#steve harrington has bad parents or at least a bad dad

[afewproblems]

Angsty dialogue prompts 👀

Number 13 - "Why would you say that?"

-@strangersteddierthings

Ahhhhhh thank you for the request Jess! @strangersteddierthings I hope you enjoy, I took this into a bit of a different direction than even I expected!

***

It takes Robin's foot connecting with his ankle to make Steve realize he was starring.

At Eddie, yet again.

Something that he had been doing a lot over the last few months since everything with Vecna and the Upside Down. Since Steve and Robin had managed to drag Eddie back from the brink, fighting off inky tendrils of death as Dustin led the way while Nancy brought up the rear, shot gun in hand.

Between the four of them, Eddie had actually made it. Torn up and missing about two liters of blood, but alive.

Of course, navigating the aftermath of the earthquakes and the loss of half the town had actually made it easier to avoid the murder charges that had been lobbed at Eddie.

Especially with the way Lucas, Erica, and Max had sworn up and down that Jason had been the one responsible for all of the murders, that they had narrowly escaped becoming his final victims.

And who could argue with the evidence, certainly not Jason after the surge of white hot energy that split the earth had finished with him.

So with Eddie's newfound freedom and the inability to argue with Dustin's insistence that he had been officially adopted into the party, his presence in their lives had become something that Steve looked forward to.

It was nice having someone else his age in the group. Robin was his other half of course, his soul mate, but it was nice having another guy to hang out with, and of course it wasn't because of anything else, Robin.

He let it slip one time that Eddie had nice eyes and was easy to talk to and, do you think he's seeing anyone Bobby, and suddenly Steve is accused of having a crush. Of all things!

Steve feels two fingers suddenly pinch at the outside of his thigh and has to suppress a loud yelp as he bats Robin's hands away from his leg with a glare.

She rolls her eyes and gives him a knowing look before turning back to the conversation.

"Take Stevie over here," Eddie says around the joint between his lips. He takes a long drag before passing it over to Argyle and Steve can't help but watch, transfixed, as the smoke billows out from his nose like a dragon.

"I can guarantee you that he's seen the ocean before while the rest of us land-locked lubbers will probably never get the pleasure," Eddie continues with a wink and kicks his leg up onto the coffee table in Steve's basement.

Argyle blows out a long puff of smoke, he's leaned back against the couch with his head tipped up towards the ceiling, "thats wild man," he says with a laugh in his voice, he doesn't react when Jonathan snorts and takes the joint from his hand.

"Seriously?" Jon asks after a minute, "dude, we lived in California, we literally went to the beach all the time?"

Robin and Nancy both laugh at the noise of recognition that Argyle makes while Eddie rolls his eyes.

"Okay but for everyone else who didn't have the benefit of local geography," Eddie says, gesturing at the girls and himself, "we will be cursed to never feel the sand between our toes and all that shit".

Robin quirks an eyebrow and takes a swig of beer from the can in her hands, the sleeve of her denim jacket brushes against Steve's arm as she moves to set the can back on the coffee table.

They're the only two seated on the floor, Steve having given up the couch so everyone else could be comfortable and Robin couldn't, in good conscience, let her best friend sit by himself.

God he loves her, Steve thinks as he shoots her a soft smile.

He's never had someone that loves him so openly, so unapologetically as Robin does.

Not even when his parents were home for more than a few days a year did they show him the same kind of care that she had in their short time of knowing one another.

Sure, they teased each other, Robin had even made a new scoreboard for his failed attempts at flirting at Family Video --this one with a new section after Steve quietly admitted to her that they had even more in common than they had realized earlier.

But Robin was there, in a way that he hadn't really had from anyone else in years.

"I don't know how you deal with it Buckley," Eddie huffs. He's grinning widely at Robin and Steve, reaching to take the joint back from Jonathan.

"What," she says dryly, "Steve? He grows on you".

"He does," Nancy insists loudly from Jonathan's other side, her cheeks are flushed and her eyes a little glassy. Jonathan lifts his arm to tuck her against his side with a fond grin, he meets Steve's gaze after a minute and mouths, 'still a lightweight,' which makes Steve snort.

"This!" Eddie barks out, lifting a ringed hand to gesture around the basement sitting room, "look there's a fucking Linn LP12 sitting right beside you and a God Damn pool outside".

Steve frowns, looking from Robin back to Eddie. He feels an uncomfortable thrum roll over his skin as Eddie stands up to make his way to the sound system he pointed out.

"Jesus, I think this whole collection cost more than my trailer," he picks up Steve's mothers Joni Mitchell album, turning it in his hands, "must have been nice to have mommy and daddy's money huh? This is like 'fuck you' rich".

Steve feels a faint nervous laugh tumble out of his mouth, even as his stomach rolls at the words.

"Oh my god," Robin laughs, knocking her shoulder into Steve's own, "yes! If I had a nickle for the number of times he asked me why I don't have my own phone line yet whenever my mom answers first, I'd be as rich as Steve!"

Eddie puts the Blue album back and pulls out a copy of The Beatles and now Steve is sweating.

Because Eddie isn't wrong, this is his parents music collection and yes it did cost them a lot of money over the years. But, more importantly, it was off limits to Steve.

The last time his dad had caught him flipping through the vinyls, Steve had been sent to his room with large purple hand prints on the offending arm and two broken fingers.

"Okay, that's my dad's, put it down," he says, hiding the tremor in his voice as he gets to his feet.

Eddie rolls his eyes again but does set the record down on top of the collection. He raises his hands in surrender and raises a mocking eyebrow as he steps back towards the couch, dropping down on the end as Argyle scoots closer to Jonathan to make more space.

Argyle and Jonathan speak quietly to one another seemingly uncaring about the strange tension that begins to bleed into the basement. It's Nancy who is watching Steve, Eddie, and Robin, her mouth set in an unhappy frown.

Nancy had only met Steve's parents once during a very uncomfortable dinner, years back when they had dated. While she may not know the true extent of Steve's relationship with Richard and Cynthia Harrington, she knows it wasn't all sunshine and roses.

"Man," Eddie snorts, shooting Robin a wicked grin, "I knew your parents had spoiled you pretty rotten but I didn't think they needed to buy you a new sense of humor".

"Yeah Steve," Robin pats the carpet beside her, "it's just a joke, lighten up and come sit down".

And that, well, that hurt a bit more than Steve anticipated.

"Why would you say that?" He whispers, the words falling out of his mouth like vomit before he can stop it.

Eddie scoffs from the couch, but Steve isn't looking at Eddie. He's looking at Robin.

Robin who meets Steve's gaze with a slight frown between her eyes, she looks back at Nancy with a laugh in her smile that disappears at the frosty glare Nancy fixes her with.

She slowly turns to look back at Steve, confusion and concern in her blue eyes.

"Oh come on Steve," Eddie takes a drag of the joint, which has dwindled into something resembling a roach before stubbing it out in the brown ashtray on the table, "we're kidding, come on Byers, you get it right?"

Nancy leans up to whisper something in Jonathan's ear and whatever it is, it's enough to make him stiffen slightly and give Steve a long look before he shakes his head, "I think we're going to head home actually".

Steve nods and breathes out, ignoring the way his chest tightens as he refuses to meet Robin's worried gaze.

Eddie slowly stands to follow Nancy and Jonathan, he says something quietly to Argyle that is met with a simple serene shrug

Eddie hangs back as the other three make their way up the basement stairs. He chews his lip and clenches his fist as he looks between Steve and Robin with a frown.

Eddie stands awkwardly beside Robin, spinning one of the rings on his left hand as he looks between Steve and the stairs that the others had used to beat their hasty retreat.

Robin gets to her feet slowly, her gaze never wavering, "Steve?"

Steve winces at the way she says his name.

He knows it was just a joke, he knows he's overreacting, that neither of them could have known about his relationship with his parents.

He knows it's unfair of him to be so upset, but he can't help it.

Because Eddie mocking him, that he could deal with. He could get over it, let go of the fantasies of Eddie's crinkling eyes and warm smile that made Steve's heartbeat quicken.

But Robin?

The way she had laughed, dismissed his discomfort, it was as though he had been transported back to Tommy's basement just a few years back, listening to him and Carol tear him down.

It's just a joke Steve.

He reaches up to pinch at the bridge of his nose, flinching at the sharp intake of air from Robin who immediately makes her way closer.

"Just," he manages to say with an even tone, shaking his head. He closes his eyes and clears his throat, taking a step back from the pair.

"I'm going to bed, got a shift tomorrow, so," Steve says quietly with a shrug. He opens his eyes but drops his gaze to the carpet, knowing if he made eye contact with Robin, he would inevitably ask her to stay.

Robin opens her mouth to argue, a fierce glare in her eyes and a bright flush on her face, he hasn't seen her this upset since the Creel House.

"Steve--"

Robin jumps as Eddie reaches for her arm, pulling her back, hard enough that she stumbles slightly into Eddie.

Steve curls his arms around himself, shying away from Eddie's dark evaluating eyes. He doesn't need to see the judgment there, it's embarrassing enough feeling like he's ruined the evening because of his hangups. He doesn't need the reminder of how ridiculous it is to be angry with them over something so silly.

"Come on Buckley, I'll drive you home," Eddie mumbles as he gently tugs at her arm once again.

Steve hears a harsh sigh, but she doesn't say anything this time. He can feel her staring, as though trying to read his mind like she normally could. But Steve keeps his eyes trained on the floor, until he hears two pairs of feet finally make their way up the stairs, until the front door closes, until Eddie's van roars to life on the Harrington driveway.

Steve eventually makes his way upstairs in a daze, half heartedly getting ready for bed.

He brushes his teeth, washes his face, doing everything he can to ignore the words that echo in his head over and over. He finishes in the bathroom and takes off his jeans, swapping his sweater for an old ratty t-shirt he often used for bed.

It was just a joke.

Steve rolls over until he's facing the window, ignoring the tightness in his chest as he closes his eyes.

Maybe it would be funnier in the morning.

[french-goodbye]

To Be Alone With You

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader

Summary: Steve’s parents are never home, until they are. You learn to deal with it.

Warnings: Kissing; fingering; oral (m receiving). MINORS DNI, 18+.

Notes: This all started because I kept thinking about giving Steve head. That’s it, that was my motivation. Part of the same universe as In The Low Lamplight, but can be read as a stand alone. Also title from the Hozier song To Be Alone. MINORS DNI, 18+.

Steve’s parents are not really nice people. It’s a fact of life, kinda like how the sky is blue or the trees are green, it’s something Steve himself has come to slowly accept over time and that he’s learned he’ll never be able to change.

One of the few good things about Steve’s parents, however, is how often they travel. Especially considering Steve’s dad is a husband who can’t be trusted not to cheat on his wife, Mrs. Harrington just accompanies him everywhere. Which basically leaves Steve with a huge house all to himself and no one to reinforce the “no sleeping over rule”.

The “no sleeping over” rule was established early on in your relationship with Steve, his dad dictating that you can’t sleep over at their house, ever. Apparently he’s afraid you’ll get pregnant as if you 1) aren’t on the pill; 2) can’t fuck his son literally anywhere else, any other time of the day. Alas, you both obey the rule - at least when Steve’s parents are around.

Despite the Harrington household rule, you have gotten pretty used to breaking it and regularly stay over at their house. Some of it has to do with how obsessed you are with your boyfriend, but also with how much Steve hated it, coming home to an empty house and cooking a meal for one, only to wake up to a silent house and do it all over again, until he met you. So now, instead of coming home to a ghost house, he comes home to find you sitting pretty on his couch as you wait for him or you in the kitchen badly singing along to the songs in the radio or you haunting his bedroom even when he isn’t there.

Sometimes though, out of sheer (bad) luck, his parents will come home to stay for a while, no trips in sight. They usually only stay in Hawkins for a week before they travel again, but this time it goes on for what seems like a long time. Forget about his parents’ nagging, Steve can handle that, has handled that his whole life, what Steve can’t handle is not being around you for that long.

Of course he’s seen you since his parents got home, you went on a movie date ast Saturday, you visited him at Family Video on Monday and the two of you even snuck in some alone time on Tuesday night near Lover’s Lake in his car. So it’s not that he misses you per se, it’s that he’s so used to being in your orbit that he just misses being around you. He misses the shared showers and the cooking together and the falling asleep together. He misses the domesticity of it, of knowing that even when he’s not home, you’re still in his space.

All that being said, he manages to get by just getting glimpses of you in the meantime. Sometimes he’ll give you a ride to and from work, or you’ll sneak to Family video so you can have lunch together and he cherishes these moment like a man starved, like he haven’t been waking up and falling asleep next to you every day and night,

He’s getting through it until he realizes it’s been a whole month since his parents got home and they have absolutely no plans of leaving. That’s when he gives up on trying to at least pretend to follow his dad’s stupid rules and sneaks you in through the back door after his parents go to sleep. He’ll sneak you outside again the next morning and pretend you’ve just arrived or something, it’s not like his parents are that attentive or concerned about what he does.

You’re both giggling like teenagers by the time you slip into his bedroom, unnoticed. He’s barely locked the door behind himself and you’re all over him, pushing him into bed and climbing on top of him to kiss him silly.

“God, I’ve missed you” he says when you finally pull away, his lips red and spit wet. You start pressing kisses to his neck, like a girl starved, your hand tugging his hair to tilt his head to the right to grant you more access.

“Missed you too” you mumble against the skin of his neck, pressing open mouthed kisses there and sucking a pretty little mark at the spot where his neck meets his shoulders, next to one of his many freckles.

Your hands start to wander then, letting go of his hair to sneak down his chest and lower and lower. You’re about to slip your hand into his sweatpants when he stops you, his hand tangling with yours midway there.

“Come on, Stevie. Do you not want this?” You pull away until you’re sitting up, still straddling his hips and watching his mussed hair and red lips, a familiar heat climbing up your stomach at the sight.

“It’s not that I don’t want it” he explains, making his hair more of a mess when he runs his fingers through it.

“Then what is it?”

“My parents are totally gonna hear us”

“Their room is on the other side of the house, there’s no way they can hear us”

“I don’t think you realize how loud you can be” you huff on top of him, crossing your arms over your chest.

“Are you serious? Why did you sneak me in then?”

“I told you… I missed my girl” he says softly, his sweetness chipping away at your annoyance over not getting laid. Just a little bit.

“You’re too sweet on me” you laugh happily, cradling his face in your hands. You lean down again and he pulls you closer by the waist to kiss you, kiss you, kiss you until you’re lost on the feeling of it again, his tongue in your mouth and his fingers in your hair and his half hard cock rubbing against you through your jeans. You’re moving before you can stop yourself, slowly grinding your hips against his when he stops you again, digging his fingers on your waist through the fabric of your top.

“Babe…”

“I know, I know. I’m sorry” you drop your head dramatically against his chest, shaking slightly on top of him when he laughs underneath you and hides his face on your neck. You can feel the warmth on his cheeks as he hugs you tightly to his chest and you gently card your fingers through his hair.

“Fine” you sigh, gently pushing him away and getting up and away from him.

“Where are you going?” He asks with a frown as you start digging through his drawers until you find one of his t-shirts you can put on.

“I’m changing” you answer as you pull off your own top and jeans. His eyes travel the length of your torso to your legs, not being particularly subtle in his staring.

“Why are you so far away?” He whines in complaint, rubbing his hands across his face.

“Because you said you don’t wanna have sex with me?” You say like a question, throwing him a confused look over the collar of the shirt you’re pulling through your head.

“I didn’t say that”

You throw your balled up clothes onto the floor next to his dresser, instantly making a mess of his otherwise organized room. He can’t even be bothered to complain about it, missing even the mess you leave in room, as you crawl towards him and balance on top of his thighs again.

“You kinda did,” you interrupt him before he can argue. “But that’s okay. I’m a big girl, I’ll get over it”

“We could make out a little bit” he suggests, his hand creeping up your now bare thigh.

And that you do, until both your lips are swollen and his neck is bruised and his hard cock is pressing against the thin material of your now wet underwear.

“We should stop” you breathe out when he’s sucking your earlobe between his teeth, hands on ass and definitely coping a feel in the meantime.

“Why?” He asks, still not stopping.

“Because I really wanna fuck you and we can’t” you complain, not exactly pulling away, but just tugging on his hair to keep his mouth on your neck.

“Wanna fuck you too. Missed feeling this pussy around my cock” he groans against your neck, and you can feel yourself clench around nothing, wishing it was his cock instead.

“Okay, we’re done” you push on his chest until you’re sitting up again.

“We don’t have to stop” he complains, still gripping on your thighs to keep you on top of him.

You press a kiss to his cheek and he tries to chase after you to kiss your lips again. You push him away giggly and climb off of him, laying next to him and looking at his pretty face as he lays on his back, face turned to watch you.

“We do have to stop because you’re a tease and I have no self control”

“Fine, we’ll stop. But when my parents are gone again…”

“You’ll have me all to yourself, handsome” you assure him confidently. He presses a quick peck to your lips before you can complain again, pulling away smugly.

“It’s a deal”

“Now come on, I haven’t been sleeping well without you” you tell him, turning your back to him and tugging on his hand until his chest is pressed to your back. He tries to keep his hips away from yours, as if you weren’t literally straddling his lap seconds ago.

“You haven’t?” When you shake your head in reply, more concerned with wrapping his arm around waist, he continues. “Shit, I’m sorry, sweetheart. I wish you could stay here without having to sneak in like a teenager but-“

“Hey, I know. I don’t you to get in trouble because of me” you link his hand with yours and brings his knuckles to your lips.

“I really missed you” he says in a sweet and sticky voice, his face sinking in your hair.

“I missed you too”

“Goodnight, sweetheart”

“Goodnight, Stevie”

Despite the recent late nights reaching through empty cold sheets for your boyfriend who isn’t there, you can’t fall asleep. Steve’s hips are pressed against yours, his hard cock wedged between your bodies and you can feel he’s still awake too, his breathing still too quick behind you.

You take a deep breath and squirm a little as you try to get comfortable, his arms almost too tight around you. When you’re finally settled, you close your eyes and just will yourself to fall asleep, despite the uncomfortable wetness pooling in your underwear and your boyfriend’s hard cock on the curve of your ass.

Barely five minutes have passed when you feel Steve sigh loudly against the back of your neck.

“Fuck”

You huff out a laugh, “what’s wrong?”

“I’m hard” he complains, adjusting behind you and accidentally making his cock drag through your ass and both of you sigh at the feeling.

“It’s your fault”

“How’s it my fault?”

“You were the one saying we should make out”

He huffs this time, pulling you closer to him.

“Not my fault you’re irresistible” he mumbles, hiding his face between your shoulder blades.

You can’t help but laugh again, despite the sigh of pleasure that escapes you and turn your head slightly to see his big brown eyes watching you over your shoulder.

“You’re horny, pretty boy?”

He leans over you, almost squishing you to the mattress to press his face to your neck, “don’t say it like that”.

You giggle and place your hand on top of his, moving your ass against his cock deliberately, all bad intentions. You feel his breath hitch in his throat and his fingertips dig on your hips to guide your movements.

“What did you say before? How I’m too loud?”

“You are” he mumbles against your neck, biting you there almost too hard and rutting against your ass.

“Doesn’t seem to bother you when you’re telling you love the sounds I make”

“I do love the sounds you make, just not when- fuck” he groans quietly against your ear when you hold tightly to his hair.

You keep moving your hips backwards, both of you trying your hardest to keep quiet. One of his arms wrap around your body, and the other start slipping underneath his borrowed t-shirt to move teasingly through your tummy, skimming the edge of your underwear.

“Steve…” you sigh when his hand hand starts creeping lower and lower to mess with the elastic band of your underwear.

“You gotta keep quiet, pretty girl. Can you do that for me?” He whispers near you ear, his lips barely leaving your skin as he speaks.

“Yes, just please touch me” you beg, clinging to the arm holding you and digging your nails there.

His hand finally slips through your mound and finds you, soaking wet and so, so warm, his cock twitching between your ass cheeks at finding you so ready for him. He slides his fingers through the wetness in your entrance spreading it all the way to your clit and you have to hide your face in the pillow under your head to keep from moaning too loud.

“Right there?” He asks unnecessarily, because he has fucked you enough times to know by heart the way you like it, just to tease you and feel you nod against him.

“Right there, baby. Keep going” you plead quietly, moving your hips to feel his cock behind you and his whole body surrounding yours.

He swirls his fingers around and you keen underneath him, sinking your nails on the arm of the hand touching you to get him to move faster. He keeps going, rubbing small circles in your clit in a dance you’re both so familiar it’s almost painful to imagine being away from it for so long. Suddenly he stops and you whine, he shushes you and dips his fingers lower until you they catch on your entrance. You moan against the pillow when he finally slips his finger inside and his hand leaves your waist to roughly grab the inside of your thigh and spread you open.

“Fuck, you feel so good” you mumble against the pillowcase, following the movement of his finger with your hips. “Missed your fingers”

He finally slips a second finger and you jut your spine, his cock digging between your ass cheeks.

“Gonna fuck you so good when we’re alone,” he murmurs somewhere around your ear, so quietly it’s almost like he’s talking to himself. “Gonna fill this pussy up the way she deserves, just the way you like it. You want that, baby?”

You nod dumbly, clenching around his fingers at his words. “Can I have another finger? I’ll be quiet, I promise”

He slips a third finger in and even if it’s not the same as his cock, you feel it stretching you open. It’s all you can think of as he fingers you, you imagine how his cock would be stretching you out in this position, how fucking full you’d feel, how he’d fill you up with his cum.

His thumb shifts to flick against your clit and that’s all you need to get there, hurling to your orgasm in a way only Steve’s ever been able to give to you. You release a particularly loud moan before you can stop yourself and Steve’s free hand’s there, quick to clamp over your mouth, his other hand still fucking you and rubbing your clit through your orgasm.

You moan loudly against his hand one more time, the sound distant and muffled before you gently touch his arm to signal him to stop. His hand slips from your underwear and from over your mouth and he fixes your panties for you as you calmly try to catch your breath, his cock still digging on your lower back.

“Oh my god” you pant, feeling a gust of air on your neck when he laughs. “You’re amazing, Steve Harrington. I can’t believe I still haven’t gotten used to that”

You turn in his arms to see his face, his wet hand digging on the knobs of your spine. He’s still laughing, almost smugly so.

“You wouldn’t say I’m amazing if you ever saw yourself cum”

You’re giggly as you slip off your underwear, now sticky and wet against you and climb on top of him. You pick up his hand and bring his still wet fingers to your mouth to suck on them, tasting yourself on his skin. His eyes darken almost instantly, watching you avidly as you suck it and pull away with a wet lewd sound.

He’s pulling you in before you can tease him or say anything, his hand cradling your face in his hands, his spit wet fingers on your cheek as he kisses you deeply, tasting you on his tongue. You pull away when you notice he’s getting too into it, his hips jerking underneath you, rippling off his t-shirt.

“Babe, we can’t fuck. They’ll-“

“Yeah, yeah…” you wave him off, now proceeding to get rid of his sweatpants and underwear all in one go, his cock bouncing up and hitting his belly button. You eye it sinfully, almost drooling in your desire to get your mouth on him. “We’re not fucking. I’m gonna go down on you and you’re gonna be quiet for me, is that okay with you?”

“Babe-“

“You never let me go down on you” you complain with a whine, resting your hands on your own thighs.

“Because I always blow my load like a teenager when you blow me and it’s fucking embarrassing” he complains, gripping your hips and pulling you until you’re laying on top of him.

“Well, I think it’s hot” you pout, resting your hand on his cheek and giving him a lingering kiss. “Let me go down you,” you kiss him one more time, “please, handsome?”

“Fine” he sighs dramatically, like you’re ask him a huge favor.

“You know, a lot of guys would die for a girl who likes to blow them” You complain matter-of-factly, sliding down his body to straddle his thighs as his cock prods your stomach.

“Well, I like it a little too much” he answer shakily, as you press open mouthed kisses to his chest, his ribs, the spot above his bellybutton. His hands rest in your head, to pet your head lovingly and you manage to find it in you to forgive him.

“You look so hot like this” you comment against the skin of his hip, sucking a mark there and thumbing it gently. “Gonna make you feel so fucking good”

“Jesus, just… go slow okay? It’s been a while” he stammers, still petting your hair softly. You glance at him skeptically, raising your eyebrows.

“You’re telling me you didn’t jerk off once this whole time? We were literally on the phone the other day-”

“I didn’t say that…”

You snort and spit on your palm, getting it wet and watching the pre cum pooling at the slit of his cock. “You’re so full of shit”

“Hey-“ he cuts himself off with a groan when you lick the pearly liquid on his tip, one of your hands wrapping around the base to jerk him off slowly.

His fingers tighten their grip on your hair as you lick around around his tip and continue to move your hands around him, reaching his base and going all the way up again. Your free hand rubs against his upper thigh, occasionally scratching him lovingly.

You spit on it and lick along his length, following a vein back to his tip, trying to him as wet as you can, just the way he likes it.

“Fuck” he pants when you finally take him into your mouth, widening your lips so you can reach the middle of his cock as you work the rest of him with your hand. You gulp around him, breathing through your nose as you progressively take more of him, working your way up his cock so you can reach his base with your mouth.

You’re starting to get into the rhythm of it, the way his cock feels in your mouth and the slightly salty taste when he gently pulls a strand of your hair to catch your attention.

“H-hey, slow down or I’m gonna cum” he warns.

You pull away from his cock heaving, still stroking him in your hands slowly. “Isn’t that the point?”

“Wanna enjoy this” his hand finds your cheek, rubbing the skin with his thumb and you press a kiss to his palm. The gesture’s almost too soft for the moment, but it’s always been like this with him.

“Whatever you say, handsome” you agree, pressing a single kiss to his tip. Your hand still stroking him slowly as you lean down to press kisses to his thigh and suck another mark there.

You keep jerking him off as your free hand slides down to fondle his balls and you spit on them too, for good mesure. You finally suck one of this balls into your mouth, your hand still massaging the other one.

He groans loudly above you and you pull away with a muffled moan of your own, reluctantly pulling away.

“Remember what we talked about, handsome?” you remind him, stroking him torturously slow now. He nods absent-mindedly, eyes still focused on the movement of your hand. “You have to be quiet or I’ll stop”

“Baby, please don’t stop, please” he begs, his hand gripping your head to keep you close to him.

“Don’t be loud and I won’t” you promise.

“I promise, I promise”

You go back to sucking on his balls and his hand meets yours where it rests on his hip, squeezing your fingers tightly between his. He looks like a mess above you, hair sticking to all side from running his hands through it, cheeks red and his eyes so sharply focused on you it’d embarrass you if you hadn’t done this before.

You lick around his tip one more time, sinking your mouth to the middle of his cock and working the rest of him with your hand until you finally manage to reach the base of his cock, the trimmed hair surrounding the base tickling your face.

He releases a muffled groan above you and glance up to see he’s biting his fist. His eyes meet yours and his hand finally forces you to gag around his length, a moan of your own leaving your throat.

It doesn’t take long for him to come after that, between gasps and muffled moans and random babbling, he warns you he’s gonna come and you keep your mouth around him, gagging around him until you feel his cum shoot into your throat, salty and not particularly good but so Steve, you swallow it eagerly.

You keep your mouth around him until he’s too sensitive and pulling you away by the arm almost roughly. You let him and he guides you to lay on top of him, kissing you forcefully.

He tastes himself in your mouth and you both groan at the feeling. He keeps kissing, kissing, kissing you until you’re breathless and pliant on top of him and he’s all loose limbs underneath you.

“I’m never going that long without seeing you ever again” he pants, his fingers massaging your scalp where your head rests on his chest.

You huff a breathless laugh as you draw nonsense shapes on his skin, “no complaints from me.”

“Good, you’re totally staying over tomorrow night” he decides, still relaxed underneath you.

“We can try your shower,” you point at the closed door of the bathroom connected to his room. “They’ll definitely not gonna be able to hear over the running water”

He freezes beneath you for a second, and then he starts laughing. “Can’t believe we didn’t think of that until now”

“Add that to list” you mumble tiredly against his chest, finally slipping into the best sleep you’ve had in weeks.

[rogueddie]

Unexpected Delights T | 468 words Prompt for @steddielovemonth: Love is Co-Parenting

Having a child of their own is something that Eddie and Steve have been talking about for a long time. It's something that Eddie had thought Steve would push for more. Instead, he accepts Eddies explanation with ease.

It makes Eddie feel... uncomfortable, for some reason. But he knows he was right to tell Steve "I'm not ready yet".

Being a father is a big responsibility, something Steve and Eddie are both aware of. They both know that, if they are to adopt or have a surrogate, they both need to be completely on board.

Only, Eddie had thought Steve would push more.

He's not sure why he feels disappointed.

"Why not have a trial run?" Robin suggests, when Eddie turns to her for advice. "I can talk to Dustin. You could both work together to babysit Evie and see if it's something you could do."

"Oh, you're a genius."

Steve is just as excited by the idea, but especially when Eddie reluctantly admits that he has been thinking about potentially having a child with Steve.

Plus, an excuse to spend time with Dustin and Suzies newborn, alone, is an idea that Steve finds perfect.

Dustin, tired from work and daycare, is also thrilled at the idea.

"Maybe we'll finally sleep through the night."

"Yikes," Eddie winces. "That bad?"

Dustin laughs, patting him on the shoulder. "You're about to find out!"

Despite how they prepare, with Dustin's warnings and Steve banking on his previous babysitting knowledge, the first day is rough.

It's hard to find a rhythm, to settle into the new routine. They have a lot of false starts, until finally...

"She's so cute," Steve whispers, rocking the baby in his arms.

Eddie wishes he could take a photo of them. He settles for stepping closer, hands settling on Steve's hips.

"Yeah," he whispers, pressing a light kiss to Steve's forehead. "You two are the cutest thing I've ever seen."

"Shut up," Steve rolls his eyes.

"We should definitely look for a surrogate. The only thing that would make this sight better is if you were holding a little mini Harrington."

"I don't know... I think we could handle some mini Munsons too."

"Ok, we're not having six kids."

"Wh- hey, I wasn't thinking six! Like... maybe four."

"Jesus Christ."

"I'm joking, I only really want two. So they can have a sibling."

"Oh. Yeah, that..." Eddie looks down at little Evie. "Yeah. It'd be nice to have a sibling."

"Two kids, then?"

"Two."

Steve beams.

Eddie is sure that he's struggling to keep still, practically vibrating with joy.

"We're a good team," he finally manages to say. Eddie worries that his cheeks will start to ache with how wide his smile is. "Great babysitters, at least."

"And we'll be even better dads."

"You think?"

"I know."

[piratefishmama]

Fake it 'till you make it | Part 5

Eddie was almost half certain that he was either hallucinating, or still asleep and dreaming the whole thing. But Steve Harrington was in his living room, perusing the mug collection as if it were fine art or some shit, and he wasn’t there to buy drugs. The van had gotten uncomfortable pretty quickly after Eddie’s tragic realisation, and while his Uncle was definitely there, and giving Eddie a very obvious what the fuck Ed’s ‘look’ while he made them both coffee, Steve seemed pretty at ease in the place.

He didn’t look like he belonged in any way shape or form, with his mega-bucks hairstyle, the polo that probably cost more than Eddie was making per day on those dates, and the jeans that probably—okay he needed to stop pricing up what Steve was wearing.

Needed to stop making assumptions about him.

“You take sugar, kid?”

“Uh—yes! Yeah, uh, cream two sugars, please. Thank you.” If Steve noticed the surprise on Wayne’s face at the presence of manners well… he didn’t seem offended by it. in fact he was still pretty amazed by the mug collection. “Where’d you get all these?”

“Spent a few years’a my life as a long haul trucker before Ed’s landed on my doorstep back in the day, the road ain’t no place for a kid so I packed it in, but there’s always lil knick knacks in pit stops along the way, had people say they’d probably be worth somethin someday, bit‘a history an all that, but… that ain’t why I have em. Each one has a memory attached to it, makes somethin as mundane as a mug, precious.” Memories, the walls were littered with memories.

Such a small space packed with so much. So many little bits and bobs, clutter that told stories, personalities told by clutter.

Steve loved it. He found it… comforting.

Eddie couldn’t stop the foot he so ungracefully stuck into his mouth however with the quip “must seem messy to you, huh?” That wiped the smile right from Steve’s perfect face. Replaced it with a little frown of confusion.

“Hm? No… no, not at all, what? What makes you think that?”

“Well, I’ve seen your house dude, it’s looks straight out of a showroom or somethin.” Couldn’t take the foot out of the mouth now, best just chew on it until his uncle whacked him round the back of the head with a newspaper, hissing,

“Manners don’t cost nothin boy, I raised you better than to be a little shit to guests. The hell’s your problem?”

“I honestly have no idea.” Eddie didn’t even complain about the whack, it didn’t hurt, but it did dislodge the foot from his mouth, allowing him to level Steve and his confused face an apology “sorry man, I’m just…”

“Defensive?”

“Mmhm”

“S’fine, I get it.” And wasn’t that just fucking heartbreaking. Especially since he smiled so sweetly when Wayne gave him his own little steaming mug, it had mickey mouse on it. “For the record though, I like it. The collection I mean… I think I’d like something like this in my own house someday, just… memories everywhere… neither of my parents are big on collections, I think the only ones they have are my mom’s vinyl’s and my dad’s wine.”

“Your mom has vinyl’s?” The wine collection was predictable but vinyl’s?

“Mm, up in the attic, I’ll show you sometime.” He had a player in the sun room, could probably bring a few boxes down and let Eddie rifle through them someday, maybe even convince his mom to bring some of them with them to the chalet, Eddie might get a kick out of at least a few of the records in there. “If you still wanna be seen with me after all this” an if she wouldn’t take them, best get the idea that they could still be friends after it all out in the open!

Eddie wasn’t bad, and Dustin adored him, constantly trying to get him to give Eddie a chance, sneaky little shit setting this up, probably had ulterior motives, so… why not?

Eddie didn’t get a chance to answer though, although his mouth was open ready to speak, Wayne beat him to it. “Now, it’s none’a my business but… what do you mean by all this?” Leaving Steve awkwardly sipping his coffee, looking at Eddie over the rim of his cup in question. Was it okay? Would it be okay to talk about it?

“As much as I’d love to say, ‘Steve’s invited me somewhere for a week!’ and have that be totally believable and not cause you a stress aneurysm… Wayne’s cool, Steve, you good with me talking about it?” There was obvious hesitation, more strangers who knew the riskier it could be for him, but— he nodded. He’d trust Wayne, as insane as that was, he didn’t even know Wayne, but… the man gave off a weird kind of trustworthy energy. And Eddie vouched for him so, “You know how I do that whole… date thing to freak parents out for girls? Stevie here needs my services.”

“You aint plannin on doin what I think you’re doin, are you boy? Are you out of your damn mind? Do you know how danger—”

“It’s okay!” Steve blurted cutting off the expected worry rant “it’s safe, I promise, my parents are… well… they might seem really detached from reality but—you don’t know them. I recently realised that neither do I… he’s not… gonna be freaking them out either, he’s just… playing a part to get them off my back for a while… I’m uh… I’m—” he looked at Eddie, briefly but long enough to catch the little nod of encouragement. It was okay. It was safe. So far things had been fine for him coming out, so far he’d been okay, there’d been no danger, and maybe doing it so many times had made it easier or something because it just… came out “I’m bisexual, they know, and have been throwing both women, and men at me trying to get me to finally settle down with someone and… while I agree, that’d be nice… I would love to do that, i’m not jazzed about the quality of the people they’re throwing at me.”

“…Your parents. The Harringtons, rich folk. Those folks… they’re safe?”

“Apparently, my dad’s even restructuring his company values to include people like me, trying to make it a safer place for us, and this was before I told them.” Something he’d had no idea about, something that he couldn’t believe, hence why he kept bringing it up, it was insane to him, how little he actually knew his parents, how wrong he’d been about them.

How wrong everyone had been about them.

“His parents are takin him to this chalet in Canada next week, Steve thinks they’re gonna ambush him with some random person that he’ll have to spend a whole week avoiding, so… he’s hiring me to act as his boyfriend. That cool with you, Wayne?” He didn’t have to ask. Eddie was a grown adult, he could do whatever he wanted, go wherever he wanted, but… Wayne deserved to know.

“… Can I meet em before you go?”

“Of course!”

“Not a chance.”

The worst part was, they both spoke at once. And Steve’s very positive answer, happened to be louder.

Part 7

[steddieasitgoes]

@steddiemas Day 16 Prompt: Angst Themed Sentence Starters

3. I don’t know what you want from me. and 5. I don’t want to fight with you. Not tonight.

Tags: Established Relationship, Steve Harrington Has Bad Parents, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Mentions of Past Child Neglect, Protective Eddie Munson

wc: 1184 | Rating: T

Read on ao3 | ao3 collection

“I don’t know what you want from me!” Steve shouts, arms thrown in the air.

He’s glued to the floor in their living room watching as Eddie stalks up and down the length of the room in the dim glow of their Christmas tree. Steve’s hands are clutched around the cordless phone, double-checking that he properly hung it up.

The last thing he needs is for his mother to overhear the argument currently going on.

The same argument that happens every year, without fail.

An unofficial tradition that Steve fucking hates.

“I want you to stand up for yourself!” Eddie shouts back.

Their voices may be raised, but they’re not screaming at each other. At least, not in the ways they were raised too. Their voices may be loud, but they don’t hurl insults at each other. Nor do they shout directly at each other, shouting their concerns into the void of the room instead.

“I do stand up for myself!” Steve defends, crossing his arms.

“Not when it comes to them!” Eddie growls, flippantly waving his hand in the air. “I thought we decided after last year's disaster that we weren’t going to put up with it anymore. If your parents wanted to be in our lives, they’d be there for us every day and not just on the choice fucking holiday so you’re mom can take her family picture that conveniently always makes me look terrible.”

“I know. Okay? I know we said that!” Steve uncrosses his arms, one hand coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose. The other hangs limply by his thighs, opening and closing into a fist, tethering him to the moment. “But they’re still my parents!”

Eddie scoffs, shaking his head. “Just because a piece of paper says they’re your parents doesn’t make it true.”

“I know, but—“

“No! No buts! They’re shitty people, Steve! I’m not going to apologize for saying that because it’s the truth! They only want you around when it's convenient for them and then they leave. You might not see it, but every time they walk out that door you turn into that lonely, abandoned teenager you’ve worked so hard to grow from! I’m not going to let them keep doing that to you!”

“Eddie,” Steve huffs. He’s not wrong, not in the slightest. But it still stings hearing it. Knowing that even though he tries to hide how he feels when his parents walk out the door every year, Eddie sees. That he hurts just as much as Steve does.

“What if it was my dad who called and said, “Clear you’re scheduled for the 20th, we’re having Christmas dinner since I’m going out on Christmas but still need to show face with my friends and see you?” What if he did it every fucking year for seven years, only to bitch and moan about every little thing? Questioning my life choices, talking shit about the man I’ve become because I didn’t live up to his expectations. Making snide comments about you when he thinks you’re not listening. Would you let him keep coming?”

“Of course not!”

“Then you understand where I’m coming from!” Eddie says, slowly making his way over to Steve. “I wish things were different. I wish your parents saw you for the amazing man you are. Saw us for all the work we’ve done to better ourselves. But they don’t. They never will. And I’m tired of pretending for a few hours every year to be okay with their bullshit. You deserve better than that.”

“I—“ Steve breaks, the first tear racing down his cheek before he can even register what’s happening.

He’s wrapped in Eddie’s arms in an instant, pushed and flushed with his warm chest. His shirt is soft, soothing the prickly feeling spreading across his own cheeks as he lets the tears fall. Eddie holds him, strong and firm. Rocks him slowly in his arms, and runs a hand soothingly up and down his back. Whispers encouragement into the wild tufts of hair on the top of his head.

“Sweetheart,” Eddie coos. “It’s okay. S’gonna be okay.”

“I don’t want to fight with you,” Steve hiccups, pulling away from Eddie’s embrace. “Not tonight. Not ever.”

“I don’t want to fight with you either.” With a gentle hand, Eddie swipes the tears from Steve’s eyes before cradling his face in his hands. “Especially not about your parents. Maybe about your questionable taste in movies—“

“Hey!” Steve laughs, swatting at Steve’s chest. “You’re the one with the questionable taste.”

Eddie hums, shaking his head. “Keep telling yourself that, big boy.”

They stay like that for a few moments, wrapped in each other's embrace. Letting the tension ease from their bodies and minds. The air in the room already feels lighter, the lights on the trees twinkling brighter.

But there’s still a weight pressing on Steve’s chest. One he knows isn’t going to go away until he figures this out. Once and for all.

“What should I tell them?” he mumbles, words nearly lost amongst the quiet hum of their space heater.

“You could tell them we’re going on vacation? Or that we already made plans.”

“I don’t want to lie to them,” Steve sighs, feeling the pressure building behind his eyes again. “If I tell her that she’ll want to see pictures or hear stories and then it's one lie after another.”

“You could tell them the truth?” Eddie suggests, arms wrapping around Steve again. “Tell them that they don’t deserve to spend Christmas with you because of the way they’ve treated you. That we don’t need their negative energy in our lives.”

Steve grimaces. He wishes he could have a conversation with his mom. Wishes they had the type of relationship that allowed him the grace, to be honest with her. To give her space to listen and hopefully learn. But they don’t. They never have. All that will get Steve is an earful of guilt and yelling, followed by a call from his father about he broke his mother.

Still, what other choice does he have?

If he doesn’t want to lie, the truth is the only other option.

“Will you stay by me while I make the call?”

“Of course, sweetheart. M’not going anywhere.”

“Okay,” Steve says, letting the plan take shape in his head. “Okay. I’m going to tell her the truth.”

“I’ll be the whole time,” Eddie says, squeezing Steve’s hand. “But if she starts yelling, I will grab that phone and hang up on her. You understand that, right?”

“I think you hanging up on my mom is the kindest thing you could do to her.”

“Damn right, it is!” Eddie laughs. “Now come on, let’s rip this bandaid off so we can start planning what we’re actually going to do now that we have the 20th free.”

“I’m sure you already have ideas.” Steve laughs, watching as Eddie’s eyes light up as they drink him from head to toe.

“Yeah,” he says, dragging his tongue across his bottom lip. “I’ve got a few ideas up my sleeve.”

[dearramiel]

𝐓𝐚𝐠, 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐭 | 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧

✧ - fluff in the beginning of the story, will eventually get dark, undertones of off setting steve, he's kinda stalking her in the beginning, anxiety/paranoia, steve is 28, reader is at least 21, yes I want to be steve's housewife(a lot of those undertones are present throughout the story so steve has a housewife kink), we listen to stevie nicks and honestly it was by pure coincidence, domestic vibes,

You look beautiful..

In that cute little dress, you'd make the prettiest housewife in town, if you'd just let him in. But all he can do is look, as you walk down the driveway of your house, a little empty basket on your arm. He figures that you're running Saturday morning errands. He shuts the blinds of his window, quickly running out of his own house.

"Y/n!" His voice calls out to you, you whip your head around and spot Steve Harrington jogging towards you, car keys in hand. The rattling of his keys come to an end when he catches up to you.

"Steve, Good morning!" You greet, your voice melting his insides.

"Morning, Sweetheart." He says, trying to ease his nerves when he notices the visible reddening on your face, or the way your smile gets bigger.

"Heading out to the markets?" Steve asks, to which you nod.

"I need to pick some stuff up for dinner today." You reply.

"In that little thing?" He motions to the basket.

"Well I'm only making something for myself, my mom and dad are out on vacation.." You giggle, "Unless, you want to join me?"

The older male is a little shocked, is that even a question?

"I don't wanna bother, but I also wouldn't want a little lady like you to be all alone." He grins. "How about I drive you there?"

The next two hours were spent with you trying to politely decline Steve paying for your groceries. You couldn't deny what it made you feel. You felt like you and him were together, walking around the market places as you picked fresh vegetables and canned goods, shoulders bumping by accident, accidentally brushing your fingers against his, even eying a dress.

All which Steve noticed, encouraging you to try them on in a makeshift dressing room that looked to be an extra storage room, mirrors in place where you could twirl in the dress. After deciding on a couple, you step out, showing Steve who was sat on a chair.

"What do we think?" You say, "it's a little long but maybe I'll grow into it." You joke. Steve doesn't speak for a solid second or two, his heart is racing because you look gorgeous.

"I think you look amazing. You should definitely get it." He smiled, looking at how it hugged your upper body, hoping one day he would see underneath.

"There's another, but I'll save it for later." You say, twirling another time to really show him everything. And again, he's nearly speechless.

"I'll be back." You say, going into the room to change back into your own dress. Carefully untying the little bow, blushing when you remember Steve's face.

Once out, you see Steve with the old lady, the owner of the shop. He's smiling to her as he gently pushes her hands full of change back to her, where she then bows her head to him, smiling ever so gratefully. The act is enough to make your pulse pick up, she hands him a bag big enough to fit the articles of clothing on your arm.

Steve noticed you close the door of the dressing room. "Here." He opens the bag, to which you then put everything in.

"You didn't have to, you know ..pay for it.." you say, feeling bad that he's practically been spoiling you all day. You weren't fortunate to have the money he did, and you definitely didn't want to make it look like you were trying to take advantage of his generosity. Most of what you did have was hard earned money coming from your parents, the house you lived in from your grandparents. It's why you pushed them to take a vacation for themselves.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it, besides, I think that little dinner will make up for it." He suggests, a sweet smile on his face. You return it.

"Well, thank you for doing this." You play with your fingers, forgetting that he's holding everything. And he doesn't mind because it plays more into his fantasy.

"It's really not a problem."

It's 12 p.m by the time you get back home, Steve has walked you to your front steps, promising to stop by at 6:30 for dinner with you. The thought has you excited, almost throwing yourself into the shower before remembering that you already had, prior to stepping out.

After the excitement settles down, you realize that an unsettling feeling begins to wash over you. Being alone in a big house comes with perks like those, paranoia.

It leaves you feeling unnerved, and it's hard to shake off. It's not the first time you've felt this way, but it's also never been so intense.

You figure that the only way to ease the tension that begins to weigh down on your shoulders is by putting a vinyl into its player. A sense of relief comes down as Stevie Nicks plays throughout the living room, spilling into the kitchen. It helps just enough that you're able to focus on what you want to make, especially now that you want to impress Steve.

You settle on spaghetti and meatballs, after that, a pie to go as dessert.

1:00 p.m. becomes 2 p.m., which becomes 3 p.m., 4 p.m, and then 5:30 p.m, cleaning, cooking, and baking had you distracted, you wash your hands before quickly rushing upstairs to your room, bag in hand, the dresses Steve had bought you now on your bed. You figured that wearing the one he hadn't seen you in would be perfect.

You weren't sure why you were trying to impress Steve, maybe it was the growing crush you had on him, whatever it was, it began to make you feel a little insecure. Trying to live up to his standards, he was known to have any woman wanted, and they were usually really pretty.

You shake away your nagging and negative thoughts, choosing to put on very light makeup, a little bit of eyeliner, lipstick, blush, and eyeshadow, going for a natural look.

You slip out of your dress, embarrassed as you think about also changing your undergarments. It's not like Steve would see you in your underwear anyway.

But.. just in case...

You pick out a matching white lace bra and panties set, then slipping the dress on. You button up the dress, until you reach the last two buttons, leaving a very visible sight for your cleavage. Your chest on display, collarbone showing. Your hair is simple, a low messy bun with some loose hair scattered everywhere aside from your face. By the time your done, it's barely 6:15 p.m, giving you 15 minutes to yourself. With those spared minutes, you slip into your black flats, hanging the other dress in your closet, walking to the kitchen, serving two plates of food, two cups of water, and taking the pie out of the oven, setting it on the counter for it to cool off.

Setting the plates and cups on the table, you're finally done.

Then the ring of the doorbell has your heart jumping out of your chest. You smile and pat down your dress, quickly rushing to the door, opening it swiftly, face heating up when you see him.

Steve Harrington in a suit, holding roses in one hand, the other in his pocket, and you can tell that he's nervous.

He's not moving, stuck in a trance as he looks at the dress you're wearing, down to your legs, before looking back up to your face. An innocent smile on your pink lips, Steve finally moves.

"Hey Sweetheart."

[hendersister]

hazy shade of winter

summary: after vecna opens the gates, you and steve decide to stay behind in hawkins to help clean up the mess.

pairing: steve harrington x henderson!sister reader

title 🎵: hazy shade of winter by the bangles

It’s been about a month since Vecna opened the gates to the Upside Down. A lot has changed since that fateful March night. Hawkins is almost unrecognizable now. 

As the gates opened, Hawkins was rocked with a 7.4 magnitude earthquake. People died, homes were destroyed. It was so bad that the government had to bring in the Army to help deal with the fall out. They believe what happened in Hawkins was a natural disaster of near-unprecedented scale, but you know the truth. There was nothing natural about it… 

Since the gates expanded throughout town, the Upside Down has been slowly seeping into the real world. It’s invading Hawkins. People are fleeing in droves and you don’t blame them. 

You’ve changed a lot too. Before Vecna, you were looking forward to leaving Hawkins and going off to college. Now that feels like a lifetime ago. You aren’t going anywhere anymore. Things are getting bad in Hawkins and you want to be close to your mom and your little brother, Dustin, during this time.

You and the rest of the party lost the battle against Vecna. You feel partially responsible and now you feel like it's your job to clean up the mess Vecna made. Vecna may have won the battle when he opened the gates, but the war has just begun. You are not leaving town until the gates are closed and threats from the Upside Down are gone for good. 

Your boyfriend, Steve, feels the same way. You and Steve had talked about getting out of Hawkins before everything happened. But now he’s just as committed as you to stay behind and help save Hawkins. You’re so grateful to have Steve by your side. He makes you feel safe. 

Even though the world is ending, the show must go on. Your life didn’t completely stop because of Vecna. You’re still moving forward and hitting big milestones, like graduating high school. Today was Graduation Day for Hawkins High. You’re happy and excited that school’s out, but with everything else going on, it didn’t feel like a big deal like it was supposed to. 

The graduation ceremony was weird. A lot of people fled town before the school year ended so you only graduated with about half of your class. But at least you had Steve, Dustin and your mom in the stands cheering you on. There were memorials for Chrissy Cunningham, Jason Carver and Patrick McKinney. Sadly but not surprisingly, Eddie wasn’t even mentioned. He should’ve been walking across that stage with you and the rest of class of ‘86.

After Graduation, you went out for a celebratory meal with Steve, Dustin and your mom. Then you and Steve went off to do your own thing. 

You’re currently lying on the hood of Steve’s car, stargazing. It’s something that you and Steve used to do all the time. You fell in love under the stars. Unfortunately, you can’t really see the stars in Hawkins anymore. You’re mostly just watching spores of particles from the Upside Down falling from the sky. It reminds you of a hazy shade of winter.

“If things get any worse here, I think we should go to the planetarium next time we want to watch the stars,” you chuckle, trying to lighten the mood.

“Mhmmm,” Steve mumbles.

You look over to Steve, studying his face. You’re trying to get a read on him. You’ve noticed he’s been acting a bit off since dinner ended. He’s a lot more quiet than usual. Something is up with him.

“Steve, what’s wrong? Talk to me,” you try to get your boyfriend to open up.

Steve sighs. 

“It’s nothing…. It’s just…. My parents are leaving Hawkins and putting the house up for sale,” Steve reluctantly admits.

Your jaw drops.

“What?! That doesn’t sound like nothing!” you exclaim.

“My mom and dad are moving but I’m not going anywhere,” Steve assures you. 

You let out a sigh of relief. Your boyfriend continues venting.

“The worst part is that they won’t let me stay at home even though they will never be able to sell it. My asshole dad is just trying to teach me some stupid lesson…”

“When did you find out about this?” you question Steve.

“Last night,” your boyfriend answers.

“Last night!? Why didn’t you say anything earlier today?” you scrunch your forehead.

“It’s your day, Y/N. I didn’t want to make it about me,” Steve tells you.

Your heart melts a little bit. Steve is so sweet and selfless. Despite all the shit going on in his own life, he always puts you first. You snuggle up closer to your boyfriend, wrapping a protective arm across his chest.

“When are your parents leaving?” you ask with concern.

“They’re trying to leave as soon as possible so I need to find a new place like immediately,” Steve explains, “I don’t think it’s gonna be too hard. With everyone leaving town, I can probably rent a whole house for pretty cheap.”

Some people who fled Hawkins put their homes up for rent because they knew they could never sell it. Most of the renters are people whose homes were destroyed when the gate opened but are too poor to move out of Hawkins and completely start over.

“I don’t like the thought of you being all alone,” you say with a quiet seriousness in your voice. 

Steve takes a deep breath and nods, understanding. He can tell that you’re worried. He’s trying to figure out the right words to say, and then-

“I wouldn’t be alone if you moved in with me…”

You pull away from Steve and sit up. You’re in a bit of shock. You weren’t expecting that.

“Huh?”

“I think we should move in together,” Steve repeats with more confidence

Your eyes widen.

“Are you serious? Like we’d live in a house that we both live in?”

Steve nods.

“Yeah. I mean, I’m sneaking over to your place like every other night anyways. Moving in together will mean less sneaking around,” he tries to convince you.

“But I thought you liked sneaking around. You’re stealthy like a ninja, remember?” you tease.

“Just think about it, Y/N! We’ll get a little place in Hawkins and we’ll figure it out. We can be like real grown ups. It would be our house. No stress, no parents. A place just for us,” your boyfriend says.

Just for us. That sounds perfect.

“Okay, let’s do it,” you smile.

Steve’s face lights up.

“Really?”

“Really,” you nod before pulling your boyfriend into a kiss.

You and Steve are making out on the hood of his car when-

GROWL

You and Steve stop kissing immediately as soon as you hear the growls in the distance. You two exchange knowing looks. You have no idea if it's just an animal or a far more sinister creature from the Upside Down, but neither you or Steve want to stick around and find out.

“I think we should get out of here,” Steve tells you.

“Yeah,” you nod your head in agreement.

Steve jumps off the hood of the car and offers his hand. You take your boyfriend’s hand and he helps you off the hood. Steve opens the car door on the passenger’s side and you quickly get in. Steve closes your door and looks around, making sure that nothing is trying to sneak up on the two of you. Then he goes around to the driver’s side and gets in the car.

As Steve drives away, you can’t help but be a little bummed that your moment of bliss was interrupted by a terrible reminder that you’ve still got a lot of shit to deal with…

[elizabethwritesmen]

𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚜

chapter 4: with or without you

pairing: firefighter!steve x reader

summary: steve’s coma drags on and you drag on with it. you learn a lot, though, in his absence and get a glimpse into how he really feels about you.

warnings: completely inaccurate medical knowledge and descriptions (don’t come for me i’m not a doctor), pining, angst, idiots who can’t admit their feelings. smut to come. jealous and violent steve. (not violent towards you!)

a/n: eddie’s a mechanic for halloween, which is a little nod to @pinkrelish <3 love you and typ!! there SHOULD only be one more chapter but if it drags on there will be 2. i know for sure the next chapter WILL be a Christmas chapter! (:

chapter 1 | chapter 2 | chapter 3

The next morning, I woke up bright and early and went straight to the hospital. My parents showed up soon after me, worry a mask on their faces.

“Y/N, sweetheart, are you okay?” My mom asked, fretting over me momentarily out of nervousness.

“I’m fine, Mom.”

“I know how much you love him, I’m just worried about you. He’ll be ok, he’s a strong boy!”

“I know,” I smiled politely, but she was more optimistic than I was.

“Honey, why don’t you let her breathe? She’s stressed enough already,” Dad stepped in, pulling Mom away. “How is Steve, anyway?”

“Stable. Still in a coma. That’s all I know,” I shrugged, “They’ve told me more than anyone else but I’m not family so there’s only so much they can share.”

“That’s ridiculous. Where is his actual family at?” Mom outbursted, “I bet they’re not even concerned. They couldn’t care less about their own son! God, I’ve been more of a mother to him than that dreadful woman!”

“I know,” I sighed, “I’m not happy about it either, but it is what it is.”

“Maybe I could have his dad call the hospital and tell them to treat us as his family in their absence?” Dad suggested.

“Not a bad idea, they could sign a release or something.”

So he pulled out his phone and dialed Mr Harrington up, getting him after a few rings. He walked out of the waiting room and into the hallway to talk to him and Mom sat beside me, stroking my hair.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” she asked me, “You’ve got that look in your eye.”

“What look?”

“The guilty look.”

“I don’t have a guilty look.”

“You’ve been my baby for decades, I think I know your looks. Spill!”

I sighed, “I saw Steve yesterday, before he got called into work and got hurt. He came to the music shop and brought me flowers, then took me out to eat. We went back to his house to hang out and, Mom, he has this huge picture of me on his dresser. Not me and him, just me. Like I’m his wife or something. I got overwhelmed when I saw it and I went off on him.”

“Why’d you go off on him for having a picture of you? I’d imagine that’s a good thing!”

“Because I’m sick of being lead on,” I shrugged, “Or at least I was. But now I’d let him lead me on forever if it meant he wakes up healthy and happy.”

Suddenly, a thoughtful look crossed her face. She bit her lip as if she was holding something back, and furrowed her brows.

“What is it?” I asked.

“You need to talk to your father about this.”

“Why?”

“Because he knows Steve better than you think, and I think he’d know exactly how to make you feel better about all this.”

“I will later,” I nodded, leaning back in my chair and waiting for Dad to get off the phone.

Only a few minutes later, he did exactly that, walking back into the room.

“They’re calling the hospital now and asking about faxing a release. Y/N should be informed of everything from now on.”

“Perfect!” Mom clapped, a small smile crossing her face.

“I’m gonna see if we can go in there with him.”

I walked to the nurse’s desk and asked, and she said yes, so I lead my parents into his room. He looked just as rough as the day before and my heart shattered a little bit.

“Oh,” my mom sighed, and I could tell her heart was breaking as well just looking at him. She and Dad really did care a lot for Steve. They always had. He was included in family trips, family photos, everything. They basically adopted him the second we became friends. I think at first they just felt bad for him, but it didn’t take long for pity to turn into love. He had that affect on everyone, everyone but his own family.

I sat in the chair by his bed, grabbing his fragile hand in my own and squeezing lightly.

“Hey Steve,” I quietly greeted, “I brought Mom and Dad to see you. I knew you’d want them here.”

My naive heart waited for a response, but of course, there was none. I could feel the pitiful eyes of my parents burning into my skull.

About an hour passed of them simply sitting with me. A couple other people dropped in, some of the firemen and Robin to be exact. Eddie was at work and wasn’t able to make it yet, but he had called me to see if everything was okay.

“You guys don’t have to stay here all day, I’m okay,” I told Mom and Dad.

“We’ll stay here until they make us leave.”

I smiled lightly at that, turning back to Steve. “You hear that? I think they like you more than they like me.”

“I’m gonna go get something to eat from the cafeteria,” mom got up suddenly, “but I think you two should talk.”

“About what?” Dad asked, but I knew.

She didn’t bother answering him, just shood him my way before making her exit.

“Tactful,” I scoffed, smoothing out Steve’s sheets and making sure he was covered up enough to be warm. If my dad noticed, he said nothing, watching in silence as I doted over the closest thing he had to a son.

“What’s going on, Y/N?” he asked.

“Well…. nothing, really, it’s just I feel a bit guilty because I went off on Steve yesterday before the accident. I yelled at him to stop leading me on and then I left even though he begged me to stay. I wouldn’t even let him get a word in.”

“I see,” he nodded in understanding, “And I heard from one of the firemen that he was on the way to the cabin when he got called in. Is that why?”

“Yes,” I nodded, “I mean, I’m assuming. I’m sure he wanted to make things right. Steve never could leave well enough alone.”

“Not when it comes to you, at least.”

“I can’t help thinking I messed things up for good. What if I never get to apologize?”

“You will, but you don’t have to. He forgave you before the words even came out of your mouth. He loves you that way.”

“I know, I know. I’m his best friend, he’d never hold anything against me.”

“No, Y/N, you don’t know,” Dad sighed, “Steve and I go golfing every month. It started as a way to cope with you being gone, both of us missed you and honestly I missed him. He’s like my own son and when you stopped being around, he stopped hanging around. We golf all day and then head to the house and your mom makes us a great spread of dinner.”

“I know that already, Dad. He told me.”

“What you don’t know is that the fifth or sixth time we golfed, he’d gotten real comfortable with me and started talking to me. He told me, ‘Mr. L/N, if Y/N ever comes back I swear I’m gonna marry her.’ I asked him what in the world he was on about and he told me that he knew you were the only woman he’d ever want the second he laid eyes on you at Scoops Ahoy. Nobody ever compared for him. None of those girls meant a quarter as much as you. Why do you think he hasn’t had a girlfriend all these years?”

“Are you saying Steve is in love with me?”

“Steve has been in love with you just as long as you’ve been in love with him.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me? I would’ve come home right then!”

“Because, sweetheart, you were chasing a dream bigger than me or Steve or anyone. You flew away and I didn’t know if you wanted to come back, you seemed happy where you were. I didn’t wanna burden you with things that would make you feel guilty. Besides, I promised him I wouldn’t tell.”

“But you just did.”

“I don’t think he’d mind,” he winked, “I’m gonna go meet your mom in the cafeteria. You say your piece. He can hear you, you know.”

I smiled lightly as he walked away, turning to my handsome, bandaged up boy the second he was gone.

“Why didn’t you ever tell me, Steve?” I implored, sadness overtaking me. “This could’ve been so different. I never would’ve left.”

My parents stayed the whole day, just as they said they would, and they came back every day to check in. They really were worried about him, and about me as well. I never left his side. I was there every day, all day. And nobody seemed to mind. They all just respected me for what I apparently was; the girl Steve was in love with. But was I, though? All those things my dad said, I believed them but a lot of time had passed since then, and a lot of anger and distance had built up. There was a chance he didn’t even feel that way anymore. There was a chance he didn’t even mean it when he said it.

Two days before Halloween, Robin asked me what I planned on doing. She told me she was set to go trick or treating with Eddie and Candy, and they both wanted me to tag along. Apparently it was a tradition for all of them, and then afterwards they’d leave her with Wayne and do whatever adult activities they could find.

“Oh, Robin, that’s sweet but isn’t that you guys’ thing? I don’t want to intrude,” I spoke into the receiver of my cell phone from Steve’s bedside.

“Y/N, shut up. You’re just as much a part of this group as any one of us. And Candy specifically asked for you. She said she thinks you’re nice.”

I sighed, “Okay. Fine. It’ll have to be after visiting hours, though, I can’t leave Steve here alone until I absolutely have to.”

“Great! We’ll all meet at Eddie’s after visiting hours and go from there, sound good?”

“Yeah, where does he live now again?”

“He has a trailer, not far from the cabin. I’ll send you the address. Oh, and you have to dress up. Participation rules!”

“Robin, I am not in a dress up mood,” I scoffed.

“Y/N,” she sighed, “Nobody wanted to talk to you about this because we didn’t want to make you feel worse than you already do, but everyone agrees that you need a distraction. Something to cheer you up.”

“Who is everyone?”

“Me, Eddie, your parents. Wayne. My parents. The other guys from the station. Everyone. Steve is in a coma, but you’re not. You’ve got to carry on living.”

“So you’ve all been talking about me?” I asked, “Robin, if this is about me not being at the music shop I-“

“It’s not,” she assured, “Don’t even worry about that. I told you, stay with Steve however long you need and come back when you’re ready. Your job will be there. I’m not hiring anyone else, even if you don’t come back until he wakes up.”

I sighed, “Fine. You’re right. I’ll dress up and try to have the best time I can.”

We hung up, and I couldn’t help but feel the faintest spark of excitement, followed by guilt. I desperately needed something, anything besides a stale coma ward room. The only company I’d had that whole month was the people who visited Steve, never surprised to find me there perched beside him.

I didn’t have a lot of time to throw a costume together, but I managed. I was quite proud of it, actually.

I changed in the en suite hospital room bathroom, looking myself over in the mirror, cringing at the awful fluorescent lighting. I still looked cute though, or at least I thought I did.

I walked out of the room and did a little spin for Steve’s lifeless form, pretending he could see me for the sake of it.

“How do I look?” I asked, then followed up with, “I’m gonna pretend you said I look great.” I giggled at myself and sat back down beside him, “Only about five minutes until they kick me out. I wish you could come with us tonight, it would be so much more fun with you. This is my first Halloween here in years! Remember the last one we spent together? Oh, it was so much fun. Much better than that year’s Christmas party. I still cant believe you punched that guy!” If he’d been awake, he would’ve laughed at that, and I would’ve loved the sound. “I dressed up as an angel again. You liked my costume so much that night, I just had to recreate it for you, even if you won’t see it. You always did like me best in white. If Robin was here, she’d say it’s because white makes you think about us getting married. I don’t know about that, though. But I know I like that look you give me when you see me in it.” I sighed at the dead air between us, giving his hand a tight squeeze, “I wish you were awake, talking back to me. I can’t make it much longer without you, Stevie. I miss you, so much it’s killing me. I wish I hadn’t screamed at you that day. I should’ve just been honest about how I feel instead of lashing out about it. I know that now, but it’s too late.”

“Y/N,” the nurse, an older woman I’d become quite familiar with, interrupted, “Finish up as quick as you can. Visiting hours are over.”

“Yes ma’am,” I smiled as she walked away. I turned back to Steve and left him with the words, “I love you. I’ll see you tomorrow” and a kiss on the forehead.

Once I got to Eddie’s, I was struck with a bolt of pride at what I saw. He didn’t live in a trailer park, he owned his own trailer on about two acres of land. It was a nice one, too. One of those remodeled units with nice painted shutters and clean vinyl. And beside it was a little shed, overflowing with Candy’s toys and such. I imagined it was supposed to be his before she overtook the space with her things and smiled.

He opened the door, a grim look on his face and his daughter crying in his arms.

“Oh goodness, what’s wrong?” I asked.

“All month she’s wanted to be a fairy. Now, the day of halloween right before we go trick or treating, she wants to be a princess. The costume store is closed, there’s nothing that’ll make her happy.” He sounded simply exhausted, and my heart squeezed with pity.

“Hold on,” I offered, running to my car and rifling through a bag in the backseat full of rejected costume items. In it was a golden tiara with pink jewels on it, cheap but cute and it matched what Candy was wearing. I brought it back and presented it to her with a, “Tada!”

Her little eyes widened, taking in what I handed her as Eddie helped put it on her head. “Thank you!” she squealed.

“You wanna take the wings off or leave them on and be a fairy princess?” I asked.

“Leave them on,” she smiled, “Why don’t you have wings? You’re an angel! We could match!”

“I was supposed to but they were itchy,” I cringed and she giggled, reaching out for my hand. She jumped out of her dad’s arms and dragged me into the living room.

“Come look at my bag!” she ordered sweetly, and I obliged, taking in the pumpkin shaped monstrosity with a smirk. 

“She’s showed me her bag ten times already, wonder how many times she’ll show it to you?” Robin chuckled, and I followed.

“It’s cute!” I assured.

We all piled into Eddie’s car, me in the back with Candy because she wanted to sit by me.

“How’s Steve?” Eddie asked on the way to whatever neighborhood we were going to.

“Same as he was a week ago,” I shrugged, casting my eyes down.

“Well same is better than worse, right?”

“I suppose so.”

Robin and Eddie exchanged a look, but then they dropped the subject as if they were silently agreeing it was better not to talk about it.

We arrived at a small park a few minutes later, parking next to a bunch of other cars and getting out. We looked silly, for sure. An angel, Jessie from Toy Story and what Eddie called a “sexy mechanic” but was really just him in blue coveralls and a wife beater, except the cover alls were tied around his waist. I suspected he pulled a couple random items from his closet and threw them together, but I had to admit, he looked nice. The short hair worked better for him than I would’ve ever thought, and while I missed his curls, he looked handsome and grown up. I was struck again with that bolt of pride for him and all he’d accomplished.

Candy wanted to stick beside me, so I held her hand as we walked from house to house. One house we came to was particularly nice, a sign out front that said “the Byers” in a nice cursive font. We knocked and, once the door opened, I gasped at who I saw.

There was Nancy, a baby in one arm and a bowl of candy in the other. The baby was cute, too.

Her eyes got a little wider when she saw me, “Y/N!” she exclaimed, “You’re the last person I expected to see tonight!”

“Hey Nance,” I grinned, “I know! I moved home a couple months ago!”

“That’s great! For good?”

“I think so, yeah,” I nodded. Things between Nancy and I had always been a bit awkward, granted I hadn’t talked to her in years or seen her. When she dated Steve, I tried to like her but she was always a bit cold towards me and then when she cheated on him I just gave up trying. Now, I didn’t know the dynamic, but it didn’t feel awkward at all. Just unfamiliar.

“Oh Steve must be thrilled about that. Does he know or did you get here after the accident?”

“No, he knows. I was with him that day, actually, until he got called into work.”

“Oh… Me and Jonathan went to the hospital to visit, but the nurse said a girl was there and I didn’t want to interrupt. That must’ve been you?”

“Yeah, I’ve been there every day. But you wouldn’t be interrupting anything! You should come by tomorrow, I think he’d like that!”

“Okay! We will!” she smiled, handing a chocolate bar to Candy. I couldn’t help but notice the flashy ring and band on her hand as she did so, and I grinned, happy they made it.

“That was weird,” Robin mumbled as we walked away.

“Not really,” I shrugged, “I figure it’s time we buried whatever hatchet there was. Guess we’ll see how it goes tomorrow.”

We hit a few more houses, and Candy got some really great stuff. Full sized bars, stuffed animals, all the fancy little treats. I was actually impressed. Finally, we reached the end of the street and she looked exhausted.

“Tired?” I asked her, giggling as she leaned into Eddie and almost fell over. She nodded, reaching up for him to pick her up but he was already carrying her bag and a separate bag full of extra stuff.

“Here, I’ll get you,” I sighed, and she nodded, reaching up to me instead and letting me carry her back to the car.

Once we were all settled in and on the way back to Eddie’s, we all breathed out a sigh of relief.

“I love doing this every year but I’m so glad it’s over,” Robin stated, and we all nodded in agreement.

“At least it passed faster than last year. Steve always wants to stop and talk to everyone he sees, it’s so exhausting,” Eddie chuckled.

“Yeah but I missed him, though. I wonder what he would’ve dressed up as?”

“Probably whatever Y/N told him to.”

I perked up at that, “I would’ve forced him to be a devil. Cause I’m an angel.”

“That would’ve been some freaky se-“

“Robin!” Eddie scolded, “Candy is in the back seat!”

“She’s sleeping, you nitwit. Obviously I would never say that if she could hear me.”

I looked over and, sure enough, she was dead to the world, her head reclined against her car seat.

We made a quick stop at Wayne’s, and Eddie gently carried Candy inside then returned to the car. “Where to now?” he asked us.

“24/7 liquor,” Robin perked up and suggested, eliciting smiles from both of us.

“Wanna get drunk in the hospital parking lot so Steve can kinda sorta be with us?” Eddie asked me, smirk on his face, and though the idea was admittedly flawed, I couldn’t help saying yes.

Eddie got a case of beer for himself, Robin bought a bottle of rum and I settled on two bottles of wine. I was positive none of us would drink all of what we had, but regardless, we were prepared.

Once we pulled into the parking lot, we all settled in comfortably, seats leaned back and limbs thrown wherever they fit. Surely there was some camera watching us and we’d get in some kind of trouble. None of us cared much. Eddie was a fireman, so he went hand in hand with the hospital and the law, and he had our backs. The whole fire station had our backs, really. They’d all grown a liking to me over the time I’d spent in that hospital room, visiting and talking with them like they were family or old friends.

I unscrewed the cap of my moscato and started with a big gulp, earning a giggle from Robin. “I know things are tough, Y/N, but they can’t be that bad.”

“I gotta drink double in Steve’s honor!” I exclaimed, taking another gulp. They followed suit, taking big swigs of their own.

“So. When the dingus pulls out of this coma, what happens?” Robin asked me suddenly.

“What do you mean?”

“Well you had that whole falling out with him and now he definitely knows beyond the shadow of a doubt how you feel, and I hope by now you know how he feels too.”

“I’m still not convinced he sees me that way, guys. A couple of cryptic comments does not a love story make.”

“Yeah, but it’s not just cryptic comments. He’s flat out told people how he feels and they tell you and you don’t believe them.”

“Maybe,” I shrugged, thinking it over, “I don’t know, I’m hoping he’ll get better and we’ll just forget all about it and pretend it never happened.”

“What if he does something crazy like propose marriage?” Eddie mused with a chuckle.

“Nah,” Robin shook her head, “Steve wouldn’t do that. Not right after getting out of a coma. My bet is they date for a year and he has us help him plan some extremely elaborate proposal and he’ll get me to help him pick the perfect ring.”

“Probably. What do you think the wedding would be like?”

“Guys!” I huffed, “I’m right here!”

“Well then tell us, what kind of wedding would you want?”

“Are we seriously talking about this?” I scoffed and they nodded, so I sighed and gave in. “I want a Christmas wedding with lots of red and green, lots of Christmas lights, a big beautiful tree. Christmas themed food and drinks. I want it to be like a winter wonderland.”

“I think Steve would like that. Then again you guys have never disagreed on anything.”

“That’s not true!” I half shouted, “We disagree all the time!”

“About what?”

“Well… about…. things!”

“What things?”

“Well I can’t think of them off the top of my head.”

“Sureeeeee,” they laughed as we all drank some more.

The night passed by entirely too quickly, but it was the most fun I’d had since Steve got hurt. I really appreciated being invited, and the fact that they’d been there for me in what was such a hard time.

The next morning, I showed up at the hospital bright and early, dressed comfy and warm. I looked a little worse for wear from the tiny hangover I was sporting, but it wasn’t bad at all. Just a little messy hair and dark circles under my eyes.

“Morning Steve,” I grinned as I sat beside him, grabbing his hand like always. I proceeded to tell him all the details of the night before, sparing none on the off chance that he could in fact hear me and wanted to know how Halloween went without him. “I’m probably gonna have to tell you all this again when you wake up, huh? Well it’s a good thing I never get tired of talking to you.”

“Y/N?” a voice called from behind me, and I turned to see Nancy, baby in her arms.

“Hey Nance,” I smiled.

“You look better than I expected. No hangover, huh?” she returned the polite gesture.

“No, not today. I’m surprised, I drank a lot!”

“I’m glad you all had a good time! A few years ago I would’ve offered to join the fun but those days are over for us.” She gazed sweetly at her baby and I couldn’t help but grin.

“Well, I think it’s great that you’re focusing on your family! I always knew you’d be a great mom. You just have that way about you.”

“Yeah, well, I hope so! It gets difficult sometimes and I feel like I don’t do enough but then he smiles at me and speaks his baby gibberish and the world fades.”

“He’s so cute,” I pouted just looking at his smooshy face, and she raised a brow at me.

“Wanna hold him?”

“I - I couldn’t,” I shrugged sheepishly.

“Believe me, you could. I hold him all the time, I love giving other people a turn!”

“Well… if you’re sure,” I reached out as she placed him securely in my arms. I melted instantly, rocking him gently back and forth. “He’s so perfect, Nance. I just adore him.”

“Just wait til you and Steve have one. It’s gonna be a whole different level of adoration.”

“Oh - me and Steve, we’re just friends,” I laughed her words off like they were nothing.

“You’ve both been saying that since high school and it’s not any more believable now than it was then.”

“You, you dated him in high school. Why would he date you or anyone else if he liked me?”

“Because he’s stupid. Believe me, he wished I was you. Why do you think I hated you so much?”

“I just assumed you didn’t like my personality.”

“Y/N, you’re like, the sweetest girl ever. Hating you was hard because you never gave me anything to work with. But I knew how he felt about you, so I couldn’t exactly like you either.”

“Well, I think you’re exaggerating. He loved me as a best friend. Or a sister, even.”

“Best friends and siblings don’t sneak off in the middle of the night to skinny dip together, you weirdo.”

I laughed at her bluntness, “I guess that’s true. But either way, your feelings for Jonathan are what broke you guys up. Not Steve’s feelings for me.”

“You’re right, and I wouldn’t have it any other way, but you should know that when I started caring about Jonathan, I stopped disliking you. Mostly because I finally understood how Steve felt. How awful it can feel to be with the wrong person. But I acted on it, and Steve never did. I think that says a lot about the kind of man he is.”

“Well I never disliked you. Not even when you cheated on him. I mean, I wasn’t thrilled with you, but I didn’t like, curse your grandchild’s cow or anything.”

“You’re so weird,” she laughed, walking over to Steve’s bedside. “I hope it works out for the two of you, I’d love if you stayed. Maybe we could finally have a chance at being friends?”

“I’d like to be friends,” I nodded.

“I hardly get to have intelligent conversations these days, with Jonathan working all the time. Let alone girl talk!”

“I have Robin but sometimes girl talk is hard with her. She’s very… unconventional. In the nicest most loving possible way!”

“I know what you mean. All of my friends have kind of embraced the party girl life, and the few that settled down have more kids than I do so they’re always busy.”

“Well I’m always here. And I never do anything after visiting hours, so I could come over one night if you wanted and we could have a good old fashioned sleepover?”

“That would be perfect! Maybe you could bring Eddie’s daughter? I have a feeling she never gets girl time and I bet he’d love the break!”

“Oh, that would be fun. And she likes babies so she’d definitely keep him occupied.”

“How about next week sometime?”

“That works for me.”

We made some more small talk, and we even included Steve in some conversations, though he couldn’t respond. But then the baby got fussy and she had to go. The next week, though, we had a sleepover just as we had planned, watching silly movies and doing a makeover with Candy. And after that, Nancy and Jonathan were invited every time we hung out.

Another month passed and suddenly it was Thanksgiving. My parents tried to convince me to spend it at home and not the hospital, but I wouldn’t budge so instead they just moved their celebration to evening instead of day so that I could join in.

I hung out with Steve for the whole day, then headed to my parents’ house to see the entire family already there.

“Y/N!” They all exclaimed when I walked in, and I gave everyone a quick hug. It was nice to see them all, I just wasn’t in much of a people mood, so I immediately sat down on the couch when greetings were over and leaned back into the cushions.

“How’s Steve?” Mom asked me.

“He’s okay. Still the same.”

“Oh honey, he’ll wake up soon. I just know it!”

“Maybe,” I shrugged, resting my eyes and waiting for dinner to be served.

Finally, a few minutes later, everyone piled their plates high with food and settled into the living and dining room.

I was interrupted in the middle of eating, though, by my phone ringing. It was the hospital. I dropped my plate on the table abruptly and answered, “Hello?”

“Miss Y/L/N?”

“Yes!”

“I was just calling to let you know that Steve has just woken up. You’re welcome to come and see him, the doctors are in with him right now but we’re allowing you to visit when they’re done if you’d like.”

“I’ll be right there!”

I didn’t even hesitate, grabbing my things and heading for the door. “Steve is awake,” I rushed out an explanation to my expectant mother, “I have to go.”

“Well do you want us to come with you?” she asked.

“No, stay and enjoy the holiday! I don’t want everyone to have to go home early!”

“Okay, well… call and update us! Give him our love!”

I nodded with a quick smile and left, gunning it to the hospital.

I rushed up to the coma ward, and the second the nurse saw me, she smiled.

“I’ve been waiting for you! The doctors are almost done, you can sit in the waiting room while they finish up!”

I nodded, walking to the small waiting room and eagerly pacing back and forth. It felt like it took forever for the doctors to walk in the room, but when they finally did, I breathed a sigh of relief.

“What’s going on? Is he okay?”

“He’s doing remarkably well. The only issue is that he doesn’t seem to remember the day of the accident at all. He says the last thing he remembers is putting up your Halloween decorations.”

“Oh,” I furrowed my brows, “But thats normal, right? And not a bad thing?”

“Not bad at all, and completely normal. With the kind of trauma his body went through, it’s natural that his brain suppressed it. It could eventually come back, or it could stay in a vault forever. But regardless, you’re welcome to see him now for a few minutes. He’s perfectly healthy from what we can tell, but we’ll be keeping him for the next two weeks just to make sure he doesn’t fall back into the coma.”

“Of course. Thank you, doctor,” I grinned, racing past him and into Steve’s room.

“Stevia!” I squealed as his eyes landed on me. He gave me a smile, the million dollar kind, reaching his hand out for me.

“There’s my girl,” he sighed, voice as content as can be and his eyes settled on me like they never wanted to look at anything else.

“I can’t believe you’re awake!” I grinned from ear to ear, sitting in my regular spot beside his bed and grabbing his hand.

“I’m so glad to be. I didn’t know how much longer I could listen to you talk and not be able to answer.”

“You could hear me?”

“Vaguely. Like it was a dream, but I caught some of it I think.”

“Oh, that’s so good! That means I wasn’t talking for nothing!”

“The doctors told me you didn’t leave my side the whole time I was here. Is that true?”

My cheeks flushed red and I stared down at my lap, “Yeah, I suppose it is.”

“There’s nobody else I would’ve wanted here.”

I couldn’t help the giddy look on my face, “A lot of other people visited too, you know. The whole fire station rotated in and out. My parents came a lot, and Robin and Eddie. Even Nancy stopped by with her new baby.”

“Nancy, huh? How is the baby anyway?”

“He’s the cutest thing ever.”

“I bet he just loves you,” he smirked, giving my hand a slight squeeze.

“I think he does,” I shrugged.

“My parents didn’t come by?”

“No. I’m sorry, they didn’t wanna interrupt their vacation. They called the hospital and put me in charge of everything.”

He nodded, “I expected as much.”

“Let’s talk about happy things, you just woke up!” I sighed, “Happy Thanksgiving!”

“Happy Thanksgiving,” he responded, “Wait, it’s Thanksgiving?”

“Yeah, and my entire family sends their love. They wanted to come but I didn’t wanna overload you with people.”

“Well… I’m really glad I got to spend it with you. Our first Thanksgiving together in what, 7 years?”

“Yes,” I nodded, “but you did miss Halloween. It was a lot of fun but I wish you’d been there.”

“I wish I’d been there, too. I bet you looked good in your costume.”

“Oh, shut up,” I laughed.

“No, really. You gotta wear it for me one day so I can see what I missed out on.”

“Well, you always did like me in white,” I smirked, batting my eyelashes at him.

“Oh, it was white? Damn, I really did miss out.”

“I’ll put it on for you as soon as you get out of the hospital.”

“Or you could wear it here tomorrow?”

“Wear a halloween costume to the hospital? That’s silly!”

“But it’s what I want!”

“Ugh,” I groaned, “Fine, but you owe me!”

“We can just call it even since, you know, you left for seven years and all.”

“But I also completely ditched my life so I could sit by your bedside crying over your lifeless body for two months, so…. We’re already even. You still owe me!”

Just then, the nurse walked in with an abrupt knock, “I’m sorry Y/N, you gotta go. You can come in again tomorrow during visiting hours. We’ll update you if anything happens tonight.”

“Okay, I’ll just say goodbye and be gone in a second,” I politely stated, and she nodded, leaving us in privacy. “Guess I have to go for the night.”

“It’s okay, I’ll see you in the morning, right?”

“Of course. And you can always call me if you need to,” I gestured to the bag in a corner of the room. His phone and charger were in it, and I quickly retrieved them for him, plugging the device in.

“Thank you. I - I don’t know what to say, I don’t know what I did to deserve you staying with me this whole time.”

“Steve,” I stopped him while he was ahead, “I’m never leaving you again.”

He looked like he might cry, overwhelmed with emotions and the stress from the coma. I leaned down and kissed his forehead, as I had been every night, and left.

Senior Year Christmas

The music was loud, drowning out all rational thought. I heaved out a deep sigh, wondering again why I let Steve talk me into having a party at the cabin. “It’ll be so much fun!” He’d said, his words a clever guise.

Now, where was he? Off in a corner talking to some guys he knew, while I sat on the couch, bored out of my mind, sick from the smell of shitty booze. He’d spent most of the night with me, as he always does, but I sent him away. After all the party was his idea, and I didn’t want to ruin it for him just because I wasn’t in a social mood.

“What’s got you so down, Y/L/N?” Danny Bolen, a boy from my grade, asked me, planting himself on the couch beside me. Danny was nice, the kind of guy who lent me pencils and complimented me in the school hallway.

“Just dreading cleaning all this up,” I shrugged, clinking my solo cup to his and taking a big swig.

“Harrington is gonna help, huh? And that band girl you always hang out with? And maybe that Munson kid too? I always see you around him.”

“Yes, of course, but they’re all drinking more than me, so..”

“Well I’d be more than happy to stay and help, too, if you’ll let me.”

I glanced at him to see only sincerity in his face, and I smiled, “That’s really sweet, Danny, but you don’t have to do that.”

“Nonsense, I want to. Especially if it’ll get you in a better mood, this is your party after all! Now what do you say we get you a fresh drink and try to have a good time?”

I nodded slowly, letting him grab my hand and hoist me off the couch. He walked with me to the kitchen and, once in the doorway, the people around us started to whoop.

“It’s mistletoe!” a girl yelled out, and I looked up to see that it was, in fact, mistletoe. I let out a sigh, glancing at Danny, and he looked just as awkward as I did.

“Who even put that there?” I asked him with a small giggle, and he shrugged. My mind drifted to Steve, wondering if he was witnessing the spectacle. I didn’t see him in the group crowded around us. “We don’t have to kiss, it’s just a silly tradition.”

“Yes you do! You HAVE to, those are the rules!” a random guy said, and I rolled my eyes.

“I’m fine with it if you are,” Danny said, low enough for only me to hear. After glancing at the eager people around us, I gave a curt nod.

He leaned in, and his lips touched mine just long enough for me to know it didn’t feel right, but I didn’t have to suffer it for long. There Steve was, pushing us apart, ripping down the mistletoe and throwing it in the trash.

“What’s your problem, dude?” Danny furrowed his brows and angrily asked Steve.

“No problem, it’s just a dumb tradition. I don’t think Y/N should have to kiss someone just because of a plant.”

“Is that it? Or do you just wish you’d been the one under it with her?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I just… I want her to make her own decisions.”

“Steve,” I interjected with a hand on his arm. He turned to me sharply, expectantly. “I did make the decision. I told him it was okay.”

“You what?” he spat, “So what, you’re just kissing everybody now? Did Eddie get a turn? Bobby?” He turned to the closest guy to us, “What about you? Did you get a turn?”

“Steve!” I hissed, “Stop!”

“Seriously, man, just back off,” Danny spoke up, stepping between me and him.

“Oh, what a hero,” Steve rolled his eyes, shrugging off my arm, “The party is over, go home.”

“The party is over when she says it’s over,” Danny challenged.

“Danny, stop. Just go. All of you, please. Everybody.”

People filed out in droves at that, Danny lingering until the place was nearly clear and pulling me gently to the side.

“Are you okay here with him?” he asked me, nodding his head at Steve who was glaring intently in his direction.

“I am. He’s just angry for some reason, he’ll calm down when I talk to him.”

“I think I should stay here, you shouldn’t be alone.”

“I’m not alone.”

“Just in case he tries something, I-“

“Hold up,” I scoffed, “What are you trying to imply? I told you he’s just angry, he would never do anything to hurt me.”

“I’m sorry, I just don’t trust it. He’s not a good guy Y/N. I know you’re close or whatever but, listen, I’ve liked you for a long time and if you’d just realize he’s a piece of shit you’d see I could be so much better.”

“Get the fuck out of my cabin,” I growled, taking a step back.

“I’m just trying to-“

“I know exactly what the fuck you’re trying to do, you’re trying to weasel your way into my pants by being a hero. Well I don’t need a hero, I’m perfectly safe here with Steve and you can go the fuck home,” I went off. He looked taken aback for a moment before it turned to anger and he aggressively grabbed my arm, pulling me into him.

“I’ve been nothing but nice to you and you’re going to treat me like this? Do you even realize how much better I could do than you?”

“Let me go!” I squealed, trying to shake off his hold but failing. Steve once again interrupted us, though, pushing Danny roughly off of me.

“She said go the fuck home. Do I have to make you or are you gonna do it on your own like a big boy?”

“Fine, fuck this. She’s not pretty enough for me to care.”

He tried to storm out, but Steve grabbed him by the arm and yanked him hard, forcing him to turn around. Once they were face to face, Steve landed a hard right hook on the shorter boy’s jaw.

Danny grabbed the side of his face roughly, spitting out blood and glaring as he left. Steve turned to me, giving me a once over, eyes landing on my very red arm.

“He grabbed you that hard?” he asked, voice soft and sweet just for me, “Let me see.”

I pulled roughly out of his reach, “You need to go home too, Steve.”

“What?”

“It was your idea to have this stupid party and you ruined it! Why? I don’t understand what the big deal about me kissing him was!”

“I just-“

“Don’t even! You slut shamed me, too. YOU slut shamed ME! You have girl after girl falling at your feet and I haven’t dated anyone, not one single person, since the day I met you but you’re slut shaming me like I go around kissing ever man I see? Fuck you! Leave, now!”

“Y/N, please,” he huffed, hand resolutely on his hip.

“Steve, you made a scene. You embarrassed yourself and you embarrassed me by acting like a complete idiot. Thank you for getting him off of me but I don’t want you here.”

Our screaming match ended there, as he sadly cast his eyes downward.

“I’m sorry, I just… I just wanted to help,” he sighed, “I’ll see you later.”

As he walked outside, I was hit with a pang of guilt. I turned to Eddie and Robin and they both had shocked looks on their faces.

“I’m doing the right thing, making him go, right?”

They shrugged and I groaned, my head falling back. I knew I couldn’t go through with it.

I ran outside, just as Steve was climbing into his car. I was surprised to see it was raining, somehow I hadn’t noticed. I suppose I’d been distracted.

“Steve!” I screamed over the storm. He turned to me, expectant. “Come back!”

He did as I asked, “You changed your mind?” he inquired as he approached me.

“I know it’s bad at home. I’m not sending you back there. Not tonight.”

“I can go. I know you want me to.”

“No, I really don’t, I just want to know why you acted that way.”

“I don’t know why,” he shrugged, cupping my face in his hands and I shoved him off again.

“That’s bullshit, Steve,” I scoffed.

“I’m sorry, I just… I don’t know what came over me. I just got so angry when he kissed you, I don’t know why. I shouldn’t have said what I said. I don’t know what’s going on with me.”

“Well you need to figure it the fuck out because I don’t want this complicated mess. And if you can’t, I’ll leave.”

“What?”

“I’ve applied to a lot of colleges, Steve. Not all of them are close. I have my pick of them, too.”

His jaw hung open for a moment before complete melancholy overtook him, all the light draining from him. “Please,” he whimpered, “Don’t leave me. I promise I won’t ever act like that again. I swear, I’ll be better, I’ll do better for you. Please don’t leave me.”

He pulled me into a crushing hug and I sighed, giving into him like I always did. He was shaking against me, his clothes soaked and I was sure mine were too. He seemed so close to breaking down, terrified I would really leave him. Terrified to be without me. Despite it all, there was nothing better than his warmth wrapped around me.

“I’m not going anywhere, Steve.”

He held me for a while longer before pulling away slightly, “You’re freezing,” he commented, “Let’s go inside and get you some warm clothes.”

I nodded, following him back into the cabin and into my heart.

[captainkirkk]

✩ WEEKLY FIC ROUND-UP ✩

All the fics I’ve read and really enjoyed in the past week-ish. Reminder: This list features any and all ratings and themes. Please look at tags and warnings on ao3 before reading.

DC (Batfamily)

Birdwatch11 by smilebackwards

Tim hadn’t actually meant to start a popular Batwatch blog.

He hadn’t meant to start a blog at all honestly but by the time he turned eleven he’d accumulated hundreds of pictures of Batman and Robin on his Nikon DSLR and it had just seemed inefficient to go through the trouble of printing them and storing them in a box under his bed when BlogSphere had a perfectly adequate platform.

lost treasure by adelfie

"Dad, I don’t want to do this.”

“It doesn’t matter what you want. This is why we brought you here,” Jack hisses. “So we can get paid.”

Or: When a cozy night out with his parents turns into a night of captivity and torture, Tim is forced to seek protection from his worst nightmare - the Red Hood.

Hey There Demons by hitthedeck

Treating magical threats lightly is never an option, especially when that threat tears holes in realities. To combat this danger, a good hero must remain vigilant and in peak physical condition at all times.

Too bad Red Robin never got that message.

Or, in which even demons can't comprehend why Tim Drake is Like That.

Stranger Things

Tell Me "Don't", So I Can Crawl Back In by KiaraMGrey

When Steve finds himself alone and without friends, following his breakup with Nancy, he decides what he needs is a distraction. Maybe some new friends who don't remind him of the bullshit life he gave up. When he literally runs into Eddie Munson, school drug dealer and self proclaimed freak, an idea begins to form. Who better to show him what life outside popularity can be like, than someone who doesn't give a shit what anyone thinks?

And Eddie? Well, Eddie is just bracing for impact.

Everybody's Friend by AmethystUnarmed

"Hey Harrington,” Eddie calls, as Steve books it to the Beamer.

Steve stops, and is only the slightest bit nervous when he says, “Yeah?”

It almost makes Eddie feel bad.

Almost.

“How’s the character creation going?”

The absolute dread on Steve’s face confirms Eddie's worst fears.

“I... I'm not going to be able to play Thursday.”

God. Dammit.

~~~

Steve's budding friendship with the Hellfire Club hits a few snags and Eddie wonders if all of this was even worth it.

Clone Wars

Standards of Professionality by Trixree

"Are we going to pretend I didn’t just find you fucking your General, vod?” Rex hisses over private-comm.

Cody doesn’t even turn his head to look at him. Rex can hear the smile in Cody’s voice when he replies, “No, because I am not fucking my General, Rex’ika. I am fucking Obi-Wan. We are professionals.”

5 times Cody and Obi-Wan struggled to maintain plausible deniability regarding their affections for one another + 1 time they decidedly Did Not

Shadowhunters

prosper matrimonium by smilebackwards

"Gorgeous, sweet, community-oriented,” Magnus ticks off the positive attributes on his fingers. And he’s sure he’ll find plenty more to like about Alexander Lightwood. “I imagine suitors are beating down his door. Please tell me he’s not actually dating Lorenzo.”

Cat hesitates. “Well, if you’re really interested in Alec, you have interesting timing to say the least.”

“How do you mean?” Magnus asks.

“Alec just put his name in for the prosper matrimonium.”

Or: The disaster with the Circle swings the Clave a little more progressive. And if Magnus wants Alec’s heart, he’s going to have to compete for it

The Umbrella Academy

To Be Where You Are (So Very Far) by bobee

He'd thought he'd seen it all.

Forty-Five years in a wasteland and two weeks saving the world, only to be taken for a year by a man guided by his own self-interest. He'd seen the horrors of what this life has to offer. It's all he's ever seen.

He just hadn't known that there was one out there meant for him.

(or, Number Five, the end of the end of the world, and the start of a new one.)

On My Terms by CivilBores

"I did what you asked,” he tells her. “Now, the briefcase.”

Her eyebrows raise in mock-surprise, red lips curling up her face in a sadistic smile.

“You didn’t think that was all, did you?” she asks.

AU: The Handler gives Five a slightly different deal.

[findafight]

I have an extremely stupid thought: Addams!Steve. His parents are horrified at his normalness. Everybody in the family tries to come up with ways to make him enjoy pain, even a little. They are all devastated that his interests are basketball and popularity. Usually, he isn't even cruel on purpose! His parents do their best to support him in his interests (this is why their house is so horribly decorated) and leave every time they feel the need to Be Weird or visit the family. When the Upside Down happens, they are overjoyed. Finally, a truly Addams pastime! But he doesn't seem to be having a lot of fun? Is he just trying to fit in their family? They don't want him to change for them, they just want him happy! His parents end up leaving him alone longer so he doesn't feel pressured to share the delightful portal to Hell (or keep getting involved if it stops being fun) and check in on him from time to time. He looks so delightfully beat up every time! What fun! Let's give him space. If he wants to battle hellmonsters, they definetely aren't gonna stop him! Even if it's a bit strange that he hasn't chosen one as a pet yet. Oh, no, is he secretely having a bad time? Does he not enjoy the hell portal? Look Steve we support your normal lifestyle! Do you want a job? A normal, horri- we mean, it's-totally-cool-if-you-want-one job? We won't think less of you if you do!

Steve for his part is very grateful that his family are so supportive of him, even if he's still trying to find a way to ask them for help with the Upside Down stuff without 1) secretely disappointing them and 2) his family making the situation worse on purpose. He knows they wouldn't mean to! But if he asks his mother to shut down a portal to a nightmare dimension full of flesh-eating monsters without even letting her keep one as a pet he might just make her cry, and that's unconscionable.

He's also under the impression that he knows the difference between people-normal and Addams-normal, but he still gets tripped up from time to time. Dustin keeping Dart as a pet? Duh, super normal, didn't even think about it until everyone started berating Dustin. What do you mean Jonathan and I aren't friends? We loved the same girl (who chose him), clearly we are Friends For Life.

(He'll never admit that Eddie is the first thing in his life that felt Right to every part of him. Sweet as pie the way he likes it even if his family is baffled by the preference, with a Deeply Weird appearence and demeanor that remind him of the best parts of home)

Yes yes Oh my god your mind.....

In S1 when Steve says his parents are away because dad has business and his mom went with him because she doesn't trust him it's not that his dad's adulterous it's because his mom didn't trust his dad not to, like, go grave robbing without her, (such a romantic date in the moonlight and it would be a shame to do it all alone, she knows he can't resist it though...)and they knew Steve wasn't particularly About That and also don't want him around for date night, and they don't want to do Weird Shit (their normal) in Hawkins because they don't want to have a reputation that would harm their darling normie son, AND he needed to stay in school at least for sports.

They return and he's like so I fought a demon creature from another dimension and got my shit rock by Jonathan who is now my best friend... (Because I doubt an Addams cares about NDAs within the family) and his parents are delighted! A portal to a hell dimension! Steven! You'll have to invite us along next time, and bring that nice young woman who is even MORE normal than you-oh she pointed a gun at you? Magnificent she'll fit right in! But they notice he's even more wound up than before and his mother, sister to Gomez Addams (hence the Harrington name), goes to her brother and bemoans the development.

"a hell dimension! In our own backyard, Gomez! We should all be rejoicing on our luck! But poor Steven only seems stressed. Apparently a girl died in our pool and instead of inviting her to haunt us he just feels guilty. I don't know what to do... However, the nail studded bat--complete with blood splatter, it's marvelous, you really must see it--is a welcome addition to the decor in the main room that we may be able to relax the highly attuned 'normal' look and expand from the basement."

And the next year, Dustin gets Steve to look for Dart and he's like "wait it's a baby demogorgon? Oh man my cousins would be sooo jealous. It ate your cat? Ah. I see. Eating a family member is certainly frowned upon." And Dustin is like. Why aren't you mad that it's a demogorgon u weirdo. What the hell. And Steve realizes that maybe weird carnivorous pets is an Addams Thing. In his defense Dustin got one. He'll have to tell his mom that it tends to eat other pets and isn't advisable.

Afterwards everyone is so proud! Steve helped defend some children who seem very keen on arson, which an Addams can relate to, and he always wears a broken nose so well. It is unfortunate that that Nancy girl broke his heart, but all's fair in love and war, and an Addams can bounce back! And what a tale, to have a girlfriend run away with you best friend! Worthy of a revenge plot, hmm Steve? Oh? No? You just what to cuddle and watch sad movies? Well. Alright then.

Perhaps a summer job, at that new mall will help. That is what normal people do, right? And Steve is so keen on normality that his parents can't refuse. They go on vacation, the last week of June, and tell him to just consider poisoning some of the icecream. Just a little! A bit of botulism or ecoli is good for a community! Keeps everyone on their toes.

They cannot believe they missed it AGAIN! Horrible luck, missing all the fun in their hometown. But, Steve seems to be bouncing back, (and his mother and father were both relieved and disappointed that the Russians who dared torture their sweet little pastel son and his friend were blown up before they could get a taste of Addams retribution) he's got a dear friend he works with and is overly attached too (excellent! His parents are so happy he's got someone he's mildly Weird with) and he happily drives the little arsonists around. (Steve's parents don't really meet the kids but know about them, are pleased as punch they all seem like little Addams-Harringtons Steve's taken under his wing. After all, arson, pet monster adopting, car thieving, and spycraft are all delightful pastimes for today's Youth)

But spring break of '86 rolls around and they return to their son in hospital besides another boy, who was apparently accused of serial murder, and discover that the hell dimension is gone for good (and, really, how can the senior Harrington-Addams' have such terrible luck! Missing all the fun once again, and to be told it's all over forever, well. At least their Steve was involved.) They kiss his cheeks and ask if they can get him anything, if his little arsonists are alright. They chat, telling him how little cousin Wednesday is doing and that his uncle Gomez was so thrilled to hear about the flesh monster last year and sends his love.

Eddie is there watching and once they leave he's like Steve....what is going on with your parents. Steve just shrugs.

Slowly, he falls for Eddie, sweet as pie and funny, with just the right amount of...well, freakishness, to settle that place in Steve's heart that's all Addams. Once they get to the stage where Steve introduces him to his parents as his boyfriend, he isn't even nervous about Eddie fitting in. He knows he will even if they live Steve's silly little picket fence and six nugget dream.

Steve's father is delighted by the development. "A murderer in the family!" He yells, which Eddie must interpret as some form of outrage or disgust instead of the delight it is.

He waves his hands in front of him "I didn't actually do it! All charges dropped!"

Steve's father Pat's his back in a consolatory way, "yes, yes. What a shame that is. We can't win them all. But! The reputation persists! And that is what matters. Oh, Priscilla! Gomez and Morticia will be besides themselves with envy!"

Eddie, who wore his most provocative and "fuck society and the man" outfit, on Steve's request which he assumed was to piss of his parents but...really doesn't seem to be the case now... Is. Baffled.

Steve's mother adds "indeed! You'll fit in so well with the rest of the family, dear, no need to worry that you're only an accused murderer. At least without prison time you are free to go where you wish and reap the benefits of a dastardly reputation!"

"I can't believe you didn't introduce us to your boy earlier, Steven. Look at him! Addams-Harrington material already. He even fought in the hell dimension with you!"

"you know about that?"

"of course, what's an NDA to family? We've been trying to join in the fun since the beginning." Says Steve's mother. "We've had such dreadful timing, though. And I'm still terribly annoyed that I wasn't able to give those Russians a torture session of their own!"

Eddie is...well. He doesn't actually know what's going on other than Steve's parents seem to like him? So. A win? He's calling it a win.

[tipsyleaf]

"I had to talk to you."

Steve Harrington x (Fem) Reader

(2.4k words)

Stranger Things Masterlist

Summary: Steve meets a very new face inside a liquor store and immediately in infatuated.

Content Warning: Heavy flirtation, canon divergence (Eddie's not dead idc what you tell me), Steve's in college to be a teacher (I will die with the thought of this man as a teacher at Hawkins Middle School), Steve just being silly goofy lil guy, Steve has bad eyesight sometimes (imagine him in glasses like Uncle Jesse's in Full House)

October 13th, 1989

Steve sighs, leaning back on the drivers side of his 1983 BMW. Burgundy paint starting to chip on the hood, the car becoming less appealing day by day. Girls passing by not even looking in his direction anymore. He was old news in Hawkins after people found out he had finally started at a college half an hour away in Fort Wayne. Just starting his life like everyone else did 4 years ago just wasn't appealing to most girls.

At least not Hawkins girls.

But at this point he didn't care. He was proud of himself for pulling his life together after all the bullshit he had been put through. With saving an entire town too many god damn times. Cutting his dad off when his parents divorced. Moving out to get a rented house with his best friend Robin. Just what he learned he needed over time.

Getting into a good school by himself with no help was just a cherry on top of the fuck you sundae he graciously served his past problems.

He was satisfied with what he had right now.

Dustin walks out of the new game shop in the newest strip mall to grace Hawkins. Steve looks up, pushing his Ray-Ban sunglasses onto his head.

"You made it out before, Robin. I'm surprised." Dustin glanced at the instrument shop a few doors down, then back to Steve. "You get what Eddie needed?"

"Mostly yeah. She's still getting her trumpet fixed?" Steve shrugs at Dustin's question and slides his sunglasses down in place again.

"She probably got distracted looking at something shiny and new. You know Robins crow brain sometimes." Dustin laughs, looking into his bag, shuffling a few things around inside.

Steve looked over at the liquor store at the end of the strip mall. Looking back at Dustin, he taps the top of the car. His head snapped up, eyes a bit surprised at the sudden noise.

"You want anything?" Steve asks, tilting his head back towards the store.

"Coke? If they got it." Dustin simply replied before getting in the back seat. Steve nods and walks to the liquor store.

The bell chimes over his head as he walks through the door. He takes in the warmth of the store and the radio playing over the speakers on the ceiling. Such a nice contrast to the crisp Autumn air outside.

He turns heading down an isle of assorted liquor bottles and bar accessories before finally stopping at the fridge. Humming along to the song over the radio, mumbling the lyrics to 'I wanna know what love is' absentmindedly.

Sliding his glasses down his nose, he squints at the selection. All the labels are blurry the farther he is, he steps forward rubbing his eyes and sure doesn't help with the florescent lighting blinding him from above.

'God I need to get my eyes checked.'

Opening the fridge, he grabs the 3 soft drinks and a 6-pack for later when he hears a metal scrapping and whoosh next to him. Followed by a muffled but panicked "Shit!"

Looking over, he sees the back of a squatting woman struggling with a metal shelf slipping out of one of the fridges.

Walking over, he quickly puts his things down and pushes the shelf back in. The metal shelf, cold against his warm skin as he reaches into the fridge, fixing the fasteners back into place.

An issue he's all too familiar with working at Family Video. The fridge racks always got loose and every time it happened he was always made to clean them up. He could only imagine the mess a bunch of glasses and beer would have made.

"Thank you so much!" The woman speaks as Steve stands up, slowly closing the door. Looking back, he finally sees your face. His lips slightly part as you continue talking, he can't hear a word you're saying right now.

All he can hear is the very oddly convenient Foreigner song playing over the store radio as he takes in every detail of your gorgeous face. From your shiny hair to your bright smile. The vibrant colored nail polish on your fingers you're waving as you talk. You're unfamiliar, he's never seen you before, but you're an absolute stunner of a woman.

Steve never thought of himself as a love at first sight kind of guy. But right now he was undoubtedly being proven wrong by the spark he was feeling, not to mention the nervous knot in his stomach.

"But really you're a life saver... Thank you." You stop talking, looking at him. Your face falls as he perks up, realizing he's just been staring like a complete idiot this entire time.

"You're welcome!" He spoke, choking almost over how inappropriately loud he was for a second. Feeling the effect of not talking to women for a while really hit him. You look down at his soon-to-be purchases.

"Full Sail Amber. Good beer." You comment, making him look at the floor and nod.

Crouching down, he grabs his things and stands cracking his head on one of the fridge door handles. His sunglasses fell off his face and onto the floor. He stands up wedging his soft drink between his side and arm. Rubbing his head with a hiss.

"You okay?" You ask with a slight chuckle. Bending down, you grab the sunglasses, Steve moves his hand, grabbing the bottom of the door handle to shield your head from injury.

"Yeah, thanks." Before he gets to put his hand out to take his Ray-Bans back, you slide them on his head with a soft smile.

'God she's so fucking pretty.'

"You're welcome. And thanks again for... Saving me from paying for a full shelf of beer." She turned down the isle to another part of the store.

Part of Steve wants to follow you and try chatting you up, but the slight embarrassment of hurting his head just keeps him from doing so.

He turns, goes to the front of the store and makes his purchases. Heading outside, he walks to his car, finally seeing Robin in her usual spot, the passenger seat. Opening the driver's door, he slips in.

"There you are!" Robin looked at him, her trumpet case in-between her legs on the floor of the car.

"What's with the face?" Dustin asks, Steve looking at him in the rearview, glaring.

"Shut up Henderson." He hands them their sodas, moving to close his car door when he hears the bell from the liquor store chime.

Out you walk, starting across the parking lot to a top-down red 86' Volkswagen Cabriolet. Steve freezes, staring again. He really can't help but stare.

"Oooh." Robin and Dustin both taunt him, making him sigh. He needs more friends, fewer annoying friends.

"She's pretty." Robin says looking at Dustin.

"Too pretty to talk to, apparently." Dustin adds, laughing as he looks back at Steve.

"I talked to her in the store." Dustin raised his eyebrows, pushing his baseball cap up a bit.

"You asked her out?"

"No." Steve watches you load your bag into the back of the car and start pulling the top up on your car.

"Not too late!" Robin smiled, taking a sip of her drink. Dustin looked at her.

"He's not gonna do it."

"No, he's gonna do it."

Steve feels like he has a devil and an angel bickering on his shoulders right now. His foot meets the new asphalt of the parking lot as you open your driver's door.

He's quickly out of the driver's seat.

"Holy shit he's doing it." Dustin comments as he shuts the door on them.

He stops at the bumper of his car, hearing your car engine click over. Music pours out of your open windows before you turn it down quickly.

The universe is screaming at him to talk to you when he starts hearing that familiar Tears for Fears song, 'Head Over Heels'.

'Please don't pull away, please don't pull away.'

He nearly sprints across the parking lot out of fear of missing his chance. Upon reaching the car, he knocks on the back window, pulling you from looking for something in the console.

"Hi..." He says awkwardly, approaching the window. Leaning on the door, he smiles as you smile back.

"Hi. You need something?" He gets so agitated that you smirk up at him.

'Why'd you have to be so God damn pretty?'

"Sorry if this is weird, but I had to talk to you." He started, finally being able to say something. Your eyes go half shut with a soft nod.

"Talk to me?" He nods, clenching the door frame for a second. "Go ahead then. Talk."

His eyes go wide in surprise at your sudden confidence. Steve stammered for a second.

"Uh... At the risk of sounding crazy or desperate... You're probably the most beautiful girl I've ever seen in my life." You can feel your body warm up as he gives the most genuine smile you've seen on a man in a while.

"Mmhm, go on."

"Are you by chance single? Or like... Are you even attracted to men at all?" He asks, sheepishly smiling.

"Yes, and yes." Your smirk slowly turns into a grin as he squats to eye level now, feeling a bit more confident after your answer.

"I'm Steve, by the way. Steve Harrington." He smiles again hearing you reply with your name. "Are you new to Hawkins?"

"I am actually. I just moved here from the city and needed to stay nearby for school."

"Where are you going?"

"Trine University." His eyes go wide, the same school he goes to. What are the odds?

"Really? I actually go there too. Education major." You look him up and down. You never pegged him for the teacher type.

"Software Engineering major."

"So you're smart and gorgeous. Good to know." He smirks, finally feeling like himself when talking as your flush finally becomes noticeable. "You like movies?"

"What kind of psychopath doesn't like movies?" He laughs at your response, leaning in closer to the window.

"Lemme be more specific. The new Halloween 5 movie came out today. You interested in seeing it? Maybe with me tonight at the drive-in theater in Lafayette. We can have dinner after. All my treat, of course." He can see the sparkle in your eyes, that spark he felt looking at you before is still lingering around him.

"What's in it for me?" You playfully ask. He cocks his head to the side, leaning it on his arm for a second.

"A fun night out with a gentleman, I promise I'm fun." You chuckle, rolling your eyes, he knows you want to say yes. "Please?"

He'd never said please before when asking a girl out. It didn't feel embarrassing like he thought it would. You turn your attention back to the console looking for something.

Pulling out a napkin and pen, you quickly write down your number and address. Turning back, you hold it out to him as he takes it.

"I'm free at 8. And dress nicely. You're taking me somewhere decent after the movie."

"I'll take you to the most expensive restaurant I can find if that's what you want. I don't care. As long as I get to see you again." You laugh at his bluntness, it's like music to his ears.

"That won't be necessary. I don't need to be spoiled."

"What if I want to spoil you?" That caught you off guard as you didn't respond right away. He let a soft breath escape his mouth. "You like roses?"

"White roses." You reply, he nods, standing up again and folding the napkin, storing it in his back jean pocket for safe keeping.

"I'll be sure to remember that." You two just stare at each other in silence for a minute. No man's ever looked at you like Steve has right now, it makes your heart race from nervousness.

"I'll see you at 8 o'clock then." You look past him for a moment and back to him. "Tell your friends I said hello since they like to stare so much."

Raising an eyebrow, Steve turned his head. He sees Robin poking her head over the roof of the car and Dustin sitting on the rolled down window frame. They quickly hurry back into the car, noticing they've been caught. He should be embarrassed, but he fully expects their behavior from being friends for so long.

"Ignore them." Steve says, sighing as he looks back at you. "I'll see you at 8."

He turned away towards his car, trying to stay as confident as he was before turning his back. Reaching his car, he pops the door open, clutching it for dear life as he silently collects himself. Robin poked her head across the driver's seat to look up at him.

"You good dude?" She asks, concerned but also excited as he just nods.

You pull out of your parking spot, stopping behind his car and honk once to get his attention. Dustin pops his head out the back window as Robin looks out her open door. Steves head snaps up at you as you lean on your window frame, chin on fist with the most shit eating grin on your face.

"See you at 8 sexy~" You called to him. And then you have the balls to blow him a kiss before peeling out of the parking lot.

Steve silently gets in the car. Robin shuts her door as Steve does his. Dustin sits forward looking at Steve, who's just gripping his steering wheel, the adrenaline starting to wear off.

"Dude, she's so into you, into you!" Dustin breaks the silence as Robin nods.

"And I'd say it's the same for Harrington here." Robin grins as a massive smile spreads across Steve's face.

He starts excitedly thrashing frontwards and backwards. Enough to shake the car and look like he's about to rip the steering wheel from it's column. He lets out an excited yell, causing his two friends to laugh at him.

He let out a long breath, looking at them.

"She says hi by the way."

[ladykailitha]

All My Roads Lead Back to You Part 8

Hello! We get an actual resolution with no cliffhangers, but a lot of backstory revealed. Also, Harri gets his temper and stubbornness from all his parents (his two dads AND the surrogate ;)). Really, the poor boy never had a chance.

Pt 1 Pt 2 Pt 3 Pt 4  Pt 5 Pt 6  Pt 7 

***

Eddie and Harri looked at each other in shock.

“Dad!” Harri hissed.

Eddie held up his hands in surrender. “She didn’t even give me a chance to respond!”

Harri huffed. “I guess. But I swear to god, if you Yoko this shit up, I’ll post the baby pictures of you Grandpa Wayne kept on your Insta.”

“Hey!” Eddie protested. “It’s not my fault, okay!”

“Yeah?” Harri asked. “Uncles Jeff and Gareth gonna agree to that? Because now that I know who they were talking about, they’ve been telling you to let it go since before Papa died.”

Eddie frowned. “There’s more history there then you know.”

“So tell me!” Harri yelled, getting to his feet. “What is so fucking bad you can’t talk about it? Not to me, not to Uncle Jeff, and certainly not to Papa. So what aren’t you tell me?”

Eddie glared at his son. “I can’t tell you.”

“Not this fucking NDA shit again!” Harri growled getting in Eddie’s face. “Just own up that nothing happened.”

Eddie lifted up his shirt. “Does that fucking look like nothing happened? Huh? Does it? Because this is end of the list of shit I can’t talk about. There is so much I know. So much that I still have fucking nightmares about it. And when I told Steve that I was in love with him, he told me I couldn’t be. That it was the trauma of what we’ve been through!”

“Twenty years ago!” Harri snapped back. “Don’t you think he might have changed his mind? God damn, Dad! He still has your ring!”

Eddie took a step back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Harri glared at him. “The hell you don’t.” He marched into the studio, Eddie fast on his heels.

“I don’t know what the hell you think this will prove,” Eddie growled.

Harri pulled two pictures off the wall. One featuring Corroded Coffin on a torn up sofa in Grandpa Wayne’s old house and the other all them around the table signing their contract. In both photos you could clearly see Eddie’s right hand. In the first picture there was a silver and grey gem stone ring and it was gone in the second.

“I always wondered about that conversation you had with Grandpa Wayne about that ring,” Harri said. “It was right after Papa’s funeral and I asked you what happened to it. I said it was really pretty. You told me that you lost it. Do you remember what Grandpa Wayne said? Because I do.”

Eddie glared at his son, lips pursed.

“He said that it was bullshit and that you knew exactly where it was,” Harri continued. “And that all you had to do was go get it back if you wanted to.”

He turned the pictures around so Eddie could see them. “You gave Mr Harrington that ring. Why, that I don’t know. But I do know I saw it two days ago on Mr Harrington’s right ring finger. And you can lie to me again about it or you can tell the truth so we can fix this. Whatever it was between you. Because Uncle Jeff liked the dude so much they remained friends for years. And we both know he hates people.”

Eddie sighed, taking the picture of the one on Wayne’s couch. “I told him that maybe if he didn’t feel that way about me then, that might change. And I gave him the ring as a promise. He could give it back to me only if he returned my feelings.”

He ran his fingers over the image of Brian and sighed. He then touched the part of the picture that showed the ring. “He never returned it, so I thought he’d thrown it away, sold it, pawned it off. Whatever. I don’t know how I feel about him keeping it.”

Harri nodded. On the one hand, Steve kept the ring, meaning it was important to him, but on the other, it meant he hadn’t returned Eddie’s feelings. “At least you know you’re still important to him, Dad. And maybe that’s all that really matters.”

Eddie nodded. “Call your friend. Tell her I’ll do it. I’ll befriend that bastard.” He looked at Harri a moment. “Maybe don’t say it exactly like that.”

Harri laughed and shook his head. “Yeah, yeah. I’m not that stupid. After all I got my smarts from Papa.”

“Hey!” Eddie protested.

*

By the time Edie got home, she was wrung out, physically and emotionally. She was glad that Harri called. Of course she was. But the whole thing was becoming more trouble than it was worth.

All she wanted to do was flop on her bed and ignore everyone until dinner. But it was not be. Standing in her living room, softly chatting with Aunt Robin was Vivian Knightly, super model extraordinaire.

Viv was tall and statuesque, with legs that went on for miles. She had dark skin and full, red lips. Her long, black hair was braided into hundreds of small braids, decorated with colorful beads. She wore a bright yellow sundress with a white belt.

In short, she made everyone else in the room dowdy by comparison.

She turned when she heard the door. “Hello! You must be Edie! It’s nice to meet you in the flesh, at long last.” She stuck out her hand so gracefully that it made Edie want to snort. How this elegant woman got with her absolutely uncoordinated giraffe of an aunt, she never could figure out.

Edie took her hand and shook it. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

“You’re home later than usual,” Robin said. “Everything all right?”

Edie nodded. “Just had drop off the music we’re practicing over at our guitarist’s house.”

Robin’s eyebrows shot up. “And this wouldn’t be your new guitarist would it?”

Edie rolled her eyes. “Yes, Aunt Robin. Harri Munson is a good friend, a good guitarist, and good artist. Anything else you’d want to know? Blood type, height, weight, dating status? For the record he’s single. And no, I don’t know his sexuality any more than he knows mine. We’re not that close yet.”

Robin grimaced.

Viv stepped into the breech. “I bet he’s cute though. You got a picture of him I can see?”

Edie raised her eyebrow. “I’m a lesbian.”

Viv laughed. “Me too!”

Edie rolled her eyes again, this time with more humor. She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her pictures. She showed her the photo of Harri and Mandy with their arms around each other.

“He is cute,” Viv said. “In that awkward teenage way. I’ll bet he’ll grow into his dimples.”

Robin looked over her shoulder and then scoffed. “He looks just like his dad, and his dad so didn’t grow into them.”

Edie put her phone away. “Yeah, it’s a bit eerie how alike they look.”

Robin laughed. “Sure, little miss carbon copy of her dad.”

“I am not!” Edie protested, just as her dad walked in.

Viv looked back and forth between them. “Nope, sorry babe. I’m going to have to side with Robin on this one.”

Steve looked at all of them in confusion. “What’s going on?”

“Dad,” Edie said with all the put upon nature of a teenager, “please tell these lovely ladies I am not a carbon copy of you.”

Steve blinked. “Honey, I love you and I can tell you’ve had a rough day at school...”

Edie’s eyes went wide and she threw her arms in the arm. “Not you, too!”

Steve grimaced. “Sorry. But it drove Addison nuts how much you look like me. Even as an infant.”

Edie’s lip twisted as she grumped.

Steve pulled her in for a hug. “Why don’t you go hang out in your room until dinner? De-stress a bit, okay?”

This is why Edie loved her dad. He could tell she wanted escape the social interaction and gave her an out. She kissed his cheek and with a promise to chat with Robin and Viv later, she went to go nap.

*

When she came back downstairs for dinner, Robin and Viv had gone out to dinner and it was just her and her dad.

“They’ll be back later,” Steve explained as he handed her a large plate of spaghetti. “I just wanted it to be us for dinner.”

Edie nodded and dug into her food with gusto. Steve was good cook and he knew his daughter’s comfort food.

“Rough day at school?” Steve asked, gently.

Edie sighed and stabbed at her plate. “A little. Things got a little awkward with Harri today.”

“Ah.”

Steve pushed his food around and Edie nudged him with her shoulder. “Come on, eat.”

He took a couple bites before he spoke again. “I didn’t mean to make things awkward with your friend.”

She bumped him again. “Hey, it’s not your fault.”

Steve scoffed. “No, no. It really is. I was an ass.”

“You were a teenager after a fucking earthquake,” Edie reminded him. “And he was asking you to uproot your life so soon after wasn’t fair either.”

Steve looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “And who told you that?”

“Harri,” Edie admitted with a wince. “Minus the barracks language his dad used to describe the incident.”

Steve laughed. “Yeah, I can only imagine. Eddie always did have the most colorful language.”

“You really liked him, didn’t you?” Edie said jumping down from the barstool and grabbed both of their empty plates to put in the sink.

“Yeah,” Steve mumbled. “I was just too stupid to realize it until after he went to LA.”

Edie began washing their dishes. “So why didn’t you follow him?”

Steve stood up and grabbed a wash cloth to wipe down the counter. “Because I learned that if I listened to loud noises I would lose all the hearing in my left ear. And that included plane rides and metal concerts.”

“Oh.”

Steve ran the wash cloth under the tap and laid it flat to dry. “Dustin set out to create earplugs that would allow me to do both and accidentally invented a better hearing aid.” He chuckled and shook his head. He leaned up against the counter and folded his arms.

“It took him another couple of years to make the earplugs,” he said softly.

“In time for Brian Martin’s funeral?” she asked, putting the dishes into the sink.

Steve nodded. “Too bad I didn’t get to use them then. But I’ve used them on every flight since.”

She hummed in agreement. “Is that why you married Addison? Because you couldn’t be with Mr Munson?”

Steve sighed. “I wanted him to be with someone who could go to his concerts, to cheer him on from backstage and that couldn’t be me.”

Edie dried off her hands. “Shouldn’t he have a say in that?”

He chuckled. “Probably. But remember, I was young and stupid.”

She hummed in agreement and he swatted at her playfully.

“I’m sorry it didn’t work out between you,” Edie said quietly.

Steve straightened up and gave her a hug. “It’s okay. I got you out of the deal and I’d say that was worth it.”

Edie hugged him back tightly. “I know. I just want you to be happy, Dad.”

He kissed the top of her head fiercely. “I know, honey. I know.”

***

Part 9  Part 10 Part 11  Part 12  Part 13 Part 14  Part 15  Part 16 Part 17  Part 18  Epilogue

Tag List:

@spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @artiststarme @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @pyrohonk​ @trashpocket @goodolefashionedloverboi @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @messrs-weasley @val-from-lawrence @plyerice27 @mightbeasleep @thedragonsaunt @chaoticlovingdreamer @trashpocket @sapphirecobalt-1 @a-little-unsteddie @i-must-potato @danili666  @carlyv @rozzieroos @wonderland-girl143-blog @itsall-taken @steddie-as-they-go @lillemilly @callas-shitshow @bisexualdisastersworld @renaissan-vvitch @immortal-iratze @bookbinderbitch @thylatrek @lilacrobin @nightmareglitter @nerdsconquerall

[navnae]

Bad Influence (18+)

Paring: Steve Harrington x Eddie Munson

Warnings: Dom Eddie Munson , Dom/sub, Anal S3x, Anal Fingering, Established Relationship, Established Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Steve Harrington Has Bad Parents, Rough S3x, Rough Kissing, Daddy Kink, Praise Kink, Steve Harrington Has a Praise Kink, Eddie Munson Hates Steve’s Dad, Watching

Summary: Eddie knows that Steve’s dad doesn’t like him and he goes out of his way to show it. Eddie needed to show him that he was here to stay and there was nothing he could do about it. If he believed Eddie was a bad influence then he was going to do a damn good job at it.

or

Eddie found a way to piss off Steve’s dad.

A/N: this is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea so if you dint like it please leave! You have been warned :)

-

After announcing that they were in a relationship, Steve and Eddie made it their duty to spend the entire summer together. That also meant Eddie had to spend his time with Steve’s family and the day would drag on for too long. He tried to be as present as possible to make a good impression but Steve’s father pushed his buttons every chance gets. Ever since he met the man he’s been disrespectful and made sure that Eddie heard all the slick comments that he could think of. Eddie thought it was because he couldn’t accept the fact that Steve liked men or he wasn’t as clean cut like everyone else in the small town. Steve informed him that it was because he smoked which Eddie took as a cover up for something else, none of it was adding up. Gradually Eddie stopped trying to be on his best behavior and spat back at Steve’s dad which always caught him off guard.

Steve scolded him about it several times and told him that he shouldn’t disrespect his father. Which Eddie had no problem with until one night when he slept over at Steve’s house he overheard an argument downstairs. Steve’s dad went on about how Eddie brought out the worst in Steve and he was the one who filled Steve’s head with homosexual tendencies. Hearing those words come out of his mouth pissed Eddie off that entire night and Steve didn’t know that he heard their conversation. Eddie’s dislike towards the older man grew every single day whenever he saw him around the house, Steve’s games, family video basically anywhere that involved Steve. He even showed at Eddie’s trailer once knowing that his company was very unwanted but that didn’t stop him because being the asshole he is, he wanted Eddie to know that he would never approve or respect anything that he did.

The thing that most people tend to forget is that Eddie rarely bites his tongue and he’ll never let anyone feel like they can treat him like shit. So when Steve’s dad least expected it Eddie was going to get him back in the most twisted and malicious way that he wouldn’t see it coming. The opportunity presented itself when Steve invited Eddie over and he emphasized that they would be by themselves. Eddie arrived at Steve’s place with all kinds of thoughts running through head as he came up with different scenarios that would make Steve’s dad blood boil. His thoughts were interrupted by the front door opening and Steve greeted him with a bright smile. Eddie let out a small gasp when Steve pulled him inside the house and started to kiss him. They made out near the door while their hands roamed over each other’s bodies.

“That’s an interesting way of saying hello.” Eddie joked after he pulled away from Steve. He wrapped his arms around Steve’s waist and pulled him close enough so their foreheads could touch.

“I really wanted to see you and since we’re alone I thought we could,” Steve trailed off mid sentence while sliding his finger down Eddie’s clothed chest and bit his lip when he met Eddie’s gaze. “Have some fun.”

“Oh really?” Eddie asked as he raised a brow. Steve usually gave subtle hints when he was in the mood to have sex but today was very different. He looked at Eddie hungrily and eagerness could be seen all over his face.

“Mhm.” Steve hummed while pulling Eddie back into another kiss. This time Steve made it tougher than before and Eddie followed his lead. Eddie licked Steve’s bottoms lip for permission then slipped his tongue inside of his mouth earning a tiny whimper from Steve as his tongue licked deeply inside of his mouth. He pulled away leaving a string of spit that connected to both of their mouths and broke because of the distance they created.

“We should take this upstairs.” Eddie said lowly into Steve’s ear. Steve didn’t even hesitate to grab Eddie’s wrist and drag him upstairs. He was guiding him towards Steve’s bedroom like they always did but Eddie had something else in mind when he saw that Steve’s parents bedroom door was wide open. Eddie stopped in his tracks making Steve stop as well. “You’re parents are at work, right?”

“Yeah why?” Steve asked confused by what his boyfriend was up to. Eddie smirked as he pulled Steve into the empty room and started to kiss him. Steve felt his back lay against his parents mattress as Eddie pushed them closer to the bed while they kissed. They adjusted themselves on the bed and Eddie got in between Steve’s legs then leaned down to kiss him softly along his jaw. Steve let out small moans as Eddie continued to kiss further down and his hands slipped underneath Steve’s shirt to remove it. With a soft push against Eddie’s chest Steve shook his head quickly. “Eddie not here… it’s disrespectful to my parents.”

“Come on baby you know I would never disrespect them. I just thought it would be kind of fun, you know? You could be mom and I could be dad.” Eddie spoke softly. As much as he hated the man who laid his head here if Steve thought it was disrespectful then he wouldn’t push it. Before Eddie could move he was already being pulled by his shirt and met with Steve’s lips that were so desperate every time they kissed.

“I want you to be my daddy.” Steve breathed in between kisses and that’s when Eddie completely lost it. He pushed Steve onto his back then took off his shirt swiftly. Eddie threw his shirt somewhere on the floor hoping that it left a mess wherever it was. He leaned up to unbutton Steve’s pants and as he did the feeling of his erection was under Eddie’s hands. Eddie palmed the area making Steve buck his hips then another moan followed after. “Please… Eddie, I want you so badly.”

“I know baby but you have to be a good boy for me. From now on when you ask for something you’ll refer to me as what?” Eddie asked as he stopped moving completely. Steve whined at the loss of friction that Eddie gave him temporarily. He looked up at Eddie with soft eyes and blush creeping onto his face.

“Daddy.”

“There’s my good boy. Being such a good listener just for me, I’m so proud of you.” Eddie said before giving Steve a very much needed kiss for being good like always. He went back to taking care of Steve’s pants and finally took them off along with his. Both of them were hard in their boxers feeling the material press against their throbbing cocks. Eddie could see a wet patch on Steve’s boxers since they were light colored and he place his finger over the spot teasingly. Steve cried as he felt his tip leak with precum because of Eddie rubbing his finger over the sensitive area.

“Please.” Steve begged pathetically. His cock twitched just from a little bit of Eddie’s touch and he craved it for so long. Eddie wanted Steve to get comfortable with calling him daddy not only because it sounded extremely hot coming from him but it also added a few points to his score board against Steve’s dad. He wondered what would happen if he saw Steve laid out on his bed like this and Eddie had his way with him without anybody stopping him. Eddie thought this would be the perfect moment to get back at the man, little did he know that he spoke a little too soon.

“Please what?” Eddie said sternly. Steve visibly shivered at the sound of Eddie’s voice deepening and the way he showed his dominance over him. Eddie knew that he would get a reaction out of Steve because he loved being underneath his control.

“Please daddy fuck me.” Steve covered his face as the words came out of his mouth. It was truly embarrassing how turned in he was by the name calling and Eddie couldn’t stop smiling from ear to ear. Eddie felt like he was unstoppable at the moment and he enjoyed every second of it. Steve gave in easily letting the name escape his lips as if Eddie was the only person he knew that went by it. In the back of his mind he thought it was pretty weird since Eddie never requested to be called that but he wasn’t complaining in the slightest.

“Your wish is my command.” Eddie took his hands pulled down Steve’s boxers revealing his stiffened cock that was underneath. Steve whimpered as the cool air of the room hit his tip that still had precum coming out of the slit. Eddie rubbed his thumb over the head letting the sticky substance coat the surface of his thumb and Steve tried not to cum from only Eddie’s hands. “God, you’re so fucking wet. Are you that eager for me baby?”

“Y-yes I want you to fuck me until I can’t feel anything. Daddy… please.” Steve cried out helplessly all he wanted was to feel Eddie deep inside of him and take every inch of him even if he was too big it didn’t matter to Steve. Eddie couldn’t take seeing Steve vulnerable and giving himself to him like nothing else in the world was important. An idea popped into his head as he looked down at a desperate Steve waiting for him to make his next move.

“Get on all fours.” Eddie demanded. Steve didn’t waste anytime to get onto his hands and knees making himself exposed to Eddie. His hole wasn’t tight like Eddie thought it would be meaning Steve already did half the preparing himself. Without any warning Eddie slapped Steve’s ass cheek earning a sharp high pitched cry and he buried his face into the sheets. “Stretching yourself without me? I thought you were a good boy.”

“I p-promise I am. I just wanted to save you the trouble.” Steve rambled but the didn’t stop Eddie from pulling his back and slapping Steve again. Eddie left a big red mark on Steve’s skin and the stinging sensation that came with it made it impossible for Steve to keep his cries to a minimum. Light sobs started to come from the boy that tried to muffle his sounds into the sheets. Eddie pulled Steve towards him softly making him look in his direction and placed a gentle kiss on Steve’s tear stained cheek.

“It’s okay baby I’m not going to hit again but I had to punish you for doing things without me. Do you understand me?” Eddie asked softly. Steve nodded his head and Eddie pulled him into a kiss before getting back to their original position. Even though Steve was already stretched Eddie took it upon himself to stick his fingers inside of Steve’s hole. Eddie curled the two digits that pressed up against the soft spot that was inside of Steve. A loud moan filled the room as Eddie began to move his fingers in and out of his entrance, with every thrust of of Eddie’s fingers Steve clenched around them desperately wanting to get filled up by them. Steve pushed himself backwards and was met with an intense pain that came from Eddie’s fingers hitting the sensitive area.

“Daddy ah-“ Steve’s mind went blank when Eddie thrusted his fingers deeper inside making Steve whine as the pain turned into pleasure over and over again. Eddie made sure to push Steve limits every time they got to this point and the result would always be Steve being a complete wreck but loving how dirty they can get. With one last thrust of his fingers Eddie pulled out his fingers leaving Steve empty and clenching around nothing. Eddie aligned himself with Steve’s entrance and before he started to enter the faint sound of a car made him look out the window. Luckily the bed was close enough for him to see clearly outside. Eddie saw Steve’s dad car in the driveway and he stepped out of it angrily as if he had a bad day. He figured that Steve’s timing was a little off about how long his parents were going to be at work but Eddie didn’t mind because this worked perfectly in his favor.

“Since you’ve been such a good boy for me, I want you to be as loud as you possibly can. I want to hear those beautiful noises come from you. Do you think you can do that for me baby?” Eddie let a mischievous smirk onto his face when he saw Steve nod his head. He aligned himself with Steve’s entrance and slowly started push past the tight muscles. Eddie loved every moan that came from Steve being that he was loud enough for anyone to hear. He started to create a rhythm with his thrusts letting his cock disappear inside of Steve then roughly pulling it out with precum getting on the base. The sound of skin slapping filled the room and it only got louder within seconds as both of them lost themselves completely.

“H-harder Eddie, fuck.” Steve said in between moans and he gripped onto the bed sheets as Eddie slammed harder into his entrance shamelessly. Steve cried out when Eddie pushed him further down onto the bed forcing his back to arch. That made it easier for Eddie to continue to hit the same spot without a single stop. Steve felt his legs shake from trying to keep himself up and the way Eddie fucked him harder than ever it became all too much. Eddie held Steve in place when he started to become weak from the fast pace that he was going and that made him bury his face back into the sheets. While Steve was so far gone he didn’t notice that they had an audience and Eddie was glad that they did.

Standing at a good distance but visible through the doorway was Steve’s dad watching the scene in front of with utter disgust and anger. Eddie made eye contact with him every time he thrusted into Steve. He knew that he was beyond pissed and Eddie thought he might not make it out of this alive but it damn sure felt good to see the look on that bastards face as he saw his son getting destroyed by his boyfriend that he hated. Eddie didn’t want this victory to end and coincidentally Steve helped him out with that without realizing it.

“I need you to go harder… please.” Steve begged. Eddie pulled Steve by his hair earning a cry from him and he made Steve get on his knees. Pushing him down roughly onto his cock as both of them were now up right on the bed. Smoothly Eddie covered Steve’s eyes and licked the side of his neck then biting it in the process. Eddie looked directly at Steve’s dad who was completely frozen in one spot anxiously trying to decide if he should run or continue to watch even though it was pretty odd.

“What was that?” Eddie asked with playfulness in his tone. He thrusted upwards into Steve and he could barely keep himself up as his muscles tightened around Eddie. He laid on Eddie’s chest trying to catch his breath from what they were doing previously. Eddie pulled on Steve’s hair to remind him what he asked and breathlessly Steve responded.

“Fuck me harder daddy.” Steve mumbled and earned another hard tug from Eddie.

“I can’t hear you.”

“Fuck me harder daddy!” Steve screamed those words and he definitely didn’t hold back. Eddie watched as Steve’s dad eyes widen at what just heard the look of fear on his face made Eddie’s heart jump with joy. He kissed the side of Steve’s cheek and smiled against his skin.

“Good boy.” Eddie whispered. Steve was released from Eddie’s grasp and fell forward onto the bed. His body couldn’t keep with the Eddie’s movements as they became slightly rougher. Eddie continued to thrust into Steve feeling his body build up with deep inside him that needed to be released. He looked away from Steve to se that no one was standing in the doorway anymore and Eddie knew that he had officially won. Focusing on the task at hand Eddie went on to thrust a few more times before Steve came on the sheets and Eddie came inside of Steve, some of it dripped down Steve’s trembling legs that immediately gave out when Eddie pulled out of his entrance. He laid there trying to steady his breathing and ignore the soreness he felt throughout his body. Eddie kissed Steve’s backside then kissed his shoulders and placed a sweet kiss onto his lips that could barely open from him being exhausted. “I’m going to get you some water, okay?”

After Eddie heard Steve hum in response he quickly put on his boxers and ran downstairs. His heart was pounding from the adrenaline that he felt and he made his way towards the kitchen. Steve’s dad stood in the kitchen facing the opposite way with his hands over his face and he was mumbling things under his breath. Eddie didn’t try to hide his presence in fact he wanted Steve’s dad to him that’s why got a glass from the cabinet and loudly placed it on the counter. The older man turned around with a scared look on his face at first but then it turned it to anger. He stormed over to Eddie and got in his face very vein popping out of his head. Eddie held back a laugh as the man tried to talk to him but he couldn’t even look Eddie in the eye. The man stopped himself completely and walked away from where Eddie was standing.

“Did you enjoy the show Mr. Harrington?” Eddie asked slyly. He was playing a very dangerous game and he knew the consequences behind it but he couldn’t control himself. Steve’s dad turned around in disbelief.

“You’re a sick individual. Having my son participate in those sinful acts and doing it with eyes on you makes it even worse.” He spat at Eddie.

“Correction sir, your son asked me to participate in those ‘sinful’ acts first-“

“I don’t believe anything that comes out of your disgusting mouth. My son would never suggest to do something that sinister and once he realizes that you’re leading him down the wrong path I’ll be right here to guide him back home.” Steve’s dad was convinced that Eddie was the actual devil on earth and anything Steve did was never his decision.

“It’s about time you stepped to be a good dad for once.” Eddie was met with strong hands around his neck and a glare that could kill him. Steve’s dad tightened his grip making Eddie struggle to breath as he tried to get his hands from around his neck.

“Watch your mouth boy. I’ve been nothing but a good dad to him and I won’t let some punk like you tell me otherwise.” Steve’s dad said through gritted teeth. Eddie let out a bitter laugh.

“It seems like I took the spot in that department don’t it, Mr. Harrington?” Eddie smirked when Steve’s dad realized what he meant and he loosened his grip on Eddie’s neck. With a shocked expressing he stood in the kitchen running his hands through his thinning hair. Eddie took the glass that was on the counter and turned on the sink filling the cup up to a good amount. Before Eddie left the kitchen he turned to face Steve’s dad. “Now if you don’t mind I’m going to tend to my ‘fatherly’ duties.”

Eddie didn’t see his reaction but the faint gasp that heard as he started walking up stairs was enough for him to be satisfied.

[h3rmitsunited]

Has someone come up with the Steddie Sky High AU concept yet, because I started thinking about it and like it’s creating a beautiful fucking picture in my brain and now I need to ramble about the idea for a few paragraphs

If you’ve seen Sky High, it’s this Disney movie about this kid that has famous superhero parents and all this pressure to be a super amazing hero because of who they are and he goes to superhero high school and blah blah. Fun silly movie.

Anyways.

Steve, right? Obviously would be the main character, with some changes. Parents are still big famous superheroes, and like in ST, they are gone a lot because they’re big superheroes and because Steve is… well, he’s not special. Like Will in the movie, he doesn’t have powers when he goes to Sky High (so he thinks), and his parents have tried to get by, have pushed, gotten him tested and put through things to try to activate his powers, but nothing. He’s just Steve, but he’s still Steve Harrington, son of the most famous heroes in the world, so he’s got cred from that when he goes to Sky High, and it’s not like his parents have spread the word that he’s powerless, so people don’t really know, until he gets there and they put him through the like sorting test and he has to say he has no powers, and is stuck in the sidekick track. It’s humiliating, but at least his parents aren’t home to look at him like the disappointment he feels like. He’s mocked at school by some of the dickier heroes, but he finds he actually likes the sidekick track, that he likes taking this supportive role and he’s really encouraging to the friends he makes in those classes, even supporting the other sidekicks to feel more like heroes.

And Eddie, he’d be Warren Peace, the son of a supervillain that Will’s parents put away in the movie. Eddie, like in Stranger Things is treated like he’s already a villain, sticking out because of who he is and how he presents himself. He has fire powers like Warren, except he struggles to control it and when he uses his powers they tend to get dangerous really fast, so he’s restricted from using his powers at school. He isolates himself a lot because of that, because people think he’s just going to end up a villain like his father, but he’s actually kind and scared and just wants to make some friends without people acting like he’s this big scary asshole.

He also has a big fucking crush on Steve Harrington.

Things happen and they maybe get egged into a fight like in the movie, Steve learns more about Eddie, Eddie learns more about Steve. Steve helps Eddie realize that using music can help him with control his powers, so that he can use it without hurting people and Eddie tells him he thinks that must be his superpower, helping people be better, because he’s seen how Steve is with his friends, and how even though he doesn’t have powers, he puts himself in the way to protect them and stand up for them.

They end up getting together, and things are better and good and happy.

Until they’re not.

Eddie’s dad breaks out of prison. Steve’s parents come back. Shocker, they’re not fans of their powerless disappointing son dating a boy and the son of their sworn enemy who just broke out of prison. Upset, Steve runs from home, straight into getting kidnapped by Eddie’s dad, who holds him hostage to try to get Steve’s parents to surrender to him.

They don’t come for him.

Eddie’s dad escalates the threats. He’s going to kill Steve if they don’t give him what he wants.

Steve’s parents don’t come.

Eddie does though. He fights for Steve, fights his father, but the emotional stress of the situation makes it harder and harder for Eddie to maintain control of his powers and as Eddie is struggling to land the final blow, Steve gets caught in the crossfire.

Bad.

Eddie’s dad is down. And so is Steve.

He dies.

Eddie is heartbroken, and holding him

And Steve starts breathing again.

Shocking reveal. Steve does have a power. He can’t die. But he’s also really supportive to his friends, so like really, what’s the real superpower?

Then Eddie brings Steve back to meet his loving and supportive uncle who adopts him after seeing how big of assholes Steve’s parents are and then they live happily ever after being superpower boyfriends.

And like yeah, the other cast of characters would be in there too, I just haven’t thought that far okay?

[withacapitalp]

She's Still Here Pt 2

Pt 1 Link to ao3

“Hey. School today was pretty cool,”

Why would I care about school? School doesn’t mean anything to me now. I'm dead.

“.......”

“Nancy was over the other day. She was crying a lot. I didn’t really know what to do, so I just kinda rubbed her back? I don’t know if she liked it. Did you ever help her when she was upset? Should I be doing something special?”

Nancy likes tea with lemon and honey after she cries. She also hates anyone watching her like that, so she probably loathed every second of it. You would know that if you knew her at all. 

“.......”

“I’m going to the movies with Jonathan on Friday. It’s kind of weird that it’s just the two of us…I don’t think he likes me all that much, but I wanna try, you know?”

You were a total ass to him. He doesn’t owe you anything. 

“.......”

“Tommy won’t look at me anymore. I think he’s decided the best way to go about things now is pretending I never existed. I think I understand a bit better why you were so upset that night. I should’ve been nicer. I'm sorry about that,” 

….yes, you should have. I also shouldn’t have ever come here. He shouldn't be treating you like that.

“.......”

“Do you even want me talking to you? I can stop. If it’s like upsetting or…well, you don’t have to talk back, but I’ll keep hanging out with you. If you ever want me to stop, just give me a sign or something,” 

I don’t know. I hate you. You’re a jerk, and you’re not good enough for Nancy, and I died at your house. But I think I might go crazy if you stop talking to me, and I don’t think you have anyone else to talk to either. 

“.......”

“Do you get cold? Do you maybe want to come inside?” 

I can’t feel anything at all...but I want to come inside. I just don't know how to move anymore. 

“.......”

“Jonathan likes the camera. I gave it to Nancy to give to him. I don’t think Jonathan would accept it from me. He likes it though! He showed us a bunch of pictures he took. They were really good,” 

Why do you care so much? Why do you want Jonathan Byers to like you this badly? You already have Nancy, you don’t need to butter her up. 

Do you want to be his friend just because?

“.......”

“Your parents started having me and Nancy come over for dinner once a week. It’s a nice house, cozy. Not saying like- your parents are just nice people you know? It’s sweet,” 

I miss my mom. I miss my dad of course, but I miss my mom so badly it hurts. Could you tell her what happened? I don’t want her to wait forever for me to come home. Could you bring her here? I want to be able to talk to her one last time, and you could help me with that. You would if I asked. I know you would. I just have to ask. 

“.......”

“My dad told me if I don’t bring my grades up he’s going to make me wish I was never born.”

Your dad is terrible to you. Like really bad. It’s kind of crazy that Steve 'The Hair' Harrington has such a fucked up family. Either way, you shouldn’t listen to a word either of them says…and you should stay at Nancy’s the night report cards come out. They’ll leave again eventually, but till then it isn’t safe for you to be here. I hate that I just have to listen as they tear you apart. I hate that I can’t tell them to stop. I hate that the only person who would hear me is you. 

“.......”

“Sorry I come out here so late. I just don’t sleep so good anymore,” 

I know. I hear you screaming at least twice a week. Is that why you don’t let Nancy stay over anymore? Maybe you just like her house better. You can come talk to me though. I should start talking back. I should help you. I think you need help. 

“.......”

“It’s my birthday. I’m 18 today. I don’t feel any different. Mrs. Wheeler made a cake, and then Nancy and Jonathan took me to the movies. It was fun.  I- it’s gonna sound stupid, because I know we weren’t friends and you probably hate my guts, but I wish you could’ve been there. I think it would’ve made Nancy happy.”

I’m never going to get to have another birthday. You’re right. We aren’t friends. 

But I don’t think I hate you anymore. I know too much of you now.  

“.......”

Tag List: @afewproblems @dilutedpondwater'

((Incase it was confusing the italics are Barbara's thoughts. She never actually answers Steve.....yet))

[salamandergoo]

@strangerthingswritersguild Prompt: “I can’t lose you”

Carol hit the brakes a little harder than necessary as she pulled up to the Harrington house.  It looked the same way it always did, imposing and empty.  Tommy hissed a curse as he jerked forward.  "Jesus, Care."

"Don't be a wuss."  She reached over to grab her purse from the floor by his feet.  "Come on, you've been dragging your feet all day, it's time to talk to him."

"He's a dick, we don't have to talk to him!"

"He was my friend first and I say we do.  You've been pouting and I miss him."  She hopped out and smoothed down her sweater, hands on her hips as she waited for him to make his way around the truck.  "Come on!"

"I'm coming, fuck."  He was pouting.  Carol rolled her eyes and walked past the familiar BMW and up to the front door.  She knocked firmly three times and waited.  "He's not here, let's go."

She huffed and reached to grab Tommy's arm.  "Give it a second.  God, you're impatient."

She wanted to turn tail and run too.  She'd been best friends with Steve since first grade, when he'd been the quiet kid in the back of the room.  His hair had always been so pretty, she'd thought it was prettier than hers.  She'd started sitting next to him, and they'd been inseparable ever since.  Tommy had come around a year later, and then the three of them were always together.  Until this last week after the creep Byers had knocked Steve around and fucked something up.

She crossed her arms over her chest and rocked on her heels a few times, head jerking up when the door opened.  "You look like shit," Tommy said, voice softer than he usually let it get.

And Steve did kind of look like shit.  His bruises were mostly yellow now, and she could see where he'd been picking the scabs on his lip and nose.  And the bags under his eyes were dark.  She knew he'd use concealer over them when they got bad, when his dad was home for extended periods of time mostly, but she knew his parents weren't due home for another couple weeks at least.  Steve stared at them for a long moment before started to close the door.

"Hey!"  She jerked out her arm and tried to catch the door, hissing when it crushed her fingers against the door frame.  "Ow, fuck!"

The door flew back open, Steve reaching out to cradle her hand in his.  "Shit, I'm so sorry Carrie..."

"It's fine, It's fine."  She grimaced.  It wasn't broken, she'd broken enough fingers and toes as a cheerleader to know that, but it hurt.  "Can I get some ice for this?"

"Yeah, come on."  He glanced at Tommy warily before turning and leading them inside.  They'd been here enough times that she could probably navigate the house blind.  Steve kept it uncluttered enough that she wouldn't even trip.

She took off her shoes at the door, more on instinct than anything else, Tommy copying her.  It was quiet in the house.  They'd usually be laughing or yelling over each other or watching a movie, filling the space with noise.  It felt unsettling.  All the curtains were drawn, making it feel later than late afternoon.  She perched herself on the counter and held out a hand to take the ice pack Steve offered.  She pressed it against her hand and when it was quiet for too long, when it felt like she could hear the throbbing ache in her hand, she jerked out a leg to kick Tommy.  "He has something to say."

"I do?"  He squinted at her and yelped when she kicked him harder.  "Ow, Jesus, okay."  He looked at Steve with the same sour expression he'd been wearing all week.  "I'm sorry.  I'm sorry, okay?  Can we just go back to normal?"

Steve let out a sharp little laugh.  "Go back to normal?  No!  Nothing is normal anymore, man.  We can't just go back to what we were."

"What's that mean?"  Carol frowned, studying him.  "Steve, did something happen?  Is it creepy Byers?"

"No, it's not- Jonathan didn't do anything, okay?"  He grimaced.  "The pictures were creepy, but Nancy forgave him, and like, they were of her, not me, so I guess it's fine."  He crossed his arms in the way that looked like he was hugging himself instead of being angry.  "It want anything he did."

"He beat you up!"  Tommy threw his arms wide, nearly poking Carol in the eye.  "And who cares if that slut forgave him?  She's sleeping with him, of course she did.  You don't have to."

"She's not sleeping with him."  Steve curled in tighter on himself and it looked like he would lash out if they kept poking.  "It was a misunderstanding.  Her little brother is friends with his brother and they'd been looking for him.  She's not a slut, we shouldn't have done that.  I didn't want to do that."

Tommy shoved his hands in his pockets and took them back out, seeming unsure of what to do with them.  He was going to lash out too.  And Carol didn't want that to happen.

"Yeah, okay.  It wasn't cool of us to call her a slut, we fucked up," she conceded.  "Not sure how we got away with that," she admitted.  "I kind of expected Chief Hopper to call Mr. Hagan."

"He was... preoccupied."

"Yeah, yeah, finding the Byers brat, I know."  She narrowed her eyes.  "And Nancy...?"

"I fucked up my chances with her.  Wouldn't be surprised if she never looks at me again.  Or she wants to be friends?  She's giving mixed signals."  Steve untensed just a little.  Good.  That was good.  "I apologized to Jonathan.  I shouldn't have talked shit about his family.  I mean, everyone knows his dad sucked.  And I called him a... well."  Steve leaned against the counter.  "I broke his camera, man."

Tommy frowned.  "He.. had it coming though."

"Maybe.  Maybe.  But it's not like he can get a new one.  It's not like when we broke your bike after running into that fence when we were twelve, like, your parents got you a new one.  Jonathan works so they can pay the gas bill and for groceries, you know?"

Tommy just about snarled until Carol put a hand on her shoulder.  "So now that freak is your best friend?  What about us?"

"What about us, Tommy?  You made it pretty fucking clear that we-"

"Hey."  Carol cut in, holding up her hands.  "Look, you apologized to Byers.  That's fine, you can do that.  But we're trying to apologize to you.  Are we really throwing away the last ten years over this?  We... miss you, Stevie.  We can't lose you, not like this.  We haven't been apart this long since... god, since your parents made you go to New York all summer in middle school."

"I don't want to be an asshole anymore.  I don't like what we've become.  I've been too afraid to lose you guys, but... I can't keep standing by while you spread rumors about the drama geeks or pushing Munson's friends around."

Carol scrunched up her nose.   "It wasn't a rumor, Mandy totally got chlamydia from fucking some dude on vacation, I heard her talking about it in the bathroom."

"And they're fucking dweebs who play that satan game, they don't matter, Steve."  Tommy crossed his arms again, but was notably less agitated.  "And they make fun of us anyway."

"Yes, they do matter.  Okay?  No one's gonna care about who we pushed around in high school once were out of here."  Steve kicked at the ground.  "None of that shit matters, not when-"  He closed his mouth so fast Carol could hear his jaw click.  He shook his head and she leaned in closer.

"Not when... what, Steve?  What happened?"

"I can't tell you."  She almost couldn't hear him.  "I'm not allowed, I... signed these papers."

"That's bullshit."  Carol hopped off the counter.  "Tommy, your dad is a lawyer, anything Steve signed is like, void or whatever."

"That's not how it works."  Tommy took a slow step towards Steve.  "Did someone hurt you?"

"...not exactly."  Steve rolled up the sleeve of his shirt.  There was a stitched up gash in his arm.  "I wish I could tell you.  I can't, though.  They'll... I don't know what they'll do."

Tommy touched Steve's arm, gentler than he was even with Carol.  "Stevie," he whispered.  "We'll... we don't have to be assholes, we can ignore the freaks, okay?"

Steve nodded slowly.  "...okay."

Carol stepped up to Steve's other side and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek.  "What can we do?"

"Nothing."  Steve swallowed and shook his head.  "I just... I want to get through the next few years so we can leave this fucking town."

"Okay."  Tommy pulled him in closer.  "Okay, we'll leave someday.  I promise," he whispered.

Later that night, the three of them tangled in Steve's room like they hadn't been since they were kids, Carol and Tommy made eye contact over Steve's head as he snored softly.  "...thanks," Tommy whispered.  "For making me come over here."

"We weren't going to lose him over something stupid."  Carol shrugged as she held Steve's waist.  "Not after this long."  She sighed.  "Are we really gonna have to, ugh, be nicer?"

"It looks like it.  He's worth it though."

"Yeah."  Carol laid back down with a hum.  "Yeah, he is."