#then look over at lucas who is already coming to the same realization

[munsonhoneybaby]

Too Much in Common | Eddie Munson X F!Henderson!Reader

Summary: After Dustin brings Eddie home for a D&D campaign, you find yourself enjoying his company more frequently than expected.

Word Count: 5.2k

Warnings: 18+ mdni, drug use (marijuana), smut, kinda automatic dubcon since they're both fried?, fingering, a lil praise, eddie’s just a lil obsessed

A/N: it hasn’t been explicitly stated yet but reader is adopted. hopefully i actually post a part two in a timely manner.

part two | finale | tmic masterlist

The rumbling of Eddie’s van ceased in the Hendersons’ driveway as he turned the key back in the ignition. He was surprised, however, when the metal thrum of a guitar continued despite his radio now being off. Opening his door, he recognized “N.I.B.” by Black Sabbath and realized it was coming from inside, making his eyebrows furrow in confusion. 

He made his way to the front door, not bothering to knock beforehand since Dustin was expecting him and the kid’s mom wasn’t home. “Since when did you get a taste in music, Henderson?” He called over the music blaring from the sound system in the living room. A door around the corner slammed open much more forcefully than necessary and the aforementioned freshman barreled out of his bedroom. 

“It’s my sister!” He shouted back. “She said I could have you guys over while Mom is gone if I didn’t bitch while she was in charge, but APPARENTLY THAT MEANS MAKING ME GO DEAF!” 

Eddie could just barely make out your muttered “oh please” as you entered from the kitchen. You turned down the volume until the sound could be considered background noise. “If anyone here is gonna go deaf, it’s me from your constant shrieking.” Distressed jeans hugged the curve of your waist perfectly and the Poison t-shirt you had on looked soft from numerous wears. He tried not to stare, but he was sure he looked like a cartoon character– bugging, heart-shaped eyes and jaw hitting the floor. He almost missed it when you acknowledged him. “Munson. I heard you were still running Hellfire. Didn’t realize you’d be coming today.”

Oh fuck. You knew him. You knew him? How did you know him? Of course, you had gone to the same school, everybody in Hawkins did, but he would remember meeting a girl like you. Would you be upset with him for not knowing who you are? God, already embarrassing himself and he hasn’t even started talk–

“Relax,” You snorted. “I was a grade under you at Hawkins and I was homeschooled my senior year. We never talked, I wouldn’t expect you to remember me. I’m pretty sure everybody knows about you, though.” And this is when you tell him to get out of your house and stay away from your kid brother because he’s a drug-dealing, Satan-worshipping freak. “It’s nice you’re still running the D&D club, sounds like everything else there gets worse every year.” 

Some of the tension in his muscles slipped away and he realized he’d been subtly bracing himself. “Oh–” The doorbell rang and Dustin ran to get it, welcoming in Mike and Lucas who were already amicably bickering louder than necessary. Behind them trailed the two others they had ridden with, Jeff and Gareth if you remembered correctly. They seemed a little uncomfortable holding a session in a new house, but relaxed drastically when they set eyes on Eddie. “Uh– you guys can go ahead down to the basement with the freshmeat. I’ll be down in a sec, alright?” They nodded, waving politely to you before following the boys.

When they were gone, you and Eddie locked eyes again. “Seriously, I’m glad Dusty has someone watching out for him. He takes more shit than he deserves. Just try to be a good role model, alright? If I find out you give that kid Special K or some shit, it’s fucking over for you. Got it?”

“I would never let anything bad happen to those kids when they’re with me,” He spoke earnestly. “I’m gonna look out for them. If I’m ever gonna do anything right, it’s that.”

“I believe you, Munson.” You gave him a small smile and nodded towards the basement door. “You should probably get going. They can’t start the game without their dungeon master, right?”

An embarrassed flush fought its way up his neck to his cheeks as you turned towards the hall where your bedroom was. Before you could get more than a couple of steps though, he gently grasped your wrist. “Hey uh, by the way– I just wanted you to know that I don’t really– I don’t do any hard stuff anymore. Haven’t in a while. I hardly even sell it anymore and I stopped selling to first-timers.”

“I’m sorry, Eddie, I didn’t mean to–”

“No, don’t worry about it. I totally get it, I just wanted to let you know; for your peace of mind, I guess. You deserve to know who your baby brother’s hanging around with, I don’t want you to think I’m too bad an influence.”

“I don’t think you’re too bad, Munson. Just a healthy amount.” You gave his own wrist a small squeeze as you slipped your hand from his and finally went back to your own room. He gazed after you momentarily, even after your door had closed. If the guys were still present, they would definitely be giving him shit.

As if on cue, he heard Dustin’s muffled shout from the basement. “Eddie, hurry the hell up!”

You were sitting on the front porch swing lighting a joint when his beat-up van pulled up two nights later. “Seek & Destroy” poured from his cracked-open windows until his door opened and he set foot on your driveway once again. “He’s not here, y’know,” You called to him.

“That’s alright, I actually just needed to–” Eddie was halfway between you and his van when he caught a whiff of a particularly familiar scent. A shocked, teasing grin slowly spread across his face. “Henderson, are you smoking marijuana right now?” 

In spite of yourself, you let out a laugh, coughing around a lungful of smoke in the process. “Say it a little louder, Munson, I don’t think the deafening Metallica got the neighbors’ attention.” 

Laughing, he dropped into the space next to you on the swing. “I didn’t peg you for the smoking type.”

“Oh, you mean from the three minutes we interacted?” You squinted playfully but held the joint out to him. “Just weed, I don’t fuck with anything else personally.”

He took you up on the offer, calloused fingertips brushing your skin as he took the joint from you. Examining it for a moment, he smirked as he took a hit. “Fuckin’ with it pretty hard, apparently,” He breathed out. “You roll almost as good as I do.”

“Good, then you can roll the next one.” It passes between you as you speak, though Eddie tries to keep his turns short out of courtesy. “Which brings us back to the topic of why you’re here mooching my shit. You said you needed to do something?”

“Right, I uh- I forgot my lucky dice here the other night. I figured I’d pick ‘em up on my way home from The Hideout.” 

“Oh yeah, you’re in a band or something, right?” 

“Since middle school,” He nodded, “Just me and a few guys from school, s’called Corroded Coffin.”

“Sounds metal.”

“We try to,” He chuckled.

“You like Black Sabbath and Metallica, you’d better,” You teased. You didn’t notice the way his eyes followed your every move as you smoked. The way your cheeks hollowed ever so slightly as you sucked in a hit, how your breath hitched and your eyes fell closed as you held it in. The corners of his lips curled up in amusement watching you blow Os while conversation lulled for a moment. Offering him one last hit first, you stub out the roach on the ground and stand from your seat. “C’mon in, you can go get your dice.”

“Thanks,” He hummed, grabbing the door as soon as it was open to hold it for you. 

“Have you eaten?” You ask, heading into the kitchen as he made his way toward the basement door. “I haven’t, I was gonna make a sandwich or something. You want one?”

“That’d be great, actually, thank you.” The dice weren’t hard to find seeing as he’d left them there on purpose. So maybe it was a little weird, definitely a little desperate, but he wanted to make sure he had another opportunity to see you– get his foot in the door, so to speak– and he really hadn’t expected all this. He’d hoped you’d be the one to answer the door and he’d get to make small talk for a few minutes, point out your shared taste in music maybe, but this? Catching you alone, sharing a joint, getting invited in for something to eat? This was going better than he could’ve possibly expected.

“Find ‘em?” You called down.

“Yup!” He jogged back up the stairs, waving the small velvet bag as he joined you in the kitchen. “All good.”

“What a relief. Can’t have the dungeon master thrown off his game, that would be a travesty.” You glanced up at him mischievously as you finished making the first sandwich, scooting the plate across the counter to him.

Eddie suppressed a smile, shaking his head as he picked up the sandwich. “You just love teasin’ me with that, don’t you?” He asked before he took what was probably an unattractively large bite.

“Depends on what kind of teasing we’re talking about, Munson.” You drawled casually in return, turning to continue making your own. Meanwhile, it was an effort just for him to keep his food in his mouth without choking on it. You were flirting with him.

Weren’t you? Maybe you weren’t. Maybe you’d meant it the other way around– that you’d only tease him in a joking way and that you’d never want to–

“Eddie, I can see the smoke coming out of your ears,” You snorted. “Stop thinking so hard, you’re gonna hurt yourself.” You took a big bite before grabbing a bottle of water out of the fridge. “Want one?” His answer was going to be yes, but you were grabbing him one before he had responded anyway. There was a brief and fairly comfortable silence as you cleaned up the rest of your small mess and he took a few long swigs of his water. “Wanna finish these in my room? We could smoke another joint maybe…just chill out, I don’t know…”

“Yeah, totally,” He agreed, maybe a little too eagerly.

“You’re rolling though,” You remind him over your shoulder as he begins to follow you to your bedroom.

The door creaked as you opened it, waiting for him to enter after you so you could close it. As you opened the window wide and lit a stick of incense, he took in his surroundings. Your room wasn’t like the average teenage girl’s– not that Eddie had seen very many of those– not pastel-colored, or frilly, or covered in heartthrob posters, though a few stuffed animals were perched tenderly on your bed. Actually, it was almost more like his, albeit much more organized. There were posters of horror movies and rock bands filling a decent amount of the empty space on your walls, the Dio flag pinned to the ceiling drawing his attention. “Oh, that is so sick!”

“I thought you might like some ‘a this stuff,” You laughed softly. Nodding towards the stereo in the corner, you continued, “You can put something on if you want.” He squatted down to look through your cassettes, hearing your voice move through the room as you got out your bud, tray, and paper. “Try to keep it understated though, alright? Nothing too hard or fast right now.”

“Really tryin’ to mellow out tonight, huh?” He began playfully, but looked back at you as his tone softened a little. “Everything okay?”

“Oh, I’m alright,” You reassure. With the cassette in place, he made sure the volume was low before it began playing softly as you spoke. “I just get a little too pent up sometimes, you know? Everything’s just been kind of a lot lately, ‘s why I was already smoking when you showed up.”

“Hey, I can beat it if you want. I didn’t mean to show up outta the blue at a bad time and I definitely don’t have to stick around if you don’t want me here. I can totally get it if you want the time to yourself–”

“Please stay,” You quietly interrupted, then seemed a little embarrassed. “Sorry, I didn’t– I’d appreciate the company if you wanna stay a little while.”

Eddie gave you a comforting smile before taking a seat at your vanity to roll the joint, trying to lighten the mood. “Careful what you wish for, Henderson. I mean, you’ve got good music, good weed, made me dinner; I might be hangin’ around here more often with this kinda treatment. You’ve got me livin’ the life, babe.”

Laying down on your bed to watch him, your voice was more serious than he expected when you replied. “You’re welcome any time, you know. Mom likes when the house is busy and I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Dustin practically worships the ground you walk on.” His rings glinted in the lamplight as he carefully sprinkled the bud onto the paper.

“Yeah? And what’s your review, hm?” You didn’t mean to stare at the way his lips wrapped around the joint or how his tongue traced the seam of the paper to seal it.

You hummed vaguely as he finished up, gently plucking it from between his fingers when he was done. Dramatically inspecting it much longer than he had yours, you finally say, “You roll clean joints.”

He shakes his head and laughs. Your lips close around the paper, feeling the seam still damp with his spit, and you jut your chin toward his lighter on the vanity. Grabbing it without a word, he leans forward to give you a light. Your gaze catches on his rings once more before lifting to his face again. A reflection of the flame makes the brown of his eyes warmer as they lock with yours, looking up from where you still lay on the bed on your stomach. You take a long pull as he draws the lighter away again and the spell is broken.

Sitting up to breathe the smoke in deeper, you tuck your knees under you. Eddie joins you on your bed, but not before he kicks off his shoes by the bedroom door. He sits cross-legged just in front of your pillows so you shuffle around to face him. “So, how was your concert?”

He snorted, “Concert might be a bit heavy. Gig is a little more accurate. Show maybe.”

You roll your eyes, but keep your tone light and pass the joint. “You’re a loser, you know that? You knew exactly what I was talking about, answer the question.”

“It was pretty good I guess,” He shrugged and took a long hit. “I think there may have been a whole seven people this time. And one of them was even sober!”

You smiled sympathetically, “You’re just in the wrong town. Don’t worry, I’ll come watch you play. I don’t know if that’d be a good atmosphere for the boys, but I could probably force Steve, Nancy, and Robin to come.

He twisted one of his rings around his finger for a moment. “That’s really nice, sweetheart.”

With each toke you both took, the joint burned slightly shorter until it was almost completely gone. “You want the last hit?” you asked. “I finished the last one. And you rolled this one anyway.”

“No, that’s alright. It’s your weed; I’m literally a drug dealer, I’ve got plenty at home.”

“Here,” You took one last long drag and he raised an eyebrow in confusion, but he understood when you sat up further on your knees and leaned toward him. A sense of giddy excitement overtook him for a second, nerves probably heightened from the weed, but he kept his composure. When your lips slotted over his, he took a deep breath in. His hand slid into your hair to keep your head steady as you sighed the smoke into his mouth. Your lips grazed over his afterward, very obviously lingering long after it was necessary. You giggled as you slumped down into a laying position, letting your head fall back into his lap.

“Seems like someone’s a lot more relaxed now,” He cooed playfully.

“Sorry, I can get off ‘f you–” He notices how your voice is slightly rougher after smoking so much.

“Hey, no–” His hands settle warmly over your shoulders, not holding you down so much as they were encouraging you to stay put. “It’s alright, baby. You can get comfy, you’re not bothering me.”

His hands soothed up and down your arms as you settled back in. “That feels really nice.” You hummed quietly and it drew out into another giggle, “Everything feels really nice.”

He laughs a little airily himself, “It does, doesn’t it?” Your skin felt so soft and warm beneath his fingertips, tracing imaginary shapes along the bare flesh of your arms. “‘M feelin’ pretty good, myself.” Your eyes couldn’t help but wander to his pretty pink lips again. They’d felt so soft against yours and you wanted more– to really feel him this time. His thumb brushes your chin, dragging down in a way that had your mouth opening slightly. “What’re you thinkin’ so hard about, sweet thing?”

Blinking up at him with glassy eyes, you raised an arm to brush your fingers over his flushed cheek. “Eddie, c’n you kiss me? Please?”

“Yeah?” He moved his thumb a bit higher to tug your lower lip down a bit, face dipping down a bit closer to yours. “That what you want?” You were nodding before he even finished his sentence, making him chuckle quietly. 

He allowed his lips to graze teasingly over yours, just barely touching, before finally kissing you. His nose brushed your chin and you could feel the small smile adorning his face before your lower lip was sucked softly between his. Fingers winding into his mess of frizzy curls, you moaned quietly into his mouth and pulled him closer. After another moment though, he slowly drew back, lips separating from yours with a soft smack that made you unreasonably desperate for more.

An ache had sparked in his lower back while loading the amps into the van after their show earlier that evening, deepening as he proceeded to help load the rest of the equipment afterward. Now the deep curve he had molded it to in order to keep his mouth on yours had the pain radiating up his entire back. “As much as I’m enjoying this– and believe me, babe, I’m seriously enjoying it– my back is kinda killin’ me and hunching over you like this…” 95% of his brain was screaming at him to shut the fuck up, to ignore it and just keep kissing you breathless anyway, but the other 5% was crying out to lay down and he had to listen.

“Oh, sorry,” There was a slight pant in your voice as you released your grasp on his hair. He sat up slowly as if a movement too fast would shatter the calm in the air. You sat up yourself, watching as he eased himself back onto your pillows. “S’that better?”

“Way better,” He confirmed. “We can uh- we could keep kissing if you want.”

Openly cringing at how awkward that sounded, he opened his mouth to say something else before you interrupted him with a still-sluggish giggle. “I’d like that, Eddie.”  

“Okay,” He nodded rapidly. 

Leaning forward onto your hands and knees, you crawled into his lap. His hands instantly settled on your thighs, running up and down the material of your pajama pants. His eyes flickered wildly over your body a few times before gazing up at you in awe. You didn’t waste any time in kissing him again, which was much easier now that he wasn’t upside down. As you moaned into his mouth, his hands molded to your hips, squeezing and pulling you as tight to him as he could get you. His tongue slipped between your lips, making them open further as your hands found his hair once again. 

He didn’t mean to start moving, slowly grinding into you in an attempt to relieve the tightness in his jeans that definitely wasn’t a problem before he came over— but then you were rocking down on him yourself, clothed cunt rubbing against him in a desperate search for friction. Hips rutting up into yours, he braced a palm against your lower back. You could feel his hardness pressing into you through the layers of clothing between you. Pulling back for air, you panted into his mouth, still subtly grinding against him. “Fuck,” He grunted quietly. The soft whimper of his name that you gave him in return made his head fall back against the wall with a thud. “Got me so fuckin’ hard, sweet thing. Please, don’t stop.”

“Don’t wanna stop,” You whined back quietly. “Feels so good.” 

“Good,” He cooed. “Don’t worry, ‘m gonna keep makin’ you feel good.” Hot, open-mouthed kisses moved down your neck and you let out a moan. His fingers wormed their way past the hem of your shirt, tracing the cup of your bra. “This okay?” He mumbled against your skin. Nodding, you cupped his hand and guided it higher until he pushed your bra out of the way. The pad of his thumb brushed firmly over your nipple, making your hips jerk against his. “Mmm, so sensitive. Is that jus’ the weed or are you always like this?”

“Both,” You breathed out. “‘N you’re good at all this.”

“Aw you don’t have to butter me up, baby,” He grinned. “I’m gonna make you cum either way.” Free hand dipping past the waistband of your pajama pants, Eddie continued playfully, “But, go on. Keep tellin’ me how much I turn you on.”

“Eddie,” You pleaded, “C’mon.” 

Fingers stroking the damp fabric of your underwear, he asked, “This okay? Really want me to touch you?” Your desperate nods made his lips curl, pressing more firmly against you and drawing out a moan that you tried to stifle. “No, no, no, you gotta tell me how it feels, sweet thing. We’re all alone, you can make those pretty noises, it’s okay.”

Your head slumped into the crook of his neck, mouthing lazily at his skin. Nudging your underwear to the side, he sank his middle finger knuckle-deep into you. Grasping tightly at the worn material of his t-shirt, your breath hitched. “Mmm, fuck– yes, Eddie, thank you.”

“Look at you, usin’ your manners ‘n everything. Of course, you would. Such a good girl.” Your moans only grew louder, making his hips jerk in search of friction. “So warm and wet, bet you’d feel so good around my cock.” Lifting your head to kiss him again, your hand found the shape of his length in his jeans. He rolled his thumb over your clit in circles as his hips rocked against your palm. Mouths open against each other’s, you exchanged panting breaths and muffled moans. Confined by your pants, his hand didn’t have much room for movement, leaving your hips stuttering frustratedly. “Lemme get these off’a you, babe. Can make you feel so much better than this.”

Suddenly, his hand was curled under your thigh and you let out a small squeal as you were flipped onto your back beneath him. Your pants and underwear were yanked down your legs feverishly, Eddie parting them to slip two fingers into you this time. “Shit, Eds!”

“Fuck, I’m sorry, was that too much?” Immediately, he tried to withdraw his hand, but you gripped his wrist to stop him. 

“Don’t stop, Eddie. Please, don’t stop,” You rushed.

“Alright, sweetheart, ‘m right here. Don’t worry.” Your hands laced into his hair for stability as his fingers crooked into a spot that almost made your eyes cross. Already dripping onto your bedspread, you pulled him even closer to you. Smirk spreading across his face, he said, “Oh yeah. That’s the spot, huh, baby?”

“Fuck, Eddie, you’re gonna make me come,” You whined.

“Good, want you to soak my fingers.” His hips rocked forward, clothed cock grinding into the back of your thigh. “Wanna feel you come for me.” The way his thumb rubbed so firmly against your clit had heat shooting all the way to your toes. Desperately tugging him down for another kiss, your thighs trembled as they squeezed closed around his hand. “There it is,” He murmured lowly against your lips. “Mmm, you’d feel so fuckin’ good coming around my cock, sweet thing.” The deep cadence of his voice had you shaking.

Grasping at the back of his shirt, you buried your face in the crook of his neck. He held you in silence for a long moment until your head eventually dropped back against the bed. A smile slowly grew on your face as you looked up at him and you let out a small giggle, making him grin down at you. He laughed softly too as he pressed his forehead against yours. 

Eyes darting shortly to the alarm clock on your nightstand, you did a double-take when you noticed how late it was. “Son of a bitch, my mom’s gonna be home any minute!” You grabbed your discarded underwear and pajama pants from the foot of the bed as soon as Eddie had peeled himself off of you. “Uh– fuck, I’m really sorry. I promise I didn’t mean to invite you in just for this, I just didn’t realize how late it got. I didn’t mean to leave you hanging, but–”

“Are you kidding?” He was already leaning against the wall by your door, slipping on his beat-up air forces. “I had a blast, babe. We should do this again sometime,” He winked teasingly.

You rolled your eyes half-heartedly, feeling your body warm. When the two of you reached the front door, you rubbed your arm and met his eyes only a bit awkwardly. “I’m sorry again about not…returning the favor.”

He chuckled, giving you a small smirk. “Don’t worry about me, sweet thing. After tonight, I’ll have no trouble taking care of it myself.” Taking a step closer to you, he leaned down for a kiss that was much slower and softer than the last few you’d shared. “I’ll see you soon, yeah?”

“Night, Eddie. Thanks for keeping me company tonight.”

“Anytime.”

You waited at the door until he’d gotten in his van and driven away before finally heading back to your room. As soon as you closed your bedroom door and flopped down on your bed, you heard your mom’s car pull into the driveway. Meanwhile, Eddie drove home, foot a little heavy on the gas pedal as he itched to get back to his own room.

He didn’t see you again for two weeks. He knew the Hendersons’ phone number, but there was no way he could ask for you if Dustin or your mom picked up. So he waited, very impatiently mind you, and hoped he hadn’t ruined things by going so far with you so fast. 

When he did finally see you, it was at Hawkins High School. You’d come to pick Dustin up from that week’s Hellfire club meeting. You knocked on the door before entering, knowing that– despite the session being scheduled to end ten minutes ago– they often ran over their allotted time. Sure enough, you heard Eddie’s booming voice as you cracked open the door and slipped inside.

“And as the chimera flew closer–” When he noticed you he immediately straightened from his position looming over the table, clearing his throat and clasping his hands together behind his back. He didn’t want to scare you off with all this yet. “Okay gentlemen, that’s all for today.” The collective groan they let out had you feeling a bit guilty, they’d obviously been enjoying themselves, and now you were being the annoying big sister; you should’ve just waited in the car. But Eddie was quick to speak again. “Oh, cut the moaning. We’re almost fifteen minutes over and you all need more time to prepare for battle anyway. Amateurs.”

As the others all packed up their things, he approached you and you greeted him with a smile. “Sorry for interrupting, seemed pretty intense, I hope it wasn’t too important.”

“No, no, it’s good you came in. We would’ve been all caught up until someone else came in to stop us in a much less forgiving manner.” You both laughed and it went quiet for a moment before he cleared his throat again. “So uh, I’ve been hoping I’d see you around.”

“Yeah, me too… Smoking alone isn’t as fun anymore.”

His lips quirked up into a smirk and he nodded playfully. “Yeah, ‘ve been thinking the same. You should start buying from me, you know. I’ll give you a discount.”

“Oh, so I have to pay you to smoke with you again? You know, we used my shit last time,” You teased.

“You’ll never pay for anything you smoke when you’re with me, sweetheart. I’m a gentleman after all. Here, hang on.” He dashed back to the table, hunching over to write something down before tearing off the small scrap of paper and coming back to you. “Now you can get a hold ‘a me, come smoke all my weed anytime.”

“Oh, I’ll be taking you up on that.”

Your comfortable conversation was interrupted when Dustin shouted your name. “What’re you doing? Let’s go!”

“I’ll see you around, Munson.”

“Sure thing, Henderson.” 

As you drove Dustin home, you couldn’t help but wonder if it was a bad idea to get involved with Eddie. He was one of Dustin’s best friends now, a mentor for him, one of the only male role models he’s had aside from Steve since he lost his father. The last thing you wanted was to make Dustin feel like you were taking that away from him. God forbid something should happen between you and Eddie and he doesn’t feel comfortable coming around anymore. You couldn’t do that to him. 

Still, you found yourself hunkered over the phone in the living room that night. You tried to hold out, you really did, but you only managed to hold yourself back until almost midnight after your family had gone to bed. Coiling the cord around your finger, you waited impatiently as the phone rang three times.

When he finally picked up, you could hear the smirk in his tone. “Hi, sweet thing. Just couldn’t stay away, could you?”

“Well, I figured I was running low on bud anyway,” You drawled quietly. 

“You’re awful quiet,” He teased. “Don’t want Mommy to catch you up on the phone so late?”

“Fuck off,” You scoffed playfully. “If you’re having so much trouble hearing me over the phone, why don’t you come over?”

“Oh, so she minds a phone call, but it’s okay if we have a sleepover?” He snorted. 

“No, but if you’re quiet you can sneak in and back out before she wakes up to get ready for work. I’ve got twenty bucks calling your name,” You cooed enticingly.

“Seriously?”

"Come on, Munson, you've never climbed through a girl's window before? I'm disappointed."

He simply replied, "I'll be there in fifteen, make sure it's unlocked."

part two | finale | tmic masterlist

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[rosemaryblossomworld]

Reaction. That throne belongs to me!

The characters' reactions to Y/n's phrase, during the hearing, "Go to hell! That throne belongs to me! Not some drunken half-blood! I am the purest blood of the Targaryen line!" (The reader is the daughter of Rhaenyra and Daemon, but she is introduced as Laenor's daughter).

✧.* Y/n: She's tired of being treated like a bastard. And they forget that she is the pureblood heir to the throne. She knew Laenor wasn't her father, and the whole court knew it. The older she gets, the more she resembles her own father. Now it's her turn to defend herself and her family!

✧.* Rhaenyra: She didn't expect the argument over Driftmark to turn into an insult to her children. The princess thought it foolish of Vaemond to draw the court's attention to her children's appearance. Her boys might not have taken on her features, but here was her eldest daughter! Rhaenyra was happier than ever, rejoicing that she had slept with her uncle that night and that they had a beautiful child. She stood behind her daughter and felt protected.

✧.* Daemon: He smiled. He had seen his daughter lose her temper for the first time, but the way her eyebrows furrowed and her jaw clenched, her posture and her clenched fists reminded him of himself as a teenager. His little princess had become a warrior, ready to repel any attack. The prince gripped the hilt of his sword tighter, preparing to cut off the head of anyone who dared to harm his child.

✧.* Alicent: She squirmed and tried to hide her excitement, but she chewed her lips and discreetly peeled the skin off her fingers. She looked at Aegon and realized that she could only brag about the fact that he had white hair and light eyes, the same as Y/N. She closed her eyes, trying to escape the situation.

✧.* Otto: gritted his teeth. For long months he had planned Y/n's death; she was a true heiress, just like Rhaenyra, and she had interfered greatly with his plans. The man was just glad that both heiresses were women! No one would choose them! But when he looked into the eyes of the young princess, glowing with dragon fire, his courage slowly faded.

✧.* Vaemond: He remained silent, realizing that he had said a foolish thing, directed at all of Rhaenyra's heirs, forgetting the young white-haired beast!

✧.* Rhaenys: She just nodded and smiled in agreement. She knew that Y/n wasn't Laenor's child, but he had raised her and she saw his words afterwards as 'her granddaughter'.

✧.* Jace: grinned contentedly. He watched the faces of the nobles change, and it made him want to laugh! He panicked as he noticed Vaemond looming menacingly over his sister. He looked over to see Daemon clutching his sword, so he followed suit, ready. He wouldn't let anyone hurt his sister!

✧.* Luca: pressed his lips together, he didn't like this 'event' from the beginning. He was unsure of many things. The boy feared for his older sister who had moved away from them and was already in the middle of the throne room.

✧.* Baela: clenched her fists and was ready to come out and stand next to Y/n, but Rhaena grabbed her under the arm at such a bad time.

✧.* Rhaena: She just held her sister back and looked at Y/N to make sure she was okay.

✧.* Aemond: Only a blind man would not notice his smile. He was looking at this doting figure standing opposite the great, angry Vaemond, ready to attack the old man. In all the years he has known this storm, she has never ceased to amaze him. Maybe that's why she's his favorite.

✧.* Aegon: He was only smiling drunkenly and wanted to end this "game" quickly. A jug of good Dornish wine awaits him in his chambers, and perhaps a meeting on Silk Street. If Y/n became the heir, he would be doubly happy, since he had no interest in the throne. He had talked to his mother about it and was ready to give the throne to his younger brother, but for some reason he refused.

✧.* Helena: She felt uncomfortable. There were too many people and too many emotions, so she blinked a lot and made a face. And the situation itself didn't bother her much, she had lost the point of this meeting long ago and was somewhere far away in her thoughts. She often dreamed about Y/n, but until now she couldn't understand the meaning of her dreams.

୨⎯ ୨⎯ 𝒷𝑜𝓃𝓊𝓈 ⎯୧ ⎯୧

"Or is the problem that I am a woman? Or the fact that your significant other, Otto Hightower, will not be on the throne?" Y/n glared defiantly at the man sitting on the throne.

"I would ask... "The man pursed his lips unhappily.

"What if I told you something that could close those two points?" the princess smiled.

"What could it be, silly girl?"

"Let's see... I spent the night with Prince Aemond Targaryen!"

The court erupted in shouts of indignation and surprise.

As Y/N stood next to her mother, she looked into eyes full of surprise and fear.

"What are you..." Rhaenyra couldn't get her thoughts together.

"What? You're the one who said we should team up with the Greens, I found a quick way" Y/N hummed and shrugged.

Daemon couldn't help himself and laughed all over the hall.

[wintfleur]

👩🏻‍🎨 ͡ ꒱ STELLAS RELATIONSHIP WITH RUTGER

au masterlist — you can find asks under #💌stellahughes!

°. — asks about stella and rut are under #⋆ ˚｡⋆୨🩷୧˚ stella & rut!

°. — smutty asks about Stella and rut are under #⋆ ˚｡⋆୨💒୧˚ smutty stella & rut!

°. — STELLA AND RUTGER!

ᡣ𐭩 BASICS !

how did they meet?  It's cliché but they met at a halloween college party, during both of their freshman year (2022) Luke was the one to introduce them both. rutger was talking with a few of the umich boys when luke walked up to them with her. 

their first impressions? 

the first thing rutger noticed about stella was her smile. She had given him a shy smile as she stood next to luke, holding onto his arm so she wouldn't get separated from him as they moved through the packed house. She was shy at first, but she quickly got out of that as the night progressed. He really wanted to get to know her more but he sadly couldn't get her number because she was dragged away by ethan and mark. 

stella first noticed rutgers laugh, he was laughing loudly as he stood next to luca when she and luke walked up to him. He was very sweet and welcoming to her, his eyes were beautiful and they looked like they sparked as he talked to his friends. She really liked how expressive he was, and his humor was a great plus too. 

who confessed their feelings first?   rutger was not only the one to fall first, but also confess first. They were at the rink alone just shooting pucks, rutger was watching stella with a smile as she celebrated hitting the crossbar first and he realized in that moment that he can't hide his feelings for her anymore. Stella had noticed how quiet he had gotten and asked if he was alright, rutger said he was fine and that he had to tell her something. That's when he confessed his feelings for her. 

first date?   rutger was the one to ask stella on a date in late february. After he confessed his feelings towards her and her shyly saying she felt the same way, he had asked her out on a date. Stella was a little hesitant, but she said yes. rutger remembered how Stella mentioned that she loves aquariums, so he took her to this really nice aquarium and after they went to a diner for lunch, the said diner turned into their spot. It was an amazing first date, it left them both having stronger feelings for each other. (2023)

first kiss?  stella and rutger had their first kiss when they were having a movie date in her dorm. They were cuddling in her bed when rutger looked down at her, his eyes widening when he saw she was already looking at him. They both slowly leaned in, but Stella was the one to lock their lips in a kiss. The soft and slow kiss escalated into a passionate makeout sesh. 

who asked who?  stella was the one to ask rutger to be his girlfriend, after their first date they were practically dating since then. It was april 1st and stella was starting to panic and get insecure at the fact that they weren't official, so she texted him to come over. Rutger rushed over thinking something was wrong and he was happily surprised when the first thing she said when he walked in was “be my boyfriend…please?” . . . he of course said yes. 

first I love you?   rutger was the one to say ‘i love you’ first. Stella was having a hard day. Practice did not go well, she spilled paint all over one of her paintings, completely ruining it + plus a few more little things that just made it all worse. She was just really tired and felt awful and overwhelmed. As soon as her practice ended she locked herself up in her room, turning off her phone and just laying in her bed. Rutger used his key to her dorm to come in and check on her, worried that she hadn't answered him for hours. rut held her as she cried and just talked about her terrible day, he calmed her down with sweet words and reassurance. He said the eight letters without realizing it first, and he panicked as he watched more tears roll down her red cheeks, but he let out a breath of relief when she said those eight letters back 

how did everyone find out? 

family + friends: rutger had told his best friend cutter about stella as soon as it happened, while stella told her best friends, daisy, sunghoon, carmen, and lily. Their parents were also aware of the fact that they were secretly dating. Her brothers found out when Luke walked in on them kissing in her room. Their closest friends found out days following after the incident. While others found out because they stopped keeping it a secret.

the public: the public found out about them when stell posted a picture of him on her instagram story on thanksgiving, the caption being ‘most thankful for him’ 

ᡣ𐭩 DETAILS !

their tropes: sunshine x sunshine, brothers friend x friends little sister, golden retriever bf x orange cat gf, idiot bf x ‘hes my idot’ gf 

love languages: 

stella’s: physical touch, words of affirmation, acts of service, holding hands, quality time 

rutger’s: physical touch, gift giving, acts of service, back hugs, quality time 

pet names: 

stella’s (for rutger): lovey, baby, love bug, stud, handsome, hunk 

rutger’s (for stella): pretty girl, baby, babe, my girl, sweet girl, kitten, 

their favorite sleep position: 

stella’s: as long as she's touching him in some way she’s happy, he's her personal heating pad 

rutger’s: rutger likes laying on his back with stella curled up in his side, basically on top of him

songs that describe them: 

the only exception – paramore 

eyes don't lie – isabel larosa

treacherous – taylor swift 

free love – honne 

kiss me – sixpence none the richer 

about you – 1975 

say yes to heaven – lana del rey 

from the start – laufey 

die for you – the weekend 

glue song – beabadoobee 

something about you – eyedress

If we were a movie – hannah montana 

I see the light – mandy moore & zachary levi 

favorite things to do together: going to parties, ice skating, playing video games, going on trips, hiking, 

contact names: 

stella’s (for rutger): lovey 🩵

rutger’s (for stella): pretty girl 🩷

contact photos:

lockscreens: 

stella’s: stella took this picture of him, also attending the bauer combine. She loves the picture so much and made it her lockscreen. His smile, his hair, all of it was just perfect. 

rutger’s: rutger took this picture of stella when they went exploring so she could take some pictures for some inspiration for her art project. When Stella sent him all the pictures that were taken he had immediately set it as his lock screen, he finds her so enchanting in this picture. 

ᡣ𐭩 THEIR THINGS !

making out in elevators

playing footsies under every table they sit at

sharing the food they order

slapping each others asses

immediately looking at each other wherever they hear or see something outrages 

rutger helping stella paint her nails 

staring into eachothers eyes

sending each other a punch of pictures,tik toks, reels, memes, throughout the day 

shotgunning into each others mouth 

singing each other love songs during there late night drives

pulling each other close when they are in crowds

pulling each other close by there belt loops

building lego sets together 

having their hands in each others back pockets 

falling asleep in hammocks

always finding a way to mention each other 

binge watching shows together 

very long naps 

slumber parties 

study dates

drinking hot chocolate and doing crossword puzzles 

ᡣ𐭩 FUN FACTS !

they kept their relationship a secret for 8 months 

they both many to marry each other, have kids and grow old together 

they are the it couple of umich 

rutger is very confident about himself and there relationship, but he can't help but get jealous and possessive from about many people flirt with stella 

they are each others good luck charms

stella has a necklace with the letter R and a necklace with the number 2, both given to her from from rutger 

rutger has a superstition where he can't play a game without having her initial somewhere on his stick 

stella loves making playlists for rutger 

they have a great relationship ship with each others families, they love them together 

rutger loves driving stella around 

rutger loves when stella draws/paints him, he keeps everything she's made for him 

they love playing hockey together on the rink 

they love to play video games together, they could play for hours. They have there own minecraft world with a bunch of pets that stella calls their children

rutger rented a cabin for a week and the two of them went away

they love hot tubs…have been caught a few times making out in them 

they love making silly tiktoks together 

they are so clingy 

they have dinner that means a lot to them, they went there for their first date and are now regulars, the owner absolutely loves them 

rutger is very protective of stella

they have already planned their wedding, and how many kids they want and what they would name them 

they have weekly movie nights

rutger loves how sensitive Stella is ;)

on the off season rutger can be quite the stoner with stella

high makeout sessions are a must 

they are each other's biggest supporters 

are always being teased by his teammates 

most of the time they are in a room/closet making out when they are at parties 

they both have a high libido 

they love going to the drive inn for dates 

ᡣ𐭩 INTERNETS FAVORITE MOMENTS !

all the TikTok’s they make together, they always go viral

when her brothers mention stella and rutger

when they go to hockey games together and always get put on the big screen

all the pictures that are taken of the couple, especially the ones of them kissing after his games or her competitions

the pictures of rutger at her competitions

luke talking about his summer at the lake house and mentioning stella and rutger there 

when rutger was seen in the background of a umich video with his shirt off, a few hickeys were seen on his v-line 

How giggly and happy stella gets when she's asked about her relationship on podcasts etc. 

when gavin said on his livestream that he didn't get much sleep last night because the people next door were too loud, said with a winky face. Fans found out he was talking about stella and rut

when rut got into a fight during a game because someone was chirping stella 

ᡣ𐭩 MOODBOARD !

a/n ﹒ I really wanna make an n.sfw version ! I’d just need some ideas. If you have some, please feel free to send them in my inbox, please just clarify that it would be for the n.sfw profile !!!

°. — taglist ( @privatemythss @cixrosie @toasttt11 )

﹕─┈ copyright © 2024 you can't copy, translate, reproduce, repost my fic, use my plot or layouts.

[magics-neptunes-things]

Christmas Meeting

Hello everyone!

Here is a new Christmas story, based on the one I wrote recently, Hide and Seek.

I already have some ideas for others but if you have any, I listen to you gladly!

TW : None.

Hiding your relationship with Alessia wasn’t easy every day, but it at least saved you from having to make introductions with your in-laws. But now that most of your loved ones are aware, Alessia also told her family and it was with a hesitant look that the blonde arrived at your house one November evening. "My parents would like to meet you" she quickly confessed, torturing her fingers. "Oh" was your first answer, not knowing if it was a good thing or not given the worry that was drawn on your girlfriend’s features.

But you quickly realized that what worried her was a possible negative answer from you. You accepted and Alessia immediately relaxed, while on your side you stressed a little more with each passing day. The invitation was for December and a family Christmas meal. You want to make a good impression with the Russo you’ve never really met. They all see who you are, you’re still Lucy Bronze’s little sister. But it is also true that you never really spoke to them, other than informally.

So it’s nervous as a flea that you arrive at Alessia’s family home, the one where she grew up. You know by this same Alessia that you will be the last arrivals, her brothers and their families being already there. Alessia hates the train, so you went with her car.

"One last kiss" begs the blonde by leaning towards you after parking her car in the driveway.

Despite your nervousness, you smile and lean in her direction. Over time, you wonder how you managed to retain these tender gestures for so long in public. You love it when she slips an arm around your waist when you walk or when she kisses you on the cheek when she comes to meet you in the stands after a football match.

"Mmh, one more" whispers Alessia against your lips, making you smile.

A few minutes later, Alessia holds your hand as you prepare to enter the house. By habit, the blonde rings at the door before entering, throwing a cheerful "We’re here". It only takes a few seconds for Alessia’s mother to get out of what you imagine to be the kitchen, wearing an apron and holding a wooden spoon in her hand. Her smile is resplandissant, testifying to the pleasure she has to see her daughter. After hugging Alessia, she turns to you and offers you a big smile.

"Welcome home Y/N".

After the official greetings, you find yourself sitting next to Alessia with a glass of Italian wine in hand. Her older brother, Luca is there with his wife and Giorgio also brought his girlfriend. There are also Alessia’s grandparents and discussions happily mingle with each other. You are secretly relieved to see that Alessia seems to have taken on the mission of not leaving you alone for a single second.

You are at the break between the two main meals when Giorgio and Luca come to sit in front of you, looking at you with a serious and almost cold air that makes you look at Alessia. You see her rolling her eyes at the very moment when Giorgio speaks, looking at you with a calculating air.

"AC Milan or Juventus?"

"Seriously guys?" sighs Alessia

But her brother beckons her to be silent, raising his hand, without leaving you with his eyes. Next to him, Luca did not move either.

"Uh… AC Milan?"

You turn slightly to Alessia, who shrugs her shoulders, seeming to indicate that you do not have much choice to answer.

"Real Madrid or FC Barcelona?"

"Barcelona"

"Manchester United or Manchester City?"

At the question, you see from the corner of your eye the paternal grandfather of Alessia leaning with an interested air in your direction.

"Well… my sister played in City, but I’d still say Manchester United."

You see the two brothers exchange a look and you begin to find it rather funny. With their muscles and tattoos, they remind you of the movie "The Godfather".

"Chelsea or Arsenal?"

"Arsenal, for obvious reasons" you answer, taking another look in Alessia's direction.

She laughs softly and you feel her hand on your knee under the table. You don't make yourself pray to seize it with your own, delicately mixing your fingers with hers.

"Paris or Lyon?"

"Honestly… neither of them"

An amused exclamation escapes from Luca’s lips, who lets himself go against the back of his chair. He's the first to talk after that, even though he has not spoken a word so far.

"I think I like her."

"Yeah, me too. We have to believe that little Lessi finally understood how to choose the right people" adds Giorgio maliciously.

Little Lessi coldly shows him her middle finger, making the two brothers laugh before getting up as quickly as they arrived. Alessia barely has time to apologize for their behavior as the next dish is placed on the table by your mother-in-law. At this rate, you’ll probably explode soon.

You are digesting your meal on the living room sofa after discovering Alessia’s teenage bedroom when it's Alessia’s father’s turn to sit in front of you. He holds a glass bottle with a liquid that looks rather thick with two shot glasses in his other hand

"Dad" warns Alessia, frowning.

But he just smiles at her, before talking to you.

"This is liquor my uncle make in our village in Sicily. You want to taste it?"

Mario speaks directly to you and you obviously cannot refuse him his proposal. You are relieved to see that your hand doesn't tremble when you toast with him, discreetly pressing against the hand that Alessia put in your back.

You were prepared for it, but the alcohol is even stronger than you could have imagined. You are honourably holding back a coughing fit, but the grimace on your face is unmistakable.

"So?" asks Mario, smiling.

"It’s… strong" you manage to answer, voice slightly hoarse.

Your father-in-law nods, looking like he want to say that’s what’s interesting. As you wonder how you are going to finish your drink without passing in your girlfriend's arms, you realize that Giorgio is discreetly beckoning you to pass your drink to him. Too quickly for Mario to realize it, he empties it and gives it back to you, attracting a complicit and appreciative look of his little sister.

In the late afternoon, some of the family members propose to go for a walk. But, claiming a little tranquility, Alessia takes you upstairs instead. Even though the Russos are very nice people, you are happy to have a little respite and to find Alessia’s room.

"It’s snowing again" you realize by looking out the window.

The ground is already covered with a thick layer of white snow, but with the sun setting, the view from the window of Alessia’s room is rather pretty. Alessia having positioned herself next to you to observe it, you let yourself go against her, leaning your head on her shoulder.

"Thank you for coming" softly whispers the pretty blonde while laying a kiss on your head.

"Of course" you answer in the same tone.

A few moments pass, during which you continue to look outside. As you feel your body getting heavier against Alessia as the seconds go by, she turns to you with an eyebrow arch.

"Are you drunk?"

Despite you you giggle and only that could give the answer to Alessia. Between the wine of the meal and Mario’s digestive, God forgives you, but you are indeed a little.

"Tipsy?"

Alessia smiles and puts her two arms around your waist to hold you tight. You know you’ll have to come down in a few dozen minutes, certainly, when the others come back. But for now, you are determined to enjoy the company of Alessia. You raise your face in her direction, drawing her features with the help of your eyes.

"You’re starring."

"Yes. But I have the right to do it."

Laughing, Alessia shifts her attention to you before answering. You can see her eyes sparkles and God, you are so in love with her.

"That’s right. And I have the right to do that."

One of her arms leaves your waist, to allow her to gently take your cheek in her hand and draw your face against hers. A split second her lips are on yours and you pass your arms around her neck to enjoy this kiss. That’s when you realize your fears were stupid. As long as you’re with Alessia, you know she’ll do anything to make you feel good.

[lukehughescurls]

at long last

luke hughes x childhood best friend

2k words

Staring up at my childhood best friend I realized two things. One, I could never imagine my life without him in it. Two, I was hopelessly in love with him and there was nothing I could do about it. 

Following Luke to Michigan was a spontaneous choice made one drunken night the summer before our senior year, when Luke looked over at me stating that he couldn't believe I wanted to move to New York for school. Asking how I could go so far from him. In that moment I had made my mind up, I was going to Mich with him and nothing was going to stop me. 

Back to the present moment, we’re currently cuddled up on the couch in the sophomore house living room, Luke talking to his teammates while I observe the party going on around us. Tonight the party was in full swing because Michigan had beat Penn State and Luke had scored four goals meaning the celebration was bound to go all night long. Looking around I notice Ethan, Mark, and Duker staring me down. Luke was too preoccupied talking to Adam and Luca to notice their staring. When I looked over again Ethan had motioned to the kitchen when he and the boys started making their way in. Catching the hint I start getting up before Luke stops me, “Bug where are you going.” Of course I can’t get away without my supposed guard dog noticing, “Just going to get a refill, do you want anything from the kitchen?” Luke shakes his head no and goes back to talking to the Fantilli boys letting me make my escape. 

When I finally made my way into the kitchen the trio was already staring at the door waiting for my arrival, “when are you going to put him out of his misery and tell him you love him.” Dylan exclaimed, leaving me in shock. “Dylan, Luke and I are best friends, nothing more.” My statement made the three boys groan, “Oh come on we all know that's such bullshit, right Mark?” Ethan said while turning to Mark who had been silent, finally opening his mouth to say, “Bug you may not be able to admit it to yourself but it's pretty obvious to the rest of us that you both are hopelessly in love with each other.” Shaking my head and grabbing a seltzer out of the fridge I attempt to walk past the boys unscathed but Mark grabs my arm causing me to look up at him, “Just think about what we’re saying.” I nod before walking back to Luke where I see a pretty blonde sitting where I had previously occupied. Scoffing, I turn back to the three boys saying, “ya he looks so in love with me you guys.” I try escaping back into the kitchen but Luke notices my presence yelling, “Bug! Come meet Sofia.” The pull Luke has on me is massive because I find my feet walking in the direction of the large couch when that's the last place my heart wants to take me. Sofia looks over at me and smiles. Of course her smile is perfect, beaming at me with white straight teeth. When I reach the couch she leaps up giving me a hug exclaiming, “Luke has told me so much about you,” and before I can stop myself I mutter, “oh, well he hasn’t mentioned you.” Watching her smile start to drop I realize my mistake, “That was not meant to come out so rudely ignore me, how do you and Luke know each other?” I ask laughing and shaking my head hoping to diffuse the situation. It clearly works because she starts going on and on about a class the two of them share. 

While Sofia talks I sit and listen with a solemn smile on my face hoping it's passing off as pleasant. Luke starts jumping into the conversation causing me to put my focus upon both of them and all I can see is this picture perfect couple. Sofia with her blonde hair and long tan legs that match perfectly with Lukes height. It dawns on me while sitting there how happy and relaxed Luke seems around Sofia, making me wonder if he’s keeping something from me. If he’s been keeping her a secret. Looking at our friends they all seem pretty comfortable around her, has she been here? Has she slept in his bed with him? The same bed we sit on and talk for hours, do they talk for hours too? Is what we share just limited to friendship? Feeling overwhelmed I interrupt the conversation stating that I need some air. Luke looks over at me with concern written all over his face, so I laugh it off and say, “It’s just so hot in here.” Luke clearly feels comfortable with my answer because he nods his head and says, “Come get me if you need me.” I give him a short nod saying, “Sofia, it was so nice to meet you, hopefully I’ll see you around later on,” She gives me another megawatt smile before nodding her head in response. 

When I finally burst out of the house away from the hoards of people and my best friend who clearly loves someone else I let go of the breath I didn’t realize I was holding onto. It comes out of me shuddering as I lower myself onto the stairs taking deep soothing breaths, jumping when I feel someone rest their hand on my shoulder. Did Luke follow me outside? Looking up I realize it’s Mark, who's wearing a bleak look on his face. I start to frown realizing I must be so naive to believe Luke would follow me out here when he clearly is preoccupied by perfect Sofia. Mark takes a seat next to me on the stairs, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me into his side. “Hey what's got you down? That excuse may have convinced Luke but not me.” Of course he notices, “You’re right, I love him.” I sigh and Mark barks out a laugh saying, “Ya, I know, I’ve known that since the day he introduced me to you.” I start laughing leaning into him more as he starts to rub my arm, “Bug, I really do think he’s in love with you too, we all see how he looks at you it's as if you hung the stars in the sky.” Mark comments “Who knew you were such a romantic marky,” my nickname making him groan, “not the nickname bug, you know I hate that.” Giggling I state “well I’ve been saying it since we were freshman and you haven’t stopped me yet.” I give him a puzzling look and his response is simple, “well I can’t tell you no it’s actually impossible,” making me laugh even harder and Mark joins in. Our laughter is interrupted by the door slamming shut causing us to both turn around. Luke stands by the door looking at us with an imperceptible look on his face, “oh hi Luke, you want to come join us.” I say while patting the space next to me. He rolls his eyes before spitting out, “no you look pretty occupied with Mark, no need for my company.” His tone shocked me, it was venomous. “Anyways I’ll leave you guys to it, I need another drink,” Luke states before stalking back into the house. Mark and I look over at each other, my shock written on my face while Mark has a knowing smile on his face. I go to stand up but Mark stops me, “wait don’t follow him. He clearly needs to cool off.” I nod my head in agreement and settle back into conversation. 

I didn't see Luke until the end of the night. Mark had dragged me back inside a little while after Luke had left and we had been shooting the shit with Ethan. When I do see him he doesn't look like himself. He has a scowl on his face that's causing the room to feel tense and people to avoid eye contact, yet I’m unable to stop looking at him. Feeling my gaze he turns to me and says, “Bug we should go to bed” which is a statement everyone in the room is used to due to Luke and I having frequent sleepovers. Following his long strides up the stairs I start to feel unsure about what's going to happen when Luke closes the door. I’m standing in the center of his room when he starts rummaging through his closet before handing me one of his Michigan t-shirts and turning to close the door. When the door finally shuts I’m still standing there, shirt limp in my hands. “Why are you just standing there?” Luke exclaims, I don’t know if I should stay with him or if I should walk away. Finally finding my voice I tell him “Luke I think I’m going to go home,” gently setting the shirt on the bed and starting to walk past him when he suddenly reaches out and grabs my arm. The hold isn’t tight but it stops my movement turning my head up towards him, I find him staring down at me with an indescribable look on his face until he speaks and everything becomes clear. “Don't bug, please, stay with me” my head feels at war, I know I shouldn’t stay with him especially if he’s dating Sofia, but those puppy dog eyes always win. Before I can stop myself I blurt out, “what about Sofia? How would your girlfriend feel if I slept in the same bed as you,” Luke scoffs rolling his eyes before countering back with “she’s not my girlfriend, unlike you I don’t keep my relationship status a secret from my best friend.” His words run deep. Suddenly the conflict turns to anger, ripping my arm from his grasp I raise my voice and say “what the hell are you talking about Luke” I don’t even blink before he responds with “Mark.” I can’t help but let out a cackle, “Mark, you think I’m with Mark??” He obviously finds my response annoying because his face starts to morph into anger, “he was all over outside of course I think you’re with Mark.” I start to laugh even harder, the laughter sounding manic, “Luke how could I be with Mark when I’m in love with you.” Suddenly everything stops and my face drops. 

The room is completely silent. Luke and I standing still, staring at each other. There’s no way I just said that. My face goes beet red and, with Luke distracted I start to make my escape. I have the door open when a hand pops out of nowhere and shuts it closed again. I can feel his presence behind me but I refuse to turn around and face him. Luke takes care of that for me, grabbing me and physically turning me around himself, “bug I need you to open your eyes,” I shake my head no and Luke prods again, “baby please look at me.” I fold and slowly peel my eyes open, when I finally look at him all I can see on his face is adoration, “can you say that again for me.” I know he’s not mocking me so I say it again “Luke, I’m in love with you,” his face stretches in a wide grin “I love you too pretty girl.” Relief floods my body and I sag into him when he wraps his arms around me. “I’ve been waiting to say that to you since we were 16, can I kiss you please,” I don’t even hesitate before shooting my body upwards, grabbing his face and crashing our lips together. The kiss is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before, soft and sweet but fiery all at the same time. His hands wrap around my lower back lifting me to him so he can kiss me deeper. Poking his tongue into my mouth I let him take the lead as he walked us back to his bed and sat down on the edge with me on his lap. His lips start to trail down my neck sucking and kissing everywhere he can touch, he finds my sweet spot causing a breathy whimper to escape my lips. Yanking his face back to mine I give him one more long peck before pulling away and staring into his eyes. I grin down at him before tucking myself into his neck and snuggling close. He kisses the top of my head before saying, “Why didn’t we do that sooner?” I snort before responding, “I have no idea but there’s no way in hell I’m stopping now.” Luke hums in agreement before standing up and heading into his bathroom with me trailing behind me. We get ready for bed in silence and Luke somehow manages to stay wrapped up in me while we do our nightly routines together. 

Crawling into bed, Luke is quick to follow me, slipping into his side and pulling me to his chest. I snuggle into him as he drags his hand up and down my arm. Breathing deeply I let sleep overtake me while my thoughts are all about the man I’m in bed with. Next thing I know there’s bright light shining into my face, letting out a groan I slowly blink my eyes open and look around. When I look down I see an arm sprawled against my stomach and a hand resting over my boob. Smiling, I shake my head and quietly laugh at Lukes hold on me while I reach for my phone, my movement causing Luke to stir. “Mmmm go to sleep its early,” my sleepy boy grumbles before pulling me to him and sticking his face in my neck. I laugh louder now, amused by his antics before looking at the time, deciding it is in fact early I place a kiss on top of his curl before pulling the blanket closer to us. Luke clearly falls back asleep because I can feel his little puffs of air hit my neck making me squirm a little. Unable to close my eyes I find myself staring at my beautiful boy in complete disbelief that last night happened. Luke loves me, he loves the girl who cried when she fell in the mud in third grade, the girl who refused to wear skirts until the age of ten because she wanted to fit in with the boys, the girl who knew she loved him the minute he told her she was his good luck charm. Time goes by and I start to feel Luke kiss my neck before looking up at me and saying, “good morning baby,” in his sexy morning voice. My face starts to flush but I say good morning back before getting up to go make coffee. Luke whines but lets me walk out the door and down the stairs, where I find no one else awake. As I’m standing in the kitchen waiting for my coffee to brew I feel two strong arms entwine around my body and feel a curly mop brush against my cheek. Leaning back into him he starts to sway us as his grip tightens. Turning around I circle my arms around his neck and lean up to kiss him, Luke instantly reciprocates and deepens the kiss but the moment is ruined when a loud gasp rings off the kitchen walls. 

Luke and I turn to face the door and see Mark standing there with a shit eating grin on his face. He looks like a kid opening presents on Christmas morning. With that excited gleam in his eyes he yells, “GUYS GET YOUR ASSES DOWN HERE NOW,” loud footsteps race down the stairs and into the kitchen, Luke still holding me to him when three other people join us in the kitchen. Ethan smirks and Dylan exclaims, “mom and dad!!” Mackie just rubs the sleep out of his eyes and smiles at us before heading back to his room. Mark is still grinning when he says, “I told you so.” Of course the cocky fucker has to rub this in my face. Rolling my eyes I go to respond but Luke beats me to it, “leave my girlfriend alone Estapa, it’s early save the teasing for later.” I can't help but pull back in surprise because Luke just referred to me as his girlfriend. “Girlfriend, huh?” Luke turns bright red before stuttering out, “well.. I uh I mean if you don’t want to be my girlfriend, it’s totally cool." I can’t help but pull him down for another kiss before whispering against his lips, “of course I’ll be your girlfriend you dork.” Luke smiles into my lips before kissing me again. Only stopping when Duker starts slow clapping which leads the rest of his roommates to follow along. “Look at you Hughesy, you got the girl,” Looking away from me he smiles and says, “ya I did, I got the girl.” 

Staring up at my childhood best friend I realized two things. One, I could never imagine my life without him in it. Two, I was hopelessly in love with him and he felt the same way. 

hope you enjoyed, this was my first fic so please be kind. feedback is always welcome :)

[dragonflylady77]

the bit that mattered

a Harringrove Corner Pride fic (all told in Robin's POV) and a present for @whenyouwishuponastar7 and @discodeviant

I was given the prompt 'enemies to soulmates' and then I stumbled upon this post by @imsodishy with tags by @gravegroves and I knew I had a winner. Also, as a matter of interest, I found the doodle by @ihni from the same post...

Oh and this other post by @ihni also inspired a scene in the fic.

Harringrove & Buckleway | 7.2k

Tags: enemies to soulmates, Robin POV, Billy and Robin are secret queer besties, fake dating to throw parents off the scent of queer teenagers, Steve's bisexual awakening

Robin helps Steve realize his soulmate was under his nose this whole time, he just had to give a guy a chance...

“Can you run that one past me again, dingus?” Robin couldn't believe the sob story Steve was telling her. She’d heard about the fight back in November, of course, because the rumors had made the rounds at school for over a month. But listening to Steve recount his version of what had happened was leaving a bad taste in her mouth.

“Really?” He sat on the metal stool they kept behind the counter for when they were the only ones on shift. Standing around in an empty store was murder on the feet.

“Come on, Steve, humor me,” Robin said as she refilled the container of sprinkles.

They’d been working at Scoops Ahoy together for a few weeks now, and Robin was pretty sure she was Steve’s only friend who was his age. Those kids of his kept coming in for free ice cream, and so he could sneak them into the movies via the back corridor, but Robin knew Steve didn’t consider them his friends. Not really.

Heather Holloway had come in after her shift at Hawkins Community Pool, and Robin had managed to serve her that one scoop of strawberries and cream without blushing too much. Heather was so pretty with her long dark hair and her big brown eyes and bright red lips… Whenever Robin dreamed about meeting her soulmate, it was usually a girl who looked like Heather. She’d never told anyone about it, and kept the soulmark on her right wrist hidden under the band of her watch. 

Heather had asked the guy who was with her if he wanted something but he’d said no. Robin had seen him around before, at school mostly. She’d briefly wondered if maybe he was dating Heather but the way he kept sneaking glances at Steve made her think that it was more likely she was not the only queer teen in Hawkins. She was pretty sure Steve had no idea, about her or about the guy, whose name, Steve had said with the utmost rancor, was Billy Hargrove. 

“I’m waiting,” she said, glancing at Steve before she checked on the glace cherries. He’d already told her all about the Upside Down, and while she hadn’t seen any proof, she knew that weird stuff happened in Hawkins, so Steve’s story about monstrous creatures from another dimension, and a girl who could move things with her brain, made as much sense as anything else she’d heard. 

Steve groaned but he complied. “Fine. Mrs. Byers, Nancy and Jonathan took Will to the chief’s cabin. Chief Hopper and El went to the lab to close the gate and I stayed behind at the Byers house with the kids because someone had to. Then Hargrove showed up. Max freaked out, she said he was gonna kill her, so I went outside to talk him down, and like, make him leave.”

“He came to get his sister, must have had a reason, you didn't think of that?”

“She was terrified, Robin. And she was right. I mean, he shoved me to the ground then went into the house and attacked Lucas.”

“From what you said to me, he asked about his sister and you lied to his face.”

“Well, yeah, but…”

“Do you not see the problem here?”

“No! He attacked Lucas so I punched him then we had a fight and he broke a plate on my head. A plate, Robin! I still have a scar!”

“Uh huh,” Robin deadpanned, because she knew Steve enough to know he had a flair for the dramatic. That said, he had shown her the scar. It was nowhere near as big or noticeable as his antics made it to be, but she wasn’t about to tell him that.

“And then he used me like his own personal punching bag until I passed out from the pain. The kids told me Max stabbed him in the neck with that syringe she found on the dresser and told him to leave us alone. Then we went into the tunnels to help El.”

“And you took his car.”

“Max drove his car, yes, but I had nothing to do with that, I was unconscious in the backseat for most of the ride.”

“I will grant you that one.”

“Oh thank you, o wise one.”

“Don't get fresh with me, Steven. You really don't see how wrong that whole situation looks from the outside?”

“What are you talking about? Hargrove is the one who showed up and attacked us. He gave me a concussion, Robin. The guy is a psycho.”

Robin lets out a sigh. She felt like getting the whiteboard out to help Steve understand how wrong he was, but the You suck/You rule tally was ongoing. She looked around but the store was still thankfully devoid of customers. Mondays after lunch were mostly dead, affording her and Steve much needed bonding time. “Okay, so, let's recap, and please do not interrupt me.” 

“Fine.”

“The guy shows up looking for his thirteen-year-old sister at a house he doesn’t know, in the middle of the woods. The only people there with his sister are a bunch of thirteen-year-old boys and Steve ‘the Hair’ Harrington. The same Steve Harrington everyone knows is a hit with the ladies and who is rumored to have slept with over half the female population of Hawkins High.”

Steve opened his mouth but Robin glared at him and he closed it again.

“I said do not interrupt me. I know neither of us has siblings, but I have girl cousins and I know that my aunt would not take it well if one of her daughters was alone in a house filled with teenage boys, my uncle even less so. You lied to him about the sister he was looking for, you antagonized him, and then you threw the first punch. Is it any wonder he fought back? And don’t answer that, it was rhetorical. That means it doesn’t need an answer.”

“I know what it means, thanks. I did graduate from high school.”

“Good for you, now shut up. From what I’ve heard your children say when you illegally let them into the back corridor, Max’s stepfather seems like a total hardass, and she’s sneaking around a lot. Which leads me to believe her big brother, the aforementioned Billy Hargrove, may well have been under orders to bring her back, or he was trying to get her home before their parents came back. Either way, it seems likely that the older sibling would have been left in charge of the younger one.”

“You don’t know that for sure. I mean he—”

“Steven MiddleName Harrington, I swear to the goddess…”

“Sorry.”

“So, in all likelihood, Hargrove was left in charge of Max, and she left without telling him, and when he came looking for her, it didn’t go well for anyone, then Max shot her brother up full of some unknown drug from a syringe left unattended—not very safe, but whatever—and you, what, just left him unconscious on the floor while you guys stole his car?”

“Um, yeah, I guess… when you lay it out like that, it sounds really bad.”

“Dingus, that is what happened. Bet his dad was super impressed with him when he got home with no car and no Max.”

Steve groaned, leaning on the counter and resting his head on his folded arms. Robin took pity on him. She put her hand on his shoulder and patted it awkwardly a couple of times.

“I remember that both of you looked rather beat up when you came back to school, though you came back a few days before he did.”

“I did?” Steve sat up and stared at her.

“Oh yeah. I told you before, I’m very observant.”

“Riiiight.”

Robin lightly punched Steve on the shoulder, as punishment for his disbelieving tone. She was way more observant than him, that was for sure. “So, what happened after that?”

Steve shrugged. “Nothing.”

“What do you mean nothing? I thought you said he apologized?”

“Oh, well, yeah. He drove up in his car while I was waiting for Dustin at the arcade, and he said he was sorry about the fight. That’s it. Max said he apologized to Lucas as well.”

“And?”

“And he’s been staying away ever since, like he told Max he would, the night of the fight.”

“After she threatened to pulverize his boy parts with that nail bat you keep in the boot of your car, right?”

“Yeah, well, I don’t really remember that part, cos, yanno, concussion from that plate he smashed on my head, but Dustin told me about it in great detail, many many times.”

“That kid needs to learn to shut up, I swear.”

Steve chuckled. “He grows on you.”

“Yeah, like mold,” Robin deadpanned, making Steve cackle.

*****

Three days later, Robin was deep in the stacks at the library when she bumped into someone, causing them to drop the handful of books they were carrying.

“Shoot, sorry, I wasn’t paying attention,” she said, crouching to help.

“It’s okay, Buckley. I got it.”

Robin fell on her ass from the surprise. “You know my name?”

“Uh, yeah?” Billy Hargrove said, straightening up and offering her a hand up.

Robin accepted the help, still in shock, then followed the guy to the closest study table where he’d left his messenger bag. She sat across the table from him, her eyes never leaving his face.

“You gonna say something or you just gonna stare at me for the rest of the day? Only I have a shift at the pool in a bit.” He lifted an eyebrow at her, daring her to speak up.

“Oh, um, sorry. It’s just… how do you know my name?” She really, really, needed to know.

“You’ve been in my AP English class since I moved here and you play the French horn with the band every time we play a home game. Course I know your name.”

“Oh.”

“And…” Billy leaned forward, gesturing at Robin to do the same.

She complied, and watched, confused, as Billy looked around to see if anyone was near, before he whispered, “I’ve seen the way you look at Hank, and I can help, if you want.”

“Hank? I don’t…” Robin shook her head. The conversation was taking a surreal turn.

“Sorry, Heather. Holloway.”

“Oh.” Robin felt her cheeks heat up and it was her turn to look around, fidgeting with her rings.

“Don’t worry,” Billy whispered, both hands flat on the table. “I’m not gonna out you to anyone. I may be an asshole, but I wouldn’t compromise someone’s safety like that.”

“Ho-how did you…?” Robin stammered, glad she was sitting down. She felt like a breeze would have knocked her down. She hadn’t even told Steve, and he was her best friend. Maybe.

“Let’s just say you’re not the only one who has to hide who they truly are, for fear of repercussions.”

“When you say repercussions…?” She had to know. She had an inkling about Billy’s dad from some things she’d heard Max say but having confirmation she was right would be vindicating, especially the next time Steve brought up The Evil Billy Hargrove...

“Let’s just say I like being alive, Buckley, and leave it at that, ay?”

Ouch.

“Robin. And you must be joking. Please tell me you’re joking.”

“I had to tell the doctor I fell down some stairs and broke my wrist because Max told my dad she’d seen me sitting with a guy in the library at my old school, Robin, so you tell me. I was tutoring the kid in math but Neil didn’t give a fuck. Right after that, he moved us to this podunk town in the middle of fucking nowhere. Wasn’t fun driving with a cast, let me tell you.”

“Is that really why you moved here?” It seemed a bit far-fetched to her, relocating an entire family because of a misunderstanding like that.

“Well, Susan’s sister lives in Indianapolis, but Neil was more than happy to move me across the country to a less… permissive state.”

“Is California really better for, yanno, people like… like us ?” Robin whispered, elated her hunch had been correct and that she suddenly had someone her age to talk to about these things. 

“Oh yeah. Well, I mean, it can still be dangerous, but, fuck, dude, me and some friends drove up to L.A. last year for the Pride parade and it was fucking amazing.”

“Oh my goddess… You have to tell me all about it, please!”

“Another time, friend. Right now, we need to come up with a plan for you, before I go to work.”

Robin’s cheeks were heating up again. “Oh, um, no, no, it’s okay, there’s no need.”

“Buckley, why do you think that Hank drags me to the stupid mall after every shift? It’s not for the ice cream, because her parents are loaded and she’s got a freezer full of nicer ice cream than your strawberry and cream at home…”

“Maybe she’s just your decoy so you can enjoy the view…”

Billy laughed and Robin startled. She didn’t remember ever hearing him laugh. They received glares from the librarian and a forbidding ‘shhhh’ that made them both silently snicker.

Billy sat back in his chair, the mirth now gone from his eyes. “The difference, dear Robin, is that the view I enjoy hates my everliving guts and I have zero chance in hell to ever close that deal, due to said view’s inclinations, while you, my musically inclined friend, don’t even realize how close you are to getting what you want.”

“You think so?”

“I know so.”

Billy’s watch started beeping, earning him another glare from the librarian, even though he silenced it quickly. “That’s my alarm. Need to get to the pool for my shift. I’ll catch you later. Think about what I said.”

Robin watched Billy leave, marveling at the absolutely unexpected yet terribly exciting turn her afternoon had taken.

*****

Steve looked like he hadn’t slept since their last shift together two days ago and Robin wasted no time telling him as much. He threw a dark look her way but said nothing.

“Aw, come on, dingus, don’t be like that. What’s keeping you from your beauty sleep?”

“This is all your fault, you know,” Steve bit out as he moved to refill the next container of sprinkles. 

Robin didn’t understand why the store only offered sprinkles in the colors of the flag, but that might be because she didn’t really have a patriotic bone in her body. “How is it my fault?” she said, holding the jar of red sprinkles for Steve.

He glared at her as he put down the white sprinkles and picked up the red ones. “You made me feel guilty for something that happened over six months ago.”

“And? I didn’t realize there was an expiry date on figuring out you did something shitty and taking steps to fix it.”

“Oh, now I have to fix it as well?” Steve argued, spinning so fast the Scoops hat fell off his head.

Robin bent down to pick it up and put it down on the counter with a sigh. “Steve…”

“Robin. I draw the line at one concussion a year, thank you.”

“Oh my goddess, Steve, Billy isn’t going to punch you if you apologize for lying to his face.”

“One, you don’t know that, and two, since when are you on a first name basis with the guy? Pretty sure you didn’t even know his name when you made me tell you about the fight over and over the other day,” Steve said, fixing her with a stare that might work on his kids but didn’t work on her.

All the same, Robin was happy to be saved from answering by a slew of customers that kept them so busy they had to take their breaks at different times. Steve finished his shift earlier than her and she was only too happy to wave him off. The look he gave her before he walked out the door told her that he would demand answers the next time they saw each other.

Walking to the bus stop after her shift ended and cursing herself for asking her mom for a ride to the mall earlier that day instead of taking her bike, Robin startled when a vaguely familiar blue Camaro slowed down alongside her.

“Hey, Buckley. Fancy a ride home?”

Robin stopped and looked through the open passenger window with a grin. “Hargrove. Are you stalking me?”

“You should be so lucky. Get in, we need to talk.”

Dropping her bag in the back before settling into the passenger seat, Robin angled her body towards Billy. “Well?”

Billy threw the butt of his cigarette on the road then pulled away from the curb, waiting until they were back on the road into town to open his mouth. “Dropped off Hank at the mall after our shift, her mom is getting her a new outfit for our date on Saturday.”

What? Robin’s fingers dug into the leather seat under her. “A date? You’re going on a date with Heather? But I thought—”

“Relax, Robin, I told you I would help and I’m gonna. Me and Hank had a chat the other day after I saw you at the library and we came up with a plan.”

“Oh?” Robin wasn’t sure what else to say. She didn’t like feeling confused and so far both her interactions with Billy Hargrove had left her on the back foot.

“Yeah. Thing is, we figured if her parents, and my dad, think we’re dating, it will get them off our backs.” 

“Okay…” That made sense to Robin. Being a queer teenager in small town America was scary if your parents weren’t accepting, and Robin knew she was lucky in that respect. Her parents were soulmates and they’d always told her they loved her and would love whoever her soulmate turned out to be. 

“So the idea is that on Saturday night, I'm gonna pick her up, then pick you up, and we're gonna go over to the drive-in in Marion, and then I'll make myself scarce until the movie is over.”

“Oh god. You’re gonna… you’re… and she… oh god.” Robin couldn’t breathe. This was really happening. She was going on a date. With a girl. With Heather . 

She didn’t realize Billy had stopped on the side of the road until he was crouching on the ground next to her, holding her hands and telling her to breathe.

“Deep breaths, Robin. That’s it. You got this.”

“I…I… oh god…”

“Hey. Calm down. It’s gonna be okay, you know why?”

“Why?”

“She likes you. She really likes you.”

“She does…?”

“Yeah. And you know what else?”

“No.”

“I’ve seen the way you look at her, and I’ve seen how animated she is when it’s just the two of us and she won’t stop talking about you. And I wonder…”

“What?”

“Your soulmark wouldn’t happen to be a flower by any chance?”

Robin eeped and she took her hands back to clutch at her right wrist. What the fuck was happening right now? She must be dreaming, there was no other explanation.

“No, dude, you’re not dreaming” Billy grinned. “I show you mine, you show me yours?”

Robin nodded because she couldn’t trust herself to keep her thoughts out of her mouth. Her eyes bugged out when Billy removed the watch he kept on his right wrist. His skin wasn’t as tanned under the strap and she immediately spotted the five point crown lightly etched on the inside of Billy’s wrist.

She scrambled to take off her own watch and share her own soulmark. “I’ve never shown it to anyone, not even my parents,” she said, her eyes tracing the familiar lines of the small violet. It had felt too private to share with anyone, not that she had many friends anyway.

“My friend Argyle back in Cali is the only one who knows about mine. Doubt Neil would take too kindly to this confirmation his useless son is a fa—”

“Don’t say that word,” Robin urged him. Then she remembered something Billy had said at the library. “Ooh!” She slapped a hand on her mouth then slowly let it drop. “A crown. I get it now. You think Steve is…”

“I don’t think, I know.” Billy sounded so defeated it broke Robin’s heart.

“How can you be so sure?”

“Basketball practice, Robin. Communal showers don’t hide much, even if you’re doing your best not to look.”

“Crap.”

“Exactly. So let’s focus on getting you and Hank together instead, alright?” Billy said, standing up again and putting his watch back on.

Robin did the same and waited until Billy was back in the driver’s seat. “Billy?”

Billy glanced at her then back at the road. “Yeah?”

“I, um, I was talking with Steve the other day at work, about that fight you guys had last November, at the Byers’ house, and I may have impressed upon him how wrong it looked for your thirteen-year-old sister to be alone in a strange house with a bunch of teenage boys, and, um, there is a slight chance that he might decide to apologize for lying to you and throwing the first punch, and yanno, taking your car while you lay full of unlabeled drugs on a dirty floor. Or something.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“You heard me. So if he does, could you… not punch him? Maybe?”

“If, and that’s a big if, Steve comes to me to apologize, I promise to hear him out.”

*****

“Hey, dingus?”

It was Friday night, and Robin was lying on Steve’s couch eating popcorn from a giant bowl on the floor. He was sitting next to it on a cushion. Robin wasn’t really paying attention to the movie Steve had put on, too keyed up about the motherflippin’ date she was going on the next evening. 

Billy was being the perfect wingman so she wanted to return the favor, and that started by testing the waters.

“Yeah?” Steve took a sip of his cola and turned his head to look at her.

“You ever think about what your soulmate might be like?”

“I used to. I had all these grand ideas about all that stuff, and for a bit, I even believed Nancy might be my soulmate.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, but our soulmarks didn’t match, not even a little bit. And after that, I just… stopped.”

“Stopped what?”

“Looking. Hoping. If there’s a person made for me out there, I doubt they’re stuck in Hawkins, yanno? And since I’m never getting out of here…”

“Aw, Stevie, don’t be like that…” Robin patted Steve on the shoulder. “We’ll get out of this place, and you’ll find them, whoever they are.”

Steve let out a disbelieving snort. “Sure… As the person who started the You Rule/You Suck board, you know very well that my chances of that are about as high as my chances of getting into college.”

“What do you think they look like?” Robin asked, shushing him when he groaned his displeasure at her pushing it. “Come on, indulge me.”

“What don’t you tell me about your soulmate instead?” Steve pushed back.

“Um…”

“Ha! Not so keen to share now, are you?” Steve turned around to face her, his back to the TV, movie completely forgotten.

Robin sat up. This would make or break their friendship. She took a deep breath and threw herself into the deep end. “I’ve had the same image of who my soulmate is since I started middle school. I’ve always imagined her with long dark hair, brown eyes and—”

“Shiny red lips that match her work uniform and a first name that starts with H?”

Robin felt the tip of her ears heat up. Steve was watching her with his usual smile, and he wasn’t ordering her out of his house.

“I know I’m not the most observant person, but even I noticed how often Heather comes in for one scoop of the least interesting flavor we sell. And she’s hated my guts since kindergarten so…”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. I wasn’t sure how you’d react, learning I’m into… you know… girls,” Robin whispered the last word, even though Steve admittedly already knew and they were alone in his house. It still felt like something she should hide; less so when she was hanging out with Billy, which seemed to happen more since that day at the library. They’d started spending their free periods together at the same study table of the seniors home room most days.

“You’re my friend, Robin.” Steve said. “Pretty much my only friend. And I’m not gonna risk losing that because we both like boobies.”

The serious way Steve said it launched Robin into a laughing fit and Steve joined her. When it ended, they were both sitting on the floor, her legs on his lap, the TV screen a flurry of static.

“Hey.”

“Yeah?”

“Can I see your soulmark?” 

Steve shrugged. “Sure.”

To Robin’s surprise, Steve whipped off his shirt, dropping it on top of her legs, before lifting his left arm. He angled his head.

“It’s right there, on my ribs, by my armpit.”

Robin peered at the area Steve had indicated and, sure enough, there it was. A crown with five points, matching Billy’s perfectly. She couldn’t quite silence the ‘eep’ that escaped her and Steve frowned at her as he put his shirt back on.

“What?”

“Nothing. A crown for King Steve. Fitting.” She moved her legs off Steve and got back up onto the couch, her mind going a mile a minute. She needed to find a way to plant a seed in Steve’s mind, to help him open his horizon to a different possibility. She knew you couldn’t make a person queer, of course, but the universe had decided these two boys were soulmates, so she had to do something to help. 

She tuned back into what Steve was saying.

“...left that king bullshit behind in high school when I realized I wanted to be a better person.”

“So it wasn’t just because you wanted in Nancy Wheeler’s pants?” Robin couldn’t help the snide remark, grinning as she said it.

“Oh my god, Robin!” Steve shoved her shoulder. “What about you? What’s yours?”

“A flower, on the inside of my wrist,” she told him, thinking how odd it was that two boys linked by fate had asked her the same question within a few days of each other.

“Dainty,” Steve said with a snort and it was Robin’s turn to shove him.

Still laughing, Steve stood to go put another movie on then took his spot in front of the couch again. “Hey, you wanna go for a milkshake tomorrow after work? My treat. You can help me figure out how I’m gonna apologize to Billy Hargrove without getting punched.”

“For fuck’s sake, Steve, stop making him out to be such a monster.”

“Sorry, I forgot you’re president of his fan club now. My bad.” Steve’s posture went all rigid and he kept his eyes on the screen in front of them.

Robin took a deep breath before she replied with something she would for sure regret. She forced a smile and slid onto the floor next to Steve, resting her head on his shoulder. “Dingus, you’re my best friend, you know that. But I think we’d both benefit from having more friends our age, and unless you really want to hang out with your ex and the guy she dumped you for, our options are limited.”

“But Billy, Robin?”

“Yes, Billy. He’s funny, he’s one of the top students at school, he drives a cool car, and he’s objectively, and by any standards, extremely good looking.”

“I thought you only liked girls.”

“I’m a lesbian, Steven, not blind.”

“I don’t know…”

“Well, I do, and I’m sorry, but I can’t go for a milkshake tomorrow.” Robin paused then whispered, “I, um, I have, um, a date.”

Steve spun so fast Robin fell over onto the carpet.

“A date! Oh my god, Robin! Is it with Heather? How? Wow! What the fuck!”

She sat up, rubbing her elbow that had taken the brunt of her fall. “Ow.”

“I’m sorry! You can’t just spring this on me like that! Spill, lady! I want details!”

“Yes, it’s with Heather. And, uh, it was set up by, um, a mutual friend. We’re going to the drive-in over in Marion. I’ve been kinda freaking out about it, to be honest.”

“A mutu—Oh. I see.”

“Do not start this again, I need my best friend right now, not King Steve’s high school vendetta.”

“Okay, okay, sorry.”

“Tell me something, why does he get under your skin this much?”

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Oh please, the mere mention of his name gets your hackles raised like no one else does. From what you’ve told me, it predates the fight you guys had at the Byers’ house. Did you seriously never wonder what it is about Billy Hargrove that makes you react so strongly?”

Steve’s eyes widened but he didn’t say anything. Robin patted Steve’s knee before standing up.

“I’ll get us another drink if you rewind the movie. I missed everything that happened in it so far.”

Steve nodded and moved to the VCR as Robin left the living room for the kitchen. She figured she’d done enough pushing for one evening. 

*****

“Earth to Robin, need you out here, dude.”

Steve’s voice pulled Robin out of her daydreams. She checked her watch to see her break had ended a few minutes ago. She hurried back into the main part of the store and went to work, scooping ice cream like it was her calling while Steve rang the orders on the temperamental till.

Once the after school rush had died down, she picked up the mop and did a quick pass on the blue and white checkered lino while Steve cleared rubbish and wiped melted ice cream off the tables.

“You’ve been spacey all day, Rob. Are you okay? I hope it means you had a good time on Saturday night.”

Robin smiled as she finished cleaning then took the mop back into the back room. She waited for Steve to join her, keeping an eye on the main doors through the small window behind the counter.

“So? How did it go? What movie did you see?”

“I have no idea what the movie was, we were too busy making out in the backseat of the Camaro,” Robin said with a happy sigh. “Best night of my life so far.”

“Camaro? Hargrove’s Camaro?”

“Yes, Stevie. I told you Billy set it up. He picked Heather up first, to make it seem like they’re dating, and get Billy’s dad off his back, then they picked me up. When we got there, he parked the car and went to read his book at the diner on Main Street.”

“That was very thoughtful of him.”

“I don’t know why you’re so surprised. He’s a good guy once you get to know him. Sure, yes, he’s got some anger issues, but anyone would, with a dad like his.”

“Like what?”

“Are you seriously telling me you’ve never heard Max talk about how much of a controlling hardass Mr Hargrove is? I only see your kids when you sneak them in and I’ve heard it enough times.”

“Um, no, I tend to just tune all their chatter out. So he’s bad news?”

“He’s the kind of guy who’s only got bad sides.”

“Oh, okay. Yikes.”

“I probably shouldn’t have told you, because it’s not my story to tell, but I needed you to understand.”

“Thanks. I mean it. I’ve, um, I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said, and I’m gonna apologize to him for my part in that stupid fight.”

“I’m glad to hear it, because he and Heather are coming over after their shift at the pool. We talked about going for burgers and I think you should come with us. It will help sell it a bit more if it looks like a double date.”

Robin chuckled at Steve’s impression of a deer in headlights. “Don’t worry, dingus, we don’t have to hold hands or anything.”

Thankfully, Steve had recovered by the time they closed the store for the day and met Billy and Heather in the food court. Steve took Billy aside briefly and got through his apology without getting punched, like Robin had predicted. The look Billy threw at her when they rejoined her and Heather was filled with new-found gratitude and Robin felt a bit like a miracle worker on a mission from the universe.

They headed out in pairs, Robin giddy with excitement, as Heather’s fingers kept brushing against hers as they walked out of the mall and into the carpark. Neither boys were keen to leave their cars there so they traveled separately to the diner.

They piled up in a booth, Steve and Robin on one side, Billy and Heather on the other, and ordered. They made small talk about the highs and lows of their day at work as they waited for their food. Robin was vibrating with excitement. Heather kept smiling at her as they ate, their ankles locked together under the table. 

When Steve excused himself to go to the bathroom after they’d ordered dessert, Billy leaned forward across the table and smiled at Robin.

“I don’t know what you said to him, but thank you.”

“You deserve better, Billy,” Heather said in a clipped tone, red lips around her straw as she finished her strawberry milkshake commanding Robin’s attention.

“Hank, this is more than I thought I’d get, as little as it is. At least he’s not glaring daggers at me anymore.”

“I’d say you’re welcome,” Robin told Billy with an encouraging smile, “but I’m not done trying.”

*****

Things got better slowly over the next few weeks.

Billy told Robin about Steve showing up at the quarry and how they shared a couple of beers as they smoked some weed and talked.

During another double date at the diner, Steve and Billy got into a very animated conversation about Dune, Billy arguing the book is better, while Steve defended the movie, despite the fact that he had absolutely not read the book. Robin and Heather escaped to make out in the bathroom.

As summer turned to fall, they left Scoops Ahoy to go work at Family Video, and Steve lived through another one of his father’s lectures about his future. He moped around for days afterwards and Robin wasn’t sure how to help then one night, Billy showed up. Robin left them to it and heard later about how they’d raided Mr Harrington’s liquor cabinet and got so extremely drunk they’d passed out on the floor in the den, and woken up cuddling. 

Billy told her he’d pretended to be asleep until Steve went to the bathroom, then he’d gone to the kitchen to make coffee and pretended it hadn’t happened.

Steve hadn’t mentioned it at all. Robin said nothing but took mental note of the daydreaming look on Steve’s face that appeared more often the day after he spent time hanging out with Billy.

Then one day, she arrived for her after school shift at Family Video and headed for the break room to dump her backpack and her jacket, and Steve followed her. He seemed flustered, unusually so.

“You okay, dingus? Did something happen? Mrs. Wheeler get too close again?” Robin asked, a shudder of distaste at the memory of seeing Nancy’s mom seductively running a finger along Steve’s hand as she’d picked up her change a few weeks ago. Steve had washed his hands for like an hour afterwards.

“You!” Steve started, pointing his finger at Robin and pacing the small room. “This is all your fault!”

“What did I do now?”

“You told me to give Billy a chance. You told me I needed to have more friends my age. And I listened to you, and we’ve been hanging out, and talking. About all sorts of stuff. And let me tell you, lady, you now have serious competition for your best friend spot, just saying.”

“Okay…” Robin still didn’t see what about that would warrant the state Steve was in. “I fail to see how any of this is a bad thing, dingus.”

Steve collapsed onto the rickety chair that sat by the equally rickety card table Keith had installed in one corner. Robin cringed at the loud creaking noise it made when Steve’s knee started bouncing in time with Steve running his fingers through his hair.

She knelt on the floor next to Steve, and reached up to get his hands free from the now tangled mess on top of his head, really concerned now. “Sweetie, what happened?” she asked softly, cutting through his mutterings.

“Dreams, Robin.”

“What kinds of dreams, Steve?”

The look he gave her was enough of a clue. “Oh, okay… It’s normal to have, um, graphic dreams, you know that, we learned about it in Sex Ed class.”

“Sex Ed classes didn’t exactly cover having graphic and detailed sex dreams about your male best friend, Robin,” Steve told her in a rushed whisper.

“Well… no, they did not. But there’s nothing wrong with having dreams.”

“But what does it mean?” He sounded haunted by it and it broke Robin’s heart.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him a rare hug before sitting back down. “It doesn’t have to mean anything. Or it could mean that you like both, girls and boys, I mean. Or…”

“Or what?”

“Remember when you asked me about my soulmate and I pretty much described Heather?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, as it turns out, her soulmark is the exact same flower, only in a different spot.”

“I’m happy for you, I really am, it’s great, but that doesn’t help me much right now. I need the dreams to stop. I am going crazy. I can’t sleep, because every time I close my eyes, I…”

“Steve, sweetie, maybe the universe is trying to tell you to stop fighting it.”

“Fighting what?”

“You know that crown on your ribs?”

Steve closed his eyes and shook his head. “Don’t say it.” His knee was bouncing again, faster than before.

“Steve...”

“Don’t say it, Robin.” Steve opened his eyes again and he looked about to cry.

“I’ve seen its match.”

“You’re telling the truth, aren’t you?”

“I would never lie to you, dingus,” Robin told him earnestly. The ding of the counter bell interrupted her train of thought. “Fuck. You stay here, take the time you need, and I’ll go deal with the customers.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s gonna be okay, Stevie. You’ll see.” 

She left him there, closing the door behind her as she stepped into the area behind the counter. Her eyes narrowed when she took in the gaggle of Steve’s children gathered on the other side. She let out an exaggerated sigh so they’d know she didn’t have the patience to deal with them.

“What do you lot want?”

The annoying kid who never shut up glared at Robin. “We need to talk to Steve.” 

“Well, you can’t. He’s not here.”

“His car is outside.”

Robin shrugged. “Dunno what to tell you. I’m not his keeper. He’s not here and if you’re not going to rent videos, you can leave. Shoo.”

She stared them down until they left, grumbling as they filed through the door.

“Hey.”

“Jesus!” Robin startled, not expecting Billy to appear in front of her. “Oh my god, wear a bell or something. I nearly had a heart attack.”

Billy chuckled and leaned onto the counter. “Sorry, Rob. Didn’t mean to scare ya. Is he really not here or were you just trying to get rid of the weird kids brigade?”

“Oh he’s here. He’s having a major freak-out in the break room.”

“Fuck. Is he gonna be alright?”

Robin and Billy had become pretty close over the past few months, as they bonded over shared interests and her secret relationship with Heather had progressed. She knew he’d made his peace with being nothing more than best friends with Steve, despite their matching soulmarks or his own feelings for Steve. She loved how much he cared for her favorite dingus, and she wasn’t about to start lying to him about Steve.

“I’m not sure. He was pretty shaken up.”

Billy groaned and rested his head between his arms on the counter. “It’s probably my fault.”

“What do you mean? What happened?”

He lifted his head and stared at a spot on the wall. “Last weekend, at the quarry, I stupidly mentioned soulmates. No, not like that , I just… asked him if he ever dreamed about his. Then he asked about mine. I stayed vague, for obvious reasons, but he kept asking and I may have snapped then driven off.”

“What the hell, Billy?”

“I know, I know, but I felt cornered, okay?” He ran a hand over his face then finally looked Robin in the eye. “I don’t know how much longer I can go on pretending he’s not everything I’ve ever wanted.”

Robin heard a click behind her and noticed Billy turning deathly white and frozen on the spot.

“Billy?”

At the sound of Steve’s voice, Robin turned around to find him standing in the doorway.

“Hey, dingus,” Robin called out with extra cheer in her voice. “Feeling better?” 

Steve ignored her, his attention on Billy whose eyes hadn’t left his.

“Do you think we could talk?”

“Of course, pretty boy.” Billy cut himself off, and Robin spotted his cheeks getting pink under his tan. “I mean, sure, here, or…?”

“Here is fine.” Steve half turned, looking at Robin, a question in his eyes.

“I’ll cover for you, no worries.”

She motioned for Billy to follow Steve, and she’d never seen him look so scared. She closed the door behind Billy and turned the music up a couple of notches, just in case…

When they came out of the break room forty minutes later, they both looked disheveled and Steve was sporting a rather damning hickey on his collarbone.

He came to stand next to her at the counter and they both watched Billy walk towards the exit, though Steve’s eyes strayed decidedly lower than Robin’s. Billy pushed the door and turned to give them a little wave before he stepped onto the sidewalk.

“Not a word, Robin. Not a word.”

Robin mimed zipping her lips together but that didn’t stop her smile. She bumped her shoulder into Steve’s and he bumped hers back.

A large group of customers entered the shop and the two of them got to work, dealing with returns that needed rewinding, and issuing new movies. The job wasn’t exactly rewarding, they didn’t get paid much, but all that didn’t matter, because working together had led them both to find their soulmates.

And that was the bit that really mattered.

[oh-stars]

Say It

Love is terrifying.

a @steddielovemonth prompt | 1547 words | CW: N/A | Rating: T

--

Eddie will be home soon. Steve’s stuck on the couch, elbows on knees and chin in his hand, as he watches the door. He’ll be home soon and Steve can’t run away from this conversation anymore. 

It’s been years since the world tried to end, since they fled Hawkins even. A lot has changed for all of them. Nearly all the kids have graduated high school and Dustin’s already out of undergrad. Erica has early acceptance at Harvard, Lucas and Max are at Duke, Mike is at Emerson, Will is at Berkley, and Eleven is working hard to get accepted at Emory for their nursing program. Robin’s working at the Met, Nancy’s at the Times, and Eddie’s been recognized in a tattoo magazine for his work. 

They’re all getting older, growing into their own people and finding their way in life. 

And then there’s Steve. 

He works at a gym as a personal trainer and he’s working with Robin’s partner, Janine, to open up their own gym so that they can make a safe place for everyone, but especially women and other gay people. He has so many ideas, but he knows they aren’t as cool or esteemed as his friends’ career choices. 

No matter how many digs he gets about his choices and being a dumb jock, Steve likes the flexibility and power his career gives him. He feels good about it. 

It helps that it gives him a purpose and reason to keep his body in fighting shape. Just in case. 

Steve looks down at his watch. Ten till. Eddie will be home soon. 

Why is he doing this? He could be doing literally anything else with his night, but now he’s subjecting himself to a potentially miserable and devastating conversation that could end the world as he knows it. 

Jesus, he’s been spending too much time with Robin lately. Catastrophizing every interaction he has, like a single conversation could hold that much weight. 

Except… This one does. If it goes wrong, if Steve missteps and assumes something he shouldn’t, then he risks the entire friend group collapsing in on itself like a dying star. And now he sounds like Dustin, maybe he just needs new, less dramatic friends all together. 

Oh, who is he kidding? He loves these weirdos with everything in him, they make him full, filling all the nooks and crannies of scars and gashes his past has left him with. It’s like they super glued him back together, a porcelain doll made stronger by the care of his friends. 

Steve runs a hand over his hair, scrubbing at his face. Fuck, maybe he’s spent too much time talking with Mike, with all his prose and fancy speak. He’s absorbing way more of his friends than he realizes. 

He glances back down at the watch. Only a minute has passed. 

This feels cruel. 

It’s not even a special occasion. There’s no insistent need as to why he has to talk to Eddie tonight. He just can’t take it anymore. 

Actually, Steve wonders if this is the right move at all. Should he wait until Eddie’s settled in? Ambushing him when he comes home is kind of a dick move. Oh god, he’s gone about this all wrong. He’s for sure going to blow it now. 

He looks down at the folder sitting on the cushion beside him. It’s bold, it’s presumptuous. It’s putting everything he has into one suspicion. 

No, he has to do this. 

They’re at a turning point, at the end of this chapter, and it’s now or never. Steve can either be brave or take the cowardly route and live in this limbo for the rest of his life, potentially ruining the best thing he’s ever had. 

Five more minutes. Eddie will be home in five more minutes. 

Steve’s knee bounces as he takes in a deep, shaky breath. He can do this. He’s got this. It’s just Eddie and the biggest conversation they’ve ever had. 

Or rather… the only conversation they’ve ever had. 

Okay, obviously they’ve talked but it’s rarely anything serious and usually the only serious things they do talk about are Upside Down related. Steve has accepted this, it works for them, but at the same time… If they don’t have this conversation, he may implode from the inside out. 

He just wants to know what they are. 

They’ve lived together for nearly five years, their routines and lives revolve around one another. Everyone they know, treats them like they’re a package deal because they are one. You don’t invite Steve to watch the big game without Eddie tagging along for the snacks or Eddie going to a concert without Steve and his trusty headphones. They’re typically completely in sync. 

But even more than that, Steve’s pretty sure they’ve been dating for six years without saying a goddamn word. 

Steve can’t remember the last time they slept in separate beds – including when Robin sleeps over, all three of them squished into one of the beds. And while they have separate rooms still, Steve can barely distinguish between the two. They go on dates, they cuddle on the couch, they’re always touching one another. 

And the sex! 

God, the sex is so good. Steve’s never had this amazing of a connection with anyone. Eddie treats him with the perfect balance of care, even when they try riskier things there’s always an undercurrent of care and… 

Love. 

Which is why he’s almost certain that this conversation, this first big one, should go well. 

So why is his stomach threatening to revolt against him? 

The door knob turns with three minutes to spare. He kind of wants to scream, to beg for more time, while simultaneously ready to cry with relief. 

Eddie opens the door, drops his bag at his feet and pauses when he sees Steve waiting. “Everything okay?” he asks as he slowly puts his coat up. 

He’s fought monsters. He stood up to his parents. He can do this. 

Steve stands up and wipes his hands on his jeans. “I have something to ask you.” 

Eddie slowly raises one eyebrow, but nods cautiously as he closes the door. “You’re scaring me.”

“I think it's a good thing,” Steve says, motioning to the couch, “but, uh, you have to decide that.” 

“I do?” 

Steve sits back down as Eddie sits at the other end, the folder between them. “Our lease is coming up,” Steve starts, “and George called the other day to see if we wanted to renew.”

“Well duh, why wouldn’t we renew? We’ve got a good set up,” Eddie says, leaning back against the arm of the couch. He crosses an ankle over his knee, fully relaxing now. “So we just need to sign something, right?” 

“What if…” Steve squeezes the back of his neck. “What if we didn’t renew?”

Eddie sits up. “Do you not want to live with me?” 

“I don’t want to live here,” Steve clarifies. He hands over the folder. “I’ve been looking at houses–”

“Houses?” Eddie asks softly. 

Steve winces. “Okay, a house. I’m kind of already in love and I can understand if this isn’t where you saw yourself. But I–” He groans and puts his head in his hands. “I’m butchering this.” 

“What the hell are you talking about?” 

He had a whole speech planned!! Now he’s fumbling over himself and–

Steve jumps up and turns to Eddie. “I can’t keep living like this,” he starts, “where we just keep going without actually saying anything.” He wipes his mouth with one hand as he steadies himself, his other hand on his hip. When he looks back at Eddie, it all clicks back into place. “I love you, Eddie. I don’t care if that ruins everything and you want to move out. I can’t change how I feel and goddammit, Eddie, I love you.” 

Eddie’s mouth falls open as he leans forward. “You love me?” 

“Yes,” Steve says, biting at the inside of his cheek. “So you can see why I can’t keep doing what we’re doing, not without you knowing. We don’t have to consider the houses, I’m okay with renewing,” he says, “but I can’t…” 

“I hear you,” Eddie says carefully, “I do.” 

Steve nods. “Okay.” 

Eddie reaches out and tugs Steve in close, pulling him onto his lap. His hands slide up Steve’s body to cup his face in his hands. “I love you.” 

“You’re not just saying that, right?” 

He shakes his head, pulling Steve in closer. “I’ve loved you for so long, Steve Harrington. I just didn’t want to…”

“Ruin it?” Steve says with a smirk. 

Eddie nods. “I don’t want to lose you,” he adds. 

“You would never have lost me,” Steve whispers. “I can’t live without you.” 

The kiss they share is sweeter than any Steve’s had in his life. It’s simple and chaste, but god does it have Steve soaring. When he pulls away, his hand on Eddie’s face in a mirror of his own, Steve knows why he was so scared to mess up something wonderful, something beautiful by adding extra pressure. He knows it with the same ferocity that he knows Eddie’s feeling the same thing, the way he always did. 

All he had to do was say it.

--

Thank you @lady-lostmind!

Ao3 Link

[allthingsfangirl101]

*Naughty Dreams – Steve Harrington

Warnings: wet dreams, protected sex, fulfilling kink, language

Steve's POV

As the credits began to roll, I looked around my family room. The kids who weren't asleep were barely awake. I laughed and turned to Y/N to point it out but found she was asleep too. I carefully stood up and gently laid her down. I grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch and covered her with it.

I went around the room, gently waking the kids. They were groggy and confused.

"What's going on?" Dustin asked.

"I'm taking you home, idiot," I laughed. "Let's go."

When I finally got them in the car, I started to drive away. I had just dropped off Erica and Lucas. All that was left was Dustin.

"I know your secret," he said in an irritating tone.

"What?" I deadpanned.

"You and Y/N sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G," he sang loudly.

"Shut up," I scoffed, pushing his head to the side. "Nothing is going on between us."

"Exactly," Dustin laughed. "And it's driving you crazy."

"What are you. . ."

"You wish something was going on between you guys," he cut me off. I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, my latest dream coming back to me.

He sighed when saw me roll my shoulders. He took it a different way. Which was fine. He's only a teenager. He doesn't need to hear about my wet dreams about my best friend.

"Look," he sighed, "you and Y/N have been inseparable ever since I met you guys. I'd have to be completely naive not to notice what's going on between the two of you."

"Don't be an idiot," I said, clearing my throat. The last thing I needed was to get my hopes up that Y/N and I could be anything more than best friends.

"I'm not," he instantly defended himself. "I've seen it. We all have."

"Seen what?" I couldn't help but ask.

"You and Y/N have this. . . connection."

"We're friends," I stuttered.

"Come on," he snorted. "Just friends?"

"I mean. . ."

"Just tell me the truth," he sighed. "Do you have feelings for Y/N or do you have feelings for Y/N?"

I glanced over at him and sighed. "Yes," I said under my breath. "Alright? Happy now? I don't just have feelings for her. I'm in love with her. Every day I think about how she should be with me. How I could protect her. How I could take care of her. How I would spend every day of my life making sure she was happy."

"Then why don't you tell her?" He asked, leaning his head against the headrest.

"Because. . ." I stuttered. I sighed as I pulled in front of Dustin's house. "What if she doesn't feel the same way?"

"She does."

I snapped my head toward him. "What are you talking about?"

He turned toward me and smirked. "You really didn't know," he laughed. "Welcome to sixth grade, Steve. Best friends fall in love all the time. Especially girl-boy friendships."

"Can you stop being an ass for just one second?" I sighed. "I'm trying to be serious. How do you know that Y/N feels the same way about me?"

"It's the way she looks at you," he said finally not acting like an asshole. "It's the way she runs to you. It's the way she depends on you. It's the way she falls asleep on your shoulder."

"Falls asleep on my shoulder? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"My mom believes that if a girl falls asleep on your shoulder it means she trusts you. Completely."

"What are you talking about?"

"When you're asleep, you're at your most vulnerable," he continued. "So if a girl falls asleep next to you, it means she trusts you to watch over her and protect her. Y/N falls asleep in your arms all the time. She trusts you."

"That could be because we've been friends since we were little," I started but Dustin's laugh cut me off.

"Come on, Steve," he chuckled. "Just tell her already. You'll both be a lot happier once you do."

                                * * * * *

I put my car in park and slowly got out. I locked it and headed into my house. I closed the door behind me and stopped when I saw Y/N still asleep on the couch. I smiled, not moving as I watched her sleep.

When I realized it was creepy, I slowly and carefully started walking up to my room. Until. . .

"Oh, Steve."

I froze.

"Keep going," Y/N moaned.

I turned around and saw that she was still asleep. My heart dove into my stomach and my stomach did a flip when I realized what was happening.

Y/N was having a wet dream. . .  About me.

"Steve, that feels. . ." She cut herself off with a moan I longed to hear over and over.

I forced myself to go upstairs. As much as I wanted to listen to her moan my name, I knew I couldn't. I was almost to the stairs when my clumsy self surfaced. It started with me trying to take off my shoes. It ended with me knocking over a lamp.

Y/N jumped awake, looking around confused. She looked over her shoulder and laughed when she saw me awkwardly holding up the lamp.

"You okay?" She asked.

"I'm fine," I said shakily.

She stood up and walked over to me. "Are you sure?" She pushed. "Steve, I know you. Something is wrong. What's going on?"

"It's nothing," I tried. I stopped talking when I saw the look on her face.

"Please," she whispered. "Talk to me."

"I heard you."

"What?" She stuttered. "What are you. . ."

"I took the kids home," I started to explain even though I wished I would shut up. "I know you haven't been sleeping well so I decided to let you sleep while I dropped them off. When I got home. . . You were still asleep but you were dreaming."

Y/N's eyes widened. She took a small step back, her breathing slowing. "What did you hear?" She asked under her breath.

"You," I answered under my breath. "I heard you. . ."

Reader's POV

I couldn't take the embarrassment. Steve had heard me talking in my sleep. I could only imagine what he heard. I wanted to run. I wanted to cry. I wanted the earth to open up and swallow me.

I turned around and started to run away. Steve didn't let me get far. He grabbed my hand and spun me around, pulling me into his chest.

"Steve," I said, my voice breaking. "Please let me go."

"No."

"Steve. . ."

"Tell me."

"What?" I gasped.

"Tell me about your dream," he said under his breath. I shook my head, trying to pull away but he stopped me.

"I can't," I stuttered. "It's too embarrassing."

"Maybe if you tell me," he whispered, not looking away from me, "I can fulfill your dream."

"You can. . ."

Before I could wrap my head around what he was hinting at, Steve gently leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. I thought about my dream and his comment made sense. I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him back.

Things escalated as our momentum knocked us back. We laughed, breaking the kiss when we almost fell onto the stairs. Luckily, Steve caught me.

"First things first," I said between my heavy breathing. "Take me upstairs. That's where it happened."

I gasped, turning into a giggle when Steve picked me up and wrapped my legs around his waist. I leaned in and started kissing his neck as he carried me upstairs to his room.

The butterflies in my stomach danced when I heard him kick his bedroom door open. He walked across his room and dropped me onto his bed. I stood up and brought his shirt with me. Without a word, I reached down and undid his pants. He slipped his fingers into his pants and finished discarding them for me.

I slipped my fingers into his boxers but Steve grabbed my hands, stopping me. He slowly slid his fingers into my under and brought them down with him as he knelt. As Steve stood up, his face was inches from my body. When he was standing, Steve put his hands on my bare stomach and pushed me back onto the bed. I giggled as I leaned back on my hands and looked up at him.

Steve reached down and grabbed my legs, opening them wide enough for him. He stood between my legs and nodded toward my shirt. He watched, chewing his bottom lip as I slowly took it off. I tossed it to the side, not feeling an ounce of insecurity as I showed him my body.

"Damn," he moaned as he started massaging my thighs. "Just as beautiful as I dreamt you would be."

"You've dreamt about me?" I asked, subconsciously sticking my chest out. He chewed on his bottom lip as he let go of one of my thighs, reached up, and gently slid one of my bra straps off.

"All the time," he said under his breath. "I constantly dream about you, baby. What I want to do. What I want to see. What I want to hear."

"And what do you want to see?" I asked.

"You," he said, not looking up from my chest. I reached behind myself and unhooked my bra. I saw the lump in his boxers tighten even more as I discarded my bra.

"And what do you want to hear?" I asked, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him so we were laying down with him on top of me.

"You," he whispered, "moaning my name. Over. And over. And over again. Getting louder with each moan."

I reached up and slowly slid his underwear off. I couldn't help but look down at what I'd dreamt about. I took a shaky breath as I forced myself to look back at his face. I slid my hands up his chest and wrapped my arms around his neck. I let go of one of his shoulders and grabbed a condom out of his bedside table.

"And what do you want to do to me, Steve?" I smirked as I showed it to him. He instantly grabbed it and tore it open. I chewed on my bottom lip, holding back a moan as I watched him slip it on.

"This," he said as he pushed himself into me. I arched my back, the moan I'd been holding back finally releasing.

"Fuck," I gasped as he pulled out of me and pushed back in. This was the start of his thrusts.

"That's it, baby girl," he said through his teeth. "Keep moaning like that."

"As long as you keep moving like that."

We both let out breathy moans as our bodies danced in bed. Just like we promised, I continued to moan for him and he continued to move for me. I closed my eyes, arching my back as he changed his pace from fast to slow to fast to slow.

I dug my nails into his shoulder blades as I pushed his chest against mine. Steve moaned as he rubbed his chest, smashing my breasts against his chest.

"Fuck, Y/N," he moaned. He smashed his lips onto mine, instantly slipping his tongue into my mouth, and began exploring every inch of my mouth. I moaned as another part of my dream came true.

Steve broke the kiss and started sucking on my neck. I reached up and ran my fingers through his hair. After a few hickeys had formed, I grabbed his face and pulled him away.

"Son of a. . ." He moaned. I shushed him as I moved him down. He smirked as he caught onto the next part of my dream I wanted him to fulfill. I pushed his face between my breasts, and Steve instantly began making out with my breasts.

"Oh Steve," I moaned as I arched my back, pressing my chest further toward his face.

I felt him smirk as his tongue played pinball with my nipple. I slid my hands down his back until I got to his bare ass. I clenched my hands around his ass cheeks, pushing him into me.

"Don't forget about your movements, baby."

"Sorry," he moaned, still pressed to my chest. "Won't happen again."

We fell into a rhythm as Steve thrust into me and I moved him so he fulfilled different parts of my dream.

"Is there anything else I can do?" I gasped after we switched our positions and Steve was guiding me down on him.

"Call me a special name, Y/N," he moaned as he watched my body. He looked up at me with a dirty smirk on his face. "One only you use when we're fulfilling one of our dreams. I'll call you "baby girl". Now you come up with one."

"Stevie," I moaned as he pushed me down onto him hard.

"Perfect," he growled as he continued. "But only you get to call me Stevie."

"And only you get to hear these noises come out of me."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

I gasped when Steve quickly switched our positions. I looked at him, nerves flooding my body.

"Was something wrong with how I was doing it?" I asked under my breath.

"Of course not, baby girl," he said softly. "I was about to finish and all of my dreams end with us finishing with me on top. Is that okay?"

I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me. "Sounds perfect, Stevie."

He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. Our mouths started moving roughly in sync as we pushed each other over the edge. We reached our orgasms only seconds apart.

"Oh, Stevie!" I moaned as he rolled off of me.

"That was amazing, baby girl."

I looked over at him to see him smiling at me. The way he was looking at me made the butterflies go crazy. I leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you for fulfilling my dream," I whispered. Steve pulled me into his chest, leaning my head over his heart. I closed my eyes, listening as our breathing slowed and fell in sync.

"Y/N," Steve whispered a few minutes later, "before you fall asleep, there's something I gotta say to you."

"Okay," I mumbled, cuddling into his bare side.

"I'm crazy into you," he said, sounding all sighy. "I've had feelings for you for as long as I can remember and I don't plan on not having those feelings any time soon."

"I sure hope not," I giggled as I rolled over so I was laying on him. I sat up, gently scratching his bare chest. Steve sighed as he dragged his hands up and down my back.

"I mean it, Y/N," he whispered. "I've dreamt about this finally happening between us. Now that it has, I'm not going to let anything stop us from being together."

I leaned down and gently kissed him. He pressed on my back, deepening the kiss. He let out a small moan as I broke the kiss.

"Let's make a deal," I whispered, my face inches from his.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Whenever one of us has another naughty dream," I moaned at the thought, "we tell the other about it so they can fulfill it."

I gasped when Steve flipped us over. He leaned down and kissed me harder this time. Our lips moved in sync, our tongues instantly battling for dominance.

Steve broke the kiss, both of us breathing heavily as we came down from our temporary highs. He said my name in a deep voice that sent a chill down my spine.

"Then we have a lot of catching up to do, baby girl."

[apomaro-mellow]

King and Prince 23

Part 22

It was story time again. The kids were chattering as they got settled in on the couches and chairs. Eddie sat in his own special chair at the head. Steve almost didn’t come tonight. He had a lot to think about after the talk in the forest. He sat down at the end of a couch, Dustin, Will, and El acting as buffers between him and Eddie. A few times they caught each other’s gaze anyway, quickly turning away when they did.

There was a moment…they locked eyes and didn’t look away. The children’s chatter fading in the background. Eddie had his hands clasped in front of him, knees up as he perched on the chair like a gargoyle. He wondered what Eddie was thinking, what did he see when he looked at him? A spoiled, naive prince? Someone who needed constant watch? Someone he liked to see getting fucked?

What were they to each other?

Lucas snapped his fingers in front of Eddie’s face, bringing him back to the present and making him start the story. Eddie gave a quick recap of where they left off and then the kids had all of his attention. That left Steve able to stare unbidden. He was able to watch him gesture with his lovely hands, always adorned with at least three rings. His eyes, wild yet kind. His hair, that he knew was soft but didn’t know how it might feel between his fingers.

Steve knew the feeling spreading through him but was hesitant to call it by its name. The man before him was putting on a squeaky but commanding voice as he pretended to be a mouse knight to assist the adventurers on their journey. He was the same person who had transformed right before Steve’s eyes into a beast with fangs and claws. He had dispatched a bear and then let Steve pet him in the same moment.

When the story reached the end of tonight’s chapter, Steve didn’t linger. Instead, he walked out as the kids trudged, sticking close to Dustin. 

“Hey, can we talk?”, Steve whispered, keeping it between them.

“Can it wait until morning?”, Dustin asked, admitting he was tired by rubbing his eyes.

“No”, Steve pulled him into a random room.

“What’s the all about?”, Dustin plopped onto a chair. A fire was already going in this room and Steve wondered if somebody had just left it.

“I’ve been thinking recently about the things you said. About Eddie.”

“What about Eddie?”

Steve sighed. “About how I should start seeing that Eddie might have different sides but they’re all him. He is capable of great feats of power but…” he sat down next to Dustin. “He is also the kind to let you run over him.”

“So you guys are officially friends now?”

“I think it might be more than that-”

“Are you serious right now?”. Robin interjected, book in hand as she stood in the doorway. 

Dustin and Steve looked at her like children caught in the act. The fire roaring in a room with no one in it made more sense now. Robin came in, closing the door behind herself, arms crossed now.

“You two are having a midnight heart to heart about Steve and Eddie without me? Does that make any sense to you?”

Dustin held his hands up. “I was just dragged here. Technically it’s my bed time.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Don’t pretend to be responsible now.” Then he gave his attention to Robin. “I didn’t know you were so invested.”

“I just think it would be really funny if the man who wanted to kill our beloved king turned out to fall for him. I didn’t realize Eddie was sooo charismatic and charming.”

Steve’s face got warm and he covered it by walking over to the fireplace. He hadn’t really thought of those words in regards to Eddie before. He’d met many a flirtatious person. People who tried their best to woo him. People who knew which lines to use, just how much to touch without being pushy, and knew how to let their eyes linger on certain body parts without appearing lecherous.

Eddie had never purposely come onto him and yet Steve was longing all the same. Longing for a man he could never have.

“Even if I did think he was charming, what could come of it?”

“Probably flowers and poetry, right?”, Dustin said.

“Knowing him, really flowery poetry at that. And poetic flowers”, Robin added.

“You two are forgetting something though”, Steve said as he came back over to sit. “Eddie isn’t just Eddie. He’s a king. A king of a country I’m meant to fight at that.”

Robin groaned and sat on Steve’s other side, dropping the book onto the table. “I thought you let that go.”

“I have!”, Steve said quickly. “I have. That doesn’t-that doesn’t matter to me the same way anymore. But the world isn’t just the two of us.”

“What’re you saying? Are you worried about the rest of us?”, Dustin asked. “We might rib you but if you actually like Eddie, we’re not gonna string you up for it.”

“He has an entire kingdom to care for. And I don’t think the rest of that kingdom would be so kind as to forgive me and allow me to court their ruler.” Even if Eddie reciprocated, the announcement would make such waves that civil unrest was all but promised. And Steve couldn’t do that. He couldn’t risk that. Maybe if he still had his full status as a prince they could spin it as a political alliance. But at this current time, tying himself to Steve would have no advantages. 

“I think you’re imagining things”, Dustin said.

“I think you’re over exaggerating them”, Robin said. 

Steve had talked about it all he could and sent Dustin off to bed before going off himself, leaving Robin to her fireside reading. Eddie wasn’t an option. He just wasn’t. And to remind himself of that, Steve kept going out to meet lovers in town.

-----------------

Eddie curbed the jealousy in his gut when he saw Steve ride out to town. He didn’t own the prince, nor was he entitled to his affections. No, the problem wasn’t when Steve went out. The problem was how he pushed the curfew later and later. But the real problem didn’t start until the night Steve didn’t return at all.

Part 24

Taglist

@thesuninyaface @only-evanescent  @snakeorsquid  @ignoremyworld  @theclichefortunecookie 

@goodolefashionedloverboi  @just-a-tiny-void  @0body0disphoria0  @cinnamon-mushroomabomination  @samsoble 

@jamieweasley13  @y4r3luv  @xtkxkrzrizir  @un-knownperson  @greekgeek24 

@justdrugsformethanks  @potato-of-the-lord  @notaqueenakhaleesi  @swimmingbirdrunningrock  @queenie-ofthe-void 

@nebulainajar  @lil-gremlin-things  @nicememerino  @robininblue  @hornedqueenofhell 

@anne-bennett-cosplayer  @moomkin77  @here4thetrama  @bookworm0690  @autumncrocusandladybug

@lil-gremlin-things @littlebluejane @puppy-steve

[reareaotaku]

I Loathe You [Mike's POV]

Loathe You & I Don't Wanna Be Your Friend, I Wanna Kiss Your Lips Summary: Mike has always had a strange feeling about you, but he's never really known why Pairings: Mean! Mike Wheeler x Mean! Reader Tw: Slight NSFW, First POV [I know, I hate it too] Taglist: @fxchild

"Jump off a cliff, you asshole."

"You first, princess." I roll my eyes, my face detorting in anger.

I didn't understand why the science teacher had paired us up, because I couldn't stand her & vice versa and everyone knew that. They always tried to make us get along, but there was just something about us that always ended up in fire. I felt weird around her and I hated the feeling; So, in turn, I hate her.

Granted, we shared the same group, job, and classes, it still wasn't enough to make us get along. I just couldn't stand her.

"Trust me, everytime I see you I hope to be shot execution style, but I also don't want your face to be the last thing I see."

Oh, that stung a little. I frowned, my eyebrows scrunching up, "Oh, don't worry," I turn to her, looking her dead in the eyes before tilting my head, "The feeling is mutual."

"Oh, isn't that great. For a second there I was worried you liked me."

"In your dreams." I spit out, feeling as if I had won.

"Only the scary ones."

Oh, that was kind of good, but I'd never admit that to her. All she needed was an ego boost; We all know it's already big enough. We are practically nose to nose, glaring at each other. Her nose was scrunched like a Who, but surely if looks could kill, I'd be dead with the way she was looking at me.

"God, can yall just fuck already and get over with it?"

I whip my head towards Lucas, frustrated. He always knew how to make everyone in a room angry and sometimes I was impressed.

"How about you fall down a case of stairs?"

"And break your arm over the ramps," I add, causing Lucas to put his hands up in defeat.

"Okay- Sorry, damn."

--

I could hear the group groan as I stare at the girl across from me. It was a staring contest and we were already almost an hour deep. I would never lose and have her insult me like a bitch, but if she were to lose- Well, my mind was racing with insults.

Staring at her made me realize she had nice eyes. They were a nice, cool, e/c. There was speckles of white from the light reflecting in her eyes and her outer pupil had a black outline that I could make out clearly. I liked her eyes... They were nice.

She blinks before my thought can get too gushy and I fistbump, "Haha! What a cockwhore," I smile causing her to groan and roll her eyes before demanding a rematch.

I knew the group had a slight suspicion that the group knew I liked looking at her, but I would never admit it. I hated the thoughts and the last thing I needed was them to know my dark secret. Maybe her competitive nature would come in my favor...

I don't even realize that I've blinked before a see a smirk on Y/n's face. I groan ass she cheers telling me that I get no pussy. I decide that I was tired of the silly game and go to my food when feeling my stomach rubble, but thankfully it didn't make an audible noise.

---

"We have a new hire."

I perked up at my managers words, before smiling, "Finally, I've been telling you for ages we need another server."

The tubby man gives me an annoyed look, before rolling his eyes, "She'll be starting in a few hours. I want you to train her."

"She?" I hadn't met to say it and I quickly covered my mouth as my eyes widened.

"Don't try anything, Wheeler."

"I wouldn't even think of it, Boss."

---

I watched as the clock ticked. The girl was supposed to be here any minute. I couldn't think of who it could be, but it was probably someone from school. The bell rung from the door and I turned around only for my mouth to drop-

"You've got to be fucking shitting me."

"Oh fuck. You work here?"

I groan before running a hand through your hair, "Out of all the places to work, you chose here?"

Y/n glares at me, "I could say the same thing to you."

I step up to her, before pointing at her chest, before taking it off when realizing I was to close to her tits, "I was here first, so if anyone should leave it's you. You can leave now actually and we could pretend this never happened."

"No way, you're not going to scare me away from a good job."

I feel my fist clench, but I turn away, "Whatever, come on, I guess I have to train you."

---

"I'm surprised you aren't fighting."

I sigh, clicking my tongue, "I'm here to get paid, not fight with her."

Lucas leans on his hand, smiling, "Oh? You know," He looks over at Max, "Don't you think Y/n looks good in that uniform? Maybe you'd look good, too?"

"Don't push it," She gives him a knowing look and Lucas quickly shuts up.

I look back at her, like really look at her. She did kind of look nice- When she wasn't frowning, which she was. Though, if you ignored that, she looked kind of angelic. The light shaped her face while her hair sweeped around her. I shake my head, quickly ridding myself of the thoughts.

"What do you think, Mike?"

"What?" I look at Lucas confused

"What do you think of Y/n in her uniform?"

"She's fine- I mean, it's a uniform, she has to wear it, so it's not anything special. It's just some clothes."

"Right... Just some clothes," Lucas looks over at Max, who was already giving him some knowing look.

"What? Why did you both look at each other like that?"

Lucas holds his hand out in surrender, "Nothing! I swear!"

"So, do you guys want the usual?"

"Yeah," Max hands me her menu, before I write it down on my little notepad.

Though, as I'm writing I hear Lucas mumble under his breath.

"Some clothes you want her to take off,"

"What did you say?" I push, causing Lucas' eyes to widen and he quickly shakes his head.

"Nothing! I didn't say anything."

"I heard you!" I lean in when realizing that Y/n was looking at me. She probably thought I was a mad man. Besides, I didn't want her to hear me "I. Do. Not. Want her to remove her clothes. In fact, I want her to put more on, so I don't have to see all her skin."

"Man, if you say so." Max rolls her eyes, pushing some hair out of her face

"It's okay, Mike. We all go through the denial stage."

"I am not in denial."

"Of course you're not."

I roll my eyes, before flipping him off and going to the kitchen to put in the order. I head towards the back, passing the girl of the hour. She was scrubbing the counter, obviously frustrated. It seemed had accidentally poured syrup on the counter. I looked her up and down while her back was turned and I realized something. The uniform did look good on her, but I was biased I liked her in everything.

I frowned when the thought entered my mind and I looked away from her. I groan, accidentally crushing the ticket in my hand. I look down before facepalming. I am such an idiot.

---

My back was turned and it all happened so fast. One minute Y/n was fine and the next she was on the floor with the Demogorgon standing over her. I didn't even think when I grabbed a pipe and hit the back of the creatures head, effectively causing it to retreat.

"Y/n- Y/n," I grab her arm, where a large wound was. Something inside me stirred and if that creature hadn't retreated, I don't know what I would have done, but I would have done bad. Like killed it by beating it over and over. I picked her up, before bringing her to my car. As I sit in the driver seat, I glance at her through the rearview mirror. I feel my fist clench around the wheel, but I take a deep sigh before shaking my head.

---

I sat her down on the toilet before I started digging through the cabinets, looking for the First Aid Kit.

"Ugh, what happened?"

I look back at her, before frowning, "You were knocked out... you know, by the Demogorgon."

There's a moment of silence, before I finally found the kit. I smile to myself, before taking it out and grabbing her arm to fix her up. I hear her grimace in pain and I let out a quick apology. As I clean her up, I feel weird. Just earlier today we had been going at each other like wild dogs, but now here I was patching her up.

"I'm sorry, Mike."

I look up at her, confused. I tilt my head, "What?"

"I'm sorry. For everything. All the fights, all the arguments you know-"

"It's fine," I interrupt. "I kind of look forward to our fights. You know? It's become routine." I joke, wrapping her arm up. I smile looking at my work. God, I'm good.

"Well, I'm sorry and thank you for patching me up."

"It's nothing..."

It went quiet... Too quiet... I had to break the silence. I didn't necessarily know how, but I couldn't stand the silence. So, I decided to tell her how I felt.

"You know, when I saw you..." I pause. I look at her, my brows scrunching together, "bleeding... I think I died a little when I saw it. Something inside of me- I don't know, but I wanted to kill that stupid Demogorgon." I grab her hand, fiddling with it, "I don't want to see anything bad to happen to you."

"Wow, Mike. I didn't know you felt that way about me."

"Of course. You're my friend." The word friend comes out like acid from my mouth. I didn't want to be her friend- Not anymore- I wanted to so much more, but seeing the circumstances, it was probably best to keep it to myself

"We're friends?"

I huff, frowning at her words, "Yeah. At least I think we are."

"Huh, I thought you hated me-"

I look at her, wide-eyed, "Hate you? I thought YOU hated me-"

"You're always hating on me," She says, over exaggerating her non hurt hand.

I smirk, before letting out a chuckle, "What? I'm only returning your energy!"

She rolls your eyes, looking away from me, "Yeah... If we were friends, I think I'd miss our fighting."

"Who says we have to stop fighting?"

I see a smirk grow on her face, "Yeah, if stopped fighting everyone would question it."

"Right. The last thing I want is for them to be like 'So you guys finally fucked?'" I air quote before rolling my eyes. I smile when she laughs at my joke.

"Yeah, that would be pretty annoying, huh?"

---

I felt weird around her. Things were different and I'm sure everyone could sense it. She was acting weird as well, which didn't help the anxiety that was slowly building inside of me. I decided to approach her to see if she okay.

"Hey, are you okay?"

She seems to snap out of it as she looks at me. "Uh-Yeah- Yeah, I-uh yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You seem a little out of it." I frown, concern filling my voice. She wasn't being herself and it was bothering me.

"Yeah," She crosses her arms, avoiding eye contact. "Everything's fine."

I wasn't an idiot. I knew everything wasn't fine. I didn't know if I should push it, but it was seeming she didn't want to talk about it. I look over at her arm seeing the bandages were clean, "Your arm looks better," I reach for her arm, lightly caressing the bandages. She pulls back, causing me to frown. Did I do something wrong? I sigh, looking around the empty restaurant, before I look back at her, "Come on, let's close up and I'll drive you."

---

I tap the wheel, enjoying the silence. I felt at peace, but the thought of her acting different started to plaque my mind again. I frowned, before deciding to drive a different route. It seemed she noticed, because she speaks up.

"Um, Mike, I'd hate to be a backseat driver, but I think you missed the turn to my house."

"We're not going to your house."

"What?"

I pull to the side of the road and park the car, before finally turning to her. "I just wanted to talk to you. You're acting weird."

"Weird? I'm not acting weird."

I frown, turning my full body towards her. "I made fun of you when you dropped a person's drink and you just said 'Yeah, I should be more careful,' in a monotone voice."

"Monotone? That's a big word, huh?"

"See, like that. You said it in that voice. Did I do something wrong?"

"What? No- I mean, uh I don't know... This is weird, you know?"

"What's weird?"

It was weird? What was it? Did she think this new found peace was weird? I thought it was nice to finally be friends with each other. Was I wrong? Did I mistake our relationship? My thoughts stop when I hear her groan and I look at her bandages see they were all bloody. I watch as she reaches for it, smearing blood on her fingers.

"Have you been changing your bandages?" I wanted to facepalm when the words left my mouth. Of course she had, they had been clean before. It seemed she thought the same, because she responds with a sarcastic-

"No, Mike, I'm not. Why would I do that?"

"Sorry, it was a dumb question, "I sigh, "Why is there blood though? Here give me your arm." I don't give her a chance to respond as I pull her arm towards me and slowly remove her bandages.

"Why are you taking the bandages off? You don't have new ones-"

"Actually-" I let go of her arm, opening the glove box to where there were wrapped bandages. I felt a blush rise to my face, hoping she didn't ask why they were in the glove box. I didn't need her to know I put them in there for her.

"Wow, I never expected you to be prepared."

"Well, when you're always getting attacked by monsters, you kind of have to become prepared for everything."

I frown when I finally get the bandage off. It seems the wound had reopened. "Your wound reopened."

"Oh, is that what happened?"

I glare up at her, before unraveling the new bandages, "It might have happened at work or something... You're lucky I had bandages."

"The luckiest." She sarcastically respond, causing me to groan.

I close my eyes tight, my grip also tightening around her. I open my eyes, looking directly at her. I was frustrated, because it felt like nothing I did would make her happy. "I don't know why you're acting like this. I'm trying, like really trying. I want us to be friends and I don't want to fight with you anymore. Believe it or not, I do care about you... I just... uh, I guess I never realized it until recently. I wish you would stop trying to push me away."

"Well, it's going to take time to be friends. We've fought for so long."

I loosen my grip, before rubbing the area with my thumb. "Yeah.. Time. How can we be friends over time if you just push me away though?"

"I don't push you away. I just... How am I supposed to know you're not going to make me into some big joke."

"Oh yeah," I roll my eyes, before pointing at myself. "I, the guy part of possible the biggest loser club in the world with a shirt that tells the world that, am going to embarrass YOU," I point to her, before chuckling, "A girl who has more friends than I've ever had. Even if I was, who would I embarrass you in front of? Everyone hates me-"

"Everyone doesn't hate you. They just think you're weird."

"Well," I turn back towards my wheel, no longer facing her, "Maybe I like being weird."

"Yeah, I've always liked that about you. You are unapologetically yourself."

I could feel a small smile grow on my face. She liked me? Okay, so maybe she didn't say that, but it was close enough. I turn my head towards her, "You know... I've always liked your hair- and eyes." I make sure to say it fast, so she can't call me on my hesitation.

I hear her chuckle. God, I loved her laugh, it was refreshing like lemonade on a hot day. It was like a s'more in the middle of the woods.

"I like your hair too, even if most people don't like mullets," She grabs my hand, causing me to blush, "And your hands. God I love your hands, they're so pretty. And your legs. I like how long they are."

I let out an awkward laugh, trying to not get to red. I felt a tent grow in my pants, which was the worse thing that could happen at this moment. I shake my head, think of an old grandma to get rid of the boner, which thankfully worked.

"Man, take me home-"

"What, you don't want to tell me more about how much you like my body?" I couldn't believe the words left my mouth, though I'm glad they did. I wanted her to compliment me again.

"Not necessarily your body."

I huff, which causes her to back track on her words.

"I didn't mean it like that."

"Yeah? How did you mean it?"

"I don't know... Now take me home, seriously. My dad's probably worried."

"Okay, Princess, whatever you want."

[strangersteddierthings]

No Regrets - Part Five

Part One🦇 Part Two🦇Part Three🦇Part Four🦇Part Five🦇Part Six

This beautiful fic cover you see below was made by the fantastic, wonderful and lovely @skepsiss <3 Thanks so much!!! I'm still crying about it.

He jolts backwards, the burning in his chest hurts, it fucking hurts but- but it doesn't? He pulls in a deep, shaking breath and feels no pain.

"Steve?" Nancy asks from off to his right, so he turns to look at her. She looks concerned, and scared in a way he hasn't seen her in years. (Except it's not years, is it? Not anymore, or not right now?) "Are you okay?"

He shakes his head before digging his palms into his eyes. He's dying, dying, dying- he's dead, he has to be. The Storms are so toxic and he-

"Steve," Robin's voice is accompanied by her hands around his wrists. She pulls his hands from his eyes and he lets her. He blinks at her worried face. "Steve, what just happened?"

"I-I was. I think... give me a moment" Steve says. Robin nods once, a confirmation, but she doesn't move away or release his wrists.

He pulls in another deep breath and closes his eyes to think. He's trying to remember. He thinks he promised to explain everything after... after Pennhurst? Yes, he remembers. Promised that after Robin and Nancy got back from their trip to Pennhurst, he'd tell them everything he knows. It's... it is after, now.

It was yesterday that Robin and Nancy went to Pennhurst and spoke to Creel. They learned about Creel, and the music. They still got found out as fakes; Steve didn't remember what caused them to be discovered last time to be able to warn them against it this time.

He still ended up being bullied into driving Max around. This time, though, he already had an hour-long loop of Running Up That Hill in his car. They'd let Max go to speak to Billy alone, like last time. The boys paced around the car and this time, when they realize that Max isn't responding, Steve's already loading the tape into the cassette player. He shoves it into Lukas's hands and tells him to put it on Max, press play, and to not stop begging her to come back until she is.

Steve saw he had questions, but Max was more important. She floated, and fell, and Lucas had caught her. Then...?

Oh, right. Then, he did explain, yesterday evening, after everyone had crowded into the Wheeler's basement. Went over Vecna winning, Hawkins becoming ground zero for the apocalypse. Talks about a future with a lot of loss, but won't say who, as well as the slow decay of the air and earth. That you could breathe the air for small moments of time, but long exposure would make you sick. That even though they'd finally killed Vecna in 1989, too much damage had been done, too many gates opened, kept opening with every new death by demo-creature. El alone would never be able to close off all the gates. They were working on trying to create a reverse of the machine below Starcourt, meant to close gates instead of open, but the world would probably be a complete wasteland before they could complete it.

No one had reacted well to the news, but the yelling was a minimum, which had been a pleasant surprise.

In the end, Steve had told them they needed more people, more help. That he was going to tell Wayne about the Upside Down.

He opens his eyes, now, and looks around. The place is small, familiar almost. Wood paneling and- The Munson's home. They're in Eddie's home. Because last night Steve had come over. He'd come over and told Wayne everything because he couldn't do this again. Not alone, not as the only responsible adult.

The Wayne in the future had been so willing to help, when Hawkins ripped open at its seams, and Wayne in the present was the same. He didn't- he didn't even call Steve crazy. He'd said he believed Steve, that some government lady told him they were going to pay for him to be in a hotel since his home was an active crime scene, but Wayne'd refused. Eddie wouldn't know where to call when he got out, and what if he just showed up and Wayne was gone- well, Wayne found that unacceptable.

Now, Wayne should be his way back from Indy in Eddie's recovered van with the Byers and Mike, and they're here waiting on a call from Eddie.

Steve's not dying, or, he's not anymore? Or maybe he is, and this is just. What the end is like? Getting to put an end to your regrets or something.

Whatever. It doesn't really matter what or why or even how. He knows what is in store for the future if they don't stop Vecna today.

"Sorry, sorry. I'm back," Steve says, opening his eyes to look at Robin.

She scrunches her brow. "Back?"

"Back from the future," Steve gives her a lopsided grin and in return she squints at him, leaning in real close to his face like the closer she is the more of his mind she'll be able to read.

"You're a different Steve. Again."

"What?" Nancy asks.

"Again?" Steve asks.

Robin scrutinizes his face some more before backing off, just a few inches. "Yeah. It was- Saturday, when you just walked out of our shift after Dustin and Max showed up, you were different then. Not. It was- you know how we were just talking about how if only we could combine, our love life problems would be fixed?"

Steve does, but only after having to think about it for a moment. It was so long ago, but it wasn't. Not for the Steve he's replaced, not for Robin in front of him. "Yeah. I remember."

"It's like I didn't realize how much we'd already combined until we weren't anymore. It was like... like you were a completely different person. I thought it was just, maybe, a reaction to learning the Upside Down was back. But you got different. More haunted."

"You noticed a difference?"

Robin scoffs, "of course I did. You're you but it was. This whole week it's been like... each day brings a new you. With different quirks. Except yesterday was still all the same old-new you so I thought- I thought maybe we'd succeeded. Fixed whatever it was that needed changed because you hadn't changed. But we haven't yet. 'Cause you're back."

Steve shakes his head. "No. No, we haven't. But this time- we'll have the manpower."

"No, I mean, I just-" Robin huffs, falling back onto her butt rather than staying in an uncomfortable crouch. "I just noticed, is all."

"Are we making it better," Nancy asks, "or worse?"

Steve looks from Robin to Nancy. "I-I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I mean I don't know. I don't- I don't know what we've changed. Or if it's been for the better. Because I don't remember."

"Oh," Nancy says with a nod, the look on her face morphing to one Steve knows means she's working out the puzzle of it all. He'll leave her to it.

His attention turns back to Robin, who has her head tipped back, looking at the unopened gate on the roof of the trailer. It definitely cannot be mistaken for water damage anymore. "What are you thinking about?"

Robin tips her head back down to look at Steve. "Exactly that."

"What?"

"Sorry," she says with a frown, "I was just thinking about how we can't- we don't really read each other's minds anymore. I know we should be worrying more about the end of the world but I'm just, just being selfish. Worrying about our friendship."

"You are the only constant in my life, Robin Buckley," Steve confesses, a fierceness to his tone he doesn't even recognize. "You have been, and always will be, the person I need in my life to bother even living it. I swear to God, Robbie, that if anything ever happens to you, I will walk into traffic."

Robin lets out a laugh. "That's a bit extreme."

Steve shoots Nancy a look; he can see she's in her own world. He stands then, offering a hand to Robin to pull her up. "Come on. I have something to tell you. A soulmate secret."

Robin's eyes light up with delight and he pulls her from the ground before leading her to the only place they can get privacy. Eddie's room.

It's two steps into the room that Steve realizes he's never seen Eddie's room before. Or, if he had, the memory of it is lost with the time line it happened in. In Steve's memory, the front half of Eddie's home gets obliterated, and when Eddie and Wayne went back to gather the things that survived the gate opening, Dustin, Mike, and Lucas had gone with the help pack it up. Steve had been helping fortify the high school.

It seems ridiculous, to be hit with the thought of never having seen Eddie's room, with the threat of the apocalypse still looming.

"Alright, secret time," Robin sounds delighted, and her voice pulls him from his thoughts. She shuts the door and turns, eyeing the bed skeptically. "Hmm, standing room only I think."

Steve huffs out a laugh as he takes in the mess of a room, a room that looks lived in and shows Eddie's personality and the things he cares about. Nothing at all like his own room at the Harrington house; perfectly clean and matching and devoid of anything distinctly Steve. "Like you ever make your bed."

The noise Robin makes is clearly offended, and she smacks his arm lightly with the back of her hand, "uncalled for! Unprovoked, even!"

"Yeah, well, you're judging a guy who's been in jail this past 48-ish hours. Not like he had time to tidy up," Steve says.

"I think the state of his bed -whole room, really- is not because he didn't come home to clean up. In fact, I think he just lives like this."

"At least his room looks lived in. I mean, look at all of this on the walls. You think he drew these?" Steve says, hand reach out to brush against a drawing tacked to the wall nearest him.

"Your room could look lived in, too, if you weren't afraid of a few tack holes," Robin replies, crossing the room. Steve watches her go, approaching the mirror and the guitar mounted in front of it. She examines the guitar before picking up the red yoyo atop the amp.

"And here you were worried about not being able to read my mind anymore."

She turns to him and gives him a quick, genuine smile before turning her attention back to the yoyo. "So, what's the soulmate secret? You really good with a yoyo?"

"What? No. I didn't even know that was in here," Steve says.

"I thought you knew the future," Robin teases as she gets the yoyo to successfully fling from her palm and back into her grasp. She makes a little pleased noise before she creeps around the room, gawking at all of Eddie's things.

"I know one, specific future that we are trying to change, if you'll remember. I didn't know you could yoyo."

"Neither did I- oh my God, there's an Alf costume in his closet!"

"A what- no, nevermind. You can snoop and-"

"I'm not a snoop."

"-and listen as the same time, so I just. I'm gonna say something and please know that I have had five years to figure this all out, and also know that the apocalypse has a way of putting things into perspective."

"Mhmm," Robin hums an acknowledgement as she moves back to where she picked up the yoyo. "Why does he have a pepper shaker in his room?"

Steve ignores her, choosing to believe that was just her thinking out loud and not actually asking him. "Actually, the apocalypse was full of surprises. And I mean, beyond the surprises one might expect. Like, so many of our old teachers are survival experts. Did you ever have Mr. Clark, that guy- wait, no. I had something I wanted to tell you."

The phone starts ringing in the living room. Nancy's out there, though, so neither of them move to the door.

"Anyway, this feels so... why am I so nervous about this? I mean, I've already told you once, but, uh, I. I'm a little worried, scared?"

"Hey, whoa," Robin has dropped her investigation and turned fully back to Steve. "What is it?"

"I like Eddie," Steve blurts, needing to get the words out. "I like Eddie, and I died so now I think this is my only shot, like last last shot but I don't even know if he'll still like me back and I'm, like, ridiculously nervous to see him because, and this is the soulmate secret part because-"

"Whoa, what, what!!? Did you just say died?"

"- you cannot tell anyone, but I'm the reason he's been in jail. I called Hawkins PD and told them where they could find Eddie, 'cause if he was in jail then he couldn't be blamed for Fred's murder, but I've never had to fess up to that because, like, Hawkins exploding and life becoming an actual nightmare for years made it not important. Like, what's a criminal record in the face of no surviving government?"

Robin is staring at him, eyes wide and face slightly pale and it's now that Steve thinks that, maybe, he's not doing as well with everything as he thought he might be.

"Am I... okay?" Steve asks himself out loud, and that has Robin throwing herself across the room to clutch at Steve, drag him into a crushing hug. He hugs back, trembling and finding it hard to breath.

"No, no I don't think you are," Robin whispers, squeezing tight.

"Hey, that was- oh!" Nancy says as she flings the bedroom door open. "Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt-"

"It's just a hug," Robin says.

"Right. Umm, the phone was Officer Callahan. We can go pick up Eddie."

"Right," Steve says, pulling away from the hug and pulling himself together. He can have his mental break down tomorrow. "Let's go get Eddie."

Provided if that, this time when he closes his eyes to rest, he'll wake up here and not. Well, either in the future or not at all.

-

@i-less-than-three-you @nburkhardt @afewproblems @a-little-unsteddie @sevenmerrymagpies @steviesummer @queenie-ofthe-void @mycatsstolemybiscuit @lololol-1234 @synonym-for-strange @tchackdaw

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

Part one

Part two

Part three

Part four

Part Five

@estrellami-1

Version 1: False Positive

Steve stared at his boyfriend sitting across from him. It was Steve's turn to make dinner for himself and Eddie tonight. Eddie was chowing down on it, his cheeks stuffed full like a chipmunks. It was endearing, really, the way he ate. When the fork wasn't acting quick enough, he shoveled the rest of the food into his mouth with the palm of his hand. Metallica played softly in the background as Eddie shook his head back and forth. Eddie grinned, his mouth stained with spaghetti sauce.

"Hi, baby," Eddie said. "Watchya thinking about?"

"I was just thinking about you and how cute you are," Steve said.

"Really? Wanna know what I was thinking about?" Eddie asked.

"Sure, go ahead," Steve said.

"You know how I've been debating on who should take over for Hellfire now that school is coming back around? Between Will, Gareth, and Dustin?" Eddie asked, and Steve sighed. "Well, I think I decided that the Will and Gareth should just co-DM, you know? Take turns? Isn't that a great idea? Dustin already told me he wasn't interested. He prefers to play. What?"

"So you weren't thinking about how cute I am? I see. So, the magic is already dead, then?" Steve asked dramatically.

"What? No, I swear I was also thinking about how cute you are," Eddie said.

"Sure, Edward," he mocked.

"Baby! Can't I think about both?!" Eddie asked, not realizing that Steve wasn't serious. "Seriously, I was also thinking of getting them a new throne and taking the old one to put in here in your house. Say, right in front of the fireplace? You and Bumpy would look great in the chair. Also, I would LOVE to draw you naked in the chair. I've been working on my drawing."

"Baby," Steve laughed. "I was messing with you, and of course, the throne would look great in here. I was thinking about something else, though."

Bumpy jumped into Eddie's lap and tried to grab a noodle from his plate. Eddie tsk-ed and gave her a stern talking to before setting her on the floor, scratching her head. Bumpy gave him a look before turning around and leaving.

"I'm going to pay for that one," Eddie muttered. "What were you thinking about, sweetheart?"

"Well, we still haven't told the rest of the party, and I think that we should," Steve said. "And I totally get it if you aren't ready to. I mean, I figured that since Robin, Dustin, Joyce, and Hopper already knew that we should tell the others."

"Let's do it!" Eddie exclaimed, clapping his hands. "And we can show them our baby!"

So, here they were gathered together for a party at Steve's house. Everyone was over. I mean, everyone and they were seated at Steve's large dining room table. Eddie and Steve stood up at the same time, clearing their throats.

"We have an announcement to make," Eddie said.

"Eddie and I are dating," Steve declared.

Everyone paused and glanced around the table before bursting into exclamations of congratulations. They both welcomed all of the hugs from everyone around the table. Even Mike gave them a hug. Eddie was pretty sure that Claudia and Sue gave Steve enough hugs to last him a lifetime.

"Quick question," Eddie said. "What was with the hesitation?"

"Well. . ." Max said.

"We, kind of, sort of. . .," Lucas trailed off.

"Already knew," Max finished.

"What?! How?" Steve and Eddie asked.

"You weren't very subtle, boys," Wayne said.

Eddie scowled at his uncle.

"Well, did you know that we had a baby?!" Eddie yelled.

"What?!" Everyone yelled.

"Jesus," Dustin and Robin muttered.

Eddie rolled his eyes and left the room. He came back carrying Bumpy in his arms.

"Well, you got me. I did not know about the cat," Wayne said dryly.

"We got him after our pregnancy scare," Eddie said.

"After your what?!" Mike asked.

Everyone was too distracted by the cat in Eddie's arms to really take in what he had said. Except Mike, that is.

"Steve, Eddie, he looks just like you two," El cooed.

"Thanks, we think so too," Steve replied.

"Is everyone seriously going to ignore what Eddie just said?" Mike asked.

"Mike, you're going to scare the kitty," Nancy scolded.

Mike threw up his hands and pouted in his seat as everyone cooed over the cat.

"Can I be godmother to this child too?" Robin asked.

"Yeah," Steve said. "You're godmother to all my kids."

"Uh, what other kid is she godmother to?" Mike asked.

"Dustin, duh," everyone in the room said.

Version 2: Baby Bat

"So you weren't thinking about how cute I am? I see. So, the magic is already dead, then?" Steve asked dramatically.

"What? No, I swear I was also thinking about how cute you are," Eddie said.

"Sure, Edward," he mocked.

"Baby! Can't I think about both?!" Eddie asked, not realizing that Steve wasn't serious. "Seriously, I was also thinking of getting them a new throne and taking the old one to put in here in your house. Say, right in front of the fireplace? You would look great in that chair. Also, I would LOVE to draw you naked in the chair. . . With your swollen belly and all. . . I've been working on my drawing."

"Baby," Steve laughed. "I was messing with you, and of course, the throne would look great in here. I was thinking about something else, though."

"Oh, yeah, what were you thinking about?" Eddie asked.

Steve smiled as the baby started to kick. She was most active during the nighttime. He pressed a hand to his stomach. They didn't know the sex of the baby yet, but they both firmly believed it was a girl.

"I was just thinking it was probably time that we tell the others about us and the baby," Steve said. "I am showing more now, and I'm getting tired of Mike asking me why I decided to let myself go."

"You want me to kick his ass, baby?" Eddie asked.

"Yeah, and have Nancy kick your ass afterward? No thanks," Steve said.

"So, I should I get Nancy to kick his ass?" Eddie asked.

"That would probably be best and hilarious," Steve said. "So, do you think that we should tell them?"

"Oh, yeah, let's show off our baby," Eddie said.

So, here they were. A few days passed, and they were all gathered together at Steve's house. They were sitting around the dining room, eating and conversing. Eddie and Steve stood up at the same time.

"We have an announcement to make!" Eddie exclaimed.

"Eddie and I are dating," Steve declared.

There was a long pause as everyone glanced at each other before they burst into congratulations. They welcomed hugs from everyone, and Eddie made sure that no one hugged Steve too tightly.

"Thank you for telling us," Will had whispered to them when he hugged them both.

Eddie practically had to peel Sue and Claudia off of Steve.

"Quick question," Eddie said. "What was with the hesitation?"

"Well. . .," Max said.

"We sort of already knew," Lucas said.

"What?! How?!" Steve and Eddie asked.

"You weren't exactly subtle, boys," Wayne said.

"Oh, well. . .did you know that I got Steve pregnant?!" Eddie yelled.

Everyone stared at Eddie and then at Steve's belly before they burst into laughter.

"Hey!" Hopper yelled, and everyone got quiet. "They're telling the truth."

"But they're two guys," Mike said slowly.

"Bat bites," Hopper said gruffly.

"Ohhhhh," everyone said.

"Hey, you're just in time. She's starting to kick," Steve said.

Everyone stood in line to feel the baby kick.

"You boys already know that it's a girl?" Wayne asked.

"Not yet, it's just what we believe," Eddie said. "And hey, I'm sorry about not telling you sooner."

"I get it, and I'm happy for you, Eds. Can't wait to meet your little girl," Wayne said.

"You're going to be the best Pepaw ever," Eddie said.

"What about you?" Steve asked Claudia, Sue, and Charles. "What are you wanting to be called now that you guys are going to be grandparents? Joyce already called dibs on Nana and Hop is Bunny."

"Again - ," Hopper started to say.

"Oh, just let it go, Hop, it's happening," Joyce said.

"Oh, I always wanted to be called Grammy!" Claudia exclaimed tearfully.

"I wouldn't mind being called Poppy," Charles grinned proudly. "Congratulations, sons."

"My own grandmother was called Grams, I wouldn't mind being called that," Sue said, smiling proudly at Steve.

El was the last one to come feel the baby kick. As soon as she placed her hands on Steve’s belly, the lights started flickering.

"El?" Hopper asked.

"It was not me," El said. "It was the baby. She is like me."

A/N: Should I have Steve give birth or do the c-section? I'm still debating on that. Also, I can't get the image of Eddie drawing Steve in his throne out of my head. Does anyone want to draw that? No pressure or anything?

Part Six

[shieldofiron]

Shovel Talk (Bury Me)

So many people give Billy the shovel talk, it starts to become kind of a game.

Robin is first, deadly serious but very inventive when it comes to her imagined punishments. Henderson’s is by far the most inventive, spanning centuries of his life with pain and suffering that he’s not entirely sure the little guy could mete out. Nancy’s is to the point, simple. Just a reminder that she has guns, like she hasn’t shot at him already. But when he reminds her with a laugh she goes a little pale and apologizes. Jonathan’s is kind of half assed, and he’s the only one who seems to think Harrington isn’t some porcelain doll ready to shatter at any moment. Hoppers is sort of garbled, it’s clear that he doesn’t have a great footing with these things, with emotions and stuff.

Erica and Lucas deliver theirs at the same time, and it’s possibly the only one he’s really scared of, because that little chick is a firecracker. And as Lucas said, he hasn’t missed Billy once, unlike Nancy. Gotta respect that. Max’s is quick, a barely there mention that he better not hurt Steve, but it hurts worse than the others.

And he gets it. They’ve only been together a few weeks, but soon Steve is gonna wake up and realize that if he likes guys he could like better ones. Healthier ones, who are nicer. Calmer. Steve needs someone like Steve, someone warm and loving, who knows how to treat him right. Billy just happened to be around when Steve figured it all out. Billy just happened to be lucky enough to look like he looks.

It’s the only way this thing between them makes any goddamn sense.

The thing is, he also doesn’t see a future where he can really affect Steve like people think. Sure, Steve is affectionate and stuff. He’s happy when Billy does his best, when Billy opens doors for him and calls him to hear about his day. But surely Steve is just like that with everyone he’s dating.

So Billy just shrugs. Tries to let it roll off his back and remember that he knows what this is. That he knows what he is to Steve. Just a very good looking first experiment with guys. All he can do is keep things light. Keep things relaxed and casual. Open Steve’s doors and enjoy the feeling of being held by him, without expecting more.

He doesn’t push his feelings on Steve. He doesn’t say that when he sees how far people will go for Steve it makes him want to grab a shovel and dig and dig until he knocks on the ceiling of the upside down, until his arms feel like rubber.

He doesn’t get too mushy with Steve, or call when he’s had three shovel talks in a day and it hurts so much. When he wishes his boyfriend could just be there for him.

Because he knows what he is.

“Not hurting Steve” is the slowest death ever, like being buried alive. And then Steve will smile, and reach across the seat and take Billy’s hand… and Billy always decides he can die for one more day if it means being close to Steve.

El takes Billy’s hand when she sees him, and he almost expects another shovel talk. But instead she squeezes his hand.

“He’s hurting you,” she says softly.

“N-no,” Billy can feel his chin tremble.

“Yes, he is.”

She closes her eyes and the emotions wash over Billy like a hurricane. The isolation he’s still feeling. The way he’s terrified to spend time with Steve, the way he’s terrified to be himself.

He pulls his hand away, “Too much, Jane. Too much.”

She nods, “Okay. I’ll stop.”

And then they set down and watch Saturday morning cartoons, and she pretends not to notice that he’s crying.

So imagine his surprise when later that day Steve throws open the door to his car while he’s idling at the arcade waiting for Max. Steve is still in his family video vest, looking a little out of breath.

“Tell me what I did wrong,” Steve gasps.

“Uh, hello to you too,” Billy presses his sunglasses up his nose.

“What did I do wrong?”

“Nothing? What are you talking about?”

“I got a call from El,” Steve frowns, his bangs flopping down his brow, “Like five minutes ago telling me I could find you here to fix this.”

Billy groans, “Sorry. You didn’t do anything. She’s just worrying-“

“Worrying about what?”

“Nothing,” Billy shrugs, “Its fine.”

“What’s fine?”

“Everything.”

“Listen, man,” Steve sucks in a breath. “When a teenage telepath calls telling you to fix stuff with your boyfriend, you listen. What’s wrong?”

Billy snatches his sunglasses off and rubs his eyes, “Look she’s just… I’ve… fuck.”

“Baby,” Steve glances around furtively and must decide that it’s worth it to take Billy’s hand.

“I’ve just… your friends really care about you,” He spits out at last.

“What?”

“And maybe they’re right. Maybe we’re just dragging this out, and we should just… cut our losses,” Billy shakes his head. Because that’s exactly what he doesn’t want. But he would do it, for Steve. He would do just about anything. He’s the only person who can hurt Billy in quite this way. Steve hurts him, that’s how much Billy is in love with him.

“Stop, wait. I don’t understand.”

“They don’t want me to hurt you. Which is just… like the funniest fucking thing,” Billy looks at Steve square in his eyes, even though it fucking hurts, “They don’t know how impossible that is. Like… you don’t even care enough about me to be hurt.”

Steve looks struck, “What the fuck? What?”

Billy shrugs, snorting a little to try to calm the prickling in his eyes, and the tightening in his throat.

“Why would you say that to me? Say that I don’t care… that’s not true, Billy.”

“It’s fine,” Billy shakes his head no, and hates himself. “I know what this is. They just don’t get it.”

“And what is this?”

“An experiment,” Billy shrugs, staring hard at the arcade sign and cursing Max for being late again.

“I’m an experiment to you?”

Billy feels the anger trigger hot in his chest, “No. I’m the experiment. And when you’re done with me, and you find someone who is actually worth all this trouble from your friends, it’ll be over. You know. Someone you could love back.”

Steve is quiet, and when Billy looks over, his eyes are wide.

At just that moment, when all Steve has to do is pull the trigger and leave Billy like he’s supposed to, Max raps on the window.

Steve squeezes Billy’s hand, not moving. “Meet me when I get done with work at nine? Right here, meet me right here.”

“Okay,” Billy says, though he’s not sure why Steve can’t just do it right now.

“Okay,” Steve’s brow furrows, “I’ll be waiting for you.”

Like Billy wouldn’t be counting the minutes.

And then Harrington let’s go, and flashes Billy a strange look before swapping with Max.

“What’s wrong with you?” She frowns at him.

“Oh, you know,” Billy sniffs, “Same old everything.”

“What did Steve want?”

Billy sniffs again, “I’m trying to get him to break up with me.”

“Why the hell would you want to do that?” Max curls her lip up at him.

“I don’t,” Bill reverses and peels out of the lot.

Max just stares at him, which he pretends not to notice as he starts the well worn route back to Susan’s trailer.

“Did he do something?” Max startles him with the vehemence in her voice.

“Nothing but be too good for me, right? I mean that’s what you’ve been saying,” Billy grips the wheel.

“What I’ve been saying?”

And Billy’s just so tired. He’s so tired, and he wants to go to the woods and dig until all he can think about is sweat and dirt. And then he wants to lay down and sleep for a hundred years.

But instead he drowns out whatever Max says next with the music, and when they get home, he ignores Susan’s prodding about lunch and seals himself in his room.

He tries to be late to see Steve, but, embarrassingly, he ends up being early, waiting outside the arcade and video store like some kind of creep.

Finally, Steve exits, waving goodbye to Robin who shoots a warning look over to Billy in Susan’s idling sedan.

“I’ll be out of your hair soon, Buckley.” He whispers, just as Steve gets in next to him.

“Hey.”

“Hi,” Billy whispers.

“So… you love me.”

It’s like a punch to the gut. Billy’s stomach plummets through the mantle of the earth and down to the lava below.

“Fuck you,” He gasps.

“Am I wrong? You said you thought I would leave you for someone I could love back,” Steve doesn’t seem disturbed by Billy’s outburst in the slightest.

“This is by far the worst fucking way to break up with someone-“

“Well good, because I’m not breaking up with you.”

This knocks his stomach around more, though his heart, stupid thing that it was, started rising with dumb hope.

“Robin told me that you guys had a… conversation,” Steve nods, “And apparently she head from Nancy that… well. I had to do some detective work. But the point is, I’m guessing they kinda freaked you out?”

Billy frowned.

“And… I mean I can’t be totally mad at them, Billy. Because I told Robin how in love with you I was before we even dated,” Steve bit his lower lip, “I thought it would be too early to say. But since you said it first… it doesn’t feel so bad.”

“I didn’t,” Billy protests.

“You kinda did, though,” Steve takes Billy’s hand, “You love me.”

Billy tries to take a deep breath through his seized lungs. Like he had a choice. Like he hasn’t been lost for the guy from the moment he saw him across the parking lot, across a crowded party, across a court. It’s a dream now that they’re here, next to each other.

“I’m sorry that they scared you,” Steve brushes the scars on Billy’s palm, like he’s reading the lines for a moment, and then knits their fingers together. “They just know how hurt I can get when I loved someone… who didn’t love me back. No one can really hurt me, not like you can.”

Billy swallows.

“But…” Steve has the softest eyes in the universe, dark and depthless as the sea at night, “You wouldn’t. Right?”

It’s kind of a shovel talk. Billy doesn’t care. Only Steve can bury him this deep.

“No,” Billy gasps, “I wouldn’t. I mean I would try… never to do that.”

Steve leans in, face pink in the light of the arcade sign, “Will you say it? For me?”

“I love you,” Billy gasps.

“I love you too,” Steve smiles, “I love you so much, Billy.”

That night in bed, his spine still tingling, Steve throws him for a loop again.

“Will’s shovel talk was the scariest,” Steve sighs, “Don’t you agree?I mean El is scary and so is Max, don’t get me wrong-“

“Will?”

“Yeah, Will,” Steve shivers, “He told me he’s been to the upside down so he’s not afraid of prison.”

Billy shakes his head a little, “Will didn’t give me one.”

“Oh. What about Mike? His was pretty good. Not that scary but I thought it was really cute,” Steve leans up on his elbows.

“Wheeler?”

“Yeah. He said there’s only so many cool guys in town and I was not one of them,” Steve smirked, “I think he has a little crush on you.”

“First of all, ew,” Billy wrinkled his nose, “Mike didn’t give me one either.”

In the end they make a game of it. They each had a few different, but in the end it evened out.

Jonathan was way less lax when he spoke to Steve, it turned out. Max had threatened to go nuclear.

Billy had people who cared for him. That part wasn't a game, but it was very nice. And he had Steve, so he didn't need to bury himself, after all.

Also on AO3.

[whoisshel]

The Mind Flayer

pairing: Eddie Munson x Reader x Steve Harrington

word count: 3565

tw: swearing, no Eddie (but he's always on our minds)

previous part

You were a little annoyed that you had to do more walking, and this time it felt like forever since they didn’t know where they were going. You knew that they had to do this though, they had to find D’art and the rest of them and end it for good. You just hoped that two teens and three middle schoolers were enough to stop the creatures. 

“You’re positive that was D’art?” Lucas asked.

“Yes,” Dustin sighed, exhausted from answering similar questions all day. “He had the same exact yellow pattern on his butt.”

“He was tiny two days ago,” Max added

“Well, he’s molted three times already.”

“Malted?” Steve questioned, not understanding what Dustin was talking about.

“Molted. Shed his skin to make room for growth like hornworms.”

“When’s he gonna molt again?” You asked another question, a little scared by what the answer could be.

“It’s gotta be soon. When he does, he’ll be fully grown, or close to it. And so will his friends” 

That’s the exact answer you were worried about.

“Yeah, and he’s gonna eat a lot more than just cats,” Steve said as a humorless joke, making you hit him lightly on the arm

“Wait, cat?” Lucas stepped in front of Dustin grabbing him by the shoulder to stop him from walking. “D’art ate a cat?”

“No, what? No.” Dustin denied in the worst lying voice you had ever heard.

“What are you talking about? He ate Mews.” Steve pointed out, clearly not getting why Dustin was lying, making you hit him on the arms even harder. “Ow, what the fuck?”

“Mews? Who’s Mews?” Max asked.

“It’s Dustin’s cat,” Steve answered still not getting it.

“Steve!” Dustin yelled at him for giving his lies away.

“You are so dumb.” You muttered, shaking your head. “It’s a good thing you’re pretty.”

“I knew it! You kept him!” Lucas shouted at Dustin, giving him a shove.

“No! No, no, I… No, I,” You didn’t know Dustin’s lying could get worse. “He missed me. He wanted to come home.”

“Bullshit!”

“I didn’t know he was a Demogorgon, okay?”

“Oh, so now you admit it?”

“Guys, who cares?” Max interrupted the arguing. “We have to go.”

“I care!” Lucas continued berating Dustin, “You put the party in jeopardy! You broke the rule of law!”

“So did you!” Dustin practically screamed, becoming angrier than ever.

“What?”

“You told a stranger the truth!” Dustin pointed his flashlight in Max’s face, blinding her. 

Max scoffed, becoming equally as angry, “A stranger?”

“You wanted to tell her too!” Lucas retorted.

“Yeah, but I didn't, Lucas, okay? I didn’t tell her!”

While the three continued yelling at each other, Steve and you looked over their shoulders, hearing screeching coming from the distance. They started walking to the wooded area where they heard the screech. Looking at each other, they saw the same realization on their faces.

“Hey guys!” Steve tried to get them to stop arguing.

“Children!” You snapped, turning to face them. You were done with their bickering, they didn’t have time for it.

They turned back to face the woods, then took off with Lucas and Dustin following them while Max tried to talk them out of it, but ended up just running after them. They ended up on a cliff that looked over Hawkins, but it was too foggy to see anything.

“I don’t see him,” Dustin said as they made it to the ledge of the cliff.

Lucas took out his binoculars and tried to get a better look that way. 

“It’s the lab,” Lucas said once he found where they were. “They were going back home.”

—----------------

The group had been walking in the woods for a while as they made their way to the Hawkins Lab. You and Steve were walking in the front, leading the kids through the trees and occasionally letting one of the branches smack Lucas and Dustin in the face for getting them in this mess once again. 

As they were getting closer to the lab, you felt Steve taking quick glances at you before looking back at the woods. When you noticed him taking a longer look at you, you turned to look at him and noticed that he had a shit-eating grin on his face like he had just caught you doing something embarrassing.

“What?” You grumbled, not wanting to deal with whatever he was thinking.

“You think I’m pretty?” Steve asked you, repeating what you said earlier. It had finally registered in his brain that you called him pretty, even though it was meant in an insulting way.

“What?” You asked again, but this time you were actually confused and didn’t understand what he was talking about.

“You said, “It’s a good thing I’m pretty,” Steve repeated your words back to you with the same smug grin, “You think I’m pretty.”

You rolled your eyes, feeling equally exhausted and annoyed with this conversation, “That’s what you took from that. I called you stupid too.”

“You still said I’m pretty which means you think I’m pretty.” 

“Oh, gag me with a spoon, Steve.” You quipped, picking up your speed so you could walk ahead of Steve and not have to be near him any longer.

A few minutes later, they finally made it to the edge of the woods and could hear someone yelling at them on the other side. Once they made it out, they stopped seeing the two people were Nancy and Jonathan.

“Steve?” They both asked at the same time in complete shock.

“Nancy?” Steve questioned back just as confused.

“Jonathan,” Dustin said calmly.

You waved at them with a big smile, “Oh, hey guys.”

“What are you doing here?” Nancy asked as they all started walking towards each other.

“What are you doing here?” Steve was wondering more about what she was doing there with Jonathan.

“We’re looking for Mike and Will,” Nancy answered, calming down.

“They’re not in there, are they?” Dustin nodded his head towards Hawkins Lab.

“We’re not sure.”

“Why?” Jonathan became concerned by Dustin’s question but was answered by the monster's screeching echoing through the area.

Everyone started arguing about where Will and Mike could be when Nancy pushed through the group and took a few steps away.

“The power’s back.”

They all immediately took off towards the booth that could open the gate, so they could all get through. Jonathan went into the booth to press the button, but the gate still wasn’t opening. Dustin then went in and shoved Jonathan out of the way to try for himself like that would change anything. After a few minutes, the gate suddenly opened and Dustin took credit for it, but you all knew it most definitely wasn’t him. 

With the gate now open, Jonathan and Nancy drove up to the lab in his car to go find their brothers. The rest of them stood around anxiously waiting for them to return.

“Guys?” Max alerted them, making them all turn their heads to see two cars speeding towards them.

Jonathan started honking his horn and they all jumped out of his way. Jonathan kept driving off while Hopper stopped his cop truck for them to all jump in and drive to the Byers’ house.

They now all waited around the house as they figured out their next move. Will was lying unconscious on the couch as Jonathan kneeled next to him whispering to him. Nancy stood behind Jonathan, putting a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. You and Steve stood back watching the whole thing before Steve walked away. You looked over your shoulder at him walking away, seeing the upset look on his face and knowing it wasn’t just for the crazy circumstances they were under. 

You followed Steve into the kitchen, walking past Hopper who was on the phone trying to convince the government of what was happening. You walked past the kitchen table where the kids sat around and over to Steve who stood staring out the windows in the kitchen. Putting a hand on his arm, you looked up at Steve with a soft smile, trying to reassure him. Surprisingly, he looked down at you with a smile too before putting his arm around your shoulder, knowing you needed some reassurance after the events of the day.

You were very shocked by how their friendship grew throughout the day. You also had some conflicting feelings about the whole thing, feeling like there was something else deep down from both of them, but you didn’t know what.

“They didn’t believe you, did they?” Dustin asked Hopper once he hung up the phone.

“We’ll see,” Hopper mumbled.

“We’ll see?” Mike snapped, causing Steve and you to turn around. “We can’t just sit here while those things are loose!”

“We stay here, and wait for help,” Hopper instructed sternly, he then walked away towards the bedroom Joyce was hiding in.

They all stayed in their spots waiting, not knowing what to do. Mike stood up and walked out of the kitchen and into the living room.

“Did you guys know that Bob was the original founder of Hawkins AV?”

“Really?” Dustin asked.

“He petitioned the school to start it and everything.” Mike turned around to face them holding a Rubik’s cube. “Then he had a fund-raiser for equipment. Mr. Clarke learned everything from him. Pretty awesome, right?”

“Yeah.” Dustin and Lucas mumbled.

Mike walked over and set the Rubik’s cube on the table, “We can’t let him die in vain.”

“What do you want to do, Mike?” Dustin protested, “The Chief’s right on this. We can’t stop those Demo-dogs on our own.”

“Demo-dogs?” Max asked, confused about what he was talking about.

“Demogorgon, dogs.” Dustin put his hands together signifying putting the words together. “Demo-dogs. It’s like a compound. It’s like a play on words-”

“Okay.” Max stopped him from talking anymore, looking at him with wide eyes in complete disbelief that he thought she was that stupid.

“I mean, when it was just D’art, maybe…”

“But there’s an army now.” Lucas finished his sentence for him.

“Precisely.”

“His army,” Mike muttered more so to himself.

Steve looked over at him, confused, “What do you mean?”

“His army,” Mike repeated, more confident this time. “Maybe if we stop him, we can stop his army, too.”

They all looked at each other trying to see if anyone knew what he was talking about. Mike took off towards Will’s bedroom with the others right behind him to see what he was doing. Mike picked up a picture and showed it to the rest of them.

“The shadow monster.” Dustin acknowledged once he saw the picture that Will drew.

“It got Will that day on the field.” Mike explained, “The doctor said it was like a virus, it infected him.”

“And so this virus, it’s connecting him to the tunnels?” Max questioned.

“To the tunnels, to the monsters, the Upside Down, everything.”

“Whoa, slow down. Slow down.” Steve said, still not completely understanding it.

“Okay, so, the shadow monsters inside everything. And if the vines feel something like pain, then so does Will.”

“And so does D’art,” Lucas added.

“Yeah, like what Mr. Clarke taught us. The hive mind.”

“Hive mind?” You asked, not knowing what that meant.

“A collective consciousness. It’s a superorganism.” Dustin explained this to you and Steve.

“And this is the thing that controls everything.” Mike pointed to the drawing. “It’s the brain.”

“Like the mind flayer.” Dustin proclaimed, Lucas snapped at the name knowing what Dustin was talking about.

“What?” Steve, you, and Max asked at the same time, becoming completely out of the loop.

Dustin suddenly runs out of the room before returning with a big book in his hands and everyone else who wasn’t already in the room, except for Joyce, came in behind him. Dustin walked over to the kitchen table and opened the Dungeons and Dragons book, once he got to the page he was looking for he slammed the book on the table.

“The mind flayer.”

“What the hell is that?” Hopper asked from behind everyone.

“It’s a monster from an unknown dimension.” Dustin explained, “It’s so ancient that it doesn’t even know its true home. Okay, it enslaves races of other dimensions by taking over their brains using its highly-developed psionic powers.”

“Oh, my god, none of this is real. This is a kids’ game.” Hopper groaned, annoyed that Dustin was even suggesting this after everything that just happened.

“No, it’s a manual. And it’s not for kids.” Dustin became angry at Hopper for not believing him. “And unless you know something that we don’t, this is the best metaphor-”

“-Analogy.” Lucas cut Dustin off to correct him.

Dustin now turned his anger to Lucas, “Analogy? That’s what you’re worried about? Fine. An analogy for understanding whatever the hell this is.”

“Okay,” Nancy stopped Dustin’s rant. “So this mind flamer thing-”

“-Flayer. Mind flayer.”

Nancy sighed, “What does it want?”

“To conquer us, basically. It believes it’s the master race.”

“Like the Germans?” Steve suggested, making everyone side-eye him for saying that.

You hit his arm, which was becoming your new thing when he was being an idiot, “Are you kidding me, Steve?”

“Uh, the Nazis?” Dustin asked, giving Steve a chance to correct himself.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, the Nazis.” Steve stuttered looking back and forth from Dustin to you.

“Uh, if the Nazis were from another dimension, totally.” Dustin tried to make Steve feel better, “Uh, it views other races, like us, as inferior to itself.”

“It wants to spread, take over other dimensions.” Mike chimed in.

“We are talking about the destruction of our world as we know it.” Lucas helped his friends explain what it all meant since they were the only three in the room who knew anything about D&D.

“That’s great. That’s great” Steve said sarcastically, turning away from everyone.“That’s really great. Jesus!”

“Okay, so if this thing is like a brain that’s controlling everything, then if we kill it…” You picked up the book to get a better look at what the book said.

“We kill everything it controls.” Mike finished what you were saying.

“We win.” Dustin put it simply.

“Theoretically,” Lucas added.

Hopper walked over to you and grabbed the book out of your hands, “Great. So how do you kill this thing? Shoot it with Fireballs or something?”

“No. No, no fire- no fireballs.” Dustin chuckled, “Uh, you summon an undead army, uh, because… because zombies, you know, they don’t have brains, and the mind flayer, it-it it likes brains. It’s just a game. It’s a game.”

“What the hell are we doing here?” Hopper threw the book onto the table, then walked away.

“I thought we were waiting for your military backup,” Dustin said tauntingly.

“We are!”

“Even if they come, how are they gonna stop this?” Mike asked, frustrated. “You can’t just shoot this with guns.”

“You don’t know that! We don’t know anything!”

“We know it’s already killed everybody in that lab.”

“And we know the monsters are gonna molt again,” Lucas mentioned.

“And we know that it’s only a matter of time before those tunnels reach this town,” Dustin said.

“They’re right.” Joyce’s weak voice came from the living room, “We have to kill it. I want to kill it.”

Hopper walked over to her, “Me too. Me too, Joyce, okay? But how do we do that? We don’t exactly know what we’re dealing with here”

“No, but he does.” Mike walked over to where Will lay on the couch, “If anyone knows how to destroy this thing, it’s Will. He’s connected to it. He’ll know its weakness.”

“I thought we couldn’t trust him anymore.” Max voiced, “that he’s a spy for the mind flayer now.”

“Yeah, but he can’t spy if he doesn’t know where he is.”

After Hopper cleared out the shed, everyone started working to make the shed look unrecognizable to Will. They put pieces of cardboard, old newspapers, aluminum foil, and sheets around the walls. Once they were finished, Jonathan brought Will out to the shed and they tied him to the chair. Hopper, Joyce, Jonathan, and Mike stayed with Will while the rest went back into the house.

From your spot on the couch, you saw Dustin walk into the dining room looking sad and stressed out. “Hey, kid.” You called out to Dustin, “Come here.”

You waved him over and patted the spot next to you on the couch. Dustin walked over with his head hung low and sat down. You put your arm around his shoulder, and Dustin put his head on your shoulder as he started to tear up a bit.

“We’re going to figure this out and save Will.”

Steve stopped practicing swinging his bat, seeing you comfort Dustin. He took a couple of steps and stood in front of them.

Steve put a hand on Dustin’s head, patting it a couple of times, “We’ve got this, we’re going to kill this mind-flaying thing.”

“Mind flayer.” Dustin corrected Steve, looking up at him.

“Yeah, whatever.” Steve pushed Dustin’s head lightly.

Dustin laid his head back on your shoulder, as you looked up at Steve laughing lightly. Steve looked down at you, smiling back.

You both looked away from each other as the lights started to flicker intensely. The three of them stood up and walked into the kitchen, where Nancy was, to look out the window where the shed was. The lights stopped flickering after a minute, and they all looked at each other with worry.

A few minutes later they all came charging back into the house, Hopper quickly grabbed a used envelope and a pen and sat at the table.

“What happened?” Dustin asked as they all stood around Hopper.

“I think he’s talking, just not with words,” Hopper explained, as he wrote dots and lines on the envelope.

“What is that?” Steve questioned, not knowing what Hopper was drawing.

“Morse code.” Everyone answered in unison.

“H-E-R-E.” Hopper spelled out, “Will’s still in there. He’s talking to us.”

They continued on with their plan to see if Will would say anything else. While they went back to the shed to talk to Will, Hopper sent what Will was saying to the rest of them in the house through a Morse code transmitter. Dustin and Lucas would translate it while Nancy would write the letters down, so they could figure out what he was trying to tell them.

“Okay, got it.” Lucas said, “C.”

Nancy wrote the C down on the back of an empty notepad. They continued translating the Morse code until they had the words “Close Gate.”

“Close Gate.” They all mumbled together trying to figure out what that meant. 

The phone started ringing, startling them all. Dustin quickly ran over and hung up the phone, but it started to ring again. Nancy ripped the phone off the wall and threw it on the ground, breaking it.

“Do you think he heard that?” Max asked what they were all thinking.

“It’s just a phone. It could be anywhere.” Steve tried to rationalize, “Right?”

While that could be true, it wasn’t in this instance when they were the monster screeching in the distance.

“That’s not good,” Dustin grumbled, as they all faced the door.

Everyone from the shed ran into the house with Jonathan carrying Will. The kids went over to the windows to look out to see if the monsters were coming while everyone, but Hopper stood behind them. 

“Hey!” Hopper shouted walking into the living room carrying two guns. “Hey, get away from the windows!”

The kids backed away from the windows standing next to everyone else. Hopper turned to Jonathan holding up one of the guns.

“Do you know how to use this?”

“What?” Jonathan asked confused about what Hopper was insinuating.

“Can you use this?” Hopper tried to simplify his question.

“I can,” Nancy interjected.

Hopper threw her the gun, as everyone who had a weapon pulled it out. You stood in between Nancy and Steve holding up your knife.

“Where are they?” Max questioned, as the screeching grew closer.

A loud screech and thud came from the right side of the house making them all jump to face that way.

“What are they doing?” You asked, seeing the bushes move out the window.

The screeching came from the front of the house this time and they all jumped to face that way. They could hear the monster screeching and groaning alongside some crashing noises. Then all of a sudden the noises stopped and one of the Demo-dogs came flying through the window. They all screamed and backed away from it waiting for it to do something, but it continued to lay on the ground not moving. 

“Holy shit,” Dustin whispered.

“Is it dead?” Max asked.

Hopper moved its head with his foot to see if it would do anything, but it still wouldn’t move. The door made a creaking noise causing everyone to jump and face towards it. It suddenly started unlocking on its own, so Hopper and Nancy pointed their guns at it ready for something to come through. 

It slowly opened and Eleven stepped into the house with her nose bleeding. Everyone put down their weapons, shocked to see the young girl was still alive.

[strawberryspence]

i am in a very emo mood right now so here’s a disclaimer: i cried writing this and its very long.

Steve and Eddie have been together for seventeen years now. Both are very happy with their relationship, they’ve been engaged since they were twenty three and they haven’t looked back since. Gay marriage is legal by then in some parts of the country but not in Illinois (They’ve been living in Chicago since ‘87 when Robin started college and Steve packed up all of their stuff to follow her.) It’s not something they actively seek out, because would marriage really change anything in their relationship? They already refer to each other as husbands and they already wear wedding bands.

But kids. God, Eddie never really thought he would want kids. He grew up in an abusive environment that made him hate the prospect of procreating. At the age of thirteen, he realized he was gay and yeah, that was it, he won’t have kids, ever. But when he met Steve, Steve already had seven kids under his arms. Everyone knew about the six nuggets dreams and it’s always been a source of insecurity from Eddie, but Steve has been adamant that he didn’t need those things, he only needed Eddie. He jokes around about it, “I already have seven kids, okay? Eight if you add Robin.”

‘99 brings the first member of the Party 2.0. It’s Max and Lucas, of course, and though it was a long road to it, they made it. Max and Lucas are the two that moved out to California for college, but then moved back to Chicago to stay close to them. Eddie thinks it’s an unspoken agreement between Steve and Max, siblings bonded by trauma and love. They got married around ‘95, just a few months after Max and Lucas graduated college. Four years later, Eddie won’t ever forget Steve’s shaking hands when Max hands him Eleanor May Sinclair for the first time, her little tiny hands holding onto his finger as Lucas tells him that he was going to be the godfather. Steve smiles down at the tiny little red head, with her father’s eyes and her mother’s freckles and promises, “I am going to spoil you rotten, you’re going to hate it.”

‘01 brings the second member of the Party 2.0. It’s Jonathan and Nancy, who didn’t get married until around ‘98 because they were both too focused in their blooming careers. By then everyone had bets on how much longer before the two finally give in and get married, Argyle wins the biggest money and they still think there has been some kind of cheating. It’s a cold winter night when Nancy goes into labor. Steve and Eddie (with Robin, Max, Lucas and Ellie) takes the next flight to New York from the moment Jonathan called them that Nancy’s going into labor. Robin’s hailed as the godmother, because the skittle six all stayed close friends but there has always been some kind of women solidarity between Nancy and Robin. Eddie has to hold Steve’s hand when he starts crying when Nancy tells them her name, Barbara Arya Wheeler-Hopper. Nancy smiles at him, eyes glassy from exhaustion and emotions, as Steve holds her for the first time, voice shaking as he finally meets her, “Hi Barb.”

In the same year, the third member of the Party 2.0 is born. It’s Dustin and Suzie. That one was a looong story. After the Vecna fiasco of Spring and Fall of ‘86 (where they finally killed Vecna and closed the Upside Down for good), Suzie and Dustin broke up due to some miscommunications and because her father has been much more stricter after the Cali gang's visit. By chance, they meet again in MIT in ‘89 and remained friends for another two years (In Steve and Eddie’s dismay this led to long hours of telephone calls from Dustin pining over his ex-girlfriend-now-turned-bestfriend) before they finally got their act together when Dustin drunkenly proposes to Suzie (they don’t get married until ‘96). Steve and Eddie has come down to California about a week before Suzie’s expected labor day for moral support and just to help. Suzie goes into labor in a grocery store with Steve, while they were out buying peppers to induce labor. Steve has to drive them frantically to the hospital while a chill Suzie drinks her strawberry milkshake in the passenger seat. After 36 hours of labor, Edward Stephen Henderson was born. Eddie’s the one who cries more when Dustin announces the name, he’s also the first one in the party to hold the newborn. Eddie smiles down at Edward, laughing as he looks up at Steve, “I will do everything in my power so that you won’t end up with your father’s ego.” Cue Dustin’s protests in the back and Suzie laughing so hard she pops a stitch. Steve’s hand on his waist doesn’t leave even for a moment the whole night.

By ‘02 Max is pregnant again, Robin and Vickie’s adoption papers were processing and El’s been looking into Artificial Insemination. Will and Mike are the only two who doesn’t seem interested in having kids and are happy to just be the gay uncles that shower the kids with expensive ass gifts.

Steve’s hiding it well, Eddie will give that to him. Steve’s always been good with kids, always had that glow whenever he's around them and there is no doubt in Eddie's mind that his husband will be a wonderful, amazing father. It also helps mask the baby fever he’s had for about four years now since Ellie was born. Eddie doesn’t miss the melancholic looks he gets when it's time for Max to take Ellie home or the look he gets when they visit Barb and they have to say goodbye to her big brown eyes. Eddie knows his husband has wanted kids for as long as the’ve been together, but doesn’t say anything for his sake. So he takes a long look at his life. Does he want kids? Does he want to come home with kids in the house? Could he ever be even a sliver of the father that Steve was born to be? Would he be anything like his biological father?

He calls Wayne, talks to him for hours about every fear and doubt he has. He loves Steve so much and it hurts him to not be able to give this to him just because he’s being a coward again. Wayne soothes every shaking nerve in his body, and Eddie thinks, he’ll be fine. He’ll be fine because he wasn’t raised by John Munson, he was raised by Wayne Munson.

He’s done so much research about gay adoption that he has to hide the thick folder under a loose floor in their shared office, just so Steve can’t find it. He wants to be ready for this before he talks to Steve about it and by Christmas ‘02, he’s ready.

Its the quiet lull just before Christmas. The tree is decked out with numerous gifts, the house full of fairy lights (fairy lights they made sure would never blink), outside it just started snowing. In 24 hours, the house would be full with their family coming from different states to celebrate the holiday with them. Steve's wrapping the last few gifts, hot choco on his side when Eddie sits across him on the floor, handing him the thick folder.

Steve opens the folder with a bewildered look, his face shifting to shock in seconds. Steve looks up at Eddie with teary eyes, "Before you say that you don't need kids because I don't want kids, hear me out, okay?" Eddie reaches out for his hand, "I do want kids. I want kids with you. I've had kids with you since '86 when Dustin and Max decided to look for me. I've always wanted kids with you. I was... I was just scared that I'd end up like my dad, you know?" Steve sighs, hand tightening in his grasp, "Eds."

Eddie shakes his head, "Wait, I am not done. I talked to Wayne, you know? And I thought about it and I want kids with you, Steve Harrington. In any shape or form. If you don't want it right now, we can put a pin on it and if you tell me you never want it, then we forget this conversation ever happened. We could adopt, we could get a surrogate, hell, if I can get pregnant I will do it, sweetheart. I want a kid that's half you and half me and that might not ever be possible but we can raise and love a kid together and that'll be just as good." Steve's smiling now, tears still flowing from his face as Eddie cups his face, using his thumbs to swipe away the tears.

"So what do you want, baby?" Eddie smiles as Steve starts laughs, nodding. "Yeah, yeah, I want a kid with you. Fucking hell, Eds." Steve hops up, tackling Eddie into a hug and showering him with kisses. They stay like that for an hour, just soaking in the pure adoration and love they feel for each other.

It's not until October '05 that their kid comes home. Elijah Syl Harrington-Munson was a 6 month old boy. Steve cries the first time he holds him as Eddie embraces him, Elijah holding his index finger in his tiny palm.

"Stevie, he has your hair." Eddie comments and there's no hint of joke or trick in his voice, just full of awe and Steve just cries even more.

When Elijah finally opens his eyes, Steve can't help the tenderness that bursts through him, "Eddie, Eds, he has your eyes."

Elijah's not a Harrington-Munson in blood, but he's Steve and Eddie's son through and through. And yeah, Elijah grows to have the same brunette wavy hair, styled just like his Dad's and the same brown doe eyes just like his Pa's. Sometimes, he sits in the living room as he reads a thick book with a basketball game playing on the background, Steve and Eddie thinks he's always meant to be theirs.

They adopt more kids. Not six because fuck no. But they do have their three nuggets, half Steve Harrington and half Eddie Munson and he won't ever have it any other way.

[canirove]

Friends, lovers… and an orange | Chapter 6

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Masterlist

"I'm seriously moving to the North Pole."

"What?" Jourdan laughed.

"I'm sure paparazzis would not find me there."

"Don't underestimate them."

"I just... How did they find us in Paris? How did they know?"

"It was fashion week, there were photographers everywhere."

"Urgh" Adele grunted, sinking a bit lower on the sofa.

The day after the Dior photoshoot, she had woken up to her and Mason all over the internet. A paparazzi had caught them during their walk and then while having lunch, and there were what felt like hundreds of articles talking about it, most of them saying the same: that things were ok between them after she had been seen getting cosy with Nico at that party. 

"You do look like an actual couple, tho. Again."

"Jourdan... Not you, please. I already have enough with my mum, Toni, and our brothers. You should see our family group chat, I had to silence it."

"That bad it is?" she chuckled.

"Worse. They keep saying that they believe we are just friends as we tell them, but that if something else is happening or will happen, we have their support."

"That's cute."

"That's... I don't know what it is. But nothing is happening."

"I disagree, Adele. Because something is happening: you and Mason are getting closer. You may not be dating or falling in love, but you are slowly becoming the type of friends everyone expected you to be since you were born."

"Yeah... I guess. I just wish they would leave us alone for five minutes."

And after those Paris photos, it looked like they had finally left them alone. Each day there were less photographers outside Adele's house and less often, and people online had also relaxed. Though it probably was just because there was a new scandal surrounding the royal family. Either way, she was glad her mundane life was back. Kind of. 

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"Mum, please, stop!" Luca complained.

"I'm sorry. It's just that I've missed you so much!" Elizabeth said.

"I know. But if you keep squeezing me like that, you will miss me forever."

"Luca! Don't say that!" she scolded him. 

"Sorry” he said, trying to shrug. “But please let me go. I'm sure dad also wants a hug."

"I'm fine" he chuckled.

"Addie?"

"Mase just arrived, gotta go open the door for him. Sorry" she smiled.

"Yes! Run to your boyfriend instead of helping your dying little brother!" 

"Whatever" Adele said, rolling her eyes. 

That year they had decided to spend the holidays all together in Switzerland, having some proper white Christmas as when they were kids. And, of course, the Mounts were joining them. 

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"If I hit Luca in the back of his head with a snowball... What do I get in return?"

"Another one?" Adele laughed. It was Christmas Eve, and they were going back to the resort where they were staying after having lunch in town.

"Boring" Mason said, rolling his eyes. 

"Sorry for being realistic" she shrugged.

"What the fuck!" Luca screamed. "Who hit me?"

"Your sister!" Mason said, pointing at Adele.

"What? It was... Fuck!" she complained. "Luca! That hurt!"

"So did mine!" he replied.

"I think they are having a snowball fight without us" Adele's dad said. "Should we join them?"

"Darling..." Elizabeth started. But it was too late. Everyone was already throwing snowballs, screaming and laughing. 

"Mase, no. No!" Adele laughed while trying to run away from him.

"Come here, Addie!"

"No!" she laughed again, running as fast as she could without slipping.

"Oh, you've made such a big mistake, Miss Turlington."

"Shit" she whispered when she realized she had run into a dead end. "Mase, please... I didn't mean to hit you in the face, I'm sorry."

"I made a living out of it, you know?"

"I know, and I'm very sorry."

"It's too late for that now" Mason smirked.

"But that snowball is huge! Mine fitted in my hand, and that one is bigger than your head!"

"I have a small head."

"You do" she snorted. "Wait, I'm sorry. Mase... Mason."

"Too late, Adele. Time to face your destiny" he said, lifting the big ball and throwing it against her. Throwing it... And missing.

"Oh my God" she laughed. "That was so bad! You hit the wall!"

"Addie..."

"You better not have that bad aim with everything."

"Addie... Adele!" Mason said, quickly grabbing her by the arm and pulling her against him.

"Holy shit" she whispered after a big chunk of snow fell where she had been standing just a moment ago. 

"That was close."

"So close" she said, suddenly realising how close she was to Mason. To his face. From that distance, she was able to perfectly count the freckles on his nose.

"We should join the others." Four, five, six... "Addie, did you hear me?" Ten, eleven... "Adele!" Mason chuckled.

"Damn it" she said under her breath, losing count. 

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, just... Just a bit chilly. We should go back."

"Are you sure you are ok? You looked... Distracted."

"It was the shock of the snow falling, nothing else."

"Ok..."

"Hey, what are you two doing there?" Luca said behind them. "Making out?"

"You are so funny" Adele said, rolling her eyes.

"I mean, you are hugging and way too close to each other. If I was a pap and saw you like that, that's what I would think" he shrugged.

"And you would be wrong" Adele said, letting go of Mason. She hadn't realized she had her arms around him. "Not let's go, I'm getting cold."

"Then ask Mason to keep hugging you" Luca smirked.

"Fuck you" she said while walking away, trying not to think too much about what had just happened, or what she had felt.