#robin/vickie

[ladykailitha]

Batshit Soulmates Part 1

Yay! We have finally got to the meat of the story. And oh boy do Steve and Eddie go through it.

In Medias Res| Prologue|

***

Steve wanted nothing to do with Eddie Munson. Never had, never would. But Dustin was like a brother to him, and he would move heaven and earth to make sure the kid was safe. And he knew all too well that if he didn’t tag along, Dustin would get himself and anyone who went with him in trouble. Possibly hurt or worse. So he offered to drive.

They arrived at Reefer Rick’s place and Steve led the way. They tried the house first, but the lights were off and no one seemed to be home.

Steve was close to strangling Dustin as he kept yelling the worst possible things. But they tried the boathouse next.

He looked around but couldn’t see any drug dealing, D&D playing nerds, so he grabbed an oar that was leaning against the wall. The last thing he needed was to touch something and have it rip his arm off. He poked at the tarp.

What happened next, Steve wasn’t sure was a good or a bad thing. But it was certainly the most interesting thing that had happened to him in all of his life. And that was including finding Robin or the monster coming out of the wall at the Byers house.

The tarp ripped open and suddenly he was being slammed into the wall, a broken bottle placed to his throat. He knew that there was no way to get the leverage he needed to swing the oar to defend himself. And that’s when he felt it. He could feel the jagged edge of the bottle piercing his throat, threatening to draw blood. But he could also feel a burning on his forearm.

“Eddie!” Dustin cried out, suddenly afraid. “This is Steve. He isn’t going to hurt you.”

Steve gulped. That was certainly true. At least until they talked, anyway. He looked into Eddie’s frightened eyes and knew that Eddie wouldn’t hurt him either. But he was scared.

“Steve drop the oar!” Dustin instructed.

Steve threw the oar away. “See? I’m not armed anymore. Can you let me go?”

Eddie pushed the bottle further into Steve’s throat.

And Dustin, Robin, and Max all gasped in alarm.

“Hey, Eddie,” Dustin continued to try and soothe the scared boy. “This is Robin, you remember her from band? And this is Max. She the one that doesn’t like D&D, but she still cool.”

But nothing seemed to be working and everyone leaned forward expect the worst, when Steve spoke up.

“Eds, man,” Steve said softly. “Is–is your right arm burning all of sudden?”

“What the hell kind of strategy is that?” Robin squeaked.

But Eddie’s eyes flicked down to the arm that was holding the bottle and then back up to Steve.

He didn’t answer, but that was enough for Steve.

“Just let me pull up my sleeve,” he continued, his eyes still wild with fear. “I’ll show you, I’m safe.”

Max frowned but when she looked over at Robin and Dustin, they didn’t look confused. They looked shocked.

Robin was whispering “Oh my god, oh my god,” over and over. And Dustin was covering his broad smile with both of his hands.

She looked back over at Steve and Eddie and still didn’t understand what was going on.

Steve slowly pulled up the right sleeve of his jacket and tore off his soul patch, throwing it to the ground.

Max gasped. She knew what was happening now and she couldn’t believe it.

Eddie looked down at Steve’s arm. There it was: four stylized bats that were glowing bright red. His eyes flashed up to Steve’s again and said through a clenched jaw, “Why the fuck is mine a nail bat?”

“Oh my god!” Robin squeaked. “Max go get it from the trunk. He needs to see this.”

Steve pulled his keys out of his pocket and tossed her direction, praying it wouldn’t land in the water.

But Max caught them and dashed out of the boathouse. They all waited on baited breath. Because Eddie wasn’t going to let Steve go without knowing the meaning behind his soulmark.

Max came running back inside. “Steve! Catch!”

Eddie turned around to face her, letting the other boy go. Steve caught the bat before it even got close to either of their faces. Eddie’s eyes were wide for a different reason now.

He dropped the bottle and stepped back, everyone else breathing a sigh of relief. “Why the fuck do you have a nail bat, Harrington?”

Steve slumped against the wall and slid down it, holding the nail bat tightly in both hands, it was straight up. Like a knight holding a sword.

Dustin got between them and moved Eddie to sit down on a nearby crate, while Robin was at Steve’s side checking to see if the bottle had cut him.

It hadn’t. But he let her fuss over him, because they both needed the reassurance that he was, in fact, okay.

Eddie pulled off his leather jacket and ripped off his own soul patch. He had a couple of tattoos on his arm. One he had done himself, but the other? The other was a soulmark that throbbed bright red. It was Steve’s nail bat, no doubt.

“Bats,” Steve giggled manically. “Our soulmarks are bats.”

Eddie cocked his head and rolled his eyes. “Just answer the question, Harrington.”

Dustin grimaced. “You wouldn’t believe us if we told you.”

Robin and Max nodded emphatically.

Eddie shook his head. “I don’t know, not after what I saw. It was horrible.”

Suddenly Steve was on his feet and at Eddie’s side in a heartbeat. “I have a feeling we would be the only ones that would understand, Eds.”

Eddie let out a shuddering breath, but started talking. He told them about Chrissy and the drug deal. He talked about her nightmares and how lost she seemed when he was nice to her. He talked about how scared she had been in her final moments. And how he ran when she started to twist in a horrible, unnatural way. How she died screaming.

“I can’t get her screams out of my head, man,” Eddie whimpered. “Why her? Why me?”

“We don’t know,” Robin said. “But we’ve done this before.”

Eddie stared at her in shock.

Steve nodded. “Three years for Dustin and I, although he has about a week up on me. Two years for Max. And one year for Robin.”

“Three–three years?” Eddie stammered. “What the fuck?”

“Since Will Byers vanished,” Dustin said sadly.

Eddie closed his eyes. Both Wayne and he had volunteered to help look for the boy and Wayne had been among those that found the fake body. He nodded before opening his eyes.

“What am I going to do?” he asked.

Steve knelt in front of him and touched his cheek. “We’ll figure it out. We always do.”

*

Steve was having a panic attack. That was the only thing he could think of when he started to hyperventilate outside of his house after dropping everyone off at home. They needed to get Eddie some food and explain things properly to him, but all that consumes Steve is the refrain of: He’s my soulmate. He’s my soulmate. He’s my soulmate. Over and over.

Tears threatened to fall from his cheeks. A boy was his soulmate. He didn’t care, but his dad would. Dustin and Max seemed fine with it. Hell, Dustin was practically bouncing in his seat all the way home. Berating Steve for not meeting Eddie sooner. If only Steve had listened to him he wouldn’t have struck out with so many girls.

Steve dropped him off first just to stop the constant stream of his monologue and then Max. As he was pulling away from Forest Hills Robin touched his shoulder.

“Are you going to be okay?” she asked gently.

He didn’t know if he was ever going be. Because his forearm still burned, still glowed dark red. In fact it was getting darker and more painful the further he got from Eddie.

“I think we’re perfect mates,” Steve ground out through the thick pain lancing through his arm. “A true pair.”

Robin’s eyes went wide. “Holy shit. Like only a hundred of those are born every generation.”

He pulled up his sleeve to show her. She took his arm gingerly and ran her fingers over the dark soul mark.

“I don’t think you could have found a worst time to meet him,” she said softly.

Steve nodded.

Robin kissed his cheek and inside her house, leaving Steve to drive home alone with his thoughts.

So that brought him to where he was now. Having a mental breakdown in front of his empty house. He knew that he was going to have to compartmentalize. Which was something he was pretty damn good at. It just was shit timing. But before he could do that, he knew he had to work through the shock of his soulmate being a boy.

Usually he would talk to Robin about this, but he didn’t want to hurt her feelings. After all, Vickie was her soulmate, the girl just wasn’t interested in being with Robin. She would rather chase after some boy who had already go off to college and was likely cheating on her with who knows how many girls. So how could Steve gush about his soulmate when hers didn’t want her? He wasn’t an ass. Or at least not anymore.

Steve finally got out of the car and opened the door to his house, half expecting his parents to come storming out of one of the rooms demanding where he’d been. But the house was silent. As it always was these days. He toed off his shoes in front of the door, suddenly not caring if it blocked anyone from coming in. Maybe that was a good thing.

He didn’t want to be disturbed while he wallowed in his misery.

A boy. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever assume his soulmate wasn’t a girl. Not even once did even consider it wouldn’t be someone with soft curves and pouty lips. Steve scoffed. He supposed he got the pouty lips. Just no curves. Only curls. He closed his eyes and threw himself bodily onto the sofa to wallow.

Steve threw his arm over his head and sighed. Was he attracted to boys? He knew that being soulmates didn’t necessarily include sex or whatever, but he always assumed that his soulmate would fill every aspect of his life and not just being someone he could rely on.

And there lied the other crux of the problem. Could he rely on Eddie?

Eddie Munson: metalhead, two-time super senior, drug dealer, goofball. Nothing like the person Steve imagined growing up. Someone who was an equal, who would help him with their kids.

Kids! Shit. There went that, too. They would have to adopt if they even got that far. Steve could taste the bile that rose from his throat. But he forced it down and let out a deep breath. He just had to readjust his thinking is all. Instead of focusing on the negative.

He sat up and really thought about Eddie as his soulmate. He already knew that Eddie got along good with Steve’s little nuggets. Three of them were in his club, for fuck’s sake. And from what Dustin had said was really impressed with Erica. So that was four of his kids that liked Eddie. Or at least tolerated him in Erica’s case. That was something.

That was something else. He had taken in Lucas, Mike, and Dustin when they were lost little freshmen with no clue how to navigate high school. Of course things between Lucas and Eddie may have soured a bit over last night’s game. And while Steve wasn’t in any clubs, he had grown up watching his mother plan party after party.

Rule number one was at least three days notice of canceling unless something had literally come up that day. Which Steve knew wasn’t the case with the championship game. Lucas knew a week in advance what was coming and chickened out telling Eddie. So that situation made for bad blood all around.

But as Steve sat there he could tally up more good things about Eddie then bad. And as for the attraction, well...he had just described the other boy as having pouty lips and soft curls, so maybe he wasn’t as straight as he thought he was.

He thought back to the big brown eyes and quivering hands. And yeah, maybe Steve was more attracted than he thought.

All right crisis...well not averted. Because he was still in the middle of some shit. But managed he supposed. Now all he needed to was make sure his stupid soulmate made it out of this alive. And you know, clear him of a murder charge.

But that was a problem for future Steve, current Steve needed food and god damned nap.

****

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Epilogue

Tag List: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @artiststarme @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @pyrohonk ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @goodolefashionedloverboi @messrs-weasley @val-from-lawrence @i-must-potato @danili666 @carlyv @rozzieroos @wonderland-girl143-blog @justforthedead89 @emly03 @bookworm0690 @itsall-taken @vecnuthy @bookbinderbitch @redfreckledwolf @littlewildflowerkitten @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @scheodingers-muppet @mira-jadeamethyst @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @genderless-spoon @anne-bennett-cosplayer @irregular-child @oxidantdreamboat @mogami13 @samsoble @xandriumbat

[robin-buck1ey]

Robin’s all “you never know” to the possibility of Elvis being cloned by aliens, up until it comes to the possibility a girl might like her.

Secret Russian base under the mall? Should have expected that one!

An alternate dimension? Crazy but true!

UFOs? Definitely.

A girl liking her ?!? Absolutely not.

[wrayofmoonshine]

me, someone who firmly believes that stobin have seen each other naked/showered together/picked out lingerie together/describe their sex lives to each other in extreme detail because they consider themselves the same person so it’s not at all weird to them, reading a fic where they’ll tell each other “ew! I don’t want to hear about your boobies/dick/sex life!”:

[momotonescreaming]

cotton candy

Rating: G | WC: 1.5k | Robin/Vickie STWG Prompt: accidental confession [also on ao3]

“Don’t open your eyes, okay?” Robin asks, dipping her brush back into the eyeshadow palette propped open on the bed next to her crossed legs.

“Okay,” Vickie giggles, gently closing her eyes, lashes fluttering. There’s a flush to her cheeks, a subtle pink, and Robin can’t quite tell if it’s the blush she applied earlier or her.

Robin never really considered herself a makeup girl. She has her eyeliner, her mascara, red lipsticks from her scoops days and maybe one green eyeshadow for band. The basics. Never really put too much thought into it, if she was being honest. But here, with Vickie? It was actually really nice. Intimate.

Vickie was right there, eyes closed, trusting Robin. And because she was only human, she let herself look. At the swoop of her hair, once carefully styled, now falling out of place. Would it be soft, Robin thinks, if she were to brush it out of her eyes, if she ran her hands through it? The gentle fluttering of her lashes as Robin carefully applied the eyeshadow. Her pale skin, the slope of her cheek, the gentle smattering of freckles. Her skin was soft. So soft. She was so cute. The prettiest girl that Robin had ever seen. And she was allowed to do her make up.

Fingers gently pressed to Vickie’s cheek, her jaw. Holding her steady as Robin applied the shadow. Her breath was hitched in her throat, lungs holding air, aching, As Robin tried not to shake too much. Slowly covering Vickie’s lids with a shimmering champagne colour. It suited her.

“Done. I think,” Robin says, slowly withdrawing her brush, her hand. Lingering on the smooth planes of Vickie’s skin, feeling the warmth press into her fingertips. “And you can’t say anything if I did it wrong, okay. Because I’m no good at makeup, and I tried my very best.”

“I would never,” Vickie responds, softly, simply, as if it was easiest answer. She would never be mean to Robin. Maybe it was. She opens her eyes, fluttering open, and Robin tries her hardest not to gasp. At the intense blue of Vickie’s eyes, the depth of them looking at her, shadowed by the soft shimmering makeup she had just applied. It really suited her.

Robin clears her throat, and shimmies backwards, just slightly. Clears space between the two of them so they’re no longer breathing the same air. She sort of regrets it as soon as she does it. All Robin could see was her, and feel her cheeks flushing. She rips her gaze away from Vickie, from the softness of her, the glow — and looks down at the makeup they had scattered across Vickie’s bed. Littering the comforter next to them. “There’s just, uh, lips next. Right. A little something to complete the look. Really make it. No lips would just be weird. Lipstick I mean, not lips lips, you know? Of course you know. I just need to, uh, pick a colour.”

Vickie giggles, her lips curling into a smile, as Robin looks at her from the corner of her eyes. Bites her bottom lip to hold back a smile. And oh that sound. Vickie’s voice, her laugh,  Robin could listen to her forever. Bottle the sound. Make it the soundtrack to her life.

“I usually go for that one,” Vickie says, pointing to a tube of pink tinted lip gloss with a white cap.

Robin quickly grabs it, running the cool plastic between her fingers. Now that she has it in her hands, she can really look — she can see that it’s also faintly shimmery. It reflects the light, shining in the tube, and it’s almost soothing. And all Robin can wonder is if it shines on Vickie’s lips as well.

She uncaps the tube, rests a shaking hand on Vickie’s jaw, and carefully starts applying the gloss. Eyes lock on the gentle plush of Vickie’s lips, pink and un-chapped, and oh god Robin bets it’s soft to the touch. Warm. Now coated with a pink shimmer, and it really suits Vickie. No wonder it’s her favourite. It’s becoming Robin’s favourite too.

“Does this smell like cotton candy?” Robin asks, smoothing the viscous fluid over Vickie’s bottom lip. A nice, even coat. Vickie just smiles, and she can see it shining in her eyes. “Sorry, you can’t reply. Right. Well you can, technically, I’m not gonna stop you from talking— but just warning I’ll mess it up.”

Vickie smothers a giggle, carefully staying still, and Robin feels the words starts to tumble out of her mouth without abandon.

“Just forget I asked, or else you’ll end up with glitter all over your chin or something. A glitter moustache,” Robin continues, voice pitching higher, air still carefully held in her chest. She sort of feels like she’s going to explode. She’s basically touching Vickie’s lips right now. “This really does smell nice though, all sweet, and it really suits you, because you’re sweet. Um. I mean, I guess this just really suits you. I’ve always thought you look really pretty in makeup, all pink and shimmery — especially the lip gloss. I’d watch you apply it after lunch, or after band practice or something, and sort of wonder if it would still be sweet and shimmery if I kissed you.”

Oh no. She was really rambling again, wasn’t she. Oh fuck. Shit. This is just like the basketball all over again where Robin let it slip she had a truly horrific crush on Tammy Thompson and Vickie almost heard her over the game and how the hell does she go back from this one.

Her eyes widen, she watches Vickie’s eyes widen. Cute and round like a doll’s, with picture perfect lashes. Her mouth drops open, gapes slightly and the gloss Robin applied shimmers on her lips.

“Uh.” Robin starts, leaning back, feeling her heart start to race. Her pulse quicken, her mouth feel thick and heavy in her mouth. All things she usually feels around Vickie but worse. “I mean if someone kissed you, yeah, not that I’m thinking of other people kissing you. That’d be weird. Or not other people — you had a boyfriend — it would be weird to imply the presence of other people, but maybe thinking of your ex would be weirder? I should just go, I think.”

“Don’t,” Vickie cries, arm whipping out to grab ahold of Robin’s wrist as she slowly started to try and ease her self off of Vickie’s bed and out of her room. “Please.”

“Okay,” Robin squeaks, hovering where she is, Vickie’s hand wrapped around her wrist and fuck her hands are soft as well. She’s perfect, and she’s holding Robin there.

“What if I could help you answer that question?” Vickie asks, brows curled, as she bites her bottom lip. Runs the flesh of it under her teeth. She’s anxious. Almost hovering herself, the pair of them poised on the edge of Vickie’s bed. Rumpling the floral comforter, mattress sinking underneath them. Her words almost wash over Robin.

“What?” She squeaks again, eyes desperately flicking between Vickie’s eyes, and her lips, and ever other facet of her face. Trying to gleam any and everything she can. She couldn’t possibly mean what Robin thinks she means. What Robin wants her to mean.

“What if,” Vickie starts, voice slow and careful. Thumb running in anxious circles on Robin’s wrist. “What if we could find out what my lip gloss was like after I kissed you?”

“Oh, um, yes please,” She answers, heart singing in her chest. Beating so loud she can feel and hear her blood in her ears. Like a spring coiled tight, ready to go. She wonders if Vickie can feel it — her jack-rabbiting heart — can hear every pound and thud. The race of it in her veins.

Vickie giggles again — and it’s still Robin’s new favourite sound. Cheeks flushing pink and she coyly looks away, and then back at Robin through her lashes. The shine of her eyeshadow reflects the light. Almost sparkles. Robin smiles, unable to hold it back. Holy shit. She was here, and Vickie was looking at her, and her rambling turned out to be a good thing.

Vickie leans in, and Robin realises that she doesn’t quite know what to do. So she moves her hand so she link her fingers with Vickie’s tangling them together, holds her breath, and closes her eyes.

And then she’s being kissed. Vickie is kissing her, and she’s kissing back and the gloss is sticky and sweet  as it presses into her lips now. It smells like Vickie. She giggles, tightens her grip, feeling Vickie smiling against her lips. It’s soft, smooth, warm. It’s everything and she wants to do it again immediately.

They pull away from each other far too soon, but Robin sort of felt like she was going to pass out. And couldn’t quite tell if it was because she hadn’t come up for air, or if Vickie just did that to her. Had that effect. She opens her eyes, giddy, smiling, and sees Vickie looking back.  She giggles, and Robin can feel the gloss on her lips now.

It tastes of cotton candy.

[bit-odd-innit]

AO3 Down Post Uhhhhhhhhhh Brand New WIP That Wasn’t An Option On The WIP Poll Yet Inexplicably Is The Most Complete. First time writing Robin/Vickie!:

[Context is Steve cracked open a single egg with two yolks, Eddie told him that’s good luck and he needed to blow off work to spread his good fortune with the world because today is now EGG DAY. Steve is unconvinced but goes along with it anyway.]

They’re still arguing when they swing by the diner to meet Robin. “Back me up,” he says to her as he snags one of her fries. “The universe doesn’t guarantee you a good day just because one morning you decided to make an omelette.”

“You misrepresent me,” Eddie counters. “Egg Day is merely a positive portent. A good omen. A sign that emphatically declares there’s a pretty good chance today won’t suck.” “I don’t know, I think I’m with Eddie on this one.” Steve huffs indignantly. “I think it’s nice to believe there’s magic in the world.” She purses her lips. “Magic that’s not actively trying to kill us, that is.” 

They’d missed the lunch rush; the dining room is sparse. Its quiet enough that any clattering of noise, no matter how small, draws attention. The bell above the entrance sounds with a glittery tingtingting. And there, at the counter, resplendent in a bright yellow sundress, is—

“Oh my God.” Robin is already beneath the table. “She can’t see me like this, I look like I belong in a garbage can.”

“That wasn’t on purpose?” Eddie asks. 

“Steve, she hisses. "Do something.”

Steve raises one arm in the air and calls, “Vickie! Hey!”

“They’ll never find your body. I’m going to grind your bones to dust and use it to make mulch for my tomato garden hiiiiiiiii Vickie!” “Hi, guys!” She balances her takeout bag on her hip, gaze lingering on Robin. “Hi Robin.” ”Hi!” ”Hi.” Eddie opens his menu to shield the side of his face and mouths to Steve Jesus H Christ. Vickie, undeterred or oblivious, says, “Strange to see you outside of your post at Ye Olde Family Video.”

“I have off on Wednesdays.”

“Me too! I mean, I don’t have a job, so every day is kind of a day off.” Her smile dims. “It’s not like I’m doing nothing. I’ve been setting up some college visits, and band, you know band? You remember band?” “Yeah?” “So you remember what a total drill sergeant Stenman is.” She scrunches her nose, head twitching like a woodland creature trying to shake a dewdrop out of its fur. “Of course you do, you graduated like a month ago. I’m, uh, I’m also taking AP Calc with Bramowitz next year which is going to be absolute bear, but at present yeah I’m just fetching my lunch and bringing it back to my house to eat it which definitely seems like a whole lot of nothing now that I spell it out—“

“So you’re free.” Robin interjects. 

“What?”

“What? Robin seems equally surprised the suggestion came from her. She sits up a little straighter and says, “Right now. You’re free.”

“I-yeah. Yeah I’m free.”

“Do you…want to do something together?”

Vickie glows, but quickly tempers it.

“Oh, are you sure? I don’t want to break up your gang hang.”

“I’ve never seen these bozos in my life.”

Steve stares unblinking into the middle distance. Eddie waves. “Okay!” Vickie says brightly. “Well, despite the fact I have never finished one by myself in my life, my hubris has lead me to once again order the Bubba Burger.” She twists her body to showcase the take-out bag, grease darkening the paper. Her expression softens. “We could...split it? If you’re hungry?” “Starving,” Robin says as she shoves her untouched tuna melt into Steve’s awaiting, open hands.  Vickie beams, bouncing a little on her heels. “Great! There’s this park not too far from here, there’s like, a rose garden and a duck pond or whatever. But we don’t have to go there! We can eat anywhere! We can eat in the parking lot!—” “That sounds perfect,” Robin breathes. Vickie blinks. “The parking lot?” “No, the uh, the other thing.” “Right. Right.” She steps aside, gives Robin space to slide out of the booth, and turns toward the door. “Shall we?” Robin watches her for a beat, a gentle smile pulling at her lips. She opens her mouth to reply, and what comes out is, “I gotta use the wiz palace.” Steve smacks his palm to his forehead. “Cool. Cool cool cool. I’m parked out front, meet me at my car?” Robin, struck dumb by the incredibly stupid thing she just said, nods. “Cool.” She sets off, but not before glancing over her shoulder and adding, “I’m really glad I ran into you guys.” Robin stares after her and once the door closes, her head snaps to Steve.  “I blacked out. What did I just agree to?”

[reneemauricesings]

Did I get it right?

[daisytrails]

i know that the chances of steddie or ronance are so small and likely won’t happen. it’s clear the writers want steve/nancy, robin/vickie, and lonely jonathan

but i swear to everything that is holy if we do not get byler i will riot

i will loose my shit

because if we have been queerbaited by those boys i may actually die

[mollyollypuddingpolly]

You know what if the Duffers didn't want us to be obsessed over Byler, Steddie and Ronance this season then they quite honestly should have given us more of Robin and Vickie.

Like I think we'd still have been crazy about all of them probably, but at least we'd have a confirmed and canon queer relationship to obsess over? It feels weird that they made her out to be Robin's love interest only for her to have barely any scenes.

They did say we'd be "introduced to her this season and she'll play a big role in things to come" so I'm assuming she'll become more important in season 5 if not v2.

[behindthesefangirleyes]

I’m picturing a scenario where Robin/Vickie are end game & years later decide they want to go the surrogate route & Steve is utterly offended when they don’t immediately ask him (”have you seen my hair, robin? I’m a genetic gold mine”) because they worry it would be too intense of a relationship dynamic, but of course it isn’t because Steve will swallow the nail bat if it means helping his Platonic Soulmate have the world (and a little rugrat for him to spoil).

[hullomoon]

[podfic] There’s More to Melon than Just Pink Cake

part of Voiceteam 2023 Challenge

written by @itcanbepalped

read by @hullomoon

cover art by @amanita-fierce

Stranger Things Femslash Week - Day 7: Free Choice - Stardew Valley AU

-

Farmer Robin comes a-courtin'.

[08:58]

[ladykailitha]

Batshit Soulmates: in Medias Res

As promised, the soulmate AU you've all been waiting for. I don't have a set schedule for this. I'll post chapters as they come. That said, I do have a backlog of chapters to put out on the regular.

Summary: Steve's never met his soulmate. Even though everyone else in his life has. Most of them are even bonded. Literal teenagers got their soulmates before Steve. He tries not to take it personally. He tries really hard not to take it personally when he finds out it's Eddie Munson when he has a bottle at his throat. He tries even harder not to take personally when everything that could go wrong, does.

*throws chapter at you and runs*

***

“I just think we should wait,” Steve huffed for what felt like the millionth time. “Give our allies more time to get to Hawkins.”

“But the longer we wait,” Nancy growled back, “the likelihood of Vecna finding someone we don’t know to haunt and kill goes up.”

“Except we know who his next victim is!” Steve yelled back. “You! And excuse me for thinking that using you as bait would be better than a fifteen year old girl!”

“Steve!” Max hissed. “What the hell?!”

Steve looked down at his feet and crossed his arms over his chest. He looked up at Nancy and dared her to tell him he was wrong.

But Nancy was stubborn. “The batteries on her Walkman are going to die sooner, rather than later. I know this whole thing sucks, but the longer we put it off the sooner Vecna could wipe out the whole town.”

Steve looked around the room for support and got none. He sighed. No one was on his side in this. But he could feel it. If they waited just five more minutes. But it was five minutes he wasn’t going to get.

He looked down at his feet again as Nancy started listing off who would go where. His head shot up when Dustin and Eddie were told to be the distraction.

“What?” he said. “No. Eddie is my soulmate.”

Robin put her hand his shoulder. “I know, but we can’t leave Dustin alone and you need to come with Nancy and me to kill Vecna.”

Steve’s face shuttered. So the choice was to go with the girls and protect them or go with Eddie and Dustin and protect them, leaving the girls to battle Vecna by themselves?

No.

No, no, no, no.

He had to protect everyone. Why couldn’t he protect everyone?

It was killing him.

“Just go!” Eddie said. “You know you’re going to be needed when it comes to killing this bastard. They’re going to need your strength.”

Steve let out a whine that had been caught in his throat. “You’re telling me to leave you...” He didn’t understand.

Eddie pressed his fingers into his eye. “It’s not because–it’s not what you think. Honest. This is just proper strategy and you know it. Dustin and I aren’t going to be doing anything but drawing the attention of the demobats away from you and the girls.”

Steve let out another noise of distress. He knew Eddie was right. He did. It just hurt that in the five days since meeting his soulmate, they had spent a total of less than a day together. And most of that was spent getting ready for this.

“All right,” he finally agreed.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief and that made Steve’s heart hurt. They weren’t counting on him to make the right decision. They weren’t counting on him to do the smart thing. Even Eddie had sighed in relief.

Steve shut down. Maybe his mother had been right. Maybe soulmates weren’t everything they cracked up to be. Maybe it was good he was find this out now, before he got too attached.

He gave his little speech and made them promise not to be heroes.

Eddie looked down at the ground and then back up at Steve’s retreating back. He closed his eyes and opened them slowly.

“Hey, Steve?” he called out.

Steve turned around, trying to keep the hope out of his eyes.

“Make him pay.”

Steve nodded and turned back around, his heart shattering in his chest. He was stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Hoping for a declaration of love. Hoping that Eddie felt something for him. But despite Eddie’s reassurances that he no longer thought that Steve was douchebag, he still couldn’t get over the fact that he had been fated to be his soulmate.

He felt the ice creep up his chest to nestle around his heart. All his life he hoped that his soulmate would be the one that’d love him unconditionally when no one else could. But he guessed that was only for children’s fairy tales.

Steve had barely taken two steps when he heard the sound of running feet and then he was being spun around. He was suddenly face to face with Eddie and he couldn’t breathe. Eddie gently took his face in his hands and kissed him on the lips.

Steve had melted. That is the only explanation for how gooey his insides had become. Eddie pulled back.

“Oh, sweetheart,” he panted. “Be safe. Come back to me, okay, Stevie?”

Steve rested his head against Eddie’s. “You, too. I can’t lose you now. Please.”

“Okay, baby,” Eddie whispered. “Okay.”

Steve watched as his soulmate ran back to Dustin, his heart just as heavy, but now whole.

Robin tapped his shoulder. “Come on, Steve. Vecna needs to die so you can be together without having to always look over your shoulder.”

He closed his eyes and nodded. Nancy took his hand and gave it a squeeze. He let her lead him away from the best boy he had ever known to kill the person who was responsible for all the turmoil in their lives.

*

Shit.

Eddie looked up at the rope ladder in dismay. All around him he could hear the sounds of the demobats clawing their way through the vents. If he climbed the rope, they would break through the gate and Dustin would be a sitting duck.

They would both die.

“Get Steve on the walkie-talkie!” Eddie yelled. “Tell him the bats are about to break through this gate and I’m leading them away from you.”

“Eddie!” Dustin yelled. “Don’t!”

Eddie took a deep breath and cut the rope ladder.

“No!” Dustin yelled.

“Get Steve!” Eddie yelled over his shoulder as he strapped his makeshift spear and shield to back. He zipped up his jacket, knowing full well that armor was no good if it didn’t cover the bits that needed protecting. He took the bandanna off his hair and tied around his face.

God he hated this place.

He grabbed one of the bikes and hopped on. He just needed to give Steve, Nancy and Robin enough time to kill Vecna so that Dustin was safe.

That’s all he needed. Just two minutes.

Behind him he could hear the screech of the bats turn from the trailer to chase him. After all even a moving target out in the open is better than a sitting target in a tin can.

Eddie wasn’t sure how long he could outrun them. He wasn’t exactly in peak physical condition but he had to try.

It took him a bit to realize that subconsciously he hadn’t been running from Dustin, but to Steve. And just how fucked up was that. Which of course was when the front tire hit a small hole in the ground and he went tumbling, rolling in the dirt. His shield and spear prevented him from getting up and he thought for sure that this was the end.

But suddenly he was being righted and yanked to his feet.

“Eddie!” Steve called over the screeching of the bats.

“Steve!” Eddie called back. “Are the girls okay?”

Steve nodded. “I left Robin with the Malatov cocktails and Nancy with her shot gun. They’re kicking his ass.”

Eddie pursed his lips and nodded back. “Dustin is safe. Or as safe as I can make that kid.”

Steve closed his eyes. “He said you told him the bats were breaking in though the vents.”

Eddie nodded. “Yeah, I didn’t want them to get to him or out into Hawkins, lynch mob aside, so I lead them away.”

Steve gave him a hug. “Well then, let’s keep their attention on us, shall we?”

“Bring it on!” Eddie yelled, pulling off his shield and spear.

Steve stood at his back, ax in one hand, nail bat in the other. He twirled them both, warming up his wrists as he stared up the sky that was now thick with bats.

And even though they had only fought together once before, they moved as one, anticipating each other’s movements and covering each other’s backs.

Steve hit a bat so hard its guts rained down upon them, spraying them with black goo. Eddie in turn protected them with his shield putting it in front of him as the bats slammed into it full force.

He could feel his feet sliding back, but Steve was there and he leaned backward, putting all his weight against Eddie to brace him up.

Eddie had been on the verge of giving up, tears streaming down his face as he fought against impossible odds. But Steve was there. And he remembered that every impossible thing he had ever thought in his life had be come possible in this one man. And he was damned if he wasn’t going to survive this too.

“I love you,” Steve whispered.

Eddie closed his eyes and whispered back. “I love you, too, Stevie.”

The bats soon realized that they couldn’t get through Eddie and turned, swirling in the sky and Eddie could feel it before it happened. They were going to attack Steve.

He pushed Steve to the ground and lifted his shield above their heads. “I’m sorry.”

“Me, too,” Steve replied.

And then all the bats dived at once.

***

Yeah...don't expect a quick resolution to that. Just know, I'm a sucker for happy endings. ;)

Prologue Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Epilogue

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[robin-buck1ey]

Robin and Vickie are similar

BUT

Robin and Nancy complete each other

balance each other, support each other, help each other grow, help each other face and fight their fears, bring a new perspective to each other lives, appreciate each other’s differences, they are perfect for each other,

they are soul mates.

[robinbuckleybingo]

ROBIN BUCKLEY BINGO SIGN-UPS ARE OPEN UNTIL JUNE 3RD THEN LATE SIGN-UPS END AUGUST 12TH!

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[dulce-chisme]

don’t argue over robin/nancy and robin/vickie!! robin has two (probably sweaty and shaky) hands!!!!!

[dvrkestxhearts]

Stranger Things Couples • Hold Me While You Wait (+@oetravia)