#supportive wayne munson

[italiansteebie]

Secret relationship steddie getting through vecna without suspicions from the others until steve hasn’t left eddie’s bedside for a week and he somehow knows wayne munson's phone number from memory and even gets a hug from the man when he enters the room. And he gets to stay when the others are kicked out.

It’s only when eddie wakes up that everything comes out.

He cracks open his eyes, meeting the gazes of dustin, wayne, and robin, but no steve.

“Where’s my baby?” he murmurs, and from the outside it sounds like “where mah beebee.” He watches the faces in front of him turn into something of confusion. “My baby, my baby. I want him.” It comes out clearer, and unfortunately for them wayne understands immediately and unknowingly outs them. “Steve’s off gettin’ some food, he’ll be back in just a minute,” Wayne pats eddie’s hand gently, watching as the kid smiles, eyes drooping once again.

Dustin and robin share a look but they choose to ignore it, maybe wayne heard wrong or eddie is just on too many painkillers.

Until steve walks in, seeing eddie’s eyes, tired, but open. He drops the coffee he’d brought back for wayne and bolts to eddie’s side.

Eddie raises a hand and cups steve’s face, “hey baby.” and for the first time, dustin and robin see steve harrington cry. “I told you-” he pauses to sniffle, “I told you not to be a hero,” his voice cracks, holding back tears. Eddie grabs his hand “‘M still here, baby.” and the dam breaks. Steve is sobbing into eddies chest, while the metalhead runs a weak hand through his hair.

Wayne would deny it with all his heart if anyone asked, but he shed a tear at the display in front of him, he wasn’t sure about steve harrington the first time eddie brought him home, but damn, the kid weaseled his way into his heart. And as touching as the moment was, dustin and robin where still highly confused.

Steve’s tears slowed, and he lifted his head from eddies chest, placing a soft kiss on his lips.

“Uh. Excuse me?” robin broke the silence, and the little world steve had found himself in shattered.

Eddie smiled though, ever the brave. “Me nd stevie are datin’. He’s mah baby.” he ended the sentence by placing a sloppy kiss on steve’s cheek. Dustin was, surprisingly, satisfied with that answer, but robin was not.

“YOU MADE FUN OF ME OVER TAMMY WHEN YOU’RE HERE WITH… HIM?”

Steve blushed, “We had just met when i started at scoops okay! It was really new, i- i didn’t know how to tell you so…. I just decided to be overly supportive by bashing your taste in women.”

This set robin off, and she didn’t stop until a nurse came in and threatened to have her removed from the premises.

[steddieas-shegoes]

Request: Wayne & Steve bonding. Can be 5+1 with the party members seeing it & then the +1 can be Steve realizing that Wayne is his safe adult & that he is included by both Wayne & Eddie (his partner) as a Munson

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY PLATONIC LOVE!!!! ALSO HAPPY 100TH WORK ON AO3 FOR ME!!!! I had started another request but then realized my 100th work needed to have Wayne. Like, it was a no brainer. I love Wayne Munson with my entire heart. He loves Steve with his entire heart. Here we are! - Mickala ❤️

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one

It started out pretty awkward.

Eddie had suggested the fishing trip, said it would be great for them to bond and get to know each other.

“Steve’s not goin’ anywhere, and Wayne’s approval is more important to me than anything else, so you might as well find some common ground,” he said to them both over dinner.

So Steve agreed to this fishing trip, and he agreed to let Wayne pick the place and drive them there and provide all the necessary tools.

He didn’t know how to fish so it made sense that he didn’t make any of the decisions.

Of course, Wayne didn’t know he didn’t know how to fish. He’d maybe made it sound like he used to go when he was younger, before his dad stopped showing any interest in spending time with him.

But his dad wasn’t really ever around, and certainly didn’t do anything to bond with him, so here he was.

Trying to pretend he knew how a worm went on a hook.

Wayne hadn’t said much, though Eddie had already warned him that it didn’t mean he didn’t like him, he just didn’t usually say much unless he knew you well.

He was pretty focused on baiting his own hook, or that’s what Steve thought it was called, and Steve didn’t really think it would go well if he interrupted to ask stupid questions.

“You’ve never done this before, have ya?” Wayne suddenly asked, not looking up from his hook.

“Um. No sir?” Steve replied.

No point in lying when it was so obvious he had no clue what he was doing.

Wayne finally looked at him, his eyes squinted as he searched his face.

“You want some help with that?” he finally asked Steve.

“Please.”

Wayne didn’t take the hook and worm from him though. Instead, he gently scooted closer and started showing Steve how to do it himself.

“There ya go! Now, professionals use different bait and hooks and all kindsa stuff I don’t have the patience for. We just use worms cuz they’re cheap and work just fine. You ever cast your own line or you need me to show ya?”

“I can watch you and then try,” Steve replied.

This was going…well. Wayne seemed eager to help instead of annoyed like Steve thought he would be.

He watched Wayne cast his line out, reeling it in just a bit once the bobber hit the water.

“Why do you reel it in like that?” Steve asked, genuinely curious.

“Keeps the line tight so you can see any movement. If the bait ain’t on there good, a fish might be able to wiggle it off, but if you see the line moving, you might be able to still catch him,” Wayne said quietly. “Think you can do it?”

Steve didn’t think he could, but he wanted to impress Wayne.

And then he did it.

“I did it!” he said, maybe a bit too loud for the environment.

“You did! Proud of ya!” Wayne said back, big smile on his face.

He didn’t seem to care that Steve was so loud he probably scared all the damn fish away, or that it was such a simple task that Steve accomplished.

He was just proud.

And when Steve caught his first fish 20 minutes later, he could have sworn he saw Wayne wipe a tear from his eye.

—---

two

“Invite him over,” Wayne suggested.

“To your house?” Steve said as he stopped putting his shoes on.

“Yeah. We got plenty of snacks. Lucas seems like a nice kid. He puts up with Eddie and that Max girl. Must be an angel actually,” Wayne snorted.

Steve looked at him, and at the tv that was already tuned in to the channel the basketball game would be on.

“If you’re sure…” Steve said, removing his shoes again to go call Lucas.

“Tell him to bring his ball and we can practice after! Only if you promise to go easy on me, I’m an old man,” Wayne added as he sipped on his beer.

Steve was quick on the phone, smiling to himself when Lucas seemed so excited about getting to hang out with Steve and Wayne.

Lucas made it just as the game started, sweating from the bike ride over.

“Grab a pop from the fridge and take a seat, kiddo,” Wayne said from his armchair.

“Is Eddie here?” Lucas asked as he did what Wayne said and sat down on the couch next to Steve.

“Nope. Had physical therapy and then band practice. Won’t see that boy until near midnight, I’d say.”

Steve nodded in agreement.

Eddie always got distracted at band practice, especially if they started smoking. Wayne always told him to call if he needed a ride, but not if he needed bail.

The game was intense, and all of them ended up standing on their feet pacing for the last two minutes of it. It was so back and forth, so close, they were almost certain it would go to overtime.

It didn’t though, and Wayne hugged both Steve and Lucas excitedly.

“Alright, who wants to go shoot some hoops?”

Steve knew for a fact the Munsons didn’t have a basketball net. Eddie wasn’t a sports guy and Wayne didn’t have time until pretty recently to have any hobbies.

But Steve and Lucas followed him onto the back porch and Steve stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the small cement pad now had a basketball net.

“When did you get that?”

“Well, when Eddie mentioned you still liked to play for fun, I figured it’d be nice to have. Not a lot of space out here for a real game, but it’s somethin’.”

Wayne looked shy, almost nervous, which was something he never was.

“You got this for Steve?” Lucas asked him.

“Yeah. You’re welcome to come over and practice anytime, too,” he said to Lucas with a smile.

“Seriously? This is awesome!” Lucas took his ball and ran down the porch steps to start shooting at the net.

“You got this for me?” Steve asked Wayne, still slightly surprised by the gesture.

“Yeah, kid. Want you to feel like this is your home too, ya know?”

“Oh.”

Steve wasn’t gonna cry, he wasn’t.

He hugged Wayne quickly, then joined Lucas. Wayne sat on the porch and watched for a bit, cheering when Lucas managed to score on him three times in a row.

Surprisingly, Eddie came home in the midst of an intense one on one match.

He took one look at Steve and Lucas, and turned to Wayne.

“Since when do we support jockhood in this house?” he asked him, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Since you fell in love with one,” Wayne smirked.

“I’m not- we haven’t- Wayne!” Eddie sputtered before going back inside.

Wayne shook his head, but continued watching Steve and Lucas competing against each other, hopefully for the first of many times.

—------

three

Max should go home. She couldn’t just hide at the Munson trailer every single time her mom had to work late.

She had to face her fears and just stay home alone.

But Eddie was here having a mini-session with Mike, Will, and Lucas, and she felt better being around all of them than being in her house.

Plus, Wayne had made her hot chocolate and let her taste test the cookies he made.

She wasn’t playing, but she watched the entire time, sipping on her hot chocolate and watching Wayne out of the corner of her eye.

He was in the kitchen baking something new, but had told her she couldn’t try this one yet.

It looked like a cake, but it had a lot of steps to it and she couldn’t be quite sure when he kept moving things from counter to counter and then counter to oven.

At exactly 7:00, Eddie clapped his hands, thanked everyone for coming, and told them to get out.

“How’s the cake comin’ old man? Steve’s gonna be here in 20 minutes!” Eddie said as he started frantically cleaning up.

Max watched as they both seemed to rush through their tasks, ignoring her entirely, maybe even forgetting she was still on the couch.

And then it hit her.

“Shit! It’s Steve’s birthday, isn’t it?” she asked.

Wayne and Eddie both stood in the doorway of the kitchen looking at her.

“Have you been here this whole time?” Eddie asked.

“Ed, I forgot the powdered sugar,” Wayne said suddenly.

“Fuck!” Eddie said, exasperated.

“Language!” Wayne huffed out, turning back to his cake. “I think my Ma used to just blend regular sugar to make it so she didn’t have to pay for it. Let me see how much sugar we got.”

“Max, let me walk you home,” Eddie said, forcing a smile.

But just as she was getting up to let him, not wanting to push him too much when he was so obviously stressed, the front door opened and Steve walked in.

“You will never believe what this woman did at closing time tonight. I thought Robin was going to have to go to jail. Oh. Hey Max.”

Steve paused as he took in the looks of panic on Max and Eddie’s face and the chaos happening in the kitchen.

“Is everything okay?” Steve asked, suddenly worried.

“Everything’s great! Actually, can you walk Max home?”

“Is that Steve?” Wayne asked from the kitchen, peeking around the doorway. “Dammit, I need 10 minutes!”

Eddie shooed Steve back out the door and Max followed without being asked.

When the door shut behind them, Steve looked at Max with a confused look.

“Happy birthday, I guess?” she shrugged.

“Oh. Is that today?” he asked.

“Apparently. I don’t think the Munsons understand the idea behind not celebrating birthdays.”

Steve laughed, smiling fondly at the closed front door.

“Alright, well. Let’s get you home so they can embarrass me without an audience.”

They walked down the road to Max’s trailer in silence. Max didn’t mind it with Steve, it felt like they both needed it.

But when they arrived at her house, she turned to Steve and hugged him.

“All good, red?” he asked as he hugged her back.

“Yeah. Just glad we have them.”

“Who? The Munsons?”

“Yeah. They’re pretty great.”

Steve smiled down at her.

“Yeah, they’re alright.”

—----------

four

Nancy spent a lot of time at the library. Probably more than anyone else in Hawkins.

She’d seen it all.

The nerds using it to study, the old people reading the newspaper, the kids being brought by their moms for storytime.

She’d never once seen a Munson.

Until today.

Wayne Munson was standing in the aisle of books that held books about gardening.

He looked lost, and she wanted to help.

“Hey, Wayne right?” she whispered.

He jumped, but then relaxed when he saw it was just a young woman.

“Yes, and you are?”

“Nancy. You probably don’t remember, but I was with everyone when Eddie was brought into the hospital,” she said, hating to bring up bad memories, but needing him to know that she knew Eddie.

“Ah, yes. Mike’s sister?”

“That’s me.” She cleared her throat. “You look like you need some help. I’m basically a librarian for how often I’m here, so maybe I can help?”

“Yeah. I’m lookin’ for a book about trees that can grow here easily. All these seem to be about tropical plants.”

He was right. For some reason, most of the books available were about tropical plants or encyclopedias about flowers.

“There is one…hold on.” Nancy walked a few feet away and looked at the one book she knew would have the information he needed. “Here it is!” She handed it to him. “Any specific tree you’re looking for?”

“Well, I’m gonna plant a tulip tree in the backyard, but I need to know what it needs.”

Nancy smiled.

“You a fan of tulip trees?”

“Ah can’t say I care either way. But Steve likes ‘em and he’s been feelin’ a bit down lately, so figured it might make him smile.”

Nancy frowned.

“He’s been down?” she asked.

Admittedly, she hadn’t seen him much lately, but that was because he was busy working with Robin and spending his free time with Eddie or the kids.

“Well, it ain’t my business to say, but his parents came to town last week and he ain’t been the same since. He won’t talk about it, not even with Ed,” Wayne sounded sad, but also angry.

She placed a hand on his shoulder.

“I know they’re frustrating to say the least. But he’ll be alright. I’m glad he has you to cheer him up,” she smiled at him.

“Me too. You won’t tell him about this yet, right?”

“Your secret is safe with me.”

—-------------

five

Robin was hot.

“Steve, there is no way this pool takes this long to clean,” she said from her chair.

“Maybe it wouldn’t if I had help,” Steve said with a sigh.

“I think he’s expecting us to help him,” Eddie said from his chair next to her, not opening his eyes to actually look.

“It’s not as hot in the pool,” he tried to bribe them.

“As if we would get in that untreated dirty water!” Eddie exclaimed.

“We have all literally been covered in Upside Down dust and demo-creature blood.”

“Against our will!” Robin exclaimed.

“Alright, I’m calling Wayne,” Steve said as he got out of the pool.

Not even 20 minutes later, Steve was walking back outside, Wayne trailing behind him in a bathing suit.

“I’m scraping the bottom first so I can scoop any debris out before I treat it,” Steve explained to him. “I think that last storm we got just got a lot of heavier limbs in it so there’s more than I expected.”

“And these two are just watching?”

“We’re supervising. Here for emergencies and getting him drinks when needed,” Eddie said.

“Right. So I’ll take a cold beer,” Wayne said with a smirk.

Eddie moved his sunglasses off his face and glared at him.

“You just came from inside.”

“And now I’m hot. Get me a beer or go home.”

Robin watched the exchange like a tennis match, then turned to Steve who was getting back in the pool like he was used to this kind of thing happening all the time.

“I’m so glad he called you,” she said to Wayne as Eddie grumbled his way inside.

“Me too,” Wayne said, no hint of sarcasm in his tone.

Robin watched them work, taking in the way Wayne explained the best way to treat the pool (“shock it, but then focus on the filter itself, not just the actual pool”) and how long it should sit.

An hour later, they were finishing up the main part of the treatment, and Wayne knocked Steve’s shoulder.

“Great job, kid. Probably wanna let it sit overnight so no one’s skin is burnin’ though.”

“What?! We can’t even swim today?” Eddie shrieked.

“Go swim in the bathtub. Better yet, a puddle in the road,” Wayne yelled back at him. He turned back to Steve. “You comin’ for dinner tonight?”

“Yeah, let me clean up first. Want me to bring anything?”

“Just yourself, you know that.”

Wayne turned to go, and grabbed Eddie’s ear.

“Ow!”

“You’re comin’ with me. You got some stuff to do around the trailer before I let you come over here and swim.”

“I’m a grown man!”

“And grown men clean up before their boyfriends come over. Let’s go.”

Wayne walked away, knowing Eddie would follow him.

Robin couldn’t help the loud laugh she let out as Eddie scrambled to follow, nearly tripping over his own feet when he stopped to kiss Steve quickly before leaving the back patio.

“They’re a blast,” Robin said when they were gone.

“They’re the best,” Steve said fondly.

—----------

plus one

It was too late for someone to be knocking on the door, but Wayne knew better than to ignore it.

Too many late night knocks had been because of emergencies.

“Go back to bed, Ed,” he said to Eddie when he saw him coming out of his bedroom, half asleep and half naked.

But he knew Eddie would be curious and wasn’t surprised when he followed him to the front door.

“Steve?”

He had an armful of Steve as soon as he said his name, wrapping his arms around him protectively.

It was damn near two in the morning, why the hell was he here?

“Are you hurt, son?”

He heard Steve let out a loud sob against his chest and he quickly pulled him inside all the way, closing the door so the neighbors wouldn’t hear and get nosy.

“Stevie?” Eddie asked from behind Wayne.

“Go get some water for him, Ed,” Wayne said over his shoulder. “Steve? What happened?”

“They kicked me out. They found out about Eddie and kicked me out,” Steve said between sobs and panting breaths.

“Alright. Let’s sit down for a minute,” Wayne tried to stay calm, but anger was coursing through his body.

Who could kick out their own son? Especially over something so small?

He shouldn’t be surprised that the Harringtons would, but it still felt like someone poured cold water over him.

“I don’t know what to do. I have nowhere to go,” Steve whimpered.

“Now that right there is nonsense, son. You got us right here, don’t ya? You think we’d let you be homeless when Ed’s got a perfectly good bed for you to sleep in? Hell, ya sleep in it most nights a week anyway.” Wayne sighed, running his hands up and down Steve’s back as they sat on the couch. “You belong here with us. It’s their loss and someday they’ll have to live with the regret of hurtin’ you. But you’re my kid, and you ain’t gonna be livin’ on the streets. Understand me?”

Steve nodded against his chest.

Eddie walked in silently with a glass of water, fear in his eyes.

Wayne gave him a look and hoped he was communicating that he shouldn’t ask right now.

“You wanna have some water for me? Maybe a nice hot shower and then bed?” Wayne asked.

Steve nodded.

“Look at me, Steve.” He waited for Steve to look at him. “You’re my son. I love you and I want you to be here. You deserve to be loved just as you are.”

Steve sniffled, trying to hold back another sob as he nodded.

Wayne watched him sip on the water for a few minutes, and watched as Eddie walked him to the bathroom to make sure he had everything he needed for a shower.

He never understood how parents could look at their children and feel anything but the purest form of love.

Steve may not be his biologically, but he was practically a Munson since the day he carried Eddie out of Hell.

If Wayne had to help him out his own version of Hell, then he’d do it with a smile on his face and praise on his tongue.

[afewproblems]

Steddie breakup fix it!! <3

Thank you very much! I'm sorry this took so long!

***

"Hello miss Robin, tell me Steve hung up all your pictures you brought with you?" Wayne asks, Steve can hear the smile in his voice and rolls his eyes as Robin scoffs.

"Does it count if they're crooked?" She says as she ducks away from Steve's elbow. They scuffle for just a moment before Wayne clears his throat to get their attention again.

"Listen kids, I did call for a reason".

All at once Steve can picture Wayne pacing around the trailer kitchen, twisting his fingers into the cord, he knows that tone.

Robin looks from the phone in Steve's hand to meet his eyes nervously, she may not know Wayne as well as he does but she can certainly read Steve like a book.

Wayne sighs long and loud, it crackles over the receiver but Steve doesn't dare pull it away from his ear, "Eddie's moving".

Steve stops breathing, he feels Robin gently take the phone from his hands as his grip loosens. 

He belatedly hears Robin say something but the words sound too far away because Steve knows. 

He doesn't need Wayne to say it. 

Because Steve knew what Eddie's plan was, his dream. And whether Steve was involved, or not, didn't matter anymore.

Eddie was coming to Chicago.

[willowworkswithwords]

I see it in your eyes

read on ao3

Steve has a relentless habit of setting his perfect, scrubbed Nikes up together by the door of any house he visits. Even his own house, where there’s never been anyone to tell him to do it or to tuck his shoes into line for him.  

Eddie is staring down at two muddy Nikes.

One is standing straight up, balancing on the heel against the wall. The other lies beneath its shoeprint on the opposite wall, laces limp against the spotless tile.

“Steve?”

Robin had called. Had said something about Steve needing to get his ass in bed, which Eddie couldn’t agree with more on general principle. She’d been flippant but her worry hadn’t escaped him. When he’d been nearly out the screen door of the trailer, Wane had hollered after him about takin care of his damn friends all the time, how they needed to take care of him for once. They both knew it was more bark than bite. Wayne loved the Party, was starting to like Steve despite how he’d heard Steve’s last name too much in his life connected with hurts and bloody knuckles. But when the Beemer had peeled into their strip of gravel driveway just after Wayne had gotten back from work on a freezing October morning and Steve had spilled out, face bruised and breaths frantic, Wayne’s nephew’s name on split lips, Wayne had started to gently, carefully, reel Steve in.

Nowadays it’s never bite.

Eddie picks his way down the hallway now, looking for something, anything, that’ll tell him Steve’s safe, that he’s just being an asshole on accident, that his behavior had slipped his own mind and he was actually, genuinely sorry for the mud and mess.

Underneath that, he looks for blood, for strewn nails, for a bleeding body.

His feet thunder up the stairs when he comes up empty.

Mr. and Mrs. Harrington’s door remains closed. The bathroom door is open and Eddie slams the light on and then promptly thwacks his hand right back down on the switch because Steve is there, on the floor, not bleeding but with bile on his shirt and a keening sound on his lips.

“…Steve?”

Steve makes anther desperate noise. From the light filtering in from the hallway Eddie watches one hand pull away from where it’s snaked across the toilet seat and weave itself into Steve’s hair and pull.

Eddie finds himself on his knees.

“Hey, hey hey hey, what’s going on, Steve?” And he keeps his voice low and gentle, one hand on Steve’s back while the other rests atop the hand that’s hell-bent on pulling Steve’s hair straight from the roots and tries to get Steve to relax. He’s wound up tight, the noises falling from his mouth sounding more like they’re from tennis shoes squeaking against linoleum than like they’re from a human being.

Eddie waits a long moment for Steve to get out a response. His jaw is clenched so hard Eddie can see where the tendon sits taut in his cheek.

“Migraine.”

Oh.

Oh

The clenching in Eddie’s own stomach releases all at once and he realizes he hadn’t breathed in fully for ten minutes. But a migraine. A migraine was something manageable, something non-life-threatening. A normal, mundane, painful part of existence that no doubt came from Steve’s impressive number of Upside Down adjacent head injuries. But not cosmic, not supernatural, not aiming to have him dead by midday.

Eddie lets out a long sigh and presses his hands more firmly where they rub soothing circles. Eddie’s only been present for one of Steve’s migraines, and according to Robin it could have at most been categorized as a 4.6 out of 10. At the time, Eddie had thought she’d been ridiculous because Steve had been bent in half, eyes squeezed closed looking for all the world like someone had socked him in the gut again. But now…

“Ok, ok. You wanna stay or move?”

He keeps his voice low, watching Steve’s face for any nonverbal response. Even when it wasn’t a migraine, sometimes the words left Steve and body language was just easier.

Steve clutched to toilet bowl a little tighter, which Eddie hadn’t realized was possible.

“Ok, Stevie.”

They wait it out. From what Robin always says, Steve’s migraines usually hit hard and fast, sticking around much longer than you’d expect, so Eddie makes himself as comfortable as he can on Steve’s bathroom floor, grateful for the plush bathmat underneath him, ignores the twinges in his sides as he’s scrunched up for a while. He’s sure Steve’s own sides are hurting like a bitch right now, still more healing wounds than scares quite yet.

Steve throws up two more times and Eddie wonders if he should worry about dehydration. He doesn’t know how long Steve was throwing up before he got here, but he’s betting it was long enough that Steve’s gonna get himself into a bad place if it goes on much longer. He thinks about calling Wayne and decides to wait on it, tucking that into the back of his mind. He can take care of Steve for now. As much as Wayne and Steve were beginning to get along, Steve was still jumpy around him, around any man over forty, and Eddie didn’t want to push him.

“Alright, hey let’s um, you think you’re ok for now?”

He tries to keep his hands still and firm against Steve, waits him out.

Steve nods.

The walk from the bathroom to Steve’s room sticks out in Eddie’s mind, but looking back he can’t remember how long it took or if they fell or how many tries it took before he got Steve levered against him. It’s just the sound of Steve’s panted breaths and his own reassurances that have etched themselves into his memory.

He’s been pushing the feelings Steve keeps bringing up in his gut right back down for weeks, because what he and Steve has is good. It’s one of the few good things he’d been able to cling to without pretense because Steve knew, he’d been there right alongside Eddie in the worst hell of his life, the whole way through. The guys from Hellfire, they’ll never stop being Eddie’s friends, not as long as he has a say. But it was different with Steve, good different, safe and easy even though it was hard won, and he didn’t want to screw it up.

So. Bottling it up.

The excruciating journey ends and Eddie gently lays Steve down against his pillows. He waits a sec, waiting for Steve to take the lead here because this is new territory. The room, no. Eddie’s been in Steve’s room before. But Steve is hurting. Eddie has taken care of his uncle, not friends who’ve always had their families. They’ve never needed him quite like this before.

Steve rolls over onto his side, facing his wall, curled up and whimpering. Eddie doesn’t make any noise. He sits on the side of Steve’s bed and reaches for Steve’s socked feet.

“Socks on or off, Stevie?”

Steve pushes his feet together in a couple little kicks. Eddie lets himself laugh, just the slightest.

“I gotcha.”

Steve is listless through it, even when Eddie takes the far edge of the comforter and pulls it around him. Eddie almost thinks Steve has dropped into sleep. He turns to go, thinking of sleeping on the couch downstairs just to be safe, thinking of calling Robin and Wayne, when a shaky hand grabs his wrist.

“Stay?” Steve’s face is smashed against his pillows, eyes still squeezed shut and the crease between them deep and pained.

Eddie pushes the wave of oh I want this to be more down down down and squeezes Steve’s hand back.

“Okay.”

It had been early evening when Eddie had followed Steve into bed. He hadn’t expected to sleep, but when he opens his eyes next the room is dark except for a shaft of light cutting across the floor to shine on the closet. His brain takes it’s time coming back to him, sensations seeping in like they only ever do when he’s slept hard and deep. He’s warm. Something tickles the back of his neck. A weight is slung over his stomach, pressing a line from scar to scar. He lets himself lay in it for a moment. This was…really nice.

The warmth pressed against him shifts and the tickling at the back of his neck turned to a soft snuffle.

Steve.

Steve was the weight pressed around and against, the tickling his nose against Eddie’s neck, Steve’s soft breaths the noise Eddie hadn’t been able to quite place.

Eddie tenses, he knows he does, because him and Steve are friends, sure, and Steve hasn’t seemed to mind Eddie being in his personal space too much on movie nights or when they all hung out but they’re in Steve’s bed.

“M’ning,” Steve breathes against Eddie’s neck.

Eddie keeps still, waits for the moment Steve’s mind comes back to him, waits for the migraine fog to slip away and for Steve to realize he’s cuddling Eddie in his own bed.

A cautious moment passes where Steve doesn’t move or speak or show any sign of lashing out, of pushing Eddie out of the bed and onto the cold floor.

“…Good morning.”

Eddie whispers it, a deep gut feeling coming up inside him. He pulls a lock of his hair across his mouth, waiting waiting waiting.

“Thank you for staying.”

Eddie sucks in a breath.

“Yeah man, wasn’t gonna leave you in a puddle on your bathroom floor.”

Steve chuckles then winces.

“Shit man, still got a headache?”

Steve sighs, tapping his forehead against Eddie’s shoulder a few times.

“Yeah. It’s not as bad now, but this one’s not letting up.”

“Is there anything I can get? Like, you got meds or something?”

“No, I took the last of the painkillers I have before I threw them up.”

Eddie doesn’t hesitate, thinks of Wayne’s hidden worry.

“I’ve got stuff at my place, if you’re feeling up for a drive?”

“Stuff?” Steve’s voice is teasing.

“Just regular old painkillers, Stevie. You’re not getting anything else from me until you can look around without squinting.”

Steve smiles and Eddie feels his lips curl against his neck. He’s not sure he quite hides the shiver that passes through him.

Getting Steve downstairs and to Eddie’s van is, blessedly, not as hard as Eddie anticipates. Steve groans when he sees the scuff marks his shoe made on the wall but shoves his feet into his Nikes without trying to clean it up, which makes Eddie walk a little closer to him. Steve, Eddie has found out, is a neat freak by both nature and nurture, which means he’s an absolute menace most of the time and will fight tooth and nail to make sure things, especially his house, are tidy. Eddie knows a little about Janet and Richard Harrington, and he’s been speculating a lot more, with each habit of Steve’s he learns was grown from fear.

But now the backs of Steve’s shoes are folded inwards where Steve shoved his still sockless feet into them, and Eddie places one hand in the middle of his back when he climbs into the passenger seat. Just the short trip has put that crease back between Steve’s eyebrows.

“We’ll get you those sweet, sweet painkillers in no time, Steve,” Eddie says as he settles into his seat and turns the keys. His hand shoots out right in time to crank the volume knob down, Dio beginning, softly now, in the background. The corners of Steve’s mouth quirk up.

They’re off, the fifteen minutes across town passing by slower than Eddie thinks they should. Steve’s forehead remains pressed against the cool glass of the window, eyes closed and mouth pressed into a thin line. Eddie drives like most people, for once, turning gently into the entrance to Forest Hills and down the lane to the new trailer, a double wide now, that the government gave him and Wayne. Wayne’s car is still parked in front. It’s one of his one night off, and Eddie realizes he never did call him earlier. There’s still a glow through the curtains. He turns the keys and Dio splutters out, making Steve peek his eyes open.

“We’re here.”

Eddie doesn’t move for a second and neither does Steve.

“Hey, uh, is your uncle gonna have a problem with me over this late?”

Eddie laughs, still keeping it quiet, and looks at Steve.

“Nah man, he’s used to me by now. Plus, he still stays up most of the night on his night off so he doesn’t screw up his sleep schedule.”

Steve seems hesitant, beyond migraine-pain hesitancy. He and Wayne had been good for a while now, so Eddie doesn’t know what to make of Steve’s nervous twiddling fingers.

“He’s not gonna care, Steve. When I left he wanted to make sure you were ok too.”

Steve’s head whips up.

“He did?”

“Yeah man, he did.”

Neither of them move for a second, and Eddie lets Steve think until Steve winces and Eddie tries to open up his door as quietly as possible, crossing in front of his van to the passenger side, trying again to sidestep the creaking of the door. Steve slides his legs so they hang out the door, taking a deep breathe then pushing himself out. Eddie hovers right next to him the whole seven steps to the door, sliding in front of Steve to unlock it and carefully let Steve go in first.

Wayne is sitting on the couch with a beer, watching baseball. He tips his head to the side, mouth open as if he was going to say something, then closing when Steve is all he can see for a moment before Eddie enters behind him, closing and locking the door.

Steve wobbles and Eddie slides up right next to him, left arm sliding almost all the way around his waist. Steadies him.

“Well hey boys. Wasn’t expecting you so late.”

Eddie squints his face up at Wayne, aware of his teasing beneath the worry in his voice.

“Yeah well, Steve here still isn’t feelin’ too hot and ran out of pain killers,” Eddie says, voice an exaggerated whisper. “We’re just gonna head to my room, kay?”

Wayne eyes Steve, turns the TV volume way down, and makes eye contact with Steve that Eddie is surprised Steve keeps.

“You get feelin’ better soon, son.”

He turns back to the TV. Eddie adjusts his grip and peers at Steve. Steve’s face is half pain, half confusion, and Eddie tightens his hold again and begins to walk them down the hall. Out of the corner of his eye, Eddie sees Steve mouthing ‘son’ over a few times.

Bathroom. Painkillers. Eddie tosses Steve a pair of sleep pants. Steve miraculously doesn’t fall over during the whole process, even while both change with their backs to each other.

And then, for the second time in less than twenty-four hours, Eddie is back in bed with Steve. Steve is on the inside, facing Eddie. Eddie slips into his sheets and hesitates for just a second, then turns his back to Steve.

A moment passes. Eddie’s heart is creeping up his throat as he slides one of his feet in between Steve’s behind him.

Neither moves.

Eddie’s glad Steve can’t see his face.

Steve doesn’t breathe for just a moment, his soft breaths just barely brushing Eddie’s hair stopping and Eddie’s heart is falling fast.

Then Steve’s hand touches Eddie’s side, waiting.

Eddie shift back against Steve.

Steve snakes his arm around Eddie, still light still tense.

“Whatever makes you comfortable, Steve.”

Eddie whispers into darkness, but Steve replies.

A sigh rustles Eddie’s hair at the base of his neck and the soft breathes from earlier that night are back. Eddie breathes out, long and deep. They relax into one another and Eddie doesn’t push the feelings away. He cradles them, relishes them, hopeful hopeful hopeful, and falls asleep warm.

[steddieassheg0es]

Jump in the Fire

Eddie Munson doesn’t know how to listen to good sense. Don’t go flirting with pretty boys. Definitely don’t go falling for pretty boys. Don’t go poking around where you don’t belong. Don’t go back into the mall where a giant spider monster is trying to kill your friends… Or: a story of how Eddie Munson stumbles into something so much bigger than he ever planned by walking into Scoops Ahoy. Read or listen on AO3

Author: Me :) @steddieassheg0es / SteddieAsSheGoes AO3

Podfic and Cover art by : @n0connections / NoConnections AO3

Thank you so much to @steddiebang for the Steddie Big Bang 2023, I'm so thrilled to have been involved!

And a HUGE thank you to @n0connections for choosing my fic, creating an amazing podfic, and having endless patience with my temperamental writer brain. I couldn't have done it without you.

[sunflower-butch]

While I’m posting fanfics, I also want to highlight a one shot I did that I’m really proud of! The basic concept is Wayne Munson coming to sort of adopt the party following the defeat of Vecna. If you’re a fan of supportive Wayne Munson and sort of seeing the main ST crew from an “outsider” perspective, maybe you’ll enjoy it?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/40950960

I’m also really considering continuing just a little one shot with the scene specifically of him helping a panicking Robin. 👀

[hancocksbitch]

It's Christmas day and I'm a bit worn out and sad because of people who doesn't respect my boundaries, but I have an awesome partner and kind friends and now I'm gonna spend the day reading (on my brand new Kobo Libra 2 e-reader) fanfiction tagged "supportive Wayne Munson", eating chocolate and petting my cats. So it's gonna be ok.

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

Eddie definitely wears a sleep shirt and nothing else to bed. It pools around his thighs, and the neck hole is too stretched out. The front is covered in stains. Some of its coffee, some of it food stains. It's hard to tell what the other stains are. It definitely used to be a white shirt. There was a faint outline on the shirt as if it used to have a picture on it. It might have been Garfield.

Well, Steve was dropping off something for Max when he decided to check in on Eddie and maybe return his vest. They had gotten a new, fancy two bedroom trailer after Vecna. It was really nice, Steve thought as he climbed the steps with Eddie's vest clutched in his chest. He knocked on the door, and Eddie answered it wearing the shirt. His hair was in a messy bun that looked like he had been wearing it for days.

"Hey, Stevie," Eddie grinned.

"Hey, I was stopping by Max's, I thought I would return your vest," Steve said, staring at him.

He really shouldn't, but this look of Eddie's. . . It was really sexy. Steve blinked owlishly at him.

"Thanks," Eddie said, taking the vest. "Um, what? Do I have something on my face?"

"Uh, you have a cheeto in your hair," Steve said.

Eddie reached up, took it out, sniffed it, and popped it into his mouth. A fluttering of affection filled his chest, and Steve wanted to shake his head. Suddenly, Wayne Munson's voice floated from somewhere inside.

"Goddamnit, Eddie, throw that shirt out!" Wayne hollered.

Eddie turned around to yell at him, and Steve’s blush deepened. There was a smattering of holes spreading across the end of the shirt as though it had gotten snagged on something. Eddie's ass was showing.

"No, I shan't, Uncle Wayne!"

"At least put on some underwear, boy!"

"I like a nice breeze under there, Uncle Wayne!"

Eddie started bending his knees in a sort of half squats.

"Steve doesn't want to see your ass, son!"

"You don't know him! Flat asses might just be his thing!"

Oh, if only he knew.

"I'm in love with you," Steve blurted out.

"Good news, Uncle Wayne! My shirt has attracted a mate! I'm not getting rid of this shirt now! Just when I was thinking about throwing it out," Eddie said cheerfully.

"Son," Wayne said, appearing in the doorway. "You couldn't have told him some other time?"

"Uh. . .sorry?"

[steddiealltheway]

It’s basically canon that Steve gets migraines from the number of times he’s gotten concussions/beat up. Adding on to this…

Everyone has their way of helping Steve.

Robin lays next to him on the floor, holding his hand which he squeezes whenever the pain is too overwhelming.

Dustin - as he puts it - shuts the fuck up for once in his life.

El has found that the tiniest amount of radio static helps clear his head while not causing nausea.

Nancy makes him some sort of fancy chamomile tea.

Eddie… well, he hasn’t been around for one of Steve’s infamous migraines. In fact, he’s only heard about them from the others who say Steve tries to play it off as just a headache - often times leaving to suffer on his own.

Luckily, Steve doesn’t hang out alone with Eddie, so he’s determined his migraine solution would be to leave him with someone else and get out of his way. There’s no way Steve would want him around for that. And there would be nothing he could do to help.

Eddie briefly thinks back to those thoughts when, for the first time, he and Steve hang out alone. Granted, the other kids were there before, but they had all left once it got to be curfew time.

Steve had been acting… strange. More irritable than usual, going as far as snapping at Dustin when he started screaming about something. And really, that should’ve been the first sign for Eddie.

But he had just moved past that, fired up some random movie and let Steve sprawl out next to him on his couch, hands over his eyes, taking deep breaths in and out.

“Steve…?” Eddie questions gently.

He gets a quiet groan in response as Steve slowly drags his hands down his face. His eyes are slightly glossy, and he looks absolutely miserable.

“Steve,” Eddie says more firmly this time.

“I’m gonna head back,” Steve says with a wince. As soon as he stands up, he sways. Eddie steadies him and forces him to sit back down.

He desperately tries to remember what everyone else told him works, but he can’t recall anything.

“What should I do?” Eddie asks.

“No Lights. No Noise. Please,” Steve bites out gripping his head.

Eddie nods and immediately turns the television off. He scrambles to get all the lights off but there’s still a glow from the window which doesn’t have any curtains on it. Eddie looks around for a blanket or anything nearby to shield Steve’s eyes from the lights.

He’s struck with a sudden idea. Eddie sits next to Steve, leans his head forward, and presses it against Steve’s. His hair forms a curtain around them, blocking out the light.

“What are you doing?” Steve asks, breath ghosting over Eddie’s lips.

Oh. Yeah, this is all kinds of invading Steve’s personal space. Shit. “Using my hair as a curtain,” Eddie replies nonchalantly.

Steve does something strange. He smiles. “It oddly helps. Thank you.”

Eddie wishes he had access to his hair so he could use it to cover his smile in response.

It’s nice - sitting so close to Steve, listening and feeling his breathing. But after a few minutes, Eddie’s back starts to cramp up from the awkward twisted position.

Steve must feel the same way because he’s suddenly laying back and pulling Eddie towards him. Eddie scrambles to keep his forehead against Steve’s and ends up laying on top of him.

Shit shit shit. There’s no way Steve is okay with this.

But then Eddie feels Steve’s fingertips tracing circles on his back, as if Steve’s the one soothing Eddie. Maybe he is.

Eddie’s hand comes up to Steve’s arm, trailing his fingers up and down in thanks.

After a while, Steve’s hand stills on Eddie’s back and his breath evens out. When Eddie’s sure that Steve’s asleep, he lifts his head up and shifts it to nestle into Steve’s neck.

A few hours later, Eddie is woken up by the squeak of the front door opening and someone awkwardly clearing their throat. Eddie finds himself to still be mostly on top of Steve who has his arms tightly wrapped around him, still asleep.

Eddie’s heart skips a beat, happy to see him so at peace after last night’s events.

“So… who’s this?” Uncle Wayne says, voice low as to not wake him.

“Steve. I was helping him with his migraine.”

Wayne’s eyebrows shoot up. “Is that what the kids are calling it these days?” He teases.

Eddie flushes red unsure if he wants to remove himself from Steve and wake him up in the process, remembering how Nancy had said the migraine episodes could be triggered by a lack of sleep.

“Go back to sleep, Ed. Just… make sure to introduce him to me when he wakes up.”

“It’s not like that…” Eddie argues.

Wayne gives him a look, eyes flickering to where Steve’s arms are wrapped tightly around him, and shakes his head in disbelief. “I give it until morning,” he says with a smile on his face as he goes to his room.

“You’re wrong!” Eddie yells loud enough that he’s scared he’s woken Steve up. He looks back at Steve who softly snores, somehow still asleep. Eddie cuddles back against his side and closes his eyes, praying that his uncle is right.

He’s woken up later either by the hand running through his hair or the dull, quick sound of thudding against his ear. Eddie cracks an eye open, realizing it’s Steve’s hand in his hair and his heart that’s forming the fast rhythm.

“Hey,” Steve says with a small smile.

“Good morning,” Eddie replies immediately closing his eyes and tucking his head back into Steve’s neck to block out the sunlight.

Steve laughs. “Is that how I looked last night behind your hair?”

“Much better actually,” Eddie flirts without thinking.

Steve swallows. “Thank you for that by the way. I’ve never actually been able to sleep after…” he trails off.

His friends were right when they said Steve didn’t talk about it. Eddie squeezes Steve’s arm.

“Anytime,” Eddie says, slightly muffled, but just as sincere.

“Maybe sometime soon?” Steve suggests.

Eddie looks up. “Without you being in excruciating pain?”

Steve nods looking slightly anxious as to what Eddie’s response to the confirmation will be.

Eddie smiles wide and has to hide his face in Steve’s neck again to muffle his excited giggles. Steve joins in on the laughter.

Eddie suddenly feels Steve’s body tense up and his laughter stops.

“Glad to see you awake, would’ve been awkward meeting you while you weren’t conscious,” Wayne says.

Eddie sits up with a groan, swinging his legs over Steve’s and leaning back against the couch. Steve shoots up, trying to look presentable while his legs are trapped straight out in front of him.

“Wayne, this is Steve. Steve, this is my uncle, Wayne.”

Steve holds out his hand and firmly shakes his uncle’s hand. Eddie tries not to laugh at the interaction.

Wayne invites Steve to stay for breakfast, and he does.

After Steve leaves, giving Eddie a quick spontaneous hug, Wayne asks Eddie, “What do I always say?”

Eddie sighs, “The ‘W’ in Wayne doesn’t stand for ‘wrong.’” And thank goodness for that.

“I like him,” Wayne states casually.

“I do, too,” Eddie says with a soft smile.

“Next time, offer him an ice pack, too. That always used to help my migraines.”

Eddie’s smiles grows. Even Uncle Wayne has a migraine solution for Steve.

[little-annie]

Watching You Fall in Love (is My Greatest Achievement)

Steddie Fic | Wayne POV | Little_Annie | Ao3

---

"You love him don't you?" Wayne whispers, breathy, quiet, his voice cracking around the edges of something that feels like raw emotion.

It's then that Eddie turns his gaze away from Steve to look at him, the light never fading from his eyes and the smile never wiping from his face.

Steve's sitting on the trailer floor, in the middle of the living room, Eddie's clothes hanging from his body as he flips through one of Eddie's many monster manuals. Wayne knows the boy would never admit it, but he's just as interested in D&D as the other kids. He's helping Eddie plan his next campaign for christ sake.

Next to Wayne, two cans of coke in hand and a love struck smile on his face, Eddie nods, his cheeks darkening as his smile ever so slightly fades. "Is that okay?" He asks, looking all the bit nervous as his eyes roam Wayne's face.

"More than okay Son."

Eddie's smile brightens once again and if Wayne notices the small amount of tears welling in his eyes, he says nothing about.

"You ever going to tell him?" Wayne continues, nodding in Steve's direction, the boy still oblivious to the conversation being whispered behind his back.

"I don't know if I can."

Wayne says nothing to Eddie's reply as he watches the boy return to the living room where he sits down next to his best friend. Steve smiling bright as the sun upon Eddie's return.

—

Months go by and Wayne gets to watch as Steve falls too. It's there and so obvious to anyone but Eddie.

His eyes linger and his smile never fades. Soon Wayne sees as he sits a little closer and his cheeks grow a little darker.

There's moments when Wayne catches what he can only describe as a love struck expression across Steve's face. Eddie's talking, because when is he not, and Steve's there, eyes wide and locked onto Eddie's ever changing expression. 

He looks fond. Fond in a way Wayne's never seen anyone look at his nephew.

There's moments when he sees Steve hesitant. Moments when he and Eddie are so close and Steve's hand twitches like it wants to reach out. Moments when Steve looks like he wants to lean in but bites his lip and turns away with rosy cheeks.

—

It's nearly a year into their friendship when Steve's standing at Wayne's side and whispers, "I think I love him."

"Tell him," Wayne answers easily, leaving out the 'please' he so desperately wants to tack onto the end of that sentence.

Please, he thinks again as he watches Eddie turn to face them from across the yard, a smile so beautiful Wayne thinks it's the first time he's seen it on Eddie's face. The boy's elbow deep in his van as his cheeks grow a little pinker as he says with a smile, "Stevie come here for a sec."

Steve leaves, but not before whispering back to Wayne, "I think I will."

—

No more than a week later Wayne comes home to find the boys on the couch, Steve sleeping and curled into Eddie's side, snoring with his nose pressed to Eddie's neck. 

Wayne offers his boy a smile as he stirs from the sound of the door closing. He looks tired, arms tightening around Steve's waist as he smiles back and burrows closer, kissing the top of Steve's head before drifting back off. 

—

"He loves me," Eddie says one evening, weeks down the road, a rare occasion when Steve isn't over and Eddie's actually home.

Wayne smiles, his heart so warm and full as he says, "I know."

—

Steve's been over for a few weeks now. Part of Wayne's convinced he's moved in, what with the new additions to their fridge and bathroom vanity. The idea doesn't upset him in the least. 

He's gotten to witness their love grow during that time anyway.

He's gotten to witness the way Steve kisses a grumpy Eddie good morning until he finally smiles.

Or the way Eddie lights up when Steve's arms wrap around his waist and he whispers an "I love you Eds," that Wayne isn't sure if he's supposed to hear.

Or the way they giggle and kiss and love one another in such a beautiful and uninhibited way.

Granted too, sometimes that means Wayne's hears a bit too much. Eddie would be mortified to know there's been far too many occasions in which Wayne's had to leave the trailer to escape the gasping breaths that occasionally pour out from under his bedroom door.

Though this time, Wayne's inside as the boys are on the roof smoking and he thanks the lord above that all he can hear are the faintest of whispers. 

There's only parts of the conversation that he catches, but his heart swells when he hears Eddie's voice so clearly say, "I'm gonna marry you someday Steve Harrington."

—

Wayne cries the day Eddie shows him the ring. 

And cries even harder when Steve shows him his.

Steve's hand is shaking where the single golden band lies on his ring finger, Eddie standing directly behind him, arm around his waist with a smile that matches Steve's in the way it resembles Sunshine.

They can't marry, not legally anyways. But that doesn't stop Jim Hopper from officiating a ceremony or Joyce Byers from walking Steve down the aisle. 

The backyard to Hoppers cabin is filled with faces Wayne has grown familiar with over the years. Young and old, smiling and crying all the same.

Dustin and Robin both write speeches, both as rambling and as funny as they are beautifully heart wrenching.

There's not a dry eye in the house.

—

The boys move into an apartment where they build a life together.

Wayne visits often for meals or a cup of coffee in the mornings, still delighting in the way his Eddie seems so wonderfully overcome with love and affection. 

He'd thought he'd shed enough tears for his lifetime at the wedding, but one evening, sat at the table with Robin Buckley and his boys, Wayne finds out he's gonna be a grandpa. 

Elaine Birdie Munson is her name.

Sunshine, they call her instead.

---

Ao3⤵️

[kennahjune]

Allow Me to Propose Something:

How about, instead of his parents forcing him, Steve actually just? Likes? Sports?

No parental forcing or peer pressure just— he like sports. He likes swimming and basketball and maybe soccer and track.

Steve just liking sports because he’s allowed to have his own interests outside of the Party and older kids.

I always see Steve changing how he dresses and changing his music interests and all this other bullshit in Steddie fics and you know what?

Fuck that.

Steve dragging Eddie to every one of Lucas’ basketball games. Steve watching football and soccer and basketball games with Lucas and Wayne and Eddie silently watching with them because Steve is happy and Wayne is happy and hell— Lucas is happy, so why the fuck not?

Dustin and Mike still being skeptical of Lucas joining the basketball team post-Vecna (especially with Jason now dead and what Andy did to Erica and Lucas’ new ties to Eddie and—) but both of them finally realizing that sports brings just as much joy to Lucas as DnD does. And that’s honestly more than enough.

Steve still wearing his polos and blue jeans and clean white sneakers because that’s his style and how he’s comfortable.

Steve still listening to Wham! and Queen and ABBA and all his other musical interests cause that’s what he likes to listen to and that’s what he finds pleasing to his ear.

Steve having his own interests because he’s his own person and he’s allowed to have his own personality.

Because frankly— fics where Steve changes entirely so he can date Eddie make me really sad.

[italiansteebie]

Wayne: Now I don't like going poking around your business Ed, but ya shouldn't be leadin' Steve on like that.

Eddie: Uh. Okay. What are you talking about?

Wayne: I know you've been gettin' cozy with the Harrington boy, n it's not fair of ya to also have that girl over night after night.

Eddie: *blushing* Wayne, heh

Wayne: Now don't think I can't hear y'all in there.

Eddie: Wayne, that's Steve.

Wayne: I- What now?

Eddie: The girl you've been hearing is Steve.

Wayne: Christ almighty you boys are givin' me a heart attack.

[steddieas-shegoes]

Eddie and Wayne Munson energy

First of all I’m laughing so much rn and second of all idk if you wanted a headcanon thing for this but something popped into my head anyway

Steve watched as Wayne made himself comfortable at a corner table, still close to the stage, but away from the crowd piling up against the stage.

Everyone here was dressed like Eddie, some even more intimidating, and Steve felt out of place.

Wayne, in all his Midwest plaid glory, seemed perfectly content.

“How are you so comfortable here? We look like two people who got lost on their way to see Bruce Springsteen.”

Wayne snorted a laugh and took a sip from his beer.

“Just used to being out of place by now. Been to enough of his shows, I just realized I’m here for him, not to impress anyone.”

“It’s still intimidating, though.”

“The first couple times, yeah. You’ll get used to it.”

“Could use a drink.”

Steve meant to keep that inside, but Wayne laughed, and Steve couldn’t help the smile widening across his face.

“Birthday’s soon, right son?”

Steve blushed at being called ‘son.’

“Yes, sir.”

“Next show I’ll buy ya a drink, help settle the nerves.”

“I’m not nervous!”

Wayne gave him a look and he sighed.

“Okay I’m nervous. But I just don’t want Eddie to be ashamed of me being here for him. I’m not exactly the metal crowd type.”

“And he likes ya just fine, I’d say. He ain’t kicked me out of these shows yet, so I doubt he’d ever keep you away.”

The lights dimmed further, and there was movement on the stage.

Wayne let out a little laugh when Steve perked up.

“What?”

“Nothin’. You’re just gonna wish you’d brought those ear plugs.”

By the end of the show, he realized Wayne was right about the ear plugs, but he was also right about Eddie wanting him here. He’d bring ear plugs next time.

[afewproblems]

For WIP Weekend I request "Steddie Breakup Fix-it"

Thank you!! I just love Wayne and Steve's relationship in this, he's everyone's uncle.

***

“Hey Wayne,” Steve says with an easy affection. 

“How’s the new place kid, you two explore the big city at all yet?”

Steve laughs as Robin curls her fingers into the cord, "Hi Wayne!" she calls out as Steve turns away from her, they both smile at the deep tinny laugh that emanates from the receiver.

Even if it does make Steve's chest ache.

It's not like he can make the five minute drive over to forest hills anymore just to pop in on Wayne, and the loss is hard.

[oriarts]

[artiststarme]

Happy Halloween!

The first Halloween they have after the events of Spring Break is the best Eddie had ever had. He’d always loved Halloween with its mystery and secrets, the hidden horror found in the films, and the candy everyone passed out to the kids. He loved watching the kids of the trailer park dress in their second-hand costumes to pretend to be fairies, princesses, and pirates like he too had once before. But before 1986, he’d always been alone. He would smear makeup on his face and run door to door in the early evening before anyone else was out then he’d saunter home and hide from the bullies outside with a lap full of candy and the small TV screen playing a horror flick. 

Halloween of 1986 though brought a new opportunity. Eddie could put on a mask and cease to be the boy that everyone in the town despised. He would no longer be a “known” killer that mothers pulled their children away from. He wouldn’t be the idiot that flunked out of high school after three tries. He wouldn’t even be the freak that people sneered insults at. That Halloween night, Eddie was able to just be himself with his friends. 

He and Steve weren’t dating at that point, but he could feel they were close. Eddie saw the way his eyes never strayed quite too far away from him and felt how his hands reached for him whenever he turned away. It wasn’t different on Halloween. 

Eddie’s face was covered with black and white paint and his hair was let loose on his back, the curls unruly and full. He was masquerading as a member of KISS, the only metal band that Steve could stomach to listen to for any period of time. Above all though, he wasn’t Eddie Munson. 

Steve dressed as Ferris Bueller wearing a costume eerily similar to Tina’s Halloween Party several years prior and matched with Robin who went as his best friend Cameron Frye. The kids dressed in random costumes that meant little to Eddie beyond recognition that they were having fun. 

The whole Party went door to door in Loch Nora for the full size candy bars then around the Wheeler’s neighborhood for some of what Dustin called, “the cheap shit”. When the night was over and most of the houses were out of candy to pass out, everyone headed back to the Byers’ house for the sleepover of all sleepovers. They carved pumpkins and ate pie, they made pumpkin seeds and cookies, they almost gave Hopper a heart attack when they started a food fight that wrecked the entire dining room (Eddie started it but he’s taking that with him to the grave). 

When the kids were too tired and the girls had retreated to bed, Steve led Eddie out to his car where they watched the stars and smoked some cigarettes. They ate all of Dustin’s candy and traded secrets under the gaze of the brightened moon. Eddie’d long forgotten about his face paint up until the point where Steve’s lips met his in a light kiss that shot electricity through his bones. They kissed and hugged until their noses were cold from the chilly weather and they had no choice but to head back inside. 

It was the best night of Eddie’s life. 

The morning after was not. He woke up with a bruising jolt from Steve’s elbow making contact with his jaw. His stomach hurt from the excessive consumption of sweets and his lungs were tight from the chain smoking. Most of all though, his head hurt from the loud raucous of the kids finding his facepaint all over the lower half of Steve’s face. 

He dealt with the outraged confusion of the kids, the stern ‘talking-to’ (more like screaming match) from Hopper for defiling his adopted son, and even the not so subtle looks from Robin and Nancy. Everything was worth it in the end when Steve carefully wiped off the makeup on Eddie’s face with nimble fingers and gentle swipes until all that was left was some slight staining of skin and his lips meeting Steve’s. 

Halloween of 1986 was the best of many moments to come. It turns out that for Eddie, ‘86 was his year after all. 

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