voices aren't perfect but it's my first try! I hope you like it 🤩

Original text scene:

Steve tunes back into the present. He knows the book Eddie is talking about. He just has yet to focus on everything he said, "So, is there a movie of this book? Sounds like there should be." "Oh, but there is. There have been, like, animated ones, but new ones are coming out, and the trailers. My God, Steve. The fucking trailers!" Eddie says, hands stretched towards the ceiling. "Do you need to read the books to understand it? Could someone like me watch it?" Steve asks. There is a pause, a silence, and though the vibration of Eddie's voice is missing from his fingertips, his heartbeat is a little faster, harder. "You wanna watch it?" Eddie asks, and Steve can hear the surprise in his voice. "If I didn't go and see a movie based on my boyfriend's favourite book, what kind of boyfriend would I be?" Steve says in mock alarm. "What if someone else asked him to watch the movie, then they'd have little secret in-jokes I wouldn't get and then bond over it, and I'd be left out. And then what if they fall in love and get married, and I'm just sitting at the back of the church like, damn, if only I went to see the movie, I could be the one with pointy ears on and ribbons and flowers in my hair, getting married to my love by a pretend Wizard?" he amps the horror in his performance, and Eddie is shaking with giggles. "Glad to see you find my potential heartbreak amusing, honey." "I'm only laughing because you think you're an elf. You are from the realms of men, Steve, sorry." Eddie delivers the terrible news holding back his laughter. "I could be a fucking elf, alright? I'm graceful as hell, I'm tall, I've got great hair, and I'm super stealthy. So I'm an elf, Eddie." "You keep being grumpy like that, you'll end up an angry little dwarf, but you are not an elf. At least not in my mind. You aren't." Eddie jokes ending on a coy note. "Oh yeah? Been thinking about me in one of your fantasy stories, have you" Steve teases, but Eddie doesn't get a chance to respond as the doorbell chimes. "Did you order food or something?" Steve asks, looking down at Eddie. "No! I told you I'm smoking that brisket outside the RV for us. I swear to god, Steve, do you listen to me at all?" Eddie answers with a hint of his annoyed little goblin voice slipping out. "I literally was just talking about Elves and Wizards. Of course, I listen to you," Steve thinks for a moment as there is a gentle knocking at the door and a tiny yip. "Oh fuck! Ms Montarello," Steve exclaims, leaping out of his seat and sending Eddie's head down to the sofa with a thud, and frantically searches around for some trousers, but there are none. There haven't been any trousers for two days now

#steddie #steddie fan fiction #eddie munson x steve harrington #steddie fan fic #steddiefanfiction #steddiefanfic #madaboutmunson #madaboutmunsonagain #eddie munson #steve harrington #steddie voice ai #eddie munson voice ai #steve harrington voice ai #madaboutmunsonvoiceai

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madaboutmunson · 2 years ago

Text

Again - Part 4

Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 5 | Full list of Again series links inc AO3 Link

Steddie fic where Steve and Eddie are in their mid 30's and everyone has sort of drifted apart

Taglist: @adaed5 @grtwdsmwhr @swimmingbirdrunningrock

Thank you to @callme-keys for all their help with this 💚💚💚

================================================

Two weeks later, Steve is pulling up to the library again. However, this time his and Zee’s (the new name change Mackenzie has adopted) emotions are totally reversed. It's Steve, who is nervous and in need of reassurance, and Zee, who is excited by the prospect of something new. Entering the same room as last week, it looks mostly the same, with three long tables with five seats around each one and a suitable amount of space between them. Steve’s eyes scan around the room. They were the first ones here. Some polo-shirted kids from last week are the only people wandering around.

“Ok then, Dad, see you later.” Zee smiles up at Steve and looks over to the door again.

Steve looks at her, surprised, “You, er, you want us to leave? You don't want me to stay like last time?” he folds his arms, desperately using them to cage in his disappointment.

“Well, like you said. Eddie will be here. I’ll be fine.” She tilts her head and gives him a warm smile, “Besides, what are you gonna do here for the next few hours?”

“Yeah, Harrington. Whatever will you do for the next few hours whilst your daughter embarks upon an adventure of the most incredibly dangerous proportions?” A voice rumbles playfully from behind him. Steve turns a little to open up their circle of conversation to him. He doesn't think he’s been this relieved to see Eddie since they found him at Skull Rock all those years ago, and it must show because Eddie scans his face offering the sweetest smile in return. For a few seconds, time sort of pauses, and something shifts within him. He opens his mouth to say something but closes it again because the sounds have got lost somewhere.

"Well", Eddie springs from living statue into action as he grabs for the backpack behind him, "I thought maybe you could help me out. Can the great King Harrington wield a paintbrush?"

Eddie pushes the backpack towards Steve and gestures with his head to the bookshelves behind him, "I set us up a table out of the way. You know, so we don't cramp their style."

“King Harrington?” Zee laughs at the impossibility of Steve ever being anything more than a massive dork of a Dad.

Steve can see that face of mischief bloom on Eddie. His wide eyes dart to the side at Zee, the excitable smile tensing on his face, and his cheeks suck in a little. Steve’s memory throws him back in time, standing next to Eddie, draped in his vest. He was the centre of attention, being the answer to everyone’s prayers in Max’s Trailer before they were about to steal someone’s vehicle and home. The face was exactly the same, just a few more creases here and there, and Steve couldn't help but feel how privileged he was getting to see Eddie’s wrinkles, something, at one point, no one thought would happen.

“You don’t know about the great King of Hawkins High?” Eddie rubs his hands together and giggles, and Steve knows he should absolutely put a stop to this, but then the penny that Eddie’s suggestion was embossed in drops, and Steve finally realises.

"Wait…what? You aren't running the game?...you won't be in the game?" Steve blinks rapidly at Eddie

"Just take the bag, Steve", Eddie laughs gently, nudging him with the bag again. Steve looks between Eddie and Zee before, unwillingly, his body walks through the shelves to a smaller table. Steve selects a chair that means he isn't directly looking at the game table Zee has sat at, but if he cranes his neck, he can see her clearly. He tests it out and sees her sit at the table with her book and binder. She was chatting with some of the boys around the table, but most importantly, she was wearing that big smile. That might be Steve’s favourite thing he shares with his daughter. It's much easier to read a smile when it's your own. The shape of her eyes, nose and face were all her Mom. But that smile, eye colour and hair were all like his.

He leans back in his chair, takes his cell phone out of his pocket, checks the battery level, and puts it on the table where he can see it. His fingers tap on the table a few times, and then he quickly reaches for his phone again and straightens it a little before folding his arms for a few seconds only to unfold them again. He puts the bag Eddie gave him on the table. It's got some weight to it. Steve wonders what kind of paints they’d be, oil, watercolour, maybe even acrylics. Was it even safe to have paint in a library? When would something as simple as potential destruction stop Eddie from doing anything? What would they even paint? Maybe there were some photography books around here? Steve looks around at the bookshelf behind him. FICTION, well, so much for that idea. His eyes get drawn to a lower row with brightly coloured spines, and he picks one up. A Firey Baptism, the protective cover of the book, has a white piece of card where the cover should be, making Steve frown at the book. Do they keep damaged books here? Weird. Steve opens the book at random and starts reading. He’s a few paragraphs in when it suddenly dawns on him that the reason this book had something covering the front was that it was one of those romance novels, a spicy one.

“Getting some pages in, Harrington”, Eddie's voice rings out. In alarm and embarrassment, Steve throws the book in the air behind him, and it softly bumps to the floor on the other side of the bookshelf. Steve is glad that some poor soul hadn't been standing there when he threw it.

“Really, Eddie?” Steve says in disbelief, but primarily to hide his blushes. “You sat us in the Erotic fiction section?”. Steve licks his lips, then presses them together in annoyance and takes a frustrated deep breath at Eddie, who only offers an impish smile in return.

“Now, Steve, all I did was choose a table where you could keep an eye on your kid. Also, I thought this was the Romance section. You just got lucky with your pick. I guess” He chuckles and sits in the seat next to Steve, who, despite his years, is blushing. “Also, keep your voice down. A library is a hallowed place of learning, Harrington, the kids might hear. Speaking of kids, where is the little chatterbox?”

“Oh, Corey? He’s at a birthday party, so it's just Zee and me today,” Steve says, straightening his phone again and craning his neck again to check the game table. The mistimed movement makes him bump into Eddie’s side, who is out of his chair leaning across the table, taking other smaller containers out of the backpack. The accidental collision causes the air between them to fill with a waft of whatever Eddie has on today. Steve thinks it might be a body spray of some kind, and for a second there, it is quite a head rush. Steve’s eyes can’t help but move over Eddie whilst he has a chance. Eddie is still very lean for the most part, but he’s more toned now, not just sinewy. He is the same height as Steve, but Eddie has always seemed smaller than him in the past. His eyes move up to his side profile. The longest part of the front of his hair grazed his jawline, but from this angle, the back had a bit more length. The swirling tendrils spilt down the nape of his neck and rested on his collar. The bangs were gone. In their place, a curl-packed side parting, the waves that used to travel down to the ends of his hair were more like curls, and the volume had increased somehow. How could someone have less hair but have more? It made no sense. Steve’s hand instinctively runs through the side of his hair where he’d found his first grey hair a month ago, and he looks down at the little bulge of softness developing where his defined abs used to be.

“You ok, Harrington?” He finally hears Eddie say and turns to him with a few blinks as he arrives back into the real world and out of his thoughts. Eddie looks over his face, smiles, and nods his head downwards, “I’m guessing you didn't hear anything I just said?”

“No, Sorry”, Steve stops himself from saying, That happens sometimes. This was only the second time he’d seen Eddie in forever, and though he wasn't strictly speaking a stranger, he kind of was.

“Hey, no worries. I do tend to talk a lot. It would be inhuman if you managed to take all of that in” Eddie laughs at his self-deprecation, “Anyway, I was saying that the activity I planned might look a little weird now without Corey with us.”

Steve pulls a confused face at Eddie, who tucks his bottom lip into his mouth for a moment, before quickly picking something up from the table in front of them.

It's a character figure, no taller than Steve's thumb, he looks at Eddie for assistance, and then his eyes catch the small army of them lying in boxes in what looks like foam packaging. Steve gets out of his seat a little to inspect further. Each figure has its own little cutout space in a chunk of foam that it fits into precisely, another thinner piece laid horizontally across them like they've been tucked into bed. Each one has two names and a date stuck to it. Steve lets out a little laugh. Incredibly, a man who lived in chaos, listened to music that sounded like chaos and was usually the centre of generating chaos had something as organised and careful as this in his possession.

"Why do you have so many? Are you, um…is it an army…like a war game thing? I've seen them in hobby and gaming shops sometimes." Steve knows he could have just asked Eddie why there were so many, but part of him wanted to show he wasn't totally ignorant of these kinds of interests.

"You-...ah…you know about, like, wargames?" Eddie stumbles over his words a little, blinks at Steve and swallows.

"Know is a bit of a stretch. I've just read the boxes, honestly. So is that what we're painting? Eddie Munson's army?" Steve's own brand of teasing smirk spreads across his face, and he fires it directly at Eddie.

The dimples puncture Eddie's subtlely stubbled cheeks, and he casts his eyes down to the figure in his hand and says softly, "Well, yes and no. It's not for a game like that, but they will be used in combat." He nods his head towards the main tables in the room.

Steve's eyes cast over the many boxes, and he wonders how many monsters there are in this game, but then his eyes look more closely at the character in Eddie's hand. Something about the pose of the thing shouts hero into Steve's mind.

"Wait, these aren't all the kids' characters?" Steve says, almost with a huff of disbelief.

Eddie shifts awkwardly in his chair and looks back to the character, "So, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind helping me with the base coats? I already primed them all…." And Eddie continues to talk. His hands gestured at little pots around the table. The base of the mini figure is still held between his thumb and forefinger as he does. Steve is trying to listen, truly, but his brain just puts a soft filter lens over the scene and cuts the sound for some gentle instrumental piano music. Steve feels himself involuntarily lean onto the table and rests his cheek on his fist. Where did they make him? Why was he so fucking sweet? After everything he'd been through his whole life, he took the time to make sure all the kids had a figure of their hero. He was crazy. He must be. Who does this? He probably did this for his own kids and decided to do it for the others too. Jesus fucking Christ, Eddie with kids. Steve had caught a glimpse of it in a few of his interactions with kids here and his own, and he remembers Dustin telling him how tough High school was, and Eddie had been the one person to be nice to him and Mike. He looks at Eddie's left hand; the only one of his fingers without a ring is the one where a wedding band should be. Steve sits up and looks at his own hands, devoid of any jewellery.

Sound and vision wash back into Steve's mind. "Sorry, I'm talking too much again, right? Probably boring you to death. Er…anyway, here are some paintbrushes for you." Eddie hands steve a set of 3 of the thinnest paintbrushes he’s ever seen and then proceeds to press a cup with a suction cup on the bottom onto the table, filling it with water from an Evian bottle. “Only the best for us today, Steve”, Eddie remarks, putting the bottle away.

Steve laughs, causing a big smile to spread across Eddie’s face, “I’m guessing this proves my suspicion that painting in a library isn’t allowed?”

Eddie tries to look as innocent as possible, trying to hold back the full intensity of his smile, “I can’t imagine what you could possibly mean!”

“Ah, the fact that you could have just got some tap water from the bathroom, but that would mean walking past one of the librarians with a cup of water? Maybe that's what I mean.” Steve laughs, “Do you just see a list of do-nots and mentally make them a to-do list, Eddie?”

Eddie's face looks a little smug, “Depends who’s on the list, I guess.”

Steve is not ready for that one and immediately straightens his paintbrushes to line up neatly next to one another.

"Shit, sorry man. Didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I gotta dumb sense of humour sometimes, you know?" He makes all the right moves and sounds of a nose laugh, but Steve can detect the genuine concern behind it.

"I'm not uncomfortable", Steve lies with a well-practised, everything-is-just-dandy smile for Eddie, but by the time he’s turned his way, Eddie is already scanning him with those big brown lie detectors he calls his eyes.

Eddie's brow furrows a little, and he gives a half smile, "Yeah. Course not", and reaches for one of the foam squares out of the tub. He takes the figure out and places it on the table, revealing a piece of paper with a sketch of the character that indicates what colours should go where, "So, um, I've planned each one, and all of the paints are numbered, sometimes the names are a little weird, and I thought that might be a level of geek too far for you, maybe."

"Yeah, I think that ship sailed quite a number of years ago. I'm not gunning for your King of The Nerds crown, but I am versed in the basics of Geek, by osmosis or something," Steve says fondly. He only learned all these phrases because of his kids. Steve cranes his neck to look over at the game. He can see Zee staring intently at someone at the head of the table, her pencil scribbling away on her pad before her eyebrows raise in surprise, and he can see her consulting the other players on something. Steve shifts his seat a little to see who is at the head of the table. He sees the familiar cardboard screen that he saw when her old group played at their house. Looming over this one is a sleeveless shirt wearing Morgan. He seems to be a lot more articulate now. Talking animatedly with his hands, virtually climbing onto the table, and dramatic expressions on his face, he's creating a world where the players around the table hang on his every word. Something about his energy is familiar…Fuck, is he Eddie's kid??! Now Steve feels like a real asshole. He didn't look like him at all, but the mannerisms were there. Donating genes doesn't make you someone's Dad, though. Steve knew that only too well.

#steddie #steddie fan fiction #eddie munson x steve harrington #steddie fan fic #steddiefanfiction #steddiefanfic #madaboutmunson #madaboutmunsonagain #eddie munson #steve harrington

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madaboutmunson · 2 years ago

Text

Again - Part 3

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4 | Full list of Again series links inc AO3 Link

Steddie fic where Steve and Eddie are in their mid 30's and everyone has sort of drifted apart

This chapter is a bit exposition heavy.

Taglist: @adaed5 @grtwdsmwhr @swimmingbirdrunningrock

Thank you to @callme-keys for all their help with this 💚💚💚

================================================

On the drive home, it's quiet as usual Corey is absorbed in his game, Mackenzie her music, so Steve only has his thoughts for a while. He thinks about two things. First, he thinks about how nice a surprise it had been to see Eddie. Maybe he was due a meet-up with some other friends soon, perhaps something more organised. Secondly, that Morgan kid, well, not the kid himself, Mackenzie's interaction with him.

Steve waves his hand to get her attention and then looks in his rearview mirror at Mac, "So, what did you think? Wanna go back, or shall we try elsewhere? I'm sure there might be others D&D clubs around, right? It's a super popular game! We might just need to drive further out, which is not a problem at all." Steve raises his eyebrows, hopefully.

"Do you want me to find a game somewhere else?" Mackenzie says with a suspicious smile narrowing her eyes at him playfully.

"No! No. Not at all." Steve knows he's given himself away by how high-pitched his voice has gone and the raised eyebrow from Mackenzie and her nodding, turning to look out her window again.

He felt pulled in two different directions, he did not want to put Mackenzie off trying new things, but he also didn't want one of those new things to be that little, probably stoner punk squatting at his house. So he tries a different tactic. "Hey, you know what, it's fine. Eddie's there, and I know he's cool. He'll make sure you're ok there. We go way back" Steve nods to self-affirm and taps the steering wheel to self-soothe.

"Oh, is that why you were whispering to one another behind a book? There was me thinking maybe you'd found something there for yourself, Dad," Mackenzie smirks.

Steve could be mad, but when she smirks, it's his smirk on her face. It just floods him with fondness. He pretends it goes over his head, she's already certain she's smarter than him, and maybe she's right in many ways, to be fair.

"I have no interest in playing any nerdy games unless, of course, you were running one, and needed a player, then I'd happily help out."

She gives an eyebrow raise and upwards nods, laughing to herself. At least he'd succeeded in convincing her he didn't get it. He looks thoughtfully back out onto the road. Truth be told, for a good while, just before he'd met the kid's mom, in fact, he'd been purposefully trying to forget about Eddie. After everything, when everyone was still recovering, Steve felt something. He'd often tried to convince himself it was just a friendly fondness, but sometimes his thoughts would wander a little too far. Steve understood it a little more now, but it was just a big no-no at the time. Society generally was not that accepting, especially with the epidemic that the gay community had been scapegoated with, and then by the time he'd made his peace with the fact that maybe there was something more than friendship. Eddie left. He just packed all his stuff and left. Eddie kept in touch with a few people, but not Steve, at least not directly. For a little while, Steve thought Eddie hated him for something, but then he got an invite to his engagement party. He didn't go. He made up some bullshit excuse and drowned his disappointment in a bar. As luck would have it, the very same night, a beautiful woman, inside and out, happened to be doing the same over someone else, not four seats away from him.

Steve remembers her waving down the bar to get his attention, pointing at him and making a charade for heartbreak. He had raised his tequila shot at her in a cheers motion, and she raised hers back. She waved him over and patted the seat next to her, "Better to be miserable in company than alone, right? Do you wanna go first, or shall I?" She said with a tipsy smile and waved the barman over again for another round. She'd gone first, and then he had told his gender-changed version of events, and she just sat there and listened. In hindsight, it was probably not the smartest move, but they spent that night together, intending never to see one another again. Sometime later, Steve found himself at another bar, this time reeling from the engagement party pictures that had just come back from the developers. Eddie looked so happy. His fiancé was supermodel-level beautiful, and everyone said she was so lovely. All Steve wanted to do was go and be jealous somewhere, so he did, a bit further out of town near a motel so he could stumble back later.

Then he saw someone waving, laughing so hard she nearly fell off her chair. It was the same woman. This time Steve doesn't wait to be invited to sit next to her. The universe had done that for him. Two broken-hearted lost souls had found one another in the night, not once but twice. Both were happy but hungover in the nearest diner nursing coffees the following day. Finally, Steve bit the bullet and asked, "Look, would you maybe wanna go on an actual date with me sometime? You know, rather than just getting wasted and fooling around?" He wished he'd said it looking into her eyes, but he'd said it into his coffee because he was anticipating the worst.

"I mean, sure, I'd love to. Maybe we could get wasted and fool around every other weekend?" She laughed, and as he looked up, her face was painted with the most radiant smile. From then on, they were barely apart. They initially found their feet and humble beginnings, but things accelerated to warp speed. On a whim, they got randomly married in Vegas, and she, Jenny, found out she was pregnant a few weeks later. Steve promised her a better home and a proper wedding after the baby was born, and when his trust fund finally landed, he could do all of that.

Baby Mackenzie entered Steve's world, and it changed him forever. He had always had these nurturing protective instincts, but not like this. This was their baby, his baby, and he'd do everything he could to ensure she would be safe no matter what happened to him. Enter the financial experts and boy, did they pay off. Steve and Jenny didn't have to work if they didn't want to. They moved to a community Steve was more used to, like where he grew up. He knew how it all worked. The problem was Jenny didn't. She tried her best to fit in, but it wasn't her scene. Steve tried to tell her it didn't matter. They had each other. He would happily go to all the traditional mother's meeting events. He didn't care; he loved it, but Jenny started to feel less than. So she went back to work, which made her happy for a while, but strains started coming back a few years into it. So they tried for another baby, and Corey was born, and again, everything was fine for a while. Mackenzie was in a great school, Steve loved being the stay-at-home parent, and Jenny went back to work. Then It started to crumble again, almost like they were on some weird five-year cycle.

So they sat down one night and talked it over. It wasn't an easy conversation, but it was easy for both of them to want the best for someone who had been their best friend, champion and confidant for the last 11 years. There were no arguments or bad feelings, but there was a loss. A sense of failure, an upheaval for the kids, and a new terrible thing for both of them but Steve especially, having to spend a whole week without his two little nuggets. It was a personal hell of his. When people asked, he pretended he was happy with the break and rest, and sure, who doesn't appreciate a bit more sleep, right? But what do you need all that energy for if you aren't going to do anything with it? So he got a dog, a rescue, a huge dark shaggy furred beast of a mixture of who knows what. Steve was going to give her a more dignified name, but Corey had insisted she be called Beans, so it stuck. Every other week Steve invested his time and patience into training Beans, and soon she was fetching his paper, accompanying him on runs, her recall impeccable, her trick portfolio extensive. Steve wondered if he had a knack for this or if Beans was just a genius dog, but then the neighbours got a dog, and during the day, when they were out at work, Steve would take care of it and train it. Soon word spread, and it became Steve's bi-weekly business venture.

All of that was enough for Steve. He didn't need more. A partner would be lovely, but it wasn't a necessity. Jenny had moved on pretty quickly after their divorce, and to his surprise, more than anyone else's, he wasn't jealous, but he was curious. He never believed Jenny would cheat on him, but the rapid uptake of someone new made Steve think she had been missing something from Steve for all those years. Maybe he'd done something wrong? He'd been on the verge of asking many times, but he didn't want Jenny back, so what was the point in asking? The next person could want very different things.

As they pull up on the driveway, Steve runs through the comforting predictability of arriving home. He knows every beat of it. Beans is already barking, then a patch of silence, her face at the window, almost like she’s double checking, it's him. One big loud bark before she runs to the door to open it and runs outside to them. Steve first, then Mac, then Corey. Then she’ll circle them, herding them inside, and once the door is closed, she sits next to her cupboard and waits for her treat, which Steve provides. Mackenzie heads upstairs, swapping music through her headphones for music out of the speakers. Corey puts away his game and calls Beans over for snuggles in front of the TV. Steve seeks out sustenance for his mini tribe, and then finally, he can sit down with the paper.

It used to bother him that the kids went off and did their own things. In some ways, he felt a little lonely but also guilty. Shouldn't he be doing more? More family activities for them all to do together? But the harder he tried with these things, the more resistance he got because, ultimately, Steve was trying to provide his kids with a family life and home that he never had. Still, he soon realised how outdated that was, and his pursuit of it was causing tension in the house, so much so that Jenny had to call and speak to him one night when the kids were with her. Steve had tried to defend his actions for a minute, almost resenting the kids for being ungrateful.

“You don’t mean that, Steve. Come on, be fair to them. They do them sometimes. They just don't want to do that stuff all the time anymore. They are older now. I know you know all of this. It just sounds like you don't want to accept it.” She had told him kindly and with compassion for all parties involved.

“I just want them to have what I didn't, Jen, that's all. When they’re older, they’ll understand.” He’d fired back a little more sharply than he’d wanted to.

“Steve. You can’t undo your past, and you are already doing the best thing you can so they don't feel that abandonment you did. You are there. Whenever they need you. You’re there. They won’t feel alone or lost without you. They might find their own friend families, but they won't ever need that because they’ve got us. They’ve got you, ok?” Her words just made Steve fall apart, even over the phone. He knew he was trying too hard but couldn't help himself. That is just who he was. But he had gotten better. He had taken on board that even though they were all separate, they were all home. Safe at home, and that slowly, over time, had become enough for Steve. Well, at least on most days. Days when he hadn't spent the entire night before with his nightmares. Those days he might slip into his old habits, but he was trying his best.

#steddie #steddie fan fiction #eddie munson x steve harrington #steddie fan fic #steddiefanfiction #steddiefanfic #madaboutmunson #madaboutmunsonagain #eddie munson #steve harrington

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madaboutmunson · 2 years ago

Text

Again - Part 5

Part 1 | Part 4 | Part 6 | Full list of Again series links inc AO3 Link

Steddie fic where Steve and Eddie are in their mid 30's and everyone has sort of drifted apart

Taglist: @adaed5 @grtwdsmwhr @swimmingbirdrunningrock @mightbeasleep

Thank you to @callme-keys for all their help with this 💚💚💚

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Eddie talks him through the painting process, and soon enough, they have their own little silent two-person production line going. Eddie breaks the silence first without tearing his eyes from the little figure he is painting in front of him. "So how did super jock Steve Harrington manage to raise two little nerds? Is their mom one? I mean, it's obvious they're biologically yours. Unmistakably!" His last exclamation makes Steve smile happily at the dwarven hero in his fingers.

"No, their mom isn't a nerd either. Very business minded, though. I get why you'd think that, but Corey would give you a run for your money on a basketball court, and Zee, well, the only sport she hasn't excelled at, that she's tried so far, is Tennis, and that's mainly because she hates it" Steve gushes. He wasn't more proud of their sporting prowess than anything else they were into. It was just an area he was proficient in. He understood sports. He could be useful in helping them with that.

"Shit, you and your wife made the ultimate hybrids?"

"Ex-wife", Steve corrects almost a little too quickly.

Steve sees Eddie's shoulder sink in his peripheral vision, and another apology starts. "Sorry, man. I didn't mean to-"

"It's not like that. Just sometimes, things don't work out. I'm real lucky it was amicable, we're still good friends, and that's good for the kids, you know? Me too, of course. It's nice to have someone to talk to about parent stuff, isn't it?" Steve prods the subject ever so gently, so maybe Eddie will talk about Morgan, and Steve can apologise.

"Yeah, of course," Eddie replies, cleaning his brush, but says nothing more. Damn it, Eddie! Steve would have to drag it out of Eddie now, especially because Steve had glared daggers at Morgan last time.

"Has…um…has Morgan been running games for a long time?" Steve asks

"Oh yeah." Eddie says like it was common knowledge, "We started him eaaaarly" Eddie laughs, "He's one of my best GMs, to be honest, which you wouldn't think if you talked him when he wasn't in the hot seat."

"Makes sense," Steve says, smiling at the pride on Eddie's face as he looks around the shelf at Morgan, and the guilt comes crashing down on him. "Listen, Eddie. I'm sorry about last time. I didn't know Morgan was with you-"

"And he's a teenage boy talking to your teenage daughter, looking like he just jumped out of a Sum 41 video. Dude, I would be the same if I was in your shoes. We've both been fourteen-year-old boys," he says, shaking his head.

"He's only fourteen??!!" Steve exclaims, his apologetic look swiftly turning into one of absolute shock, "What is he eating for breakfast? What is Sum 41??"

Eddie snorts out a laugh, making a delicate paint stroke across part of the new model he's picked up. "Yeah, those genes belong to his Mama's side of the family. Loooong line of lumberjacks. Count yourself lucky on the Sum 41 front. I've tried getting him into actual Metal, but he says it's Classic Rock. Cheeky little shit." Eddie adds with a fond smile

Steve looks around the shelf again at Morgan, "Jesus Christ. Are you sure they aren't Goliaths?" Instantly a loud cackle emerges from Eddie, almost tipping his seat too far back and falling backwards. Making Steve erupt with laughter too.

"Hey!! Some of us are trying to immerse ourselves in a game here! Can you two keep it down back there?!" Zee's voice rings out, stopping the chuckling painters immediately. They raise their eyebrows at one another and bite their lips, trying to hold back any more loud laughter and setting for repressed silent giggles that make their shoulders shake.

A few deep breaths later, Eddie is calm enough to talk again, "I tell you what, Harrington. I don't think you've got anything to worry about on the Zee front. She's got it covered." Eddie picks up his model again, "and honestly, I know you'll think I'm biased, but Morgan is a good kid. He might look and sound like a poster child for trouble, but he couldn't be anything further from it." Eddie's tongue presses against his top lip as he concentrates on painting the tiny boots of the elf, then stops and tuts."Ok, so maybe he is a little bit of trouble, but nothing like we did when we were kids. He doesn't smoke, drink, do drugs or get handsy, but being bigger than others, he often gets singled out as the guy to beat, you know? So he's had a few scrapes these last couple of years, and looking the way he does, he gets the sharp end of the stick, whilst the little shit that started it gets off scott fucking free. Assholes."

Steve narrows his eyes at Eddie, who is either avoiding looking at him or is deeply engrossed in the model. He couldn't help but feel that this sounded an awful lot like he was putting in a good word on Morgan's behalf, but on the flip side, Steve had made an incorrect judgement about Morgan, so maybe Eddie just thought he needed to clear his name, and it was clear why that would be something Eddie would want to do for his son.

"Yeah, it's not all rainbows, being the big guy at school. Lots of different expectations. They asked him to try out for any teams yet?"

"Not just yet, but when the summer's over, he'll hit high school, so just a matter of time. I remember them trying to recruit me into the towel-flicking club too. That was very short-lived," Eddie laughs, but the smile lingers on his face.

Steve sees an opportunity not just to extend an olive branch but also to get to know Morgan a bit more. Eddie had done as much for Zee. "Not saying you guys don't have it covered, but if Morgan was interested in getting some practice in, I'd be happy to help where I can, though honestly, Zee is probably more up to date on things than me these days, but I could do with the exercise."

Eddie completely stops what he's doing, "You'd do that?"

Steve gestures his hand between Eddie and Zee, "Didn't you? I will not be outshone by you, Munson" Steve points a finger at him and covers his genuine kindness with a thin veil of competitiveness, making Eddie break into a toothy grin.

"I'll ask him. He doesn't talk to me about sports much, so I don't know the lay of the land in that department. I mean, who would, right? But I'll ask to see what he says" Eddie goes back to painting, "Thanks, Steve."

Wow, he liked how his name sounded just then, all wrapped in fondness and softly spoken like that. He hadn't heard his name like that in a very long time. A buzz pulls Steve out of his enchantment, and he rushes to pick up his phone, but it's just a message from his cell provider. A voice murmurs softly next to his ear, "How many languages do you speak, Harrington?"

Steve's soul nearly leaves his corporeal form, "Jesus Christ, Eddie! Don't do that, and…Hey! Why were you snooping anyway? That could have been private!!" Steve frowns at him, pulling his phone to his chest to hide it.

"What, I'm supposed to sit here and not be alarmed when you almost give yourself whiplash to check your phone? Is it some sort of top-secret coaching project? Is that why you have it in Chinese?"

"How do you know it's in Chinese?" Steve asks in total confusion.

Eddie raises and looks at Steve from under his eyebrows expectantly, and Steve slowly moves the phone away from his chest so Eddie can see the screen again. "Because that says Options in Chinese" Eddie points his finger at the tiny phone screen, resting his arm on Steve's shoulder as he does so, forcing Steve's functions into primary survival mode. All Steve can do is hold the phone up, breathe and look at Eddie like a being from another planet. What can't he do? Or is this a case of just being impressed by tech basics?

"Do you like it in Chinese, or would you like me to switch it to English for you?" Eddie asks, and Steve only manages a Corey-like grunt of a Huh and moves the phone slightly in a concerned Eddie's direction, "Well, alrighty then. English coming right up…are you…are you ok, Steve?" Oh, there it is again, the special Steve. He manages a nod at Eddie.

"Okaaaay then," Eddie says with still a lot of concern etched on his face, but that's fine because Steve's brain has already put a soft lens filter back on the scene. Eddie taps many buttons and hands the phone back with a smile, "There you go, good as new". As Steve looks through his phone in a language he can understand again, Eddie lifts one of the many painted figures that are lined up in a queue in front of Steve and holds it up to his eyes and the light, "Wow, these are really neat. Have you painted before?" Eddie asks gently placing the figure back in line.

"Do paint by numbers and ceramics count?" Steve says with a laugh like Eddie would find those things stupid.

"Judging from this. I'd say yeah," his words drawn out in some serene fascination. His big brown eyes gorged on every detail the tiny gnome had to offer. Steve wishes he was into something as deeply as Eddie was. He seemed to be so talented at many things, and not just Ok like Steve was. He was in deep with his loves. Music, guitar, these games, and everything they touched. Steve can't help but wonder what that might feel like, to be something that Eddie is entirely fascinated by, to be scoured over with those deeply intense eyes, to enchant him so completely his words slow down like that, or his face explodes into one of his vast smiles of unabashed joy. Steve lets out a tiny sigh, watching him twirl this piece of plastic in his fingers like it was an ancient lost artefact.

Carl, the silent rolling dice kid from two weeks ago, runs right up to their arts and crafts table, “Mr Munson, I know you said to act like you weren’t here because you aren't supposed to be here, but there is a rules dispute on table two, and it's getting out of hand, someone threw a peanut M&M,, and someone on table three is allergic, and-”

“Ok buddy, slow your roll,” Eddie says kindly, putting the figure exactly back in line and then raising his hand in stop motion, “Look at me, take a deep breath, think carefully, is this something you think you can’t handle or is this because it's not what you planned in your mind,” Eddie speaks calmly and looks over at Carl, waiting for his response. Though those words were meant for the kid, Steve can help but heed them too.

“It’s chaotic, Eddie”, Carl says finally after a short pause, and Eddie nods in response before turning to Steve and giving him an awkward smile and a shrug before following Carl through the shelves to the fantasy realm.

Steve takes the opportunity to check in with Mackenzie, obviously, from afar. He shifts over to the side and can see her eyes following some dice tumbling down the table, her hand going to her head, as the player next to her slumps in his chair. She’s saying something, but Steve can’t quite make it out, she shakes a die in her own hand, and it rolls before her. She speaks again with concern on her face, directed to the head of the table. Steve shifts his viewpoint so he can see Morgan, who smiles and then nods, causing the table to erupt with smiles. As he moves back to look at Zee, he expects the usual acting out of her praying to her deity or a mace swing, but instead, he sees some very vicious stabbing motions with both of her hands as she grins wildly down the table at Morgan. Steve moves again to see Morgan’s response. No. No-no. He did not just tuck his hair behind his ear whilst exchanging grins with his daughter. Steve, without thinking, immediately stands up out of his seat, knocking the cup of water over the table, “Shit!” he whisper shouts to himself. Trying to save all the mini-figures from the encroaching pool of water.

“And that is why I always bring these with me”, Eddie chuckles, pulling out a roll of kitchen towels and a little trash bag.

Steve tries to stay quiet, “I’m so sorry, Eddie, I just…er…well, I-I stood up too fast and got a head rush.”

“Is that what we’re going with, Steve, really?” Eddie looks at him with disappointment, “I’ve been standing back there a while, watching you doing your best meerkat impression. I get the worry. I do, but uh…please don't take this the wrong way, Steve…you’re very…sorta” Eddie puts down some of the paper towels to soak up the spillage and then waves his hand vaguely over Steve, “urgent. You know? Are you alright?”

Steve looks at Eddie, runs his hand through the side of his hair and swallows nervously. He wanted to be honest, but he had apologised for judging Morgan only earlier today. Eddie gives him a saccharine sweet smile, “Steve, let me level with you. We are in the same boat here, so let's be honest. They seem to like one another, but nothing has happened. If either of us goes marching on in there and tells them no, You know what happens?”

“They sneak around behind our backs,” Steve says, folding his arms.

“And?” Eddie prompts

“And we have made the other person even more attractive because they aren't allowed,” Steve mutters in defeat.

Eddie claps his hands and points at Steve in celebration, “Bingo! So if we want this to just fizzle out, we gotta not meddle, ok?”

Steve has an idea, “Ok, yeah, well, what about if we back it like all-in, one hundred per cent,. Shall I write my wedding speech now, kinda thing? Would that do the opposite?” Steve says excitedly at Eddie, who looks at him pitifully and shakes his head.

Eddie walks over and hands Steve the trash bag as he collects up the soaked papers and throws them in, “Number one, Steve-o, I, seconds ago, told you we shouldn’t meddle, and your bright idea is to do exactly that” He throws a wad of wet paper into the bag like he’s taking a hoop shot. “Number two, if that backfires on you, and they’re like, oh, it's fine, my Dad’s on board, he won't mind if you stay over, he likes you.” Steve’s eyebrows raise in alarm, “but then there is Number three, and this really is the worst one. Your plan works, and then I have to ferry his sad-sack ass around, listening to the greatest break-up songs of all time whilst he cries his eyes out.”

“And that would be bad because?” Steve asks hopefully.

“Because the first place I would drive him to is your stupid house, so you can deal with it, ok? Because I will suffer a variety of music genres for that kid, Steve, I will not, and I can’t emphasise this enough, will not listen to All by myself on repeat again. It will become your problem immediately.”

“Again?” Steve asks in alarm.

“Yes! Again Steve! Look at him. Just look.” Eddie points his hand over at where Morgan is, and Steve’s eyes follow. The players are chatting, and Morgan looks up at them occasionally and then scribbles something down.

“I don't get it. He’s taking notes or plotting or something.” Steve says with a frown.

Eddie walks over, puts his hand on his shoulder, and turns him back to the table. “Look closer, Steve. Is that the face of someone plotting their next move and making notes? Or is that the face of someone taking in the details of someone’s face whilst they sketch them on their notepad?”

At first, Steve looks and doesn't understand how he is even supposed to tell the difference when he is half behind a screen, but then he does start to see what Eddie is talking about. Morgan’s eyes don't move around the table. Instead, they go back to the same place, and he’ll tilt his head and disappear behind the screen for a while, then pop back up, shake out his hair a little, nods like he’s listening, and then repeats the same thing all over again.

“Is he gonna be ok?” Steve says with actual worry for Morgan’s well-being. He wasn't trying to take on just any girl. This was Mackenzie Robin Harrington.

“He’s just a romantic. He bounces back well enough, but gods, the mourning period is deeply dramatic. The music, the movies, the ice cream, the eyeliner. I have no idea where he gets it from.”

“How many girlfriends has he had?” Steve asks, with the concern moving back to Zee now.

“Girlfiends…one…unrequited crushes… I’ve lost count. Don’t worry. None of the girls concerned have to deal with that side of things. He’s mostly a bumbling mess around them that he probably gets from his Dad.” Eddie says, straightening up and looking at Steve with a smile, making him burst out laughing.

“So, we just stand by and watch this…happen?” Steve says, still a little nervous, but he feels a lot more reassured. It sounded like Eddie had been through this many times already, and it could be good to have him on his side.

Eddie's eyes go to the ceiling and his hand to the back of his neck, “I mean, we could compare notes if you get worried or wanna talk about it sometime?”

"Oh," Steve says with relief immediately, "That would be so helpful, Eddie. Thank you. Can I get your number?" Steve quickly pats himself for his phone, realising he had left it on the table. Which surprised him. He usually had it within reach of his fingertips. So he reaches for his phone and navigates his way to contacts.

"Er…it's kinda already in there," Eddie says almost a little bashfully, but he plays it off with a much bolder wink.

"Ah, when you…ah..yeah", Steve points between the phone, the table and Eddie several times and struggles to grasp onto the English language as the wink hits him like a shotgun spray of numbing agent. He attempts a laugh to play it off, as, of course, how stupid of me, but it emerges as a giggle. Mortified. Jesus Christ. Steve quickly goes back to cleaning, but the interaction only emboldened Eddie. Or at least that's how it appears to Steve. He's much closer during the clean-up, talking a lot about topics that Steve had little to no opinion on, like the state of heavy metal these days or how he's worried that the new Lord of The Rings movies won't hold up to the books, occasionally reaching for the same things as Steve. Of course, it could all be in his imagination, but it definitely feels like there is a shift back to the Eddie he remembers from being a kid. Not that he's hugely different, but a few times today, there is something just beneath what he's letting Steve see. Something darker.

Then it just falls out of his mouth, as Eddie looks particularly tempting as he leans against the table, with his back to it, on his hands, gesturing and talking at Steve, who is facing the table, packing away someone the dry figures into their little foam beds.

"Why do you do that?" Steve asks suddenly as Eddie is mid-sentence.

Eddie's body visibly tenses, "Er…do what, Steve? Talk too much?" He laughs, and Steve can tell his humour defence is ready to be deployed.

"No, not too much", Steve smiles at the tiny paint pots he's organising, "it's er the topics."

"Oh, well, that's easy. I'm seeing what else I don't know about Steve Harrington 3.0 The Dorky Dad Edition" Eddie chuckles, "We haven't spoken really in fifteen years, and I don't know how much had changed…or how much hasn't" Steve looks up at him, and he's already waiting for him to look his way. However, the connection is short-lived as Eddie folds his arms around himself, looks away and says, "I can only talk about what I know, and I don't wanna put my foot in it by asking the wrong question, you know? It's been nice catching up, teenage drama aside" he punctuates with a laugh.

"Yeah, it has been nice," Steve agrees, and Eddie's arms unfold, "I know sometimes I don't talk enough."

"Well, that's just because you seem to live in your thoughts, Steve", Eddie says fondly, "It wouldn't be awful for you to share them with someone sometime." Eddie's eyes dart between Steve and the rings that he's twisting around his fingers, "I don't mind being that someone if you're comfortable? Maybe it would help with all the…um…being on edge stuff too? A problem shared is a problem halved and all that," Eddie sends him a gentle smile. Suddenly a part of Steve wants to defend himself against this friendly onslaught of observations. Tell the nosey little nerd he's talking complete shit. Snap at him with purposefully sharpened thorny words that, no matter what they said, all translated to Danger! Keep Out! Steve observes Eddie again. Most of his clothing and accessories screamed he could be a threat, the metal chains and jewellery of skulls and tusks. Rugged boots, worn jeans, no doubt under the polo shirt is some kind of horrific band name with a hellscape as an album cover. But the rest of him, the real Eddie, couldn't be any further from that. He remembers an insecurity Eddie shared only moments ago and decides to put the defensive words down.

"Yeah, you're right," Steve says with a half smile, "I guess old habits die hard, huh?"

#steddie #steddie fan fiction #eddie munson x steve harrington #steddie fan fic #steddiefanfiction #steddiefanfic #madaboutmunson #madaboutmunsonagain #eddie munson #steve harrington

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madaboutmunson · 2 years ago

Text

Again - Part 19

Part 1 | Part 18 | Part 20 | Full list of Again series links inc AO3 Link

Steddie fic where Steve and Eddie are in their mid 30's and everyone has sort of drifted apart

Taglist: @adaed5 @grtwdsmwhr @swimmingbirdrunningrock @mightbeasleep, @jewellthebooknerd, @fentiibratzz @rvllybllply2014

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Eddie comes home four days later.

He's called Steve several times, every day, to keep him updated with Wayne's situation, but he can hear in every phone call the relief in Eddie's voice when he answers. Almost like he can finally drop the effort and relax. It's not like he had to pretend to be anyone he isn't around Wayne, but generally, as charming as he is, Eddie is a straight talker. If something is headed towards calamity, he will acknowledge it, let you know about it and try to make the landing as soft as possible.

But this was different. This was Wayne.

A pillar of strength and stability in Eddie's life, maybe the only one for a long time, Steve guesses, and to watch him crumble under the weight of such loss must be extremely hard for Eddie.

But Eddie never complains. Not once.

He tells Steve how pretty the trees are getting now the leaves are changing. He talks about plans for Halloween. He tells him about some old trinket he found when they were sorting out Jack's things. He even tells him about Morgan going for tryouts. But the updates on Wayne are always facts, this happened today, or this is the next step we need to take. It's almost like if he speaks about how it's affecting any of them emotionally, it would break him because it would bring on an avalanche of reality.

Steve hears a loud bark, followed by the rumble of Beans' feet racing down the stairs. She presses her nose against the window. He waits for her second bark to indicate a non-Harrington, but it doesn't come. Steve quickly removes his marigold gloves and rushes to the door in a panic. Why would the kids be back now? The doorbell chimes, and Steve makes quick work of the locks to open up. There in the doorway, duffel bag in hand, is Eddie's beaming smile. He takes a deep shuddering breath but doesn't move, almost like he's frozen, unsure what to do. The smile must last for all of a few seconds before his expression crumbles, and he releases the bag to the ground. He jumps up, latching onto Steve like a Koala bear on a tree, and hides his face in the crook of Steve's neck.

Steve holds him tightly and securely, "Beans, Up bag, please," he says, pointing at Eddie's stuff. Then, still holding Eddie against him, Steve reaches for a treat from the bowl, and as she brings the bag in, he kicks the door closed and tosses it to her. "Good girl, Beans".

Finally, Steve makes his way to the sofas and sits down carefully, cradling Eddie to him, "Hey honey, Welcome home. You're ok now. I'm here," he says softly, repetitively, as he runs his hands over Eddie's curls. He feels the dampness on his neck as Eddie nods and clings to him tighter. Steve reciprocates the squeeze and soothes him until he speaks.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. It wasn't my plan to come home like this. I was just so relieved to see your face. It was so hard to see him like that. And Jack is pretty much gone, man. Like he's not there." He speaks rapidly into Steve's neck, inter-spliced with sharp intakes of breath.

"Hey, don't worry about that, ok? You're home now. I got you." Steve reassures him softly before Eddie's tear-stained face comes into view, and his face is clasped tightly in Eddie's hands.

"Don't you forget me, ok? Don't you ever do that to me!" Eddie says almost angrily, "We're gonna get you some checks an-and scans. Go see some specialists, alright? M-mmm-make sure you're gonna be ok. I'll p-pay," he makes a noise of frustration with himself and takes a quick breath, jolting Steves head in his hands "I don't even care how much it costs, ok? You don't forget me! Right, Steve?" Eddie's voice wavers with desperation as his hands paw at Steve's face and hair, his eyes searching frantically over him, like if he doesn't, he might just disappear. Finally, his eyebrows push together again, and he erupts into another torrent of tears and crashes into Steve's chest, flinging his arms around his neck.

"Eddie, Eddie, listen, ok" Steve holds him tightly against him, "I'm not gonna forget you, ok. How could I possibly? Sure, I forgot moments, but I didn't forget you. I'll always know you. I love you." He releases his grip and lifts Eddie's head so he can look at him, "Do you wanna talk about what happened?" Eddie sobs and shrugs, "How about I take a guess, ok? That way, I can understand, and you don't have to say too much, alright?" Steve asks kindly, and Eddie nods. "I'm guessing Jack forgot who Wayne was?" Eddie agrees with a repeating nod before burying his face in his hands, "Hey, look at me, Eddie, please," Eddie wipes his eyes and tries his best to focus on Steve, "Jack is very sick, no one can help that, and I know that must have been heartbreaking to see. It must have been awful for Wayne, and for you to see the aftermath of Wayne hurting from it. But, Eddie" he weaves his fingers between Eddie's, "That's not gonna be us, ok? We're gonna be ok, and I'll go for all the scans and assessments you want, ok?" Steve releases his hands and shifts Eddie to straddle his lap. "And if they find anything wrong, I'll do the exercises, take the meds and vitamins, drink the weird smoothies and eat the recommended foods, ok? Whatever it takes." His hands take hold of Eddie's face firmly, and he looks deeply into his eyes, "I would rather die than forget you." Eddie's eyes search his like he's checking for lies, and it almost breaks Steve's heart, but fortunately, Eddie has other ideas and launches himself forward, kissing Steve hard, their faces almost painfully pressed together, Eddie's hands gripping onto his scalp with urgency.

As he pulls back from the kiss, Eddie quickly removes his polo shirt and throws it somewhere into their surroundings. His chest heaving. He takes Steve's hands and puts them on the scars at his waist, and guides them, desperately, up and over all of them that litter his chest, arms, neck, and face before leaning in for another kiss, "Remember me" he mutters against Steve's mouth, before nuzzling at his neck. "I love you, babe. Please don't forget me. Promise me," he utters in a whisper next to Steve's ear before making a frenzied trail of kisses back to his mouth. Steve follows Eddie's lead in an overwhelming, blended daze of passion, love and sadness. He quickly unbuttons his shirt, almost tearing it off, and directs Eddie's hands over his scars. He leans forward into Eddie's neck, pushing his hands around him, so they can trace over the shallow, rippled scars from being dragged through the upside down, on his back.

"I swear. Promise you won't either?'' He kisses the words along Eddie's throat, lingering on the scars there as he feels Eddie's rough fingertips trace over his skin.

"Like angel wings," Eddie says softly. "You're my angel, Steve. I'm doomed without you. I promise I'll never forget you," He adds, kissing the top of Steve's head. Steve looks up, love drunk, at Eddie's face. Perfectly sculpted. His epically dark eyes were amplified by his expansive pupils of obsidian, tear-stained, slightly stubbled cheeks, kiss-swollen lips of a deep pink, scars gracing his jaw iridescent like mother of pearl. At Steve's next touch, Eddie's head is thrown back, eyes closed tight from being in the no man's land between exquisite pleasure and soul-crushing pain.

"You're a masterpiece, Eddie," Steve gasps as he seizes the back of Eddie's hair and selfishly forces his bewitching face back into full view, pressing gentle kisses over his cheeks and closed eyelids, his hands move over his tattoos and remnants of them that the scars eat away at. "You're no angel, but you saved me. Too good for here. Let me show you heaven, where you belong," Steve says breathlessly, hurriedly scooping Eddie up into his arms and taking him upstairs.

++++++++++++++++++++++++

Later, Steve wakes up to find Eddie missing from his bed. He quickly gets up, wraps his robe around himself, and hurries into the hallway. He breathes a sigh of relief when he can hear Eddie singing downstairs, and in the air is the aroma of something fantastic. He moves down the stairs almost two at a time to race into the kitchen and rushes into the back of freshly showered and smartly dressed Eddie at the stovetop. He loops his arms around Eddie's waist and pretends to chomp on his shoulder and neck, "Something smells tasty,” Steve laughs at his bad joke.

"Hey! Careful there, stud! I don't wanna get my interview outfit dirty. It could leave a bad impression." Eddie smiles as he gives the pot a final stir before turning around in Steve's arms and stepping them away from the stove.

Steve lets out a little laugh and kisses him quickly, "What do you mean interview?"

"Uh, well, whilst you were sleeping, I went for a shower and found someone had left a very official-looking letter for me." Eddie nods at the kitchen table, and Steve can see an opened envelope on the table with Eddie's name in calligraphy on the front of it. He recognises it immediately as Mackenzie's handwork. She'd had that set since she was Corey's age. He reaches over to pick it up, and Eddie taps his hand away. Steve looks back at him in surprise but immediately sinks into a dopey smile as he gets entranced by Eddie's sleepy loving gaze. "You know it's a crime to open someone else's mail, Mr Harrington," Eddie says gently with a huge smile.

"Technically, it's already open, my love," Steve says, placing one hand on the small of Eddie's back and the other he joins their hands together and dances them around the kitchen to the radio. "Would you still love me if I was the type of international criminal that went around opening other people's mail? I'd probably be top of the FBI's most wanted."

"Oooh, Scourge of the Postal Service, Steve Harrington? If anything, I'd probably love you more!" Eddie laughs.

"So…can I read it?" Steve says, placing a kiss on Eddie's nose.

Eddie leans after him to chase for a smooch, "I guess. But, I mean, it doesn't say you can't. It just wasn't addressed to you, is all. It does say, however, you are not allowed in the interview," Eddie says dreamily. Steve hurriedly gives him the kiss he's chasing and grabs for the letter, still swaying them.

Dear Mr Edward Munson,

We were happy to see you passed the first and second stages of the interview process and invite you to attend your third. This will be conducted by myself, Dr M Harrington, and Detective C Harrington, at 6pm sharp at the kitchen table. Mr S Harrington will not be permitted to attend as his bias is clear, and he will probably be annoying the whole time.

We would also appreciate it if you provided a list of benefits you will bring to the home, and if you could prepare a dinner you will impress us with.

Please read over the attached provisional roommate agreement, which may be amended during the interview, but we will allow time for you to review it.

Sincerely,

Zee, Cyborg and Beans.

"So, as you can see, I have homework, and you are distracting me!" Eddie raises his eyebrows, laughs against Steve's cheek and runs his fingers through the side of Steve's hair. "Gods, you're beautiful!" Eddie says, pressing another kiss to Steve's lips.

"Urgh, Homework. I thought my days of getting cock-blocked by homework were over sixteen years ago!" Steve complains, making Eddie unleash a surprised laugh. Steve quickly looks at the clock, "Oh shit, is that the time? Jesus, I better get dressed and go retrieve your potential roommates!" Steve says in a slight panic before peppering Eddie's face with kisses and rushing back up the stairs.

Not to be outdone by the dramatics of the kids. When they arrive home, they find Beans dressed in a waistcoat with a scroll menu attached to the back of it, written in an almost mediaeval font.

Chez Harrington

Today's Specials

Starter

Smoked Salmon bathed in Beetroot amid The Two Towers (of goats cheese rolled in cracked peppercorns) served with Beika

Main

Cowboy Beef Chuck Chilli with Cornbread and Nachos

Dessert

Dark Chocolate and Cherry Mousse with a Honeycomb crisp

Drinks

Mermaid Water (Blue Fruit Punch, Lemon and Coconut Water)

Eddie appears from the kitchen with a small set of spectacles balanced on the end of his nose with a dish cloth draped over his forearm, "Do ze 'arringtons. Wish to dine now. Or muzt zay finish zer 'omework first?" Eddie enquires in a French accent, sending the kids into a fit of giggles. The kids look back up to Steve.

"It's your choice, but you have to get your homework done at some point tonight," Steve warns, and he's met with big smiles and enthusiastic nods as the kids quickly dump their bags and jackets on him and follow Eddie to the rarely used dining room. It has been adorned with many mismatching candelabras and candles to illuminate the room, and on each full-place setting is a napkin folded into a bat.

Everyone enjoys the dinner. The kids especially enjoy Eddie's theatrics of making their cocktails where they can see and spinning the bottles around. Once dessert is over, Steve and Eddie tidy away the plates as the kids prepare for Eddie's interview. "Wish me luck?" Eddie asks, and Steve kisses him on the cheek.

"Good luck, babe," Steve says with a smile.

"Hey! No fraternising with the applicant, thank you!" Corey bellows through the doorway.

The kids place Steve in front of the TV with a set of headphones on, with Beans at his side. Steve is pretty sure Eddie won over the kids weeks ago, and they are just putting him through the wringer, which honestly was quite sweet of them in an odd way. Beans relishes the extra tummy rubs and ear scratches she gets from Steve for the next thirty minutes or so, and Steve is quietly pleased that, in her own way, Beans has also accepted Eddie.

The scarpering away of Beans and a thud on the cushion next to him indicates a clearly amped-up Eddie has vaulted the sofa to sit next to him. Steve slides off the headphones and looks at Eddie, "Well?"

"Well, I think they are in deliberations, which means, according to the contract, I can do this" Eddie leans over, grabbing the back of Steve's neck and initiating a deeply passionate kiss.

"That was in the contract?!" Steve says in delightful surprise.

"Well, not strictly speaking, but rule 2.4 said no over-the-top kissing when they are in the same room. Which they aren't. They are in the next room," Eddie smirks.

"What else was in the rules?" Steve giggles.

"Well, rule 2 seems to focus on being in the same room. So, for instance, I can do this" Eddie snuggles up next to Steve and drapes his arm around him, giving him a quiet, soft kiss on the cheek, "But I could absolutely not do this," Eddie says, turning Steve's face towards him giving him the noisiest wettest kiss he could possible.

"Hey! We can hear that! Rule 3.1, Eddie!" Corey shouts loudly.

"Sorry! I'm a bit old and deaf from all the rock n roll, just testing out volumes," He shouts back innocently.

"I'm guessing rule 3 is all about being in different rooms," Steve laughs, and Eddie nods. Steve quickly looks over his shoulder. Then, with the coast clear, he clambers into Eddie's lap, retrying their last kiss but quieter. "How many rules did that break?" Steve asks with a smile.

"Well, let's see here, there was the "gross noise" kiss, that's one, you've sat in my lap, that's two, you're definitely staring at me with lustful intent, that is three," Eddie counts on his hand looking up at Steve.

"Am I gonna get you into trouble?" Steve says flirtatiously.

"Oh fucking heaps, babe. With the flirting in the very next room and the door open, that is four and five broken," Eddie says with a mischievous smile on his face, pulling Steve closer with a low chuckle.

"Come on, guys, you've literally just signed!" Zee laughs, and Eddie and Steve jump back to their original seating positions.

"It wasn't me. It was your father. I was letting him know all the rules he was breaking," Eddie says with his hands in the air.

"I can't believe you ratted me out!" Steve says with a laugh at Eddie.

"And when you told him how many rules he was breaking, did you actually do anything about it?" Corey huffs, hands on his hips, as the two kids march into the seating area with the papers in hand.

"My hands were tied," Eddie shrugs, "I wish to cite rule 1.3. Do not be mean to your Dad. Now, if I had told him off, that might have been classed as mean, and I didn't want to break any rules."

"Hmmm, ok," Corey says with approval, "I'll allow it this time because technically, no rules were broken until we moved into this room, so…" Corey taps his temple in thought.

"Jesus, Corey, don't hurt yourself," Zee says, rolling her eyes. "Mr Edward Munson," she says, and Eddie gets quickly to his feet and neatens his shirt. "Welcome home," She says with a big smile and extends a hand, which Eddie shakes enthusiastically, and then Corey offers him the same, causing a vast dimpled smile on Eddie's face.

They all know this was just a bit of fun for the kids, but Steve can't get over how genuinely proud Eddie looks. He was positively beaming.

Steve stands up, puts his arm around Eddie's shoulders, and kisses him on the side of his head, "That all within the rules?" He chuckles, and all three of them nod, "What's it say in the rules about group hugs?" Steve asks, looking at the kids and then Eddie.

"Ok, one step at a time there, big guy." Corey puts his hand in a stop motion at his Dad, and Eddie has to look away to not burst out laughing.

"Wow. Ok then, fine. Do I at least get to see the list of what Eddie is bringing to the house?" Steve asks, and Zee hands him the notepaper

Good jokes

Great Music taste

Contemporary fashion

Another fabulous head of hair

Great storyteller

Can absolutely shred on guitar

D&D expert in several editions

Decent at Video Games

Snack connoisseur

DIY Practitioner

And more…

Can distract your Dad if required, and there is something in it for me.

"That is an impressive list, Eddie, but contemporary fashion. I already have that covered." Steve smiles smugly, "Right, guys?"

"What age range are you referring to exactly? Over 60?" Zee zings back quickly. Eddie's eyes widen as he stifles his laugh, but Corey erupts with laughter.

"Wow, you got burned so bad," Corey manages between giggles.

Steve gives the list back to Zee, puts his hands on his hips, pulls an unimpressed face, and points between the two of them, "Don't you both have homework to do?" They groan, collect their bags, and head upstairs as Steve shouts after them, "May I remind you that tomorrow is Friday, and I will be doing a room check, so you better make sure it's tidy up there. And I will check storage areas for piles of things that have been squirrelled away!" The kids quickly race up the stairs to avoid any more orders.

"Sorry, can't hear you all the way upstairs, Dad," Zee shouts back. Steve stays very still and waits for one door to slam and then the other before gripping Eddie's shoulders excitedly and shaking him around. Whispering crowd noise and jumping up and down. Which Eddie immediately joins in with, and then so does Beans.

"We did it!" Steve beams at Eddie, "Well, you did, really. I knew they'd all love you, honey!"

Eddie blinks at him with a happy look of confusion. "You can't see it, can you?" He lets out a soft laugh. Steve's brow contorts in thought, "Oh sweetheart," he laughs again, "You're so adorable," and sighs, holding Steve's hands. "Ok, so yes, your family likes me. I'm not gonna be modest about it. I am pretty awesome. But the big glaring thing you've completely missed is how accepting they are about all of this. How accommodating they've all been. The only things any of them have grilled me about is to make sure I don't hurt you again. They're protecting you." Eddie says gently and smiles at him fondly, "You know why that is, right?" Eddie raises his eyebrows for Steve to answer.

"Well, because they're my family, and they know I'm a teeny bit crazy about you?" Steve tries. He knows he can be impulsive, and Jenny, Val, Zee, Corey, and to some extent, even Beans have seen that in full bloom on a few occasions, but not like this. They were just worried about him making a mistake, which he was also prone to do. Often getting things wrong, but luck bailing him out in the eleventh hour.

"No, baby. You know better than anyone. Just because you're family doesn't mean you get anything," Eddie shakes his head and caresses Steve's face, "They're doing those things because that's what you do for them, every day, Steve. I know that because I see you in them. Zee makes these little razor-sharp quips but has an absolute heart of gold. Corey cares fiercely but hides it behind his little imitation hands on hips stance. Jenny, a pregnant woman on limited sleep, made time to sit opposite me and silently dismantle me to assess if I was a threat not just to her kids but to her ex-husband. Shit, even your ex-wife's boyfriend had taken time out to research me." Steve's mouth parts slightly at the unexpected analysis. "They wanted to be your knights for a change, babe, because you're always theirs'."

"But I…" Steve starts.

"I know you didn't ask them to do that. I know you were just trying to ensure everyone was okay with everything. But your family did it anyway because your love gives them the room to do that. You're their keep. You protect them from the elements, keep them safe from attack, and ensure they have a place to always call home with unshakeable foundations. So, the minute a potential threat to you was seen on the horizon, they tooled up and defended you." Steve casts his eyes to the floor and swallows the newly developed lump in his throat.

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess they did. Didn't they?" He says softly at the floor. Eddie tilts Steve's head up again and holds up the contract.

"And now, they've graciously let me join their ranks." Eddie beams that huge toothy proud smile again, “They deem me worthy of defending their stronghold.” Steve smiles back as much as he can through the waves of emotion and, for comfort, fusses at the collar of Eddie's shirt.

"If you're gonna be a Harrington Knight, you need to learn how to fix a shirt and tie properly!" Steve fusses with Eddie's collar and tie knot, avoiding looking directly into Eddie's eyes which he caught a glimpse of and knows for a fact he'd entirely fall apart if he absorbed even a molecule of the admiration and love in them right now. Despite finally realising how fiercely he was being defended, Steve doesn't think he's ever felt more fragile, not because they can't take care of him, but because he knows how badly he needs them to. He would never say or admit it, but now he knows Eddie can see it clear as day, has broken through with his insight, and his laser beam eyes would blow Steve apart right now. He brushes down Eddie's shirt and gently taps his arm, where he knows his flock of bats reside under his full-length shirt sleeve. He catches a glimpse of Eddie's expression changing and quickly finds his hand wrapped up in his.

"Say, might you take a promenade around the grounds with me, sir?" Eddie asks in his most fancy accent, causing Steve to laugh and nod. They take a moonlit walk around the house for a while under the stars that are beginning to peek out. Eddie talks Steve through some of their names and stories. He was certain Eddie could do this every night, and Steve still would not be able to recall it all because he constantly got distracted by how insanely beautiful he was, especially at night.

Steve wonders if that was because this used to be the time he really got to look at him when others weren't around when in the past, it would be just the two of them. The thought makes Steve swallow nervously, a physiological confirmation of his reasoning. He guesses the first time around, Steve could safely drink Eddie in under cover of night. Hidden in a haze of smoke and the buzz of alcohol, in the dark, they could be close. No one knew what it meant. Maybe Wayne suspected, but so secret they didn't even realise the other felt the same.

"You know, Steve, it would be real nice if sometimes, you could at least pretend to make a noise of agreement, so I could at least think that maybe you are listening. You know, for the sake of my ego?" Eddie laughs.

Steve reaches out to hold his arms and turns him to face him, "It's not my fault, though, honey." Steve's eyes take their time looking him over, "You're just so…" Steve scrunches up his nose and fists and makes a noise of frustration and laughs, "Sorry?" Steve pretends to apologise with an impish half-smile.

"Well, here's the thing, babe. I thought bringing you out here might help you relax a little." Eddie runs gently over the sides of Steve's upper arms, his hands making their way up to his shoulders, where his thumbs rub gentle circles above his collarbone. Instinctively Steve slowly closes his eyes under Eddie's touch as he's being walked backwards by him. Eddie leans in to rasp into his ear as he undoes the top button on his shirt before sliding his hand inside. "Clearly, it's had the opposite effect. You feel a little hot and bothered to me. Huh?" Steve can only nod. Eddie's face comes into view. Extra light illuminates his face now, the highlights in his eyes like a north star in each, and Steve is captured entirely.

Eddie's hands glide back to his shoulders tenderly. A gentle smile plays on his face as he gazes longingly at Steve's lips. Then, finally, he mutters, "I guess I better find a more effective way to cool you off, huh?" Before Steve can even commit to a full confused head tilt, a gigantic evil grin appears on Eddie's face as he gives Steve a hard shove backwards.

Steve's back hits the water's surface with a hard smack as he's pulled under. Annoyed as hell, he quickly resurfaces quietly to find Eddie looking up at the house, jumping up and down and cheering with someone.

"Did you get it?" Eddie tells up at the house. A thumbs-up pokes out of Corey's window.

"Yeah! Sure Did!" Zee's voice rings out.

"You'll probably wanna stop recording now. I've gotta apologise and explain it was an initiation," Eddie calls back up.

Steve realises he's been had. A mutiny. The little shits.

"Yeah, yeah, we'll cut in a while," Corey shouts back.

"What do you mean in a while?" Eddie says, confused, putting his hands on his hips, but Steve recognises his cue.

He launches himself quickly out of the water, grabbing Eddie by the waist and German suplexes him into the pool, and the night air is filled with Eddie's screams and the laughter of his children.

Eddie spits out the water like a fountain statue as they resurface before complaining loudly, "You already got me the other day. They tricked me too!! I demand a parlay to amend the contract!!" He points up at where the kids were.

"Eddie, as cool as you think you might be, you're just another adult for these two to torment. They knew you'd do their bidding, and they are more than familiar that I would retaliate. Steve hears yelling from the house, and they both start to the side and get out, but the yelling gets louder.

Eddie realises something at precisely the same time as Steve, but it's too late. Zee and Corey charge out of the house with a nerd gun each, yelling and running towards them, pelting them with foam bullets.

Steve pretty much backflips back into the pool for cover and swims to the other side, leaving Eddie to take the ambush alone. He dramatically falls to his knees, yelling and begging the gods for mercy, gesturing theatrically to the night sky, only to be met with giggles and more foam bullets. While they are distracted, Steve makes it to the other side of the pool, fires up the hose, and sneaks back with it under the water before bursting out of the pool again, blasting the kids with the water, and rushing to Eddie's rescue.

Out of bullets and out of breath, the four of them lay on the wet ground laughing until their sides hurt as Eddie tries one more time to tell them a story from the night sky.

Steve takes a moment to look over the three of them as Beans arrives late to the party. His heart expands to breaking point looking over at his new family unit. He sighs, with adoration but also with a sort of relief. This was it. This was everything. His dreams, shaped differently from what he had expected, were coming true right before his eyes.

And if he was careful. This would be his forever if he could keep them all safe and happy.

Wouldn't that be the most shocking thing of all?

Steve Harrington, a mean girl, dragged through hell and back several times, heart smashed to smithereens by parents and partners, to change his ways, to get it wrong over and over, only to, at long last, get it exactly right.

#steddie #steddie fan fiction #eddie munson x steve harrington #steddie fan fic #steddiefanfiction #steddiefanfic #madaboutmunson #madaboutmunsonagain #eddie munson #steve harrington

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madaboutmunson · 2 years ago

Text

Again - Part 8

Part 1 | Part 7 | Part 9 | Full list of Again series links inc AO3 Link

Steddie fic where Steve and Eddie are in their mid 30's and everyone has sort of drifted apart

Taglist: @adaed5 @grtwdsmwhr @swimmingbirdrunningrock @mightbeasleep

================================================

Crisis averted, the food was doing great, Steve had checked the safety of the hoop by hanging off it, probably more times than he needed to, but he just wanted to make sure. Steve dribbles the ball around the perimeter of the practice area. Lengthwise, it was just shy of half a court. Jenny had deemed a full court too excessive for their needs at the point they got it installed, and though they had the space out here, she'd been right. The kids only used it for shooting practice and a little one-on-one, never a full game. On his second go-round, he picks up speed and, once complete, turns onto the 3-point line and takes a few shots. A few suck and a few make it. He wasn't at his best anymore, but he could remember enough drills from practice to help Morgan. If he needed any help, that is. The kid could be a natural.

Beans barks, pauses and barks again, letting Steve know there are what she deems strangers approaching the house. He secretly smiles happily before reaching to open the door. About to take the first step into something he thought would never happen again. He wasn't alone in inviting someone else to see his sanctum. Eddie had parked his right outside. Though this would be the first time Eddie would see a genuinely Steve home, not a showroom, not a reflection of his parents, not someone he thinks he should be. That was exciting and worrying at the same time. What if he didn't like who Steve was? What if he was too much compared to before, when he was barely anything? He switches his focus inward to outward and marvels at the motorhome through the now-open door. Beans sits eagerly at his heel, looking up at him, waiting for permission to sniff the very essence from these non-Harringtons. It looked like a reasonably new model, a Hurricane, it said on the side, which someone and Steve could likely guess who had written "Rock you like a" above it. Steve can't repress the smile that breaks when he reads it. Eddie liked to do that where he could, use something else to break the ice for him.

Something louder than himself always hits you before Eddie does, and if you're lucky and patient, he will peel back all the other layers for you. It wasn't a facade for Eddie, though. It was just a crutch. Blast you with his loudness before he'd ever show you his quieter, softer side. He’s prodding and testing you to deem you worthy and safe. Steve wonders if he'll get there again this time or if that version of Eddie is long gone. Steve sighs and decides to focus on something much easier to stumble through the analysis of. The RV looked roomy, and the glimpse of the seat as Eddie jumped down from it seemed comfortable, but more than anything, it screamed something that eluded Steve. Freedom. He wasn't so much tied down by his family, work, bills, or ties as other people. On paper, Steve could get his own and do just that, tour the country, but he also couldn't. Even thinking about it set his stomach into an uncomfortable churn. Home. That's where he belongs.

Eddie pushes his aviators into his hair and splays his arms at the motorhome. "My moving castle!" he says enthusiastically with a huge beaming grin, which Steve mirrors like a reflex, "Glad you've got a big driveway, Harrington. She's a whole lotta woman," he says, patting the vehicle. Morgan emerges in a complete basketball kit similar to Corey's, and Eddie falls in next to him, walking towards Steve. It's clear from his outfit Eddie has no intention of playing any kind of sport today unless that sport, of course, would be trying to wedge anything into one of his pockets. Those jeans were an unholy level of tightness from the hips to the knee, and then just casually flared out a little at the bottom like the rest of them wasn't causing an all-out riot in Steve's mind. He was ever grateful for Eddie's slashed arm t-shirt, the lower hem of which swayed at his hip as he moved, revealing that these jeans were so low-slung they were never meant to grace a waist. Any more snug of a fit top might have rendered Steve useless. He tries not to think about the scars underneath it.

"Hey, guys!" Steve smiles and waves, "Just stay right there, please. Sorry about this. We have a process" he nods towards the very serious-looking mass of fur next to him. Now Morgan looks incredibly nervous, but Eddie rolls his eyes with a smile. "Everything ok, Morgan? Are you scared of dogs? You can say, don't worry about that. She's a good girl. If asked, she'll keep her distance”.

"Oh, er, it's not that, er, Sir, it's um…." Morgan struggles over his words.

Eddie shakes his head, "Look, I'm eager actually to get in the house, so allow me. Morgan here is worried about the dog not liking him."

Morgan sighs and explains in a forlorn tone, "They just don't like me sometimes. Maybe because my mom has a bunch of cats or something, I guess, or maybe it's my washing powder, I don't know." Though he has been trying to hold it in, Eddie lets a laugh spill out, and Morgan frowns deeply at him. "It's not funny, man. People think you're evil if their dog doesn't like you," Morgan whines.

Steve tries to hide his own laughter at how adorable this kid is but empathises with him that Eddie is openly teasing him, "You know Eddie, Morgan's right. Dogs can tell if you fit or not, and their opinion affects the whole house."

Eddie stops chuckling, and for a moment, a glimmer of worry appears on his face, but it quickly falls into a narrowing of his eyes and a half smile, indicating he is onto Steve's game.

"Beans, Check," Steve says to Beans, who approaches Morgan first because he's nearest. She circles him a few times, sniffling him all over. Then she moves to Eddie and does the same. Finally, she sits beside Morgan and looks up at him, and he returns the glance down. Beans pads her feet several times on the driveway, her tongue falls out the side of her mouth, and her tail beats hard against the ground. "Well, Beans has selected her favourite. Come on in." Steve chirps.

Morgan gives Steve and Beans a big smile, which she immediately takes as an invite and jumps up, so her paws are on his shoulders. Morgan instinctively puts his arms out to ensure she doesn't fall back and gets a lick up the side of his face for his effort before she drops back to the floor and walks back into the house.

"Oh no, absolutely not!" Eddie exclaims with his hands on his hips, "Get her to check again!" Morgan shakes his head at him, and now he mirrors back the smugness Eddie had exhibited moments ago. The tilt of his head that makes his shoulder-length dirty blonde hair fall to the side as he smirks over at Eddie is a stance so very reminiscent of the man he's aiming it at.

"D'awww, You want Beans to tell you you're not the favourite twice?" This is the first time Steve has seen Morgan exhibit this kind of playful confidence around Eddie, and it makes him think of his kids and how they sass him often, but he loves it because that means he's done a good job. His kids are comfortable around him, and it seems Eddie had cultured the same environment for Morgan. Steve's heart beats a little harder, transferring all his fondest memories with his kids to Eddie and Morgan. He wishes he could have seen that. They must have been excellent parents to raise a good kid like him. Steve steps out and puts a friendly hand on Morgan's shoulder.

"She's never been wrong so far, Eddie, sorry", Steve smiles a little smugly at the exasperated metalhead, "Come on in," Steve says, waving them into the house. Morgan heads in first and looks around before finding a spot on the couch, where he is immediately joined by Beans sitting next to him. As Eddie walks past, he pokes his head around the door, checks where Morgan is, and then takes a step back to pause in front of Steve. His bottom lip pushes out a little in thought as he looks Steve up and down.

"Well, maybe she's not the big dog I'm after the favour of today," He says quietly, but that rasp in his voice is still very present, and Steve bites his lips together like he's afraid of what might fall out of his mouth. At first, he thought it might be words, but when Eddie reaches out to play with the lower hem of Steve's shirt, he thinks it might have actually been his tongue, "Little more overdressed for basketball than I remember, Steve" a smirk appears on Eddie's face before he looks back up to Steve's eyes, with that insane level of confidence. It's your turf, Steve. His brain helpfully reminds himself as he huffs out a laugh, which also helps release the breath he'd been holding.

"You know, I was only thinking about some of our old sports gear earlier, and I'm honestly deeply concerned." Eddie laughs at Steve's revelation causing his eyes to twinkle, and if he wasn't on the flat of the front doorstep, Steve might have lost his balance and dove headfirst into them. Instead, a surge of courage runs through Steve, and he gives Eddie the same once-over treatment. "At least one of us had to move into a looser fitting wardrobe," Steve says gently, smiling, and for a second, he thinks he has Eddie on the ropes, his surprised expression and blinking big eyes, until, of course, that confident smile spreads across his face. He sways into Steve's space a little more. God, they were so close now. Steve gulps down his nervousness.

"Oh, you noticed?" Eddie's hand clasps onto his belt buckle, and shamefully, Steve's eyes follow, "I was beginning to think skipping breakfast to squeeze into them hadn't even been worth it" he tilts his head at Steve, whose eyes are back where they should be—entirely lost in Eddie's. The silence between them makes Steve's pulse boom in his ears, accelerating, urging him to mirror this space invasion.

"Oh my god, gross!" Corey complains. Eddie's head swivels towards him, and Steve's body relaxes.

"Corey, Eddie. Eddie, Corey. You've met before, not that you'd probably recall, being absorbed in your Gameboy at the time," Steve says, pretending to be slightly annoyed.

Eddie salutes Corey, "Cyborg", he dubs him with a smile as he steps inside, throwing a wink over his shoulder at Steve as he does.

Then Steve finally steps inside, "Corey, Morgan. Morgan, Corey" At the sound of his name Morgan and Beans turn towards Steve at the same time, and Steve has to hold back his laughter again because they both have the same vacant expression on their faces.

Morgan gets out of his seat to shake Corey's hand, but Corey takes a step back to look up at him and smiles hugely. "You're good, man. How tall are you exactly?”

“Uh, 5’9” last I checked”, Morgan answers.

“Awesome. Wanna go warm up?” Corey asks with a mischievous grin on his face.

Morgan is about to agree when Steve stops him, "Remember what I told you, Cor! Play nice!" It earns him an eye roll from his son, who waves Morgan towards the outside, "Morgan, don't let him push you around. Let me know if he starts getting feisty out there."

"Come on, man. Let's go already!" Corey complains with his hands on his hips at the sliding glass doors to the backyard, and Morgan follows him out.

Steve turns to Eddie, "He'll be ok. Corey is currently having a tough time with his height. I keep telling him he's got tons of time to grow, but for now, he just has a vendetta slash obsession with kids taller than him."

"Stretch will be fine. He's kinda used to it" then Eddie gets distracted by his surroundings, "So this is the Harrington abode, huh?"

"Not what you were expecting?" Steve says, motioning into the kitchen, "Coffee?" He offers pleasantly as if the unknown of Eddie's thoughts wasn't coiling up his insides into an impossible knot.

"Please!" Eddie enthuses at the offer of something caffeinated, "Yeah, you could say it wasn't what I was expecting", his voice getting louder and quieter, meaning he's turning around in the living room, investigating the bookshelves and such. Steve pours the coffee into two identical mugs and delivers one to Eddie.

"What did you expect?" Steve asks curiously, offering a mug to him, who accepts with a nod of thanks before taking another look around.

"I guess, I dunno, something about you is different from when we were younger, and I figured maybe you weren't so loaded any more. It was a dumb thought and also," he holds a hand up to his surroundings, "wildly incorrect," he smiles, "I'm glad I was wrong though" he sips his coffee and makes a noise of approval.

Steve looks confused, "You're glad I'm not poor. Is that what you're saying?"

Eddie thinks for a second, "I'm glad you didn't have to struggle through life, that's all" he gives Steve that soft blink and smile of fondness that translates his words only to have the best intentions. This gentler side of Eddie thrilled Steve as much as his intensity at the door. Sure, flirtation had its merits but combined with being cared about and loved, now that was something he yearned for so deeply. This is what made Eddie so very dangerous, he could do both, but he could also leave, like the last time. He was both mallet and velvet padded case to Steve's heart of glass.

"I'm glad you're doing so well for yourself too. Please don't take this the wrong way. I always knew you had tons of talent and ambition, but your national business and Morgan, for starters…I wouldn't have guessed that in a million years for you. I feel like there is so much I don't know about you again," Steve says with a smile, finally revealing a deep truth in a shallow way.

"Ever the enigma, huh?" Eddie chuckles, "What did you think I'd be doing?" His big brown eyes focus on Steve from the mug's rim as he lifts it to take a drink.

"Going on the last bits of information I had on you, I was surprised not to have seen you on a magazine cover or a late-night talk show. You always seemed destined for something else, something so much beyond the everyday grind, you know. I couldn't see anything less for you." Steve answers, looking out of the backyard window, lost in his thoughts a little. It's true that until the library, the last time he'd seen Eddie was in those engagement pictures, and he looked every bit a rockstar, as did his fiancé. Then Steve got so absorbed in his attempts to forget Eddie and his own life that he stopped asking their mutual friends about him. It was painful then, and he was pursuing something else with Jenny, something he could succeed at, not chasing after a guy who had just gotten up one morning and left him. Left him was a bit dramatic. They were never together, not like an item, not really, never even kissed. It might have been close a few times, but Hawkins, Indiana, in the eighties might not have been the ideal place to feel safe exploring those things. It wasn't entirely clear to Steve if Eddie had felt the same, had been high, vulnerable, or just confused when they were younger. He seemed to have no confusion right now.

Eddie was definitely flirting with him, but Steve needed to figure out what his end game was and who he was dealing with these days. Was Eddie simply out to tick a box? Was he even monogamous? That was a new question to ask on the modern dating scene, as Steve had found out. Shit, Steve didn't even actually know if he was single. Their limited interactions at the library still showed he had that sweetness about him, especially for others, but fifteen years can do a lot to a person. When you still looked the way Eddie did in your mid-thirties and had his confidence, maybe sweetness wasn't required in what he wanted to achieve relationship-wise, especially when you moved around so much.

Steve thinks back on the last few years of attempts at dating, and honestly, if Robin had popped up one day with her old scoops ahoy whiteboard, the tally from 1985 wouldn't have been way off the mark. Sometimes the online profiles and the people you'd meet up with were wildly different, not just in looks but in their whole personalities. Steve had met a few people at evening hobby classes, and it was either they were more into him than he was into them, or vice versa, and lastly, the one-night stands, too many to mention honestly. Often Steve had gone home with them either out of pity because he wasn't going to ask them out again or because the other person had wanted the same thing he had in that desperate moment. Steve just couldn't seem to get it right. He couldn't help but wonder what shape of failing this whole Eddie thing might result in.

A single sharp bark brings Steve back into the room.

"Uh, sorry about that", he immediately apologises to Eddie, who doesn't look the slightest bit phased this time when he turns to face him. He's just drinking his coffee, looking at Steve with endearment, and this time Steve tells him, "I just, er, zone out sometimes, but it's not dangerous or anything. It's just when im-" he covers quickly to reassure Eddie he wasn't a hazard to anyone.

"When you're thinking about things? You get tangled in them, huh?" He asks so gently that it makes Steve look away to the floor bashfully.

"Yeah, something like that," he says, still looking at the floor, pushing his hair behind his ear. Then, finally, he takes a breath and tries to get back to normal mode, "We should get out there. I'm sure they're fine, but I said I'd help, so…" he trails off but just his words this time, his brain only really has one thing on its mind right now, and he feels like it's going to burst out of him, and it does, "You know I'm really looking forward to us spending some non-kid time together. I feel like I know you, but I also don't. Does that make sense? Sorry, I said that already, right?" He laughs a little at the rushed jumble of words that just left his mouth as he searches Eddie's face for understanding, whose smile just broadens, and he nods.

"Me too. I've been trying to think of someplace to go, but I don't know what you like these days. I was gonna just ask, but I thought that was kinda lame. You know, not surprising you with somewhere? Then I thought about what day would be best and…” Eddie huffs out a laugh and shakes his head, and it’d like he switches modes. “So, what day do the kids go to their Mom's house?" Eddie says with one of those small steps forward into his space again. He was such a duality. His words, to begin with, had been a little on the unsure, vulnerable side. His cute worries about Steve thinking his approach was lame, like a teenager. But then switching to all the eagerness of an adult who was very aware that time waits for no man, and when was the first opportunity they could be alone together. Steve tilts his head curiously at Eddie for a moment. Eddie's words repeat through Steve's thoughts again. Was this a date? Or at least not just a typical platonic hangout that Eddie had in mind? It felt that way, but Steve isn't sure about it, so he doesn't ask.

Steve clears his throat, "Ah, well, they go back Sunday, but I won't be back until late because I normally have dinner with Jenny, Val and the kids" Steve recognises the computing look on Eddie's face, "Jenny being my ex-wife, Val being her boyfriend, but honestly he's basically her husband." Eddie gives him a sympathetic smile, and Steve tries to fix it, "It's alright, you know, he's good at it…being a husband to Jenny. It's good. Honestly, the kids get on well with him. I'm really lucky." Steve sprinkles on the pep in his voice to assure Eddie that none of this made Steve resentful or upset. Steve taps his cup a few times and sets it down "You know, I don't think my likes have changed all that much.” he says giving Eddie a brief smile before clearing his throat again. “Shall we?" He waves his hand in front of him for Eddie to exit out back first and falls into step next to him, guiding him over the little grassy hill to the practice area.

#steddie #steddie fan fiction #eddie munson x steve harrington #steddie fan fic #steddiefanfiction #steddiefanfic #madaboutmunson #madaboutmunsonagain #eddie munson #steve harrington

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madaboutmunson · 2 years ago

Text

Again - Part 9

Part 1 | Part 8 | Part 10 | Full list of Again series links inc AO3 Link

Steddie fic where Steve and Eddie are in their mid 30's and everyone has sort of drifted apart

Taglist: @adaed5 @grtwdsmwhr @swimmingbirdrunningrock @mightbeasleep, @jewellthebooknerd

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"Shit, Steve. That's like half a court!" Eddie exclaims, looking over the court where Morgan and Corey are playing a little one-on-one.

"Was almost a full court, but thankfully Jenny talked me out of it." Steve decides to try and put something out there and see what happens, "It's not really my nature to do things by half, you know, so I'm glad she made me see sense before I wasted all that money and space." Then quickly moves on to something else, "You can sit wherever, but there is some seating out of harm's way if you prefer?"

"What kinda violent basketball do you play out here, Steve?" Eddie chuckles as he sits down on the grass and reclines back on the slight hill with his mug as he waves Steve on, "Go do your sports ball, don't mind lil' ol' me."

Steve walks over to Morgan and Corey and looks around at the distinct lack of Zee but figures she'll be down when ready. On his approach to the boys, he notices Corey is laughing, and he wonders if it's at Morgan's expense, but he's smiling too, but they both spy Steve, quickly stop whatever they are about to do and exchange a look causing an eruption of laughter again. Corey wasn't mean, not by a long shot; he had a big heart, but things had changed over the last two years. He'd toughened, and Steve supposed that comes with growing up, but he hadn't wanted that for his kids. He'd protect them from everything so they could keep that gentle innocence for as long as possible, but it hadn't worked out that way. At least they weren't on track to become the bitter condensing asshat he was in his teens. That was his hope, anyway. He supposed Zee was experiencing the same as Corey and couldn't help but feel hugely responsible. Sure, the divorce was peaceful enough, but it still took away something the kids thought they would always have. The home life they were used to. But who knows what environment it would have been if they hadn't decided to separate. At least their home wasn't full of spite and lies. He wonders if Eddie's separation had been as smooth.

Eddie could be a real firecracker sometimes. He was a little sharper than he needed to be, but none of that appeared to have passed to Morgan. Even though Eddie said Morgan didn't touch the stuff, he did give off that stoner vibe. For the most part very chilled out, funny, and prone to moments of anxiety, but overall seemed like a sweet kid. Steve claps his hands together, "Alright, gather round! So I figured we do some drills and see where your strengths are. Unless, of course, you have something in mind, you want to work on, Morgan?" Steve asks pleasantly.

"Yeah, drills sound good, Mr Harrington, but can you teach me how to do that spin Corey does? He's so fast" Morgan smiles down at the younger boy.

Corey bounces the ball on the concrete a few times, "Hell yeah, I'm fast, but if it weren't for that, I wouldn't get past this guy. He's like a wall!" Corey smiles up at Morgan, "We were working on something fun, but it would probably give you a heart attack, Dad" Corey smiles up at Steve before thumping Morgan in the gut with the back of his hand.

"Corey!!! That's enough!" Steve reprimands, motioning towards his son, but Morgan interrupts.

"I'm fine, honestly. Didn't feel a thing" He laughs and ruffles Corey's hair.

Corey ducks away from Morgan's hand. "See what I mean? A wall, Dad. What high school are you going to? They better put you on the team. They'd be idiots not to."

"I still don't want any of that on my court, Corey. This is basketball, not MMA or whatever, ok?" Steve walks into the little storage area under the hoop and retrieves a net of balls. He passes one to Morgan, takes another out and looks around. Still no sign of Zee, so he just keeps this one for himself. Steve demonstrates some drills by bouncing the ball at different heights, sock, knee, thigh, and hip, then dribbling the ball around the perimeter of the court, and lastly, just taking some shots. As Steve had anticipated, the game elements came easily to Morgan because of his build. It was clear he enjoyed playing, and honestly, wasn't that the key to success?

They are amid some rapid passing exercise when Morgan stands up bolt straight and whispers, "Whoa!". But, unfortunately, it's at the same time as Corey bounce passes to him, and the ball hits him right under his chin, and he drops to his backside on the floor.

"Oh shit, sorry, Morgan!" Corey exclaims.

"Morgan! are you- Corey, watch your language! Morgan, are you ok?" Steve rushes over and checks him for any cuts or bumps. He catches a glimpse of something on Morgan's chest, a vertical scar.

"Yeah, I'm good sir, sorry", Morgan gulps at Steve, but his eyes return behind them. He laughs nervously, returns to his feet, and retrieves the ball. Steve looks over his shoulder and sees Zee sitting beside Eddie and talking. Eddie, aviators back over his eyes, seems to have spent his time making daisy chains and shows Zee how he created them. Neither of them any the wiser to Morgan's misfortune. Steve notices Zee isn't dressed in her basketball gear, and he's a little disappointed, almost the three of them doing something together again, but he understands she's already had quite a day of it. He checks his watch and thinks it's a good point for a time-out. Zee squints at the sun, and Eddie offers her his glasses, which she puts on. They are too big for her face, and Steve hears a huff beside him. Steve turns to it and notices a flush on Morgan's cheeks. "Thank you for all your help, Mr Harrington, but maybe we could break now, sir?" Steve nods and watches Morgan find the nearest window, to neaten himself up before jogging over to Zee and sitting directly between her and Eddie. Zee's attention immediately shifts to Morgan, and their vast smiles mirror one another. Morgan picks up one of the numerous daisy chains Eddie had made, completes a circlet, and places it on Zee's head, and Eddie reads this as his cue to leave the area and head back inside with his mug.

"Oh my god, can't we have fun around here without people being gross? First, you old fogies, now the teenagers." Steve puts his hand on Corey's shoulder, looks at him adoringly, and is about to say something, but he's stopped by his son's raised hand, "Do not even try to tell me I'll understand when I'm older. I can think of a hundred things better to do with my time than lose my mind over someone."

"I haven't lost my mind over someone" Steve snorts a laugh and shakes his head. Corey responds by simply looking at him from under raised eyebrows.

"Call me when there is something to do that doesn't involve me wanting to hurl everywhere. Beans! Let's go!" Corey shouts, and from out of nowhere, the black ball of fur appears and bounds up to him, only to follow him back inside. Steve rechecks his watch. It was unlikely any more training would occur today, so he starts packing everything away, occasionally glancing over at Zee and Morgan, even though He was honestly trying his best not to. They are now lying on the grass, pointing at the sky and occasionally laughing, cloud-watching. He wanted to show Zee he trusted her. Eddie had said Morgan was a good kid, and he knew they were just teenagers, having dumb teenage crushes. However, the whole thing still worried Steve, thirteen and fourteen. It was too young for romance and dating, wasn't it? He should speak to Jenny. She'd know best.

As Steve approaches the backdoor to the house, he can hear Eddie's wild laughter and Corey complaining. Steve finds them both cross-legged on the floor in front of and laser-focused on the TV, with console controllers in their hands. Eddie seems to be rapidly hitting buttons whilst Corey occasionally looks down at his pad, trying to make it do something to no avail, making him grumble, "Aww come on, man!"

"What's going on here then, hmm?" Steve says, watching the violence erupt on screen. Which suddenly freeze frames and gives a 360-degree view of the aftermath of the carnage.

Eddie turns his head to Steve, "Oh nothing, Just spending some quality time with Cyborg here" Eddie starts laughing again.

"Your friend here is a button basher, and somehow the game is letting him completely get away with it, even though I'm using exactly the right combos!!!" Corey complains, but Steve can tell even though he's complaining, he's having the time of his life. No one beats Corey on this thing.

"Maybe you play something a little less violent, like that nice little go-cart game with the Italian man on?" Steve suggests as blood splatters across the screen, and Eddie punches the air in celebration.

"No way!" Corey answers quickly, restarting the game, and Eddie nods approvingly at him. Steve notices Corey shuffles around a little more towards Eddie, and Steve’s heart releases a what-if that his brain refuses to consider. He shakes it from his head and heads to serve up the dinner. Steve diligently checks over the beef and removes it to rest. Next, the roasted potatoes, honey-coated carrots and parsnips, and broccoli and cauliflower cheese bake. He pouts a little that he hadn't made Yorkshire puddings, but there was enough food here, he reminds himself as he whisks together a beef gravy. He's desperately trying not to read more into what this might be, but it was difficult not to.

Eddie playing computer games with Corey and getting on so well with Zee, and he got to help Morgan out, and gosh, if he wasn't a sweetheart and competent athlete in the making. What if it could always be like this? All of them together, one happy mini Brady bunch. Steve shakes his head at his ridiculous daydreaming. He didn't know this Eddie, and Eddie didn't know this version of Steve either. Maybe they were both holding onto the versions from fifteen years ago. The versions that always voted for one more movie, even when everyone else was tired, so it left just the two of them. Even if that resulted in one of them falling asleep on the other within ten minutes of everyone leaving. The ones that would listen to music on the same set of headphones to not annoy Wayne. The ones that couldn't sleep because of haunting nightmares, so they'd get high together and create a dreamscape in the stars on the hood of Steve's car.

"Oh great!" Steve grumbles as he realises his daydreaming has made a casualty of his shirt. He pours the gravy into a serving jug and assesses the damage. He should probably get changed anyway, but he should set the table first.

"Hey Steve, is it ok if I…" Eddie appears in the doorway, stops what he's saying, and looks at Steve's t-shirt, he leans his head against the door frame and pouts, "Oh no, Steve, this won't do! You can't sit at the dinner table like that!" He looks behind him and then back at Steve before walking over and taking the material in his hands again as he takes a closer look. "You should really get this washed right away. Otherwise, it'll be ruined!" He says, looking back up to Steve's face, biting back his bottom lip in mock distress, as his fingers run around the bottom hem of the garment again, and for a second, Steve almost thinks about it. Letting him undress him. Instead, he says something that is even a surprise to himself.

"Are you flirting with me, Eddie?" He feels the words rush past his lips before he can stop them. Eddie's eyebrows raise in surprise, his bottom lip pops back out, and Steve can just make out his tongue glance behind it.

"That depends, Steve. Is it working?" Eddie says gently with a smile that reads he knows it is. Steve can't help but laugh and looks away at his audacious behaviour, but Eddie dips his head and chases his smile. "Gods, how did you get cuter?" Eddie whispers, making Steve tut, roll his eyes and turn away from him to get the dishes.

"Ok, you don't have to lay it on that thick, alright? It's not the same under there anymore, anyway." He says, brushing a hand down his t-shirt to gently move Eddie's hands away and winces at the self-deprecation he didn't mean to let slip. Calm down, Steve. You've got this. Just try to get the link between brain and mouth working.

"What are you doing?" Eddie complains, and at first, Steve thinks he's noticed the inadvertent self-sabotage, "You've cooked the dinner. Are you setting the table too? No! There are four other people here." Eddie rushes to the kitchen door and cups his hands to his mouth, "KI-" he manages to shout before he's interrupted by Steve's arm around his waist, instinctively pulling him back into the kitchen.

"Come on, man. It's fine. I'll do it quicker than if I have to explain where everything is, anyway." Steve convinces and tries to release him, but Eddie's arm holds his in place. Steve looks at him, and Eddie's eyes have gone to that magical place. Big, dewy, innocent eyes tracing Steve's face, like he hadn't just been pawing at Steve's tee. The look that makes some primitive masculinity surge through Steve. Urging him to scoop up this delicate creature into his arms. A cheer from the living room breaks the spell, "Sorry." Steve says, turning back to reach for the cupboard. Eddie's hand gently meets his forearm, and Steve does not resist lowering his arm again.

"How about you explain everything to me? That way, I'll know for next time?" Eddie says quickly, and Steve knows he's talking about the crockery, but it feels like so much more to him now because he does. He does want to tell Eddie everything. Purge all of these hidden things, make his soul clean, so he could know if this could work, but it's too soon. So, Steve nods, directing a beaming Eddie around the kitchen, and soon enough, the table is set.

"Tell me to shut up if I'm out of line, but do you want me to grab you some sweatpants or something for dinner? I'm going up there anyway," he says, pinching at the stain on his top, "and you said you skipped breakfast for part of your, er, current outfit?" Steve offers kindly, if a little awkwardly, due to thinking about those jeans of Eddie's.

A huge closed-mouth smile spreads across Eddie's face as he leans against one of the chairs, "Are you inviting me upstairs, Steve?" He says, forcing Steve into a blushing buffering mode, trying to compute why he was repeatedly setting these things up so Eddie could fluster him.

"Ah-no. I, er, that's not what-. Sorry." Steve struggles through with a deep breath and turns back to the food for safety. Eddie's tone changes from mischief mode to compassion central.

"I was just kidding, Steve. I blurt things out sometimes because I think they're funny. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable…again." Steve can almost feel the eye roll Eddie is probably doing right now, feeling like he messed up. It makes him swallow down a laugh. How could they both still be so awkward, like this? Steve decides to smooth things over. He didn't want Eddie to think he'd done anything wrong when he hadn't. He turns back around to Eddie and spins the serving spoon in his hand before walking over to pass it to him.

"Didn't hear you decline though, Munson", he tries to say with some of that old King Steve smoothness, making Eddie laugh, "Oh wow. Thank you for that boost to my ego. I'll bring something down for you."

"As if!" Eddie says before barging Steve out of the way and running up the stairs, and Steve follows hot on his heels.

"Hey! No running on the stairs, guys!" Corey shouts at them without turning away from the tv.

Eddie stands in the hallway at the top of the stairs and taps his chin thoughtfully as he walks past the closed doors upstairs, "Ok, so guests are down the far end. This one is Cyborg's for sure", he gestures at the Keep Out sign adorning it, before pointing at the extra set of stairs leading up with torn fairy lights spilling out of it, "Princess Zee is obviously in the tower" He turns around again, and spreads his arms out like he's measuring the distance between Corey's bedroom door and the stairs to Mackenzie's room. He moves so he's in the middle of them both, looks at the two doors in front of him and reaches out to a door handle. He looks to Steve to confirm his guess, but he only gets a shrug in response. Of course, Steve could stop him or tell him which was correct, but selfishly he loved this. Eddie was possibly at his most cute when figuring something out or concentrating. He quickly looks down at the floor, wagging his finger, "Oh, almost got me there", and reaches for the second door handle, turns it and steps inside.

An audible gasp comes from Eddie, and Steve knows why. The last time Eddie saw a bedroom of Steve's, it was devoid of any personality, like one of those fake bedroom sets in a DIY or furniture store, but this room was definitely all Steve now. It had taken him a few months to start making changes after Jenny moved out, but after some time, he began to find it fun and, in some ways, therapeutic. Everything in this room had a home. Yes, that meant many storage items were in here, but he'd hidden them all behind doors or curtains. All the furniture was made of rich golden oak that complimented his room's two opposite racing green walls, the others a soft white. The overly large bed in the middle of one wall was covered in a mixture of greens, dark to light, deep soft cushions and bedding. The kind that if you pressed your hand to them, they would try to engulf it. It was the same story in the window seats. Next to either side of the bed are two discrete speakers facing inwards, connected to a stereo hidden away in the lower part of a bedside table. Opposite the bed was a small sitting area, a love seat and a table with a decanter and tumblers across from a TV cabinet. The vanity area was a full-length mirror next to some apothecary style drawers containing a myriad of hair products and aftershaves gathered over the years. A chest of drawers sits between the two windows. Of the two other doors in here, one leads to the bathroom, the other to a walk-in closet.

"Wow, this is as big as my whole place, almost" Eddie jokes as he turns around, looking around at everything in there, "Hmmm", he muses theatrically, "what is in Steve's decanter? Something cask matured for over a decade, no doubt." Steve just smiles, "No, that smile says I'm wrong, ok…ok. I'm driving, so I can't drink any, but…" he goes to pick up the decanter, and a panic floods Steve for a moment.

"Maybe another time? Don't want the food going cold, do we?" He says hopefully, and though Eddie eyes him and the decanter suspiciously, he obliges and moves his hand away. Steve's shoulders relax with gratitude, "Closet is just through there. The more casual stuff is just as you walk in" Steve smiles as Eddie opens the closet door.

"So full of tempting little secrets, huh, Steve? Well, there is one you can’t keep from me because I can see it all over." Eddie calls out from in the closet as he rummages around, and Steve takes off his t-shirt throwing it in the laundry hamper, before grabbing an exact duplicate from the chest of drawers. Halfway through putting it on when he hears Eddie's voice a lot more clearly, "You still can't sleep sometimes because of the nightmares" as Steve pokes his head out through the top of his t-shirt, he sees Eddie's head looking around the doorway at him. Steve sighs a little and nods with a smile as he pulls down his t-shirt quickly. Eddie disappears again, rummaging around more, "You should know my intention is to pluck all of these secrets from you, Steve. So, you are gonna have to be the bigger person and let me know when to stop because I cannot resist a mystery!"

"I will", Steve quietly laughs.

"Promise?" Eddie asks, emerging from the closet, still sporting his own sleeveless t-shirt and some black sweatpants, but on his head is a small white hat that says Ahoy on it and on his face an impish smile. Steve's hands go to his face, and he can't help but laugh.

"You should have applied, it suits you," Steve says gesturing at the hat.

"What and break up the dynamic ice cream slinging duo? Never!" He says, agast, "Besides, I probably didn't have the legs for those shorts back then. Now…maybe. Shall I find them out and try them? I know if the hat is here, so is the rest." Eddie says, looking back into the closet.

"I think we've had quite enough dress-up time now, don't you?" Steve says with a smile moving towards the hallway door.

Eddie, overly downturns the corners of his mouth, puts the hat back in the closet and follows Steve with his jeans draped over his arm.

Once downstairs, Eddie helps Steve plate up the dinner, and the kids join them at the table. The eight-seater table was set out with five places but not as Steve had expected, not as he usually sat other parents. Only one end of the table had a place setting; the rest were along the longer sides of the table.

"Say, Eddie, don't you wanna sit at the top of the table?" Eddie looks at the place settings and then at the other end of the table.

"Er…do you want me to sit all the way at the other end of the table?" his question is a genuine, and the look on his face appears he doesn't quite understand the significance of seating at the table. Which surprises Steve. As a leader of Hellfire Club, who used to sit on a wooden throne, you'd think he'd get it. Or maybe it was that a dinner table had no significance to him? Whenever Steve's parents ate at a table with him, that's where they sat. They felt like the adult's seats to him. That's where he sat the other parents when one visited.

"No, I, er, sit wherever you like. Sorry, it was a dumb thing to ask." Steve says with a laugh, bringing over a jug of water and topping up the glasses. Then something occurs to Steve. Eddie had said all the way at the other end like it was a million miles away or something. He smiles as he sets the jug down. "Where did you wanna sit?"

"Next to you, of course," Eddie says quietly, so the kids don't hear him like he just answered the most obvious question in the world, but Steve notes he doesn't look at him when he answers and is preoccupied straightening a knife, "If that's ok, that is."

Steve stands behind his seat, one hand on his hip, dish towel slung over the opposite shoulder, as he rearranges the seating.

"Ok, Eddie, you're here" He points to the seat on his right. "Ah, ok, so one of mine next to me, please" Corey rushes up to claim the seat, glaring mischievously back at Zee, who shrugs like she doesn't care "ok, Corey, great. Thank you. That means Zee is next to Eddie because I do not want to deal with an all-out brawl because your brother nudged you. So, Morgan, you're next to Corey. If he nudges you, let me know, and I'll take away all his power supplies." Steve says like he was just talking through a play to his team, and Corey sinks in his seat with a groan of unfairness.

Everyone finally sits down, and Steve holds out his hands, one to Eddie and one to Corey. Zee sighs, "Dad, no, please. With guests?"

"These aren't just any guests," Steve says but doesn't elaborate. Eddie is more than just another parent invited around for dinner. They fought next to one another. Endured unknown horrors together. He couldn't call him family because that felt strange for several reasons, but he was important and by proxy so was Morgan. Corey holds Steve's hand and extends one out to Morgan. Zee falters for a minute. Her left hand extends to Eddie with no trouble, but her right, across the table, hesitates part way across. Morgan's upturned hand moves out gently and captures her fingers softly in his palm, and without tearing his eyes from Zee, he holds Corey's hand too. Corey observes the two of them and makes a dry heave sound, and Eddie can't hold back a laugh as he easily takes Steve and Zee's hands in his own, with Corey giggling back at him. "Ok. Now the awkward part is over." Steve looks around the table, "I'm really happy we did this today. Your turn, Cor."

"I'm really happy I got to run rings around two other basketball players today despite them both being much taller than me. Morgan?"

"Er, what do I do, just say something I'm happy about?" Morgan asks.

"Yeah, that's all" Zee smiles over at him.

"I'm really happy I don't look where I'm going sometimes," Morgan sighs. Eddie acts out a closed-mouth heave, and Corey starts giggling.

"Hey, it's his turn. We don't make fun here," Steve reprimands both of them.

"Thanks, Mr Harrington", Morgan says politely. Steve nods back with a smile. "Also, I'm really happy Beans has good taste in people", Morgan adds, raising his eyebrows in Eddie's direction before turning back to the object of his affection, "Zee?"

"I'm really happy you don't look where you're going, too," Zee says, and they laugh together, making Steve shoot a warning look at Corey and then Eddie. "And I'm also really happy my Dad knows how to braid," she says, smiling down the table at Steve for a split second before returning to Morgan. Steve feels like he might just burst into tears, and then he feels Eddie's thumb rub the back of his hand, almost like he knows how overwhelmingly happy that comment would make Steve feel, "Eddie?" Zee asks

"Oooh, I'm the headliner? No pressure. Ok, there are so many things I'm happy about today, but mostly…yeah. Mostly I'm really happy that all the choices I've made led me right here…" Eddie says, looking around the table at everyone's smiling faces. His eyes widen as they finally land on Corey opposite him. He continues, "...To this delicious, huge meal because I am absolutely ravenous," He says in a pirate voice, leans down to his plate, and picks up a slice of beef in his teeth, shaking it around like a rabid dog, making Corey start giggling again, and Morgan tuts.

"Well, on that note, let's all dig in shall we?" Steve says, and his eyes turn quickly to Corey, "And before you get any ideas, just because Eddie does something doesn't mean you can or should do that too."

Eddie finally swallows his food and looks between Steve and Corey, "I feel that should be a life lesson for everyone, honestly", he says genuinely, releasing Zee's hand. Corey lets go of Steve and Morgan simultaneously and grabs his cutlery to tuck into his food. Morgan and Zee reluctantly follow suit, and lastly, Steve lets go of Eddie's hand or at least tries to, but before he can, it gets a soft squeeze and a glance out of the corner of Eddie's eye. Instinctively Steve sends one squeeze back before letting go, making Eddie smile as he goes back to looking at his food. Then something weird happens, almost like someone rapidly changed channels in Steve's head. His mind sends him back to some place but doesn't give him time to look around before he's back in the present. That didn't feel weird, and it should have. He looks down the table at Morgan and Zee and remembers her hesitation, that must be the first time they've held hands. This was the first time he'd held Eddie's hand too, but he didn't have the same reaction. He didn't have the same nervousness as when he held his t-shirt or made a flirtatious comment. It felt comfortable, not charged. Steve looks at Eddie curiously for a moment, and his brain finally gives him something, a fragment of a memory flickering on and off in a deep, dark, dusty corner of Steve's mind, replaying a second's worth of footage over and over, forwards and backwards. They're holding hands, but it's not now. It was long ago, but when or where precisely Steve couldn't place it. Maybe he'd just thought about it so much at one time it had planted itself as a false memory. Or has the impossible happened? Could he have wholly forgotten something as huge as that?

#steddie #steddie fan fiction #eddie munson x steve harrington #steddie fan fic #steddiefanfiction #steddiefanfic #madaboutmunson #madaboutmunsonagain #eddie munson #steve harrington

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