#seriously Steve and Eddie set Robin up on so many dates

[imfinereallyy]

i will accept nothing but platonic stobin living together for the rest of their lives. Their partners will have to be okay with it. Robin moving in with a girlfriend and leaving Steve behind? Blasphemy. They are locked in for life. Eddie happily accepts his fate. He would never dare separate the two of them. Nancy? Never got passed a first kiss with Robin. Bros before hoes.

(Robin: You can’t call women ‘hoes’ Eddie.

Eddie: why not? I’m gay it doesn’t count.

Steve: Babe you definitely can’t call them hoes.

Eddie: Why does he get to say it?!

Robin: He was a hoe. He’s earned it.

Steve: *nodding seriously* it’s true.)

Seriously though, stobin is a forever commitment. The purest of friendships. They make me so happy.

[pinkrelish]

𝐭𝐡𝐞 "𝐲𝐞𝐬" 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲.

singledad!mechanic!eddie x fem!reader

✶Surely, when two friends set up their two friends on a blind date in the very small town of Hawkins, they make sure those two people don't know each other beforehand, right? And, more importantly, aren't coworkers, right?✶

NSFW — slow burn, fluff, flirting, mutual pining, angst towards the end, drug/alcohol mention/use, 18+ overall for eventual smut

chapter: 3/20 [wc: 6.1k]

↳ part 01 / 02 / 03 / 04 / 05 / 06 / 07 / 08 / 09 / 10 / 11 / 12

AO3

Chapter 3: The Accidental First Date

“Is this too much?” you asked, yanking down the visor and checking yourself in the small mirror.

Sitting in the back parking lot of the movie theater, you went through your purse for the finishing touches on your look. Doing your last paranoia check for anything in your teeth, turning your head this way and that to zhuzh your hair, and most importantly, preening your oxymoron of a sweater to show a decent amount of cleavage without flashing the cups of your push-up bra.

Truly a walking contradiction of a top. Cable knit and warm, but with a plunging neckline, to where the top button started at your sternum.

“No, you look hot,” Robin assured with her goofy smile. “New York modest is Hawkins slutty. He’s gonna love you.”

You shrank into your girlish giggle. “Good, I want my dating debut in this little town to be a statement. Set the stage for future escapades.. Until I run out of men, I guess. Seriously, how many bachelors live here and aren’t total hicks? Four?” Robin laughed.

“Could be worse. You could be a lesbian.”

“True,” you concurred. “Good thing you have Vickie. Sucks she couldn’t come tonight.” Robin made a sad huff of agreement, working a mascara wand through her lashes. “Hey, I know I said ‘yes’ without asking, but is this guy you set me up with even my type? Not that I care, obviously; a good story is a good story, but I’m just trying to set my expectations here.”

She furrowed her eyebrows dramatically, and paused unscrewing her lip gloss to rock her entire body into a positive affirmation–almost bumping her forehead on the steering wheel from the force of her nodding. “Oh, absolutely,” she said emphatically. “Looks scary on the outside, but is a total sweetheart on the inside. Overconfident, and obnoxious, but in that charming, swoony way.”

“Perfect!” You clasped your hands together.

Stepping out of the car, she waited for you so you could walk with your arms linked together, and she continued, “I haven’t seen him in years, but Steve was telling me over the phone that he’s been going through a tough time, and hasn’t been on a date in a while.”

“Aw, poor guy.”

There was a beat of silence where both of your faces twisted into knowing smiles.

“I know what that look means..” Robin led, canting her head to you.

Innocent, you lifted your shoulder in a coy shrug, bringing a collection of her soft hair up to your chin. “No idea what you’re talking about. I was just thinking, if he hasn’t been on a date in a while.. Why not make it memorable for him?”

You laughed together, rounding the sidewalk to the front entrance of the theater where the glamorous marquee shined gentle daylight upon the darkened street. Romantic and intimate, with a crowd of people standing in vague suggestions of lines; some broken off, gossiping, smoking.

“There they are,” Robin whispered, letting go of your upper arm to wave at Nancy–who you had met at the grocery store last week. She saw you approaching, and tapped her hand on the chest of the man beside her.

Still a considerable distance away, you peered at him, and placed his luscious hair in your memory. “Oh, that’s the guy who came to the shop today.”

“Steve?”

“Yeah, he was talking to the annoying mechanic I’m always telling you about.”

“The one you have a crush on?”

“Shush,” you bristled at the mention of your not-so-secret. “I do not have a crush on Eddie. Anyway! Did I tell you what he did this morning? He fuckin’ stood outside the window next to my desk, just out of my view for like, full on minutes, waiting for me to look at him. Like Michael Myers or some shit. Scared me half to death.”

Robin, still caught on one detail you had somehow failed to mention in the month you worked at the auto body shop, quietly asked, “..Eddie?”

“Yeah, my coworker,” you answered, not looking at her when she fell a step behind, since you were too focused on greeting Nancy, and introducing yourself to Steve to notice her sudden jog up behind you. Too fixated on complimenting Nancy’s skirt to witness the way Steve aimed his confused frown just past your shoulder. Missed his dismissive hand gestures, and Robin’s panic as she tried to wordlessly communicate something dire to him.

You were too busy listening to the cars cruise by on the street, and chatting casually, and savoring the warmth of a new friendship to scrutinize the sound of quick footsteps from the other direction, or the jangle of metal chains attached to their presence, or Robin’s damning groan.

“Sorry, I’m–” a familiar voice said. A bit nasally and on the higher side. Mirthful, awake with youth, and excited to make a good first impression.

You turned to them. Your date.

“..Late,” they trailed off.

Deer in headlights. Big, brown doe-eyes wide with surprise, framed by beautiful black lashes.

He stared at you.

His stomach sank.

You stared at him.

Your heart raced.

Eddie had stopped mid-step with his hand raised in greeting. The chains on his leather jacket tinkered until they stilled. Kind smile frozen from a better time. Chest filled with a held breath. Presenting himself with his best foot forward, and now his ears were tinted with the embarrassment of trying too hard to impress.

Oh, God.

You blinked away, and were intentional to accept the situation for what it was without showing your surprise, opting for a simple, timid, awkward, shaky, exhaled, “Hey, Eddie.”

He wasn’t so poised.

Shutting his eyes, he allowed the realization to wash over him, scrunching his face in a pained expression as the puzzle pieces slotted into place. He hung his head, and released his breath through his nose. “Your roommate is Robin,” he stated, pointing at her to punctuate his sentence. “And you call her Bobbie.”

“Yeah..” It was an apology as much as it was a confirmation.

“You still call me Bobbie?” Robin asked, tugging on your sleeve, forgetting the tense air surrounding the group for the moment. “I haven’t used that stage name in years.”

“Guess it stuck with me..”

Thankfully, someone else added to the conversation. Unfortunately, that person was Steve addressing the elephant outside the ticket booth.

“So, I take it you two know each other,” he deduced, looking from Eddie’s dejected gaze at the ground, to you wringing your purse strap over your chest.

Eddie enlightened him in a solemn tone, sparing a single glance at his friend, “She’s the receptionist at work.”

“Ah.” He turned his attention to Robin. “You set up two people who work together.”

She threw her hands up and blamed him, “Uh! No way, dunce, don’t put this on me. This whole thing was your idea, and at no point in the conversation did you tell me Eddie was a mechanic! If you had told me he was a mechanic I probably could’ve put two-and-two together myself, and avoided setting up people who see each other every day.”

Increasingly red-faced, Steve very pointedly avoided Eddie’s suspicious squint after being outed as the one who set up the date, not Nancy. “You’re the one who lives with her, how could you not–?”

“Okay!” You clapped once to end their bickering. “Then it’s not a date.”

Nancy, bless her, picked up her improv skills fast. “Yeah! Not a date. Just a casual outing between friends. Steve, get the tickets ready so we can get popcorn before the line gets too long.” There was a ripple of unanimous murmurs, followed by shuffling to the entrance.

“Silver lining,” Nancy muttered out the side of her mouth to Steve, “It’s a movie date, so it’s not like they have to talk to, or look at each other.”

Steve tempered his laugh to a hiss and held the door for Robin, who in turn kept the it ajar behind her for you, but as you went to catch it, it was opened for you.

Clack- clack- clack. You’d heard the sound every morning; his distinct rings on the metal frame of the glass door beside your desk, followed by his soft grunt when pulling it open. But whereas his whispered ‘morning’ normally echoed in the tiled lobby, it was now on the back of your neck, fanning your skin, and it wasn’t a sweet greeting, but a reserved, solemn, regretful, sad, “Sorry for.. yeah.” That’s how he started your date that wasn’t a date. With an apology. And still, as the crisp autumn air was replaced by the humid waft of buttery popcorn, your brain was stuck at the garage, filling in the drag of his heavy work boots on the way to the breakroom for coffee, and the lingering scent of cigarette smoke trailing his stride.

Except, as you were jolted back to reality, you came to know he didn’t present himself so generically outside the context of motor oil. Due to the traffic clogging around the ticket ripper, Eddie ran into you and you discovered the nuances of what he smelled like when not at work, with the added intimacy of his chest pressed to your back.

Worn leather enveloped by notes of vanilla musk cologne. Spicy deodorant carried by the sweet earthy tang of tobacco. Dove White on his heated skin, and Dawn on his hands.

A symphony you could immerse yourself in learning for hours if it wasn’t for the crime of your group moving forward.

“Did you want anything?” Eddie asked you, pointing at the concessions.

“Oh, no, I’m good.” You made a clawing gesture at your mouth. “Eating popcorn before the movie even starts because I have no self control and then being forced to sit there with kernels in my teeth drives me nuts.”

Not finding you as endearing as you intended, he slipped his hands into his pockets, and motioned for both of you to stand off to the side, out of the way while you waited for the others to get their snacks. And he just stood there. Not saying anything. You were turned to him as if to carry a conversation, but his gaze was set ahead; not on anything in particular, just away from you.

Rarely had his face been this slack, this devoid of emotion. Even when doing menial work like filling out invoices for parts you would need to order, there was activity. Liveliness in the tic of his eyes reading lines on the paper. Movement of his tongue sliding across his top lip. A subtle crease between his brows. Something. Anything.

You spoke above the giggly teenagers sneaking into the film next door, “For a stick in the mud, you look nice.” He really did, in his well-loved jacket draping his frame after years of being broken in to perfection. Tight black jeans. Sensible boots. More accessories than just his rings.

Try as he might to cut you an unamused look, his freshly washed hair bounced in immaculate waves around his face, catching the low mood lighting like a messy halo.

“Thanks,” he said, not meaning it.

“I can see why you don’t get many dates if you always look this miserable.”

“I’m not miserable.”

“Glum, then? Woebegone? Hapless? Crestfallen?” When he seemed hellbent on wishing he were anywhere else, you eased up on your act. Harboring the pit of rejection eating away at your stomach, you pried, “Disappointed?”

The glimpse of vulnerability in your words was not lost on him.

He snapped to, shaking himself out of his funk to reassure you in his gentle timbre amongst the chaos of someone beating the top score on the pinball machine, “I’m not disappointed to be here with you.”

“Then what are you?”

“Sorry,” he guessed, shrugging. He was the type to speak with his hands, moving them despite being confined to his pockets. “I’m sorry our friends suck at communicating and this is how your night turned out; you being here with me when you were clearly expecting someone else.” His gaze didn’t dare dip lower than your nose, but the effort you put into your appearance did not go unnoticed. It wasn't the first time he stared a little too directly into your eyes after you decided to stop covering yourself up.

“I don’t go on dates intending to find my one true love or anything lame like that,” you said, honestly. “I go on them to have fun, and I think we can still have fun, even if we have to share the same tiny lunch table come Monday, and we side-eye Carl for bringing tuna again.” He almost smiled at that.

Sensing he needed another boost of confidence, you kept going, “Before I knew it was you, Robin was talking you up in the car. Going on about how my date was some sweet guy, super handsome, and with a heart of gold. You know, the Prince Charming type. Oh, and totally obnoxious too. Real loudmouth who never shuts up.”

Okay, maybe some of that was ad libbed, but you wanted to know how much of it was true.

Eddie shifted from foot to foot, subduing his grin by biting his tongue, literally. “That’s a pretty apt way to describe me back in high school, yeah, especially with how I’m dressed.”

“What changed?”

“Uh, I had a kid,” he laughed. “She stole all my charm. I swear Adrie can talk me into anything.”

“I think you’re just a pushover.”

“Probably,” he surrendered. Raising his brows, he mused aloud one of the many things on his mind, “Do you not agree that she described me accurately? Sweet Prince Charming guy, all that?”

There was no way in hell you were going to speak your truth. Instead, you smirked. “I don’t think you want to know what adjectives I’d use to describe you.” They were far too vulgar to utter in a crowded room. Hot in the most annoying way. Absolute pain in my ass. Just the worst, especially when I don’t hear you sneak up behind me in the kitchen, and you think it’s funny to scare me right as I open my drink from the Coke machine, and you laugh your stupid laugh when I drop it. An absolute eye-sore when you look up at me while you're on your hands and knees cleaning up the mess you created. Irritatingly handsome when you grin and buy me another one.

Ignorant to your private thoughts, he swung his elbow out to push you, and smiled.

Relaxing into the natural lull in conversation, you both watched your friends make it to the front of the line and order their food. They waited at the counter, starting the clock on when they would inevitably make it back to the two of you, and cease your alone time with Eddie. (Although, first, they’d have to traverse an entire bucket of dropped popcorn, and navigate around more than one group of children reenacting a fight scene they just watched on the big screen.)

“Were you disappointed I was your date?” you asked.

Robin was right. Eddie was a sweetheart. As soon as he detected an inkling of insecurity–whether it be in your strained voice, or etched into your face, or imbued in the question itself–he was quick to absolve your worry.

“No, no,” he said. “Relieved, if I’m being honest.”

“Relieved?” You weren’t expecting that.

“There’s a reason I haven’t dated since having Adrie. It didn’t sound like Steve made it clear to.. you, well, my anonymous date which happened to be you. Jesus, this is confusing. Whatever, you know what I mean, he didn’t say if he told my would-be date that I’m a dad, and I was afraid of coming here and having to tell them myself. Even if we hit it off, it’s a deal breaker for some people, y’know? Not that I blame them. I would’ve said the same thing five years ago.”

You nodded as you listened to him. “Never thought about it from that perspective. All my dates have been one-and-dones. Super casual. Kids were never really brought up.”

“Yeah, the dating world isn’t always so gracious. I’m kinda glad I’m here with you–someone who knows me, at least.”

Out of the corner of your eye, you spied Steve raising his sodas above his head as two boys ran past him, pretending they were in a shootout.

Knowing he wouldn’t have time to respond, you informed Eddie, “You’re worrying about the wrong thing. Adrie’s an angel. You should be more concerned about your curmudgeonly attitude being a deal breaker.” His narrowed-eye glare had never felt so sweet.

Robin’s giddy presence became known. She dropped her chin to your shoulder with a satisfied hum, and wrapped her arm around your waist to hug you snug to her body. You laid your head on top of hers, swaying with her.

She must’ve made a face at Eddie, because a different emotion flinched across his features, and he was back to avoiding making eye contact.

You, however, were more enticed by the drink in her hand than analyzing his change in demeanor. “Shit, now I want an Icee.”

“Yeah, I got cherry,” she said, angling the straw towards you. “They have Coke too–Okay, bye, dork,” she giggled after you.

“Go ahead and sit without me! I want an Icee.” Nancy clutched the largest size of popcorn to her chest to avoid spilling it as you stumbled out of Robin’s hold and darted for the concession stand.

Eddie raised his voice, “You couldn’t have decided that five minutes ago when I asked?”

“Nope!”

————

The theater for the low budget horror flick reflected the town’s perception of it. As soon as the heavy door closed behind you, your footsteps on the dense carpet echoed around the empty room. Your group was sitting in the back row, and their murmurs could be heard from the bottom.

You climbed up to them and flumped into the seat next to Eddie. “We can share,” you said excitedly, shaking the drink at him before placing it in the cupholder at the end of the single armrest.

When the subtle pinch of concern around his eyes remained, you promised him you didn’t have cooties.

He played with his rings, pulling them down the length of his fingers and spinning them while he worked through his confusion. “You don’t have to sit next to me.. You can sit next to Robin.” He motioned beside him, to Steve munching on his popcorn while Nancy held it, and Robin whispering on the end, rolling her eyes at something Nancy said.

“Why wouldn’t I sit next to you?”

Eddie’s mouth opened and closed, struggling to settle on what he wanted to say, and finishing with a submissive shrug, leather jacket groaning at the act. He bounced his foot quicker, shaking the aglets on his laces against his boot in a chaotic rhythm. “Dunno..”

“You’re silly. I’d pinch your cheek if I didn’t think you’d bite me.” He reeled at that, and you giggled. You didn’t mind making him balk at your weird quirks; whatever put him at ease. Rather, whatever made him stop rubbing his knee against yours, because you were certain the friction was about to cause a fire.

Digging through your purse, you took out a rectangular box and slid your finger under the flap, popping it open and dumping a handful of candy into your palm. You threw it back into your mouth. “Want sh-ome?” you chewed, offering the box to him.

“Who the hell eats Mike and Ikes?”

“Uh, me, jerk.” Right as the lights dimmed to pitch black, and the curtains drew back from the screen, you hit him with the most exaggerated pout. “I only eat them at the movies. They’re a ritual, and you’re rude.” The shadows lining his face twisted into a deeper grin. “Are you more of a chocolate guy?”

“Maybe,” he answered like he was suspicious of your motives.

And maybe he should be. Afterall, you committed the number one sin when it came to cinemas.

“Looks like I chose right,” you said, reaching into your purse and pulling out a Kit Kat. “I was hoping my date would be a chocolate sorta guy–” You went quiet seeing his eyes widen a touch. “I mean, not date. Begrudging coworker? Tentative acquaintance?”

“Reluctant friend,” he answered smoothly, taking the package from you and ripping it open with his teeth.

~~~

Trailers for other films played, bathing the room in flickers of light interrupting the darkness. The opening credits began. Your candy was half-eaten. His was devoured. You took a sip of your Icee, and from the vantage point of pressing your back into the cheap theater seat, you observed him in your periphery.

His gaze hardly left the drink. Your offer to share it gnawed at him in a visible way. Scoping out the straw, the possible trace of spit you left behind, the possible trace of spit he’d leave behind. He peered at the screen to acknowledge the intro, and then back down it was, boring holes into the Icee.

You were no better, nibbling at your lips when he finally caved and took a sip–all too quick, and clumsy, almost missing the cup holder when he put it back down with lightning speed.

The edge of your thighs touched under the arm rest; worse so, when you folded one leg under you, and leaned into him. “Do you hate it when people talk during movies?”

“Not these kind.” He meant the genre in general, which made for great fodder for ripping apart in friend groups, but another popular trope among this realm of fiction became apparent. The first set of tits flashed on screen, and you both found yourselves lacking in the commentary department.

After a moment, you tilted your head. “That actress looks familiar..”

“She’s been in other cult classics. Always acts with her eyebrows.” He turned to you and nudged your shoulder, vying for your full attention. He emphasized the end of each word with an inflection as if it were a question, and raised his eyebrows in every way possible, mocking her slowly, “She’s the one who always talks like this–!” He looked crazy contorting his face to make his point.

“That’s it!” You snapped. “Her wearing glasses really threw me off.”

“Mhm.” His hum vibrated along your upper arm pressed to his, and he asked quietly under the screams of the first gorey death, “Do you like B movies?”

“Hell yeah. Back home they would play them at this rooftop drive in place. I rarely paid to watch them, though. The next building over had a good view of the projector screen.”

His banter dropped in favor of chewing on the corner of his thumb. If it wasn’t for the wild change in scenery cast across his face, you could’ve sworn his faint smile faltered into inscrutability.

Did you say something wrong?

————

“Damn, that was a cool practical effect,” Eddie complimented the purplish fizzing ooze that once was a person.

“I know, right? That’s why I love these bad movies. There’s no budget for good CGI, so they have to do creative stuff like that.”

It was inevitable. Bound to happen. A mere act of fate. Stars aligning in the close knit group leaning forward to exchange witty quips about the hare-brained plot holes in the movie, and not minding their surroundings except to receive everyone’s laughter, making jokes at the expense of the bad acting.

Steve was asking a question that was technically answered by the movie’s lore if he’d paid attention to the dialogue during the second gratuitous stripping scene. You or Eddie could have answered, but Robin took it upon herself to explain, and you two nodded along.

Absentminded, you reached for the Icee.

Distracted, Eddie reached for the Icee.

The waxed paper cup was cold under your fingers, but your hand was blanketed by warmth.

Slow to process, you both glanced down at the reason why neither of you were achieving your goal, and the overload of sensory inputs faded away to one: touch.

Your thumb was trapped under his palm, and his fingers stretched around the cup, meeting yours on the other side and housing them beneath his in a steady amount of pressure. They were almost interlocking. Holding. Wrist on top of wrist–his with the extra harshness of his leather and chain bracelet on your skin. The heaviness of his forearm resting on yours.

Truly, the accident lasted all of two pumps of your heart, but it felt like more when he stroked his calloused fingertips over your knuckles as he let go.

“Sorry!” he blurted.

“S-Sorry,” you laughed, jittery from the encounter.

Your cheeks were hot. His were flushed red. The lewd moaning of a woman feigning to orgasm just from the male lead removing her bra alone played in the background. Neither of you could decide which plan of escape was less embarrassing: continuing to stare like idiots at each other, or watch the actress’ ginormous boobs bounce as she faked riding a guy.

You blinked. His eyebrows ticced up.

Boobs it was.

He adjusted how he sat, tugging his jeans down his legs a little, and crossing his arms. Eyes laser focused on the woman’s face. The why was obvious, and you couldn’t help but tease him for pretending to be a gentleman in your company when you held no such modesty when it came to ogling her tits.

“Thinking about how much Aquanet she uses?”

“Shut up.”

————

Later into the film, after the plot circled back to the juicy gore, you leaned into Eddie to ask him a question.

What that question was, you couldn’t remember.

As soon as you placed your elbow on the armrest and used the back of your hand to tap his shoulder, he dipped his head to hear you. It was an automatic thing starting from the moment you slouched in your seat. That’s all. A shift in your sitting position and intake of breath, and he knew you were going to speak, and he wanted to listen. He cared about what you had to say. He leaned into you as well, because listening to you took priority over the movie.

“Eddie?” You sought any words. Any words at all. Any would do. Any question, even if you knew the answer. “Uhm. The music sounds really familiar. Do you recognize it?”

“It’s the same composer as Chopping Mall and Deathstalker II.”

“Ah.”

Ah. All you could muster when you were charmed by the silhouette of his lips moving. Watching them form letters, pout on the plosives, press into a line on his thick swallow.

Ah. All you could say when his hair brushed over your fingers. Dry, in need of a deep conditioning. Curling around your forefinger. Tickling your palm.

Ah. All you could respond with when you lifted your gaze, and caught him staring at you like you stared at him.

————

As predicted, the filmmakers padded the runtime with another topless scene, and the movie ended on a witty one liner that included not one, but two puns, and no resolution to the numerous plot threads left hanging.

“That was.. certainly something!” Robin summed up, holding the doors open to the subdued hours of the night.

Once outside in the fresh air, the dynamic reverted back to its original status.

Your friends made themselves scarce in the worst way; whistling, shuffling to the side as they found asinine things to comment on, leaving you and Eddie alone. Their intentions were pure, but reality was not so kind.

Eddie cemented his gaze on the sidewalk as he picked at his callouses, and apologized for the mistake of going out with you. Again. “Sorry about all this.”

Itchy sweat broke out across your back. It sucked he was so brazen about rejecting you. You had  hoped some of the tender crush you had on him extended past the armrest you shared, the looks you shared, the touches you shared; but maybe you were just tricking yourself into finding things that weren’t there.

Wanting to end on a better note, you appealed to him in a last ditch effort to smooth over the situation, “I meant it when I said you looked good tonight. It’s nice to see you outside of your work clothes.”

“Thanks.”

That’s all. Thanks. A shy glance from beneath his curtain of messy hair, and a somber tone to maximize the awkwardness of the not-date with your coworker.

You needed to get the hell out of there. “See you Monday?”

“Yeah, see you Monday.”

The group winced in unison when they saw the way you two departed.

Robin was quick to link her arm with yours and gather you closer, bringing your heads together to gossip as you walked back to her car. “That bad, huh?”

Around the corner and out of sight, you gave her half a smile, trying to appear in better spirits. “Well, I don’t think he likes me. He didn’t return any of my compliments, and he apologized for being on a date with me no less than four times over the course of the evening.”

She cringed for you. “That’s worse than Balloon Guy, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” you said, remembering what would go down in history as the shittiest date you’d been on. “Yeah, that’s more times than Balloon Guy.” Robin hugged you tighter, making your steps go clumsy. She apologized for Eddie’s weirdness, but you shrugged. Maybe you were supposed to find it weird, too. Maybe you were supposed to disapprove of the idea of romantic feelings for your coworker, too. Maybe you were supposed to have no expectations for it to lead anywhere, too.

Maybe you were supposed to reject him, too.

————

Still loitering outside the theater, Steve exchanged a look with Nancy, and jogged to catch up with Eddie before he made it too far in the opposite direction.

“Uh, hey buddy!” Steve clapped him on the shoulder to stop him. “It sounded like you two were hitting it off during the movie, what happened?”

Eddie sulked under the question. His chest fell with a surrendering sigh, and his boots scraped the concrete as he turned to him, not bothering to mask the dullness in his slack expression. Everything about him was tired, including his voice when he slipped into a lower, raspy octave. “She’s nice, but..”

“But what?” Nancy asked, searching his face.

Bottling his burdens, he clenched his teeth, and worked his jaw as he contemplated evading their insistent prying; but after ruminating on it, he explained the source of his problems, “She lives a very.. whimsy life.” He fluttered his hand like a bird flapping its wings, or a butterfly. “She does this thing where she says ‘yes’ to anything anyone asks her; it’s why she moved to Hawkins, and why she ended up on this date to begin with. Y’know, just doing whatever seems like fun. It’s cute, in a way, and obviously I.. feel a way towards her, but this place isn’t where she’s looking to lay down roots. New York is her home.”

Steve squeezed his shoulder, knowing what was about to come.

“I’ve already been left for someone better.. I can’t go through that again.” Eddie’s eyes begged them to understand. “I don’t want Adrie to get attached to someone who’s just gonna leave.”

Nancy started, “Eddie–You don’t know if she’d leave.”

He shook his head, and pulled away from Steve’s lingering grasp. Shushed his friend’s well-meaning words about him being valued, and to forget his insecurities about not being good enough.

“A girl like that doesn’t need me weighing her down,” Eddie said, imparting the wisdom he’d come to accept since you made a mark on his life weeks ago, when it became your mission to befriend him. “I’ll pick up Adrie in the morning. Thanks for watching her.”

The night got darker as he left.

Darker still, when Steve waved at his back, and Nancy played with the locket around her neck, and her goodbye went disregarded.

————

Silence.

It surrounded him. Blood pulsing in his ears, his heart beat, the refrigerator hum, the tink of glass bottles as he grabbed the full six pack and brought it to the couch, springs squeaking under his weight.

Utter emptiness welcomed him.

Not a sound in his home. Not a giggle from his daughter, or scrape of a skillet from Wayne’s makeshift breakfast-dinner before he went to work. Even the dogs around the trailer park were quiet.

Just.. nothing.

It was what he wanted, right? A night to himself; a break from the chores, the questions, the food making, the taking care of a tiny human being who made everything tougher than it needed to be.

He got his wish.

Two beers down in peace, he got his wish.

Eddie looked around his trailer lit by the single lamp beside him.

Quiet, empty, nothing.

Dark silence.

The jolt of his sob startled him. It erupted from his chest so suddenly. Ripped from the tightness of repressed emotions; the things he tried to deny, to feel and then lock away. To keep safe, buried down deep where he could manage them from progressing past the boundaries he created for his own good, and Adrie’s. He felt the agony of them all at once. The morning smiles, the afternoon laughs, the evenings of pretending you didn’t plan to bump into each other in the doorway to the lobby. The game of seeing how long he could watch you twirl the phone cord around your finger before you looked up from your desk. Your sweet way of comforting him after the hard nights of Adrie’s sleep regression by taking his tan work jacket and draping it over his shoulders while he slept at the lunch table in the break room. Your gentle method of fixing his collar when it was tucked on the inside of his coveralls.

The date was too good to be true.

In fact, the truth itself was far more painful.

The date was amazing. He couldn’t remember a time in his life when he had more fun. More thrills, sure. But not more fun. There wasn’t a day in his youth where he experienced more of the flirty thrum in his veins than when he committed himself to learning the way your lips moved when saying his name in the darkened theater.

The date was perfect. He was happy. And he couldn’t have it again. Shouldn’t have it again. Wouldn’t have these feelings again.

Eddie doubled over and put his third beer on the floor before he spilled it. Nothing was discernible beyond the water invading his ability to see, to fathom his reflection in the old TV. Sad, miserable, and lonely. An idiot for finally getting attached to someone, and it was someone he wasn’t supposed to.

Tears slipped from between his lashes. He smeared them on his cheeks, covering his sweaty face from his possessions bearing witness to his stupidity.

It was in his best interest to reject you–reject your casual stance on dating, and relationships, and people with kids–but the face you made when your advances went underappreciated churned his stomach.

He needed to be stronger. But he was weak.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” he sighed into the stale air. Opening another beer, he nursed it as he huddled into the corner of the couch, and searched for Adrie’s quilt to soothe him. But of course, he sent it with her when he dropped her off at Steve’s.

No baby blanket to hold onto. No Adrienne to sleep on his chest to ease the pain of loneliness. No reason to look forward to Monday after he royally screwed everything up.

“Goddamnit,” he groaned.

Maybe, if he apologized enough, there was a chance you wouldn’t hate him.

Maybe, if you forgave him, you’d go back to the morning smiles, and the afternoon laughs.

And maybe, if he was enough of a masochist, he’d let you gently ease past those boundaries meant to keep you, and your kindness out. If you wanted to trespass, that is. He didn’t know. He was an idiot.

[harringtonstilinski]

Call It What You Want - Steve Harrington

Author: @harringtonstilinski​ Characters: Steve Harrington x Henderson!Reader Word Count: 3,080 Warnings: fluff, squint hard for angst, ignore the fact that eddie has risen from the dead, lol Requested: no | yes; i hope it meets your expectations, @stevesxyellowxsweater!! came from this prompt list Smut: no | yes; A/N: Hi, friends! So, this hellsite decided to delete/eat the original fic of this. If you like this, please do not hesitate to reblog and give some feedback, whether it be in the reblogs, comments, or my inbox. As always, read at your own risk and enjoy 😊

Steve Harrington. Your childhood best friend turned… acquaintance? Hell, you don’t even know anymore. You two used to be inseparable before he became King Steve, then your friendship went to shit… or at least you think it did.

When he started spending less and less time with you over the course of high school, your mind couldn’t help but go to the worst case scenarios. He didn’t want to be your friend anymore, he didn’t like you as a friend anymore, he was in the popular crowd while you weren’t so that made him not like you, Tommy H. and Carol, and many more.

Everything came to a head during both of your Senior year. You had asked him to hang out a couple of days after he and Nancy broke up, just wanting to cheer up your best friend. When he ditched you for a whole ass month, you decided to quit trying.

It was now summer of ‘86, just a couple of months after the earthquake. You were volunteering at the high school gym, or makeshift shelter, when you spotten him, folding clothes.

You tried to avert your eyes when he looked up and over, feeling eyes on his figure, but you couldn’t. Lost in those hazel eyes that you were once your favorite things to look at.

He pulled his lips together in a tight smile, nodding his head once at you before looking back down at the shirt in his hands, finishing the fold he started on it.

“Why don’t you just, I don’t know, talk to him?” Robin said, effectively scaring you.

After jumping ten feet from your skin, you placed a hand over your heart, bending at the waist ever so slightly, resting your free hand on the table in front of you. “Holy shit, don’t do that again.”

“Look, I know it’s been years since you guys have talked, but–”

“If you tell me it’ll benefit us both in the long run again, I’m gonna take these suspenders and snap them on your tits,” you interrupted, eyebrow raised.

Robin held her hands up, looking down slightly as she said, “Okay, fair enough. But seriously, though? Just saying hey and catching up wouldn’t hurt anyone. Especially Dustin.”

You looked over at your little brother, watching as he continued to hand people cups of water and blankets, his leg having long been healed from his fall back into the Upside Down. Sighing, you whispered, “I know,” before looking back at Robin. “I know he’s already lost Eddie. He can’t lose Steve, too.”

“Even though it feels that way,” your brother said, setting his tray down next to you.

Wrapping your arm around his shoulders, you sighed. “You haven’t.”

“He’s always going on dates.”

Brows furrowed, you replied, “He’s always gone on dates. His asshole of a father always told him that if he wasn’t settled down by a certain age then he was considered a failure in his eyes. Which he isn’t… nor will he ever be.”

Dustin and Robin looked at each other behind your head, both of them raising their eyebrows in unison at your words, realization hitting them both. You had a crush on Steve. 

And of course, your shithead of a little brother looked back at you with a devilish smile after watching Steve take a few steps towards you. “Well, here’s your chance to get that date you’ve always wanted.”

Looking at him confused, you asked, “What are you–” before being interrupted by both him and Robin saying, “Bye!,” walking away as Steve approached the table.

You looked from Dustin to Robin as the two of them walked away, mouth ajar before bringing your bottom lip between your teeth and looking in front of you. A small smile appeared on your face, seeing that playful smile that Steve always gave.

“Hey, loser,” he said.

Releasing your lip, you scrunched your eyebrows, greeting him with, “Buttface.”

A chuckle came from his mouth, his head bending forward as his chin became parallel with his collarbone. When he brought his head back up, you saw nothing but amusement in his eyes as he said, “Buttface? Really?”

Crossing your arms, you retorted, “Well, you are. You fucking ditched me.”

All amusement left his eyes at your words, fear and anxiety crashing into yours. “Oh, my god. Steve, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to say it. I just slipped out–”

“It’s okay,” he said, stopping your words. Nodding, he added, “I mean, I did deserve it. I was an asshole and I’m majorly sorry for that.”

Smiling a little to yourself, you tilted your head and quietly asked, “Did just say majorly? What is this? 1982?”

He looked at you confused, but laughed nonetheless. “Yes. Yes, I did.”

Going back to messing around with the items in front of you at the table, you said, “You were always one for trends. Still are, apparently.”

“What do you mean?”

Gesturing to his clothes, you eyed his outfit before locking eyes with him again. “Need I say more?”

“What about the hair?”

“Still on trend with that. It’s your best attribute. I predict, though, in about… twenty or so years, you’re gonna cut it short.”

Leaning his hands on the table, he asked, “Will I still look good?” “Of course,” you chuckled. “You always have. Even when we were kids and your parents made you get those… oh, what are they called?” You thought for a moment before gasping. “Oh, my god! It was a bowl–”

“You finish that sentence and I’ll make sure everyone sees your haircut from the late 70’s.”

With wide eyes, you said, “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Don’t try me, princess.”

You narrowed your eyes at the nickname he used to call you when the two of you were kids. You loved it until you reached high school when Carol started calling you princess to get under your skin.

He started using it in a derogatory way after that just to please his friends, which pissed you off to no end. Steve would end up going home after school or hanging out with Tommy H and Carol, regretting the words he’d said to you.

That’s when you both made the conscious decisions, separately, to stop hanging out. When you two walked across the stage at graduation, you cheered and clapped for each other, spotting each other in the crowd and giving each other a small smile.

Realizing what he’d called you, his eyes went wide with shock. “Sweetheart, I am so sorry.”

Waving him off, you looked down. “It’s okay, Steve. I’m over it.”

“Clearly not with the way you just looked at me.”

“And how was that?” you asked, looking from the blanket you were moving into Steve’s eyes.

With a small smile, he replied, “Like you wanted to kill me.”

“Oh, my god. Just ask her out!” Dustin said, walking behind Steve.

Your eyes went wide, not believing that just happened, but… Steve apparently believed it because not five seconds after Dustin had disappeared, he asked, “Would you? Go on a date with me?”

Flabbergasted, you opened and closed your mouth like a fish out of water, your brain going a million miles an hour as you tried to come up with an answer as an arm came around your shoulders, ultimately halting your train of thought.

“Of course she’d love to, dingus,” Robin said. You could hear the smile behind her words… and see it as you turned your head to face her.

“Robin,” you quietly hissed.

“Oh, shush,” she whispered. “You know you want to.”

You knew, deep down in your heart you knew you wanted to go on that date with one Steve Harrington. You had always wished that he would ask you, but alas… he never did. Always asking out the popular girls, the girls on the cheerleading team or dance team. And it always broke your heart.

This time, though, was different. It was you he was asking, not some other girl that only wanted to get into his pants… or he into theirs.

Sighing, you closed your eyes for a moment before gathering your thoughts and nodding your head. “Yeah. Okay.”

“Yeah, okay, what?” Robin said, the smile evident on her face.

“Yes, Steve, I’ll go on a date with you.”

~~~

Two weeks had gone by before you were standing in front of your vanity mirror, looking over your outfit.

“Hey, female - holy shit.”

You turned and spotted Eddie standing at your doorway, a cassette tape in his hands that he nearly dropped. Chuckling, you said, “Hey, Eddie. What’cha got there?”

“Uhh,” he said, looking from you to the cassette. Looking up with a devilish smile on his face, he played with it, before tilting his head and scrunching his nose. “Maybe it’s that album you’ve been looking for.”

Scrunching your brows in thought, you wracked your brain trying to think of what album he could be talking about until it hit you with a gasp. “Def Leppard’s Pyromania?”

Pointing at you with the cassette, Eddie smiled and said, “The very one.”

Squealing happily, you ran and jumped into your best friend's arms, hugging him tightly around his neck before releasing him, hands cupping his cheeks. “Thank you, Ed.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” He gave you another quick hug before adding, “Oh, by the way. You look beautiful. You’re gonna knock Harrington’s socks off.”

Chuckling, you said, “Thanks, Eddie.” At the sound of Steve’s laugh, your body tensed the slightest bit, your best friend noticing.

“Hey,” Eddie said, voice gentle. “It’s gonna be okay. Don’t worry. If he tries anything, just let me know and I’ll kick his ass.”

“In what? D&D?”

He was silent for a moment, his eyes going the tiniest bit wide before he nodded his head in agreement. “Yeah, you got me there.”

You laughed as you turned to put the cassette on your vanity, giving yourself one more look over before exiting your room, purse on your shoulder. When you spotted Steve standing at the door with Dustin, laughing, your heart leapt into your throat. Steve looked damn good, and you knew tonight wouldn’t end without the two of you making things official… after talking everything out.

When Dustin looked at you, his smile never faded. “Well, here she is. The lady of the hour.”

“Oh, shut up,” you said, giving him a side hug as Steve chuckled.

He opened the door for you, escorting you out, Dustin, your mom and Eddie wishing the two of you a good night.

“Ten bucks they end up together,” Dustin says.

“I’ll up you ten and say they’ll do more than just ‘get together’,” Eddie replied.

With a disgusted look on his face, Dustin looked up to his mentor, saying, “That’s my sister, you gross ass.”

~~~

The car ride to the movies was silent, but comfortable. The film choice for the night was The Karate Kid Part II. Your main reason for seeing it?; Ralph Macchio.

Max had told you if you didn’t see it that she’d hunt you down and murder you in your sleep. An empty threat from the redhead, but nevertheless, you told that you’d see it, a smile spreading across her face at your words.

Once the movie was over and you voiced that you were starving, Steve drove the two of you to Benny’s, home of the best burgers and fries in Hawkins. As soon as you two walked into the diner, the waitress smiled to herself, already getting her notepad and pen out, writing down yours and Steve’s orders.

She waited on the two of you during your Freshman and Sophomore years of high school before Steve became King Steve. Gloria, the waitress, had always wondered where you were when Steve would come in with Tommy H and Carol. Steve had explained that the two of you weren’t really hanging out anymore, which made her sad, so seeing the both of you at the diner together, made her smile.

The both of you took your normal booth in the middle along the wall of windows. You turned your head to the right, looking out at the cars passing by on the road. Sighing, you felt content before looking back at Steve, whose eyes had been on you the whole time.

Steve was immensely happy that you had decided to go on this date with him. He always felt bad at the treatment you got from him, and always wanted to make it up to you in the best way possible. This was the best thing he thought of. Doing what you’d always used to do; movie and then burgers at Benny’s.

“What?” you asked, reaching up to touch your cheek. “Do I have something on my face?”

Chuckling, Steve looked down at the table before looking around the diner, eyeing Gloria, giving her a nod, a small smile on his face as he did, your eyes watching his movements.

Turning your head to look towards Gloria, your face lit up with happiness, the seasoned waitress walking over with her tray resting on her hand, bringing the two of your food.

“Oh, my goodness,” she smiled. “Look at how grown you two have gotten. I was wondering when you two were gonna come walking back in here together.”

Your face flushed as Steve’s eyes widening the slightest bit at her words. She always rooted for the two of you. After Gloria had set your drinks in front of you, she smiled and said that she’d be right back with a special treat for you and Steve.

Shrugging, you picked up your burger after topping it with your condiments and veggies of choice that were on your plate, you took the first bite, eyes practically rolling into the back of your head. “Oh, my god. I forgot how good these burgers were.”

With furrowed brows, Steve picked up a fry and asked, “When was the last time you were here?” before popping it into his mouth.

“The last time we both were here,” you said, after swallowing your bite, going back in for another.

Steve hummed to himself, taking a bite of his cheeseburger, having topped it with his toppings of choice. 

About half way through your meal, Gloria set your favorite milkshakes in front of you, a big smile spreading on your face after she walked away. Using the spoon that was in the cup, you brought a spoonful of the thick milkshake to your mouth, quietly moaning with an eye roll at the flavors hitting your taste buds.

Pointing to the shake with the spoon, you said with a mouthful, “The best damn shakes in Hawkins.”

“The best damn shakes in all of Indiana!” Steve exclaimed, holding his own spoon out with some of his shake on it.

Scooping another spoonful, you ‘clinked’ your spoons together, laughing at the silliness of it all. You had missed it, though, and so had Steve. Once your laughter had died down and you were finished with your meals, Steve had tried to pay, Gloria insisting that it was on the house, courtesy of Benny himself.

The drive back to your house was quiet again, but comfortable. Steve had his hands on the steering wheel and gear shift, respectfully, while yours was in your lap. All the words you wanted to say were a mess in your head, every thought that was tumbling around in your head caused you to lose track of time… and where you were.

A hand on your shoulder brought you back, your head turning towards Steve. “I’m sorry, what?”

He chuckled, his hand never leaving your shoulder. “I said, we’re here and asked if you were okay.”

“Oh,” you said, sheepishly. “Yeah. Got lost in thought, I guess.”

“What were you thinking about?” 

Shaking your head, you looked down and whispered, “It’s nothing.”

Putting his hand on yours and gaining your attention, Steve said, “Hey. Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

All you could do for the next ten seconds was look into those hazel eyes you used to get lost in before you leaned forward, resting your forehead against his, closing your eyes and sighing. Steve sighed and closed his eyes, as well, bringing his hand from yours to cup your cheek.

“I’ve missed you, Stevie,” you whispered. You felt him stiffen just slightly, your opening and head lifting from his for just a moment before he brought your forehead back to his. “I’m sorry. I know you hate being called that.”

This time, it was Steve who lifted his head to look at you, his hand never moving from your cheek. “You’re the only one that gets to call me that, ya’know? Always have been, always will.”

A small smile spread on your lips, Steve’s hand moving slightly back towards your neck, his thumb rubbing at the top of your jawline near your ear. “Don’t hate me for this,” he whispered.

“What are you–” you started, but your words were cut off by Steve’s lips on yours. You were a little shocked, to say the least, but you kissed him back regardless. It wasn’t a hungry kiss. It was more of one that was testing the waters

With lips slowly moving in sync, you couldn’t help but feel happy that his lips were actually on yours. You hated to admit it to yourself, but you’ve always wondered what it would feel like to have Steve’s lips on yours, and now that they are… you couldn’t get enough.

You wanted to keep kissing him until your lips were red, swollen, numb, the whole nine yards. All you wanted was Steve, and now… you think you have him.

When you both pulled away, breathless, you rested your foreheads against each other’s, simultaneously. As you caught your breath, you smiled, a soft chuckle making its way from your lips.

“What’s so funny?” he asked, a smile on his face as well.

Rolling your head to the right a little, you bit your bottom lip before lifting your head and looking at those hazel eyes you’ve always loved. “I just can’t believe that happened.”

Moving his hand back to your cheek, Steve smiled that smile you hadn’t seen in years. “Well, you better believe it… because I plan on doing that more.”

“I’m counting on it, Stevie.”

Steve chuckled while shaking his head, bringing your lips back to his with a smile on both of your faces.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N 2:  hi, friends! let me know what you thought about! again, please do not hesitate to reblog and give some feedback, whether it be in the reblogs, comments, or my inbox.

Additional Notes: 

~~~

Forever / Everything Taglist: @stiles-o-dylan24 @stixnstripesworld @fandom-princess-forevermore @quanticobae @mischiefandi @kellyashcroft @lauren-novak

Steve Harrington Taglist: @madaboutjoe​

If you’re tagged and didn’t want to be, please let me know.

Italics wouldn’t let me tag!

~~~

*Please don’t post my writing anywhere else without my consent. The author of this work will always and forever be @harringtonstilinski​.

All characters, story lines, and plot aside from y/n and her storyline & plot, are all of the work of The Duffer Brothers.

*These works contain material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited.

No part of these works may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher.

Posted on March 22, 2024

[navnae]

(Roses) To Say I Love You

-

Growing up Steve was always surrounded by flowers since his mom was well known as the town’s florist and he had no choice but to learn the meanings behind every single flower, however he didn’t mind it because she taught him which flowers were absolute yes’s or hard no’s. During the summer when Steve wasn’t busy with basketball, he would come home from school and sit with his mom while she worked with customers then after she’ll explain what the flowers meant that the customer just purchased. To others this information was probably something that could easily be ignored and not taken seriously but for some reason Steve took in everything that he learned from his mom and kept with him for the rest of his life. Sometimes Steve would have to stop himself from spreading the knowledge that he knew about some flowers because not everybody wanted to know that their partner got them this big bouquet of yellow roses because they thought the color was pretty and Steve goes into detail about how “yellow roses are a symbol of jealousy or infidelity” that would earn him a slap in the face and an endless amount of arguing that ended with him feeling shitty. So, Steve learned to keep his mouth shut about what he knew and he never brought it up unless there was a place for it.

Out of all the flowers though, Steve only had one flower in particular that it’s meaning meant a lot to him and that was the red rose. A classic flower that had a universal meaning that could be understood by everyone. Steve’s mom went in depth when it came to red roses, she told him that if he ever wanted to give a rose to someone he should understand his feeling for them completely. In a subtle way Steve would be saying that he’s madly in love with whoever it was he gave the rose to and ever since that day Steve stayed clear of roses until he was really positive that was in love with the person he ended up with. Even when him and Nancy broke up he felt like roses would have made a difference in their relationship because that was his way of telling her that his love for her was beyond words but that didn’t play out like that in the slightest. After that it took Steve years to even look at a set of roses again without feeling sick and filled with guilt about everything that has happened. No matter how many dates he’s been on he refused to give any of those girls flowers because he never felt a true connection there and Steve never went out of his way to utter the words “I love you” unless he truly found the one. Steve didn’t know when that day would come but he hoped it would be soon.

Steve’s love story was put in the back burner for awhile because of what Hawkins was going through and the last thing he needed to think about who’s more deserving of roses in this town. Well, after the universe was done playing tricks on him the answer became pretty clear in a matter of a few months. Usually when the party would come to an end of a battle they were able to go back to normal and Steve always did that alone, sometimes Robin would be included with his healing but majority of the time he handled it on his own. All of that changed when Eddie showed up at his front door one day offering him a movie night that he couldn’t say no to. Just like that without realizing it Eddie slowly started to become apart Steve’s healing process and he became one of the biggest reasons to why Steve was able to enjoy living in the fucked up town. They hung out so much that Steve started to feel a connection with Eddie that he’s never had with anybody else, he understood his humor, his taste in music even if he teased him a little, and most importantly Eddie listened to him, he actually listened to Steve when he poured out his feelings and thoughts. Unlike everybody else Eddie didn’t feel the need to get a word in or come up with bullshit in the heat of the moment just to make Steve feel better, he was real. The memory was fuzzy to Steve but all he remembers is that one night at Eddie’s trailer he just broke down in Eddie’s arm. He wished that he wasn’t so sensitive but he couldn’t control himself. Steve was relieved that he didn’t have to hear ‘Stop crying! Be a man”, instead he got a

“Let it all out, sweetheart. It’s going to be alright and you’re going to be alright.” In the softest voice he’s ever heard and he was pulled into a warm embrace. The feeling of Eddie’s fingers running through his hair while Steve laid his head on his chest, they were so close that he could feel Eddie’s heartbeat. It started to beat pretty fast when Steve fully put all his weight onto Eddie and wrapped his arms around his waist. Steve had no idea that he would find so much comfort in Eddie and eventually it became a routine for both of them. They held each other close whenever they needed a shoulder to cry on or a quick laugh that’ll help them get through their day. All of those emotions that developed over time between them created something that neither of them expected. They started dating, everything felt new to him. Obviously he’s been in a relationship before but he’s never been in one with another guy or one that made him feel like he was constantly walking on clouds and he’s honestly never been happier.

The moment Steve felt his entire body feel light whenever he was around Eddie that’s when his mother’s words kept repeating in his head. Now he was thinking about getting Eddie roses, he fought with himself about the idea because even though they have been together for a few months he couldn’t deny that he genuinely felt strongly about Eddie and a part of him kept telling him that it was time to tell Eddie that he truly loved him.

Steve thought long and hard about what his decision was going to be. It came down to Steve buying a bouquet roses because of impulse and he was functioning on every single emotion he felt. Before he could even talk himself out of anything, he was already knocking on Eddie’s door with the flowers in his hand and his heart started to beat out of his chest. He knocked on the door rather hard not realizing that it was early in the morning and Eddie was probably still in bed at this point but Steve didn’t think about any of that. After a few minutes the door finally opened and behind the door revealed Eddie in his pajamas with his hair all fluffy and wild while he yawned then rubbed his eyes with his hands. Steve melted at the sight of seeing Eddie right after he woke up, he looked adorable when he was sleepy. It was all cute until Eddie looked at Steve with a death glare and he was clearly pissed off that his sleep was interrupted.

“What the hell are you doing here this early in the morning, Harrington?” Eddie asked groggily. The roses were being overlooked until Steve could explain why he showed up around this time. He opened his mouth to say something but he closed it immediately making Eddie fold his arms in annoyance. Steve couldn’t think of anything at the time and he made the rash choice of pulling Eddie in for a kiss catching him off guard while Steve moved the flowers to the side so they wouldn’t get crushed in between them.

Steve smiled in between the kiss when Eddie pulled him closer by wrapping his arms around Steve’s neck and their kiss deepened. They wanted each other more than anything but since the trailer wasn’t exactly empty due to Wayne sleeping peacefully in his room they kept the affection to a minimum. Steve pulled away first while smiling softly at Eddie and the light blush he saw on the other man’s face made him even happier.

“Kissing me doesn’t get you a free pass. Explain MExplain the reason why you’re here.” Eddie smiled, he wouldn’t admit it but Steve’s impulsive kissing did make him feel less grumpy. Steve put the flowers in front of his chest and he gathered all his thoughts then somewhat put them into words.

“Eddie, I know this is out of nowhere and I might be rushing things but the way I feel about you is more than whatever I’m trying to say right now. For so long it was hard for me to find anyone that makes me happy and that I want to spend my days with. What I’m trying to say is in a very cliche way is that you are so important to me,” Steve paused to reach his arm out to give Eddie the roses and he took them into his hands with a confused smile on his face. Steve smiled softly before continuing on on, “and I love you, Eddie.”

Eddie’s eyes widened at the words and he blushed once again. He smiled at Steve lovingly before pulling him in for another kiss. Both of them kissed until they ran out of air and they filled the room with giggles when they pulled away. Eddie held onto the roses tightly while bouncing excitedly on his toes.

“Steve, I love you too! The fact that you did this for me means so much. Being with you has made me realize that you’re all I’ve ever wanted in my entire life and I’d love to spend the rest of it with you.” Eddie said softly. Steve nodded his head quickly before giving Eddie a quick kiss.

“I’d love that.” Steve responded happily. Eddie took Steve by his wrist and pulled him inside the trailer to get him out of the chilly morning air.

“Jesus! You’re freezing. How about a nice hot breakfast with some coffee, hmm?” Eddie asked before laughing at Steve’s eye roll. It was normal for Steve to do most of the cooking and whenever Eddie cooked it ended with smoke going through the entire house. Eddie gave Steve a slap on the shoulder then headed towards the kitchen. Even if the breakfast was mostly burnt pancakes with okay tasting eggs at least Eddie tried his best and that’s what Steve loved about him, his determination went a long way for Steve. They spent the entire day together basically confessing that that they’ve never been so in love with anyone like this before. Eddie also got to learn about the meaning of the roses that Steve got for him and he was able to make it sound smooth enough for Eddie to be a giggly mess in his arms.

[seancekitsch]

I'd love Eddie Munson with a small but mighty fem girl with the smutty prompt “Slap my ass again and I’ll make you fuck me in that closet.” Not remotely self indulgent lol

Also you are incredible. Love everything you write AND you've got me seriously thinking about starting to write for Eddie...

omg pls write for eddie pls do it!!!! thank you for loving my writing i encourage you wholeheartedly!!!

He’d done it twice tonight already.

The first time, he pulled you in for a kiss, hands starting innocently at your waist, one drifting down to your hip, and then to your ass. He gives it a little tap. Not exactly a slap, but just enough to stir a fire within you. Just enough to get you wild under his touch and annoyed that you’re with all of your friends. You glare at him, but you let it go for now.

“C’mon, sweets, I hear the kings table calling our names,” Eddie whispers, low and almost sultry, as he heads to the table with the thirty rack and the cards and your immediate group of friends.

The kids are all busy with Max, helping her navigate Steve’s large house better by mapping it out with her. Its sweet, the way they’re so devoted to each other. You’d always seen Max as a younger sister, but you’re happy she now has so many people to rely on instead of just you like she has for the past year or so.

You take your seat in a wooden chair, one of many from the Harrington;’s impossibly large dining room set. Around you are Eddie, Steve, Nancy, Robin, Jonathan, and his new friend Argyle that you were starting to really warm up to. It was weird, the entire groups dynamic, what with at least half of this group either having dated, crushed on, or currently dating each other, but it all worked out for you guys.

“Alright, lets start!” Johnathan calls, pulling a card from the circle of facedown cards around you.

Ace.

“Waterfall!” Nancy calls, and one by one, starting with Johnathan you all start drinking. You’re only allowed to stop when the person in front of you in the clockwise order stops, and you’re thankful you picked a seat so close to Johnathan. He stopped, and then Argyle stopped, and then you kept going, just to fuck over Eddie and the rest of them for a few more seconds. Then you finally showed them mercy, a good ten seconds of gulping at their drinks later, and finally put your can of swill beer down. Eddie winks at you over his can, and you know you’re in for it. He holds on another five seconds before he finally relents for Robin, Steve, and finally Nancy. She’s going to have to get carried home by Jonathan and Argyle tonight.

Argyle pulls the next card, and has to pick a partner to drink with. Of course, he picks Jonathan.

You go ahead and pull your card, a jack. Never Have I Ever card.

“Okay fuck, never have I ever… dated anyone in this room,” you say, and it’s true. You and Eddie aren’t dating. You aren’t friends, but you aren’t dating. He never asked. You and Robin are the only ones to not drink and put down a finger, making you raise your eyebrows; did Eddie think you were dating? Not that you didn’t want to, but it wasn’t something he ever asked.

“Never have I ever,” Eddie starts, “Had a crush on Nancy Wheeler.”

He saves you from your thought spiral, Mike gags somewhere from the living room, and everyone but you and him put another finger down and drink. Damn. The Nancy Wheeler effect on these people.

Robin goes next, one of her three fingers for this round down.

“Never have I ever liked someone for more than three years.”

You, Eddie, and Steve put a finger down and drink. You’re down to two, but Eddie is out, ending the round.

“Well, I need another. Come with me?” Eddie announces; then turns to you and asks.

You nod, and he grabs your hand to lead you back to the kitchen.

“Not dating, huh?” he asks, slapping your ass again as he guides you in past the fridge.

“I don’t date people that don’t ask,” you quip.

“But I’m dating you,” he supplies.

“You never asked.”

“Maybe I thought you knew.”

You only laugh, and turn away from him to grab another beer.

He slaps your ass again. God Damn it.

“Slap my ass again and I’ll make you fuck me in that closet,” you hiss.

He pulls you in close, chest to chest.

“You promise?” he asks.

“uh huh.”

He slaps your ass again, and you drag him towards the pantry.

Pantry is an interesting word for it, more like a walk in closet with whatever Steve could scrounge from Family Video.

“You sure?”

Fucking deadly.

You grab his curls, pulling him in tightly for a kiss, tongue immediately finding his. He pushes you against the shelves, your knees almost immediately buckling at his force, and he tries to catch you as quickly as he can. Eddie holds you against him, pulling your legs around his hips but himself also buckling quickly.

“You’re drunk!” you shout.

“Only tipsy,” and he bends you back so you’re straddling him.

“Gonna make you ride me,” he says, and you can’t say no to that, already working at your pants yo unbutton and pull them off you. You get off of him only long enough to get your jeans down past your feet and he pulls you onto him again.

“Fuck,” you hiss as your knees hit the hardwood of the pantry straddling him.

“This what you wanted?”

“Yeah,” He pants.

“Lose those pants baby,” you urge.

He can’t move fast enough.

[rocknrollsalad]

🥦 A steddimas fake dating prompted drabble

✌️ based off this post - rather than explain why she isn't dating steve and tell her parents she's a lesbian, robin says steve is dating a guy. they rope eddie into the ruse and have a family dinner with the buckleys.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 content/trigger warnings: period typical homophobia (implied but the opposite is what happens)

🍽️ word count: 2,405

“You guys can NOT mess this up for me!” Robin hissed, trying to keep her voice quiet as she backed the pair up against Steve’s car. 

Steve already had his hands raised in resignation. The white flag waving without a single need. Eddie, on the other hand, didn’t give up so quickly. No matter how many terrified lesbians waved their fingers in his face. This night was going to be an absolute trainwreck and Eddie was here to see the carnage. Even if it meant sacrificing himself in the process. 

“Tell me again how you two arrived at this plan,” Eddie said, purposely pouring gasoline on the fire. 

“Munson!” Robin’s finger flew to his face, centimeters from his nose. Steve pressed his lips together to not laugh. “I don’t want to hear the word ‘plan’ out of your mouth again. Not ‘scheme’ or ‘idea’ or ‘proposition’!” 

Eddie’s eyebrow quirked and he looked at Steve, mouthing “proposition” with a grin. Turning back to Robin he asked, “What about stratagem?” 

“NO!” she said, throwing her hands up and walking in a little circle. Muttering to herself “I don’t know why I asked these two. Hiring the actual Three Stooges would have been smarter. Is it too late to get Martin and Lewis? It’d be less of a mess.” 

“And probably gayer,” Eddie said. 

“Stop winding her up, man,” Steve asked, leaning closer to Eddie. 

“This is such a stupid plan. Somehow, with your combined brain power, you thought rather than coming out that it was easier to say Steve was gay? I mean, shout out to you for throwing your friend under a potential bus like that but wow.” 

“We’ve been over this, she didn’t throw me under the bus,” Steve hissed, trying to keep that from Robin. 

“No, she did. She took the risk that if her parents had any problem, you’d bear the brunt of it and she’d get off scot-free. Despite one of you actually having an interest in the same sex.” 

“Both of us,” Steve corrected. 

That was a shocking turn. One that hadn’t come up yet in all their round and round on the subject. Eddie blinked a few times and took that in. Good to know. “Alright, so the Hawkins branch of the Future Gays of America finally has enough members to hold meetings.” 

“This is serious,” Robin whined. 

“No it isn’t!” Eddie laughed. “It’s the opposite. The literal definition of a farce. If you wanted someone who was going to take this seriously, you should have said Byers was his boyfriend.”

“As if he’d agree to this,” Steve said in a way that made Eddie wonder if Jonathan’s name didn’t come up first. 

“Okay, look, how about you just not be you for one night? A nice normal night with my parents and I won’t complain about your bullshit for, like, a week,” Robin pleaded. She looked so desperate it was painful to watch. 

“A month,” Eddie countered. 

“Yeah, okay, or I won’t. I’ll get worse, actually.” 

Again, Steve stifled a laugh. 

Robin got mean when she was tense. Eddie didn’t need to learn that or whatever "worse" was. “Fine, I’ll take the week.” 

“Have you guys gone over your story?” Robin asked, pacing in front of them. 

“Yeah, a million times! Eddie’s had a crush on me since we were freshmen and this whole end-of-the-world thing brought us closer.” 

“Not my idea, mind you,” Eddie grumbled, hating how close to real life that was. Except for the actual dating part, of course. 

“Didn’t ask,” Robin sneered. 

Steve jabbed Eddie in the ribs, “We’re already here, we might as well do this.” 

“Awww but sugar plum, I just wanted to set the story straight on how I became the luckiest man in Hawkins, Indiana,” Eddie cooed. 

“We gotta cancel,” Robin said, deflating. 

Steve physically put himself in front of Eddie, arm outstretched, and ready to take a bullet for his fake boyfriend. Leaving Eddie equal parts offended and turned on. Maybe this came with all the perks of a date. 

“He’s just getting it out of his system now, Robin. Seriously. He’ll behave when we’re inside. Right?” 

“I wouldn’t have said yes if I wasn’t going to nail the performance,” Eddie said. 

“Fine, let's get this over with,” she huffed, heading toward her house. 

“The chivalry,” Eddie whispered, doing his best overwhelmed damsel. Even fanning himself as he walked alongside his date. 

“Take it easy on Robin, please. It’s a stupid mess we’re in but we’d do the same for you.” 

Again, the chivalry was really working on Eddie. Something he didn't want to look too closely at. Yet not as much as knowing Steve was telling the truth. He could have asked either of them to pretend to be his date or help bury a body, they aren’t asking questions. They’re showing up with shovels. 

Steve was also right in that Eddie wasn’t going to be a pain in the ass inside, he’d long learned the art of charming parents. It wasn’t easy to get a club together when the leader was rumored to be a satanic cult leader so Eddie knew how to be anything but. 

Even after coming out of that insanity alive, even after seeing what demons are out there, and learning to be who he was but harder, Eddie was willing to hide that to help a friend. Robin wore pastels for him. Okay, it was more likely for Max but Eddie wasn’t going to split hairs. Not now, at least. 

Before Eddie could make any last snide comments, a woman he could only assume was Mrs. Buckley was in the doorway Robin had left open. 

“I just want to let you know how honored I am that you both feel safe enough to come here and be true selves. The hiding must be exhausting but know you’re always welcome here, any time,” She spoke softly, hands clasped at her waist until her speech finished and she pulled Steve in with one arm, Eddie with the other, and hugged them both while whispering thank yous. 

When they were released, Eddie took a side step closer to Steve in hopes some of that chivalry was still there and he could fend off any other weirdly validating hugs. Of all the things they were prepared for, Robin’s parents weren’t on the list. 

A heads up that they were walking into Woodstock would have been nice. If they wanted Eddie to behave, they shouldn't leave out major information. Eddie glared at Robin, trying his best to communicate that but she was busy settling the table and fussing with the flowers in the center. Or maybe they were weeds, Eddie wasn’t sure, they certainly weren’t answers to any of his questions. 

Steve didn’t step in front of Eddie to protect him but did swoop in with manners far more practiced than Eddie’s. Shaking Mr. Buckley’s hand and talking about how pleased he was to be invited for dinner. He introduced Eddie with enough pride and award-winning smiles that Eddie blushed and couldn’t find anything more to say than “thanks”. For what? It was anyone’s guess. 

Despite looking like he knew where the Grateful Dead was at this exact moment, Mr. Buckley sounded like a TV dad. With a clap of his hands, he said “I hope you boys like broccoli!” 

Eddie turned to Steve, almost asking for confirmation of his feelings about broccoli. As they followed the Buckleys into the dinner room, Steve rubbed a hand between Eddie’s shoulder blades. Leaning close he whispered. “You’ve gone too far the other way, do you need help walking? I’m not sure you can anymore.” 

“You didn’t wanna tell me they were hippies?” 

Steve swallowed a laugh. “Whoops.” 

“Fucking whoops,” Eddie whispered way too loudly. 

Robin glared at them and Eddie understood the Medusa myth a little more. Steve, as always, was unbothered. He was some corporate schmoozing machine, everyone loved him. It was disgusting and Eddie couldn’t wait to watch a whole night of it!

“He just realized we forgot to bring something, y’know, to thank you for the meal,” Steve supplied and Eddie and Robin visibly relaxed. 

“Steve, it’s fine. You know you don’t have to do that. You’re family here and, Lord knows, Robin didn’t bring anything,” Mrs. Buckley answered. 

“Well, then we’ll have to help with dishes,” Steve offered. It worked perfectly, Mrs. Buckley was over the moon while making dismissive sounds. Something between camp and swooning, Steve really had an effect on people. Though not just middle-aged women. Eddie was in love. He also wanted to barf. Not to mention figure out what would get him out of dish duty.

Steve's improvisational skills mixed with survival in a way that had Eddie wanting to get him into a campaign. To see what he could really do. The club would never go for it but that never stopped Eddie before.

They were immediately ushered into the dining room, which felt odd. Eddie hadn’t been to a lot of family dinners but he’d imagined a lot more sitting around and talking first. It was hours before his “dinner time” and he didn’t know people ate this early. 

On display in the center of the table was a large casserole dish, with some sort of goop in it. If Eddie had to guess it was something to do with cheese but he couldn’t get a good glimpse because the top was loaded with little broccoli florets. Each stuck in, lined up like crops, making it difficult to see the rest of the dish. 

When Eddie was asked if he liked broccoli, he hadn’t been expecting this. A side dish alongside a nice piece of chicken, maybe? An edible forest was unlike anything he’d been served before. Fear rose but there were baskets of bread, so Eddie wouldn’t go hungry. He did wonder if there was a dog around to pass a few trees too. 

“This has always been Robin’s favorite,” Mrs. Buckley explained, motioning to the forest resting in Pyrex. 

"But clear the room afterward," Mr. Buckley laughed, waving his hand in front of his nose.

Robin was bright red and hiding behind her hands. Eddie couldn’t help but wonder if Wayne would embarrass him like this if the tables were turned. The mental “yes” came quickly and with a flood of stories he could tell to have Eddie hiding behind his hands. It was all followed by a note to never invite these guys over to dinner. 

Attention focusing back on the Buckley’s, Eddie found himself watching as Steve pulled a chair out for him to sit. A simple gesture but something no one else had earned. His heart fluttered in a way he definitely needed to be ignored. This was all for show. It was for Robin’s parents so she could come out when she was ready. This was for Robin. 

This was for Robin. 

“I didn’t know we were going to be treated to Robin’s favorite dish,” Steve said with too much pride. The comment was dangerous and pushing a limit Eddie was told to steer clear of. A push only a best friend could get away with. However, Robin kicked him hard enough under the table that Eddie felt it, so he was glad it was Steve and not him. 

“Oh we’ve been making The Enchanted Broccoli Forest for her since she could have solid foods,” Mrs. Buckley supplied. 

Eddie couldn’t help but think, at this point, that telling her parents she liked to kiss girls was likely far less mortifying. She set this up and was doing nothing but losing. Meanwhile, Eddie, who had zero stakes in it, was winning. Twenty-one every hand here. 

As Mrs. Buckley served each of them a heaping scoop of…forest, Mr. Buckley asked the question they all knew was coming. “So how’d you two meet?” 

“One of his friends was having a pick-on-the-nerds sort of day, you know, and I was the winning nerd,” Eddie started talking, not sure where this was going. “I thought the arrival of more jocks meant I was losing my lunch money for sure but nope. Steve was all ‘you leave him alone’ and everything.” 

Steve and Robin wore matching looks, each trying to tape Eddie’s mouth shut with their mind. Then bury him in the basement. Eddie couldn’t blame them, either. He did his best to look apologetic and thankfully the story was eaten up better than the casserole. 

“So it was love at first sight from there?” 

“Daaa-ad!” Robin groaned. 

Ever the professional, Steve took over. “No, in fact, it took us three years to do anything about it. Which is kind of depressing but you can’t be too careful.” 

“That and our job kind of exploded in that time,” Robin finally joined the conversation like a willing participant. 

“True,” Steve said with a knowing nod. “It’s weird how much that got in the way of things.” 

“Y’know, I used to live on a commune and no one there got all that hung up on gender,” Mr. Buckley said, looking at his wife with a lifetime of stories known only to them. 

While the words upon arrival had been very affirming, that did more for Eddie and a soft smile sprouted. His shoulders relaxed and he felt like he’d got the first full breath into his lungs in hours. This had him more nervous than he’d let on. Not that it mattered now, the comfort was there. 

Steve rubbed a gentle hand on Eddie’s thigh, just enough to get his attention. Maybe earning their supper a little too well, Eddie nodded. He was okay. Robin’s parents had moved on to share the story of how they met, something Eddie was certain he should be listening to. How could he though? He’d had a half hour of the Steve Harrington experience and his future was permanently damaged. 

No wonder the girls at school were falling over themselves to be with Steve. Eddie was ready to fight these two old hippies just for being good hosts because it was cutting into this fake date. One where Steve paused things to make sure Eddie was okay and comforted him when things got weird. It was so over the top that it worked and was the most cared about Eddie had felt in a long while. 

As much as Eddie liked bickering with the guy and purposefully picking fights, he didn’t mind a bit of kindness it seemed. He also wanted to return it but had no idea how so it fluctuated between just doing what Steve had done minutes before and overthrowing a country for the man. 

Eddie had harbored a crush since Steve’s freshman year but tonight he fell for the man. Good thing their breakup had already been plotted. There was an end date to this show. Of all the dumb choices Eddie had made in his life, agreeing to this might be in the top ten. Working its way to the top five. But hey, he got a shit ton of broccoli out of the deal. 

[shipskicksandgiggles]

45 or 49 for the prompt lists. Idk about characters except Eddie has to be involved for 49 lol

LMAO of course Eddie would need to be involved with the nipple piercing prompt, it's too good. I hope you love this as much as I do

prompt: “What is the purpose of nipple rings?” “Decoration.” “Like a Christmas tree!” (from this list)

Family Video Paradise also on ao3

Thursdays were, without fail, the slowest day of the week at Family Video. 

It took about a month of working there for Robin to notice the pattern. 

Fridays were the busiest. Families having movie nights, teenagers going on dates, adults eager to unwind from the work week. 

Saturdays and Sundays passed in a similar fashion, with more people wanting breaks from reality before work and school started up again on Monday. 

This is where the pattern diverted from where she expected it to lead. Instead of Mondays being slow, Mondays were busy with the people returning their movies from Friday. 

Then Tuesday with the returns from Saturday. 

And Wednesday with the returns from Sunday. 

There weren’t many checkouts that happened on those days, maybe a few here and there for sick days and vacations, but by and large, those first three days of the work week were for returns. 

This left Thursday as the odd one out. The reset day. Hardly anyone came in because most everything had been returned, and the public would be back the following day to check out something new.  

It was quiet. Peaceful even. Keith wasn’t as strict about the movies she and Steve put on in the store because no one else was likely to see them. 

Steve would flip through the magazines the store got in the mail, usually some pop culture, borderline tabloid thing that he found entertaining, and she would pick up a film she probably wouldn’t watch on her own time. 

Because as much as the store had a pattern, they had a pattern too. 

A pattern that started to involve Eddie Munson a little under a year after it had cemented itself into their lives. 

Eddie had also picked up on this pattern, and would choose that day to come in and bother them about something or other, which did add a bit of variety to their day, so neither of them seriously wanted to kick him out, even if they threatened to do so. 

That’s just how it was. 

So this particular Thursday wasn’t out of the ordinary whatsoever when Eddie walked in the door, already making noise like he was going to be a nuisance. 

Steve was flipping through his magazine. Robin hadn’t seen which it was that day, but she heard the glossy pages turn as if he hadn’t registered Eddie’s presence. 

Not that she had stopped in her task either. She had two movies she was trying to decide between, although one of them was an action movie thrown into the ring for Steve’s sake since she never let him pick. 

She probably wasn’t going to pick that one, but she was trying to be fair. 

The sound of Eddie picking up a VHS almost made her break. He checked out movies with the kids on Fridays, but maybe he was checking something out for himself. 

He set the case down in front of her. Only then did she look up. 

“Munson,” she greeted. 

“Buckley. Have you considered the merits of-” he glanced at the tape “-Cinema Paradiso.”

“I speak French and Russian, not Italian.”

“You don’t have to speak a language to appreciate art, birdie.”

Robin glared at him for a moment before adding it to her pile. Without her asking, he took the generic action movie she’d grabbed for Steve. 

Before she could protest, he interrupted her. 

“Don’t give me that, we both know you weren’t going to pick it. Humoring Steve is nice but don’t hurt yourself.”

Steve let out a quiet huff that Eddie probably couldn’t even hear, and she suppressed a smile. 

She rolled her eyes instead. “Whatever. Put it on the cart so it gets reshelved correctly this time.”

“As you wish, Bluejay.”

He did as she asked, and before he could go back to bothering her, Steve tapped on the counter. 

They both looked over at him, giving him their full attention. 

“What is the purpose of nipple rings?”

That wasn’t at all what she was expecting him to say.

Robin choked on nothing.

Eddie had yet to make a sound. 

She realized that this was because Steve had asked the question while staring directly at Eddie, as if he was asking him the question, rather than just throwing it out to the room. 

“Decoration,” Eddie answered easily as if this wasn’t the most exciting thing to happen in the store on a Thursday. 

“Like a Christmas tree!” Robin chimed in helpfully. She’d gotten her voice back, and was curious to see what would happen next. 

Steve nodded and went back to reading as if nothing had happened. 

“Not so fast, Harrington. I want to see what you’re reading that made that particular question occur to you.” Eddie swiped at his magazine, blocking Steve’s attempt to get it back. 

He angled it towards Robin, who was grateful to have an ally in these kinds of situations. 

“Hmm. Rolling Stones. I guess that sort of makes sense,” Robin said. “Some of those musicians make eccentric style decisions.” She looked at Eddie pointedly. 

He ignored her. “So, there’s a perfectly plausible explanation for why he asked the question. I do have a follow up question though,” he stage whispered conspiratorially.

“Which is?” Robin stage whispered back.

“Why did he ask me?”

Steve, to his credit, looked a bit embarrassed, but remained silent in favor of glaring at them. 

“Do you have a theory, Munson?”

“Well,” he had a look on his face as if he was trying to contemplate the state of the universe, “perhaps he thinks it’s the sort of thing I would be attracted to.”

“Could be.” Robin tried to look equally as contemplative. “Or maybe that you know someone with them and might have some knowledge on the subject?”

“Ah yes, stereotyping the metalhead, I see how it is.” 

Steve let out an irritated sound which Eddie finally cracked and directed the question at him. “Which is it Stevie?”

“Neither,” Steve retorted.

“Then why did you ask me?”

He didn’t answer for a moment, staring Eddie down as if he would drop it. 

Eddie however, refused to do such a thing. 

After another minute, Steve gave in. “I thought you might have them and wanted to know why,” he mumbled, clearly embarrassed.

Robin burst out laughing while Eddie’s jaw dropped. 

“You’ve seen me shirtless!”

“A while ago, you’ve gotten more tattoos since then.”

“A tattoo is not on par with a piercing, you weirdo. Anyways, the government never gave me my one nipple back and it wouldn’t be worth it unless I could get both pierced.”

“The bats took your nipple, not the government,” Steve reminded. 

“Tomato, potato.”

“That’s not the saying-”

“You could get a tattoo of a nipple with a piercing to even it out,” Robin interrupted.

“Not helping,” the guys said in unison. 

“It was just a suggestion, geez.”

“There are easier ways to ask if someone has a piercing, Harrington.”

“I was just thinking about it! No better time like the present.”

“You’re thinking about me shirtless? Damn, Stevie, I didn’t know you had it in you.”

This was another thing that had become routine. The flirting. 

Robin could have done without that.

Steve flushed a light pink, and Robin gave up. 

“My god,” she muttered, throwing her hands up. “I’m going on break. By the time I get back, whatever this is needs to be sorted out. You have 15 minutes.”

And with that, she walked back into the break room. She was glad she’d packed a book and a snack today, so she settled into the beat up couch she was sure upper management found at a thrift store, and glanced at the clock so she knew when she had to go back out. 

She gave them a few extra minutes while she finished her chapter, but they probably didn’t really need it. 

When she walked back out, Steve was smiling at Eddie like he was the only person in the world, and Eddie’s face was so red it was almost purple. 

It took her a second to realize why, and then Steve pulled him closer to kiss him on the cheek before shoving him away with promises of picking him up at the trailer park later that day. 

Eddie nodded and stumbled out of the door, groping a few times at the handle before he was able to push it open since he wouldn’t stop staring at Steve. 

Robin let Steve keep watching out the door until Eddie’s can tore out of the parking lot before she finally made her presence known. 

“Jesus Christ, finally!”

Steve smacked her with the magazine, and she squawked. 

“Shut up or I won’t tell you a single detail of that conversation.”

She just gave him a look. 

He seemed to genuinely resist for a moment, but then his facade cracked. “I’ll tell you everything, just put whatever movie you’re going to pick into the player so if anyone comes in there’s actually something on the screen.”

Robin looked down at the two movies she had to pick from. She didn’t remember why there had been such a debate in the first place. She chose Cinema Paradiso.

[sunnyie-eve]

39 | Vecna's Curse

Series: Trouble In Hawkins (Steve Harrington x Henderson! Eddie Munson x Henderson!)

Word Count: 2.2k

Warnings: None

Previous

Today Skylar was actually going to work since Robin was scheduled to be with Steve and her. "Long time no see." Robin smiles as Skylar come in. "I was gonna talk to you at the game but..." Skylar glances over at Steve working. "I get it." Robin looks over at him. "So did you at least talk to Vicki?" Skylar grabs her arm. "Yeah, I saw you two talk for a little bit." Steve walks over to them. "She heard me say Tammy does sounds like a Muppet then she laughed. And it wasn't a like a cheap, fake laugh either. It was like... It was a real, genuine laugh." Robin tells them as they put up movies. "Of course. It's my Muppet joke. It's hilarious." Steve says making Skylar roll her eyes. "My point is Vicki laughed and everything was just like... it was perfect."

"But?" They both ask her. "But I'm having this problem where it's like, I should stop talking. I have said everything I need to say. But then I guess I get nervous, and the words keep spilling out, and it's like my... my brain is moving faster than my mouth, or... or rather my... my mouth is moving faster than my brain. I'm digging this hole for myself, and I want to stop digging, I'm trying to stop, but I can't. And I'm doing it right now, aren't I?" Robin rants so Steve and Skylar stop to stare at her. "Yeah, you are." They tell her. "I'm hopeless." Robin leans against the wall as Skylar goes to the other side of the store to put movies away while Steve joins Robin, "Eh. We both are." He watches Skylar work.

"If only we could just, like, combine." Robin looks at him. "Combine?" He asks confused. "No, think about it. I know exactly what I want, and I've found the girl of my dreams, but I can't get the courage to ask her out. Meanwhile, you go on a million dates. And you have no idea what you want. Well you do but you don't know how to get it back..." Robin explains to him and he agrees. "So if we just combined, all our problems would be solved. Because, I mean, alone, let's face it..." She says. "We totally suck." He agrees. "Totally and utterly. Ooh, I think I found our morning movie." Robin leaves him.

"Doctor Zhivago." Robin grabs the movie. "You know Steve doesn't do double VHS." Skylar rejoins the two. "But it's about doomed love." She tells them and under their breath they say it's relatable. "Precisely." Robin hears both of them. "Also, Julie Christie is b-b-bonkers hot in this. Like, seriously, the most beautiful creature. I have ever seen in my life." Robin turns on the tv. "We're in the Forest Hills trailer park in east Roane County." Skylar's head snap towards the tv. "We don't have a lot of details now, but we can confirm that the body of a Hawkins High student was discovered early this morning. Police have not released the name although we are told they're currently in the process of notifying the family." The reporter says.

-

"You okay?" Robin sees me messing with my fingers. "No... I'm worried because I know that trailer." I fidget with my fingers more and slightly pace as we continue to watch the news while we work. Some time later in the day Dustin and Max rush in. "How many phones do you have?" Dustin asks us. "Someone was murdered." Steve tells him. "How many phones do you have?" Dustin asks more annoyed. "Two. Why?" Steve asks. "Technically three, if you count Keith's." I add. "Yeah, three works." Max tells Dustin. "What are you doing?" Steve asks as Dustin takes his bag off and pushes it across the counter then crawls over. Robin and Steve complain while I watch Dustin get on the computer. "What are you doing, man?" Steve asks annoyed.

"Setting up base of operations here." Dustin tells him. "Base of operations?" Robin repeats as Max joins us behind the counter. "Get off." Steve tells Dustin. "I need it." He tells him. "Need it for what?" Steve asks. "Looking up Eddie's friends' phone numbers." Dustin says making me now worry again. "Oh Eddie. Your new best friend you think is cooler because he plays your nerdy game?" Steve rants making me look at him. "Ed, yes. I never said that." Dustin looks at him too. "Seriously, you guys, maybe on a Monday you can play around like toddlers, but it's Saturday. It's our busiest day." Robin cleans up.

"Robin, I empathize, but this cannot wait until Monday." Dustin starts to write down numbers. "Calling Eddie's friends is an emergency?" She gets sassy. "Correct!" Dustin tells. "Can one of you tell me what's going on with Eddie?!" I shout at them wanting to know. "Max?" I look at her and she sighs before telling everything that happened last night and this morning. "Do you have any clue where he could be? You two are always hanging out late." Dustin looks at me. "The only places we hangout are at The Hideout, Arcade, where the band practices, but mostly his place." I tell them. "I'll go get Keith's phone." I leave them.

Dustin, Max, and Robin call all of Eddie's friends while Steve and I attend to customers. As he helps a chick he tries to flirt but when she brings up her boyfriend I can't help but laugh some. "You're telling me out of the millions dates you go on... not one girl you can have a decent relationship with?" I ask as he comes back after walking the girl to the door. "What about you, huh? You and Eddie?" He messes with movies. "We're friends." I tell him. "I've heard that before." He says making me glare at him so I walk away from him.

"Sky, do you know Reefer Rick? Where he lives? Last name?" Dustin asks as I join them. "Sorta, no, and no." I tell them. "Bet the cops know the last name." Steve speaks up. "What?" Max asks. "Cops. I mean, listen, if this Reefer Rick is actually a drug dealer, I guarantee you he's been busted at some point. Means he's in the system." Steve explains to us. "The cops? Really, Steve? That's your suggestion?" Dustin stands up. "I think they should be filled in on what we know, what's going on." He says kinda pissing me off. "You think Eddie's guilty, don't you?" I cross my arms. "Whoa. I believe in innocent until proven guilty, all that constitutional shit. I just, you know, don't think we can rule it out."

"That's precisely what we're trying to do here, Steve." Max says making Dustin agree, "And maybe we'd have a little bit more luck if you spent less time trying to find a girlfriend and more time trying to find Eddie." Dustin raises his voice. "Somebody has to attend to the customers." Steve tells him. "Especially if they're babes, right?" Robin gives him a look making him rant and I get an idea as he talks. "What are you doing?" Max asks as I get on the computer. "We don't need a last name. Look, twelve Ricks have accounts here." I show all the Ricks in our system. "That's a lot of Ricks." Max looks at it with everyone gathering around. "Let's just narrow it down." I go through the list till we find one where the movies give him away. "2121 Holland Road. Out by Lover Lake, in the middle of nowhere. Sounds like the perfect place to hide." I look back at them so we close up and all get into Steve's car.

By the time we get to Ricks house it was dark out. "Dustin, really?" I ask as he keeps ringing the door bell. "Okay. Well, that's settled. I guess it he's not here." Steve says so I look at him. "You're really getting on my nerves." I say making him look at me hurt. "Eddie! It's Dustin! Look, we just wanna talk, okay?" Dustin keeps shouting as I walk around. "Guys..." I see the boat house. "Maybe he's hiding in there?" I suggest and walk towards it first. We carefully walk around it then go inside. "Hello? Eddie? It's just us... there's no cops with us." We look around. "What are you doing?" Dustin asks as Steve uses an oar hitting the tarp. "What are you doing?" Dustin asks again. "He might be in here." Steve tells him. "So take the tarp off." I whisper yell at him making Dustin agree. "If you're so brave, you take the tarp off. And what scared I'm gonna hurt your boyfriend?" He says making Dustin glare at him with me. "They're friends!" Dustin whispers yells at him. "You're so jealous of Eddie it's ridiculous." I say making him laugh.

"Maybe he heard us. Got spooked and ran." Robin like at what Max found. "Don't worry. Steve will get him with his oar." Dustin gets sassy. "I know you think you're being funny Henderson, but considering everyone in this room has nearly died a hundred times, personally, I don't find it funny in the slight-," Steve gets cut off by Eddie popping out from under the tarp shoving him up against the wall holding a broken bottle to Steve's throat. "Eddie! Eddie! Stop!" Dustin and I yell at him. "Eddie! Eddie! It's me and Dustin. This is Steve. He's not going to hurt you, right, Steve?" I try to calm him down. "Right. Yeah." Steve tells him. "Steve, why don't you drop yen oar?" I tell him so he does but Eddie doesn't stop. "He's cool. He's cool." Dustin speaks up. "What are you doing here?" Eddie asks. "We're looking for you." Dustin tells him. "We're here to help." Robin adds.

"Eddie, these are our friends. You know Robin, from band. You know Max, she lives across from you. Of course you know Steve, he broke my heart. And you know Dustin." I slightly laugh. "We're on your side." Dustin tells him. "I swear on my mother. Right guys?" Dustin says so we all swear on our mom. Eddie lets go of Steve and slowly sits down out of it so when I past Steve I rub his arm going over to Eddie. "Eddie... We just want to talk." I bend down in front of him reaching for the broken bottle but he moves it from me. "Okay." I say as Robin comes over. "We want to know what happened." She tells him. "You won't believe me." He sniffs. "Try us." Max tells him so he starts from the beginning as we stand around him. "Her body just, like, lifted up into the air and, uh... And she just, like, hung there. In the air. And her bones... Uh, she... Her bones started to snap. Her eyes man. It... it was like there was something, like, inside her head, pulling. I... I didn't know what to do, so I... I ran away. I left her there. You all think I'm crazy, right?" Eddie scoffs.

"No. We don't think you're crazy." Dustin tells him. "Don't bullshit me, man! I know how this sounds." Eddie shouts. "We're not bullshiting you." Max tells him. "We believe you." Robin lets him know. "Look, what I'm about to tell you might be a little... difficult to take. You know how or say Hawkins is... cursed?" Dustin starts. "They're not way off. There's another world. A world hidden beneath Hawkins. Sometimes it bleeds into ours." I try explaining to him. "Like ghost and shit?" Eddie asks. "There are some things worse than ghost." Max adds. "These monsters from this other world... we thought they were gone. But they've come back before. That's why we needed to find you." Dustin tells him. "If they're back again, we need to know." Max tells him. "That night did you see anything?" Robin asks. "Dark particles, maybe? It would almost look like dust swirling around." I ask him and he shakes his head no.

"No, there was nothing you could see or, uh... or touch. You know, I tried to wake her, man. She couldn't move. It was like she... she was in a trance or something." Eddie explains to the five of us. "Or under a spell." Dustin speaks up. "A curse." Eddie looks at him. "Vecna's curse." I add and they look at me. "Who's Vecna?" Steve asks. "An undead creature of great power." Dustin says. "A spell caster." Eddie adds. "A dark wizard." I add too.

Next

[baddiedaddy7]

𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀🦴❤️‍🩹

𝚂𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝙸𝚗 𝙵𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎

some ppl with these placements actually look younger than their age. but then some look like moms/dads when they’re like in their teens lmao. well built cheekbones. dominant jawline, and splendid smile usually. pale for their race. a lot of hair usually(cher has this lol). ppl may not find you approachable, since you may have rbf. overawing, and sphinxlike vibes. alert with their surroundings. can be kind. you may be harsh on yourself, and may not give yourself credit. since saturn rules restrictions, and 1st house expressions, you may be introverted/shy/reserved.

celebrities:Princess Diana, Britney Spears, John Lennon, Kevin Hart

𝚂𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝙸𝚗 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎

don’t play when it comes to clothes, cars, houses, materials in general, and their finances/money. makes smart money moves. may get rich/have luck in the business world when they’re older(like 40s, and up). unpretentious. may like to collect things, and go to antique shops. may like “old” or “vintage” items. may stress over money, and may be cheap tbh. may wear ties a lot lol. i think of businessmen/women for this placement since that may be how you dress. you may also wear clothes that don’t draw much attention, and you may not even wear name brand clothes that often. may like soft smells/smells that aren’t too strong(flower essential oils, vanilla, etc). may love or hate coffee, green veggies, starches, alcohol, and salty food in general. may not like to let ppl borrow things/may be stingy(saturn=restrict, 2nd=money/materials)

celebrities:Ariana Grande, Jennifer Lawrence, Prince, Kanye West

𝚂𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝙸𝚗 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚍 𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎

laid back way of talking. i feel like they would have a “demanding” or maybe deep voice lmao. takes school seriously. may be shy when it comes to talking to classmates, or just reserved. probably just sees school to help get a career, and not to make friends. siblings may have capricorn/saturn in their chart. you may be the oldest sibling, or the most reliable. you may be stern, and overprotective with siblings. might have a harsh relationship w/siblings, and neigbors. may isolate from the community. most likely dislikes speaking in front of many ppl/doing presentations. usually respectful.

celebrities:Kylie Jenner, Bjork, Jim Carrey, Steve Jobs

𝚂𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝙸𝚗 𝙵𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚝𝚑 𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎

scared of vulnerability, may get disappointed when trying to lean on others, because they are not of much help. daddy/mommy issues(more of daddy tbh), or abandonment issues. may worry a lot abt ppl they love. has it hard in the beginning of life, but makes it to the top. life gets better, but childhood was most likely hard. worried abt finances as a kid when they shouldn’t have, may not have gotten a lot of attention as a kid, and one of the parents or maybe both were workaholics. one parent or both parents may be strict/cold. just needs a lot of affection🥺. may be grateful that their childhood was rough, since it made them a better person. might be an only child. family most likely is traditional and/or religious, maybe too conventional. these ppl are warm yet cold(if that makes sense lmaoo). intelligent more often than not.

celebrities:Marilyn Monroe, Madonna, Tom Cruise, Drake

𝚂𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝙸𝚗 𝙵𝚒𝚏𝚝𝚑 𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎

probably doesn’t know how to let loose, and have a good time! most likely doesn’t want many kids, and/or may have kids in their 30’s+. will most likely make sure they’re financially stable before having kids. may be a wall hugger at parties/just chill on the corner. serious/doesn’t play games, reliable, loyal, and honest in the dating world. children may have capricorn/saturn in their chart(esp the first child). wants the best for their kids. may be strict, and may need to try being more open minded when it comes to parenting. hobbies may be sleeping, reading, working, planning, studying/researching, etc. may like to visit old fashioned places(museums, antique shops, etc). solemn aura. may lose virginity later than usual.

celebrities:Shakira, Dua Lipa, Jim Morrison, Heath Ledger

𝚂𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝙸𝚗 𝚂𝚒𝚡𝚝𝚑 𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎

try getting out your comfort zone, every once in awhile. most likely has a routine. judgemental with co-workers. watches health, very closely. may work too much. pets should be independent baddies, and mysterious(so cats mainly, or reptiles). you’re inventive. remember it’s okay to take a break, and do nothing useful at all :)

celebrities:Lady Gaga, Adele, Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Murphy

𝚂𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝙸𝚗 𝚂𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚑 𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎

attracts capricorn’s/ppl with a lot of saturn in their chart easily. may date someone much older or younger, age difference will be significant. may start dating/get a first love later than others. positive:attracts reliable, loyal, secure, and has their priorities straight ppl. at worst you attract:boring, stern, harsh, cold, materialistic, ppl. this could apply to your friends too btw, not just lovers. you need to make sure you set rules for your relationships, and make sure your standards are at a good level. another good thing abt this placement is you’re more likely to have long lasting, and stable relationships. you may fear rejection, but you jeee to learn that it’s okay and it happens to everyone.

celebrities:Selena Gomez, Jennifer Lopez, Kurt Cobain, Johnny Depp

𝚂𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝙸𝚗 𝙴𝚒𝚐𝚝𝚑 𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎

either has sex a lot young or old no in between. may have a period where they don’t have sex at all for awhile. may become spiritual later on. may get into astrology later on also lol. most likely will die of old age/naturally. cynical. men here may be small(ifyk what i mean), but you can also last a good amount of time in bed. may actually be good at sex, bc saturn means trying to be the best at something/success lol. fears death(i feel like these ppl fear more of what happens after death, not death itself).

celebrities:Khole Kardashian, Renee Zellweger, Elton John, Dwayne Johnson

𝚂𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝙸𝚗 𝙽𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚑 𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎

luck, and fortune happens in your 30s+. may be closed minded, but may become more open minded as they grow. may be conservative. but may also be an atheist tbh. may want to major in business, become a lawyer, major in finances, etc. hard headed, but clear sighted. may not be a fan of traveling, or may not have many chances to until their older.

celebrities:Rihanna, Julia Roberts, Paul Mccartney, Charlie Chaplin

𝚂𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝙸𝚗 𝚃𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚑 𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎

reputation may be that you are a no nonsense, hard working, logical, reliable, and loyal person. may have known what you wanted to be for a long time. you may have a job associated with your family/a tradition. afraid of not succeeding. ceo, judge, teacher, engineer, lawyer, businessman/woman may be a job of yours. you may overwork yourself, take a day off to just relax. may start working later in their 30s. ambitious

celebrities:Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Chris Evans, Michael Jackson

𝚂𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝙸𝚗 𝙴𝚕𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚑 𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎

may attract friends/ppl that crush on you that have capricorn/saturn in their chart. may have friends for a very long time. may become more of a social butterfly/make friends more often in their 30s+. at first, you may hate socializing, and picky with who their friends with/won’t just befriend anyone. the reliable friend, will always be there for you, and loyal(or these might be the traits of your friends). doesn’t have time for fake friends. you will stand for your friends or they’ll stand up for you. honestly you may be one of those ppl that say they’re “born in the wrong generation” lmao. may not relate to ppl your age.

celebrities:Cameron Diaz, Demi Moore, Elon Musk, Robin Williams

𝚂𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝙸𝚗 𝚃𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚏𝚝𝚑 𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎

taps into spirituality in their 30s+. may deny spirituality for awhile, and their intuition. don’t deny your gut feelings, and your energies baby :). your past life may have been rough. i’ve heard that jail may have happened for individuals with this placement in their past lives. you may go through hardship, before getting living a good and easy life. may be regretful for no good reason. need to work on expressing yourself emotionally, and not bottling up how you feel. maybe try to express your feelings in a creative way(music, art, poetry, etc).

celebrities:Beyoncé, Angelina Jolie, Will Smith, Robert De Niro