#tell me your thoughts

[messysketchyobeyme]

"I've been reading stories...from the human world," Satan says.

You respond, "Really? Which one's your favorite?"

Satan picks at a stray thread on his sweater. "Uh, my favorite one so far is the one about the human falling in love with the beast."

"That's a good one."

"Do you think it's possible?"

"What is?"

"For a human to fall in love with someone like that? Someone who's angry, prone to outbursts, and overcome by...by...rage."

"Um, I think so, but they'd have to improve on themselves first. If their rage is hurting others, then it's important that they learn to find better coping mechanisms and outlets for their emotions."

"And if they do that...?"

"Then, I don't see why not."

Satan makes a face. You can't read his expression, but it seems almost giddy.

"Okay," he says.

[vxnrouge]

What was your first impression of your favorite twst characters?

[anderperryfever]

do you guys think Todd and Neil fell for each other on that very first handshake? or Neil fell first and Todd fell harder? or otherwise?

[konigsblog]

Nikto suffers from some mental illness??

(this is just my headcannon)

talk of mental illness.

definitely depression, anxiety and PTSD. i think he gets stressed out too easily, perhaps having some anger issues and threatening the recruits to behave, otherwise he'd lose his shit.

he's definitely been through some stuff (not sure if we know his past, or if he has one), but i'd imagine that he didn't come from a loving family, and got into a lot of fights. i think he'd struggle with keeping himself calm, and constantly finds himself anxious about the future. it makes him aggressive, and mixed with his anger issues, he'd either punch a wall, or work out to forget about all the stress.

nikto probably puts a lot of strain on his body to ignore the war happening in his head. perhaps, he'd struggle with finding love, or not getting too overprotective and ruining his relationships. he's probably dealt with some things revolving the safety of his loved ones, and can't help but fear for the safety of his significant other. with his family? i'd imagine he didn't have the best relationship with his father, as he was deadbeat; drunken 24/7. his mother wasn't any better, or just wasn't in the picture.

[justirina]

I noticed that a lot of ppl liked my human Wally doodles so HERES MORE-

Edit: Yea I just couldn’t look at it anymore 💀 sry for everyone but it just didn’t sit right with me

I will redraw him in that shirt tho definitely …

[wolvesandfoxes25]

The beauty of forgiveness and how it tied up two storylines. Part 2.

Jeans indecisiveness and how it saved Reiner:

No matter what Hange says, Jean IS the reason why Reiner escaped. His intrusion gave Pieck and Zeke TIME to get to Reiner. His words didn't sway Hange, they even say that it wasn't Jeans fault. But if you want to be realistic about it..Jean was at fault. He bought Reiner time to be saved. ACCIDENTALLY, of course.

Part 4: Jeans hesitation

Jean could kill titans. Fine. Not until the arc comes around where they're killing MPs and Marleyan civilians, he has a REALLY hard time with it.

Even when Gabi shoots Sasha, Jean hesitates. After, when Floch asks what to do with them, he says, in tears, that throwing kids off the ship won't stop all this senseless killing.

I think this hesitation coincides really well with Reiner, who puts his hesitation into his split personality. His hesitation is as a Scout soldier. It's gone when he's a Marleyan Warrior.

Jeans hesitation was ALWAYS there, and it cost lives. To him. Which he can't stand. Which, to me, is where that self hatred stems from. He hates that he can't help but have self restraint.

"Those bones will never let me rest."

Marco was a GOOD person, who was constantly there for his friends and gave Jean confidence to be the leader he saw he could be. There aren't a lot of GOOD people in this anime, but Marco and Falco to me, are.

Part 5: Forgiving yourself & lifting up another. Name meanings..

Jean means God is Gracious.

Reiner means Warrior.

Look at how he saves Reiner, the lighting in the background. Jean is lit up, and Reiner is in the dark. It's almost like an angel saving someone from hell. The way Jeans positioning is great as well, one leg bent, reaching down and holding UP Reiner.

Yes, holding up. Keeping him from tumbling into hell. He would have been crushed by those titans, his armor would have done nothing. Another suicidal ideation because he HADN'T forgiven HIMSELF.

Jean had though. He had forgiven himself and Reiner. And that's why he could save him. When he couldn't save anyone else. And that's also what helped Reiner fight. Jean gave him a place to belong and Reiner helped Jean realize what those bones were saying to him. It's okay to hesitate, to not be fit to take human life easily. Jean was always strong without the persona, his empathy and empathetic nature for others, for REINER, made him strong.

Jean spent this entire fight concerned for Reiner. He couldn't help that. Couldn't help being worried for someone who had hurt him.

Not to mention.. these two were Isayamas favorite to write. It makes sense that their arcs ran into each other to help each other in the end.

What do you think?

[samandcolbyownme]

There’s No Mix Up - Jake Webber

Coming after I Wish I Knew.

I’m curious to see what you think this one will be about 😏

[princesskitten2497]

Feeling cute ☺️

[jonathan-cranes-mistress-of-fear]

Riddler is the type of person who has ZERO patience for slow computers, I can see him telling at Firefox to load faster (because he has the the fastest internet in the city, but he bumped the modem and broke the connection) or screaming about the Task Manager not responding when it's the tool to close programs that are not responding.

Meanwhile Jonathan has one of those old brick computers you see in 90s elementary classrooms that are slower then a snail and he just reads a book while internet explorer loads.

[japeneselunchtimerush]

This endcard has so many layers and I have so many thoughts about this.

Number one why are they staring so intensely at each other?What is the context of this conversation?Are Midorima and Akashi closer than they appear to be? Midorima seems to have no problem resting his hand on akashi's knee. Also why are the bandages on midorima's fingers unravelling? What is this trying to convey? Why is Midorima's tie loose when he prefers to be neat and proper at all times? How exactly are they sitting? Is akashi on a table and midorima on a chair? How are they in such a position? What kind of convo would require them to be so close?

Yeah this endcard evokes something in me idk what it is .

[a-french-coconut]

Okay I’m going to need your opinions here. Do you forgive Luke Castellan for what he did? (the fact that Charlie Bushnell is handsome does not mean that Luke is redeemed sorry not sorry).

Because we all know he had good intentions, he just wanted a better life for demigods but come on, he could have started with something… idk smaller? Like pissing off his dad and not starting a freaking war!

And yes Kronos definitely manipulated him and took advantage of him but Luke knew that a war would kill people, demigods he was friend with.

And his actions toward Annabeth, his little sister??? Thalia died to protect them and he goes and try to destroy the place that kept them safe? He puts her under the sky?

So with all that in mind, I think Luke Castellan should have ended up in the fields of Asphodel, not Elysium. All the good things he did don't outweigh the bad in my opinion.

Imagine being a demigod who died during the battle of Manhattan and suddenly you see Luke Castellan, leader of the enemy army, walking through heaven’s door because he realized at the end that what he did was not, in fact, a great idea. Enough to kill me from shock again.

But then I also see why he did all that. Poison Thalia’s tree? Poor guy just wanted to see his old friend again and together they would kick their parents off their throne. Plus his backstory? Enough to make anyone snap I guess.

So yeah tell me your thoughts about Luke Castellan, an exquisite complex character how we love them, I would love to hear them.

[myloveforfanfictonisendless]

Ok here is your question of the day

Which one of your favourite songs reminds you of a tf characters?(of any continuity)

For me (in primeverse)

Optimus prime: hips don't lie(those hips are blessings in veneer)& Guy.exe(do I have to give reason for this? I don't think so)

Even megs can concur with me here,

Knockout: Tokyo drift & Paint the town red(courtesy of @cyberrose2001 )

Megatron: Enemy

Arcee: Boss bitch

[blueteller]

By the power of... what?

Do you know that cliche line which sometimes popped up in old TV shows, when the heroes face off against the villains? Something among lines of "By the power of _____, we shall defeat you"?

...I started thinking, what kind of line would fit the TCF cast best?🤔

"By the power of money, scamming and misunderstandings, we shall smack you in the back!"... maybe? 😂 What do you guys think?

[fandom-shit-i-like]

being in a fandom while not having finished the series (tgcf) is risky… i just realized that when i saw a reel and it was xie lian with saying stuff like “it hurts it hurts” and below it said major spoilers so i was WHOOP GOTTA QUICK SKIP THAT—

maybe i really should finish the novels and not try to savor them… imma get spoiled sooner or later i think

now my face is burning and i’m like (shit shit)

[marsosims]

i'm trying to separate the open shirt thing from the simtimates collection (+ add a different shirt underneath)

tried to add a skirt to make sure it's the appropriate size (it is) but i still feel like something's missing?? (i'm also trying to go for aespa karina's look in that one it's Live yt vid but I wanted it to be rolled up instead, but i'm thinking of maybe just making it longer like how she wears it??)

[ghosttotheparty]

something nice

also on AO3

Eddie is alive.

He hadn’t expected it, obviously, not when the world went black as he lay in Dustin’s arms, as he held back screams of pain because he didn’t want to scare him.

But then he was awake.

Laying in the same place, the world dark and dreary and red and black, the air full of flurries of something that he chokes on.

Nobody else had been expecting it either, as Eddie expected, and as was proven when they found them. The world had fallen silent as their eyes found him in the dark, and the weight that had been resting on his shoulders released him as he stared back at them.

They’d all been happy.

Dustin reached out first, his body crashing into Eddie’s so hard, so suddenly, it hurt, but Eddie didn’t care. He’d hugged him back as tightly as possible.

You died, Dustin had said. I saw you, I— I heard you stop breathing— How…

I’m right here, man.

Robin had been laughing. Breathlessly, deliriously laughing, and she’d hugged him too.

They’d all been happy.

Except Steve.

Eddie’s eyes had found him over Erica’s shoulder. He was partially hidden in the dark, his eyes shining and trained on Eddie, an intense and unreadable expression in them before Eddie closed his eyes, squeezing Erica and lowering her back to the ground.

Alright, we need to get a move on, Steve had said. Come on, guys.

Eddie thought they were cool, before… Well, before he died.

They weren’t best friends, of course, Eddie doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to take that title from Robin. Not that he wants to. He’d never want to take that away from them, and he doesn’t to be Steve’s best friend anyway.

But he thought they were okay. Friendly, at least, even if it wasn’t what Eddie wanted.

But Steve doesn’t seem to like him at all.

He barely looks at him, and when their eyes meet, Eddie can’t read his eyes, or the way his brows are furrowed, can’t tell if it’s because of his intense focus or because Steve just doesn’t like him.

He barely even looks at Eddie when he volunteers his house for Eddie to stay.

“You sure you want me in your house?” Eddie asks. He can’t help but give him a little glare, and Steve stares (finally) back.

“My parents are in Italy,” he says dryly. “And my house is in the woods. No one’ll see you.”

“That makes sense,” Nancy says, nodding in agreement. They’ve already established that he can’t stay in her basement the way Eleven did once. (He also can’t stay at the Sinclairs’, or Robin’s, or Dustin’s. Hopper is in hiding himself, though he swears he’ll talk to Uncle Wayne, that he’ll explain everything so Eddie can see him again.)

Steve nods, flipping his bat before he tosses it into the back of his car.

Eddie holds back a huff.

It makes sense. That’s why he’ll stay at Steve’s. Not because Steve wants him there.

They drop the kids off first. (They all hug Steve and Eddie. Eddie was never a big hug person, but he’s coming around to them now. Everyone is so warm. Warm in a way he isn’t anymore.) Then the girls, who both kiss them them on the cheek.

The drive to Steve’s is silent. Eddie looks out the window, watching the world go by, shivering and pulling his jacket tighter around himself. Steve turns the heat on wordlessly. Eddie wants to cry.

Neither of them say anything when they get inside, even though there’s a lot Eddie wants to say. He wants to ask why he feels like he’s in a pretentious interior design catalogue. He wants to ask why Steve won’t look at him, why he just silently finds towels and clothes and an unopened toothbrush and toothpaste for Eddie to use and hands them to him before leaving.

Eddie spends a long time in the shower. The heat is welcome, the warm steam cozy and comforting, and he almost cries when he shuts off the water, a chill overtaking his whole body and making him tremble. Luckily Steve gave him a hoodie and long sweatpants to wear, but it’s still not enough.

He finds Steve in the kitchen, filling a glass at the sink. Steve glances up at him.

——

Eddie is different than he was before he…

His skin is paler. Teeth a little sharper. Cheeks redder. He’s colder.

Robin mentioned it in passing, that their cheeks touched when she hugged him and he felt like ice. He was shivering in the car on the way to Steve’s and Steve couldn’t help but turn the heat on for him.

He looks nice in Steve’s clothes. The hoodie he gave him is one Steve got in high school: faded blue with Hawkins Swim Team across the chest. His hair is still wet, dripping on his shoulders, but frizzy like he’d scrubbed it too hard with his towel.

Steve looks away.

——

“Did I do something?” Eddie bursts, and Steve shuts off the tap, sipping from the glass and looking at the white tiled backsplash. “Steve, don’t ignore me. Please.”

Steve takes a deep breath, and Eddie’s stomach flips over as he watches Steve set the glass back in the sink without emptying it. He slides his tongue across his teeth, almost seething, and Eddie’s chest hurts. Steve looks down, gripping the sink, swallowing and taking a breath before he speaks.

“I’m… I’m angry at you.” His voice is shaking, and he looks up at him, pressing his lips together. He releases the sink, turning to face Eddie. “I’m really— I’m really… fucking angry at you.”

Eddie blinks, his lip trembling.

“Wh— Why are you—”

But Steve pushes him, shoves him, and his back hits the walls, knocking the air from his lungs, and he gasps, letting himself fall back even though he knows he could easily throw Steve back.

“I told you,” Steve says, his fingers pressing to Eddie’s chest, his voice breaking. “I told you not to be a hero, Eddie, I fucking told you—” His voice chokes off, and his eyes are glistening. He’s gasping for breath, like he might have a panic attack. “And you went, and you were the fucking hero..”

“Steve…” Eddie breathes.

“I gave you—” Steve pokes his fingers into Eddie’s chest again. Eddie can feel the heat in his fingers through the hoodie, and his eyes burn. He wants to pull him into a hug, to feel Steve’s hands press onto his back and stomach and chest. He wants. “I gave you one goddamn instruction, and you— you were gone, Eddie, you fucking died, you—” He gasps, his eyes wide, a tear falling down his cheek.

“I— I know, Stevie, I’m sorry,” Eddie says softly, watching Steve’s chest move with every stuttering breath. “I just… I needed them away from Dustin, I—”

“I know, Eddie,” Steve says firmly, his voice too loud. “I know, and I— I’m grateful, and I would have— I would have done the same, I just… I’m angry,” he says. His voice is weaker, and another tears fall down his cheek. “Can I be angry? Please?”

Something shifts in the air between them, and Eddie realises how close they are. Heat is radiating off Steve’s body, and Eddie shivers in spite of it.

“Why do you need to be angry?” he asks softly, resisting the urge to reach up and wipe the tears from his cheek.

“Because if I’m not angry, I’ll—” Steve cuts off with a gasp, his eyes flicking back and forth between Steve’s. Another tear escapes.

“What?” Eddie breathes. Steve’s fingers are still pressing on his chest, and slowly, he relaxes his hand, breathing hard. His knuckles press over Eddie’s heart, and after another breath he lifts his fist and hits Eddie’s chest with a thud.

“If I—” He gasps, blinking hard and making tears fall. Eddie’s vision blurs. “If I’m not angry, I’ll kiss you.”

The floor falls out from under Eddie. He exhales.

“And I can’t do that,” Steve finishes, breathlessly. “I need— I need to be angry.”

“Why can’t you do that?” Eddie asks softly. Steve’s brows furrow, and he shakes his head, hitting Eddie’s chest again and pressing him against the harder.

“Don’t do that, Eddie,” he says weakly. “Please, don’t— don’t do that.”

“Why can’t you kiss me, Steve?”

“Stop.” Steve squeezes his eyes shut, his hand gripping the hoodie Eddie is wearing, and Eddie finally reaches up and touches his hand, gently setting his own over his curled fingers.

“Don’t be angry at me, Stevie,” he pleads quietly. Steve shakes his head, his eyes closing tighter, and Eddie squeezes his hand. It’s almost hot to the touch. “Please, Steve.”

Steve is crying,but his hand loosens, Eddie takes it in his own, holding it to his chest.

“I missed you,” he breathes, reaching up with his other hand to brush away a tear. “I missed you so much, I thought of you every hour, every— every fucking second.”

Steve stifles a sob, taking a sharp breath, and Eddie cups his cheek.

“I told you not to be a hero,” he says weakly.

“I know, sweetheart,” Eddie says softly, his cheeks flushing pink. “I know, I’m sorry.”

Steve sobs. His cheeks are wet with tears, and a part of Eddie’s mind is jealous at how pretty a crier he is.

Eddie lifts his chin, and they’re close enough for him to press his quivering lips to Steve’s forehead.

“Eddie,” Steve chokes, his hand gripping Eddie’s hoodie again.

“Please don’t be angry,” Eddie begs softly, his lips brushing Steve’s warm skin. Steve’s other hand lifts to the side of Eddie’s neck, holding him tightly and pulling him away. His hand is so warm.

“Eddie.” His eyes are still glistening.

“Don’t be angry at me,” Eddie pleads, a tear slipping down his cheek. “Please, Stevie.”

Steve exhales, pulling at Eddie’s neck until their foreheads press together. Eddie’s bangs are still a little wet, but Steve doesn’t seem to care at all, closing his eyes and breathing and breathing. Eddie lets go of Steve’s hand on his chest and reaches to hold his face, brushing his thumbs over his cheeks.

“I missed you,” Steve says softly. Eddie squeezes his eyes shut. Tears fall down his cheeks. He opens his mouth to speak, but he’s interrupted.

Steve is kissing him, his fingertips digging into the nape of his neck, his other hand tight on Eddie’s hoodie, and Eddie inhales deeply, clutching at Steve’s face. When Steve pulls away, his eyes are wide, panicked and desperate.

“‘S okay,” Eddie breathes, leaning in and kissing him again, chaste and dry and soft.

“You’re supposed to hate me,” Steve says when they part again, his eyes closed, tears drying tacky on his cheeks. Eddie laughs breathlessly, wetly, shaking his head.

“I’m not ever gonna hate you,” he tells him.

Steve kisses him again, tilting his head and pushing his fingers into Eddie’s damp and tangled hair, and Eddie’s arms wrap around his neck as his lips part. Steve is still breathing hard, but Eddie swallows it all, stealing every breath from the air between them like they’re shotgunning.

Eddie pulls away to wipe Steve’s tears again, and Steve sighs, closing his eyes and letting him, swaying on his feet.

Eddie’s never kissed anyone like this. All the people he’s kissed, he’s kissed hard, rushed and anxious and desperate, and it was all okay. Nice. But Steve is kissing him softly, slowly, like they have all the time in the world. (And now that the world is saved, maybe they do.)

Eddie shivers again as Steve’s tongue traces his lip.

Steve pulls away, close enough that Eddie can feel his breath, and he slips his fingertips under the collar of Eddie’s shirt.

“You’re so cold,” he whispers.

“‘M always cold now,” Eddie says quietly, lowering his hands to Steve’s waist, fisting his t-shirt tightly. “You’re warm.”

“I’ll keep you warm,” Steve murmur, kissing him softly, wrapping his arms around Eddie’s neck. “Jesus, Eddie,” he breathes when they part. “I really thought you were gone forever.”

“I’m right here, Stevie,” Eddie whispers, kissing him. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Promise me,” Steve demands breathlessly. “Promise me you— you’ll run next time, Eddie, please. Please.”

“ I really hope there isn’t a next time, but—” They both laugh softly, their foreheads pressing together. “But I promise, Steve, I swear.”

He seals it with a kiss.

Steve hugs him tightly, burying his face in his neck, and heat rushes through Eddie’s body. He squeezes his eyes shut, basking in it, feeling the way Steve’s chest rises and falls against his with every breath.

“Are you still angry at me?” Eddie whispers.

“No.” Steve nuzzles his face into his neck. “‘M not angry at you, Eddie, I never was.”

Eddie pulls away and kisses him deeply, shivering as their tongues slide together. Steve’s fingers bury themselves in Eddie’s hair again.

“I’m sorry,” Steve says softly when they part, and his eyes are swimming with tears again. Eddie is shaking his head, but he continues anyway, his voice thick. “I was mean, I shouldn’t have— I shouldn’t have been angry, I just…” He takes a breath, and Eddie watches his throat move when he swallows. “I didn’t want to cry.”

Steve blinks at him, tears falling, his eyes widening like he’s realised something, and Eddie tilts his head. He sets his hands on Steve’s waist.

“What’s wrong?” he asks softly, because Steve is breathing hard again, his fingers tightening in Eddie’s hair.

“I’m not supposed to kiss you,” Steve says almost absentmindedly, his glistening eyes drifting over Eddie’s face. “I’m not supposed to cry.”

“Sweetheart…” Eddie breathes, lifting a hand to touch his face, to wipe his tears, but before he can touch him, Steve flinches.

Eddie freezes, his hand hovering in the air, and it feels like a bucket of ice water has been dropped on his head. Their eyes lock, and Steve’s eyes widen as he realises what’s just happened. Eddie’s whole body hurts.

“Sorry,” Steve says softly.

“Don’t apologise.” Eddie’s other hand tightens on his waist. “Don’t ever apologise.” Steve’s eyelids flutter, and he looks away. “Is it okay if I touch your face?”

“Yes,” Steve says breathlessly. “Please.”

Eddie wipes his tears away as gently, carefully as he can before he sets his palm on his cheek, leaning in and kissing his mouth softly before pressing their foreheads together.

“‘M not ever gonna hurt you, Stevie,” he whispers. “You’re allowed to cry.”

Steve sniffles and squeezes his eyes shut. Eddie kisses him again, even though he can’t kiss back.

“‘S okay,” Eddie murmurs. “That’s okay.”

Steve is crying. Fully, actually crying. Holding onto Eddie’s neck and sobbing as their foreheads press together. Eddie whispers to him, holding his face and swaying. After a while Steve shifts, and he’s pushing his face back into Eddie’s neck, sobs wracking his body, and Eddie’s hugs him, running his fingers through his hair and holding him until Steve’s knees give out, and Eddie carefully lowers them to the floor.

“I got you,” he whispers as Steve clutches at him, cradling the back of his head. “It’s okay, ‘m right here.”

Steve’s breath is stuttering in his chest, getting caught in his throat, short, quick gasps, and Eddie’s heart hurts.

“Slow breathing, Stevie,” he whispers, shifting them so they’re facing each other, his legs around Steve, and he pulls one of Steve’s hands from his neck to press to his stomach. He takes a long inhale, making sure Steve can feel his stomach rising with it. Steve blearily opens his eyes, looking at his hand pressed to Eddie’s stomach.

“All the way in, sweetheart,” Eddie murmurs, his thumb brushing over Steve’s cheek as Steve inhales, closing his eyes and furrowing his brows. “You got it.”

“‘M sorry,” Steve says breathlessly. Eddie jostled his face gently, holding his hand to his stomach tighter.

“I told you not to apologise, Steve.”

Steve smiles in spite of his tears, his eyes opening and looking at Eddie, but he isn’t looking clearly. His eyes looks misty, almost glazed over.

“Sorry,” he breathes. Eddie just scoffs lightly and shakes his head at him, kissing his forehead.

Steve’s breathing calms down, but he keeps crying. Eddie wipes his tears away, and Steve keeps his hand on his stomach, his other hand touching and holding his shoulder. He opens his eyes after a while, still crying, and pulls Eddie in.

Their mouths crash together, and Eddie furrows his brows. He can feel Steve’s tears on his own face, but he doesn’t care. He kisses him back like he’d die if he didn’t.

Clutching at his face. Sucking on his lip. Humming breathily when Steve’s hand presses harder against his stomach.

“Missed you so much,” he whispers when they part to breathe, holding Steve’s face between his hands, his fingertips tucking behind his ears and into his hair. He kisses him again, his stomach fluttering when he feels Steve press his tongue into his mouth and when Steve’s hand shifts, his fingertips slipping under the hoodie to touch his skin.

“Will you sleep in my bed tonight?” Steve asks, gasping for breath. His lips are shining, and Eddie can’t tear his eyes away from them. He nods.

“Yeah. Yes. Please.”

“Okay.”

He kisses him again. He’s not as careful as he was earlier, when he was almost languid and lazy and slow. Now his teeth are pulling at Eddie’s lip, his tongue sliding alongside Eddie’s and tracing his lips and along his teeth. Eddie almost laughs, letting his mouth hang open for Steve to have his way, and when Steve finally pulls away, there’s a string of spit connecting their mouths.

Eddie smiles and just pulls him back in, because he’s wanted do this for so long, and now he can.

It’s messy, and wet, and a little bit gross, but Eddie seriously could not care less. (He even thinks he might like it, how careless and free it feels to lick across Steve’s open lips, to tangle his fingers in Steve’s precious hair.) And Steve doesn’t seem to mind it either, if Eddie were to assume based on the breathy hums that escape him, on the way his hands push under the hoodie to hold his cold skin.

The kiss slows when Steve’s hand presses to the small of Eddie’s back, and then Steve is sucking on Eddie’s tongue, his other hand emerging from under the hoodie to hold the back of Eddie’s head, like he’s holding him in place. If Eddie wasn’t already sitting on the floor, his knees would buckle. (He almost laughs again; he’s making out with Steve Harrington on the tiled floor on his kitchen.)

Steve kisses him one last time, slowly, before they part again. They’re both breathing heavily, lips red and kiss-bitten and shining, and Eddie caresses his face.

“I’ve never told you how beautiful you are,” he murmurs.

Steve’s cheeks redden even more than they were already flushed, and he turns his face into Eddie’s palm.

“Come to bed,” he whispers.

“Okay,” Eddie whispers back, leaning in to kiss just under his eye, where his cheek is squished against Eddie’s fingers.

He helps him get up, standing first before he reaches down and grasps his arms and pulls him up so easily it surprises them both. Steve blushes again. Eddie grins.

He finds Steve’s glass in the sink and fills it to the rim before holding out to him, and he watches his throat move as he drinks it all. The he fills it again and holds it back out. Steve smiles at him, resigning, and drinks it before he refills it himself and hands it to Eddie, who smiles fondly and drinks it.

Steve leads him upstairs, their fingers tangled, and into his room. They leave the kitchen light on. Steve goes to flick on his bathroom light while Eddie climbs into the bed, under the covers and blankets. Everything smells like Steve, warm and masculine and like some expensive cologne, but also the same smell that lingers in every room in the house, and in Steve’s car. Eddie is burying his face in one of the pillows on Steve’s bed before Steve is even back, watching him with one eye as he flicks off the overhead light, still lit up by the bathroom light.

Steve climbs in next to Eddie and wraps his arms around him.

“Jesus, you’re so warm,” Eddie groans, hugging him back tightly. Steve laughs lightly.

“Come here.” He shifts, rolling onto his back so Eddie can lay on his chest, their legs entwining. He carefully threads his fingers through Eddie’s hair, untangling it and combing through his curls.

——

“Stevie,” Eddie whispers after a while. His head is resting on Steve’s chest.

Steve smiles at the ceiling. He likes when Eddie calls him that.

“Yeah.”

Eddie is quiet for a moment.

“It's your dad, isn’t it?”

Steve’s smile falters and falls, remembering how he reacted because Eddie lifted a hand while he was crying. How he jerked his face away and tightened his shoulders and flinched in anticipation. How Eddie’s hand froze, how his eyes widened, how he seemed to break inside.

“It’s…” He pauses, taking a breath, feeling Eddie’s head rise and fall with his chest. “It’s both of them.”

Eddie presses his face against him, taking a deep breath before he lifts his head and looks down at him, his face stern. Serious.

“You don’t deserve it. You understand me?”

Steve exhales, closing his eyes.

He reaches up to touch Eddie’s face, remembering all the slaps across his face, stinging because of the wedding bands he knows neither of them actually want to wear, the wedding bands that are only there because of Steve. Remembering the jerks on the collars of his shirts when he tried to leave, the walls that his back has hit, the corners of the dining table he’s been pushed into.

Remembering the firm scoldings and the fingers in his face of you’re a man, Steven, fucking act like it, every time his eyes watered for any reason. He was never a man. He was just a child.

You don’t deserve it.

“You understand me?” Eddie prompts again, his voice gentle, like he just knows.

“Yes, Eddie,” Steve breathes, his eyes stinging again. But he doesn’t cry this time. He pulls Eddie down to kiss him again, gently biting his lip before Eddie lays down again, sliding a hand under Steve’s shirt. His hand is cold against his waist. He doesn’t mind.

He closes his eyes and tilts his head so his face presses to the top of Eddie’s head. He kisses him, and sighs. He smells like the shampoo in the guest room. Next time he’ll use Steve’s.

“What are we gonna tell the others?” Eddie asks after a while.

“Hm?” Steve’s limbs are heavy. He’s falling asleep. He hasn’t fallen asleep this peacefully in a long time.

“Tomorrow,” Eddie says. “When we see the others. I don’t think I’ll be able to keep my hands off of you.”

Steve laughs sleepily, kissing the top of his head again.

“Keep it above the belt, Munson, and I don’t think we’ll have a problem,” he mumbles.

Eddie snorts, pinching him, and Steve laughs, finding his hand under the blankets, until his hoodie, and sliding his hand over top of it.

“Obviously, dumbass,” he says fondly. Steve smiles at the ceiling. “I mean, like…” He trails off awkwardly, and Steve jostles him lightly, humming questioningly. “Are we— Are we boyfriends?”

Steve hunda again, kissing his head.

“Yeah,” he says softly. “If you wanna be.”

Eddie moves again, lifting his head.

“Yeah?”

Steve rolls his head, opening his eyes and gazing up at him. His hair is falling down around their faces like a curtain, and Steve reaches up to touch it.

“Eddie, we made out for like half an hour on my kitchen floor. I think that warrants a relationship.”

Eddie blinks, almost smiling. Steve touches his cheek, squeezing his hand.

“It scares me,” he says softly. “Being with a boy. But…” He trails his fingers across Eddie’s forehead under his bangs, then over his temple and his cheek until his fingertips are lightly tracing his lips. “After the shit we’ve been through, I think… I think we deserve something nice. Don’t you?”

Eddie blinks hard, swallows thickly and taking a breath before he leans down and kisses him again, more intensely than before. Steve inhales, holding Eddie’s jaw, his whole body flushing with heat like it’s the first time.

“Yeah,” Eddie breathes when they part. “We do.”

Steve smiles, kissing him again. He wonders if this is what it’s going to be like every time they kiss, if it’s going to get him breathless and lightheaded and floaty like his skull is full of cotton instead of a brain.

Eddie lays back down after they’re done kissing (which takes a while because Steve doesn’t want to let Eddie’s tongue out of his mouth), cuddling into Steve’s side.

“You don’t think they’ll… be upset?”

Steve blinks, thinking.

“No,” he decided. “I mean, Mike, maybe. Just because he doesn’t like me.” Eddie snickers quietly. “But the others… Surprised, maybe. Not upset. Not angry.”

“Are you sure?”

“Very. I’ve thought about it,” he says. He has. Relentlessly. Even before Eddie was gone. How everyone would react if Steve said out loud how pretty Eddie is, how he wanted to hold his hand. If Eddie felt the same way. If they kissed in front of all of them just because. (He still wishes they did. Before they parted ways. Before Eddie was gone. He kind of wishes he’d skipped the don’t be a hero thing (which hadn’t really mattered anyway), and instead just grabbed the front of his shirt and tugged him close.)

“We’ve all witness the near-end-of-the-world like five times,” he says. “Seen horrors beyond reality. I don’t think two boys kissing will freak them out.”

Eddie sighs.

“Okay.”

“Go to sleep, baby.”

Eddie squeezes him.

Everyone comes over the next day. Steve happens to have popcorn in his pantry and stays in the kitchen to make it while everyone gathers in the living room, blankets and pillows and limbs everywhere comfortably like they’ve all lived here for years.

Eddie finds him and snatches a handful of popcorn before Steve can warn him off, and Steve glades at him but he’s smiling.

“Pretty sure Henderson went to your room to find ore blankets,” Eddie says, munching on the popcorn. Steve shakes his head, smiling fondly.

“Buncha little shits.”

“Hey,” Eddie says, because he can’t stop himself, and Steve lifts his head to look at him, but Eddie is already leaning in, kissing him hard.

Steve laughs.

“Why are you kissing me with your mouth full?”

Eddie grins. Pauses to chew and swallow while Steve finishes pouring the popcorn. And then he kisses him again, his fingers gently holding his chin. Steve smiles, forgetting the open door the kitchen, forgetting the popcorn, forgetting the gaggle of children in the other room, and kisses him back, reaching up to hold the back of his head.

Eddie tilts his head head to deepen it, and Steve is still smiling, and—

“Hey, Steve, do you have—”

They break apart, startled, and Steve’s hand just barely misses the edge of the popcorn bowl, tipping it and spilling popcorn to the counter as they both face the door.

Max is standing there, leaning on her crutches and blinking at them behind her thick glasses. Then she wrinkles her nose and furrows her brow.

“Ew.”

Steve blinks. Eddie’s hand lands on his back before it slides across his shoulders, and Eddie leans on him.

“Didn’t take you to be judgemental, Red,” he says easily, but Steve can feel his nerves, can almost sense his heart pounding.

“I’m not,” she says without changing her expression. “I just don’t wanna see my dads making out. Steve, you have soda right?”

Steve blinks, jerking his chin back like he has whiplash.

“Uh. Yeah. In the pantry.”

“Cool, when you guys are done making out can you bring us some?”

“I— Yeah. Sure.”

“Cool.” She turns and leaves, but not before giving Eddie a look that Steve can’t quite read.

They’re both silent for a moment after she’s gone, listening to the loud banter from the living room. Will is yelling at Dustin about something.

“Her dads,” Eddie says dryly. Steve scoffs.

“I have so many mixed feelings about that.”

“Guess you were right, though,” Eddie says lightly, pressing a kiss to Steve’s cheek before he releases him. “Now we gotta see how Mike reacts.”

Steve sighs. He looks at Eddie as Eddie cleans up the popcorn, tossing a few pieces in his mouth, tossing the rest into the bowl.

A thrill goes through Steve’s body. He feels like he’s dream.

He reaches out and tugs at the hoodie that Eddie is still wearing, pulling him into another kiss, and a startled noise escapes Eddie before he chuckles softly and buries a hand in Steve’s hair.

“I love you,” Steve says softly when they part. Eddie’s eyes widen.

“…Really?”

“Really, really.”

Eddie wraps his arms around his neck, kissing him so hard their teeth clash, and Steve smiles.

“Jesus, I love you too.”

Steve kisses him gently, touching his cheek.

“Will you take the soda into the living room?” he asks after another quiet moment. Eddie nods.

“Into battle,” he says, pecking his lips before he pulls away. “See you in there, hot stuff.” He smacks Steve’s ass, and Steve laughs, rolling his eyes, but he pauses to watch Eddie lift a case of soda effortlessly.

He pauses in the living room doorway when he finishes with the popcorn.

Max’s crutches are resting against the side of a sofa, and she’s cuddled up against Lucas, his arm around her, her chest on his chest. El (wearing an oversized flannel that Steve recognises as Jonathan’s) is sitting on the floor, Lucas’s legs over her shoulders, holding onto his shin with her head tilted back to rest between his legs. One of Lucas’s hands is playing with her curls. Mike and Will are on the floor, by the coffee table, Mike’s head in Will’s lap, and Dustin is sitting next to them, talking with Will. (Mike is oddly quiet, looking up at Will as he speaks.) Erica is also listening to Dustin, leaning against the sofa that Robin and Nancy are sharing.

Robin is sitting cross-legged between Nancy and Argyle, who’s playing with Jonathan’s hair as he sits contently on the floor next to Erica.

Steve gazes for a moment, watching it all. There are blankets and quilts covering everyone, pillows stacked under feel and behind heads, and when Steve’s eyes find Eddie, sitting on the sofa next to Max and Lucas, he almost melts.

He has his hood up, curls snaking out around his neck, and there’s a dark purple blanket around his shoulders. He looks cozy, and warm, and Steve wanders through the room, setting bowls on Lucas’s legs, Mike’s stomach, in Robin’s and Jonathan’s laps, and he comes to a stop in front of Eddie, who looks up at him and beams, displaying his sharp teeth.

“You alright, sweetheart?”

“Yeah.”

Steve leans down and kisses him.

The rooms fall silent, and Eddie grins against his mouth, and Steve pulls away after a moment, face flushing before he even stands up straight.

“What?” Mike’s voice says loudly, cutting through the tense silence.

Steve smiles awkwardly, turning to meet Robin’s eyes. She’s staring, mouth ajar and full of puffs of popcorn.

Argyle and Nancy and Max are smiling. Jonathan looks like he couldn’t care less, an approving sort of frown gracing his lips. The others are all staring, wide-eyes.

“What,” Eddie says, looking around Steve’s legs at Mike, who’s lifted his head from Will’s lap to stare at them. “You got a problem, Wheeler? You know boys can like each other, right?”

Mike’s face flushes red.

“That— That’s not— I don’t care about that!” he bursts. “Just— Him?” He points at Steve sharply. Steve almost laughs.

“Yeah?” Eddie says, reaching up and holding Steve’s hip. “What’s the problem?”

“You should have way higher standards.”

“Hey,” Steve exclaims, offended. “Watch it, Wheeler.”

“My standards are right where they need to be,” Eddie says curtly. “Thank you very much.”

“Ugh.” Mike lets his head drop back to Will’s lap. “Whatever.”

“Does anyone else have a problem?” Steve says, somewhat defensively.

“Nah, man,” Argyle says calmly. “It’s all love.”

“I just expect an invite to the wedding,” Max says dryly, holding a can of Coke up for Lucas to open for her. He’s grinning.

“You guys are cute together,” he says lightly, brushing Max’s hair back lovingly as she takes a sip.

“But you’re gonna be extra annoying together, aren’t you?” Erica says, and Steve almost laughs again.

“You know it, Applejack,” Eddie says brightly. She rolls her eyes at him.

Dustin is still staring at them. Steve meets his eyes.

The rooms falls quiet again, and Steve can feel the others’ eyes on them as he raises his eyebrows at Dustin. And then Dustin grins.

“Oh, Christ.” Steve rolls his eyes, turning away, and Dustin starts to laugh.

“I can’t call you my brothers anymore, can I?” he says, and Steve can hear the grin in his voice.

“Ew, no.”

“I called them my dads earlier,” Max volunteers, slurping the Coke like she’s bored, but Steve knows she’s having the time of her life. Eddie laughs behind him.

“No one call us your dads,” he says loudly. “That’s almost as bad as brothers.”

There’s a chorus of No, it’s not around the room, followed by light laughter, and Steve rolls his eyes again.

“Whatever.”

“Come sit down, sweetheart,” Eddie says softly, tugging at his hip, and Steve collapses on top of him heavily. Eddie wheezes out a laugh, and Steve watches as Erica kicks Dustin, asking him a question about whatever he was talking about earlier. He sends them one last smug look before he launches back into his rant. The others settle again. Steve takes a shaky breath.

“We’re good,” Eddie says softly, wrapping his arms around Steve’s neck. “Everything’s okay.”

“I know,” he says quietly. Eddie tilts his head and nuzzles into his neck, kissing just under his ear.

He pulls away when Erica says Hey loudly.

“I’m cool with you guys being lovers or whatever—”

“Yikes,” Steve interrupts.

“—but I draw the line at PDA. I don’t wanna see my dads make out.”

Steve splutters as Max cackles, and Eddie tucks his face into his neck again, his body shaking as he laughs.

“Whatever. Mike, turn on the movie.”

“What— Why me?”

“Because you were mean to me.”

Mike groans loudly, slowly getting up from the floor and passing the popcorn to Will, grumbling as he crosses the room. Will watches him god, smiling, and then he moves, sitting next to El with his back to the sofa next to Steve’s legs. Eddie reaches down and ruffles his hair.

When the movie starts, Mike lays back down, his head in Will’s lap, and Will sets the popcorn on his chest. Mike smiles up at him. Steve pretends not to notice.

Robin catches Steve’s eye. He shrugs half-heartedly, and she just mouths you rule. He grins. She looks back at Nancy, smiling softly, and something settles in his chest.

He sighs, looking up at the ceiling and relaxing against Eddie, who’s kissing his neck against because no one’s looking.

They still need to figure out what to do with Eddie when Steve’s parents get back. And what the side effects of Eddie’s coming back to life might be. (Why the fuck are his teeth sharp? And why is it hot? Steve has many questions.) And how to explain everything to Wayne. And Steve needs to find another job (probably with Robin), and he needs to decide if he’ll stay here for another year or finally move out. (And he needs to figure out how to tell his parents he’s moving out of he decides to.) Maybe he’ll find an apartment with Eddie. Maybe it won’t be in Hawkins, instead in Indianapolis or something. Or maybe he’d stay in Hawkins until the kids all graduate.

“You’re thinking,” Eddie murmurs in his ear. “Stop it.”

Steve laughs softly, turning his head to look at Eddie, whose chin is resting on his shoulder now.

“Okay.”

He sighs, closing his eyes. In the background he hears Robin giggle about something, and he hears Erica complain to Dustin about something, and he hears Argyle’s voice say something that’s probably directed to Jonathan.

The lights are all on, steady and unflickering, and there’s a movie playing on the television, the room smells like popcorn and air freshener, and Eddie’s strong arms are wrapped around him firmly.

It’s all nice.

He falls asleep.