#steve x eddie

[arelliann]

Eddie Munson likes to perch on things like a feral crow

[lexirosewrites]

Steddie as rival lawyers who have very different careers.

Steve became a prosecuting attorney after graduating from a top school at his parents’ insistence. It pays well and makes them happy, even if it’s joyless for him to fight for things he doesn’t believe in.

Prosecuting innocent people and fighting for the sake of money without morals.

On the other end of the spectrum is free-spirited Eddie Munson. He’s a defense attorney who shows up in ill-fitting suits that show off his many neck and hand tattoos. Piercings in his ears and hair that’s not tidy or tamed in any way.

He’s a rebel who barely graduated from some lower tier law school with no prestige whatsoever.

Steve naturally assumed their first trial would be a breeze.

But somehow— sheer dumb luck, bad jury selection, or just stupid fate— Eddie wins. And he keeps winning.

Over and over for months.

Steve’s long uninterrupted winning streak becomes a losing one. If Eddie’s in the courtroom too, Steve knows he’s already lost his case.

It’s humbling.

Actually, it’s frankly embarrassing to lose to someone who’s so unprofessional and doesn’t take the law seriously like Steve.

Eddie is respectful of course, but he doesn’t use lawyer-speak unless he’s referencing a precedent of a law. Other than that, he’s overly casual and friendly. Everyone’s favorite lawyer.

He doesn’t lack passion though. No, the guy all but hops up on tables to make speeches about freedom or the American dream during every trial. Utterly ridiculous.

It works though. The juries fall for his bullshit about being down to earth and his clients walk free because of it.

Steve can’t stand it. He can’t stand Eddie and his mockery of his career.

This ultimately culminates in a confrontation in the parking lot one night after a particularly tense trial conclusion.

Once again, Eddie’s guy walked free and Steve knows he’s gonna hear about it from his boss (who also happens to be his dad).

So he might snap a bit when Eddie comes out whistling and looking happier than anything.

“Hey, jackass!”

Eddie looks around like Steve might be referring to some other jackass, despite the otherwise empty parking lot.

He points to himself in question and Steve rolls his eyes in answer.

“Hi, sweetheart,” Eddie finally greets him with a smirk. “Chinese takeout for tonight sound good?”

Steve’s stomach growls at the mere suggestion.

He’d accidentally skipped lunch earlier so he could make changes to his closing argument. Fat load of good that did him.

“Yeah, sure, whatever. You’re not off the hook that easily though. What the hell was that brutal cross examination on my witness, you dickhead?”

Eddie smiles extra sweetly and presses a quick but affectionate kiss to Steve’s forehead first.

“All’s fair in love, war, and court, baby. You can whine about it later when we’re home if you really want to. I happen to know some very nice pillows that would love to muffle your pretty little moans.”

Asshole.

He blushes, glancing around to make sure they’re still alone before he pulls Eddie into an embrace.

They’ve barely spent any time together this week because of the tense trial and he really missed his boyfriend (not to be mistaken for the jackass who argues with him daily in the courtroom).

As much as they can separate their personal and work lives, it’s hard to not be on the same side of things.

“What if I want you to hear me moan, Eddie? I think it’s only fair since you seem to get everyone else off and I’m the one always suffering for it,” he mumbles snarkily into Eddie’s shirt.

Eddie laughs at the pun. He knew that he would.

“Is that why you’re sulking, babylove? You want me to get you off too?” He nods with a pathetic whine. Not getting to cum for a few days can do that to a person. “I think that can be arranged. You’ve been such a good boy for me lately. You’ve earned a treat.”

Steve melts into his boyfriend’s arms, feeling loved.

“I missed you.”

Another kiss to the forehead, but this time Eddie’s lips linger there as he speaks.

“Missed you too, sweetheart. Not sorry for winning, but I am sorry that you lost.”

Steve knew the defendant was innocent. There wasn’t much of a case to be made anyway. It still stings though.

“Yeah... I’ve been thinking about that and it might be time to quit my dad’s firm. I’d much rather be on the same side as you,” Steve confesses.

Eddie pauses.

“Does that mean…”

Steve looks up smiling and confirms, “Yes. I’ll accept the job offer if it’s still on the table.”

The rival lawyer had offered him a job months ago, before they even got together.

By accepting the position, it means they’d finally be allowed to be a couple publicly and they’d be sitting on the same side of the court for once.

It would also free Steve from his dad’s control and disappointment.

“Stevie, I’d love nothing more than to have you as my partner. In both the court and life. I love you, sweetheart.”

He can’t resist.

“I love you too… jackass.”

Eddie makes good on his promise to get Steve off that night. He even brings out the handcuffs for accuracy sake.

[loveinhawkins]

Ficlet prompt: Lighter

Truly will enjoy whatever that might inspire for you, but I do especially love all your steddie work that takes place between scenes of s4!

thank you for the perfect excuse to think about another before the battle scene. (also i hope i’m recognising your username correctly & if so i love your video analyses 💕) •one word ficlet prompts

Eddie throws the lighter with no warning. It soars in an arc across the field, a glint of silver in the sun, and Steve catches it with one hand, of course he does. Eddie remembers the running joke in the true basketball glory days, Steve Harrington, an excellent catch: in every sense.

Eddie would always act like the whole thing annoyed him, but now, as he watches Steve grin smugly, he can only be fond.

“Figured you’d need it when you’re, uh, flambéing.”

Steve’s smile fades, just a little; Eddie wonders if the terror he’s feeling is obvious, even from a distance.

“Like, it’s my uncle’s, so be careful,” he adds, rambling. “I’ll want it back, man.”

Steve considers him. Pats a patch of grass, come here.

Eddie does.

He sits down as Steve flicks the lighter a couple of times, the flame winking in and out of existence. It’s a soothing sight, almost makes him forget that they’ve spent most of the day fashioning weapons—like so long as Steve’s got a light in his hand, things are gonna be all right.

It’s a child’s logic. Eddie can’t help it; he never could.

There’s a soft click as Steve shuts the lighter. He puts it in his jacket pocket with unnecessary care. A gentleness.

Eddie knows he’ll keep it safe.

And then Steve’s twisting round to reach another pocket, brings out another glint of silver.

He flicks it up in the air, catches it before dropping it into Eddie’s palm.

“This is my lucky quarter,” Steve says with uncharacteristic solemnity, but his lips are quirking in amusement and—

“You’re so full of shit,” Eddie says through a laugh, “you literally just bought that jacket.”

His fingers curl over the coin anyway. He feels the warmth leftover from Steve’s touch. Wonders if Steve felt something similar with the lighter—if he can lend their improvised charms some power through sheer force of will.

He slips the coin into his pocket.

“I’ll kinda want it back,” Steve says pointedly.

Eddie smiles. “I’ll take care of it,” he says.

He doesn’t want to sound afraid, but he can’t promise anything. Can only think of Steve carrying the lighter and hope that it holds: an amulet, guiding him home.

[just-my-latest-hyperfixation]

Congratulations!!

If you feel inspired by this combo and have time, could you write a ficlet using "I", 🍨, 🥰 or 😂, and 🔨?

Thank you!

(Apologies if you already got this ask--my device froze when I sent it the first time, so I don't know if it went through)

Thank you so much! 🥰I still remember your lovely comments on the mer-dude fic, so I hope you enjoy this little bonus! 🦕❤️🧜🏻‍♂️

Of mates and mer-dudes

Words: 996

Rated: T

Tags: summer camp AU; mer!Steve; established relationship; flirting; sexual tension; fade to black

Notes: Set in the same universe as Just add water

“Hammer.” 

“Hammer,” Eddie repeats dutifully. Dustin spends two or three seconds trying to drive the nail in with the object he's been handed, until he realizes it's a screwdriver. 

“Very funny. I said hammer.” 

“Apologies,” Eddie mutters, chucking the screwdriver back into the mess that is their toolbox with one hand and wiping his sunburnt forehead with the other. “I think we've been out here longer than is strictly healthy. How ‘bout we call it a day and head back to camp? It's almost dinner time.” 

Dustin scowls. The hair under his Thinking Cap is matted with sweat and he is red-faced and splotchy. An unavoidable side effect of working out on the secluded pier all afternoon. 

“We can't just stop now, it's almost done,” Dustin claims, gesturing at their rickety construction of wood and mesh - it’s supposed to be an oversized fish trap, even though Eddie thinks it’s turning out to be more of a funky modern art installation. “This'll work, I know it. This time, I'll prove that Lovie is real. All those past times, it got away too quickly, but if I could just-” 

“Jesus, kid,” Eddie groans. “You and your lake monster. You don't know when to give up, do you?” 

“Give up?” Dustin scoffs. “If Thomas Edison had given up, we'd still be lighting candles. If Homer Ahr had given up, we would've never walked on the moon. I sure as hell won't-?” 

“The fuck is Homer Ahr?” 

Dustin heaves a long-suffering sigh. 

“Only mission control's chief engineer, Eddie? Honestly, that's the kinda question I'd expect from Steve, not you. Where is he, by the way? I thought he wanted to help us.”

“No idea,” Eddie admits. “Lucky bastard.” 

Dustin draws a breath, probably to ask what he means, but Eddie is saved by the sound of the dinner bell floating over from the camp grounds. 

“Okay, you gremlin, off you go,” he says, pushing the kid towards the sound before another argument can break loose. “We can finish this tomorrow when we aren't dehydrated and grouchy.” 

Dustin grumbles. “What about you?”

Eddie waves him off. “Be there in a sec, lemme put away your shit first.” 

He starts picking up their scattered tools, throwing them back into the box. Only when he's sure that Dustin is well out of earshot does he collapse at the edge of the pier, naked feet dangling over the water's surface. 

“Man,” he says. “That kid, right?” 

There's a soft growl from behind him, and the barest of sloshing sounds, and a shadow falls over him. He only just manages to suck in a breath - knowing he'll need it - before a massive snout pushes between his shoulder blades and he goes plummeting into the lake. He’s dimly aware of the toolbox going down with him, and then the world vanishes in a whirl of bubbles.

He resurfaces to the feeling of arms wrapping around his waist and massive fins brushing his legs, and the sound of laughing voices - one human, one very much not so. He tries to glower at their owners, but actually needs a second to part the sopping curtain of his hair.  

“So fucking hilarious, you aquatic asshats. I thought I told you to quit doing that.” 

Lovie the lake creature just chirps merrily and dives back under again, splashing him with her fins as she goes. 

Steve shrugs. The motion makes tiny droplets of water run down his bare shoulders and collarbones, bringing out his freckles and moles and tiny, glittering scales. Eddie wants to lick them. He has long stopped worrying about what that says about him.

“Sorry. She just wants you in the water with us. She likes it when the flock is together.”

His smile is apologetic, but his tail curls around Eddie’s legs in the water, fins wrapping around the two of them possessively.

Because, see, here's the thing. Over the past year, Eddie has not only discovered that his infuriatingly pretty fellow camp counselor is a mermaid and the guardian of an ancient lake creature. He has also somehow managed to score said mer-dude as a boyfriend and been adopted into the lake creature's flock.  

“She never does that shit with Buckley,” he grouses, even though Steve’s words make something flutter in his chest. Steve's touch, also - hands on his hips, fins on his ankles. “She's part of the flock, too, isn't she?” 

“Yeah…” Steve blushes, a delicious pink hue on wet, sun-tanned skin. Eddie wants to lick that, too. “But Robin isn't my…” 

He trails off into an unintelligible mumble after that. Eddie wrinkles his brow. 

“Your what? Come again, fish boy, I didn’t-” 

“My mate,” Steve blurts, and the fins on his hips flutter excitedly under Eddie’s fingers. “Robin isn’t my mate.” 

Eddie feels his mouth drop open. The water is unpleasantly cold against his flushed skin. 

“Wait,” he says when he finally remembers how to form words again. “Hold on a second. When did that happen?” 

Steve’s face is still scarlet, but his lips start twitching when he meets Eddie’s eyes. “That’s just the way she sees it. You can’t expect her to think in human standards. Now c’mon, we gotta get to dinner or the kids will wonder where-” 

“Oh, no!” Eddie interrupts him, mouth tugging into a stupid, wide grin of his own. “No, no, no, sweetheart. You don’t get to tell me that we’ve been mer-mated for God knows how long and never officially consummated that sacred connection. I’m gonna get a mer-divorce if you don’t-” 

“Oh God, shut up,” Steve groans, and kisses him. 

As he gets dragged off to their favorite little shore, well out of sight from the camp grounds, Eddie bids a brief mental farewell to the toolbox lying abandoned at the ground of the lake. He’ll have to make up some story about where it went when Dustin asks him, but that's a problem for later. 

For now, he’s got other things to think about. 

More celebration ficlets

[transmunsons]

steddie text posts pt 4?

[devondespresso]

Sweet and Spicy

G | 384 words | ao3 link (coming soon!) | Steddie | no cws, just fluff!!

STWG Prompt: Sweetheart ❤️

dividers by @enchanthings (here) and @saradika-graphics (here), thanks for making awesome free dividers guys!!!

Steve was going to die.

Keeled over in the kitchen, using the counter for support, and laughing his ass off as Eddie tried washing his tongue in the sink.

Eddie made a grouchy groan at him, giving up on talking but not on their conversation.

Steve eased down his laughing and righted himself on the counter.

"Eddie, baby, I'm sorry, but what did you think would happen?" he said, wiping amused tears with his wrist, extra careful not to get any trace of pepper juice near his eyes.

Eddie jumped into a heated ramble, but all weight it had was lost as he ranted with his tongue still out and under the water, his words a slew of vowels instead of... well, words.

Steve couldn't help the smile at Eddie's commitment to absurdity.

That, and the slight smile at the edge of Eddie's mouth that said he wasn't really mad about how dumb he was acting.

Steve leaned against the counter like he was listening and covered his mouth to stifle more laughing.

Eddie ran with it, playing up the dramatics while his head was still confined to the sink. Steve only caught a couple words here and there, but once he figured out "ee-thayal" was supposed to be "betrayal" he let out a fond sigh and opened the fridge.

"Mhm, how awful. Someone should've told you these are spicy peppers, Eddie, don't touch the pepper if you don't like spicy, Eddie."

Eddie 'speech' ramped up as Steve grabbed the milk, but he still scooched to the side out of habit when Steve needed to get to the cup cabinet.

Steve poured him a full glass and set it by the sink, then leaned back against the counter and waited for Eddie to notice it.

Eventually, Eddie paused long enough to see the glass next to his boyfriend and snatched it, taking a good few chugs before slamming the glass back on the counter and huffing dramatically.

"My hero. My savior. I am forever in your debt."

He 'swooned' and 'crashed' into Steve's chest. Steve stifled another laugh and nuzzled his cheek into his boyfriend's fluffy hair.

"Maybe just stick to listening to your sweet-tooth."

Eddie's act fell apart as he huffed his own tiny laugh and nuzzled back.

"Yeah, not a problem, sweetheart."

[ao3feed-steve-eddie]

by pukner

"'M I bein' kidnapped?" asked Harrington.

"What," said Sam, alarmed, "No!"

"Okay," said Harrington with terrifying agreeability, considering the words he was saying, "But like. If you were? It's cool, I've been kidnapped before."

"Wh—"

"It was, uh. A bunch of twelve-year-olds," said Harrington, sounding strangely pensive. Then, sadly, "They stole B'lly's car." Sam actually could not process anything being said right then. He started the car.

"Hey, Harrington?" he said, voice strained.

"Yeah?"

"Let's stop talking for a while, yeah?"

"'Kay."

Or, in November 1984, Sam Green (or Freak, if he's at a gig) sees Steve Harrington stumbling home looking like roadkill. He drives him to the hospital, and never quite manages to get rid of him.

In July 1985, Eddie Munson is very confused about this.

Words: 8202, Chapters: 1/2, Language: English

Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Gen, M/M

Characters: Unnamed Freak (Stranger Things), Steve Harrington, Jeff (Stranger Things), Gareth (Stranger Things), Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley, Nancy Wheeler, Jim "Chief" Hopper

Relationships: Steve Harrington & Unnamed Freak, Eddie Munson & Unnamed Freak, Gareth & Jeff & Eddie Munson & Unnamed Freak, Pre-Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson - Relationship, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington

[thechaosdomain]

Prompt: You’re bad for me

Word count: 709

Characters/pairing: Steddie

Its intoxicating taste floods his mouth warm and sweet and so rich he can't get enough of it letting it fill his every sense. Nothing else matters right now except for drinking his fill. The slow steady rhythm of Steve’s heart is the only noise he can hear as he drinks thump, thump, thump, it’s so calming putting Eddie into a strange trance that he hardly hears the soft gasping

“Eddie.” That leaves Steve’s lips in fact he’s so focused that his first warning something is worrying is when Steve’s heart beat starts to slow down and the man leaning against him sags forward all of his weight suddenly on Eddie, who’s eyes snap open in alarm. He looks at Steve pale and sweaty struggling to keep his eyes open.

“Fuck.” He whispers, pushing his mouth away from Steve’s neck with a great deal of difficulty, he didn’t want to hurt Steve.

“Hey Stevie, wake up.” Eddie pats the other man’s cheek softly, relief flooding his body as soft brown eyes flutter open, the pupils blown wide and a small smile spreads across his face.

“Hey.” Steve slurs lifting his arm towards Eddie only for it to fall like it's too heavy for him to move.

“I’m tired.” He adds closing his eyes again

“I know Sweetheart but let’s get you to bed first?” Eddie coos softly at his boyfriend, relief making way for guilt he couldn’t keep doing this. Steve tasted too good for him to have any control over his feeds. Maybe he shouldn’t even be around the other man just to be safe.

A finger pressing between his eyebrows startles him out of his thoughts.

“You're thinking too loud.” Steve tells him leaning forward to press a kiss to his stil bloody lips that makes Eddie smile a little he’s a little worried that the blood thing doesn’t gross Steve out but he lets it go.

“Sorry.” He mumbles getting up off the couch and holding his hand out to Steve who stands on wobbly legs nearly falling straight onto the floor if it weren’t for Eddie's quick reflexes.

With a considerable amount of difficulty and team work mostly from Eddie the pair makes it upstairs and doesn’t even bother trying to get Steve to change out of his jeans when the man flops face down onto the bed and snuggles into Eddie pillow with a quiet happy hum.

Staring down at his slowly rising and falling body Eddie waits until he’s certain Steve is asleep before climbing into bed beside him shifting him around so he’s lying on his side of the bed. Pulling the duvet over both of them he lays down staring at Steve’s peaceful face.

“You’re so bad for me steve.” He whispers, reaching forward to brush a strand of hair that’s fallen into his face.

“You make me feel so out of control I can’t even think .” He continues “I’m scared I’m going to hurt you one day and I couldn’t live with myself if I did.” His eyes fall shut as he tries to hold back the tears quickly building in his eyes at just the idea of that.

“You won’t.” Steve slurs back in what Eddie thinks is meant to be a whisper but is actually quite loud. Opening his wrt eyes Eddie meets Steve, drooping brown ones so wide and full of trust.

“You don’t know that.” Eddie protests

“Yes I do.” Steve retorts, nodding his head ever so slightly “because I know you and you are a good person.” He tells him and as Eddie open his mouth to protest Steve’s hand dart forward one finger pressing against his lips as Steve says

“Shhhhh. Sleep time now.” Steve tells him, shuffling so he can tuck his head under Eddie's chin and wrap his arms around his waist, pressing his warm body as close as physically possible.

Eddie lays there for a few moments before wrapping his own arms around Steve and burying his head in Steve’s hair he doesn’t know how Steve can have this much faith in him but he’ll try to believe him he thinks as his body grows heavy and sleep reaches for him dragging him down into the peaceful waters of his dreams.

[mimixmunson]

Can’t stop thinking about Steve and Eddie just palming each other’s bulges under a blanket while they watch a movie with the rest of the party. They’re trying to be discreet but Eddie can’t stop whimpering when Steve traces his fingers up and down his clothed cock. It’s torturous, he’s leaking in his boxers whilst trying to keep a straight face as if nothing is happening to him. When really he’s cumming in his pants in front of all of his friends and Steve has the most shit-eating grin on his face.

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

I would love it if someone drew this with Eddie accidentally doing this to Dustin and Steve with his back facing away so he didn't see what happened until he heard Dustin's shriek. Just a drawing prompt to think about.

[prevent-simple-degree]

https://brittany-407.ludgu.top/a/VRy4YEw

[cosmicrelease]

i love when steve and eddie

[steddieunderdogfics]

For Challenge Monday (4/22, color in title), I'd like to recommend Everything is Blue by steddieasitgoes. It's a sweet and angsty Starcourt Mall/Scoops Ahoy era fic with no Upside Down. There's dual POV between Steve and Eddie, and the story follows the color blue around as a feature in each scene.

Everything Is Blue by steddieasitgoes

@steddieasitgoes

Rating: Mature

27,775 words, 1/1 chapters

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Tags: Alternate Universe - No Upside Down (Stranger Things), Falling In Love, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, Gay Eddie Munson, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Scoops Ahoy (Stranger Things), Steve Harrington Works at Scoops Ahoy, Summer Love, Fluff, Angst, Fluff and Humor, Minor Violence, Period-Typical Homophobia, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington Are Best Friends, Chrissy Cunningham & Eddie Munson Friendship, Freeform, Mild Sexual Content, Semi-Public Sex, Slow Burn, Angst and Humor, Sexual Tension. POV Alternating, Mutual Pining, Eddie Munson Has a Crush on Steve Harrington, Supportive Wayne Munson, Skinny Dipping

Summary:

Steve waits for Eddie to disappear into the mall crowd before turning around in time to watch Robin uncap the blue whiteboard marker she keeps in her shorts. She doesn’t say anything, just gives him a mischievous look before placing a tally mark in the “You Rule” section of her trusty whiteboard. It’s his first ever tally on the “You Rule” side. “Robin!” Steve groans, rubbing a hand across his face. “How does whatever that was get a ‘you rule’ tally, but last week when I successfully got Michelle’s number, you refused to add a tally.” “Because, dingus, Michelle is annoying, and you had to put on the whole King Steve persona to get her number,” she says, rolling her eyes. “And you didn’t do that with Eddie.” “Uh, yeah, cause I wasn’t flirting with him,” he defends, hands coming to rest on his hips. Or: The Summer of 1985 is in full swing. The sun is shining, Starcourt is bustling, and Steve and Eddie can't deny the feelings happening between them as their paths continue to cross.

Thanks for the rec!

This rec is a part of Challenge Monday. The challenge this week was Fics with Colors in the Title.

Know a fic that deserves extra love? Submit through our asks or the submission box!

[just-my-latest-hyperfixation]

These beautiful babies arrived on Friday. I kid you not, I ran outside to check the mailbox the second I saw the post car drive by, and my heart did a little happy dance in my chest when I found the envelope. It's been a long time since I've been this happy to win something! They are just so, so pretty and the print quality is gorgeous, I legit can't stop looking at them! Thank you so much, @firefly-party, I will treasure these forever. Gotta start a little scrapbook or something to give them a proper home! 😍💖

[badcaseofcasey]

one single thread of gold (tied me to you) | Part 4 aka: my Steddie soulmates au, Eddie's POV Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 |Steve's POV

Eddie wasn’t sure how he thought Steve Harrington would end up coming back into his life - he wasn’t even sure Steve would come back into his life - but pinned against the wall of a boat shack at the end of a broken beer bottle was not it.

The past 24 hours of Eddie’s life had been something out of a horror movie. He wasn’t sure his heart rate had slowed down since he first saw Chrissy’s eyes glazed over in his trailer. And now, here comes his soulmate tagging along with the most unexpected combination of people he’s ever seen - including Dustin Henderson, one of newest recruits to Hellfire Club, and Max Mayfield, who moved into Forest Hills not that long ago.

He was reluctant to admit that his body instinctively knew to calm down once he realized his soulmate was there, instead choosing to believe it was down to the group of people who - against all odds - heard his story and believed him.

The next few days were… strange. Steve seemed intent not to mention their words at all, so Eddie followed his lead. There was a moment when Steve took off his sweater to dive into Lovers Lake where Eddie was able to see his words, clear as day. If he wasn’t convinced that Steve was his soulmate by then, that would have confirmed it.

Because much as Eddie hated to admit it, Steve had surprised him. Sure, Dustin and the others had spent the better part of the past six months trying to convince him that Steve was a good guy (no, really!), but he never expected it to actually be true. He said as much to Steve, and reveled briefly in Steve’s shy acceptance of the compliment. If it hadn’t been so dark in that godforsaken forest, he would’ve sworn Steve had blushed.

They had made it back topside and now he and Dustin were goofing around while the rest of the crew were setting up supplies and weapons. His eyes drifted briefly to where Robin and Steve were putting together molotov cocktails - a sentence he never would have even considered thinking before today. The distraction was long enough for Dustin to get a drop on him, knocking him to his knees. Eddie rolled sideways to avoid Dustin’s “spear,” laughing along with Dustin.

Dustin sat next to him. “All right, old man, catch your breath.”

Eddie gasped, pretending to be appalled. “Watch who you’re calling ‘old man,’ whippersnapper.”

Dustin looked out at the field and his hand drifted down to run his fingers up and down his forearm, where Eddie knew his soulmate’s words were. Eddie had learned all about Suzie within their first few sessions of Hellfire; it was a point of pride that Dustin got his words before any of the other members of the party did.

“Thinking about Suzie?” Eddie asked.

“Yeah,” Dustin answered, eyes still looking out into the distance. “I always worry when we’re about to do something like this. What if something… happens to me? We’ve kept Suzie out of this so far, so she has no idea that we’re facing off against literal monsters at least once a year at this point. If something happens to me, what will Suzie think?”

Eddie shook his head and sat up. “I hate that you’re having to worry about things like that. You’re only fourteen, man.”

“Yeah, but look at it this way,” Dustin said. “At least I know, for sure, that there’s someone out there for me. That no matter how bad things get, there’s something to look forward to. It gives me hope, and a reason to keep going when I think I can’t.”

Eddie smiled sadly. “That’s quite the bright side.”

“I try,” Dustin said. “What about you, do you have your words?”

Eddie weighed the options of lying to Dustin right now, but decided it wasn’t worth it. Besides, it felt like it would be a betrayal of the trust Dustin had clearly put in him. “Yeah, I do.”

“Really?” Dustin asked. “You never talk about them.”

“For good reason,” Eddie said, bumping his shoulders into Dustin’s. “Not all of us get our words from our adorable girlfriend from camp.”

“Well, whoever it is,” Dustin said, nudging Eddie back. “It can be a reason for you, too. You know, to keep going.”

“Hey, I already have enough of a reason,” Eddie stood and said, “‘86 is gonna be my year, right?”

Dustin smiled and accepted Eddie’s hand up.

“And Dustin,” Eddie said, seriously. “You know that one of us would take care of letting Suzie know. We know she’s important to you. She wouldn’t just be left in the dark.”

“Thanks, Eddie,” Dustin said. “You know, if you told me who your soulmate is, I could make the same promise.”

“Nice try,” Eddie said, ruffling the top of Dustin’s ghillie suit. “Come on, let’s go see if we’ve got our marching orders.” He slung an arm across Dustin’s shoulders as he steered them back towards the group.

Eddie couldn’t get Dustin’s words out of his head, even as they all made their way back into the Upside Down. Is that how Steve thought about him as he went through everything that Eddie gathered had happened over the past few years? Did Steve think about him at all?

The group was getting ready to split up, and Eddie was caught with a sudden need to talk to Steve. He called out his name as the group headed out towards the Creel House, then stopped when Steve turned to look at him.

There was so much to say, so much they had both left unsaid. Eddie didn’t know how he could possibly put all of what he was feeling in that moment into words, but here he was, about to watch Sir Steve walk away from him again, only this time, the dragons were so much more real. He just knew he couldn’t let Steve leave without saying… something.

“Make him pay.”

Shit. He probably could have done better than that.

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