#st lotr

[aemiron-main]

post s5 final battle byler and mike is sitting beside Will’s bed basically 24/7 every single day in the hospital, waiting for him to wake up, and lucas and dustin have given up on trying to pull him away, even for a short break. so they just quietly leave drinks and food beside him, and sit silently beside mike. dustin does a dramatic reading of the hobbit to Will at one point. mike, who hasn’t given any indication that he was paying attention to Dustin’s reading, finally turns his head and roughly wipes his eyes when thorin’s death comes around, because it’s eerily similar to the last interaction between Will and mike during the final battle.

Dustin, who tries to lighten things up, patting Will’s hand and saying “Bilbo’s story is called ‘there and back again,’ not just ‘there,’ or ‘there and never returning,’ so you have to come back to us, it’s the rules.”

Lucas, who puts his coat over mike’s shoulders because Mike hasn’t even gotten up to grab the sweater that his mom dropped off earlier that day. Lucas, who reminds Mike of how strong Will is, and how “he survived a week in the upside-down without us- now that he has us here, with him, pulling through’ll be a breeze.”

mike, who finally stops staring straight at will, and flicks his eyes towards Lucas and Dustin for a brief second. they can see the gratitude in his eyes even if he doesn’t have the strength to voice it right now. they know Mike, and they know he’s not trying to be cold or callous- he’s just trying to make things hurt less by building walls up around himself.

Dustin, who steals another chair from the waiting room and drag’s it into Will’s room so that Mike can at least kind of lay down by putting his feet on it. Mike doesn’t move, so Dustin tries to haul his legs up.

After that happens, Dustin gives Mike a firm, caring but serious speech about how he can’t just “give up,” and how even if Will doesn’t make it, he can’t give up, because he knows that Mike knows that that’s what Will wouldn’t want. Mike makes eye contact with Dustin again, and Dustin thinks that mike’s about to lose his shit and go into a rage about Dustin even suggesting that Will might not make it, but instead, Mike starts sobbing and Dustin just pulls him into a hug.

mike is rambling, sobbing into Dustin’s shoulder about how he can’t lose Will again, how he knows Dustin’s right about Will not wanting Mike to give up if he doesn’t make it, but also about how he’s going to disappoint Will, going to fail him again, because if Will doesn’t make it, mike knows that he’ll never be the same, knows that he won’t be able to keep going. the memory of mike at the quarry flashes, unspoken, between both of them. the memory of mike jumping. the memory of Dustin seeing him disappear over that cliff edge, and wondering if they’d have to pull his body out of the water just like they did with Will. Dustin is crying now too.

Lucas, who walks in on both of them pulling away from the hug with red eyes, and just quietly sits on the foot of the bed. Lucas, who has great news about Max waking up, but isn’t sure if this is the right time to share it, considering Will’s situation. He shares it anyway, because maybe it’ll bring some hope. It does- Mike, almost surprisingly, cracks a smile at Lucas, and nods, genuine happiness for Lucas in his eyes. Dustin is super excited, in his usual Dustin way, but Lucas can still hear the rasp in his voice from when he was crying with Mike.

When Will eventually does wake up, after the initial reunion and sappy words, Lucas and Dustin roll their eyes at Mike fussing over Will. Mike, ranting about “will, your back must be so sore, these hospital mattress suck,” as if Mike didn’t sleep in a chair for a month. Mike, lightheartedly glaring at dustin when he tries to steal Will’s questionable cup of hospital pudding after Will finishes eating dinner. Will lets him take it. Will gets a lecture about post-coma nutrition. Will pulls the “slimy foods freak me out ever since I coughed up a slug” card. They both know it’s just because he wanted Dustin to have the pudding, to have a sense of normalcy, as if they were still 7th graders trading snacks at lunch. Later, Will hears a banging outside as that can best be described as “man vs vending machine.” Dustin returns, victorious, with a bag of Reese’s pieces in his hand, giving them to Will.

Lucas, who (playfully) begrudgingly acts as messenger between Max and Will as they pass notes, both still unable to get up and visit the other.

Lucas, who tells Will all about max waking up, and Will, who looks so genuinely overjoyed for him. Will, who tells Lucas that he heard what Lucas said about Will surviving the upside-down- will, telling Lucas that he was wrong. That Will didn’t survive it alone because he never would have survived it if his friends didn’t believe that he was still out there. Will, pulling Lucas down for a hug, and like dustin and mike, the two of them pull away with teary eyes. Lucas, who’s seen the way that Will, even when barely off of his deathbed, blushes whenever mike’s around. Lucas, who somewhat teasingly, but mostly genuinely, tells Will that they couldn’t pry mike from his beside for the past month. Just like Lucas with max. He knows that Will knows what Lucas is implying, even if he plays dumb. He can see the gratitude in Will’s eyes, though, just like he could see it in Mike’s.

[thegayfangrrl]

[geekysteven]

[spocks-bikini-and-datas-bra]

Middle Earth vs Space

[thefreakandthehair]

"You can trust us to stick with you through thick and thin — to the bitter end. And you can trust us to keep any secret of yours — closer than you keep it yourself." Eddie quotes at Steve, poking him in the chest. Steve watches as Eddie sways, just a tiny bit but it betrays the facade of sobriety he'd been trying to hold.

Eddie’d once had a better tolerance but he couldn’t drink throughout his recovery and everyone was finding that Eddie is a tactile, Lord of the Rings-quoting type of drunk as a result.

They’re alone in the corner of Steve’s living room, their arms wrapped one another, and it mustn’t be shocking because no one is looking their way. Only their closest friends are present and they’re left with plenty of room to touch without strange looks.

"But you cannot trust us to let you face trouble alone, and go off without a word. We are your friends, Frodo." Eddie finishes and flashes a warm smile at Steve and sure, Steve is a little less than sober himself but it’s the same smile Eddie’s been tossing him for fucking months and Steve is just tipsy enough to catch it.

“You tryin' to tell me something, Munson?” Steve asks, reaching one arm out to steady his friend. Yeah, sure, just a friend, his mind teases.

It’s been a solid six or so months since they’d been victorious against Vecna and shut down the Upside Down for good. And okay, he and Eddie have shared a bed more nights than they haven’t since then and it’s perhaps been a lot more than just friendly to Steve, but he’s learned not to make assumptions.

People don’t always feel about him the way he feels about them, and he can handle that. He can. At least, he can until Eddie starts drunkenly quoting the Lord of the Rings at him after a few shots at his New Years Eve party leading into ‘87. He’s got one hand wrapped around the back of neck, absently tugging on the hair at the nape, and Steve is trying to sober up enough so he doesn’t kiss his friend and read this all wrong.

“You were Frodo, Steve. And I was Sam. And I love you.” Eddie says, giggly but genuinely with both his hands digging into Steve’s waist now. The grin is real— it touches his glossy eyes and spreads across his face easily.

And I love you bounces around like a rogue ping pong ball in Steve’s chest. Steve sees that Eddie’s drunk— he can tell from the giggle, the tight grip on his skin, the glossy eyes. And Steve is heartbroken. He’s been head over heels for the man in front of him for at least the three months, consciously at least, and here he is, reminding Steve of everything he can’t have.

“Man, don’t say shit like that if you don’t mean it, alright?” Steve tries to make it joking, tries to laugh and smile in the way he thinks he should because Eddie's drunk but shit, if he hasn't daydreamed about Eddie saying those words to him. 

Eddie though? Well, Eddie might be drunk but goddamn it he knows Steve. And he means it. He loves Steve so much, it feels like it's trying to claw its way out of his body. He's just tipsy enough to finally tell him.

“Stevie, I do mean it. I mean okay—”  Eddie readjusts his Zeppelin shirt beneath his leather jacket and stands taller, fingers threading their way through Steve’s belt loops. “I may not be completely sober but I’m like, completely fuckin' in love with you? How dumb is that?” He laughs and ducks his head against Steve’s chest, wrapping his arms around back Steve's waist where this all began.

“Not dumb at all, Ed. Not dumb at all. Ball’s gonna drop soon, wanna watch it?” Steve feels Eddie's laugh against his chest where he holds Eddie tighter, suddenly afraid of beginning a new year. Eddie clings to him and Steve's brain begins a hysterical loop of questions like What if Eddie suddenly doesn't want to be this close when it's not 1986? When it's not the same year that we'd met and fought demons together? What if this fades, like everything else has?

"I dunno, do you love me? Be a hell of a way to ring in a new year, gettin' kissed by the one and only Steve Harrington!" Eddie's question throws a stick into the wheel of his looping brain, screeching it to a halt.

Steve knows this isn't the time and he knows Eddie probably won't even remember this in the morning but he does it anyways. He pulls back, takes a look around the room where all of their friends are cheering and counting down.

Robin had started the countdown at 60 seconds, just a touch too early, and they're only at 47 when Steve runs both of his shaking hands up and down the length of Eddie's arms. The last time they approach Eddie's shoulders, he keeps them there and inches closer, searching Eddie's wide, beguiled eyes for hesitation and finds none. Just finds what he always does: warmth, joy, comfort.

"39!"

"38!"

"37!"

"Ed, stop me if I've got it wrong."

"36!"

"35!"

"Definitely not wrong, Steve."

"33!"

"32!"

It's still 1986 when Steve Harrington finally kisses Eddie Munson. It's soft, gentle, close-lipped and tender without pushing for more. Eddie's fingers go numb and his toes curl in his boots, and Steve sees colors in a new way when they pull away and open their eyes.

"I do love you, Eddie." Steve says, breathless and happy in a way he hasn't been in years. He's still afraid, but even if he only gets this one moment, he's going all in for it. "So fucking much."

One palm comes up to rest on Steve's cheek, warm metal against his skin in the way of Eddie's rings. "It's not even the new year yet." He says with a laugh and a smile with his bottom lip between his teeth.

"19!"

"18!"

"Couldn't wait. I'll do it again in 1987, if you'll let me?"

"Any year, any dimension, Steve."

The countdown is getting closer and Dick Clark is yelling on the television when Steve grabs Eddie's hand and pulls him to join their friends, one arm slung over his shoulders and Eddie's around his waist. Steve gets a beaming smile and cocked eyebrow from Robin and his nod is all she needs.

"7!"

"6!"

"5!"

People start pairing off, and Steve's sober enough to realize that none of this would have made sense to him just a few months prior. Robin pulls Nancy closer with the hand not holding an obnoxiously loud noisemaker, Argyle smiles meaningfully at Jonathan, and Steve finds himself being spun back to face Eddie.

"Ready?"

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

It's 1987 when Eddie Munson finally kisses Steve Harrington. They don't join the chorus of Happy New Year's! around them because it's Eddie's turn to kiss Steve, and he fucking does. A little harder, a little more tongue, a bite or two when Steve returns the same eagerness and impatience. It's Eddie who breaks the kiss, lips shiny and swollen.

"Gotta good feeling about '87, Stevie. Got a really good feeling."

[sunderedseas]

[rivermask]

Tumblr Book Clubs I am Currently Following, in order of how hard I think they would be to catch up on if you wanted to join the fun:

Around the World Hourly (Around the World in Eighty Days with entries sent according to the in-story hour of events, started Oct 2)

The Public Domain Book Club (started Frankenstein for the month of October on Oct 1)

Lord of the Rings Newsletter (started late September with some very long posts, but will be variable length as they follow the dates of events in the story)

Dracula Daily via Re:Dracula (chronological Dracula by Bram Stoker - OK, you've missed most of this one, but the audio format is very engaging - you could still catch up for the exciting conclusion!)

My Dear Wormwood (The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis - 22 short letters so far, posted on a weekly basis)

What Manner of Man (original vampire romance by St John Starling - 24 shortish and very fun chapters so far, posted on a weekly basis)

Whale Weekly (Moby Dick by Herman Melville with roughly chronological timescale - we're 70-some chapters in but there are often long breaks between them so you could probably catch up)

Les Mis Letters (a chapter of Les Miserables by Victor Hugo every day for a year - catch-up difficulty level: impossible)

Please add your own!

[lonelylittlebookworm]

eddie isn’t dead guys, he has to live to see lord of the rings get made into the most amazing films ever, and force steve to go see them with him, but steve doesn’t pay attention bc he’s too busy staring adoringly at his nerdy boyfriend the whole time <3

[unlikely-adversaries-bracket]

R1M13

@autisticboybattleroyale - link to poll

@i-mustache-your-opinion fictional facial hair showdown - link to poll

[chirpsythismorning]

When byler is trekking the UD together in s5 and one of them brings up how they’re like Sam and Frodo 😳

[inklessletter]

[aemiron-main]

YOOOOOOO WAIT ALL OF THE VOLCANO IMAGERY LIKE THE SCIENCE PROJECT BEHIND MIKE AND WILL IN THAT ONE PICTURE AND THE VOLCANO PIC IN THIS SHOT?? I am staring DIRECTLY at Mount Doom from LOTR (also a volcano). there’s so many LOTR parallels and will’s birthday/March 22nd is literally the exact day that frodo and Sam started going towards Mount Doom.

much to think abt. Idk how it all fits together yet but. hmmmmmmm. we also After seeing this volcano get the scene of dustin and lucas mentioning Mirkwood… and Mirkwood was cleansed and returned to greenwood after Sauron’s death/the destruction of the ring/frodo and Sam at Mount Doom

[very-feral-lesbian]

eddie: i lied, i don’t actually like sex. put your clothes back on

steve: *shirtless, sticky, and confused*

eddie: *grabs book* im gonna explain the entire plot of lord of the rings to you

[murkyhazed]

and i never know what to say till i'm already walkin' away...

#MURKYHAZED:  an independent, private, highly selective multi-fandom multimuse with a variety of characters from film, television, games and more.  created by stephanie.  this blog contains material that may not be suitable for all viewers.  viewer discretion is advised. ©

[vildo]

Unwrap the one you want most

[fuctacles]

y'all sleeping on the fact that Eddie would not propose without somehow implementing a lotr reference

and so would Steve, because how else do you show your nerdy boyfriend you want to get old with him??

Steve, dropping on his knee: will you be my precious?