Fuck it Friday!
@tizniz @diazsdimples
As they say I did not mean for this to exist and yet here we are 1.3k later. Will put on ao3 later and tag everyone later- in my lunch and running out of time. And I need to set this free so I can know peace.
I got in my Eddie feels - aren’t we all right now, had thought and now… have some pain with a hopeful ending. I’m still sold in eddie being so deep in comphet he has no idea what to do. This is the push he needs. Demi Eddie for the win. No Eddie bashing here! Chris loves his dad and wants to help.
When you walk into your living room and find you parents, your son and your best friend sitting there waiting for you, you know things are bad.
To be honest he should of expected something like this.
Eddie stands frozen, awaiting his fate as his dad speaks first.
“We need to talk son.”
At least that’s true Christopher has barely said a word to him since it happened. Not that he blames him.
“We’re worried about you.”
Buck goes next but those words aren’t new he’s already said that and again Eddie doesn’t blame his friend for his feelings. Like he said last time he’s worried about himself too. It’s hard to get his head around the recent choices he’s made harder to think about the consequences.
It almost like it wasn’t him making the decisions. It’s almost like he doesn’t know who he is anymore but then has he ever?
“I’m going to go to Texas”
The third sentence comes from Christopher and is possibly the worst thing he’s ever had to listen to and Eddie has had to hear heartbreaking words so many times.
“What?”
That’s his voice. the first thing he’s said but it’s a barely a whisper. Surely even with everything that’s happened Chris can’t mean that.
His son looks at him, calm and steady and repeats himself.
“I’m going to Texas with grandma and abuelo.”
Eddie turns to his parents all his hurt and betrayal rushing to the surface, he’d thought… he’d let them back in, trusted them
His voice is louder now, “How could you? Why? Why would you try and take him away from me again. I thought..”
Chris stops him in his tracks
“They didn’t ask me. I asked them.”
There’s no words available to respond to that.
“Dad?”
His heart hurts. His head too, everything hurts. He’s fucked up again. Again, again, again. The worst things he knows he deserved this, he caused this nightmare it’s his fault, his fault every time.
Chris’ voice sounds far away.
“It’s not ‘cos I’m mad.”
Eddie doesn’t even hear him. He’s found words and they sound desperate.
“I’ll come with you.”
If Chris wants to leave he’ll do it. No matter the cost. No matter what he leaves behind.
Then that sacrifice is taken from him too.
“No. I don’t want you to.”
He can’t breathe. He’s dizzy, he can’t think. What has he done?
He can’t hear them when they call him.
“Dad?”
“Eddie?”
“Son? Mijo?”
“Eddie?”
“Dad?!”
He turns from them all and he runs.
An unheard voice chases after him.
“I’ll go.”
*
Standing by his sink trying to breathe like he’s been taught when this happens to him he doesn’t need to know who followed him when the footsteps stop.
Buck. Always Buck.
“He’s not trying to punish you”
He can’t turn around. Can’t look, not yet.
“Feels like it”
Soft and concerned, that’s how he sounds. Buck sounds like that a lot recently.
“He’s not. He wouldn’t. He loves you.”
There’s nothing but bitterness in his own words.
“Does he? Maybe he shouldn’t.”
“Eddie!” There’s censure in that word, Buck obviously disagrees and disapproves of that sentiment.
“He loves you. He’s angry and he’s hurt but he still loves you. You can be upset with someone and still love them. I think you know that better than anyone.”
He does.
“Then why is he going.”
He wishes he didn’t sound as heartbroken as he feels. Wishes he could still manage to hide some of his heart from this man.
“Because you need him to.”
Spinning around he turns on his best friend to challenge the stupidity of those words.
“What? I need him here with me. He has to stay with me.”
“Eddie.” Buck’s face and voice hold nothing but aching sympathy. It’s like a knife cutting him open which isn’t fair he’s already got so many wounds.
Then it gets worse because a new voice enters the kitchen.
“Dad… you always tell me I need to be myself, that that’s good enough.”
Eddie stares at his son standing there, just behind Buck, so tall now, so much older than he is in Eddie’s heart.
“But I don’t think you do that. You should do that if you want me to.”
It’s all to much and even rubbing his face doesn’t stop him feeling tired and defeated.
“Chris what are you talking about?
Buck looks down at Chris who nods. There’s unspoken words flowing between them and it’s obvious they’ve been talking about him.
Chris says “Buck can tell you. He worked it out. And he’s right. I do love you.”
Then he walks away, leaving Eddie staring at his friend and waiting for answers.
“Eddie, its it’s like… well, you were a dad and a solider and a medic and a husband. All before you were 20. Man! That’s a lot!!”
Buck takes a step closer.
“Hell Eddie I was a kid at nineteen, a baby, I had no idea who I was what I wanted, and you had to be all that. And your dad told me you had to “be the man of the house” when you were even younger than that.
So who are you? How can you know?
You’ve been so many things for everyone else. You try so hard to be “normal” I see that and I I know you think you’re broken, but you’re not.
You just haven’t really met you yet. How could you, when did you have the time?
That’s why Chris is going away. Just for the summer. He wants you to have time to be you. Find out who Edmundo Diaz really is.”
Eddie listens stunned and horrified. Are they right? Is that all true. He’s terribly afraid it might be.
Buck smiles soft, eyes still worried.
“It’s ok to go look for him.”
His words get stuck for a moment but this is Buck. He can say this to him.
“What if I don’t like him when I find him? What if he’s … not normal?”
“What’s normal huh? And seems unlikely- I think I know the real Eddie Diaz a little bit at least and he’s pretty great. Always will be.”
Buck’s close enough to touch now. He really wishes he would. He’d like a hug.
“Eddie, your life gave you no room to look for what you truly want for yourself. You have to do that now or I’m scared what might happen to you. You need time and space..”
“I don't want to be alone.”
The words leave his lips scared and true and then he gets something he wants for himself for the first time in a long time as Buck folds him into a hug.
He gets to be held while Buck speaks quietly.
“You won’t be. You got me. You’ll always have me. You told me I could have you back any day, well it’s any day and here I am - I’m not going anywhere.”
It’s a lot to deal with, think about but maybe he can do it with help.
“Promise?”
Buck’s body shakes with a laugh
“Pinky promise and Maddie would kill me if I broke one of those.
“He’ll come back?”
Eddie lets himself be held and given comfort by the only person who could. Which is probably something else he needs to think about.
“Of course he will, this is his home, you’re his Dad.”
He can share his fears with this man, he knows that he has before and he does again now.
“I don’t know if I know how to be anything else.”
Buck’s arms tighten around him.
“I know, but you’ll work it out cos even if you’re not sure who Eddie Diaz is, I am and I know he can do anything.”
Buck sounds so sure, maybe he’s right, maybe with help and time he can work out who he really is and what he really wants and then once he knows that, maybe he can find it.
Buck keeps holding him, keeps believing in him and that he can do anything even find happiness.
Maybe he can and maybe he won’t have to look very far.
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Father Figures
pt. 2 here, and full version on ao3 here
The first time James Edward Hopper meets Steve Harrington is when Steve is thirteen years old. It is back when he is still pushing everyone to call him Chief Hopper, or at the very least James to sound more professional. It is mostly a lost cause, as he has just returned to Hawkins after his daughter Sarah's death and most people can't help but call him Jim and Hop in familiarity, in sympathy.
It didn't mean they didn't take him any less seriously though. In fact, his cold, grieving demeanor gave him quite the reputation around town. Made assholes like Lenny Byers and troublemakers like the little twerp Munson turn in the other direction when they see him. So Jim doesn't try to push the professional name too much. He knows people around here respect him.
They respect him enough to follow his word, they respect him enough to turn a blind eye when he takes an extra pill or two.
Jim doesn't think too deeply about his reputation until he meets Steve Harrington for the first time.
He gets a call from Benny. It's directly to his line at the station, instead of a general 911 call. He doesn't think much of it when he answers, most likely it was a non emergency from an old friend from high school. That's the only reason people call him most days.
"Chief Hopper. Make it quick."
"Jimmy." A deep, worried breath comes from the phone.
Jim immediately straightens. "Benny, what's wrong?"
Benny usually only calls for a laugh, or to invite him out for a drink. The guy doesn't care about too much, or ask too many questions. Hearing concern in his voice was alarming, to say the least. "Listen, Hop, there is a kid here. And normally I don't care, cause business is business, but it's two in the morning, Jimmy. And despite the kid wearing the most expensive pair of sneakers I have ever seen, he only has two dollars on him for a meal. He got all skittish when the plate landed too loudly. And I don't know..." Benny takes a deep breath before he continues. "...I just don't want to be at fault if this kid's trouble and some fancy parents come looking for him."
Jim can tell Benny wants to say something else, he doesn't push though. Jim Hopper tries to never ask too many questions.
"Alright Ben, I'll be there in ten."
———
When Jim arrives at the diner, Benny notices him and nods in the direction of the corner booth. And there, sitting with his head low and scarfing down a plate of fries is Steve Harrington.
Jim has never met the kid personally, but he knows his parents. Cold, calculating, and pretty much owns half of Hawkins. Jim is starting to understand why Benny has called him.
Jim slides into the booth across from the young boy. He's prepared to take the kid by the back of his shirt and drag him out of there. He doesn't need these kids to be causing hard-working people any trouble. But when Jim makes a thump in the booth, the Harrington kid's face snaps up in fear, and Jim's plan for an angry monologue just drops.
Because there, on Steve Harrington's jaw, is a bruise the size of Indiana itself. Jim's face remains gruff, but his body language softens. "Hey, kid. What are you doing here so late?"
Steve's posture remains stiff and small. "Sorry sir, I was just hungry and it was the only place open. I wasn't—I wasn't trying to cause trouble."
It's then, for the first time, Jim thinks that his reputation isn't one of respect. Instead, his reputation might something worse. Fear.
"Didn't think you were. Just wondering what a rich kid like you, is doing on this side of town, at this time of night." Jim doesn't say it like a question, just fact. He tries not to take it too personally when Harrington turns his bruised side in on himself.
"Would have uh—gotten something from home but we—I didn't have any food left. And by the time I was able to eat, everything else was closed."
"Able to eat—kid what are you rambling about. Let me call your parents to pick you up." Jim makes his way to stand but Steve grabs his wrist to pull him back.
"No! I mean—" he clears his throat "—not necessary sir. My parents left for a work trip tonight. I uh—don't have a number for you to call them anyway. They call me instead, they never have a solid line to contact. Nothing bad happens in Hawkins anyway, so it isn't something to worry about." The last line sounds practiced, like it is something repeated to Steve religiously enough it's become his own mantra.
Jim is starting to put it together. The waiting all day to eat. The bruise on his jaw. The lack of money for food. God, the kid probably walked six miles to get here.
Jim isn't stupid, he can connect the dots. But Jim also knows when not to push things. When not to rock the boat. When sometimes, even if it pains him, helping someone would be a lost cause. He thinks of Sarah briefly.
It's even worse when that lost cause is just a kid.
Jim decides maybe the best thing he can do for Steve at that moment is to ignore the obvious problem and offer him a bit of kindness. "Well, I can't have ya here this late. Could look bad for Benny. And we don't want to get Benny in trouble do we?"
Steve shakes his head immediately. "No Sir."
"Didn't think so. Why don't I drive you to the station? Don't worry I'm not arresting you. But we got a nice cot there, and you can get some rest. Then I'll drive you back in the morning when I clock out. Cause I'm still on duty and all. Can't be driving you back Loch Nora quite yet." Jim doesn't mention how he can see bags under Steve's eyes. He doesn't mention how it would be quicker to his house than to the station either. Jim maybe, just a little bit, wants to keep an eye on him. Even if it's only for a short time.
"It's okay I can walk—" Jim levels Steve with a look "—actually that sounds great. Thank you, Sir."
Jim nods with finality and starts to stand. "Oh and kid? Enough with that sir crap. I ain't Mr. Harrington." He almost says I'm not your dad. But that felt wrong somehow, giving Harrington senior that title.
"Okay, sir—I mean Hopper. Okay, Hopper."
---
As the years go by, James Edward Hopper keeps an eye out for Steven James Harrington (Yes he looks at his file for his full name. Yes, it makes him feel some sort of way he has his name as his middle name and not his father's. Richard would make a horrible middle name anyway). At first, it's drive-bys to see if anyone's home. Giving the kid a ride if he sees him walking. Swinging by a basketball game or two, to see how he's playing.
Then it turns into busting his ragers. Hauling him in for the night not to arrest him but to sober the kid up. Pulling him over for driving while intoxicated with that dumb Hagan boy.
Jim wants to be mad, he does. He even yells at Steve sometimes. But he can't find in him to be mean to him, not really. Not when he's pretty sure the only thing Steve has consumed in days is alcohol. Not when even though he has gotten much bigger, and the bruises are less visible, Steve never ceases to flinch when Jim grabs him.
So mostly, Jim either just drives him home or brings him in, giving him a sandwich and bed for the night.
Around when Steve is sixteen though, things get worse for Jim. He becomes more frustrated, with Steve, with his job, and with this town. He takes more pills. He neglects his job. He forgets Steve.
Then the Upside Down happens for the first time. Jim tries to better himself for Joyce and the kids. He mainly though does it for El. His second chance, his new reason for trying, his daughter.
Jim knows it's okay to get a little lost in taking care of her. That it's a good thing, and she deserves his full attention.
He does feel a bit of guilt though, after round two of the Upside Down. When Steve Harrington sits in Joyce Byer's living room, looking like he went ten rounds with a semi.
The kids are all over him (including Mike which shocks the hell out of him). Dustin is trying to stop the bleeding on his face, Lucas is holding ice against his head and even El, who Steve met for all of five minutes, is sitting beside him on the couch, holding his shoulder up. There is a look in El's eyes as she stares up at Steve. Like she can see through him, like she knows him. Like she understands him.
Jim feels his heart break a little.
He approaches Steve in a crouched position. "Hey kid, I think we better take you to a hospital. You look like shit." He is sure there is a better way to say it, but Jim Hopper is a blunt man and that was never going to change.
The redhead, Max, snorts. "That's honestly the nicest way to put it."
Steve glares, Jim can't decide if it's at him or the kids. "No. I'm okay."
Dustin shouts, "Steve you are most definitely not okay. Hop's right you look like shit—"
"Language."
Dustin ignores Steve, "—and that's just externally. Who knows what's going on internally."
"C'mon kid, I can drive ya." Jim moves to help him stand.
Steve bursts with anger and pushes Jim away. "I said no. And you're not my dad."
Jim's jaw tightens and he resists the urge to scream back: and thank god for that.
El speaks before he can yell back. "You're hurt." It's soft, it's demanding and it's so very El. Jim watches Steve crumble back into the couch.
His voice is rougher than before, but much more gentle, "No hospitals."
"Okay. At least let Joyce look at ya. She used to be a nurse." Jim puts a hand on his shoulder, careful not to jostle him.
"Okay, Hopper. Okay, Hop."
———
After that, for a little while, Jim tries to look out for Steve again. It's harder this time though. He's more independent and harder to catch sight of. When he does see him, one of the gremlins is around him, and he can't check-in. And Hop has El, and he can't neglect her in favor of Steve. He tries to balance it out, but in the end, Steve isn't his kid.
Jim finds a small loophole though, which is El herself.
He worries about her every she since she ran away and he didn't even notice. And he knows Steve, like him, has a soft spot for the kids. So under the guise of babysitting, Jim gets Steve in his cabin once a week. So someone other than Joyce or Jonathan (or horribly, mike) is spending time with her. Sure, he's not there to keep an eye out for Steve himself, but it's the closest he's going to get.
Besides, biological daughter or not, El is just like Jim. She has a habit of collecting strays. If it's not going to be him looking out for Steve, he can't think of anyone better for the job than his little girl.
———
After Starcourt, somewhere in a Russian prison, Jim thinks of Steve.
Every day, Jim thinks of El. Misses her. Longs to hear her laugh even longs to hear her yell back at him. Every day, Jim thinks of his daughter and mourns what could have been. But Jim knows she's being taken care of. Knows Joyce and the boys will love her, and take care of her. Make sure she knows nothing else but kindness.
He worries though, between those moments, about how there is no one there for Steve.
———
Months later, in Hawkins Memorial, Jim Hopper finds Steve Harrington in a hospital chair next to Eddie Munson's comatose body.
Jim has a lot of questions but doesn't get any of them out because suddenly Steve Harrington is right in front of him, sucking in a harsh "Hop," and then collapsing in Jim’s arms.
Jim holds him close, says nothing, and cries silently with him.
———
During the summer that follows, James Edward Hopper notices a change within Steven James Harrington. Despite the obvious PTSD the boy suffers, and the scars that litter his body, Steve is visibly happier than Jim has ever seen him. He laughs more, he openly cries more, and he loves more.
Steve's now living with Robin in a tiny two-bedroom downtown. He comes to family dinner with the entire party every Sunday. He shares a cup of tea (no more beer for either of them) and a cigarette every Thursday evening on the Byers-Hoppers front porch.
Most noticeably, the biggest difference Jim sees in Steve is Eddie Munson.
Jim once again isn't stupid. And despite being an ex-cop isn't a bigot (he couldn't find himself back at the force, the corruption is too much for him. And he himself, was never very good at his job). So he can easily come to the conclusion that Steve has a massive crush on Eddie Munson.
Dear. God.
It's not that he has a problem with Eddie being a boy, but it's the fact that out of all people he can choose from, Steve had to go and fall for the twerp who used to trip over his laces when running away from Jim for the third time.
Jim feels, after all the years of neglect that Steve faced, he could do so much better.
Steve is happy though for once, and Jim doesn't say anything at first. But it becomes so painful to watch. The lingering touches. The longing gazes. The nicknames (sweetheart, honey, dear god did he just say big boy—).
Nothing ever comes of it though, it's August and neither of them has done anything but pine. And Jim seems to be the only one who notices.
At first, he thinks it's cause everyone is being kind, and giving them room to explore themselves. But with everyone making jokes about Robin and Steve (from the kids) or Steve and Nancy (from Eddie), it seems like no one notices the excruciating flirting between the two.
(Except for maybe Robin, but Jim isn't quite sure Steve and she aren't one organism. He doesn't count her)
Still, Jim ignores it though. He has learned his listen from Mike and El. Getting involved makes everything worse.
That is until, the second week in August right before family dinner, when he finds Steve and Eddie early, sitting on the couch, with Eddie dabbing the blood off of Steve's face.
"What happened?" Jim is over on Steve's other side in an instant.
"Nothing Hop, it's stupid." Steve tries to shrug off, and he looks towards Eddie briefly.
Jim's vision, for a brief brief moment, is filled with unclear rage. It's enough to consume him and makes him impulsive. Jim can't help but think he got it wrong. Maybe the two are together, and Steve had fallen into a bad relationship. He knew that Eddie was trouble, but he didn't think about it being that kind.
And though he is being irrational, and being for once a little stupid, no one can really blame him when he hauls Eddie up by the collar and into his line of vision.
"Munson, did you put your goddamn hands on my kid?"
Jim can hear Joyce, El, and Will (the only other people in the house) all run out into the living room at the sheer volume of Jim's voice.
Steve sits frozen, Joyce and El yell at him to "put him down, oh my god."
And Munson? He starts to ramble.
"No. No! I would never, ever hurt anyone. Haven't we learned this by now? I can barely kill a spider. I have to put them in a cup and put them outside." Eddie chuckles nervously, waving his hands around frantically.
Jim's grip tightens and pulls him closer. He's pretty sure his vibrating at this point.
Suddenly though, Eddie becomes deathly serious. As if he just realizes what Hopper has said.
"Hop, I would lay down my life before I ever hurt Steve. There is no one in this world that deserves kindness more than him. And if I ever do hurt him, whether it be emotionally or physically, I give you full permission to beat me up. Hell, I'll probably throw myself at your fist."
Jim doesn't let go but stays silent as he listens.
"You see, Steve here decided to pull a you when some jerks wouldn't leave me alone at Family Video today. They were throwing around a bunch of slurs. Nothing I haven't heard before. And even though I could handle myself—“ Eddie gives Steve a look “Steve here always has to be the hero and decided to defend my honor. And of course, it just had to turn physical. And Steve decided to take on three guys on his own. Got to say though, he held his own. It was kinda hot honestly—"
Jim hears Steve choke a little beside them, startling him out of his frozen state.
"—And he only got a cut on his forehead from one of the dickwads class rings. I'm a little worried he has another concussion though. Believe me, Hop when I say, I am just as pissed at those guys as you."
At the end of his speech, Eddie calms down and even holds eye contact with Jim. He still doesn't let go of the twerp, despite being considerably less angry. Well, at least at Eddie.
It's Steve though that finally gets him to let go. "Dad, please put Eddie down."
Steve says it like it's nothing. Steve says it likes its the easiest thing in the world. But to Jim, to Jim it's the best thing he's gotten since El.
Instantaneously, Jim drops Eddie back on the ground and scoops Steve into a bone-crushing hug. "You got to stop scaring me like this kid. Can't lose you again."
Steve's almost his height now, so he tucks Steve's head into his shoulder and lays his head on top of his hair. He hears a muffled, wet "I'm sorry" against him.
Jim chokes back tears as he says, "No, no you got nothing to apologize for. Just be more careful. Okay?"
Steve releases himself from his hold and looks at him. "Okay, Hop. Okay, Dad."
Jim ruffles his hair without jostling his head too much. He thinks he would do anything for his kids. Including pushing along this nightmare of a pining contest.
"And if you like him I like him too."
"Huh?" Steve says confused.
"Eddie here. If you like him, then he's okay by me."
Steve goes to stop Jim, but he's already one step ahead. "But if he hurts you even in the slightest, you're watching me dig the grave I'm going to bury him in. Understand?"
Steve blushes from head to toe and nods frantically, knowing if he protests it will only make the conversation longer. The room is silent until Eddie speaks.
"Don't worry Hop, I'll dig the grave for you." Eddie's voice, despite the threat, is filled with delight, wonder, and hope.
My work here is done Jim thinks as he gives the boys one last nod and leaves the room.
And if later, if Jim sees Steve and Eddie holding hands at the dinner table he doesn't comment on it. And if he sees Eddie give Steve's knuckles a light kiss, and whisper something that almost looks like "I love you", he only smiles at the two boys. Because if one more person loves his boy, it's a win for him.
Because James Edward Hopper, thinks his son Steve deserves that and so much more.
———
okay I spent waaaay too much time on this (as per usual) but I wanted to dive in a little more on Steve and Hoppers relationship (and how it impacts Steve and Eddie). I feel like a lot of fics makes them distant friends (which is canonically correct I guess) or surrogate family with no explanation. And I like the idea of them slowing building a father son relationship. Really leaning into you choose your family. I know people have mixed feelings about Steve calling him Dad (honestly sometimes I too think it’s cringey) but sometimes I love it and that boy deserves a good father figure. Even though steddie doesn’t come in until the end, I think it all really blends together nicely. Also in my head either the boys are both out to each other, is at least it’s heavily implied or is a known safe space they are in. We do not support outing people in the house. It’s probably a one-shot, but maybe I’ll add more snippets later on. For now it felt like a good place to stop.
As always I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I just zoned out for like two hours as I wrote it. It kinda made me emotional I’m not going to lie.
part 2 here and the full version on ao3 here
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