#proud mike defender

[bylerblogger]

If you hate Mike Wheeler, you probably never had a teenage life.

[luckybyler]

So I commented an opinion on Reddit (which got downvoted, naturally) about how Mike's monologue should've been given by Hopper instead (from a "save El's life!" POV), and he's the parallel to Papa, who she just "lost" (for lack of a better word).

Then someone who's clearly a Mlvn fan responded that no, that's not right, because Mike is the one who really understands El and he is the actual parallel to Papa. I wonder if she's aware of what she's implying

[maxmayfieldirl]

I will not apologize for my love for the Wheeler siblings

[pyro-chaos]

Mike Schmidt x Reader

Pt. 1: And They Were Roommates…

Summary: Prologue. How it all started.

Or, Mike and you develop the foundation for a relationship.

Tropes: Fluff, angst if you squint,

And they were roommates…

Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5.

A/N: I’m actually super proud of this one haha, feedback is never required but appreciated anyway!!! Thank you!! Enjoy your read

-———-———

Mike knows you, but not well.

You live in a nicer house than his. Abby likes how your TV has more than just the news channels.

Max stopped answering Mike’s calls, and his aunt wasn’t around anymore.

You’ve babysat Abby before, but only briefly. Times that Mike needed to go to a job interview or pick up an extra shift and he couldn't find anyone else. Planned situations.

You were a last resort. He didn’t mean to overbook himself, but he did, and now he’s desperately hoping you won’t turn down a few extra dollars.

You answer Mike’s frantic knocks with wide eyes. You still have your work uniform on, and Mike has to actively suppress his wince.

“I’m so sorry,” he feels Abby squeeze his hand, “I didn’t know who else would be available.”

Mike doesn’t even try to suppress his relieved sigh when you wave him off and usher Abby inside. You - albeit awkwardly - invite him in, but he’s already running late.

You ask when he’ll be back for Abby, but he doesn’t know, so he says, tonight, I’ll call you and speed-walks to his car; tail tucked so far between his legs that he almost feels like crying.

When he returns to your home, he thanks you with a check and assurances that it’s just a one-time thing, and he couldn’t think of anyone else who’d be willing, but you just smile and offer him some dinner leftovers.

Then, a man walks in with a paper plate wrapped in saran wrap, and Mike feels the hairs at the back of his neck stand. You introduce the man as your boyfriend, Mike shakes his hand, but he’s practically choking on the air of judgment surrounding Oliver.

So that’s how you can afford a place like this.

Abby sleeps on the drive home, and Mike thinks about you.

Mike met you at work; maiding for a cleaning company for rich snobs. He…didn’t mind the days he worked with you. The manager often paired the two of you together for large estate-wide projects.

You never complained when he needed to bring Abby to work. If anything, you seemed like you had more fun on days he brought his little sister.

You asked Abby questions about her interests and even shared some of your own. Mike even once caught you packing extra frosted Animal Crackers from the lobby.

Sometimes, Abby would drag Mike into games of three-person hide-and-seek. Most often, he got stuck seeking. You laughed a lot on those days.

You even defended Mike when the manager wrote him up for not controlling his child.

He remembers apologizing with coffee for getting you written up. He also remembers you assuring him that, “the client needs to calm the fuck down. It’s not like we knocked over an Urn.”

He remembers how you made him chuckle.

The manager doesn’t pair the two of you up anymore. Mike would have to ask his co-workers to change shifts with him if he wanted to see you more often, but asking sounds awkward.

You corner him in the office during shift change the night after you babysit Abby. You ask if he wants to go meet for coffee during the break hour, your treat.

He wants to say he’s busy. The words rest on the tip of his tongue. He doesn’t know why you want to do him another favor. You're making him feel jumbled and awkward.

But then you mention the food, and I’ll meet you in the lobby if you want to carpool, just slips out of his mouth.

A big part of Mike thinks he offered to drive because he feels guilty for interrupting your evening. He doesn’t want to spend time with you, he only wants to pacify you enough to leave him alone.

The smaller part feels curious -for lack of a better term- why are you being nice? What’s wrong with you?

Mike drags his feet to meet you at the office. He hates that he’s about to give up his break for the Hi! How-are-you’s and the I’m-doing-well’s of small talk. He hates that he’s spending his energy on something so unnecessary. Plus, it’s not like he’s ever been friends with you.

He hopes that he hasn’t given you the idea that he cares more than he does.

The café is nice. It has hanging vines over the counters and windowsills. It smells like espresso and fresh soil. There’s an old-looking bookshelf right by a sunny window. It feels homey.

You buy Mike's food, and he tries to downplay how happy he gets when he has enough leftovers for another meal. The two of you talk. You ask if he has a consistent babysitter, and he dodges the question. You tell him your ‘free nights’ in case he hasn’t found a babysitter by the time he needs one, because, apparently, you have a lot of fun with Abby.

Mike feels the defensiveness creep up into his neck. The urge to bare his teeth and roll his eyes crawls into the forefront of his mind. He can take care of Abby just fine. He’s beginning to think that you think they’re a charity case. They don’t need you.

You must notice Mike tense because you change the subject. You tell him about how vinegar helps when cleaning smoke-stained walls, and the work-drama surrounding your shared boss.

His shoulders unwind, and he even adds a few jokes about bad clients. His input seems to sweeten the interaction like the honey in the tea he’s drinking.

He has fun.

He calls you the next time he needs a babysitter.

A few months go by. You, Abby, and Mike settle into a schedule. He learns that your boyfriend shares a car with you. Mike and Oliver don’t talk much, but when they do, they’re cordial.

Abby’s never complained about Oliver, but Mike can feel the simmering judgment, and wonders if Oliver has ever said anything to you about them.

Mike can’t pay you all the time. In fact, he can’t pay you most of the time, but you don’t seem to care. He wants to ask why.

You have a day job separate from the nights at the cleaning company - just like him - and the generosity you have with your time makes him feel itchy; like he owes you something, but you never bring anything up.

Anyway, he’s stuck with you. Who else would he leave Abby with on weekends and three nights a week?

You’re different today. Your eyes look glossy, and when Mike asks how it went with Abby, you just say it went well.

He doesn’t ask, but he wants to.

Friday night, you call and cancel babysitting Abby.

Your voice sounds small, and he hears you sniff a few times.

He doesn’t think your emotions are his business, but it feels like it’s the right time to ask anyway.

So, Mike asks, “Everything alright?”

You answer without a beat, “Yeah, just caught a bug from work, I’ll just need a day.”

Mike doesn’t know how he feels about the words I’ll just need a day. It feels like you’re justifying yourself. It feels like words a coworker would say to another coworker.

“I’m sorry,” you finish. It’s so soft and genuine that it makes Mike’s breath hitch.

“No,” he blurts, “No need to be sorry. I hope you feel better soon,” and he genuinely does.

Mike can’t afford to skip today's shift. He’s already received too many late notices from his landlord. One more and he’ll be evicted.

He’ll probably have to work through lunch this week if he wants to make ends meet.

He doesn’t know what to do.

So, Mike does the only thing he can think of. Mike carefully instructs Abby to never touch the stove, never to go near the thermostat, don’t answer the door unless she hears their secret knock, don’t answer the phone, and to keep the blinds and curtains closed.

Abby Pinky promises to do all of those things. Mike believes her, but writes a list and tapes it to the fridge just in case she forgets.

Abby asks why she’s not going to your house while Mike prepares a quick breakfast. He tells her you’re sick as he inhales his portion.

“Does she need medicine?” Abby asks.

“I don’t know,” he puts his dishes in the sink, “she said she’d be better by tomorrow.”

“Does she have medicine?”

“Probably, she’s a grown-up.”

“Does she have chicken soup?”

Mike doesn’t know how he’s supposed to know that, but Abby sounds genuinely worried about whether or not you have chicken soup. So, he stops what he’s doing and puts all of his attention on his sister.

“She’s gonna be okay Abby, she’s just not feeling her best. You’ll see her tomorrow.”

His sister looks at the table. Her little eyebrows furrow as she plays with her food. Mike feels… a twist of ugly things in his gut. He doesn’t like that he can’t protect Abby. He doesn’t like that he’s leaving her home alone.

That night, Mike brings her ice cream and lets her stay up past her bedtime.

Tomorrow comes too soon.

Mike tries to keep his nose out of your business, but the packing boxes littering your home stare into his soul. Your car is gone, too.

You welcome Abby, and you smile at Mike, but your eyes seem vacant. You don’t look like you’ve been sick, but your eyes are puffy.

At this point, Mike knows something’s going on.

He wants to give you something, but what could he offer? He’s not sure how close the two of you are. He’s not sure what you want from him.

In reality, paying you would be the best thing he could do for you, but he can't do that. So, he keeps his head down and asks if you need anything.

You get solemn after Mike’s offer; like you have bad news that you've been waiting to spring on him.

Mike clenches his teeth. He's expecting you to tell him you're done; he hasn't paid you, and you're starting to get annoyed.

"Actually, I have a huge favor to ask"

That's not what Mike's expecting, but he can't say no without sounding like an asshole. So he says, "Sure, what's up?"

You lick your lips again, “You can totally say no. It’s kind of a lot, and I know you’re already busy, but Abby goes to school around the same time I go to work, and I’d pay you for gas money” You're fidgeting with the hem of your sweater, "Would you be willing to give me a ride to work this week?"

Mike doesn’t even hesitate, "What time do you need to be picked up?"

You bring Mike a muffin. You nurse a coffee.

You seem quieter in the mornings, but Mike is just quiet. So, interactions only occur when you need to give him directions.

It’s not necessarily awkward, but Mike still feels tense and icky at the beginning.

Picking you up in the afternoons feels better on Mike’s psyche. You talk more, and he knows where the cleaning company is, so he doesn’t have to ask where to go.

Sometimes Mike brings you left-over meals from his day job. Sometimes you bring him and Abby a packed lunch.

Abby’s enrolled in an after school program until 6pm the two nights you don’t have her. Mike has those nights off, but he still picks you up and drops you off before getting his sister.

A few weeks go by.

You settle into a new schedule. You still don’t have a car. Mike never reminds you that you offered gas money.

“Thank you” you unbuckle your seatbelt.

Mike parks the car in your driveway, “It’s no problem”

It’s the least he can do, really. But he doesn’t want to tell you that he feels like he owes you.

You haven’t left yet, and Mike’s starting to feel confused.

You sigh before looking at him, “I might be getting a roommate soon”

The words sound casual, but you’re pursing your lips and fidgeting with your sleeves. Mike doesn’t understand why.

“Sorry, it’s just, I figured you should know.” You lick your lips, “I can’t afford this place without a roommate, and I don’t feel comfortable letting Abby around someone I don’t know”

He’s grateful for that, honestly. But something in his gut still drops. He has no idea what he’s going to do without your help.

“When?” he croaks. He clears his throat, “uh when do you think you’ll have one by?”

He doesn’t have to go get Abby for another half-hour.

You shrug, rubbing a hand on your hairline, “hopefully within the next few weeks.”

He nods, he’s not sure what to say. He’s not sure if there’s anything to say.

Then you gasp so loud that Mike literally feels his heart bang against his lungs. Your eyes go bright and you look into Mike’s eyes with an excitement that makes him feel slightly overwhelmed.

“You wanna move in with me?!”

Mike spends the rest of the half-hour in your kitchen, brainstorming how the three of you can move Abby’s bed with Mike’s tiny car. Without paying for a moving truck.

He has fun.

[percyaugod]

Gluncle Mike AU

Glam Mike AU where Evan and Elizabeth live.

The Afton kids have a strained relationship because Michael sometimes pushed things too far when he was a young and stupid teenager. Once Michael and his friends are stopped just before putting Evan's head in the animatronic's mouth because Elizabeth got their dad things just get worse. Evan and Elizabeth do nothing to defend him as their father kicks Michael out for what tried to do.

It's not until Evan and Elizabeth are in their twenties that they meet again, Michael desperately trying to ask for their help. It's not until he pulls up his shirt that they start to listen.

After some explanations and closer looks at Michael that will haunt their nightmares, they agree to help. Cue several years of them gathering information on the animatronics, finding William, bringing Henry into the mix, and setting a trap. During that time they get closer and become friends before finally being the siblings they always wanted to be.

Which just makes it hurt that much more when Michael says he wants to burn with the others. It's not fair! They just got to know him and now he's leaving!? Making him stay wouldn't be fair either though. His body has been slowly rotting over the years and he's in constant pain, he's tired and deserves to rest more than anyone.

Skip to years later when Evan has a son named Gregory. If Evan didn't know any better he'd think Michael had come back just to make his life difficult again with the trouble this kid gets into. Evan does everything he can to make sure Gregory never had anything to do with the family business or history, but of course that doesn't work out.

Evan wakes up one morning to find a dirty and banged-up Gregory with a Freddy animatronic that somehow looks even worse. Oh, he hopes Uncle Henry still has some pull with the company, because he doesn't want to find out what happens if they get caught with a stolen animatronic. Evan isn't sure if he should be touched his son got attached to the same type that used to be his favorite or freak that the one that nearly bit his head off is walking around on its own.

When Elizabeth finds out she just laughs. Stealing an entire animatronic? If only Michael were here, he'd be so proud. When she finds out about Gregory repeatedly crawling and hiding in Freddy's stomach hatch it doesn't seem funny anymore.

Michael's memories are kind of scrambled between coming back from the dead a second time, this time after being burned, and conflicting with Freddy's AI. So Freddy has no idea how he keeps confusing Gregory for Evan, a literal adult. Whenever Freddy does or says something rude/sarcastic after living with them for a few days Evan scolds Gregory for being a bad influence. Gregory defends himself that starting the fire was Freddy's idea and Evan's brain just stops as he starts to consider something.

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

The Right Place in Time

Summary: What if Steve was in the woods with Chrissy and Eddie getting weed for his headaches?

Chapter one

Chapter two

Chapter Three

Steve was on a high. They were all spilling out into the parking lot, talking about how awesome Lucas was. Eddie was hanging off of Steve, both of them beaming with pride. Suddenly, Lucas came rushing at them, grinning widely. Mike and Dustin were the first ones to hug him.

"You were so awesome!" Dustin exclaimed while Mike nodded eagerly. "I'm so glad we didn't miss this."

The rest of Hellfire followed, ending with Steve and Eddie hugging him both.

"Your mother and I are so proud of you!" Eddie said, pinching his cheeks.

"Thanks, dad," Lucas said sarcastically and paused. "I'm glad you guys are getting along."

"Well, Stevie here really put me in my place," Eddie grinned. "Apparently, he collects lost sheep just like I do."

They were having such a good moment, too. Until Jason Carver showed up to ruin it.

"Hey, Sinclair, are these freaks bothering you?" Jason asked him, as if he were doing Lucas a favor.

"No," he replied.

"Cause if they were - "

"They're my friends," Lucas said quickly.

"You're friends with them?" Jason asked.

"I'm in Hellfire too," he replied proudly.

"You never said - " Jason said furiously.

"You never asked," Lucas replied.

"You're so off the team," Jason snarled.

"There's no rules that say he can't play basketball and be in Hellfire, Jason," Chrissy said, coming up behind him. "It was this kind of reaction that he was afraid, which probably led him to not telling you. Besides, you don't have the power to kick him off."

"Chrissy! Babe - "

"Don't you 'babe' me!" Chrissy scowled at him. "I dumped your ass, remember?"

"Are you really defending these guys, Chris? Did they brainwash you?" Jason asked.

"The only brainwashing that happened with me was at the hands of you and my mother. You two were planning my entire life for me!" Chrissy snapped at him.

"We only wanted what was best for you," Jason said.

"By making every little decision for me? What I ate, what I wore?" Chrissy asked. "Fuck that. Fuck you."

"This is your fault," Jason snarled at Eddie. "If your life wasn't hell before - "

"Hey!" Chrissy snapped, stepping close to him, looking deadly. "If you even think about hurting them or go anywhere near them, I will show everyone that picture I took of you. . . I mean, everyone."

"You said you burned that," Jason scowled.

"I took two pictures, Jason," Chrissy said sweetly. "They're off limits, understand?"

"Fine, if you want to be Satan's slut - "

Chrissy fist swung out and slammed into his face. Everyone yelled out in surprise. Jason looked at her with wide eyes, his nose bleeding.

"Being Satan's slut sounds a hell of a lot better than being your little bitch," Chrissy snapped.

Jason scowled, tears in his eyes, and stormed off. Once he was gone, Chrissy clutched her fist, wincing.

"Damn, Chrissy," Eddie grinned as he took her hand, massaging her knuckles.

"I never punched anyone before. It fucking hurts," Chrissy replied and then she watched as the members of Hellfire started to kneel before her. "Uh, what are they doing?"

"All hail Chrissy, Queen of the Freaks," Eddie said and kneeled before her, holding her hand. "We gladly bestow this title upon you, honor bound by your heroics. We thank thee for defending us, our brave Lady of Hellfire."

"Oh my god!" Someone from the parking lot called out. "Eddie Munson's proposing to Chrissy Cunningham!"

"Nope! Nope!" Eddie said quickly and stood up. "That is not what's happening here!"

Chrissy giggled as the person ran off.

"Guys!" The person yelled. "Chrissy defended Eddie Munson against Jason, and now Eddie's asking her to marry him!"

Eddie shrieked and went to chase after the person, but Chrissy pulled him back.

"It's too late, Eddie. They're gone," she laughed. "Besides, it would piss my mother off to hear that we're engaged."

"Well, I do love to piss off controlling parents," Eddie grinned. "Now, how far are you willing to go to piss her off?"

"All the way down the aisle, baby," Chrissy said. "Ooh, even better if I'm very pregnant with your kid."

"Excuse me?" Steve asked.

"Aw, I think he's feeling left out again," Chrissy said.

"Ooh, even better if Steve’s the father of our baby," Eddie said.

"Scandalous!" She gasped.

"Oh, he's thinking about it," Dustin said, pointing at his face. "You can see it in his eyes."

Steve scowled and swiped at his hand as everyone laughed. He was rolling his eyes at them all, but there was a warmth blooming in his chest at the sight of Eddie and Chrissy giggling together. It was quickly disturbed by Robin coming over to the group.

"I just heard a weird rumor that Eddie Munson proposed to Chrissy Cunningham after she kicked Jason Carver's ass. How true is that?" Robin asked the group.

"Well, she definitely punched Jason in the face," Steve smirked proudly. "But the other thing is a misunderstanding."

Suddenly, Vickie was pushing herself through the group to get to Chrissy.

"I heard you're engaged to Eddie, Chrissy. What the hell?" Vickie asked breathlessly.

"Damn, that kid worked fast," Jeff said.

"It's just a rumor, Vickie," Chrissy said. "I did punch Jason though."

"Thank God, I hated guy," Vickie said, and then she noticed Robin standing next to her. "Oh, hey, Robin."

"Hey, Vickie," Robin smiled, her cheeks turning pink.

"Chrissy's my cousin," she explained.

"Oh, I didn't know that, that's cool," Robin said. "Very cool."

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

Steve smiled at the exchange. Judging by the way Vickie was looking at Robin, she was very interested.

"You know, we could stand around in the parking lot, or we could go and celebrate Lucas's victory," Jeff said, clapping his hands together.

Nancy approached the group, looking frazzled.

"Well, Mike can't go anywhere. He's got a bedtime tonight," Nancy said.

"Oooh," Jeff, Frank, and Gareth said in unison.

"Shut up!" Mike snapped. "Nancy!"

"What? You've been looking forward to seeing your girlfriend for a while now," Nancy said. "Say goodnight, Mike."

"Can you stop treating me like a little kid?" Mike asked.

"Maybe if you stopped acting like one," Nancy said. "I've been looking for you everywhere."

They all watched in amusement as the siblings bickered all the way to her car.

"Well, Mike's out. Anyone else?" Frank asked.

"Well, I got a deal with Chrissy that we still want to make, right?" Eddie asked.

"I mean, did you want to celebrate first? I would be down with that too," Chrissy asked.

"Hell yeah!" Eddie exclaimed.

"We could also fully initiate Chrissy as our queen," Lucas snickered.

"And officially welcome Steve as Hellfire's den mother. He does make the brownies I bring," Dustin laughed.

"You make them? What's your secret?" Eddie asked with narrowed eyes.

"You have to be a Harrington to know the recipe," Steve said.

"Quick, Chrissy, marry Steve and then tell me the recipe!" Eddie exclaimed, and she laughed. "Hell. You know, what? If I marry you, Steve, then can I know your recipe? I would be even more eager to do it knowing how illegal it is."

He wiggled his eyebrows at Steve.

"It'd been even more illegal if we all married each other," Chrissy giggled.

"That's polygamy, Chrissy," Dustin said matter of factly.

"I know," Chrissy whispered. "I'm a polygamist."

"Oh! That's cool," Dustin said, glancing at Steve and Eddie, who were sharing an amused look. "Oh! That explains so much now."

"My mother always hated when I learned what that word meant," Chrissy said. "I think that's why she's so hard on me."

"Your heart has always been big enough for more than one person," Vickie grinned.

"Come on, let's go celebrate!" Chrissy grinned excitedly. "Wait. . .where are we going?"

"Skull Rock," Eddie grinned.

"Isn't that where people like to make out?" Steve asked.

"That's where you like to make out," Eddie grinned. "It's where Corroded Coffin likes to party."

Chrissy let out a whoop and began doing cart wheels in the parking lot. Steve watched on, smiling at her as her flips got more impressive. Other people still loitering in the parking lot started to cheer her on, and then she stopped. She spread her arms out wide and started to spin around. Steve’s eyes focus on her smile and the way her hair flips around her, the lights overhead lighting her up. It was almost as if she was glowing and the way she moved. . .it was almost magical. Suddenly, the lights started to flicker. The bulb needed to be changed.

"I'm free as a bird," she yelled out and for a moment her eyes landed on Steve as well as Eddie.

Suddenly, she stopped, her back to them, and her arms flopped to her side. She wasn't moving at all now, and the lights were flickering in more than one spot.

"Chrissy?" Steve called out.

Chapter Four

[ladykailitha]

The Eddie Munson Guide to Dating an Oblivious Jock Part 4

I actually got it up today, holy crap. Today has been so wild I wasn’t sure it was going to happen. Also thank you to @chaoticlovingdreamer and @yellowdevilkitten about the cramps. I am feeling better now.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

*

Part Seven: Hand holding

Once you’ve established that he likes you back, the first step is hand holding. You aren’t necessarily dating at this point. Though you could be. For same sex couples this will have to be discreet and sneaky, but for straight couples this can be used as a way to declare your couple status.

“I hate that you can’t hold hands with Steve in public,” Max said. “It’s stupid.”

Eddie cocked his head ruefully. “It is what it is. Some day it won’t be like this, but for now, we do what we can.”

“Still stupid.”

It was movie night sleepover. It was something that all of them did once in a while. And by them it meant all of them. All thirteen of them. Steve’s basement was perfect for it. They could all stretch out and still have tons of space. Not that they did that. They tended to puppy pile in smaller groups.

El, Max, Erica, and Lucas was one pile. Jonathan, Argyle, and Nancy were another. Mike, Dustin, and Will were another. Which left Eddie, Robin, and Steve as the remaining pile.

But that was a problem for future Eddie. Current Eddie was content on the sofa with Steve sitting next to him, their bodies pressed together in a seem from shoulder to knee.

Robin was on the other side of Steve curled up under his arm and Eddie was fine with sharing at the moment.

The hardest part of the night was deciding on a movie they all wanted to watch. There was always someone that didn’t want to watch whatever it was they decided on. So Eddie and Steve came up with the idea of ranked voting. They would grab five movies and everyone would list them in the order they wanted to watch them in and whichever one got the most votes at number one was the one they watched first.

Tonight they were watching The Dark Crystal. When the beetles came on, chittering above the Skekis Robin flinched and buried her head into his shoulder.

“I thought this was a kids’ show!” she whined to Steve.

“Come on,” Dustin said. “They aren’t that scary. They’re just giant bugs.”

Eddie kicked him in the thigh. “Everybody has different things they’re scared of, we don’t mock people for that.”

“I wasn’t mocking,” Dustin defended. “I just don’t think they’re scary.”

Fizgig started wailing and Eddie jumped back. “What the fuck! Why does it have so many teeth?!” Then a warm hand took his and he looked down at the joined hands and back up to Steve.

“Wait a damn minute!” Max cried. “You’re telling me that the first time you guys held hands Steve initiated it?”

Eddie grinned. “I was so proud. Though, he thought he was just being a good friend at the time. Remember this is oblivious jockus. Even though it was pretty clear he liked me back, he wasn’t reading the signs that I liked him.”

“But he still reached out to you?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

Steve smiled softly at him and Eddie’s heart just melted. Eddie gave Steve’s hand a squeeze, but instead of letting go like he suspected Steve thought he would do, Eddie held on to it for the rest of the movie.

When the movie ended, Eddie wasn’t the only with sniffles from the sacrifices of Kyra and Fizgig.

“But that won’t work,” Dustin said.

“What won’t work, bud?” Eddie asked as he dried his eyes on his sleeve.

“You can’t rebuild an entire race with just two members,” Dustin complained. “Because otherwise you get inbreeding and trust me when I say that’s gross and not just from moral stand point but a medical one, too.”

Max rolled her eyes. “They aren’t trying to rebuild the species. It’s just a love story.”

Dustin grumbled, “Well, it’s a stupid one.”

Eddie and Steve shared a glance and shook their heads.

Steve dislodged himself from Robin, reluctantly letting go of Eddie’s hand. “All right, gremlins, get your bed stuff and set it up downstairs. You don’t have to go to sleep right away but I want you at least in your sleeping bags.”

There was some grumbling from the younger kids but they all packed up and went downstairs, Jonathan and Nancy going down with them to make sure they didn’t start fighting over spots.

The remaining adults started cleaning up the mess that only thirteen people can make.

Robin got bored about half way through and wandered downstairs to see what was happening there.

Argyle tilted his head. “Does she always do that?”

Eddie and Steve looked at each other and shrugged.

“Not always,” Steve said. “Her mind just goes a million miles an hour and sometimes cleaning fulfills that need and other times not. I guess today was a not.”

Argyle nodded sagely. “Do you think she would benefit from the purple flower?”

By now they were aware that that was a brand of weed Argyle had brought over from California.

“She doesn’t like smoking,” Eddie said with a grimace.

Argyle lit up. “Brownies, bro! I bet she’d love my brownies.”

Steve chuckled. “You are more than welcome to ask. Just know she might still say no.”

Argyle smiled his dopey smile. “Never offended by that.”

They finished cleaning and went back downstairs to find that the usual piles were divided differently.

El, Max, and Nancy were doing each other’s nails. While Argyle, Robin and Jonathan were discussing weed in a corner. Mike and Will were snuggled up together as were Erica, Lucas, and Dustin.

“You know I always wondered about that night,” Eddie said. “Why you and Lucas weren’t snuggled up like you usually were.”

Max scoffed and rolled her eyes. “It’s the whole reason for this little guide I’m forcing myself to sit through.”

“What happened?”

She put her head in her hands. “I thought we were on again and he did not.”

“He is an oblivious jock, though right?” Eddie grimaced.

“Yeah, but I didn’t realize how much until that night,” Max said with a small whine of frustration. “He said that it was great how we had remained friends after Vecna and then asked me if I was dating anyone at the time.”

Eddie rubbed his eye. “Are you serious?”

“As Vecna.”

“Ouch.”

“Looks like it’s just you and me, big boy,” Eddie said looking around the room at all the different groups. When Steve didn’t reply, he backtracked, “Unless you want to hang out with Robin and the stoner boys?”

Steve’s head snapped up. “No, no. She looks like she’s having fun. I’d be happy to be your puppy partner.”

Eddie groaned. “Can you not say it like that?”

“Snuggle buddy?” Steve suggested. “Snug bugs? Puddle pals?”

Eddie shoved him playfully. “Knock it off, man.”

“Oh,” Steve said with a wicked gleam. “I see how it is. Maybe I will join one of the other piles. You think Mike will mind if I join him and Will?”

Eddie laughed. “Only if you want to be murdered in your sleep.”

Steve winked. “So I guess that means you’re stuck with me.”

Eddie bit his lip nervously. “I have an idea!” He walked over to the girls.

“Hello, ladies,” he greeted warmly. “May I inquire if you have any black polish among your bounteous plethora of polishes?”

El lit up. “Yes, I have three kinds in fact.” She went digging for them. “I have glitter midnight, death becomes her, and blackest black.”

She held them up for him to see. He looked at each one carefully and chose blackest black.

“Now, my fairest maiden,” Eddie said. “I need a blue for Stevie.”

Steve, Nancy and Max all stared at him in shock.

“You’re going to paint Steve’s nails?” Max asked.

Eddie nodded. “And he’s going to paint mine.”

El giggled. “That’s sooo cute. I have just the color.” She opened a small drawer in her kit and pulled out a sparkling dark blue.

Eddie kissed her forehead. “It’s perfect Supergirl.”

El blushed. “You’re welcome. Have fun.”

Eddie sat down cross-legged from Steve and set the two bottles down between them.

“Can’t have a sleepover without painting your nails and talking about boys,” Eddie said, grinning from ear to ear.

Steve laughed. “All right, Eds. You got me there.”

“I thought I would paint yours first, so you can watch me do it,” Eddie said. “And then you can do mine.”

Steve nodded and let Eddie take his right hand.

“Judd Nelson or Rob Lowe?” Eddie asked, delicately painting the thumb nail first.

“Ooh,” Steve said. “Going straight for the bad boys. Robert Downey Jr.”

Eddie looked up at him and tsked. “Wasn’t an option, but interesting.”

Steve laughed and Eddie swatted him. “Stop moving.”

“Sorry,” Steve said, but he was grinning unrepentantly.

“And people say I’m a menace,” he mumbled under his breath.

Steve leaned in close. “Oh, you absolutely are. But I’ll let you in on a secret. So am I.”

Eddie blushed.

They continued to banter back and forth about their favorite actors and singers.

“You take that back!” Eddie protested.

Steve tapped the back of his hand. “Don’t move!” Eddie stopped struggling. “And I didn’t say it was a bad thing you look like John Bon Jovi, I was just making an observation.”

“His sound,” Eddie murmured, “I wouldn’t even deign to call it music, is trash Steve. Literal trash.”

Steve laughed. “Well there you go, menace. All done.”

Eddie held his hands up and admired them. “Not bad, Stevie. Not bad at all.”

“Not as good as yours,” Steve said softly, ducking his head.

“True, but since this was your first time, you did one hell of a job.”

El came over. “Can I see?”

Steve handed her back her bottles of nail polish and then showed her his hands.

“Eddie did a wonderful job,” she said with a gentle smile. “It makes your hands very pretty.”

“Thanks, El,” he said kissing her cheek.

Eddie showed her his and she nodded. “A couple of mistakes but an easy fix.” She went back over to her kaboodle and got out another bottle and a Q-tip. She scooted back over to Steve and Eddie.

“Here’s what you can do when you accidentally paint outside the nail,” El said and dipped the Q-tip into the bottle.

It smelled horrible. She picked up Eddie’s hand gingerly brushed the sides of the nail where Steve had missed and then it was gone, looking for all the world like Steve hadn’t fucked it up.

Steve picked up the bottle and read the label. “Polish remover?”

El nodded. “It’s great for touch ups or when you want a new color.”

“You’re the best El,” Eddie said with a dimpled grin.

She smiled shyly and went back to Max and Nancy.

And if that night found Eddie and Steve holding hands in their sleep, no one noticed. Or at least cared enough to mention it.

“You smooth mother fucker!” Max said. “It was all an excuse to get Steve to hold your hand for long periods of time!”

Eddie laughed. “It worked, didn’t it?!”

“There is no way Lucas is going to let me paint his nails to hold hands,” she said bitterly.

He shrugged. “So bake bread or make cookies. Something that requires your hands. Like I keep saying, your jock is going to be different, but you find things that work for you.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she muttered darkly. “What happens once he gets use to hand holding?”

Part 5 Part 6

Tag List: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @this-is-mycrisis @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @goodolefashionedloverboi @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @messrs-weasley @val-from-lawrence @plyerice27 @thedragonsaunt @chaoticlovingdreamer @sapphirecobalt-1 @a-little-unsteddie @i-must-potato @danili666 @carlyv @artiststarme @steddie-there @wonderland-girl143-blog @itsall-taken @thebrazilianatheist @rozzieroos @whalesharksart @mightbeasleep @theotalksalot @avacrebs @sassysleeplord @exhibit-no-restraint @sjullay @thesuninyaface @everywherenothere @nerdsconquerall @persephone13 @wrenisflying @lillemilly 

[sweeneydino]

6. No idea if you like the ghosts-haunting-the-wrong-turtle enough to keep running with it, but I think it’s a really funny.

First of all, the ghosts waiting for the nth time— which is n times too many!— to see if Ronin will live (I don’t think he’s making it out of this one, guys…) and reviewing what the welcome wagon will say (We missed you, we’re proud of you, living the longest doesn’t make you the oldest—) when his spirit just goes *pop*. Dead silence, if you will.

And thus begins a mutiversal ghost hunt. (“Hello other dead us-es, have you seen an extra Mikey ghost around?” “No, but have you seen a lost Donny?”) They bop around a few universes until— yep, Mike’s soul is definitely SOMEWHERE in this universe. Wow! Things are weird and dense here.

Mikey: Hello, ghostly apparitions that look worryingly like my brothers! How are we today?

Ghosts: *water bubbling, fire crackling, wind howling*

Mikey: …I see!

(I can’t imagine the ghosts could like… communicate verbally to the living, or it would blow the whole identity issue wide open. They open their mouths and it’s just… ambient sounds related to their death.)

If there were ghosts, I think Splinter would 100% sense them, but initially be unable to tell who/what they are. Are some sewer maintenance workers haunting his house???? (No Michelangelo, he says, while doing the spiritual equivalent of shooing the ghosts away with a broom, I don’t think these things you are seeing are cause for concern, but let me know if it continues.)

The ghosts meanwhile, are in for a bit of a ride.

(‘Daw, it’s good to see Mikey smiling again.

…hey guys, don’t you think Spike’s acting weird for a turtle?

Stop reading into things too much.

…

Shit, Spike’s in the mutagen.

Oh, that’s absolutely Slash, we need to warn Mikey!

…

Well, there he goes…

…

Did Slash, or Titan, whatever, seem familiar to you?

Well sure, that was Slash, we know him, but he’s disappeared now, so I don’t think—

No… I mean, are we sure Mike got reincarnated into a *mutant* turtle body?

…oh shit)

…Do you think that the Ronin brothers meet Tang Shen?

Titan starts seeing his brothers while he’s defending NYC during the Kraang invasion, and just mentally shrugs, because, yeah, figures that he’d start imagining things around now.

And lastly:

Splinter, after everything’s settled and he’s figured out who the ghosts are: So, what can you tell me about the spirits following you?

Titan, who thought he was hallucinating again: the w  h  a  t?

Pictured: Ghost gossip Mikey is not privy to.

Idk how but you managed to get it spot on- lol I'm not sure if I can answer all this without spoiling much .... oh well! I'll give short answers :))

They do go on a little ghostly adventure for their missing brother, mostly when they feel something pull on them when someone we know experiences a rather shattering revelation before being pushed off a building.

The ghosts do actually speak like that :O With how the 2012 universe goes, I thought it'd be nice to have the Ronin boys look/sound a little creepier. Since 2012 is so messed up lmao.

Splinter does, in fact, sense them and can't seem to put a finger on their identity, especially a certain one he feels only when he's meditating.

Truly, I haven't thought much if they could see Tang Shen, but i believe they'd only be able to sense her, really.

And lastly:

Also, love the ghost gossip 💕 I honestly think the little ghost side plot is kind of bittersweet? But I like it :))

[steddieas-shegoes]

Headcanons: Steve standing up for himself. Just him calling out the cruelty of Nancy calling their relationship bullshit, of Jonathan taking the weird nonconsensual pics, the kids calling him stupid, etc. Just Steve standing up for himself bc nobody else will & he has always been alone.

Well I kinda did this on the last one didn’t I 😂🤦🏻‍♀️

But to add to it, Mike gets mad at him for what he said to Nancy, yells at him about how upset she was for days, how she hid in her room and wouldn’t talk to anyone.

And Steve could just take it, Mike’s technically a kid.

But if Mike is old enough to push like this, to involve himself like this, he’s gonna have to be old enough to handle Steve defending himself.

“Do you know what? Your sister is an adult and so am I. I said what I said because she needed to hear it and I needed to say it. I deserve to be able to heal from how she hurt me. She wasn’t dealing with her grief and took it out on me and forgot that I was going through my own shit. She’s always been a little self-centered. It works for her. She gets through life that way. But sometimes it hurts people and she needs to know that. She doesn’t need you to defend her, she’s perfectly capable of doing it herself.”

Mike’s mouth is open, his eyes wide in shock.

“Might wanna walk away and let this stay between Nancy and Steve,” Eddie said from behind Steve.

Mike walked away.

“You okay?”

Steve turned to Eddie with a smile.

“Yeah. I’m doing good, right?”

“Yeah, sweetheart. Proud of you for standing up for yourself.”

[cringengl]

Ok so there's something I wanna hear ur guy's opinions on.

Mike has two very different reactions when El breaks Troy's arm vs when she hits Angela with a roller skate and I was wondering why you guys think that is. Like in s1 he's proud of her, happy that she was there to save them and doesn't care about the injury to Troy, but in rink o mania, he was ashamed, upset and angry, even though both times it was El dealing violently with a bully.

[steviesbicrisis]

Stranger Things S2 rewatch thoughts

I finally finished rewatching S2 and this is everything I've written down as I was watching lmao

KEITH USED TO WORK AT THE ARCADE?? Also the arcade is right next to family video so Keith just moved next door in season 3 lmao

Steve omg you’re so cute stop

FINALLY MAX IS HERE

Okay Billie is bad, yes? We all agree Billie is bad, right? But Dacre IS SO HOT I CANNOT HE TOOK A “PORCA TROIA” OUT OF ME LIKE IT WAS NOTHING

Honestly they’re so dope for dressing up as ghostbusters and going to school with matching outfits

Ugh Nancy and Steve are so terrible for each other

Steve’s face during the bullshit scene really broke my heart 🥺

People being annoyed at Joyce for being super protective of Will like what?? That boy was proclaimed dead, they had a funeral and he turned out to be in another dimension??? I dare you to not be at least a little paranoid

I’m getting the gayest vibes ever from this basketball + shower scene I’m not even joking, Harrington 100% felt what it is like to be a girl objectified in a nightclub

Billy calling Steve pretty boy is so fucked up like are you Eddie Munson? No so imma need you to back off ✋

Jfc no wonder Vecna chose max she’s a walking gold mine for therapists

One drive with Billy would be enough for me to become a target for Vecna I swear

A part of me will always blame Dustin for the cat’s death 🥲

Stranger things is so good I cannot fucking believe my eyes sometimes

First Nancy, now Hopper… can they like, stop going inside creepy ass portals all by themselves? FFS

OH MY GOD ERICA WAS SO SMALL HOW CUTE SINDFKJDF

Lucas telling Max “if I tell you the truth, you could be arrested or killed. Do you accept the risk?” Hits different now

FINALLY THE DUSTIN/STEVE DUO IS BORN

I was today years old when I realized Nancy broke up with Steve in S1 for a month but then she got back with him because she got tired of waiting for Jonathan

Dustin’s proud smile when Steve told him “good call dude” I CANT IM WEEK IM CRYING ON THE FLOOR

I will never get over Dustin’s pure adoration for Steve in this season

JUSTICE FOR BOB

BOB NEWBY THE SUPERHERO 😭😭😭

Everyone: it’s like the mind flyer! Steve&Max: don’t speak nerd in my presence pls

I’m sorry but Mike holding that small trophy as a weapon LOL

I CANNOT BELIEVE THE KIDS WERE AT THE WINDOW WHEN BILLY CAME ARE STUPID

I cannot believe they wanted to leave a beaten-up and concussed Steve behind, are you crazy???

I totally forgot that Steve, in a span of a couple of hours, pushed his girlfriend to be with another guy, got beaten up defending kids he barely knows and then went down - all beaten up and concussed - the upside down tunnels just for said kids?? ARE U EVEN REAL MAN?

Will turning to Mike when that girl asked him to dance 🥺

Nancy is so fucking right, those girls are so stupid turning Dustin down like fuck you who do you think you are????

Jopper at the end, I love my parents so much

Here my thoughts on S1!

[dasketcherz]

do you have any dad michael son gregory headcanons because your art for them is genuinely so so cool like omg… it all looks so good they are so cute in your style

OH MY GOD I'M GLAD YOU ASKED HOLLUP [PULLS UP MY DAD MIKE/SON GREG HC LIST]

greg absolutely secretly looks up to mike's skill set as an artist. he loves to watch him doodle, mike is the type who'd feel conscious when someone watches him draw but,,, he grew to not mind and got use to greg watchin him draw. he can tell the kid is observing and absorbing what he can learn from simply watching him do art.

^^^ with that in mind, Mike often does catch Greg drawing too, when the lil guy is very proud of his work, he shows it off to him. Mike is very encouraging that he keeps up at it cuz he genuinely thinks the kid is doing great.

^^^ As i established in the previous ask, Greg loves to give art gifts to ppl he cares about. He does the same for Mike, especially in special occasions like father's day, or his birthday and whatnot. Mike displays them either in his room or by the fridge, he is very proud of his son's creative efforts!

Mike is not the best cook out there, you can hardly entrust the kitchen to him without him setting it on fire but he tries his best to do a decent job at making pulled pork recipes ever since he found out it's Greg's favorite.

Greg loves to collect all sorts of cute and silly plushies, anytime he spots any when they stroll across a shop or smth he's so ready to persuade Mike to let em buy it for him. It doesnt take a lot of effort to really, all he has to do is stare up at mike with puppy eyes and Mike knows the drill, he sighs and then painfully pulls out his wallet every time. it's worth it tho, it's for the kid

It's always like a russian roulette who wakes up earlier than who in the morning. Sometimes its Mike, sometimes its Greg. Mike usually preps breakfast, well...as best as he could perform the basics. He's shown the ropes to Greg at some point cuz even tho Greg's a kid, Mike acknowledges that he's capable. Greg's a fast learner, if he does a specific task so often enough, he gets good at it eventually. Its a lil funny tho cuz Greg almost does breakfast better than Mike at times. Greg has some fun making Mike's morning coffee for him, he appreciates it a lot. He thinks it's really sweet, he always affectionately ruffle Greg's morning bed hair as a gesture of thanks.

They have a swear jar in the household. No further elaboration needed i think.

Mike drives a motorcycle bike that used to be owned by his mom. Every time he tells Greg he's headin off somewhere for a quick errand, the lil guy insist he wanna come along solely cuz he wanna ride the bike as well. He enjoys being on the bike, he thinks its hella cool and he feels like flyin, he has to always promise Mike he'll behave just so he lets him come too.

They absolutely love movie nights as a hang out time. They both love watching movies, they just have a good time checkin out any film that peaks their interest. Having fun lil discussion bout it during or after watching and all that. Mike is amused when Greg has a lot to say, he just lets the lil guy share his thoughts bout it.

Whenever Mike gets a call that Greg got into another fight at school and it's often cuz other kid bullies got in Greg's nerve [especially if it's them insulting his guardian to his face] or cuz he tried to defend other kids from being bullied, Mike is so ready to throw hands with said kid bully's parents to defend Greg back. Theyre always on each other's side first and foremost.

When one of them catch the other still up in the middle of the night, the instant thought they have is "cant sleep?" presumably cuz the other most likely had another nightmare. It has happened so frequent, they just came to understand that tryin to pass the time doin other things is often the other best thing they can do to doze back to sleep. They had done plenty of things to pass the time at moments like it : be it watch another movie, draw together, just stargaze outside by the front porch etc etc. They appreciate the other for keepin them company. They've grown to try makin sure they never feel so alone anymore the best they can, cuz they arent anymore when they have each other.

[imfinereallyy]

i'll be sure to come back July 2nd and wish you a happy birthday! but as for now, can i please request from your dialogue prompt list, n. 35 “Please leave a message, after the beep.” with Steddie? ♡

this is such a fun idea and i look forward to reading the stuff you'll create! ♡♡

@spicysix I hope this one is up to your expectations, it was a lot of fun to write! ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ I had an angsty idea, if anyone is interested in it I might still write it, but today i needed some good old domestic fluff.

“Eddie, are you being serious right now.? Steve huffed, placing his hands on his hips. Steve loved the man beyond anything, but he could be an immature brat sometimes.

Eddie had his hands over his ears, yelling, “La la la, not listening.” In the middle of their apartment. He was refusing to hear Steve out.

“For the love of god, Eddie! Would you just—” Steve moved to grab his boyfriend's arms to yank them away from his ears. Eddie squealed and ran around the couch.

“Eddie isn’t here right now. Please leave a message after the beep. Beeeeep.” Eddie’s hands gripped the arm of the couch, trying to dodge Steve.

“Oh, now you’re just being ridiculous!” Steve crossed his arms in a huff. He thought the party being here would soften the blow, and just maybe Eddie would hear him out. But no, apparently, them being here made Eddie extra stubborn.

Steve really loved the damn fool.

“Is there a reason Eddie is being extra weird on movie night?” Dustin and Will walked out of their kitchen. It was Will, surprisingly, who asked. He had come a long way from the shy kid Steve once knew. He was proud of him.

Especially when he called Eddie out on his bullshit like now.

“I will have you know, little Byers, will of the wise, that I am not being extra weird! This is a perfectly reasonable reaction to an absolute travesty of a suggestion! Also, Steve, you love that I am ridiculous! Don't act like you don't.” Eddie collapsed on the couch dramatically, and heaved out a sound that could only be described as a mix between a sigh and a strangled cry.

Eddie should have gone into acting instead of music. Indeed the man would have made a killing.

“I haven’t seen Eddie this distressed since we told him the bat tattoo didn’t make it after the literal bats tore him apart. Maybe it’s serious.” Dustin bit his lip. It was clear to Steve he was torn between choosing sides between him and Eddie.

It was a tale as old as time really, at this point.

Max strolled into the living room with a bowl of popcorn in her hands. “What’s princess crying about now?” She shoved a handful of popcorn in her mouth.

Eddie gasped, “Princess?! I expect the blatant homophobia from Mike—“

A distinct “hey what the fuck!” comes from the bathroom but they all ignore it.

“—But from you Red? I’m devastated.” Eddie gripped his shirt where his heart is.

“I’m bisexual, you dumbass; how can I be homophobic? Besides, that wasn’t a dig at your sexuality but rather the fact you are being a spoiled brat right now.” Max shoved another handful in her mouth as she casually tore Eddie apart.

Steve knew he should defend his boyfriend, but he was a little proud of his kids right now.

“You don’t even know why I am upset! All of you are taking Steve’s side!” Eddie grumbled.

“Dude, I didn’t take anyone’s side. And you haven’t even told us what’s got you so upset.”

Eddie rushed over to grab Dustin by the shoulders. “Oh, Dusty buns, you’re not even prepared. Our dear boy Stevie, just told me…that he’s thinking about shaving his chest.”

The room was silent before Dustin finally said, “Oh, never mind, I am on Steve’s side. That jungle needs to go.”

Eddie fell dramatically into the floor in outcry. Jesus Christ, Steve thought. Why am I into this?

Max put the bowl down, suddenly getting serious. “No, I agree with Eddie; you can’t do that.” She looked Steve up and down; a blush rose as she remained stoic. “Yea, Steve, it needs to stay.”

“Ew, gross! Max! I’m telling Lucas and El you said that!” Dustin scrunched up his nose while Will giggled.

“And? They’ll agree with me!” Max shouted back.

Steve was starting to feel uncomfortable, but Eddie’s smile was wide. It made Steve smile a tiny bit.

But only a teeny tiny bit.

“I agree it has to stay,” Will spoke up with a blush blooming across his face, breaking up the fight.

“No, no! Not you too Will!”

“What? Maybe I just wish I could grow chest hair too.”

“Oh we both know that’s not what this is about!” Dustin tugged on his hair.

Max stuck her tongue out, “Sucks to suck loser.”

The next few minutes, we’re chaos as they all start to place down arguments on what to do about his chest hair. Okay, now Steve was definitely uncomfortable.

“Alright, alright. Enough.” Steve spoke calmly, “I appreciate your concern for my body hair, but please stop talking about it. All of you are my weird surrogate children—“

Dustin leaned over to Max and whispered, “Look mom finally admitted it.” She tried to smother her giggles as Steve leveled them with a look.

“—so it’s a little weird you guys are arguing about it.”

“Stevie, honey. Ignore the children. Actually, just ignore Dustin. And listen to the rest of us. Don’t shave it.” Eddie came up to Steve and rested his hand gently on his chest. His thumb softly stroked the fabric of his shirt. Steve hummed quietly at the gesture; for a moment, he’s forgotten that they weren’t alone.

Steve gently cupped Eddie’s cheeks, before speaking quietly. “It’s just…baby. Baby, i get so sweaty with it.”

Eddie’s eyes filled with mischief. “I know it’s why I like it.”

Steve barked out a laugh as he heard groans throughout the room. Suddenly a burst of noise from the other side of the apartment startled all of them.

“Why are you saying im homophobic? Im not homophobic!” Mike crossed his arms in a huff.

“Until you unlock that closet door, you’re homophobic, Mike.” Max glared.

“What the hell does that even mean!?” Mike stomped.

Steve interrupted before it got out of hand, “Calm down, Wheeler. They are just fucking with you. We know you’re not a homophobe. They are just arguing whether or not I should shave my chest hair.”

Mike scrunched up his nose in disgust. “Ew, why are you guys even arguing about it? It’s Steve. It’s gross either way.”

Steve glared, “Never mind, you’re homophobic for that one. The chest hair stays.”

Eddie screamed, “Victory!”, and started peppering Steve’s face in kisses.

And when the children, who were not really children anymore, started to scream at each other in the background, Steve didn’t even care. Because right here, with Eddie, who made grabby hands at his chest, and his gremlins filling up the place with noise, is home.

***

fluff fluff fluff. also I agree the chest hair should stay.

find the request game here.

[swanqueenelmaxshadowhunters]

Lmao I just came across a one shot rewriting of this scene:

And holy shit milkvans are really the ctrashes (shippers from another fandom I'm part of) from st fandom lmao

Will was completely erased from the scene and they still said sorry not sorry about it and made it all about Mike, even painting Nancy as wrong for siding with Max/defending that El knew her limits better than anyone

They wrote Mike as this totally baby who was just really worried about El while everyone else, especially Nancy and Max, didn't give a shit about her or her safety.

they made Max and Nancy apologize for standing up for El saying they were being selfish and not considering Mike's feelings or El's wellbeing, making El turn against Max and that finding Billy wasn't important at the moment bc Mike was hurt and he needed her lmao

it was so much bullshit that I couldn't even read everything lol

now, I won't put the link or anything related here because despite not liking, I don't think the author deserves any kind of hate (that they will probably get if others bump into their fic) because everyone is allowed to their point of view about how a scene should have happened, or how a character should have responded to a certain situation (yes, I'm really proud of myself for not replying or rebloging that post and being a dick to the author, I have grown so much lol)

but that doesn't mean I can't talk about it on my own blog (as long as I don't tag anyone or put any links to their work) because I'm honestly tired of seeing this kind of thing happening over and over again in every fandom

the het shippers changing the narrative to justify their fav male character shit behavior while they really don't care about the female character because if they did, they wouldn't have made that scene all about Mike

anyway, sorry about this long ass rant that somehow seems unfinished but it's not.

[maeve-on-mustafar]

Wait, that's so interesting Brotherhood gets a bad rep? I thought the writer was one of the few writers who understood Anakin and was excited for his coming novel!

To be fair, I think the reputation of the Star Wars: Brotherhood novel specifically depends on what fan circles you travel in. The Star Wars lore dudes on YouTube love this book, and so do most of the Star Wars EU podcasts. Also, if you’re a fan of Anakin & Obi-Wan as a team, you’ll adore this book, as its very foundation is their relationship. The author of Brotherhood is Mike Chen, who is a proud fan of the Revenge of the Sith novelization by Matthew Stover, and it is very evident that Chen takes his character inspiration from Stover’s own uniquely intense “closer than friends, closer than brothers” take on the Anakin & Obi-Wan relationship.

From what I’ve seen, the criticism of this book comes mainly from pro-Jedi circles on Tumblr, particularly fans who dislike Anakin. I’m guessing it’s due to three main reasons: 1) this book is very pro-Anakin and runs on the belief that Anakin was always an unwanted misfit in the Jedi Order and always was very aware of that, 2) the book takes a more critical view on the Jedi’s involvement in the war and frames them in a more questionable light, and 3) this book is very, very anti-Mace Windu.

Personally, my biggest issue is with the anti-Mace stance of this book, as well as the argument Brotherhood makes that Mace Windu was one of the Jedi to always dislike Anakin. It makes zero sense to me, because I’ve listened to every interview with Mike Chen that I can get ahold of (I can rec some if anyone is interested, just ask me), and he doesn’t seem to dislike Mace Windu? He just noticed that Anakin is very formal and respectful in front of the Council in AOTC, and he takes this as evidence that Anakin never felt comfortable with the Council or Mace Windu.

It’s odd to me, because in AOTC, Mace is very supportive of Anakin? From giving him the solo assignment of protecting Padme to defending him to Obi-Wan to not even asking “WTF are you doing on Tatooine?” when Anakin FaceTimes him from there. Ignoring all of those moments in favor of concentrating on Anakin’s body language in the Council scene is missing the forest for its trees, IMHO.

But something the Jedi-Positive segment of fandom does that bothers me is insistently push this theory that Mace’s characterization is due to Anakin being an unreliable narrator, and this idea is proven false several times. First, early in the book, even Obi-Wan thinks to himself that Mace doesn’t like Anakin. Then we get a scene of Palps during a private meeting with Anakin basically saying, “Wow, Master Windu sure sucks, doesn’t he?”, and Anakin not disagreeing. There’s also a memory Anakin has of Mace getting pissed off at 12yo Anakin for another Padawan referring to Anakin as the Chosen One, and another scene of Mace Windu trying to spy on Anakin to see if he’s doing a good enough job of training the younglings, and another scene of Anakin making a fool out of Mace by pretending their communication line is breaking up, and it’s very clear the reader is supposed to be on Anakin’s side.

Crucially, what we’re missing is a scene proving Anakin is an unreliable narrator and showing us that Mace is a good Jedi that just doesn’t like Anakin, or that it’s not even that he dislikes Anakin, but is just fucking tired and stressed out because of the war. But we never get that. We just get perpetually angry and irritated Mace Windu who immediately supports Palpatine’s decision to send Padawans out to the front lines—which Obi-Wan objects to, and Mace overrules him. This is an extremely unflattering portrayal of Mace that is deliberately written to be so, and I don’t see the point of pretending otherwise. There’s no unreliable narrator here—Mike Chen believes the Jedi weren’t ever fully onboard with training Anakin and never truly wanted him around and uses Mace’s character to convey that point. I don’t like it, but it is what it is.

All that being said, if you like Anakin and you want to see more of his bond with Obi-Wan, or cute moments with him mentoring the Jedi younglings, or cute moments with him and Padme going on undercover dates, this is the book for you. Mike Chen very clearly loves Anakin, Padme, Obi-Wan, and the Anidala ship, and tries to write each of them at their best but still with room to grow. It’s evidently he loves these three but still has awareness of their flaws and wants to examine what makes them tick.

My review would be that Brotherhood is a 4/5 book, with the point being deducted because of Mace’s treatment, but other readers who don’t enjoy him that much probably won’t have that issue.

Also, paging @fleetstreetfatality, our resident expert on Brotherhood, see if they want to make any contributions or confirm or refute any of my points. Fire away!

[sennqu]

ok i am ready to be spicy. so i made this post the other day (or yesterday what is time) without tags: (with some slight word changes)

"oh, I get it now. I think I understand a big reason why the "Mike is in love with Will but just doesn't want to admit it because he has internalized homophobia" is such a popular fandom opinion. Because then Mike's behavior becomes "obviously" romantic since this take assumes that he's aware of his behavior.

The take that he's "simply oblivious, simply doesn't know his feelings are actually romantic in nature", which -- in my opinion -- is much more heavily supported by the text, is... actually kind of scary to consider from a "wanting the ship to be canon" perspective. Because it's pretty much close to saying that his feelings are actually just platonic after all because that's what Mike thinks they are."

So, I have been thinking very hard on this for a while because I do think that this is why there is a sort of...friction? anxiety? in the general vibes of the fandom with regards to how byler can even work out in S5 after the events of S4.

In my opinion, I think that the second take -- Mike is oblivious -- actually lends itself well to the prospect of official, no ways around it endgame byler better than the first one does.

Because imagine it: Mike doesn't have to suffer through thinking he's wrong or he's a mistake or that he's not conforming to society's standards before coming to terms with his feelings. He just has to realize he's in love with his best friend, and that his best friend is in love with him. Mike is going to be the out, loud, and proud person of this relationship. He just has to figure his shit out.

First, what do we know about Mike so far and what can we take away from it? and why is it not "internalized homophobia"?

The biggest evidence for me against the "internalized homophobia" take is in S1 when Will was being called names by Troy and friend. Mike physically retaliated. He didn't look ashamed; he looked angry. Because they were insulting his missing best friend right in front of him. He was not internalizing these slurs. What he was doing was defending Will, who was the target of this hate. He prioritized defending Will, who wasn't even there, over cowing to displays of homophobia.

What about that "It's not my fault you don't like girls" line? Surely that means he's repressed and internalizing some shit? Yeah, and maybe he was just talking faster than his mind could think? Mike ends up clarifying this line and gives away the actual thing that's holding him back: heteronormative thinking. He talks about getting girlfriends as part of growing up as a young man. He says this like a neutral piece of information.

Let's talk about Mike's fears. So far, all of Mike’s insecurities are about being needed, being useful. It's not conforming to society. It's not fitting the mold. If he feared that then he'd have done what Lucas did and joined a popular group. But what did he do? He leaned into his DnD hobby and even started dressing differently, growing his hair out too. S4 Mike is not afraid to be an outcast.

What he does fear most is people leaving him behind. That's what he says about/to El, and that's practically what he says to Will as his excuse for being weird at the airport. The knock-off outfit, the flowers. That wasn't him trying to be straight so he wouldn't be outed as gay or in love with his best friend or whatever. That was his attempt at saving his relationship because he does love El and he doesn't want to lose her too. But they are incompatible. He doesn't realize he doesn't love her romantically but he does love her. That's why he's struggling. Because he can't differentiate between the two.

Lastly, he says to Will: "I feel like I lost you". Which means he felt like he already lost Will. Loving someone and losing them is something Mike never wants to happen again because it already happened once, twice, three times before with Will. Once when Will vanished, the second time when Will got possessed, and the third time when Will moved away. Mike's issue isn't about loving Will and fearing he's gay; it's about losing Will again.

The bolded part is the one I want to highlight because it's the most important piece of the puzzle imo. I am willing to bet that not wanting to lose Will again is going to be a huge part of Mike’s arc in S5 and is going to lead to him finally realizing his feelings. I honestly don't think Will's confession is going to figure into things at all until Mike's realized his feelings. Because the audience has to see Mike fall in love with Will before he figures out Will loves him back. The audience should not be made to think that Mike only falls in love with Will because Will's in love with him.

But how will Mike realize exactly the difference between his love for Will and his love for El if he's this goddamn oblivious? How will the process even start? El has to break up with him. No other way around it. El has to tell him straight up that she does not believe he is in love with her. Only then can Mike be free to even think about what romantic love actually means to him. I imagine this is where he and Nancy will actually get to talk about something substantial again, when he asks her what being in love means. and that will further get the ball rolling. And I believe however his arc plays out, we will get to see Mike and Will definitively end up together.

Because Mike loves Will so much. He isn't quite aware of what this love is yet but he has it in abundance. That is why he was the only one apart from Joyce who pushed for finding Will initially; that is why he is always the first to apologize when he and Will fight; that is why the best thing he's ever done was ask Will to be his friend; that is why he lashed out at Will at the roller rink; that is why he was so over the moon about Will's painting and Will's words in the van that he ironically didn't even see Will crying; that is why he only said his monologue after Will practically told him to.

Will is and continues to be Mike's most important person. Once Mike realizes he's in love with Will and the feeling is mutual? Homophobia can go suck a tail pipe because how dare this concept make the love of his life feel like a mistake? Mike is going to kiss Will as soon he realizes because he is not going to let anyone make him wait a minute longer before kissing the boy of his dreams.

sneaky edit: the underlined parts are links to other analyses i've done before regarding Mike's behavior. Analyses over the airport/roller rink scene, him being oblivious, his love for El, etc!