#post vecna moment

[resident-gay-bitch]

Sunflower Boy

love comes back around, always

warnings: domestic violence, child neglect, blood, bruises

This was the worst day of Eddie’s life, ever. 

And no, he wasn’t being dramatic, it actually was. 

Eddie had been left alone in his house for three days - give or take - with no food, no running water, and no air conditioning. 

He was ten. 

A couple of days ago his dad got a job, he was like, a car salesman or something, and apparently it had gone super well, because he called Eddie and told him he was gonna be late. He was going for a beer or two. 

He never came home. 

Eddie’s mum was working too, though, that was more against her will. She would have preferred to be there with her son, however, her dad made sure of otherwise. Eddie didn’t know what his mum did, he just knew she wore really pretty clothes and makeup, would leave the house looking almost sick, and would come home smelling of alcohol, sweat, man, and something else kinda musky Eddie couldn’t exactly pin point. But she had left for a job, her longest one yet, up in Indy five days ago, and she wasn’t scheduled to come home until tomorrow night. 

Eddie was scared, hot, alone, and hungry. 

He didn’t know the way to Wayne’s house, or have his number and they didn’t have a phonebook. His neighbour across the hall, Mrs. Wittleson was a right bitch and hated Eddie and his parents. He couldn’t go to her. His neighbours to the left were scary, their apartment always smelt weird and in the middle of the night, right on the other side of Eddie’s wall, he’d hear screaming and moaning and slapping and sounds of pain. He was pretty sure they killed people or something. His neighbour on the right Mr. Crucks was a creepy man with a weird moustache that always offered him candy and looked at him funny. Eddie’s mum made him promise to never, ever, never talk to the man under any circumstances. Eddie never dared disobey his mum like that. The neighbours across the hall, beside Mrs. Wittleson, were away on holiday, and the other apartment was empty. Mould problem. 

So Eddie was stranded. 

He was worried for his dad, and so he did the only thing he knew to do. 

He called the cops. 

They’d asked him to explain his situation and he had told him how his dad went out to sell cars and never came home after celebrating the deal with a few beers, how his mum had been away all week on business, how the water bill was well overdue and he couldn’t even flush the toilet! He explained that it was so hot, and his mum said he wasn’t allowed to go into the ‘garden’, under the sprinklers for a cool down unless she was there because of that weird old Mr. Crucks. He said he hadn’t eaten since yesterday morning, because his dad was supposed to bring home the money so Eddie could go food shopping the other day, but he hadn’t yet, and he didn’t know how to call his uncle. 

Eddie was just hanging up the phone when his dad walked through the door, “Yes, thank you sir, I will- I can do that. Okay, thank you sir. Goodbye.” 

“Who ya talkin to?” 

“Dad!” Eddie grinned, the phone on the hook, “I was just calling the cop-”

“Whaddya say?” His dad marched over to his son, grabbing him tight by his little wrist, “Cops?” 

Eddie’s eyes were wet, “They… they were helping me find you.” 

“You fuckin- what’d ya tell ‘em?” 

“You hadn’t come home since your sale, and that I had no food, or anything.” 

“Fuckin idiot!” He smacked his son across the face, “You know we don’t call the pigs here.” 

“I didn’t know what to do.” Eddie sobbed, cradling his cheek, “I’m sorry, dad, I- I can-”

“You’re in big fuckin trouble, boy.” His dad shoved him up against the wall, a hand around his neck, “Y’ve fucked it all up, just had to fuck it all up.” 

“I’m sorry.” Eddie gasped, crying, trying to pry his dad’s hand away from his neck. 

“Whaddya fuckin sorry for. Useless little shit. Shoulda left you and your mother on the street”- 

Look, I won’t get too deep into it, but that ‘conversation’ went on for a little longer before they were distracted by red and blue flashing lights lit up the apartment. Eddie was terrified. He thought he was done for. He thought he was gonna get locked up and thrown in the can because he did something wrong. He didn’t know what, didn’t have the slightest idea, but his dad was scaring the shit out of him and Eddie thought he’d turned himself into a criminal by accident. So he did what he was taught to do when those lights flashed a little too brightly. 

He ran. 

He slipped out of his dads grip, right as the officers knocked on the door, and he slipped into the bathroom. He climbed up on the counter, kicked open the little window that always jammed, and wiggled his way out. His dad followed him in, trying to pull Eddie back inside, telling him he needed to face his consequences. But Eddie slipped free, and the window was too small for his dad to follow. 

Eddie fell into the dirt behind his apartment, and he ran. 

He ran for miles. 

It was hot, and he was tired, and hungry, but he ran. Hoping to bump into someone or somewhere he knew. 

He didn’t stop running until he realised that the houses flying by were nice. Like, really nice. Fancy and big with tall gates and green gardens. 

He was on the nice side of town, a place where he most certainly wasn’t welcome. Eddie slowed, letting himself wander the nice suburb, trying to find his way out of the maze of pretty houses. He hoped he wasn’t spotted here, no doubt some woman with a pearl necklace would call the cops about it. Then he’d be in even bigger trouble. 

He found a playground, by the woods. It was old and looked pretty rusty. There was another one, a better one on the other side of the field, Eddie could see. But that one had kids on it, over here, he could be alone. 

The sun was hot, the air was warm. 

This was his worst summer ever. 

He sat on the swing, rusty and squeaky, but he didn’t care. He sat on the swing, and poked around his face, feeling for where he was hurt. His vision was a little blurred, though, he wasn’t sure if that was from the black eye he was sporting or the tears. 

Maybe both. 

Eddie sat, and he looked up at the sky, at the sun with squinted eyes, and hoped it burned him. 

“Hi.” a little voice came from beside him. 

Eddie looked over to see a boy standing at the edge of the swingset. He had golden brown hair, rosie cheeks, a warm smile, and a yellow shirt under some overalls that were unevenly cuffed at the ankles. 

Eddie thought he might just be the prettiest boy he’d ever seen. 

“Hi.” Eddie said back, his voice small and quiet, hoarse from crying. 

“Are you okay?” he asked. 

Eddie swallowed and nodded his head. 

“Are you sure?” the boy asked again, “You look hurt.” 

“Just… had an accident.” Eddie offered, “Doesn’t matter.” 

“Okay.” The boy nodded, “Do you have any friends?” 

Eddie looked at him, thought for a moment, and shook his head, “Not really.” 

The boy smiled, “Me either… Well, I have one friend, but he’s kind of mean. We’re only friends because our dads are business partners, so we see each other at all their fancy events. Our mums say they are best friends too, but my mum secretly hates his mum.” 

“Okay.” Eddie had said, and looked back to the bark under his feet. 

“Do you want to be my friend?” 

Eddie looked up at him again, “Why?”

The boy furrowed his brow, “Because you look sad.” he shrugged, “Everyone deserves to have a friend when they are sad.” 

Eddie thought for a moment, letting his eyes droop, “I suppose.” 

The boy smiled, “Well, we can be friends then. I do like your hair, you look like… uh, I don’t know his name, but he sings that song, open your eyes and seee, i’m just a poor boy… la la la meee, easy come easy go… ahh…” he looked around a little awkwardly, hoping Eddie would catch on, “Mamaaa just killed a man….”

“Oh.” Eddie nodded, “I think I know him.” 

“Yeah.” The kind boy smiled. 

Eddie furrowed his brow, “We don’t look the same.” 

“But you both have long hair.” He giggled, “It’s cool. Rockstar.” 

Eddie couldn’t help but grin wide at that, it hurt his face, but he grinned anyway, “Thanks.” 

“No problem.” The boy sighed, “Can I sit next to you?” 

“Sure.” Eddie looked at the rickety swing beside him, “Here, have mine, that one looks broken.” 

“It’s okay-”

“No, it’s okay.” Eddie hopped up, and sat himself down on the broken one before the boy could protest, “You look too fancy to sit on broken things.” 

“I am not fancy.” the boy took a seat, “Hey, you warmed it up for me. Thanks.” 

Eddie giggled, “You have done your hair all nice, and your overalls are clean.” 

“All clothes are supposed to be clean.” 

“These are clean.” Eddie pointed to his jeans, “Got them out the cupboard this morning, but they have a paint stain on them here, and a ketchup stain on them here, and something else here.” 

The boy giggled, “My nanny hates stains.” 

“You have a nanny!” 

“Yeah, don’t you?” 

Maybe if he had a nanny, all of this bullshit would have been avoided and Eddie wouldn’t be a wanted criminal. But, he supposed, he never would have met this boy. 

“No, I don’t have a nanny.” 

“Oh.” the boy furrowed his brow, “It’s probably for the best, my nanny is a butthead.” 

Eddie laughed, “A butthead?” 

“Yeah.” the boy groaned, “She’s always telling me I need to brush my teeth for longer and eat my carrots. I hate carrots!” 

Eddie laughed some more, “You’re so fancy.” 

“Am not.” 

“Y’are.” Eddie smiled, “I only brush my teeth in the mornings, and most of the time, I just have microwave mac ‘n cheese for dinner or spaghettios.”

“Cool!” The boy grinned, “I wish I could have spaghettios for dinner.” 

Eddie sighed, finding himself frowning a little, “Spaghettios are not that good three times a week.” 

The boy pouted, “Maybe we should swap.” 

“I think so.” Eddie grinned, “Though, I’d probably get smacked for not being fancy enough in your house.” 

Steve shrugged, “My nanny doesn’t like smacking.” he sighed, “Mum and dad don’t even notice when I’m bad anymore.” 

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Eddie asked, “I wish my parents didn’t notice when I mess up.” 

The boy huffed, resting his head against the chain on the swing, “I suppose.” 

“So…” Eddie kicked the bark under his feet, “What’s your favourite song?” 

“Uhm,” the boy perked up, seemingly a little cheerier now that parents were not a topic of conversation, “Honey Honey by ABBA.” 

Eddie broke a grin, “That’s one of my mums favourites.” 

“Really?” The boy had wide eyes. 

“Yes.” Eddie nodded, “My favourite is… Immigrant Song by Led Zepp.” 

The boy looked confused. 

“You’ve never heard it, have you?” 

The boy shook his head. 

“Maybe you can listen to it, it’s so metal.” Eddie suggested with a sweet smile, “Maybe you will like Led Zeppelin.”

“Well… you’re cool, and you like them, so probably.” the boy shrugged, his kindness easy. 

Eddie hadn’t gotten such kindness from kids at school before. 

“How old are you?” 

“I’m nine and two quarters.” the boy answered, proudly, Eddie noticed he was missing a tooth. 

Wait, isn’t that just nine and a half? 

“I’m ten, almost twelve.” 

“Poop.” the boy sighed, “Means we won’t have class together.” 

“Oh.” Eddie looked to the ground, but his chest bloomed with warmth at the idea of this boy wanting to have classes with him, “We… never mind.” 

“What?” the boy had asked, eyes wide and sparkling. 

He was very pretty. 

“Maybe we could play at lunchtime.” 

The boy smiled, “Obviously.” he hopped up off the swing and started to climb the tower, “We could play lots of games. Do you like superheroes?” 

“Yeah.” Eddie smiled, following him up the tower, “I love superheroes.” 

“I wish I was superman.” the boy smiled, sitting down at the top of the old metal slide, it was probably burning hot, but he had long pants on. Eddie could see his matching mismatched rainbow socks, “He’s so cool.” 

“Yeah.” Eddie agreed, unable to help the smile he got when the boy slid down, letting out a giggle, “Batman’s cool too though. I like bats.” 

“Ooh, yeah.” the boy smiled, watching Eddie slide down now too, “He’s so cool… Maybe we can go as Batman and Superman to Halloween together.” 

Eddie stopped at the bottom of the slide, looking up at the boy, “You want to go to halloween together?” 

“Yeah.” He nodded, “I know where all the best houses are to get the biggest candy bars, plus, Miss Lorane across the street loves me and always gives me triple.” 

“Cool!” Eddie hopped up, he never got too many treats on halloween, most of them were from his mum. 

The boy rushed over to the seesaw, and Eddie followed, “Do you want to play superheroes now? Or would you like to play something else?” 

“Hmm…” Eddie thought superheroes did sound really fun, but he wanted to know what other games the boy had, “maybe.” 

“We could also play… cafe, and pretend to make food with the bark. Or we could play astronauts and climb to the top of the tower like it’s our rocket ship…” the boy hummed, letting his eyes wander, until he got an idea, and he got excited, “or maybe we can play doctors!” 

“Doctors?” Eddie asked, quirking an eyebrow, and his face hurt again. 

“Yeah,” the boy smiled, nodding rather aggressively, “I can make you all better.” 

Oh. 

Eddie felt his heart grow three sizes. 

“Okay.” 

The boy smiled, hopping off of the seesaw before dragging Eddie over to the tower. He sat him down under the shade of it, right by the slide, and got to work doctoring Eddie. He put on a funny voice, pretending to be a doctor of course, acting as if he had a stethoscope and everything. Eddie couldn’t help but smile as he watched the boy. The boy whose smile was as bright as the sun and who’s heart was as big as the sky. He was dressed in a warm yellow t-shirt, and perfectly clean denim overalls, and rainbow matched mismatched socks with stripes and polka dots under his sneakers, and he radiated kindness and warmth. 

Eddie really liked this boy. 

After they finished playing doctors, and Eddie’s face felt a little better, his heart feeling a lot better, they sat on the overgrown grass. They talked and talked and talked about stupid boy things, and picked at the grass and laughed. 

It was nice, Eddie thought, to have a friend like this. 

On the worst day of Eddie’s life, after he’d been abandoned for three days, starved, overheated, beaten, and sent on the run from the cops, he’d been sent this boy. Eddie thought he must have been an angel. He had to be. There was no other explanation about it. 

“Oh! Look over there.” the boy smiled, jumping to his feet and running for the treeline, “Daisies!” 

Eddie raced after him, both of them stopping at the patch of pretty white daisies with centres that matched the kind boy’s shirt, “What about them?” 

“Do you not like flowers?” the boy asked, leaning over to pick one, “My friend doesn’t like them either, says it’s weird for boys to like flowers. But my old nanny taught me all about them, she was so nice, but mum fired her because she always had her boyfriend around and wore shirts that showed too much skin apparently.” 

“Oh.” Eddie swallowed, “No, I just… I’ve never really thought about flowers much before.” 

“Hmm.” the boy smiled, handing his picked flower to Eddie before grabbing another, “Do you like these ones?” 

“I suppose.” Eddie shrugged, “They are pretty.” Not quite as pretty as you, though. 

The boy grinned, “Have you ever made a daisy chain?” 

Eddie shook his head, “I don’t even know what that is.” 

The boy gasped, squatting down to pick basically all of them, “You’re crazy, weirdo.” 

Eddie felt his stomach drop. Of course he’d fuck it up. He always fucked shit up. 

“I have to teach you.” The boy handed Eddie a bunch of flowers and went back to picking more, “Only weirdo crazy people don’t know about daisy chains, and we can’t have you being one of those any longer. You’re too cool for that.” 

Eddie smiled, all warm and fuzzy inside. 

Eddie couldn’t make daisy chains. 

His hands trembled too much, and he just couldn’t get it. He gave up after a while, happy to just watch Steve make his. He picked the petals of a couple of flowers he’d fucked up. 

“What’s your favourite flower then?” Eddie had asked, curious to learn more about this sunray of a boy. 

“Hmmm.” he had hummed, “I think… sunflowers.” 

“Why?” Eddie asked. 

“Well, I do like yellow the best. It’s so happy and bright.” the boy fiddled with the flowers in his hands, “And, did you know that sunflowers will follow the sun? They actually turn to look at the sun throughout the day, so they’ll always be in the light.” 

Eddie thought that was perfect. Sunflowers for this sunshine boy. Sunflower boy. 

“How about you, what flowers are your favourite, do you think?” 

“Uh…” Eddie wasn’t sure at all, other than sunflowers now, but he couldn’t very well say that, “I’m not sure.” 

“We’ll find you a favourite flower.” he smiled, lifting his daisy chain up to the sky to look at it, “I’m all done.” 

“Wow.” Eddie inspected it, the perfect circle of pretty white flowers with yellow centres, “It’s wonderful… how did you do it?” 

The boy laughed, “Magic.” 

“You’re so cool.” 

The boy smiled, cheeks tinted pinker, “It’s for you.” 

Eddie felt his heart jump into his throat, his eyes widened and he looked at the boy, “What?” 

“I made it…” the boy offered, both hands holding the crown out, “for you. I thought it would look nice in your hair.” 

Eddie’s chest felt impossibly tighter, “Do you think?” 

The boy smiled, and giggled in a honey sweet way, and leant forward on his knees to plant the chain on Eddie’s head, fixing it into place to make a crown, “Hey, it looks so pretty on you.” 

Eddie felt his cheeks go pink, “Really?” 

The boy nodded, “It suits you.” 

Eddie grabbed all the daisies from his lap and the ground around them, gathered them into a bunch and shoved them into the Sunflower boy’s chest (nicely of course). The boy giggled, and Eddie was infatuated with him. 

“What?” he had asked, holding the bunch of flowers, some of them facing the wrong direction. 

“For you.” Eddie had said, picking up the few flowers that dropped and handed them over as well, “Thank you.” 

The boy giggled, “You don’t have to give me these!” 

Eddie plucked one, the prettiest one he could see, and stuck it behind the boy’s ear, “There, now… pretty.” 

The boy bloomed pink, “You think I’m pretty?” 

Eddie nodded, “You’re prettier than all of these flowers and more.” 

Okay, so apparently Eddie was a little romantic. 

Sunflower boy turned pinker and dipped his head. 

“I think my favourite flower is a daisy.” Eddie had smiled. 

The boy looked up at him with soft eyes and a kind smile, “Perfect.” 

They both laid back on the grass, the bunch of daisies clutched in the boy’s hand, resting on his chest. They watched as the sky turned from blue to dusky orange and pink. Their pinkies intertwined between them, only a few sweet words said. 

Eddie thought he might be in love. 

“I have to go home.” his Sunflower boy had said, voice quiet and calm, “I’m not allowed to be out after dark.” 

Eddie frowned, “Okay.” 

“We can play at school though.” The boy smiled. 

Eddie felt a pang through his chest, “Do you mean that?” he’d asked, his eyes wide and pleading, “Not many people like me at school.” 

The boy smiled wider and held up his pinky, “I pinky promise to play with you every day at school.” 

This was definitely love, “Really?” 

“Of course,” he waggled his finger, “you’re my best friend.” 

Eddie locked his finger around his Sunflowers, offering his warmest, most genuine smile. 

There was silence for a moment, before Sunflower spoke again, “Would you like to come for dinner? You can eat my carrots.”

Eddie positively lit up, “Yes please.” 

The boy grabbed his hand and they ran. They ran through the field and down the streets, watching the sky disappear to darkness and the street lights switch on. Eddie held the crown atop his head and the boy clutched the daisy bunch tight. They laughed as they ran, or more so, giggled. 

Eddie wanted to hold his Sunflower boy’s hand forever. 

He was going to marry this boy. 

In the distance, Eddie heard the faint echo of a siren. His heart dropped. He stopped in the middle of the street, the boy stopped with him. Eddie looked around, frantic. 

“You okay?” the boy had asked, his hand holding Eddie’s a little tighter now. 

“Uh… yeah.” Eddie had said, right before his eyes fixed on a cop car down the road, “I need to go.” 

“What?” the boy had asked. 

Eddie turned to face him. He didn’t want to leave the boy. He didn’t ever want to say goodbye to this boy. Sunflower boy was his entire world and Eddie knew he loved him. He was positive. He’d never felt anything like this. 

Which is exactly why Eddie had to leave. 

He was wanted for crimes he didn’t know if he committed, he was in trouble, bound to get locked up. His dad had told him he was in big trouble, that he had consequences to face. Eddie just hoped they had a separate jail for kids. And this boy, his Sunflower boy, sweet and soft with a smile Eddie wanted to kiss away. Well, he was too good for a delinquent like Eddie. He was more deserving. Eddie wanted to keep him safe, to protect him from his rotten life. He wanted to keep his Sunflower blooming, facing the sun, and keep him in the light. If he’d stayed, and the cops found Eddie, they’d take his sunflower boy too no doubt. Lock him up for being Eddie’s accomplice or something. Cops were pigs, as his dad would say, always making up bullshit, looking to lock anyone a little rough or different up. 

Eddie couldn’t risk his flower being hidden from the sun. 

“I just… I have to go.” Eddie had said again, trying to pull away. 

But the boy didn’t let him go, just held him a little tighter, “Why? I don’t want you to go. I thought we were friends.” 

“We are…” Eddie said, “But I have to leave.”

“But why?” he’d asked again, eyes pleading for him to stay. 

“I just… I can’t explain it.” Eddie tried to pull away.

“I want you to stay.” His voice was wet, higher pitched, like a wine but sadder, “I’ll make you another daisy chain, if you’d like, or… we can have dessert. Anything you want. You can sleepover, if you like!”  

Eddie frowned, “I-” he heard the siren much closer, “I can’t.” 

“Please.” He’d pouted, and it broke Eddie’s heart. 

“I need to-” he saw the cop car come up the street, and Eddie’s heart jumped out of his throat, “No, this is weird! Yo- you’re… weird. I need to go.” he yanked his hand away, and he ran, daisy chain clutched to his chest. 

*

Eddie hugged his knees, looking down at the grass by his feet. He didn’t feel much, not really. Just… emptiness. Emptiness and content, almost. 

He had a few things to cross off his bucket list still. He thought he’d have a good few years to get through them, and under much different circumstances. But, he’d just have to make do with what he could. 

Eddie looked back over his shoulder at Steve and Robin, sitting, talking with Dustin and Erica. He could cross a couple things off now, with that lot, if he wanted. Just little things, fun things, meaningful things. 

But he thought he’d start with the big two; do something brave and a little stupid without running from the consequences, and tell someone special the story he’d never told anyone before. 

“Hey, Steve?” He’d called out, forcing himself to before he backed out again. 

“Yeah, you okay?” He’d replied. 

“Yeah.” Eddie nodded, waving his hand out, “Can you c’mere for a sec?” 

Steve nodded his head, saying a quick something to Robin before making his way over to Eddie. Steve sat down in the grass beside him, in the field, looking up at the bright blue sky. It was calm out. The world felt warm. 

“What’s up?” Steve asked, bumping his knee into Eddie’s. 

Eddie took a deep breath, “I just… I wanted to cross a few things off the list before I kicked it.” 

“Ed-”

“Okay, I know, talk positive.” Eddie sighed, “Just… let’s be real for a second Steve, I’m either dying down there, or getting locked up for life which is just as bad. I don’t wanna die, I really don’t, but I’m being realistic, okay?” 

Steve huffed, “Stay alive, we can get your charges dropped.” 

“Yeah.” Eddie nodded, “Maybe.” 

“We’ll try- Dustin will try.”

Eddie smiled, “True.” he shrugged, “But still, just in case, I wanna cross a couple of things off.” 

“Eddie-”

“Humour me, Steve.” he looked at Steve, eyes pleading, “C’mon.” 

Steve sighed, “Okay.” 

Eddie smiled, “I… I wanna do something bold and brave. Something that’s probably a little dumb and might get me hurt, even though it’s right, and I won’t run from the consequences of that.” 

I want to come out to you, a well known queer puncher. 

“And I wanna tell you something…” Eddie swallowed, “I wanna tell you a story, something that happened to me when I was a kid. Something I’ve never told anyone, ever, and that I was saving for a special someone.” 

“Ah…” Steve glanced at him, “I- I’m your-”

Eddie glared at him, “No.” yes, “But out of everyone here, you’re probably the specialist.” Eddie shrugged, “A fallen king, hanging out with a bunch of nerds, fighting interdimensional monsters whilst maintaining glorious hair… That’s special, Steve.” 

Steve laughed, “Okay, yeah.” he nodded, “Go on then.” 

“Okay,” Eddie sighed, “So, when I was-”

“Wait, what’s the brave thing?” Steve asked. 

“It’s in the story.” Eddie nodded, “You’ll have to wait to find out… but you’ll know.” 

“Okay.” Steve smiled. 

Eddie took a deep breath, “When I was a kid… about ten, I had, what I thought was, the worst day of my life. Now, it was pretty fuckin bad, I’ll give you that, but I think I’ve had worse now.” 

Steve shrugged, “Probably.” 

“Now, Stevie, I’m trusting you with this story, yeah?” Eddie raised an eyebrow, “I’ve never told a soul this, and I don’t plan on telling anyone else, okay? Not even Wayne. It’s special.” 

“Yeah, okay.” Steve smiled, lifting his little finger, “Pinkie promise.” 

Eddie felt his chest tighten. 

“God.” Eddie groaned, linking his pinkie with Steves, “Add that to the list of things that make you special.”

Steve laughed. 

“So, I didn’t know this at the time really, but my dad stole cars and shit for a living. I mean… you know… he taught me how to hotwire and… but anyway, he stole cars and then sold them for drug runs. A few days prior to this stories beginning, my dad worked a job and got paid really fucking well, so he decided to go on a three day bender down the pub.” Eddie shrugged, scratching his chin, “My mum, I really didn’t know this at the time, was a sex worker. She didn’t wanna be, she worked as an escort, she was kinda forced into it. My dad owed a bunch of people a bunch of money and so they kinda just… used my mum as collateral. Five or so days prior to my tale, she went up to Indy on a ‘business trip’. Basically, she was keeping this one guy company because dad owed him fuckin buckets and she was forced to. So this left me alone for three days. The water stopped working, it was hot, I didn’t have food or money to get some… I was stranded, alone for three days. And, my dad, he got this payout, but spent it all on drink rather than his kid, or to get his fucking wife out of the situation she was forced into because of him.” 

Eddie rubbed his eyes, and Steve listened carefully, taking in every word. He rubbed his hand up and down Eddie’s back, over the smooth cool leather. It made Eddie feel a little safer. 

“I was worried. I was hungry. I was alone.” Eddie sighed, “So I called the cops, asked them to help me find my dad. Right? It’s what kids are taught to do.” 

“Right.” Steve nodded. 

“So I hang up, right as my dad get’s home. I told him I just talked to the cops, and he… he was not impressed.” Eddie took a deep breath, “We had a strict no cops rule in our apartment, but I didn’t know what else to do. Dad started yelling, telling me off, he… he beat me.” 

“Oh, Eddie.” Steve hummed, his hand on Eddie’s forearm. 

“The worst he’d ever done, at that point.” Eddie said, “We saw the cops pull up, and I thought… I thought they were gonna arrest me, because I’d done the wrong thing by calling them. And so I ran. I duct out the bathroom window and ran for miles, not looking back once.” 

“Sounds freeing.” Steve looked out to the sky, “I wish I could run like that.” 

“Yeah.” Eddie looked out with him, both of them taking in the feel of the wind for a moment. 

“Is that it?” Steve asked, voice gentle. 

“No.” Eddie shook his head. 

“Okay.” Steve smiled softly, “Take your time, Ed’s.” 

Eddie ignored how the nickname squeezed at his heart, “I found myself in unknown territory, sat myself down on a broken playground.” Eddie couldn’t help but smile at the memory, “I hated everything in the world. I was ready to run away and never face anyone ever again. But then this… boy just appeared out of nowhere. He appeared and he made everything better.” 

Eddie laid back into the grass, looking up at the soft sky as it began to set. Steve laid back with him, both of them taking in the feel of the world around them. 

“He had a sweet smile, and he wore the cleanest overalls I’d ever seen. I don’t remember much about him, my brain blocked out most of that week. But I remember him.” Eddie nodded, “He… he asked me if I was okay, if I wanted a friend. And we played. He made me a daisy chain and I thought he was the most perfect boy in the whole world. His favourite flowers are sunflowers, you know. That’s how I know him, call him my Sunflower boy.”

Eddie chuckled to himself, feeling happy with the memory, “He was so kind. Too kind, even. I thought my brain had made him up entirely. He’d just come to me on my worst day and fixed it all. He wore bright yellow and smiled warm and made me a fuckin daisy chain, Steve.” Eddie turned his head to look at him, “He was my first love.” 

Steve’s eyes widened a little, “You…” he blinked a few times, “You’re gay?” 

“Please don’t punch me.” Eddie muttered. 

“Why would I-” Steve swallowed, “I promise, I won’t.”

Eddie smiled, “Thanks.” 

“Keep talking.” Steve said low.

Eddie felt his spine tingle, “He invited me back to his house, for dinner. I wanted to go. I did, I loved him, I knew it. I never wanted to let this boy go again. And he was beautiful. I remember… we were in the middle of the road, and he had daisies in his hands and hair and… I loved him.” Eddie looked back up at the sky, “But I heard a cop car down the street, and they were looking for me. I thought they were going to arrest me, lock me up, and I didn’t wanna risk my Sunflower boy. I promised myself I’d make sure he always got to see the sun. Didn’t want him getting in trouble just for being nice to me… a supposed criminal.” Eddie chuckled, “Funny how things come back around.” 

Steve smiled, “Maybe you’re not as innocent as we thought, Eddie.” 

Eddie couldn’t help but blush, “I told him he was weird, because he didn’t want me to go. I told him… I was mean to him, Steve. But I didn’t know what else to say to make him let me go. I didn’t want him to know I was a criminal. I wanted him to remember me as the boy who liked daisies because they looked pretty on my Sunflower.” Eddie sighed, “I just hope he’s doing okay. I think about him every day, you know?” 

“You do?” Steve asked. 

“Yeah.” Eddie nodded, “He helps me through my hardest times. When things are shit, I just remember his sweet little voice saying hi.” 

“That's… cute.” 

“Mhm.” Eddie smiled, “After all was resolved, and mum got home, the daisy chain started to wilt. I went to mum with it, crying. Didn’t tell her why I didn’t want it to die, just that it was very important to me and that I needed to keep it forever and ever. She helped me pick the biggest, prettiest, most alive flower from it, and we preserved it.” 

“What?” Steve looked at him. 

“Yeah.” Eddie nodded, “We pressed it, then she turned it into a pin for me, put resin or some shit over it and a safety pin on the back.” Eddie opened up his leather jacket on his left, showing Steve the inside, “I keep it over my heart, so he’s always close to me.” 

“That’s beautiful.” Steve managed to say after a moment of silence. 

“Mhm.” Eddie closed his jacket, pressing a hand over his heart, “Just hope he’s got someone there for him now, like he was for me. Hope I didn’t shove him into the closet or whatever. Everyone deserves a Sunflower, especially my boy.”

“Your…” Steve trailed off with a whisper, “I think he does, Eddie.” 

“Really?” 

Steve nodded, “He’s got you, keeping him close.” 

Eddie frowned, “He probably hates me.” 

“I think he’d understand, if you explained it to him.” 

“I hope so.” Eddie sighed. 

“What would you say…” Steve wondered, “if you ever met him again?” 

Eddie chuckled, “I’d probably plant one on him.” 

Steve laughed, “What?” 

“Yeah!” Eddie nodded, “I’d give him a kiss. That’s all, just a kiss, thank him for keeping me sane all these years. Let him go on his way.” 

Steve sighed, “You’re wonderful, Eddie.” he smiled, hooking his pinkie with Eddies, “Promise I’ll never tell.” 

*

Oh god, it hurts. 

Everything really hurt. 

His body felt like fire and his blood was cold. 

Death wasn’t what he thought it would be. 

“Love you, man.” He managed to choke out, holding Dustin’s hand dearly. 

“Love you too.” The younger boy had managed to splutter out. 

Eddie’s face was sprinkled with tears and slobber and probably snot, but he was too close to death to care. 

“No, no, no, no!” He’d heard a voice shout from afar, “You idiot!” 

“I’m sorry.” Eddie whispered, but only Dustin had heard him. 

“Oh my god.” Nancy pressed a hand over her mouth, turning away, “Dustin-” she grabbed the boy, pulling him into her chest and stroking his hair, “Shh, it’ll be okay. It will be okay-” 

“No.” Steve whined again, this time he was on his knees, beside Eddie, holding his limp body, “Eddie…” 

Eddie smiled up at him with reddened teeth, “Hi, Steve.” 

“What did you do?” 

“I played hero.” Eddie managed to choke out, “I never liked… listening to peoples… rules.” 

Steve squeezed Eddie a little, “Idiot. I fucking hate you.” he cried a little harder, “Why… you said you’d live. We… we’d get you- I’ll get you out.” 

Eddie shook his head, “No-”

“I’m getting you out, Eddie.” Steve readied himself to stand, pulling Eddie with him. 

But Eddie groaned, let out a piercing cry of new found pain, more blood leaving his body. Steve put him back down, crying more. He couldn’t save him. 

Eddie smiled again, and it broke all of their hearts, “Thanks for listening, Steve.” He moved his frail hand around until it found Steves, and he squeezed with all his might, “Before… in the clear…ing. Thank you.” 

Steve shook his head, “You… you-” Steve sobbed, his hand wiped the blood from Eddie’s cheek, “I needa tell you something too.” 

Eddie nodded, “Course.” 

Steve forced himself to smile through the tears, “He’s me.” 

Eddie didn’t quite catch on. 

Steve wove his hand under Eddie’s jacket until he found the daisy pin, “Sunflower. He’s me.”

Eddie’s eyes widened, “I-” he smiled softly then, “Makes sense. You both had… lovely hair.” 

Steve laughed, “I always remembered you, Eddie. Always.” 

“Trying to make me feel bad?” Eddie joked, but his frail voice made laughing harder, “I’m dying here.”

Steve cradled him a little closer, “I remembered because you were the only boy in Hawkins with hair that long. And on that day, you were wearing a Garfeild shirt, and you wore it on the first day back at school.” Steve wiped his cheeks with his shoulders, “I didn’t talk to you because I thought you hated me.” 

Eddie’s eyebrows creased, “No…” he sounded so broken, his hand squeezed Steves again, “No… no, I loved you.” 

Steve nodded, “I know. I know now.” 

Eddie coughed and sputtered up some blood. 

“Shh.” Steve soothed, “Relax, Daisy boy.” 

Eddie smiled. 

“You broke my heart, that day, Ed’s.” Steve smiled, “My first heartache. I loved you too.” 

Eddie’s smile grew a lot sadder, “You broke mine too.”

“How?” Steve scoffed, “You did that to yourself.” 

“I know.” Eddie chuckled softly, ignoring the pain it caused, “But later. In your freshman year, you were so kind, at first.” he took a moment to breathe, “So pretty. Y- you were a slut, you know?” 

Steve laughed, “Yeah.” 

Eddie nodded, “Always made me… jealous.” 

“You had a thing for me in highschool?” Steve asked. 

Eddie nodded again, “You were such a dick, but I loved you.” Eddie turned his head towards the three huddled beside him, “Hated you, N- Nancy.”

Nancy laughed, “Yeah?” 

Eddie smiled, “You sucked… took him.” 

Steve genty took Eddie’s cheek, turning him back, “You hated me in highschool.” 

“I hated… King Steve.” Eddie smiled, lifting a hand to press on Steve’s heart, “Not you.” 

Steve sobbed some more. 

“Broke my heart… with every girl.” Eddie swallowed, he didn’t like the taste of blood much, “Guess we’re even.” 

Steve nodded, “Yeah, guess we are.” he looked down at him for a moment, shaking his head, “Fuck, Ed’s. Why’d you do it?” 

“Didn’t wanna run.” He pushed out. 

“I hate you.” Steve sobbed. 

“I know.” Eddie whispered, cupping Steve’s cheek, “I know, Sunflower.” 

Steve cried a whole lot harder, “You did shove me in the closet, you know?” 

Eddie felt his heart breaking, “I did?” 

“So far.” Steve nodded. 

“I’m sorry.” he couldn’t control the tear that slipped out, “Stevie, I’m sorry.” 

Steve chuckled, “Doesn’t matter now.” he stroked Eddie’s hair, “But maybe, if we’d known better back then, things could have been different.” 

“You think?” Eddie asked, eyes close to closing. 

“I know.” Steve leant down, pressing his forehead to Eddies, “Woulda been loving you much longer.”

Eddie hummed, eyes closing to feel Steve better, “Sunflower.” he’d whispered. 

He felt Steve’s body shake, “I hate you, Eddie.” his voice was so broken, “Why’d you have to do it? Why’d you have to play hero?” 

“I’m sorry.” Eddie opened his eyes. 

“No.” Steve sat up again, teeth gritted, “No you don’t… you don’t get to do that! You can’t do this to me, Eddie.” 

“I’m so sorry.” Eddie felt his body shake too, more tears falling, “I don’t want to die, Stevie, don’t let me die. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” 

Steve couldn’t see much, just red, “I love you.” 

Eddie tried to speak, but the crying shook his lungs and forced up more blood. 

“I don’t know what to do, Eddie. I don’t know what to do.” 

Eddie looked at him weakly, his hand slowly moving to hover over his heart, “T- take it.” 

Steve shook his head, “Take what?”

“M-my hea…rt, Stevie.” Eddie smiled, “‘Nd the d- daisy.” 

Steve closed his eyes, and nodded his head, “I’ll wear it every day.” 

Eddie smiled, “Love… you… Sunflower.” 

“No.” Steve shook Eddie’s body, “C’mon, no… please! Just need a little longer, Eddie, I’ll get you out of here.” 

Eddie smiled softly, “M’okay, baby.” he was barely whispering, “M’okay here.” 

“No.” Steve whispered back. 

“You’ve got me, Sunflower.” Eddie let his eyes close, “S’all that matters.” 

“I can’t let you go, Eddie. We need more time.” 

“Give me a kiss, Steve?” Eddie smiled, eyes unable to open again. 

Steve leant over, tears slipping off the end of his nose and onto Eddie’s. He pressed his lips to his Daisy boys and kissed him. He cried, so hard, and Eddie couldn’t kiss back, not really. It wasn’t anything like it should have been, but it was theirs, and that’s all that mattered. When Steve sat back up his mouth was red with Eddie’s blood, and Eddie had stopped moving. 

sorry not sorry x

don’t forget to reblog! comments are always welcome as well, i love to read about your thoughts and ideas <3

thanks for reading!

here is a little pic i drew for this :)

[hammity-hammer]

steve harrington realizing that he’s got no purpose if he’s not protecting the people he loves from outer-dimensional beings, and has a minor (read: major) spiral about it post-vecna & the party fixing everything. he’s just a regular ole 20 something with no purpose— his friends are all in school, except eddie, who managed to pick up an apprenticeship as an electrician; putting all of that wire knowledge to use (just not in cars, he hasn’t hotwired one since 1986 and he’d like to keep it that way si vous plais) and making the rich houses have even cooler guts than they deserve.

the kids end up graduating (their first tries) and heading as one little pack to the same school (don’t ask me which, i’m a college drop out) and steve, eddie, and rob end up staying just outside of indy. rob finished school early, because of course she did, and she found that she may have a knack for hanging around high schoolers, so why not teach them how to become polyglots like she is?

steve still doesn’t know what the fuck he’s doing— he bartends at a little club in the gayborhood, because they went there so often that the bartenders just kind of pushed him into it, and don’t get him wrong— mixing drinks and flirting all night is super fun, but it also… is kind of depressing? even if he gets to be around people like him and see them happy— he knows that a lot of alcohol and drugs causes that happiness and he wants so badly for his people to be out and proud and not murdered for it. but he can’t do that,, so he does the next best thing.

he talks with one of the regulars, andy, who owns a little tattoo shop on the corner, and andy invites him to come check it out. so he does the next day he’s free, and holy fucking christ. tattoos aren’t his thing— at least not on himself, but on other people they’re gorgeous. and they’re painful, but you’re turning the pain into art and you get to live with it in your skin and look at it and think about the fact that you’re here and you made it and you fucking survived. and people purposefully put scars into their bodies? and not in the i-battled-literal-other-dimensional-beings-and-won kind of way, or the i-battled-my-personal-demons-and-won kind of way, which both are things he’s dealt with so fucking intimately— but in the i-will-decorate-this-flesh-prison-and-make-it-a-castle kind of way, and that’s fucking beautiful. queer people taking their bodies and making them into art with ink and hot metal and needles and the love that they have for each other and the passion and the fucking spite at the world that keeps them going and making their presences KNOWN.

and maybe he gets some piercings while he’s there— it’s fascinating and feels so weird and freeing when the needle punctures his flesh and the jewelry goes in— and now he’s got a shiny little ring hanging through his earlobe; his nostril; his lip.

he learns that piercings take time and effort and care and that he has to treat himself with love to be able to heal— and that he is deserving of that love and care and dedication, especially from himself.

he keeps going back, maybe not always to get stabbed, but to watch others have it done. to see how different people’s anatomy takes different piercings, how he can’t have a piercing through his cheeks because he bites them too much when he’s anxious, but the girl that just left got both of hers done and they looked good. they fit her face, like little shiny dimples.

eventually, the piercer, killie, asks steve when he’s going to help them with their needles and their piercings— and he doesn’t know how to react because he hadn’t even thought about it and yet… maybe he could help other people fall in love with themselves and their bodies and help turn them into art one day

maybe he could be a pretty boy with his scars and his metal and his missing chunks and his polos and his jeans and his sneakers.

[maikaartwork]

September 1986.

Just Wayne and Eddie, chilling on their new porch.

They brought that old, ratty couch there, the one they had on the porch of the old trailer, because they’re both sentimental men.

They tell people that they took it with them only because it’s comfy and there’s no point in wasting money on something new. Truth is, the couch is full of all the best memories that they cherish.

[2ambiace]

Random Steddie idea: Steve and Eddie have been dating for a while and one day Steve’s sorting through some old photos, mostly of him as a little kid, back when his parents cared about that kind of thing. And he finds one of him at like 4 years old playing pretend with another boy, they’re both holding sticks and fighting like the sticks are swords and Steve shows it to Eddie, thinking his boyfriend will find it sort of cute that tiny Steve did like to play pretend even if adult Steve is struggling to find that part of himself again. But Eddie just freezes when he sees the picture and then quietly asks where Steve got it from and Steve says “my house, why?” And then Eddie goes over to a shoebox full of photos from his childhood and pulls out a near identical photo, the same two boys playing pretend, though the stick swords are in slightly different positions. Turns out they briefly went to the same daycare together and Eddie was the kid who got shy little Steve to play pretend with him.

[muppetbyers]

idk man but i think theres such a connection between will being possessed in s2 and like 'what happens when my boy is gone' and will giving the painting to mike under el's name. just like... will being replaced and then replacing himself. and like his entire person was being replaced by the mf, but also everything that he said was from el with the painting and speech was intrinsically his and his alone. and how his arc since s1 has been about hiding but also being right there. and how its all tied to his queerness. and how ideally in s5 this should lead to will not hiding/moving on from his identity and his feelings, but instead embracing them.

[monodive]

.

[hellcheerficdatabase]

One Year Loving You

Author: @dibidibidani

Rating/Warning: Teen and up audience

Chapter Count: 7/7

Description: Seven stories demonstrating the love that Eddie Munson and Chrissy Cunningham have for each other.

Tags: Alternate universe- canon divergence, alternate universe- everyone lives and nobody dies, post-vecna, moments, cute moments in their relationship, fluff, established relationship, domestic fluff, alternating POV, multiple chapters, status: completed

[brionysea]

no but literally why would they bring up the idea of a leader character in the main cast being a vessel for the devil in the same season as THE leader character mike wheeler suddenly starts acting like a completely different person at random points out of nowhere and is as uncharacteristically confused as everyone else about it every time if not to bring possession of a main character back to the centre of the show

[light-lanterne]

what the heck have i just read,,,

guys, there are a lot of similarities between all the members of the party. they all are outcasts of some kind, they all share some general traits (hence why they became friends in the first place), and they're all going through similar experiences as a result of their involvement with the upside down and all that.

but they're all unique individuals who all have their own struggles and character arcs and none of them exist purely to give depth to the other -_- parallels exist to add layers to certain aspects of the character's stories and the overall narrative, not to reduce an entire character's journey to those similarities and then proceed to ignore everything else about them. that is such a shallow way to consume the source material we all enjoy :|

it's okei to like certain characters more, and it's okei to point out all the little hints the duffs have left woven throughout the entire show to hint towards what's going to happen next with certain individuals and plot lines,,,

just don't reduce the entirety of one main character's existence to some very specific moments and traits in order to justify or enrich someone else's arc >:\

[mikesbasementbeets]

max's flashback sequence in dear billy (the piggyback flashbacks 1 & 2)

[reikunrei]

tbh i feel like if i had to pick a single standout performance out of everyone in stranger things... it would probably be gaten matarazzo. like, i feel like he very consistently gets scenes so perfect and so genuine, while other charas always have at least one scene where i go “eh, that didn’t feel like the best take they could have used.” not with gaten. he is, as dustin would say, right on the money every time

[resident-gay-bitch]

“you’re here…” eddie said, his voice still quite weak and full of rasp from just waking up. he blinked a few times and looked at the three people standing around him, “wh- why are you here?”

“because we’re friends, dingus.” robin snorted, punching him (super dooper lightly) on the arm.

“and we went through hell together.” nancy said with a nod of her head, her grip loosening and tightening on the end of his hospital bed where she was standing.

“and you kept dustin safe, even though i specifically told you not to play hero.” steve said with a scowl, sitting on the edge of eddie’s bed, down by his knees with his arms crossed.

eddie blushed a little.

“and not to mention steve was literally the one who carried you outta that hell!” robin added, and the was immediately scolded by steve, “what?”

“you didn’t have to tell him that!” steve bickered.

“well, he deserves to know!”

“you didn’t have to remind him so soon!”

“you carried me out of there?” eddie asked.

steve turned a pretty shade of red, and before he could answer, robin was talking again, “yeah! he was all like… big man carrying you on his shoulders, covered in blood and looking all stoic.”

“robin!” steve swatted her shoulder.

“it’s true…” robin mused.

“it is. i was there.” nancy shrugged.

eddie looked at steve, trying to picture it. very much trying to picture it. steve carried him out of there? steve literally lifted his dead weight onto his shoulders and carried him out of hell?

well if that wasn’t the most romantic thing eddie’s ever encountered, then romance had to be dead.

“well, i couldn’t just leave you.” steve shrugged, hiding away a bit.

“he didn’t even stop to smell the flowers.” robin kept going, “just… one minute we heard dustin’s screaming and then we saw you dead on the floor, and then…”

“steve was in action.” nancy continued for her, “dropped to his knees, grabbed you, threw you over his shoulder and then started shouting at everyone to kick them into action.”

“and the whole time he was talking to you, trying to keep you alive!” robin said, “like, sure, you may have had your hero moment, eddie- but as dustin said, steve saved the day.”

eddie looked at steve with wide eyes, full of awe. steve didn’t hesitate to save his ass? gosh darn, this man was full of surprises!

okay, yeah, sure, saving someones life who is on the brink of death isn’t that romantic… but think about the circumstances; end of the world happening, eddie litteraly not breathing and bleeding uncontrollably, dustin having a meltdown, their own damn lives to protect, and eddie and steve barely even knew eachother and… and he just saved him. without a second thought.

plus, not many people wanted to save eddie these days.

so eddie was taking this as romance because why the fuck wouldn’t he? he’d take what he could fucking get with this glorious man.

“yeah, well…” steve huffed, folding his arms tighter over his chest with a shrug, “i had other things to worry about. i couldn’t just sit around and cry.”

oh right. max.

“red…” eddie swallowed, “is she okay?”

the room fell silent for a minute.

nancy was the first to speak, over a swallow, “she’s alive.”

eddie let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in.

“he got her though.” she said again, the only one brave enough to speak about it right now, “all her bones are broken… she’s not waking up anytime soon.”

“oh.” is all eddie could say.

“lucas is with her every day.” steve said, as if he was more so trying to convince himself it was okay, rather than eddie, “she’s going to wake up, and everything will be okay.”

eddie nodded.

he wasn’t ready to ask about the fate of the world yet.

“don’t you folks have better things to do today?” eddie asked, forcing a little laugh, “i don’t even know what day it is.”

robin laughed a little with him, “it’s tuesday. and… well, steve an i lost our jobs to a second supernatural occurrence, so…”

“and schools canceled.” nancy offered, “semester won’t start back up for another month, and they’re going to cram all the final exams into the start of summer.”

eddie didn’t want to ask why school wasn’t in session.

“you still have a chance to graduate.” steve said with a smile, and eddie blinked at him, “dustin told us.”

“oh.” eddie swallowed, graduating was the last thing he was thinking about right now, “okay.”

“that’s not important now, anyway.” robin pet his shoulder sweetly, “what is important is that you’re alive and on the mend.”

eddie smiled.

“dustin’s gonna freak.” steve said, “it’s just… eddie this, eddie that- more than usual, man! it’s insufferable. i feel like i know more about you than i know about myself now. he more than worships you.”

eddie turned a little pink at that. one; dustin admired him? so much? like, enough to never fucking shut up about him? and two; steve knows all about eddie? does… does he care? does he like to listen? could they be friends? could they be more?

“where is he? is he okay?”

steve nodded, “yeah, he’s doing the best he can… he’s with max right now, he’s going to be here in about… twenty minuets.”

eddie smiled and settled down into his bed, excited for dustin’s visit, “cool.”

“metal?” steve asked with a scrunched up face.

eddie looked at him and laughed, shook his head, “that’s for totally awesome things, steve. like you biting that bats head off, and me shredding the most epic guitar solo in all the lands.” he grinned, “but i admire you’re effort, so i’m giving you an A plus.”

steve laughed, “thank you. that’s the highest grade i’ve gotten since i was fourteen.”

eddie laughed some more, “i’m glad i could be the one to bestow it upon you, oh white knight.”

“oh, white knight!” steve grinned, “that’s a pretty high honour.”

eddie raised his eyebrows slightly, “yes… it is.”

steve smiled and it was kind of smuggish, “well i thank you for knighting me as such. i’ll wear the badge with pride and serve you well.”

eddie looked at him for a moment and then fucking burst out laughing. he laughed so hard he had tears and strained his stitches. oh, steve. steve was indulging his weird, nerdy humour. no doubt dustin’s doing, but still… oh, eddie thought he might love him.

steve laughed too, and somehow they ended up laughing with their fingers intertwined.

“from king to knight…” eddie said and flicked away a tear, “some would say that’s a downgrade.”

“well, if i’m here to protect you then i call it an upgrade.” steve countered.

eddie’s lips parted at that, his eyes blown a little wide. he felt steve squeeze his hand.

“well…” eddie hummed, fighting off the flutter in his heart, “i’ll have you know, i have no regard for my own personal saftey… ever- you’ve seen me jump off of cafeteria tables at lunch, so protecting me is a pretty heart feat.”

“all the more reason to do it, ed’s.” steve said with a sweet smile and- fuck it, eddie was embracing the heart flutters.

only then did he noticed that they were sitting in this room alone- the door clicking shut from where the girls had snuck away.

“you shouldn’t promise that.” eddie said quietly, “you might regret it.”

“i won’t.” steve shrugged and squeezed eddie’s hand again, “i’ve already made the promise to dustin, and to wayne, and to gareth, most importantly to myself… and now im making it to you.”

“steve…” eddie whispered.

“don’t.” steve said, shuffling a little closer, “i know… i know, eddie.”

eddie swallowed, “you do?”

steve nodded, “let me promise it to you?”

eddie looked at him for a moment, searching his eyes. eyes that he’d been longing to search through for years, and now he finally could.

now they were finally something.

“okay.” eddie said simply, his voice barely a whisper, “okay, but you have to let me promise it too.”

steve shook his head with a smile, “only after you’re up and walking again.”

“physically… deal.” eddie nodded, pressed his free hand onto steve’s heart, “in here? right now.”

steve sighed and sunk a little bit, “okay.” he nodded, “i’ll let you promise that.”

“good.” eddie smiled, “because you didn’t really have a say in the matter.”

steve laughed and ducked his head to lean it on eddie’s shoulder, and eddie pressed his cheek to steve’s hair. they stayed like that for a moment. eddie worked up the courage to drag his fingers up steve’s back and curl them into the soft hair at the back of his neck. steve sighed into it, folding himself into eddie further.

steve lifted his head after a while, now much closer to eddie than he was before, and he smiled with a warm flush in his cheeks that eddie was sure matched his own. steve still held his hand, and it was warm and a little clammy, both of them riddled at nerves with this something.

but both of them happy with it too.

steve blinked and then lowered his eyes to eddie’s lips and… oh, eddie’s heart was beating so hard in his chest right now he thought it might break a rib. but, well, if there was any place for that to happen, it would be right here, so bring on the rapid heart rate!

steve leant in a little.

eddie did too.

they were awfully close, almost touching when dustin slammed open the door with a loud bang, “eddie!”

they quickly pulled away with a laugh and steve quickly jumped into action of grabbing dustin around the waist and tugging him back before he could body slam eddie and open all of his stitches.

once dustin’s original over the top excitement dropped a notch, steve let him go and he sunk into eddie’s arms.

the kid was warm and soft and felt just the same as eddie remembered. they both cried a little. eddie looked up at steve with wet eyes over dustin’s shoulder as they cuddled, half listening to dustin’s excited rambles about how he knew eddie would wake up soon, and they laughed quietly together.

they had something, and that was okay, but it could wait a little longer before it became everything. right now, dustin needed his eddie, and eddie needed his dustin, and steve wanted nothing more than to give them all they needed with a smile.

[kawaiidoodles95-blog]

[andvys]

Dancing with our hands tied | S.H.

And my, my love had been frozen. Deep blue, but you painted me golden.

Warnings: 18+, mdni! there will be smut in the future chapters. enemies to lovers, 'she fell first, he fell harder' kind of trope, allusions to unrequited love, mentions of death, injuries, allusions to self hatred, mentions of bullying, this story is set post s4, Vecna and the upside down are gone. slow burn. ‘hate’ sex. fwb kinda thing but they’re ‘enemies’. mean!reader, mean!Steve, hurt/comfort, happy ending.

Pairing: Steve Harrington x fem!reader

Summary: You and Steve have never seen eye to eye, and it never changed, not even when you were pulled into a world of monsters and risked your life to save him. But tension had always been between you both, something that neither of you ever wanted to admit -- but how much longer can you take it when the pull between you gets stronger and stronger each second you spend by each others side?

♡

Prologue ⭐︎

Chapter one ⭐︎ Waiting Room

Chapter two ⭐︎ I want you to notice, when I’m not around

Chapter three ⭐︎ So if you need to be mean, be mean to me

Chapter four ⭐︎ Every single thing I touch becomes sick with sadness

Chapter five ⭐︎'Cause you know it could never be

Chapter six ⭐︎ Secrets I have held in my heart

Chapter seven ⭐︎ Got a feeling your electric touch, could fill this ghost town up with life

Chapter eight ⭐︎ Say my name and everything just stops

Chapter nine ⭐︎ And I'll show you if you let me, girl

Chapter ten ⭐︎ Weigh down on me, stay 'til morning

Chapter eleven ⭐︎ Yeah, I know it seems surprising when there’s lipstick still on the glass

Chapter twelve ⭐︎ When the curtains call the time, will we both go home alive?

Chapter thirteen ⭐︎ For a moment, I was heaven struck

Chapter fourteen ⭐︎ Somewhere in these eyes, I'm on your side

Chapter fifteen ⭐︎ I thought the plane was going down, how'd you turn it right around?

Chapter sixteen ⭐︎ Hold me, love me, touch me, honey

Chapter seventeen ⭐︎ What am I supposed to do? If there's no you.

Chapter eighteen ⭐︎ Tell me 'bout the first time you saw me

Chapter nineteen ⭐︎ For you, I would ruin myself, a million little times

Chapter twenty ⭐︎ Tell me it's love, tell me it's real

Chapter twenty one ⭐︎ Please, I've been on my knees, change the prophecy

Chapter twenty two ⭐︎ Let the world around us just fall apart

Chapter twenty three ⭐︎ And the first night that you saw me, nothing was gonna stop me

Chapter twenty four ⭐︎ I once believed love would be black and white, but it’s golden

Chapter twenty five ⭐︎ Who could stay? You could stay

The Epilogue ⭐︎

[steddieas-shegoes]

like fire

for @steddie-week prompt 'touch starved'

rated m | 958 words | cw: mentioned child abuse, implied/referenced sexual content | tags: post-vecna, getting together, touch starved steve harrington

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

the last time steve's dad touched him was with a palm to his face, a demoralizing slap to remind him how little he thought of him before disappearing indefinitely to do anything but accept that his son wasn't perfect.

the last time steve's mom touched him was in an attempt at an apology for choosing his dad over him, barely a brush against the red handprint on his cheek before she was following her husband out the door and out of steve's life.

the first time eddie munson touches him, he's certain he's about to die. broken glass against his neck is sure to be the last thing he feels.

but it's not.

as eddie realizes they aren't there to hurt him, his grip eases and lets go completely. as he drops his hand, his hand grazes against steve's.

steve checks his skin for the burn mark he's sure is there after the heat of the touch, but it's just skin. winter-pale skin with freckles and a scar from a fight he lost, but no redness or blisters.

it sticks with him.

when they're doing their best to save hawkins, the world, and eddie's life, it sticks with him.

he knows robin caught on early, but was gracious enough to keep her thoughts to herself as they focused on defeating vecna and keeping the kids alive.

they get eddie out, but barely. he's bleeding too much, and he's near delirious as they slide him into the backseat of steve's car.

"felt like fire," he says as his eyes close.

"what did?" steve whispers, hoping that the kids are grabbing bikes to meet him at the hospital.

"touching you."

steve watches as his breathing gets shorter, pained whimpers escaping from his lips. his eyes don't open again. steve wishes he could kiss him.

he doesn't get to see eddie again until hopper manages to clear his name nearly a week later.

he got updates via his uncle wayne, used the excuse that the kids were hounding him for answers when in reality, steve had barely heard from them because their parents refused to let them out of their sight. even dustin had barely been on the walkies, his mom making him go to work with her during the day so he wouldn't be alone.

but the moment he was allowed to go see him, he was walking through the door to his room with a stuffed bear from the hospital gift shop and a smile on his face.

wayne had already left for the night, and eddie had the television on something he wasn't watching, most likely for background noise. silence was hard after experiencing the world nearly ending.

eddie's eyes were closed, but steve could tell he wasn't actually asleep.

"hey, eds."

eddie's eyes blinked open, widening when he realized who it was entering his room.

"steve?"

when steve sat down in the chair next to his bed, he set the stuffed bear in eddie's lap and smiled.

"he needs a name."

eddie glanced down at the bear in his lap and back up at steve, confused and still.

"i think aragorn would be cute, but honestly i'm not sure if he's a bad guy or a good guy."

steve was getting nervous with the silence, certain that he was going to be told to leave, that he was being too much and that eddie would want space from him.

why would eddie wanna see him anyway? it's not like they were friends. sure, it felt like lightning going through his veins when they touched and eddie may have flirted with him the few times they actually spoke, but maybe that was just how it was for everyone. eddie was a firecracker.

a spark on his hand startled him from his thoughts.

eddie's fingertips were barely touching the back of his hand, but it was enough.

"like fire," eddie muttered, barely audible over the sharp intake of breath.

"you feel it too?" steve thought he was being dramatic, thought maybe that was just his reaction to a gentle touch.

eddie's hand covered steve's and for the first time in too long, steve felt warm.

he still shivered at the touch, surprised at how soft it was despite the rough hands with calloused fingertips.

"feels like i'm supposed to keep you warm."

steve melted.

the touches came easily, always gentle and kind, even when they were hands gripping thighs and teeth biting necks.

it didn't take long for eddie to understand how touch starved steve had been.

it was easy to tell.

steve wouldn't flinch away, but he tensed for a moment, even at the the slightest press of his lips against his shoulder or his hand against the small of his back. he was unsure how to accept the gentleness that eddie was giving him, but it got easier over time.

eddie would help him out of his clothes after a long day of volunteering, pushing him into the shower, washing his body and hair while steve closed his eyes and let him.

he'd massage his back and shoulders until steve felt like he was becoming part of the bed.

his lips brushed against his ear as he whispered for him to turn over and eddie would straddle his hips while he kissed him until steve was moaning and arching up into eddie's hands, silently begging for more.

and eddie always gave him more.

more touches, more kisses, more love.

he never went more than a day without eddie's hands on him. he forgot what it was like to want someone to touch him with love. eddie did it every time they were in the same room, and he'd keep doing it for the rest of their lives.

[queenie-ofthe-void]

Confessions

Steddie || ~2.3k words || rating: T || tags: post vecna, references to stancy, angst and fluff, robin buckley just being herself

~~~

Eddie and Robin were just finishing filling the snack bowls and mixing drinks when they heard a knock at the door. It’s a Friday night– and not what Eddie would consider a late hour–but they weren’t expecting anyone to join their weekly movie night at Steve’s. 

He glances at Robin who shrugs, shaking her head. As he rounds the kitchen counter towards the foyer, Steve’s voice carries down the hallway.

“Nance?” He sounds surprised too.

“Steve, I’m sorry I know it’s late, but I’ve been meaning to talk to you and I can’t wait anymore,” she says. Eddie can’t see her, but she sounds anxious. 

“This can’t be good,” Robin huffs. He agrees, if the sinking pit in his stomach is any indicator.

“Look, Nance, now’s not really–”

“Steve,” she barrels over him, sounding desperate. “I’ve been an idiot trying to convince myself that I haven’t missed you since we broke up– and before you say it, this isn’t because Jonathan left after we closed the last gate. When we were stuck there with Robin and Eddie, the way you looked at me was how I’ve always hoped someone would love me. You looked at me like I was everything to you, like you could look at me forever and never get tired of it. I feel wanted, and loved, and safe when I’m around you.” She takes a deep, steadying breath before pressing on.

“Last time, when we were together, I took all of my grief and anger out on you. I blamed you for  what happened to Barb because I couldn’t face it myself and I knew you loved me enough to hold the weight, and I resented you for it. You wouldn’t stand up to me, and I resented you because you loved me anyway.” Eddie can hear Nancy sniffling, small sobs carrying down the hallway. “You loved me at my worst, and you didn’t deserve that. You’re amazing, and strong, and kind and everything I could ever ask for.

“Steve, what you said in the Winnebago, I just, I can’t stop thinking about you. About us”

The silence that follows is stifling and Eddie feels bile climbing up his throat. Arms wrap around his shoulders as Robin tucks her head into his neck. Only a small comfort while months of gentle moments with Steve flash behind his eyes: soft hands brushing his curls, stolen glances, lingering touches, and warm smiles. Now Eddie’s forced to stand vigil as it’s all washed away by Nancy's whispered pleas.

A spark of hope after a late night confession months ago– swiftly blown away.

“Nance, please–”

“Steve Harrington, I lo–”

“Nancy,” Steve interrupts, his tone firm yet soft around the edges, “I’m in love with someone else.”

Robin gasps into his neck. Her arms around his shoulders squeeze tight, anchoring him to reality in the wake of Steve’s confession. His chest is so full he can’t breathe. 

“Oh,” Nancy whispers before another, deeper sob leaves her breathless. He never thought he’d hear Nancy Wheeler cry. Even though they’re apparently both in love with the same man, he’s grown close with her too and can’t help the urge to comfort her. Eddie’s grown to love everyone in his new found family. But Nancy is right. 

Steve Harrington is everything. 

And Eddie’s everything is Steve Harrington.

“Yeah Nance, I’m sorry. And they’re kind of here right now, so,” he says gently.

And they’re kind of here right now…

Hope flames in his chest, blooming with warmth. Eddie doesn’t hear the conversation end over the buzzing in his own head and Robin’s frantic giggling until they hear the click of the front door and Steve’s footsteps coming towards them.

“Oh.”

Steve’s standing in front of them, wide-eyed like a deer in headlights. Eddie’s realizing he and Robin maybe should’ve hid before Steve rounded the corner to find them eavesdropping. 

“So,” Steve stammers, a fierce rouge burning his ears, “how much of that did you hear, exactly?”

Robin quickly stands, clearing her throat before Eddie can think of an answer. “Is that the microwave? Did anyone else hear the microwave ding? I think the popcorn is done, so I can go check that right now. Yeah, right now. I’ll just, umm, be in the kitchen checking the popcorn. For the movie.”

She practically sprints down the hall, and although she wasn’t subtle, Eddie’s still thankful for the privacy. Steve’s shaking his head with a small smile on his face.

“Everything,” Eddie answers. “We heard everything.”

“Oh,” Steve says again. He sounds anxious and unsure, something Eddie’s compelled to fix, because all he wants in this world is for Steve Harrington to be happy.

“It’s ok.” He takes Steve’s hands in his own, tracing his thumb lightly over his knuckles. “We won’t say anything to her about it, and we won’t tell anyone what she said. Nancy’s in safe hands with us. Mum’s the word!” And as Eddie mimes zippering up his mouth, he hopes that Steve won’t take the easy way out. That he won’t use the life-raft Eddie’s just thrown in his direction to keep him from drowning. 

“Right,” Steve says. He runs a hand through his hair, biting his lip as he gazes at the floor between them. The silence as Eddie waits for Steve’s next words grows long and tense. He can’t hear any movement in the kitchen, making him more anxious now that he knows Robin’s listening. Which, he’d be a hypocrite to be mad about.

Maybe he has this all wrong. Maybe Steve just needed a way to get her to leave, so he lied about having a date over. Maybe he didn’t know what to say, and just said the first thing to pop into his head. Maybe it’s got nothing to do with Eddie at all. 

Eddie realizes he’s still holding Steve’s hands, his grip tightening the longer he spirals. If it hurts, Steve hasn’t said anything. But when Eddie looks at his face, he seems dazed and lost in thought. As fast as if he’d been burned, Eddie drops Steve’s hands and takes a step backward.

“So,” Eddie stammers, voice shaking, “I’m going to go help Birdie with the popcorn. You want to get another movie started?”

Hands still frozen in the air, Steve finally lets his clenched fists fall to his sides. Eddie can see the whites of his knuckles. He hears Steve sigh, exhausted and frustrated, but Steve’s nodding with furrowed brows and taking a step backward towards the living room– away from Eddie. Too far to reach out to.

Turning away, Eddie’s in the middle of forming an escape attempt when he opens the kitchen door to immediately be swept up in Robin’s arms. Of course she’d been listening. He’s grateful for it, now that he doesn’t have to explain himself. As he buries his face into her neck, he finds a wet patch and wonders what kind of accident she got into while prepping snacks. It’s not until she starts gently shushing him that he realizes he’s crying, tears soaking into her shirt. 

“It’s gonna be ok, teddy bear,” she says, running her hand through his curls, “he’ll get there, I promise. He’s working on it, you know that.”

He nods. He does know that. Steve’s been out to Robin for a few months, but only to Eddie for a few weeks. He deserves the space to figure it out, and the grace of those around him to do so at his own pace. Still, Eddie can’t help his growing impatience alongside the increasing severity of his crush. At least Robin’s here to support the both of them.

The two of them finish gathering the snacks in silence. She was full of awkward jokes to try to lighten the mood, but when it was clear Eddie was stuck in his head, she’d stopped. He feels bad about it. He’ll make it up to her later, plus he knows she’s not upset with him. Eddie suspects they’ll be getting together sometime tomorrow to rehash everything that’s happened– after she’s finished consoling Steve, of course.

When they leave the kitchen, Eddie’s surprised to find Steve exactly where he’d left him. He’s standing frozen in the hallway, lip pulled between his teeth and hands still clenched. But when he lifts his gaze to meet Eddie’s, there’s resolve behind his eyes.

“Eddie,” Steve says, “I think I’m falling in love with you.”

“Oh my god! Finally!”

Eddie jumps violently at Robin’s shouting, almost directly into his ear. She’s flushed red with embarrassment decorated with a manic grin so wide he wonders if it’ll just keep stretching like taffy. There’s popcorn poured out onto the floor from where she clearly threw her hands up in excited exasperation. He watches as her eyes grow wide, her smile morphing into shock, her lips forming a perfect ‘o’, as if to say ‘oh shit, I just interrupted the most important moment in my best friends’ lives because I’m so excited and impatient that these two dinguses finally figured their shit out’.

She kicks the scattered popcorn towards the wall, like that’ll somehow hide the mess, before awkwardly passing them both down the hall towards the living room.

Eddie loves her so much.

“Huh,” Eddie chuckles, “well that was–”

“I’ve known I’ve liked you since last summer when you let me help you into my pool onto Holly’s rubber duck floaty so you could finally go swimming after you finished physical therapy.” Steve sounds out of breath, words running into each other with misplaced breaths in between. Like if he stops, he knows he won’t start again. 

It’s the only time Eddie’s felt the urge to keep quiet– when he’s not fighting for his life.

“You were so nervous,” Steve plows on, “but you said you felt safe with me, that you wanted only me to be there. You said you trusted me to help without laughing or judging you. Fuck, Eddie, you were so goddamn cute once we got you settled in with a Coke with a crazy straw in it. We were listening to ABBA and you didn’t even complain and you were so sunburnt the next day. It was the happiest I’d ever seen you.”

The memory leaves Eddie shocked. He did trust Steve to help, didn’t even consider asking anyone else because Steve just felt like the most obvious answer. He’d been there through the worst of Eddie’s post-PT work to make sure he ‘kept form’ on his exercises. They’d lounged in the sun all day, and it was the first time Eddie watched Steve relax since his final Upside-Down battle. 

Eddie feels his lip quiver, eyes burning, knowing they’d felt the same that day. Judging by Steve’s watery eyes, he guesses they feel the same now, too. 

“But love,” Steve whispers. He swallows as he takes a step closer, reaching out to grasp his hands. “Eddie Munson, I knew I was in love with you yesterday.”

His shoulders tighten as he recalls yesterday, surprised because they hadn’t seen each other at all, one of the rare days where their schedules didn’t line up. It was the first time in months they’d gone longer than thirty-six hours without seeing each other. Sure, they’d talked on the phone while Steve worked, but it’s not the same.

“I know,” Steve laughs, clocking Eddie’s confusion. “I thought about you all day. Couldn’t stop, no matter how hard I tried. Robin had to work with the customers because all I kept thinking about was tonight. If you’d get here before Robin, so we could sit out by the pool and smoke. Where we’d sit for the movie and if we’d get to share the popcorn bucket. If you’d pick a movie I hadn’t seen, so you’d lean in close and tell me a million random facts, even when you know I don’t really get it. But I just like when you’re close, next to me, and–” he hesitates– “I think that’s why you do it.”

Steve lifts their joined hands, wiping a tear from his eye using the back of Eddie’s knuckles. He returns the gesture, wiping what Eddie’s guessing is a mix of tears and snot off of his own face with Steve’s sleeve. 

“I think you lean in because you want to be close to me, too, and you don’t actually care about the movie either. Eddie, I think you ask for my help because you trust me in a way only Robin does. You give me cute nicknames like ‘sweetheart’ and ‘pretty boy’ because you’re teasing me, but I think it’s mostly because you really mean it.” Steve’s stepped closer now, and Eddie can feel the warmth of shared air between their gasping breaths. 

“I think you tease me and lean into me because you want my attention,” Steve whispers, brushing his nose alongside Eddie’s as their foreheads touch. “But Eddie, you’ve always had my attention.”

Eddie surges forward, capturing Steve’s tear-soaked lips between his own in what has to be the snotiest kiss either of them has ever had. But he doesn’t care. How could he? Eddie’s kissing the man he’s been in love with for almost eight months. 

Steve drops Eddie’s hands in favor of running one through his dark curls, while the other grips tightly at his waist. He can’t help but cup Steve’s cheeks, running a gentle thumb along his cheekbones. 

It’s soft and messy and everything he’s ever hoped for, because Steve Harrington is his everything, and he’ll do anything to keep him. Right now, he doesn’t have to worry about what they’ll tell their friends, or how they’ll explain this to Nancy, or even if Robin’s listening behind the door– he’s sure she is. No, right now, he lets himself bask in the glow of Steve’s love and soak in the comfort that Steve feels loved in return.