#you're beautiful nancy wheeler

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

People hate them together because they'd be too powerful. They like to be called both mommy and daddy. (Like Nancy is mommy and daddy, but so, is Steve.) ❤️‍🔥

[hairmetal666]

TW for internalized homophobia and related bad decisions

Steve is 12 and he thinks about finding his soulmate all the time.

You're supposed to find them through touch; your life together will flash in front of your eyes. They're rare, though, soulmates. So rare that most people never find theirs. So rare that some people say they're made up.

Steve wants to be one of the lucky few. He wants it to be a true, unbreakable bond, a love he gets to have forever.

He wonders if he'll find his soulmate at school. He's popular, he thinks. Tommy would say they were popular. But Tommy's definition of popular mostly has to do with the number of kids he can get away with being mean to, and that's not really Steve's deal. Tommy is like a prey animal, the way he can find weaknesses.

There's a new boy at school. Steve doesn't know his name, but they have English together. He's too thin, with huge brown eyes, and all his clothes are too big. His head's been inexpertly shaved and he never looks anybody in the eye. It's only a matter of time before he catches Tommy's interest, and Steve wishes he could stop it somehow, but he's never been good at going against Tommy.

The day comes, of course. They're standing in the hall, the new boy walking towards them, head down, as always. Tommy nudges Steve says, "What a loser."

And Steve shrugs, starts to ask Tommy about football, if the Colts can make the Super Bowl, but the boy is nearing and Tommy is cackling.

"Watch this." Tommy sticks his foot out.

The boy doesn't react fast enough. He falls forward with a bitten off yelp, and Steve moves without really thinking, only knows he can't stand to see him fall. He catches the new kid beneath his armpits, Steve's thumbs brushing the soft skin his arms.

The world around him falls away at the touch.

---

He's sitting on the floor in the band room, Eddie--the boy's name is Eddie--next to him. Eddie's hair is a little longer and Steve's in a green polo he doesn't recognize, and he's never been in the band room in his life. They're leaning into each other and laughing and Eddie's so beautiful.

---

They're in the woods--Skull Rock, Steve thinks. Eddie's hair is curled and frizzed around his chin, and he's laughing, his cheeks pink, his dimples prominent. He tries to pull his hair in front of his face, but it's not long enough yet to reach. Steve is overwhelmed, wants to kiss him so bad. He's never had to wait to kiss someone, or been unsure, or--

He wants to kiss Eddie.

So, he does.

It's hard, desperate, not the first kiss Steve expected, but then they've been waiting for so long.

---

Steve stands in the hallway of Hawkins High. He's wearing a striped, beige short-sleeved polo, and flirting with Nancy Wheeler.

He likes Nancy, she's pretty and smart and fun. And it's easy. He can hold her hand. Can introduce her to his parents. Can take her on dates and kiss her in public.

She bats her big blue eyes at him, and he can't help but kiss her.

He pulls away gently, brushing his thumb against her cheek, and when he looks down the hall, Eddie is there, frozen. His mouth is wide, his eyes glassy.

Steve thinks the way his heart stutters must be what dying feels like.

---

He's sitting on his diving board, facing away from the pool. He smokes a cigarette and there's a bat studded with nails at his feet, what the fuck. Music thuds, shrieks and laughter seep into the cool night air.

He should be playing the gracious host. He should be having a good time. Instead, his eyes search the woods and he taps another smoke out of the pack.

"Harrington?" The voice makes him jump, hand flexing around the bat handle. "It's freezing out. What are you doing?"

He recognizes the voice now, doesn't turn, doesn't respond, can't stand to see another person he let down; another person who could call him bullshit and be 100% correct.

"Do you not have a jacket? C'mon, man."

Something warm settles over his shoulders, and he inadvertently breathes in weed and leather and cedar. He squeezes his eyes shut, like that will make the comforting, familiar scent go away. He'll have to move to shrug off the jacket, though, which would mean acknowledging Eddie's presence.

"Can you at least say something, Harrington? You're freaking me out."

"I'm fine, Ed--Eddie." The nickname falls from his lips too easily. He doesn't miss how Eddie flinches.

His hair is long now, down to his shoulders, brittle looking in the cold. He's wearing a t-shirt and worn flannel, arms wrapped around his chest for warmth now that his jacket is draped over Steve's shoulders.

Steve is an idiot. He's such an idiot. Chasing after Nancy when Eddie is--

"I'm sorry," he says. He turns to face his soulmate, then. "I'm sorry about Nancy, I--"

Eddie jerks back like he's been hit. "Fuck you, Harrington," he snarls.

---

He sits in the back of an ambulance, eyes swollen shut, face throbbing. He's wearing a sailor suit for inexplicable reasons, which is almost more upsetting than the ambulance. He smells like puke and something toxically sweet.

A girl is with him, one he doesn't recognize, but he feels deeply, instinctively protective of her. He holds her shaking shoulders tight, tries to whisper comfort to her through his busted and bleeding mouth.

He's pretty sure he has a concussion.

"Steve!" Someone screams over the sounds of the EMTs and firefighters, of the building burning and collapsing behind them.

Eddie bursts through the gathered onlookers and past the ring of police cars enclosing them. He's falling into the ambulance before Steve has a chance to react.

"Sweetheart," Eddie sobs. He tries to cup Steve's face, but his fingers flutter around the damage. "Sweetheart, oh my god. I came as soon as I heard. Are you--what can I--"

Steve stares at him--his hair falling from its messy bun, his cutoff Metallica tee, concern and love leaking from those brown, brown eyes--and bursts into tears.

---

They sit on the roof of his house, sharing a joint back and forth. It's chilly, bordering on cold, winter just on the horizon. They're laughing, leaning into each other, and Steve is--he's happy. Elated. Could float away with it.

Robin--Robin-- is in the bathroom, or maybe in the kitchen for snacks, and it's just them for now. They're looking at each other, smiles wide, eyes bright.

They're taking it slow. Steve knows it's important, after what he did. They talked about it, his abandoning of Eddie for Nancy, chasing what his dad told him was normal and expected.

He doesn't want to cross any boundaries, wants to do this right. How Eddie deserves. But they're leaning into each other and they're smiling, and he's so in love. Intoxicated with it, lost.

In the end, he doesn't know who makes the first move, just that they're kissing and it's like coming home.

---

He's in a building, a shed or something. It's musty and dirty, smells like oil and gasoline and a building left closed up too long. Eddie's in his arms and he's talking through hiccuping sobs.

"I didn't save her, Steve. I didn't help. I just left her there! She was broken in pieces and I--I--"

Steve holds him close, tight, squeezes his eyes closed to stop his own tears from falling. He never wanted this for Eddie, never wanted him involved. Thought he could protect him from all of Hawkins's terrible things.

They aren't alone. Robin is there, coming up to hold Eddie too, plus a redheaded girl and curly haired boy he doesn't recognize.

"We'll figure this out, Eddie." The boy promises.

"We won't let anyone hurt you. We know you didn't murder Chrissy," the girl says.

---

Steve is in a world he doesn't understand, and Eddie is his arms. Eddie is in his arms, and there's blood everywhere. He's not awake, he's not--his heart beat is soft and slow, too slow, and his breathing stutters, and Steve can't--

"Baby, stay with me." He begs as he runs across the dead and rotting landscape. "Eddie, please. Wake up, okay? Wake up for me. I need to--I need to know that you're alright."

Eddie stays limp in his arms.

"Please," he begs. "You can't leave me. We promised, remember? We promised we'd be together forever. The rest of our lives. Me and You. Our six little nuggets. You promised."

The portal back to Hawkins is less than a dozen feet away, he's so close. Eddie gasps to consciousness, but his eyes are still hazy.

"Hi, sweetheart," he mumbles.

"Hey, hi, you're doing so good. We're almost out, okay? We're almost out and we'll get you to the hospital."

Eddie reaches out a weak hand, touches the edge of Steve's jaw. "Love you, Stevie," he whispers. "Glad you were mine."

He goes still in Steve's hold.

---

The images come faster now--

A hospital room at Hawkins General, Eddie hooked to machines. Steve holds hands with an older man. They wait in terrified silence

Eddie propped in a bed, a bunch of kids around him, Steve and Robin at his side. His eyes keep sliding to Steve, like he's making sure Steve's real, that he's still there

Their bodies tangled together in a bedroom Steve doesn't recognize

Steve down on one knee in a marble room lit only by black and red candles, Eddie standing in front of him

Hand-in-hand on a cliffside overlooking the ocean. The Chief of Police, Jim Hopper, stands in front of them with tears in his eyes and a beaming smile on his face

In a big, green yard behind a cozy little house. A little boy with Eddie's eyes and curls riding on his shoulders. Eddie sprinting around with a tiny girl giggling after him, perfect imitation of the King Steve hair-do on her tiny head

In a park, surrounded by family and friends. Steve has a little bit of a paunch and wears glasses. Eddie's hair streams around his shoulders, going grey at the temples. There's a banner strung between trees proclaiming 'Happy 20th Steve and Eddie!' They're surrounded by everyone they love and it's perfect

---

The images flash too fast for Steve to catalog after that, seconds-long glimpses of a shared future, and then he's back in his body in the hallway of Hawkins Middle, still holding too tight onto Eddie's arms.

Eddie rears back, face pale and terrified, and Steve is too shocked to do anything but let him go.

Tommy's yelling, but Steve only has eyes for his soulmate, who scrambles to his feet and throws himself down the hall away from them.

"What the hell, Harrington? Why'd you catch him? That was about to be funny as hell! I bet he'd have broken his nose--you ruined it!"

Steve isn't listening. He's trying to hold on to the memories of their life together, the ones that are already fading.

The last thing he remembers is that, sometime in the not-too-distant future, he'll find his way to the band room, Eddie Munson, and the rest of their lives.

[artaxlivs]

Were they kidding with this bullshit? Like, seriously? So many gates opening up to different dimensions now that there were too many for Supergirl to close and this? This is what they got? Fuck this. Seriously.

"Are you a virgin?" Mike asked like the total little dickhead he is.

"So what if I am? Aren't you? And the rest of your little friends?" Eddie sniped back at the rude little bastard but then, he blanched, "actually, don't answer that. I don't want to know."

Why did this have to be happening when Eddie was on a perimeter check?

Mike rolled his eyes like he couldn't believe how ridiculous Eddie was being, "Dumbass, we're children. Unicorns never go to innocent children in fairy tales. Because we're all innocent. They go to innocent adults. Virgins." He put far too much emphasis on the word because he is, as mentioned, a little dickhead.

"Listen, fuck you and the unicorn you rode in on. I'm not fucking innocent. I've done...things. Things I'm not gonna tell you about!" Eddie sputtered, crossing his arms and almost losing his precarious balance on the tree branch.

He needed to be careful because there was a unicorn circling underneath him. And not the beautiful, ethereal kind. It was beautiful, sure, but it had blood all over his muzzle and splattered across it's chest and on it's front hooves. Probably from the last virgin it had tracked down in god knows what dimension and trampled slash eaten to death. It's eyes were blazing red fire and it had fangs. Fangs. Fuck. That.

Eddie heard Steve sighing and then he flailed an arm from Eddie's tree branch to Robin and said, "It can't be trying to get you because you're a virgin, it's not going anywhere near Robin!"

The girl in question squeaked. Her ears and cheeks went bright red. All three of them turned to look at her.

"Wait, what? Was it you know who? From the...? You didn't tell me? When did you...?" Steve asked cryptically, shedding absolutely no light on who Buckley was knocking boots with.

"Yes after we met at the...place." Robin supplied lamely and then bared her teeth and said through them, "After. But before we went back in to fight Henry slash Vecna slash One." She shrugged and let out a hysterical sounding giggle. "It was...End of the World Sex. Just in case, you know?"

"Ohhhh I'm so proud of you!" And oddly, Steve really did sound proud. Which was weird. Eddie was pretty sure Robin was gay which meant the caginess was in reference to a girl but the fact that Steve was so supportive was a little suprising.

Without actively thinking about the repercussions, Eddie's mouth decided to test that theory, "Well damn, wish I'd have thought of that. Steve - want to deflower me so this unicorn leaves me alone?" The hysterical giggle Eddie let out rivaled Robin's.

Slowly Steve turned back to him but before he could reply, Mike scoffed, "You are his type. Skinny, big bushy hair, big eyes, you and Nancy both talk like everyone is just waiting to listen to you to speak." He rolled his eyes, "Annoying."

"Rude!" Eddie tilted his head thoughtfully, "You know what though? I'm fine with it. Nancy Wheeler is a badass and I want to be her when I grow up. Or when I get down from this tree." Eddie cringed, staring down as the unicorn stopped and looked up, one of it's flaming eyes bore into him. It neighed, shaking it's gorgeous mane but also splattering little droplets of blood everywhere.

Gross. So gross.

"Huh. Now that you mention it..." Robin stared up at Eddie thoughtfully, "I totally see it."

Steve just dragged his hand down his face and glared at the angry unicorn, "Okay, we need a real plan because Eddie isn't coordinated enough to have sex in a tree." He put his hands on his hips like a baseball mom wondering if she brought enough orange slices and Shastas for the whole team. "Do we know any other adult virgins to lure this one away?"

Mike snorted, "Those are probably more rare than the unicorn.'

Eddie flipped him off, "You're rolling at disadvantage on all charisma and persuasion checks for the rest of time."

"We'll have to find a new DM when the unicorn gores you anyway," Mike shrugged. "Whatever."

Then he wandered off. Just walked away, like Eddie wasn't two feet away from being mauled by a feral beast who's name was probably Glitter Sparkle or some shit. What a dickhead.

Looking away from the unicorn, Eddie watched Robin wave Steve over and whisper to him. They had a hushed conversation for several minutes while Eddie yelled things like, "Wanna share with the class?" and "Good friends don't make shitty plans in secret!" But they ignored him. Bastards.

Until Steve turned to the tree and asked, "By 'things' what do you mean?"

What?

"Harrington, what the hell are you talking about?"

"You said you've done 'things' but not had sex. What things?" Steve brushed a hand through his miraculously still perfect hair, and sighed, obviously frustrated, "We're trying to figure out what the unicorn considers virginity. Robin's never..." He petered off and glanced back at her and then over at Mike who was half way down the block with his radio out, sitting on a bench with his back to them, probably telling everyone that Eddie still had his V card. Traitor.

He was too far away for them to hear his conversation so he was probably too far for theirs.

Robin cleared her throat. "I've never had, you know, penetrative sex. Just...um...uh...third base!" She squeaked again and then covered her face with her hands.

"You're being extremely weird about sex talk while a blood covered unicorn is stalking me like a jungle cat!" Eddie informed her. "Oral. Just say oral sex, you weirdo!"

"Ok fine!" She shouted, "I've given and reciprocated oral sex! Jesus." Then she crossed her arms and grumbled under her breath, tapping one foot on the grass.

Eddie couldn't help it. He laughed with glee. "Was she cute?"

Robin sputtered, mouth dropping in shock.

What? Did she think she was a subtle lesbian? Because she wasn't. Not at all. Her high tops had boobs drawn on them like some twelve year old boy just hitting puberty. He rolled his eyes.

Steve looked up at Eddie then. His eyebrows were arched in that way they get when he's thinking up a plan. They're not always good plans but he carries them out and everyone usually lives so, Eddie could do worse. "Well - Big Boy?" Steve's lips twitched in a smile at using Eddie's nickname for him. "I'm guessing when you said you've done 'things,' you were lying?"

"Yeah, duh." Eddie retorted, snapping in his irritation and mounting fear. Mounting, ha. Like a horse and like sex. Mounting. He bit his lip to contain the very poorly timed giggle.

Robin rolled her eyes, grabbed Steve's arm and gave him a severe 'be careful' look and then hustled over to where Mike was sitting. When Steve tucked his bat into his backpack and started to creep around the tree, he realized she was giving them privacy. Holy shit.

The unicorn didn't even acknowledge Steve's presence as he skirted around it and climbed the tree, grunting and complaining under his breath how nobody better call him the Virginsitter because he swears to God. Then the rest of his grumbling got lost, buried under the sound of Eddie's heart pounding in his ears.

Holy shit.

And that's how Eddie lost his mythically constructed virginity in a tree to Steve Harrington who was apparently bisexual and very, very good at blowjobs.

Neither of them even noticed which way the unicorn went.

[jadeylovesmarvelxo]

You and Eddie get into an argument about the girl he's giving guitar lessons too. Angst, misunderstandings and bad communication ensues.

Warnings. Mdni. 18+ only, angst. Miscommunication and misunderstandings. Idiots in love. Jealousy.

💞

You and Eddie had been together for a few months and up until this point you had never had a cross word.

He had been giving some girl guitar lessons, her name was Britney and she was gorgeous, amazingly cool and hilarious.

Tonight you had walked in on them laughing together and looking all cosy. Something in you kinda broke inside, it was ridiculous because you knew Eddie would never cheat, but you still felt your stomach bottom out.

Hearing Eddie gush about Britney and how metal she was and was like a rockstar on the guitar didn't help either.

You weren't proud of it but you were quiet and a little less warmer than you'd usually be and when Britney made excuses to leave, you were left wracked with guilt.

Eddie had rounded on you asking ''Why were you being such a bitch?" and that had made you even more pissed and the argument ensued.

"I'm sorry that walking in on my boyfriend looking so fucking cosy with someone else put me in a bad mood" you bite back at him and Eddie's big brown eyes darken in rage.

"You're being fucking ridiculous right now you know that?" it hurt hearing Eddie say that and you lashed out without thinking about what you were saying.

"Oh so I'm ridiculous because I hate seeing some girl make gooey eyes at my boyfriend, I'm such a bad girlfriend for being a little bit wary" Eddie shakes his head and the temperature in the room turns colder.

"Or it's obvious that you don't fucking trust me. So if you don't trust me then what's the fucking point?" your breath hitches and there's a deep pit of gloom and dread, in your stomach.

"Are you breaking up with me?" you whimper and want to take back everything you said, tell him that of course you trust him but you're so stunned, your heart is breaking.

Without another word you storm out before Eddie can confirm your worst fears.

❤️

Instead of going home you go straight to Nancy's who immediately digs out some ice cream and let's you cry out all the heartache, you both stay up most of the night but end up crashing around 5am.

Nancy is ready up and getting ready for school, you have the worst headache and just want to sleep a little longer so she leaves you to sleep, brings you up some pancakes and freshly squeezed orange juice that Mrs Wheeler kindly made up for you.

In return you help her around the house, trying anything to take your mind of your heartache about Eddie.

When Nancy comes back home she gently explains that Eddie has been calling you and is worried that you haven't answered.

"I think you need to listen to what he has to say honey, he looks a wreck, I think he's driving Mike and the rest of the kids here after Hellfire so if you want to wait"

Nervously you nod and try to calm your anxious mind that Eddie is going to break up with you for good.

By the time that you hear Eddie's van and he's parked outside, you're on tenterhooks. Eddie looks like he's barely slept, his hair is messier than usual and he has the saddest look in his beautiful brown eyes.

That look makes you want to burst into tears there and then. You hate that you're the cause.

"Sweetheart, I'm so sorry, his voice is rougher than normal, his hands are shaking and you reach out to steady them.

"I'm sorry too Eddie. I was a bitch and rude and of course I trust you, I trust you with my life and I hate that I made you think otherwise" his eyes fill with pain and he swallows.

"I shouldn't have called you a bitch. I've been a mess since you left and I was worried as shit when you weren't answering your phone, Mike told me you stayed here last night with Nance so I knew I would come here as soon as I could"

The tension slowly begins to leave your body and you feel soothed as Eddie pulls you in his arms

"Also Britney has just started dating Gareth, she was learning guitar to impress him and I was teaching her how to play his favourite song."

Fuck. "I'm so sorry Eddie" he softens and kisses your forehead.

"Even if she was interested I don't care. I'm not interested in her. How could you think I'd want her or anyone when I already have the most amazing, beautiful princess"

A warm fluttery feeling pools in your belly and you cuddle into Eddie and peer at him sadly.

"I just got insecure when you talked about how badass Britney was on the guitar and how metal she was" Eddie strokes your cheek and you melt into his touch.

"I'm sorry sweetheart. I didn't realise that was bothering you. Honestly yeah she's metal and pretty badass at the guitar but she's not you. She's not the one I'm head over heels in love with. You are"

"Oh" well shit, you'd definitely fucked up and misread everything. This is the first time Eddie has said I love you. It's a big deal for him, you know that and it is for you too.

"I'd never cheat on you or hurt you princess, I'm so in love with you" Tears roll down your cheeks and you kiss him fiercely.

"I love you too Eddie, I should have tried better at communicating with you" You sigh and cuddle into him, feeling calmer than you have in days.

"We both should learn to communicate better" he corrects you and you nod. It feels like a weight has been lifted of you.

"I really should apologise to Britney too" he hums in agreement.

"She thinks your really cool by the way and she put up with me constantly gushing about you"

Shit. Yeah you definitely have to apologise. In fact you make that your next mission first thing on Monday morning.

For now you were just going to bask in Eddie's love for a little while.

Britney as it turns out is a total sweetheart about the whole thing when you speak to her first thing on Monday and excitedly tells you about her dates with Gareth and how she played him the song Eddie taught her.

Not only do you gain the start of a friendship with Britney but you and Eddie are more in love than ever.

🫶

[unclewaynemunson]

More often than not, it doesn't work out.

Robin first learned that lesson with Vickie, when she thought she found the love of her life but ended up breaking things off because the way in which Vickie mirrored her anxiety back to her enhanced it tenfold and it turned out to be completely exhausting to keep up with that after the first wave of butterflies had died down.

After Vickie, there was Laura. Laura, with whom it seemed to work out until she told Robin that she couldn't bear keeping up with her weird, unsettling and way too vivid nightmares about Russian spies and monsters from fantasy stories every other night.

After Laura, there was Julia. Julia, who was amazing for four whole months until she told Robin with tears in her eyes that she couldn't tolerate the cheating anymore. It didn't matter how often Robin told her that sleeping with someone didn't necessarily mean sleeping with someone, that Steve was like a brother to her – and that the whole thing was utterly ridiculous in the first place because Robin was very much a lesbian. Needless to say, it didn't work out.

Then, there was Amy. Amy, who, like a cruel twist of fate, actually cheated on Robin. It was only a one-time thing, a drunken kiss during some stupid party, but it was enough to damage Robin's trust in her irreparably. So it didn't work out.

Up until then, she had chalked it up to a string of bad luck or maybe bad taste. But after Louise (who brought up the nightmares again), Valerie (who wanted some adventure in the bedroom and had to guide Robin through a panic attack filled with inexplicable flashbacks when she tried tying her to the bedframe), and Mathilde (who made a problem of Robin's regular 3am calls with Steve when neither of them could sleep), she starts to wonder if it wouldn't be more probable that it is herself who is the problem instead of this whole list of girls.

“Don't you dare say that about yourself,” says Nancy with fire in her voice when Robin finally dares to voice that thought out loud.

They're both lying down on Nancy's brand new couch, a pair of legs dangling over each side and their heads right next to each other in the middle. Except for that couch, the living room is still empty. Boxes are piled up everywhere, still waiting to be unpacked, but they can wait a little longer.

Robin is happy to have Nancy at her side again. It's been a while: college and differing career paths kept them separated through the majority of their friendship. But now Nancy has found her way back to Indiana, only half an hour away from where Robin has been living with Steve and Eddie ever since Mathilde broke up with her a few months ago.

She hasn't really been dating anyone since, and now that Nancy is also living in Indianapolis, she wonders if she'll ever feel the need to. No girl would ever be able to compare to Nancy Wheeler, after all; Robin knew that much as soon as she saw Nancy stepping out of the U-Haul wearing pastel-pink dungarees, with all grown-out curls cascading over her back and a thick layer of eyeliner around her beautiful doe eyes.

“Well, it could be true,” Robin presses on.

“No it can't!” Nancy says it in such an indignant tone that it makes Robin snort skeptically.

“I'm serious, Rob.” It sounds stern. “I know you and I know it's not true. It's not your fault.”

“You're seriously telling me I've been dating seven girls over the past seven years, and none of it worked out, and it's all because of them? All those relationships were wildly different; I'm the one consistent factor in all of them, Nance.”

“Yeah, but that doesn't mean you're the problem.” Nancy says it like it's obvious. “Maybe the problem is that you've been picking girls who all have one single thing in common, and that is that they never wanted to make the effort to really listen to you.”

"Huh." Robin closes her eyes for a second, taking her time to let those words sink in. She never thought about it that way. “You think so?”

“Yeah. Mathilde was a bitch anyway,” Nancy says matter-of-factly. “I mean, did she ever ask you to explain why you've been feeling the need to call Steve in the middle of the night lately?”

Robin shrugs. “That's a bit difficult to explain, isn't it?” she points out.

“That's what I'm saying,” says Nancy. “It's exactly why you keep picking out those kind of girls. Because if you're with someone who will actually listen to your story, you're gonna have a problem. Right?”

And, well, shit. It's not like Robin asked for a free therapy session here, but... Nancy is right. Of course she is. She always is.

Robin turns her head to the side, exchanging her view on the white ceiling for a much better one: Nancy's face, so close to her own that she can take in every little detail. The elegant slope of her nose, the wing of her eyeliner, the freckles on her cheeks, her perfect lips... Her face in this en-profile position is mesmerizing. It's not the first time that the thought comes to Robin's mind that Nancy looks like someone who should be in old paintings.

“Do you think you'll ever try to find someone who listens to you?” Nancy asks.

Robin tries to imagine that scenario; it's difficult. Not just because she doesn't really know how that would work in the first place, but mostly because she doesn't actually want to.

“Nah,” she says, trying to make it sound casual instead of really fucking sad.

“Why not?”

Because nobody can ever compare to you anyway, she thinks. But she bites her tongue and shrugs, turning her head back to the ceiling.

“That would be way too complicated, wouldn't it?”

Nancy shuffles and sighs; Robin feels her breath tickle against her cheek.

“I guess,” she mumbles.

“How did you do it?” Robin asks.

Nancy's dating history is not as tumultuous as Robin's. After things ended between her and Jonathan, she had been solo for a while. Then, there had been Ben, and then Kurt, and then it had again been just Nancy for a long time.

“Did what?”

“Did you ever find a way to tell Kurt about all the shit?”

“Nope.” It doesn't exactly sound like she tried very hard.

“Why not?”

“Because I did the same thing you did,” Nancy says. “Chose the wrong people to do that with. So I didn't have to think about it.”

That doesn't feel completely fair to Robin; Nancy had been with her boyfriends longer than Robin had been able to keep even one of her girlfriends around.

“I liked Kurt, he was nice,” she remarks in an attempt to point out the difference without being too blunt about it.

Nancy sighs. “Yeah, he was nice, but he wasn't... Right. I knew that from the beginning. Same with Ben. Even with Jonathan, in a way. Or Steve, even though I was too young to realize it.”

“What do you mean, not right?”

“Boys.”

“Wha-” Robin turns her head sideways so fast that she's lucky she doesn't pull a muscle.

She sees how Nancy's eyes drop from the ceiling and slowly find their way to Robin's face.

“Took me a while to figure that one out,” she says quietly. “But yeah.”

Robin wishes they were lying in a different position; one that would have made it possible for her to take Nancy's hand and squeeze it gently, or to wrap an arm around her, or to pull her in for a hug.

“Thank you for telling me.”

A soft smile is tugging at Nancy's lips. She looks at Robin like she wants to say something, then looks back up to the ceiling again, and Robin copies her movement, biting her own tongue again in order to give Nancy the time and space she clearly needs right now.

Usually, Robin struggles with silences; she'll feel words pile up inside of her until her need to fill the empty space will take over and she'll inevitably start rambling. But this one actually feels comfortable. She wishes that they could keep lying side-by-side on this couch for the rest of the day.

Unfortunately, they can't, though. There's still way too much work to be done. So Nancy hauls her to her feet and soon, the couch gets company of a coffee table, a couple of cozy armchairs, a bookcase, a TV... There are boxes filled with books, kitchen appliances, picture frames, video tapes, clothes; there are closets that need to get assembled and a heavy bedframe that they can barely get to where they need it.

It feels like it will never end, but after two long days of hauling furniture around, the apartment starts to look like a home. A home for which Robin gets a spare key. It rests cold and shiny against the palm of her hand, where Nancy has dropped it, and it makes her realize how real it is that Nancy is finally living close to her again.

Nancy's couch becomes just as much of a home for Robin as her own living room. It's where the two of them share stories, tell secrets, laugh loudly, cry ugly... It's where they watch movies until deep in the night, snuggled up to each other under a soft blanket. It's where they read books side-by-side on lazy Sunday afternoons. It's where they listen to music together and where they listen to what the other has to tell about their day or about anything that's on their minds. It's where Robin finally gets the courage to tell Nancy that nobody has ever listened to her the way Nancy does. It's where Nancy scoots closer towards her to press a kiss against her cheek, right before she finds Robin's lips and they share their first kiss, warm and homely and perfect.

More often than not, it doesn't work out. But once in a lifetime, it does. And once is exactly enough.

[undreaming-fanfiction]

The office was boring.

Boring. Booooring. Borrrring. BoOoRrRINg. No matter how Eddie spelled it, it still sucked. Everyone so prim, so proper, so focused. And yeah, Eddie was over the moon that he had a stable and fairly well paying job, don't get him wrong, but he'd always had a rebellious streak and now he really, REALLY felt the urge to shake things up.

It started innocently enough, with a 1 dollar goggly eye sticker sheet in the display window of the local stationery shop. So sue Eddie, he liked ridiculous crap, no doubt inherited from Wayne Munson and his mug empire. So Eddie bought the sticker sheet and the next day, he secretly stuck a pair of goggly eyes onto Nancy Wheeler's webcam. He really wanted to see if there was anything else to her than the painfully annoying drive and perfection.

He got his wish when Nancy was preparing for her Zoom call and Robin Buckley snuck behind her, pressing a finger against her lips. "Shhhh. Not a word. You're being watched," she whispered and pointed at the webcam.

That was when Eddie learned Nancy had the cutest snort laugh and that Robin grew an even cuter shade of pink when she heard it. Two birds, one stone and all that .

He decided to keep his identity as the goggly eye bandit a secret. No one knew where and when he'd strike.

Meeting invites? If you looked closely enough, you'd see a small goggly eye stuck in the g of the word meeting.

Forgotten lunch in the kitchen fridge? One goggly eye per day, growing like mold.

A directive against use of goggly eyes? Of course there would be a NO spelled out of goggly eyes.

The office became a beautiful, goggly eye-infested place. Not boring anymore, not when the team lead found his stack of business cards gogglified.

But then.

THEN.

Someone started to add puffy cartoon-ish lips to his goggly eyes. Eddie couldn't believe it - his rebellion was being rebelled against. Or co-rebelled. His mockery was being mocked. And the worst part was - no one knew it was him so he couldn't complain anywhere. What would he say to the HR? That he voluntarily took upon himself the responsibilities of the office gogglifier position and someone has been encroaching on his territory? 

But that wasn't the end of Eddie's suffering, oh no. Because in his anger, he got sloppy - on Friday he came home, slammed his backpack on the desk...and the goggly eye sheet was gone. He searched for it frantically, retracing his steps, praying he hadn't done the only possible thing - leave it on the pile of paperwork on his desk. He couldn't even begin to imagine what the repercussions would be when he came back to the office on Monday. He was certain he was fucked.

Except...not?

Monday came and Eddie rushed to the office, throwing himself onto the pile of papers on his desk and digging, digging...and finding nothing.

Huh. Maybe he lost it outside? Maybe he accidentally threw it out?

As he moved his chair to start his work day, he noticed an envelope on his work seat, labelled - "FAO Mr. Munson". Probably another directive, notice or something.

Nope. It was his goggly eye sheet. Along with a horrendous lip sticker and a note that said I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU.

You might think that this was the biggest shock of that week for Eddie, but you'd be wrong.

The real shock came the same day, when he attended a joint team meeting in which the office pretty boy, Steve Harrington, was presenting, making notes on the whiteboard, and, after an agonizing half an hour, Eddie finally realized why the handwriting seemed so familiar. Because there was a small twirl in the Os that Harrington wrote and the puffy lip bandit note burned in Eddie's pocket, tempting him to take it out and confirm his suspicions.

As everyone started leaving the conference room, Eddie still stared at the whiteboard, wondering if this was it, if he finally found his arch nemesis.

Harrington just motioned towards Eddie's company badge and touched it, briefly pressing the plastic into Eddie's chest. "Looking nice there, Munson." He winked at Eddie and left.

Eddie's confusion very quickly dissipated when he noticed that the fucker stuck a puffy lip thingy onto his picture in the badge. His lips curled into an evil smile as he exited the conference room.

This meant war.

[inklessletter]

I have that fear in the back of my mind that in s5 they are going to hint stancy again to keep the love triangle dynamic and they're going to resolve it with the oldest trick of the book (by killing the wrong choice for Nancy, which is Steve) because even they know stancy was created to give game but not to be endgame (and also Steve was originally conceived to be killed), and they're going to have a last moment that is supposed to be emotional but it is going to cringe our bones, probably something like:

Nancy (holding a badly hurt Steve after he sacrifices his life for the mission): "You're an idiot, Steve Harrington."

Steve (with his last breath and smiling painfully): "You're beautiful, Nancy Wheeler." *dies*

And then tumblr is going to be filled with gif sets pointing the parallels between s1 stancy and s5 stancy and I'm already sighing in dispair and then steddie will come back stronger than ever even if it never left

[harringtonstilinski]

You're So Dense - Steve Harrington

Author: @harringtonstilinski​ Characters: Steve Harrington x Henderson!Reader Word Count: 3,239 Warnings: fluff, flashback, use your imagination for steve explaining what he likes about this "mystery girl", Requested: no | yes; came from this prompt list Smut: no | yes; A/N: Hi, friends! If you like this chapter, please do not hesitate to reblog and give some feedback, whether it be in the reblogs, comments, or my inbox. As always, read at your own risk and enjoy 😊

steve harrington playlist

steve harrington masterlist

Dense. That’s the only word you could use to describe your best friend. Your best friend you’ve had since Sophomore year of high school. The very same best friend that was always late for school, who came into class with a freaking bagel from the local bakery. That same best friend who never wore a watch until both of your Senior year.

Who is this best friend? None other than Steve The Hair Harrington. The two of you bonded over your love of music, specifically all the pop music that was constantly playing on the radio, as well as all the music your parents listened to when they were young. Your favorite songs being (They Long To Be) Close To You by The Carpenters and Baby by Styx.

Steve had kept his distance from you, though, when Will Byers went missing, your little brother’s best friend. You were a part of the search parties to look for the little boy, Steve having his own drama with Nancy Wheeler, and eventually, somewhat defeating one of the Demogorgons that had come through from the Upside Down.

Steve and Dustin’s attempts at keeping you away from the tunnels and the Demodogs were fruitless. Steve especially tried to keep you away, but you weren’t having any of it after learning just months before that Dustin was almost Demogorgon food. All you wanted to do was protect Dustin, since you didn’t get the opportunity the first time, and that’s exactly what you did.

You protected Dustin, along with your new friend Robin and Lucas’ little sister Erica, against the Russians that were hiding under Starcourt Mall, as well as the big ass 30 foot Mind Flayer last Summer, and now you’re currently trying to figure out how you all can defeat a new monster by the name of Vecna.

Your little group that consisted of yourself, Steve, Dustin, Robin, Nancy, Erica, Lucas and Max Mayfield were all at the Creel House to get clues on how to defeat Vecna. After Robin threw a brick through the front door window, which was beautiful, by the way, Steve reached his arm inside, unlocking and opening the door.

Steve whistled as he looked back at you before moving to his left, letting the rest of you enter the house, Lucas going to the lamp by the door, trying to turn it on before he said, “Looks like someone forgot to pay their electric bill.”

Snickering, you covered your mouth, concealing the laugh that was begging to be released as you and Dustin held up your flashlights, turning them on.

“Where’d everyone get those?” Steve asked.

Turning around, Dustin faced your best friend before eyeing you. He turned his sights back to Steve, saying, “Do you need to be told everything?”

Placing a hand on his shoulder, you grabbed his attention, saying, “You’re not a child, Steve.”

After his eyes danced between yours for a moment, he said, “Thank you,” as you reached into Dustin’s backpack, retrieving the extra flashlight from the back pocket.

“There ya go, big guy,” you whispered, following Dustin as he dropped the backpack.

What you didn’t know was that Steve’s eyes stayed on your back as you moved, confused as to why you called him that. But what he didn’t know was that your cheeks grew hot at your use of the nickname.

“They just�� left… everything,” Nancy said.

“I guess a triple homicide isn’t good for resale value,” Robin added.

Silently agreeing with her as you slowly approached the two girls, you smiled a little to yourself, Robin’s humor your favorite part about her. Your attention was brought from the two of them to Max as she said, “Hey, guys.”

Turning to face Max, you looked at the back of her head before moving your eyes to the clock she was standing in front of, light pointed towards it as she asked, “You all see that, right?”

You moved closer to her, standing between her and Dustin as he and Steve answered, “Yeah.”

“Is this what you saw? In your… visions?” Nancy asked, the redhead nodding her head in confirmation. 

“I’m sure this is just an ordinary grandfather clock, Nancy Drew,” you answered, moving the clock and running your hand over the glass covering the face to reveal a small part of it before looking back at Max, to say in a reassuring tone, “It’s just a regular old clock.”

As you softly smiled at her, Steve asked, “Why is this wizard obsessed with clocks? Is he like a… a clockmaker or something?”

Sighing, you walked back over to him, placing your hand on his chest to look into his eyes as you said, “ I think you cracked the case there, Harrington.”

Nancy’s voice grabbed your attention as your breathing hitched a little at Steve’s eyes on yours as she said, “All I know is the answers are here… somewhere. Okay, everyone stay in groups of two. Henderson, stay with your brother and Steve. Robin, upstairs.”

Max walked towards Lucas, putting her hand on his arm as she passed him, saying, “Come on, let’s go.”

You and your brother looked at each other before looking at Steve, the both of you giving him a smile in unison before he sighed. “Was that a sigh?” Dustin asked.

“Yup, totally sounded like it,” you voiced.

“No, I did not sigh,” Steve answered, going around you two to the stairs.

“Why’d you sigh, Steve?” you asked, deciding to pester him.

Climbing the stairs, Steve said, “I didn’t sigh. Just come on, guys.”

“We heard you,” you and Dustin said in unison.

“W-we’re always partners, okay?”

“And what’s wrong with that?” you asked, trying very hard to not look at his ass that was currently in your face.

“It’d just be nice to, I don’t know, mix it up a little,” Steve said.

“Are you we boring you, Harrington? Because I would seriously like to know if you wanna be partners with us or with Nancy.”

When you three made it to the top of the stairs, he turned to face you, a slightly confused look on his face as he asked, “Wait, what? Why would you think–”

Breaking the connection between your eyes, you walked off to the nearest room, closing your eyes and taking a deep breath, releasing it as you heard footsteps behind you, Steve’s voice coming into your ears a few seconds later as he asked, “Hey, Henderson?”

“Which one?” Dustin asked.

“Either.”

Sighing, you asked, “What, Steve?”

“Could you maybe, uh… clarify what sort of clues we’re supposed to be looking for?”

Turning to face him, you answered Steve by saying, “The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes,” in your best British accent, Steve giving you a look as you smiled at him. “Sherlock Holmes,” you said.

When his look didn’t change, you sighed and rolled your eyes, turning and walking to the floor vent on your left as Steve said, “That’s great.”

Bending down, you opened it, picking up a jar and looking at the contents inside, immediately wishing you hadn’t upon seeing a spider inside the glass. Seeing something crawling on your arm from your periphery, you dropped the jar and started running backwards out of the room, screaming while trying to brush the arachnid off of you.

“Henderson, Henderson–”

“Get it off, get it off!!” you screamed, hands landing on Steve’s arms as Nancy’s voice sounded, the girl asking, “What’s wrong?”

“Spi-spider,” you breathed, closing your eyes. “There was a spider. A-a-a black widow.”

Feeling Steve’s arms disappear from your hands, you quickly opened your eyes, watching as he closed the door and came back to stand in front of you, looking above your head as he said, “Don’t go in there.”

Sighing, you closed your eyes again before feeling Nancy’s hand in your hair as she said, “Oh, oh. Wait–”

“What? Is it still on me?” you asked, moving the mirror that was only a few feet away.

Steve and Nancy followed you, the latter saying, “Stop moving, let me–”

“I can get them, Nance,” Steve said, carding his fingers through your hair as Nancy moved to stand beside you. “I got it,” he whispered.

“Thanks, Steve,” you whispered back.

Robin’s voice almost sent you into panic mode as she said, “If there’s a spider nesting in there, you’re never gonna find it until it lays eggs and all the babies spill out.”

“Robin Buckley, you shut your mouth,” you said, sternly. “What’s wrong with you?”

She chuckled as she walked past you three, Steve’s sigh bringing you back to the moment, feeling as if you two were the only ones in the house… or in the world.

“She’s got problems,” he whispered, eyes glued to your hair as he fished the webs out.

Taking a deep breath, you released it, saying, “Yeah, tell me about it.”

“I like that you two are friends. Maybe after we find Vecna, kill him, save the world and stuff, maybe we can all go out or something.”

A smile danced across your lips, Nancy coming in your peripheral as her own smile tried to form. It was no surprise to you that she still might’ve had feelings for Steve, even though she was with Jonathan. 

Or maybe it was her way of being friendly with him. You couldn’t exactly remember what it was like with them when they were together, but what you could remember was the fact that she always had a smile on her face any time she was around him… except when Barbra Holland went missing.

Steve’s voice brought you back to the present as he said, “Ya’know, me, you, Nancy, Jonathan when he’s back, maybe Robin, too.”

“And Eddie,” you said, softly. “Can’t forget him. He’s pretty much part of this friend group now.”

“Yeah, I mean, it’s not like we’re dating,” he added. “Me and Robin, it’s not like we’re dating. She told you? That we’re not?”

You started laughing, resting your hand on the table next to you. “Yes, Steven. I know that you two aren’t dating. I know all about Robin, remember? I was there in that mall bathroom when she explained everything. I know that you two are platonic.”

“Platonic with a capital P,” Robin added.

“Yes, ma’am, thank you.”

Using a softer voice that was almost a whisper, Steve said, “I mean… I would date her… it’s just… she’s…”

Your face fell, all the humor dissolving away as he tried to continue explaining, “We’re friends… nevermind… you know… we’re just friends.”

Nancy had moved to stand in front of you, grabbing your hands in hers to give you comfort. She knew about your crush on Steve, and she was happy when you had told her about it a few weeks ago. 

“Nancy!” you whisper exclaimed, looking down at her from your spot on the couch. “I need to talk to you. Like, now.”

She nodded her head, getting up from her spot on the floor, to the two of you walking up the stairs of Steve’s house and into his bedroom, where she closed the door behind you. “What’s up?” she asked.

“I think I like Steve,” you blurted out, hand covering your mouth.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she put a hand on her chest. “Well, that’s a relief! I’m glad you finally came to your senses.”

“Wait,” you said, eyebrows pinched in confusion. “You knew?” Chuckling, she said, “It’s kind of obvious to everyone but Steve. The way you look at him, the way you were just sitting next to him.”

“H-how was I sitting?”

“You’re trying not to lean into him. His arm is resting on the back of the couch behind your head! That’s an open invitation.”

Suddenly feeling your cheeks heat up, you quickly decided to come up with an excuse to everyone else downstairs as to why you needed to leave. “I have to go home. I-I can’t be around him right now when I just realized that I like him and-and I just–”

“It’s okay,” Nancy said, putting a reassuring hand on your shoulder. “Just tell everyone you weren’t feeling good. I’ll make sure Dustin gets home.”

Giving her a hug, you sighed, “Thanks, Nance.”

You both went back downstairs and you gave your excuse of not feeling well that you’d see everyone the next day after some rest. Steve had offered to take you home, even though you drove yourself and Dustin, to which you kindly rejected.

After arriving home that night, you talked with your mom about your feelings before you went off to your room to lay down, getting a decent night’s sleep before hanging out with the group the following day.

Feeling Steve’s hands on your shoulders, you were brought back to the present, yet again, as he said, “There. All better.”

Turning to face him, you softly smiled at him and said, “Thanks, Steve.”

Softly chuckling, he looked into your eyes before casting them down to look toward his shoes before he whispered, “Guess we should, uh, get back to the investigation.”

“Right.”

Without missing a beat, he said, “The obvious things are not what people observe.” Snorting, you covered your mouth as he continued, “Or… do… don’t observe… or… whatever the hell you- well… Sherlock Holmes.”

“You get credit for trying.”

“Thanks,” he whispered before turning around and walking into the room that was behind him, leaving you to stand there confused before you turned to face Nancy, the two of you whispering, “What?”

~~~

After everyone found Vecna in the attic with the flashlights and they all burst in your hands, you all left the Creel House and went back to the Wheeler house, where you, Dustin and Steve collected his car.

Once the three of you made it back to yours and Dustin’s house, the latter got out of the car, yawning and made his way inside as you and Steve stayed in the vehicle.

“Hey, Henderson?” Steve said.

“Yeah?”

“Can I ask you something?”

Sighing, you responded, “You can ask me anything, Steve. You know that.”

Looking at him as he nodded, you couldn’t help but think to yourself that he was going to ask about Nancy. That’s where your mind always went to when he needed to ask you a question.

“Do you, uhm… do you like anyone?” he asked, tentatively. Steve was afraid that you’d say yes but not say that it was him. He liked you, that much was certain. The very same night a few weeks ago after you left, he talked with Robin about his feelings for you, the girl simply telling him, “If you like her that much, just talk to her. The worst she could say is no.” So, he decided as the two of you sat in his car that he was going to ask you about it.

“Uhm, yeah. I do.” You smile while giving your answer, wanting so badly to tell him that it was him you liked.

Sighing, he softly nodded his head, looking down at a spot on his jeans. “Do I… do I know him?”

“Very much so.” Looking over at him, you could see the defeat in his eyes and on his face. “Do you like anyone?”

Steve looked at you, a look in his eyes that you should recognize, but was choosing not to read into like you normally did. “Yeah. I do.”

“What do you like about her?”

“What do you like about him?”

Steve thought you had a crush on Eddie, which is what really prompted him to ask you. Was he a fan of Eddie’s? Not particularly, no. Along with everyone in town, Steve thought Eddie was a freak because he liked to play D&D. 

You, on the other hand, didn’t think he was a freak. Since Dustin joined Hellfire, your friendship with Eddie grew to the point where it’s like Steve and Robin’s friendship; strictly platonic. Eddie was a sweet soul, not this demonic satan worshiper that the whole town thought he was.

“Uhm,” you said, taking a deep breath. “I like the fact that he makes me smile. He’s not someone I thought I’d be friends with.”

“What was he like?” Steve asked, his curiosity piqued.

Chuckling, you looked out of the windshield towards your house as you said, “A complete asshole. I don’t wanna give too much away, though.”

“No, I wanna know.”

Shaking your head, you looked at him, a small smile on your face. “Tell me about this girl.”

Mimicking your movements, he looked out of the windshield, saying, “She’s amazing. She’s not afraid to speak her mind.” As he started listing off all of the things he liked about this mystery girl, you couldn’t help but feel a little sad.

Tears started to prick your eyes, so that was your cue to get out of the car, Steve’s voice stopping mid sentence. 

“Hey, where ya going?”

“Inside,” you said, closing the car door.

Getting out of his seat, Steve said, “Wait, why?”

Your movements stopped as you sighed and closed your eyes. “Because I really don’t wanna hear about this mystery girl.”

What you had failed to realize, in Steve’s eyes, that the mystery girl… was you. But, in your eyes, the mystery girl was Nancy.

“Okay, well… same for the mystery boy you mentioned,” he said, arms crossed over his chest. 

“Oh, my god,” you whispered. Turning to face him, you said, “Okay, so I guess I’m just going to have to spell everything out for you because you clearly think I don’t like you when that could not be more wrong.”

Steve’s eyes went as wide as saucers at hearing the words that just escaped from your lips. 

“I. Like. You. Steve.” You moved toward him with each word you spoke. “You, Steve. Not some mystery guy. You. You make me smile, you make me laugh. You’re my shoulder to cry on, my protector, even though I don’t need it.

“You’re everything I’ve looked for in a guy, despite the fact that you were a complete asshole Junior year. I like to think I had something to do with that change in you, but we all know it was Nancy that changed you.

“You’re sweet, and caring, and I love the way you’ve protected the Party. I especially love the way you’ve taken Dustin under your wing. He’s needed a brotherly figure since our dad just up and left.”

The two of you hadn’t realized that you were so close to each other, getting lost in the other’s eyes as you had walked towards him during your explanation.

“But most importantly, Steve… I like you because you’re you. Not to mention, you’re hot as hell–”

Your words were interrupted by Steve’s hands cupping your cheeks, his own voice saying, “Shut up, Henderson,” before kissing you. Shock ran through your system for a split second before you kissed him back.

With your lips moving in sync, you got lost in the being that was Steve Harrington. 

Pulling away from you for a moment before resting his forehead against yours, Steve took a deep breath before saying, “You’re so dense.”

You chuckled, closing your eyes as your arms came to rest on his shoulders, your fingers lightly playing with the hair at the base of his neck as you replied, “No, Steve. You’re dense."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N 2:  hi, friends! let me know what you thought about! again, please do not hesitate to reblog and give some feedback, whether it be in the reblogs, comments, or my inbox.

Additional Notes: i'm so sorry if this sucks major balls... i don't know how to write dense characters... kbye!! <3

~~~

Forever / Everything Taglist: @stiles-o-dylan24 @stixnstripesworld @fandom-princess-forevermore @quanticobae @mischiefandi @kellyashcroft @lauren-novak

Steve Harrington Taglist: @madaboutjoe​

If you’re tagged and didn’t want to be, please let me know.

Italics wouldn’t let me tag!

~~~

*Please don’t post my writing anywhere else without my consent. The author of this work will always and forever be @harringtonstilinski​.

All characters, story lines, and plot aside from y/n and her storyline & plot, are all of the work of The Duffer Brothers.

*These works contain material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited.

No part of these works may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher.

Posted on March 7, 2024

[shopcat]

nancy is literally like hi im nancy wheeler i have big beautiful dolls eyes that i use to hypnotise bisexual men because she keeps doing that. i literally love her she slammed the door in the face of a kid offering her a slice of pizza because she was too busy twirling a phone cord about a guy that looks like a teddybear named christopher come to life. and then literally in the blink of an eye her best friend DIES HORRIBLY and she is the ONLY ONE who cares she's literally the only one who cares SHE'S THE ONLY ONE WHO KNOWS EITHER and then there's this guy who's looking for someone he loves as well and she's like okay well i'm going to help him out. and she was literally just a #Girl she was just a #Girl she was #Studying and now she's climbing into hell to attempt to retrieve the rotting corpse of her best friend.......

and in the middle of it all her boyfriend is like mean and prancing around town being a jackass about it and she's like what the fuck is going on what are you doing. what are you DOING. and he's like crying he's got his own thing going on. your weird gay friend beats the shit out of him and that's funny. and now we have to kill an interdimensional demonic monster that eats people alive because like no one else can help and it's down to us and she's literally 16. and then like a year later and you're the only one who knows AGAIN you're literally stuck in this horrible town with these insane people and no one fucking KNOWS what lies under their very feet what is KILLING people what DID kill her friend and shes SEVENTEEN now which means shes in charge she's not a little kid anymore!!! because she's 17. and you walk down the street and you see a store you used to go in as a little girl and you just literally can't even conceptualise doing that again because you're the only one who knows. you are fighting a war to save the world every 7-10 months like this annual sacrificial march for a town that doesn't care and you're doing it because when you were 6 years old you held hands with another little girl on the playground. and 11 years later that girl's parents are telling you about how they're going to put all their money into a private investigator to find their missing daughter who never went missing. who's body now sits eternally on the floor of your boyfriends pool. and you're supposed to just be okay with all of this. this show is a HORROR TRAGEDY and nancy wheeler is the star

[honeysuckleharringtons]

just steve harrington being so selfless and not taking time for himself melting into a puddle if the reader or you or y/n (idk which one to put 💀) just asked him if he was okay a lot (I do that 24/7, this is purely self indulgent) and the many times he said yeah and the one time he said no :(

i was originally gonna do a full fic style blurb on this but words have been very hard for me lately so i'm just gonna do a text post about this! hope you don't mind 🫶🏻

warnings: reader is sorta implied to be fem!reader, allusions to steve being treated not so well by his parents as a kid, part of this does mention some upside down violence, tiny mention of food, no use of Y/N, lmk if i missed anything!

send me steve thoughts | ask box

I imagine the first time it happens is probably in gym class when you're younger.

You accidentally hit him right in his pretty lil face with a dodgeball ☹️

And Steve being Steve insists he's okay because "I get hit all the time in basketball and football. I've broken bones and nearly busted my teeth out. A lil dodgeball never hurt anyone."

But you can tell he's hurt.

Whether it's him that's hurt or his bruised ego, you can't really tell.

But some part of him was clearly hurt.

more under the cut!

The second time it happens is when you get paired together for a study group during senior year.

Steve struggles with a lot of subjects, but math is probably his worst.

And it's not like he doesn't want to get better, his parents just never sat down at the table and helped him with anything growing up, and when his nannies told his dad about his report cards, it didn't end very well ☹️

But math is the one he's always had the hardest time with.

So when the two of you get paired to study for the calculus final, you can almost immediately tell he's struggling to understand the questions on the example sheet.

At one point, he just kinda places his head in his hands and groans into his palms.

And you're just kinda like, "Hey, you okay?"

And again, Steve is never one to admit defeat.

"I'll be fine. Can you just help me with question four?"

Surprisingly though, after just a few nights of studying together, you become sort of reluctant allies.

He surprisingly excelled in human biology, which you did not. So, the two of you helped each other where you could.

And then it happened a third time, during the summer after you'd graduated.

Steve had had a rather unsuccessful time trying to flirt with the ladies that often came into Scoops Ahoy.

This day had been no different.

He'd really tried his hardest to get the beautiful ginger in front of you to go with him to the movies on Friday.

But she and her friends just moved along, double-scoop ice cream cones in hand, back to their shopping.

"You good?" you asked, nearly on the verge of laughing, as you stepped up to the counter.

"Oh, yeah, sure," he answered sarcastically. "Just a little bruise to my ego. That was definitely the first time any lady has turned down this beautiful face."

Part of you, though, was hurting. Hurting that, even though you were right in front of him, he'd never bothered to look at you that way.

The fourth time it happened, you really started to question everything you thought you knew about Steve.

Somehow, despite being back in town for a total of two days, you'd gotten roped into something to do with some evil dude named Vecna.

And for once, after everything you'd learned since arriving back in Hawkins for spring break, Steve was the one asking if you were okay.

Also for once, one of you was answering the question truthfully.

However, in the week that followed after, even in the midst of alternate dimensions and weird mutations of bats, you'd learned that Steve might have been causing his previous lady problems on purpose.

And when you saw the painful expression he sported as Nancy Wheeler was reunited with her boyfriend, your own heart shattered all over again.

Still, if there was one thing you were, it was a good friend to Steve.

So, you pulled him aside and asked those three little words.

Steve simply ran a hand through his disheveled hair with a slow nod.

But you could tell he was nearly at the point of breaking.

And the time when he finally answered truthfully, he really did break.

You'd drove with him to the hospital to check up on Max Mayfield, who somehow he'd became friends with despite the age difference.

The room was dead silent, other than the annoying buzzing coming from the lights.

You finally gave him a good once-over as he sat at Max's bedside—his messy hair, his pale face with newly acquired purple spots under his eyes, a small cut under his lip.

And for the first time since you'd known Steve, you watched as tears formed in his eyes.

You were quick to rush over to the other side of the bed, your hand splaying across his back and rubbing soft, small circles against his frame.

"Steve, I know this is a silly question to ask, because we both know the real answer, but seriously, are you okay?"

He knew he couldn't hide. Not any longer. So, he simply let the walls come down, croaking out a small, "No," through his flood of tears.

After crying into your shoulder and allowing himself to finally let go of everything he'd been holding in for all those years, he just simply held you.

Finally, after explaining everything—from the reason why he never told you about the Upside Down, to why he'd used Nancy and all those girls as a distraction from the person he really wanted—he just grabbed your face and kissed you. A sweet and tender kiss, not a desperate or lustful kiss, but a longing one—one he'd waited much too long to give you.

And somehow, even in the midst of all the bad stuff, even in the midst of Steve finally breaking, the two of you could finally find a way to maybe, just maybe, be okay for once. ❤️‍🩹

-> taglist: @dungeons-are-too-cold @ducky-died-inside @awkotaco24 @liberhoe @princesseddie @aftermidnightwriting @manuosorioh @esoltis280

[milf-harrington]

inspired by @flashyysins

Two days after Hawkins was almost split open, Robin saw a woman pacing in the hospital waiting room.

There were plenty of other people as well, sitting or standing or walking the length of the room in a similar pattern, but there was something about the woman that Robin noticed. It wasn't just that she was beautiful, which she was- it's that there was something familiar about her.

She was in blue jeans and an old-school Hawkins High Letterman jacket, light brown hair twisted up in a claw clip. Robin had never met her before, she'd remember that at the very least, but still.

Something about the angle of her nose or the gentle waves of her hair felt like something Robin had seen before, something she'd be able to find in a crowded room or across a street.

But Robin had somewhere to be, so she shook off the odd feeling, and followed the familiar path to Steve's room.

---

"Hey Stevie."

Steve's smile was tired, but he was looking more lively than when he'd passed out in the waiting room the other day, so she'd take it.

"Robbie, you left me hanging yesterday."

She snorted and dropped into one of the chairs by his bed, swinging her legs over the arm rest and cradling the bag she'd brought with her in her lap. "You're the one who fell asleep during visiting hours."

He rolled his eyes, and she happily noted the colour returning to his skin. "You should be exempt from visiting hours, you're like...essential to my recovery or something."

She laughed to hide the way those words curled soft and warm around her heart, eyes stinging until she blinked it away. The dumbass had almost over-worked himself to the point of no recovery. "'Exempt?' Someone's been reading a dictionary- did one of your children leave theirs behind?"

"Oh fuck you-"

They were interrupted by a knock on the door, and Robin was startled to see the woman from the waiting room hovering behind a nurse.

"You have a new visitor Mr Harrington."

Even knee-deep in confused intrigue, Robin couldn't help but dramatically mouth Mr Harrington over her own shoulder, pleased at the face he pulled in retaliation.

And then the door shut, and Steve looked up to find the woman-from-the-waiting room standing at the end of the bed.

Robin saw his brain grind to a halt at the sight of her.

It was silent (well, as much as it could be in a hospital room, what with all the beeping and whirring) as they took each other in, and Robin slowly brought her knees in closer to her chest like it would shield her from the vague awkwardness chewing at her.

And then-

"Fucking hell, Eve." The woman breathed out, white knuckling the bar at the end of his bed.

At the same time, Steve's face scrunched up as he demanded: "What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean 'what am I doing here'? You're in hospital!"

"I thought you were in New York!"

"Yeah and then I got a call from Hawkins General that my little brother was dying in a hospital bed! Thank you for keeping me as your emergency contact, by the way."

"Well-" Steve spluttered and then crossed his arms over his chest, wincing at the pressure on his injuries. "Obviously."

Several things clicked into place like undone locks. Steve had almost been too comfortable about "feminine" topics for as long as she'd been an active member of his life- and even slightly before.

(He'd once run out of Scoops to buy her pads when she'd started her period in the middle of a shift. At the time she'd figured he was just trying really hard to beat the still a douche-bag allegations.)

Then there were the sweaters that he wouldn't confess to the origin of, the jokes he'd make about Robin "not being the only woman in his life" that she'd thought were about Nancy Wheeler, the vehement denial that the rom-com collection in the theatre room were his.

And, while Robin hated to enforce gender stereotypes, he'd always had the kind of mean girl cattiness that was usually only forged in teenaged girls and merely rubbed off on others.

Of course Steve Harrington had a sister.

Now Robin understood why she'd seemed so familiar in the waiting room.

"What happened to you?"

Simultaneously, Robin and Steve shifted uncomfortably, meeting each others eyes and coming up blank on both ends.

Steve's sister swallowed, jaw clenched and lip quivering as she look back and forth between them. She seemed suddenly fragile, like Steve after a nightmare, or right before he'd collapsed in the waiting room after carrying Eddie inside.

Steve cracked first. "Lou-"

"Don't fucking lie to me, Stephen. This is the third time you've ended up in hospital since your senior year."

Steve blinked, startled. "How did you-"

"I'm your sister." She seethed, and Robin could see flickers of Steve with an axe in his hand in the arch of her shoulders. "You might have told the hospital not to call but I still have friends in this town. If that Hargrove asshole wasn't already dead-"

"Lou-"

"Don't-"

"It was a serial killer." Robin blurted, drawing Steve's sisters' attention to her. "I don't now if you heard about it, but someone was going around killing teenagers. It started with Chrissy Cunningham- she was a cheerleader? kind of cute in a preppy sort of way, but, um- she was killed in our friends living room and then he sort of got blamed for it because, I mean, it was pretty sketchy but he didn't do it! I promise, Eddie didn't- anyway, there was this whole witch hunt, and two more people died which just sort of made it worse for Eddie and a group of us were trying to, like, clear his name, you know? Because we knew he didn't do it and we didn't want him to get killed next, but then one of our other friends - this girl, Max, she's a riot - she was being targeted by the real killer so we came up with this...really stupid plan to catch the killer but everything went sort of tits up and Eddie and Steve both got, well-" She waved her hands at the bandage around Steve's throat and the bruising around his wrists from the vines. "And Max, she broke her elbow and her knee when she fell, and I think Dustin twisted his ankle? So now Max and Eddie and Steve are all in hospital and Dustin has these crutches that he doesn't want to use but, I mean, Steve always makes him because it's Steve, and we don't really know if Eddie's okay yet but no one's come to tell us he's not so we're still hopeful-"

"Robin."

Robin shut her mouth, and took a deep breath through her nose. Steve's sister was staring at her in the startled sort of awe that Robin was used to seeing when she got going. She had the lungs of a trumpet player, it wasn't hard for her to talk until she forgot where she'd started.

"You fought a serial killer?" Steve's sister - Lou? - asked, and Robin hysterically felt like she should offer up her seat.

Steve, bless him, only nodded. Lou stared, lips pressed into a thin line and nostrils flared slightly.

And then, quite abruptly, she was straightening her back and stepping around the bed to hold out a hand to Robin. "Louisa Harrington."

Robin blinked, and shook her hand. "Robin Buckley."

Louisa nodded, like that made sense, and smiled the same cupids-bow smile as her brother. "The best friend- it's good to meet the other half of my brothers brain. Clearly the better half, considering you aren't the one in the hospital bed."

Steve made an offended noise, and Robin grinned.

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

What do you mean Nancy wouldn't want kids? After coming home to Steve and the kid they adopted, she finds a piece of paper on the fridge with scribbles all over it.

"It's their first article," Steve would say proudly.

And then their kid would wrap their little arms around Nancy's legs.

"I'mma porter, Mommy, like yous. I ported!" They exclaimed.

"They're so proud of their mom," Steve would also say.

Of course, Nancy would hang it up at work. Though by next week, they're a firefighter ballerina. Then, the next week, they're a lesbian like Aunt Robin, but then Aunt Robin has to sit down and explain to them that it isn't a job.

"Can I be a dingus like yous say Daddy is?" They would ask.

"Of course you can," Robin replied immediately.

"Robin! No!"

And then there's the snuggling. . .the moment where the kid would just curl up over Nancy's chest as she slept, her hand over her heart. Nancy would still be able to work on her article even if the kid snores loud enough to wake the next state over. Their dog is curled up at her feet. The distant sound of Steve arguing with Robin in the kitchen helped keep her focus. Nancy is entirely at peace.

Of course, Nancy is followed by both dog and kid the moment she walks through the door. Then she relaxes after dinner with Steve promising to give their kid a bath. Of course, that all goes to hell when the dog jumps into the bath and then jumps out, causing their kid to jump out too. Then they're running into the living room. Nancy smiles at the moment, listening to the chaos, and headed into the living room where the kid and dog are looking out the window.

"Look, mama, squirrel!"

Nancy picks her up and presses her nose to their hair. Steve comes in, drenched in water, and his hands on his hips. He looks annoyed like he tries to be, but he actually loves the chaos of it all. He smiles at the sight of them.

"I guess you need help after all," Nancy said in amusement.

"Yeah, yeah," Steve smirked. "I'm going to be saying that to you when you try to reach the top shelf again without the stool."

Let's face it, Nancy and Steve both thrive in the chaos, but they thrive in the peace too. Transitioning their monster hunting skills had been easier than they thought it would be. Though being a parent was something they both wanted, it still made them nervous and worried. Turns out, though. . . A chaotic lifestyle is something that they got in the bag. It was a good kind of chaos.

[loveshotzz]

Hello, hello, so, I love Eddie (don't we all?) But I know you take requests for Steve too...I just rewatched season 3 and I'm just craving some nerdy/naive Steve? I feel like we've all made him out to be this suave and dirty man, but I need Steve falling in Nancy's window, Steve playing a fake trumpet, Steve yelling too loudly, "Ahoy ladies! I didn't see you there!"

So maybe something where Steve is just absolutely clumsy and dorky, knocking things over and flustered by readers charm and confidence? Needs to be told what to do and will gladly do it, but he's going to make you laugh while it's happening.

If you're not into writing it or have NYE and other WIP that are filling your time, thats a-okay, I just love your style of writing and thought I'd throw it out there!

Sending love, good writing vibes, & all the Eddie/Steve thoughts your way! 💕

I’d write anything for you! But we’ve talked and there’s just something about a Scoops Ahoy Steve that’s irresistible. I hope you enjoy this <3

Steve Harrington x Reader

Warnings: Fluff, suggestive Innuendo’s and a very flustered Steve under the cut. Pretty SFW but still my blog is 18plus.

You’ve had crush on Steve Harrington for as long as you could remember. It started all the way back in middle school when he shared half his PB&J with you having accidentally forgot your lunch at home.

Even through out high school the feelings you harbored never changed, but with your lack of interest in the hierarchy of the popular crowd you decided admiring from a far was for the best.

Steve wasn’t the person he presented himself to be around them, even you knew that. Waiting patiently for him to get the bump on his head he needed, there was a part of you that was grateful when Nancy Wheeler showed up. After watching him chase her around for the better half of year the opportunity to take your shot finally presented itself after you both had graduated.

It was the Scoops Ahoy uniform that really did it for you, it humbled him in a way he needed. Working at the mall yourself, you’d spend every lunch break watching what used to be the King of Hawkins become a bumbling mess around women. There was something charming about the way he never gave up, day in and day out you watched him desperately try to find someone to help him get over Nancy.

Finally one night after your shift you walked passed the food court, glancing his direction you noticed he was behind the counter alone. Legs dangling with a look of pure boredom on his handsome features.

Feet faltering you stop before you can get any further. Taking your bottom lip between your teeth your eyes dart between the boy on the counter and the double glass doors of the entrance. The mall was practically empty at this point in the evening, with only an hour till close the families of the small town of Hawkins were already tucked into their homes.

Turning on your heal you descend towards the ice cream shop determined to be the one that finally makes him forget about Wheeler.

It takes Steve a minute to notice you walking towards him, but when he does his eyes widen and he’s snatching off his sailor cap as quick as he can. Jumping off the counter a nervous hand runs through his infamous locks, trying desperately to tame them before you get to him.

“Ahoy!” Steve coughs in his hand nervously when he sees just how beautiful you are up close. It wasn’t like he didn’t know who you were, he just couldn’t remember the last time he was this close to you. “I mean, um, yeah hi, I don’t know why I just yelled that at you. The mall is empty, you can clearly hear me. You’re standing right in front of me.”

The fact that you had Steve a rambling mess without even speaking a word yet only adds to your confidence.

“Ahoy Sailor.” Planting both hands on the counter you lean in with a sweet smile enjoying the pink that suddenly flushes his cheeks.

Licking his lips, his eyes go big at your obvious advance. Puffing his chest out a little he tries his best to put on a confident front, but the way your eyes were roaming his body was making his brain short circuit.

“What brings you to uhh my vessel of flavor?” With a hand on his hip he pinches the bridge of his nose, even he knows how stupid that was. But it was too late, it already left his mouth.

Stifling your giggle, you act unfazed by the bad pick up line. You’ll let him have this one.

“Hmm, I don’t know. What do you suggest Captain Harrington?” Dropping your voice lower when you say his name you turn towards the ice cream flavors. Running a finger along the glass as you move, never breaking eye contact with the glazed over hazel ones in front of you.

Clearing his throat again the blush from his cheeks spreads down to his neck, running another hand through his hair he meets you on the other side of the glass.

“Depends on what you’re in the mood for gorgeous.” Flashing you the kinda smile that makes your knees weak, it was your turn to blush.

“Definitely something creamy.” Biting your bottom lip you look up at him through your lashes. “And salty.”

Steve’s jaw drops at your lack of subtly, but your confidence has him so flustered he doesn’t know what else to do but keep playing along. Feeling his blue shorts tighten he pushes himself closer to the counter desperate to hide how badly you were already effecting him.

“Something creamy and salty? That’s my-“ Clearing his throat again, all of the tension starts to make him feel like it’s closing. “That’s my kinda gal.” Laughing nervously Steve focuses in on the Ice cream flavors in front him, refusing to meet your hungry stare as he does his best to try and calm himself down.

“Butterscotch, I like butterscotch.” Tapping your nails on the glass lightly you want his attention again.

“We happen to have the best butterscotch in Hawkins.” Steve finally musters enough strength to meet your gaze again and god, he wished he hadn’t. The way your eyes are trained on him makes the bulge in his shorts grow even more.

“Can I have a sample Stevie?” You can’t help but notice the way the nickname makes him bite his lip.

“You can taste every flavor on my ship if that’s what your heart desires.” His words are smooth when they come out, but when he reaches over to grab a spoon his elbow hits the ice cream scoop next to him sending it crashing to the ground.

The sound of the metal hitting the tile echos loudly through out the mall. Scrambling to pick it up, the pink tint in his cheeks turns a deep red when he sets it back down on the counter.

“I just hate when that happens.” Throwing a wink his way you can’t help how much you’re enjoying this.

“Hah, yeah, those metal ice cream scoops. Menaces I tell you.” A small smile tugs at the corner of his lips, reaching back over he finally gets a hold of the tester spoon he had set out for.

With a trembling hand Steve scoops the caramel colored ice cream, sucking in a sharp breath as your finger tips brush against his when you take it from him.

Making a show of eating it like a popsicle, your tongue darts out first collecting the sweet treat before your lips wrap tightly around the end. Humming lowly you close your eyes enjoying the way the sugar coats your mouth.

“Jesus Christ.” Steve breathes louder then he intended. “You’re doing this on purpose aren’t you? Like I can’t be imagining this right?”

Opening your eyes, you see his torn expression. Lips spreading into a smile around the spoon you let it fall from your lips with a small pop.

“Doing what on purpose? Hitting on you? I thought that was obvious Harrington.”

[ty-the-trainwreck]

Kiss.

Ronancetober, day 4.

Robin had made a stupid mistake.

An extremely stupid mistake. 

A mistake that not even god himself, not like Robin was religious, would forgive. 

If the world knew of what Robin did, she would be hunted down and scrutinized as a public threat. Eddie had been a prime example of what people did to somebody that didn't fit in, to people like Robin. They were the puzzle pieces that could never just slot in next to the others. 

The reason?

Robin had kissed Nancy.

Robin didn't mean to! It was just that...the dim orange light from the lamp on Nancy's bedside had made her already breathtakingly beautiful eyes into ones of a goddess. She had a piece of hair stuck to her glossy lips, the fluffy curls looking even softer than usual. Nancy's jawline shifted everytime she would scrunch her nose or pout. and Robin was weak.

Nancy had looked up from her textbook upon feeling Robin's gaze. The former smiled, placing her pink gel pen down and shifting so that she was facing Robin completely. "You're distracted, y'know." Her soft voice was teasing, and Robin could feel her resolve weaken. 

"It's not my fault I hate calculus, it's like watching Grease but they cut out all the music." Robin thanked her experience in doing highschool theater, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to improvise that so quickly. Nancy raised her eyebrows, an amused look on her face. "You don't even like Grease." 

Robin snapped her fingers and pointed at Nancy like she was a teenage boy trying to act smooth. "Hence why I don't like calculus." Nancy rolled her eyes fondly and tossed her textbook to the foot of the bed. Robin's eyes widened, but she followed in Nancy's footsteps and closed her textbook as well. "Are you ditching studying, Wheeler?" Robin quirked one of her eyebrows up. Nancy crossed her arms and rested her chin on her elbow, her eyes looking like they were peering into Robin’s poor gay soul. 

“I think we deserve a break.” Nancy hummed, drumming her fingers on her arm. Robin nodded, and she watched as Nancy closed her eyes and quietly hummed a song. Robin watched as Nancy sat there peacefully, completely oblivious to the mushy feelings Robin had directed towards her in silence.

Robin chewed on her lip, her eyes trained on Nancy’s movements. Everything was perfect, Nancy was perfect, this moment was perfect.

But of course, Robin had to go and mess it all up.

Robin leaned down and pressed her chapped lips against Nancy’s. She could feel Nancy’s gentle humming stop and her movements ceased the moment Robin kissed her. When Robin felt Nancy’s body go rigid, she pulled back so quickly that she swore she popped something in her neck. 

She regretted looking at Nancy so much afterwards. The girl in front of her was stunned, her eyes were blank and seemed to be trying to catch up to what just happened. Her hands were frozen in place, and she looked up at Robin with a look that could only mean one thing.

Why did you kiss me?

She felt dirty.

She felt predatory. 

Robin shot up from the bed, spewing apologies as she grabbed her backpack. She didn’t even pick up her textbook, all her brain was focused on was that she just kissed Nancy fucking Wheeler. 

“I’m so sorry! I don’t– I don’t know why I did that! Well, I do know why I did but I just– oh my god!” Robin fought back the fiery tears that brimmed the corners of her eyes.

 “I’m so sorry…I…” 

Robin was never able to keep friends for long, especially girl ones. She supposes that’s because all along she was no better than a man, no matter how much she told herself that she wasn’t. Robin was disgusting, and she couldn’t bear to see Nancy look at her like she was Vecna himself.

She couldn’t bear to see Nancy look at her like she was a monster. 

Because Robin was already looking at herself that way, and she was already repeating the word over and over again.

Monster.

Monster.

Monster.

It thudded against the walls of Robin’s brain and it was joined with the familiar symphony of Robin’s family and friends calling her a freak. She couldn’t hear anything over the shrilling cacophony of the harsh words she usually called herself in their familiar voices.

The loudest, was Nancy’s.

Robin hated that she did this to Nancy.

She hated that she felt something positive when she kissed Nancy.

She hated that she kissed Nancy in the first place.

“I’m sorry for kissing you.” 

Robin rushed out the absurdly pink bedroom and down the stairs. She didn’t even say goodbye to anybody in her panic to get the hell away from Nancy. 

Robin could still feel the sticky residue Nancy’s cherry lip gloss had left on her lips when she had pulled back. Robin could still taste her, and oh how Robin hated that she loved it.

Robin gasped for air every few seconds as she sprinted in the direction of her house, her legs burned but she couldn’t care anymore. 

Nancy was never supposed to know that Robin liked her like that.

Nancy was supposed to be Robin’s friend forever.

Nancy was supposed to marry a boy that she would meet in her second year of college.

Nancy was supposed to grow old in a nice house.

Nancy was supposed to live her life normally.

She would still have the chance to live it all, even if Robin wasn’t by her side. Even if Robin had kissed her one night in her childhood bedroom while they were studying for their calculus test. Robin had voluntarily ripped herself from Nancy’s future the second she pressed her lips against hers. Robin was never meant to be Nancy’s, and Nancy was never meant to be Robin’s. Robin knew that this was true, but the fact that she enforced it herself was never going to stop haunting her for as long as she lived.

“Robin!”

There it was.

That soft, tender voice.

Robin skidded to a stop, her shoulders tense as she slowly turned.

Nancy was running down the street, just as frantic and urgent as Robin. Although Robin must’ve looked insane from an outside perspective while Nancy looked like she had barely broken a sweat. 

The curly haired girl launched herself into Robin, her tiny arms wrapping around Robin’s lanky form and bringing them both down and into the wet blades of grass. Robin let out a grunt as she hit the ground, letting out a groan as she looked up at Nancy.

“What the hell?!” She croaked out, utterly confused at why Nancy just tackled her like they were playing football.

Nancy got up, hovering over Robin as she stared down at her with eyes full of meaning.

“Why did you run away from me?”

“Nancy, I kissed you, don’t you remember?” Robin was slightly convinced that the tackle had made Nancy lose her memory. Nancy shook her head, mumbling obscenities into the crisp night air. 

All that could be heard was the amused chirps of the crickets in the forest. Robin slowly adjusted to the feeling of having Nancy on top of her, but remained a little stiff.

Robin noticed green stains on Nancy’s clothes, and it must’ve been from when they tumbled into the ground. Nancy’s face also had a little bit of dirt on it, and Robin wanted to reach out and wipe it away with her thumb.

“Robin, you didn’t even give me a chance to tell you how I felt.” Nancy sighed. Wait, what?

“I’ve been wanting to kiss you ever since we escaped the upside down, you were the only person that I wanted to hold me after Vecna threatened me. Your arms are the only ones that I want to lay in. Your lips are the only ones I want to feel against mine.

I want to be able to love you so much that our friends make fun of us for it. I want to love you with all the air in my lungs, and I want to kiss you until it’s dangerous for us to keep going. Robin Buckley, I am in love with you.” Holy shit, Nancy Wheeler’s in love with me.

Nancy laughed, leaning onto her elbows so that she could be closer to Robin. 

“Yeah, I am.” Fuck, did I say that out loud?

“Robin, yes, you did.”

Robin blushed, her gaze flickering down to Nancy’s lips.

She took in a deep breath of air, and pressed her lips against Nancy’s.

And this time, it wasn’t an accident.

[poppy-metal]

i fully believe steve prefers hitting it from the back idc idc idc. i want to fuck him so bad i'm going to have a meltdown fuck omg

He looks so pretty when he's miserable.

warnings: asshole!steve, reader is okay with it though. brief hints of nancy/reader. an even briefer hint of poly nancy/reader/steve at the end bc i have no control of my clit. hopeful ending. smut.

a/n: literally just wanted to write angry steve hitting it from the back but backstory snuck in and now im thinking about this dynamic. help.

ike....post breakup with nancy. you're buzzing when you hear he's at the party you're at. as the rumor mill goes, he hasn't been the partying type since wheeler broke his heart. at a party, you hear. so knowing he is hear has your heart beating fast.

you've always had a thing for him. ever since your freshman year really, when you'd been that annoying person who showed up to school with too many supplies. colored pens and highlighers neatly lined in front of you, pink notebook and fuzzy pink pencil posied and ready to take notes. it was embarrassing really. you felt a little silly when you saw how everyone else wasn't nearly as eager as you were.

but then steve had come into the room, laughing with his friends. that good smelling cologne filling the space around you as he passed. he'd stopped for a moment, glancing down at your colorful assortment and you'd felt so humiliated, sure he was about to say something sarcastic. but he'd merely curled his lips in a half kind of smile and rapped his knuckes on your desk, "look at you all prepared. putting us all to shame already, eh?"

maybe it HAD been sarcastic. you didn't care. either way, you'd been obsessed with him ever since.

but he'd gone and fallen in love with nancy wheeler. you couldn't blame him. or her. she was very pretty, you'd caught yourself sneaking glances in the lockerooms when you'd been changing for gym. had nearly had a heart attack when she'd smiled at you one day and said she liked your bra, thought it was cute.

so you hadn't been bitter. just disappointed. they were a hot couple. you'd moved on anyway, dated throughout high-school, done your thing.

it was the end of senior year though. and you and steve were at the same party. and he was single. ready to mingle? you'd find out.

finding him wasn't easy. you felt like a bit of a stalker, you had to admit, scouring the crowded rooms, peeking in rooms. you guessed just because he decided to come, didn't mean he was in a party mood.

you did find him though. at the last room at the end of the hall. the master bedroom, you had to guess. he was sagged in chair in the corner of said room, nursing a half empty bottle of beer, gripped loosely in his fingers. he looked beautiful. and a little pathetic. mostly beautiful, though.

he wore sunglasses, tipped precariously on the edge of his nose. he was wearing black, all black, which even you knew was strange. his hair wasn't styled. hanging into his forehead in a messy heap. his cheeks were flushed pink. he had to be tipsy.

you stepped gently into the room, "who's funeral?" you said idly, trying to keep your voice cool. like you'd just accidentally stepped in and hadn't been searching like a stalker.

steve peered at you from the bridge of his sunglasses, squinting like he was trying to place you, and then relaxing when he stopped trying to figure out who you were. "mine." he replied simply, swinging the bottle back to take a large sip. you watched his adams apple bob.

"oh, well. my condolences to your family." you try to joke, "i heard steve was an upstanding young man. he will be missed."

he looked at you then. really looked at you. in a way that made your skin heat, before he was looking away again. propping his chin on his hand and staring off somewhere. "will he?" he sounded wistful. you had a feeling he meant nancy. you winced.

"i think she was dumb, you know." you blurt without thinking. steves eyes snap to yours though, so you can't fold the words up and swallow them. you have to push forward. "b-by breaking up with you, i mean. i would never-"

you stop there, realizing you were about to lay out your minor obsession just like that. you feel his eyes on you, heavy and intense, but you're looking at the floor now. you hear the sound of him setting his bottle down.

"close the door." his voice sounds a bit clearer now. you look up at him, startled. the glint of his sunglasses meet you. you gulp, and hesitantly close the door.

"lock it."

you do that to. you're like a puppet, you think. a quiet marionette. the click of the lock sounds thunderous in the now quiet room. the thump of the party downstairs sounds distant, like a different universe from the one you're in right now.

steve stands up. you assumed he was at least a little tipsy, but he walks fine. walks you all the way back until your hip touches the dresser behind you. your own wide eyed reflection meets you in his glasses. you feel trapped. you don't want to break free.

he tilts his head, a lock of golden hair falling. your hands twitch to feel it. you know his hairs got to feel so soft. absurdly so.

"you'd never." he parrots back to you. "you'd never.....what? break up with me in a bathroom? lie about loving me? ditch me for some freak with bad hair?"

you blink. there's alot to unpack there. your fingers dig into the wood behind you. "u-um. well, y-yes." you look down again, "I'd never break up with you....if i had you."

"you're that girl from chemistry." he says suddenly, like hes just now remembering. you feel your skin light up with his recognition. "i remember now."

you start to smile-

"could always feel you staring at me. like, you never stopped. it was kinda creepy."

your smile falls.

"you've waited a long time for this, then, huh?" his voice sounds distant. casual. "for us to break up. wanted to swoop in and, what? comfort me? make me feel better? remind me why im the king of fucking hawkins?"

he sounds like he's making fun of himself. bitter. you realize this isn't about you, you're just a vessel. you could turn and walk away. he doesn't want you. not in the way you want him to. but- he sounds so sad, too. and maybe you were creepy, and weird, and a stalker. but.

"if that's what you want." you tell him, blinking up at him, resolved in your decision. "you've always been a king to me. even what you and nancy split. you're the coolest guy I know."

you hear his sharp inhale of breath. see his pink lips part. he closes them. jerks his head, "turn around. bend over." when you pause he raises an eyebrow, "you wanna help me right? this is what i need. i need to fuck." he touches your waist, where your skirt meets your top. "Is that good with you?"

you spin around without another second delay, bending at the waist over the hard wood of the dresser. the way he said fuck is running through your head, making you dizzy. steve harrington wants to fuck you. jesus.

you feel your skirt being hiked up, and your toes curl in your flats, cunt already wet and slick. ever since you saw him sitting there with a bottle in hand.

you feel his finger on the outline of your panties, push yourself up on your toes to grind back.

you hear his husky chuckle, and then his sunglasses are being thrown haphazardly on the dresser next to you. you hear him unluckle his jeans, unzip.

"I should have never dated nancy." he says, to himself. you whine as you feel the pressure of his blunt tip at your folds, he's holding your panties to the side, not even bothering to yank them down your thighs. "when wet willing pussy like this was around-" his chest presses against your arched spine, his head catches against your slick hole. pushes in. he grunts and you whimper. "could've. fuuuuck that's it- could've been fucking girls like you in the back of my car every weekend. instead of. buying. fucking. flowers. shit- goddamn."

he punctuates each word with a hard thrust, slamming your hips into the hard wood. the slap, slap, slap of him fucking you fills the room. makes you drool. hes using you, using you to feel better about himself. about the pain she caused. and you're fine with it, thrust back into him when he growls "that's right. back that ass up on my dick.", squeeze around him just to hear his breath hitch. you'd have gladly been a wet willing pussy for him to fuck into whenever he wanted. you don't care. this feels amazing.

"fuck, you're so good." his praise makes you dizzy, drip around him and the slick sounds your pussy is making around his cock are downright lewd. "such a good pussy. god, i missed this."

"you can have it," you whine, humping back into him, "whenever you want."

"yeah?" he sounds breathless. close. "gonna give me your number after this and let me cash in on this hot little piece of pussy whenever i want, huh? gonna pick up and drop everything the moment i call, right? spread those pretty legs without me even having to ask?"

you nod desperately, feeling yourself start to peak, bite down on your hand because you'll scream if you dont. he fucks so good. he hits so deep. hes so fucking big.

"good girl." he groans, gripping your hips and pulling you back to meet his pounding. "gonna cum in you. you're gonna let me."

you're so glad you're on birth control. you'd let him anyway, even if you weren't. "uh huh." you babble dumbly, "want it. cum in me."

he fucks you hard, before stilling, slamming into you to the hilt and pressing you down with his hand at the back of your head into the wood underneath you. you feel the warm splash of cum inside you, the grinding of his pelvis against your clit making your own orgasm gush around him. you feel limp and exhausted afterwards, panting heavily.

steve is quiet as he pulls out of you. you're both quiet as you right your clothing. he picks up his sunglasses and runs a hand through his hair, not meeting your gaze.

"do you." you lick your lips. "do you. uh. want my number?"

he puts the glasses on. shield his emotions from you, just like that. he nods once, jerkily. "sure. why not?"

____

steve doesn't call you after that. and two years later, when hawkins is overrun by monsters you never thought could be real, he saves you. you'd thought you'd never see him again. but there he is, but he's not alone.

nancy is with him. at his side. they're holding hands. in a way only lovers do. in the way you saw them do in the hallways your sophomore and junior year.

you almost wish he would have let you die. remembering that night, two years ago. him inside you. him using you. you letting him. of course, you'd only been an outlet. duh.

you let him convince you to stay with them though, guessing the protection couldn't be the worst thing.

you don't see the way he looks at you. don't see the guilt in his eyes, the shame. he wasn't himself that night, and you didn't even know it. he'd wanted to call. but then everything had happened. and he got nancy back. that's all that should matter. right?

he doesn't know why he can't stop watching you then. why he can't stop wanting to apologize and swear to you that the him you saw wasn't the him he actually was.

but he can't. when he looks at nancy, he's a little suprised to see her staring after yout too, pretty lips parted. like she's remembering something.

when she catches steve looking she blushes and looks away.

huh.

[love-toxin]

Fruity four opening Christmas presents together! Steve is 100% dad with trash bag for wrapping paper who grabs it immediately. Nancy’s taking notes so everyone knows who to write thank you notes to for what, Eddie loves unwrapping gifts (he might have done some that weren’t his too, oops🤷🏻‍♀️) and Robin’s just excited to give her gift to Angelface

oohoo.......holiday cheer, you say.....merry crimis! 🎄

(cws: fruity four, f!angelface, christmas festivities, gift-giving, fluff, some big gift surprises <3)

For the past six months of your relationship, you've agreed on one solid rule for the holidays--no extravagant spending for Christmas. You might be settled in a nice house (courtesy of Steve's parents as a graduation gift) and all have fairly stable jobs, especially since Nancy's got her promotion at the newspaper office and Eddie's officially an apprentice mechanic, but it's less about the money and more about the intention. You don't want to spoil each other to an excess, and you all can agree that the most precious thing you can have over the holidays is quality time together. So that should be the main focus, which is what you all promised and nodded your heads at.

But that was before the holiday decor was up, before you got to have your family and friend dinners at the Wheeler's and the Hopper-Byers' and at your own house, and before it really set in that this is your first Christmas as partners. Plus, it's the first Christmas after your last run-in with the horrors of Vecna and the Upside Down, so to say that you're feeling even more thankful for what you have than usual is quite the understatement.

It was also before you got to experience Steve's almost Santa-esque Christmas spirit, coming out on December 1st in your pajamas to find that the ruckus that had woken you up was your boyfriend up on a ladder, stringing coloured lights along the roof and sides of the house in nothing but his jeans and a zipped-up jacket--not even gloves to speak of, which is how you later found yourself making him a cup of tea to warm his trembling hands while he happily chattered on about the decorations he was gonna put out on the lawn. And no matter how much Eddie tried to slither out of it, Steve practically dragged him out in the snow to help plug everything in and make sure all the lights were working.

And in the days that have followed, you've had the holiday spirit build up inside you so much that you, you.....may have gone a little overboard. You've stretched that promise you all made until it's eventually broken by the third trip you make to the mall in a week, but how can you help yourself? You're constantly surrounded by beautiful, good-natured, kind-hearted people who have shown you absolutely unconditional love, how could you resist the chance to spoil them like you know they deserve yet never act like they do? Plus, there's something you've been keeping secret from them for awhile, something you're pretty nervous to give them--it took a long while to get it together, and you weren't sure if it would go as planned when you mapped it out, but all you can do is hope they'll like the risk you took....or at least, one of them will.

So you feel a bit antsy when you wake up on Christmas morning, eyes opened for mere seconds before Eddie's running into your room and jumping on top of both you and Robin, kissing you and shaking you awake cause it's Christmas! He's like a little kid in his excitement, it's just impossible for you to even be a little annoyed as you let him pull you up out of bed and into a hug. Robin isn't safe either, though she's got an arm over her face to block out the light she's still prodded at by your boyfriend, who eventually picks her right up out of bed and carries her out into the hall to duck into the master bedroom and dump her on a freshly-awakened Steve and Nancy. They're still rubbing the sleep from their eyes when they get their unexpected gift at their feet, and with you close on his heels you can all relent with a chuckle and decide that there's no reason not to start your gifts now.

While you're also excited, of course, you have to resist the urge to bite your nails out of anxiety as they get out of bed and Nancy pulls on her robe, Robin finally being jostled enough that her eyes are wide open and she's fallen right in with Eddie's jubilance--and the two of them usher you along as they hurry to the stairs and stop there, waiting for you three to catch up even though you feel a little like your heart's gonna explode. What if they don't even end up liking your gifts, and you mess it all up by spending way too much and getting them too many? And what if they don't like that gift? You don't even start moving until Steve pats you on the bum, ducking in for a kiss on the cheek as he moves past you and orders the other two to slow down, and don't go into the living room until everyone's there! He's surprisingly uptight about it, but the grin that's splashed across his face as you all migrate down the steps betrays something you can't quite pinpoint--except that he knows something that you all don't.

You're subjected to only a few more "C'mon!"s and "Hurry up!"s by the two grown children standing at the bottom of the stairs before you join them, and Steve makes a grand, sweeping gesture with his arm towards the living room through the archway--and when you all step inside, you can't quite believe what's waiting for you there, that was most certainly not there when you all went to bed last night.

Sure, the hoard of presents under the tree had been pretty sizeable before, but now there's quite the collection of mismatched boxes with all kinds of wrapping paper, from ones that were wrapped professionally in fancy paper to ones that are bound pretty messily with tape and edges sticking out everywhere. Yeah, you had definitely snuck down during the night to tuck away some extra presents you had hiding in your closet, so that they wouldn't be able to tell how many you'd bought--but you didn't put this many for sure, and not in all the varied packaging that they've come in. You've got a strong inkling that maybe you weren't the only one to have done so last night, and only now do the bags under Steve's eyes and his unusual giddiness make sense.

But that's not what stops you all dead in your tracks. What renders you silent is what's sitting on a stand right in front of the presents and the tree that's bursting with ornaments--a long, shiny red guitar with a glossy finish, strings sleek and new with black accents to compliment it. And you can't help but notice the way the slim body of the instrument has two upturned peaks at the top, framing the neck in such a way that it so resembles those iconic horns that Eddie's always doodling or throwing up on his head for a jab. It's perfect, it's the perfect guitar and it's exactly what Eddie would like, and it looks quite familiar, too.....and you know it when you look over to see him absolutely speechless, slack-jawed in awe as he and the guitar trade stares like they were meant for each other. It's for Eddie.

"Wow, looks like Santa really went for it this year. Guess you've been good, Munson." Steve is the only one able to breach the quiet that's fallen over all of you, sliding an arm around Eddie's shoulders rather sweetly while you and the girls share a look, grinning from ear to ear and giggling beside him as you watch your beloved motormouth go absolutely silent.

"How.....how did you...?"

"Santa knows all your wishes. I might have given him a tip or two, though." With a wink, Steve dips his head to peck Eddie on the cheek, and the frizzy curls framing his face go flying as he turns to look at your boyfriend.

"Steve, this....is the best day of my life. This--you--oh, for fuck's sakes," You're taken aback by the near moan that Eddie pushes into Steve's mouth, sucking on his lower lip like a vampire before pulling off with a pop and hurrying over to touch his gift. Steve, meanwhile, is left with a rosy bottom lip and wide eyes while he watches him geek out, only snapping back to attention when you and Nancy grab each of his arms, and move him forward to sit him back on the sofa that faces the tree. After Eddie's slung the guitar over his neck and fired off a few chords with childlike glee, hopping up and down and getting a little headbanging in, he manages to peel it off with a flushed and happy face and moves it on the stand to the side, so you can get at the rest of the presents underneath. Nancy joins Steve on the couch, Robin sits on the floor by the armchair, Eddie's cross-legged between them to complete the circle, and you take your position as promised--the designated gift-distributor, kneeling next to the tree.

With your spirits even higher than normal (although the rest of you are definitely worried your gifts won't be able to top that first one) you finally get to the looming pile of presents. Nancy picks up her pen, and scribbles out a list on the notepad she keeps on the side table when she gets the chance, although you manage to push a few gifts into her lap and remind her to relax! This is your family time, and you're especially insistent on everyone leaving their worries and stress aside for the day. Although you definitely feel like a hypocrite for the way your heart thuds against your ribcage as you make your way through them, nervously eyeing the spot near the back where the wall is, knowing that your biggest gift is hiding amongst that last pile.

Until the time comes, however, you stick your attention where it needs to be--on your lovers, all of whom seem to be filled with the kind of shameless joy that you hope everyone feels on such a lovely day. The only one that's really fidgeting is Robin, although that's pretty normal for her to play with the strings on her hoodie--and it's almost overshadowed by Eddie's excitedly flapping hands at the wrists when he's watching everyone open his gifts, and the sharp, short rocks of his head that he does when his hands are busy. Steve, on the other hand, has already made the brief trip to the kitchen to grab a garbage bag by the second present, and has it open by his feet for you all to crush your wrapping up and toss inside.

After a few small, feeler gifts to start off--some new polos for Steve, an organizational binder for Nancy, new headphones for Robin's walkman, blank cassettes for Eddie, socks and books you've been wanting--then comes the first of what you haven't realized will be quite a few more heartwarming presents. You still haven't made a crazy amount of progress through the pile, Steve having finally caved and admitting that he may have been keeping some presents hidden for the rest of them to put out the night before, including himself, obviously. And you breathe a sigh of relief when he says it and you can all share a laugh, one that's much more memorable with the knowledge that you all couldn't resist spoiling each other. At least it wasn't just you, you think to yourself as you pull the next gift out and scan over the tag.

"Oh! For me, from....Nancy and Eddie?" You look between the two, you curiosity piqued when they share their own look and lean forward while you tear it open, taking great care to toss the bright-red wrapping into the trash when Steve holds it open for you. All you can tell is that it feels pretty bookish, but it's heavier than usual--and when you turn the big, rectangular object over in your hands, your expression falls in shock and awe at what you see. The pretty, leather-coloured hardcover is more the style of a three-ring binder, and on the front, there's nothing but a few small white letters painted out that simply read "Angelface". Whatever you think you're gonna find when you gingerly open the book is swept away instantly, because by the first page you can already feel the tears welling up in your eyes.

"It's a scrapbook," Eddie clarifies, already huddling up to your side to sit next to you as your shaky fingers hold the plastic-bound page, while your other hand hovers in front of your open mouth. "You always get so excited about having pictures, but since we can't really hang any up....Nance came up with the idea of a scrapbook. She did most of the work, I just doodled some stuff and helped dig around everyone's storage." He speaks so meekly, shyly, almost, even though you can barely believe you're looking at something they both put so much love and time into as you flip through the pages.

There must be at least dozens of pages they've made up, each one a piece of thick, high-quality paper sealed in plastic holders that are destined to stand the test of time. And each one is stacked with photos, arranged neatly and glued to each side of the papers via Nancy's obvious handiwork--they vary from recently-processed ones to ones with frayed edges and signs of age to polaroids, but what really hits you is that they're of you, all of you. There's photos of you from recently, group photos of all five of you in the snow, on dates, at your Christmas dinners, and around the house, but there's also photos of you all by yourselves or with one or a few of the others. Silly photos, sweet photos--there's plenty you remember taking but never got to see, like the ones Steve took of you in the passenger's seat on your road trip, or one Robin got of you stretching as you sit up in bed, the sun's hazy orange glow cast over your skin through the window that gives it an ethereal feeling. They've even dug up baby pictures and childhood photos to make a section for it, a sudden bout of laughter cancelling out the tears spilling down your cheeks, as you press your finger to a photo of two-year-old Steve in a suit and tie.

"Oh my god..." You whisper in awe, your space now crowded with all four of them to take a look over your shoulders--you moon over the pictures of ten-year-old Robin with her trumpet and her band uniform, of Eddie's middle school buzzcut and missing-tooth smile as he stands by his uncle Wayne, and when you get to a few well-loved photos of Nancy with Barb, you can't help the "Oh, Nancy..." and the fresh wave of tears that comes over you at how special it is. You're so overcome with emotions you can't describe that you almost miss the fact that there's notes accompanying almost every page--little paragraphs and funny remarks and stories behind each photo, all written in Eddie's unusually careful hand, that you'll have time to pore over when you're not crying your eyes out.

"Oh, baby, it's okay! Aww.." Eddie pulls his arm round your shoulders and kisses your temple, while Robin hikes her sleeves over her hands and dries your tears with them, the four of them with pierced hearts and sweet, sympathetic smiles as they soothe you.

"...I know we can't show our love like other couples, and...and we can't even hang up pictures in our own home," Eddie mumbles through kisses placed on your wet cheek, his hand running through your hair. "But we can have this. Maybe we'll even pass it down to our kids, show them how their crusty old folks fell in love, eh?" A smile finally works it's way across your lips and stays there, your fingers hovering over a particular photo of a young Nancy holding her newly-born sister, Holly, before you close the book with a "Yeah.." and one last kiss on the lips.

"Alright, no more tears for the rest of the day." Steve announces proudly as they all disperse back to where they were sitting, though all of you know by the little sniffle he tries to hide--he was closer than anybody to shedding a tear, but you keep your grins quiet and keep moving on to the other gifts.

"Next is..." You drag your arm across your nose, smiling with a hiccup as you try to brush away how touched you are, just until the day is done. "....uh, this just says 'to Marty, from Doc'..."

"Oh," Steve pipes up, suddenly looking a little pink. "That, uh, that's for Robin. From me."

With a tilt of your head, you stretch to hand the mid-sized box to your equally-puzzled girlfriend across the floor, and it isn't until she's almost completely opened it that her head snaps up and an "Ohhh!" of realization comes out of her. "Oh, my god, you're cheesy. It's a reference--the first movie we watched together at Starcourt." She laughs nearly to the point of doubling over when it really hits her, and you're granted quite the adorable moment of Steve getting embarrassed as he's teased relentlessly, eventually pouting and stammering out that he just thought it was funny, that it's cute--and you can't disagree, especially since Robin gasps and almost bowls him over with a hug when she cracks open a fresh pair of sneakers, the exact fit and colour she's got already but clearly a much higher-quality brand. "I love you, dingus. You're way too generous."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it." He huffs out, but the grin he's got and the way he clings to her hug says so much more than he's willing to give away. From there, things cool off from crying and gasping but the mood is still plenty lighthearted--you manage to get through most of the presents with the aid of one more trash bag and a relatively easy pace, with the added help of interjections from each of you when you want to spread the receivers out more. Before long, there's only a few left, and you each have a respective pile of gifts beside you filled with all manner and size of things. Judas Priest tank tops and romance novels and board games aplenty. One that's being used already is strung delicately around Nancy's wrist; a beautiful bracelet inlaid with diamonds, one that Steve had hunched down to put around her with a careful touch, before kissing her so sweetly her tears managed to abate. He's really gone above and beyond this year--you haven't forgotten the gifts he got the kids as well, the two or three he had gotten Dustin alone, and how he had ones to leave at Hopper's cabin in case El and Will didn't come back from California in time for Christmas. He'd even gotten gifts for Nancy's parents, Holly, Robin's mom, uncle Wayne, and your family....and not once, in the whole time the holidays have been in full swing, has he ever expected anything back. He had ducked into the Wheeler's bathroom to cry his eyes out when Dustin had given him a hand radio, one he'd tweaked to have a two-way channel with a radius that spans over all Hawkins--so that, if they want to talk or if either of them ever gets in trouble, they can call each other no matter where they are. You'll never forget how quickly he put himself back together and came out with a smile, though, refusing to put any attention on himself as he stepped out to keep having a good time with everyone.

So it's time. It feels like time, even though you're nervously playing with the hem of your sweatshirt, almost breaking out into a cold sweat as the last few presents dwindle until there's just one left. The one all the way back, right in the corner, so nobody would even notice it until it's time.

"Oh, honey?" Just as you're about to duck under the tree and reach for it, Robin gets your attention, a giddy grin accompanying a flushed face and burning-red ears. "There's, uh....there's one more in the tree, can you grab it? It's kinda up high."

Without correcting her, you nod happily and grunt as you get to your feet, turning towards the tree to get on your tiptoes to search for it. You certainly hadn't noticed anything in the branches when you'd been down here last night, but you weren't exactly focused on the tree--you'd been more attentive to whether there were any doors opening or footsteps as you silently placed your extra presents down. Just as you're about to ask over your shoulder for some guidance, your ears catch the sound of a gasp, one that sounds like Nancy's. On instinct, you turn round on your heel to look--but your eyes scan over Steve and Nancy's shocked and awe-twinged expressions before they land on what the three of them are seeing.

By your hip, Robin's looking up at you with a gaze so sweet it would make you melt.....and between her fingers sits a ring, the golden band glimmering under the twinkling light, just shy of the crystal that's set inside it. Somehow, it's only when you notice that she's perched on one knee that it all clicks for you, and your hands shoot to your mouth to cover how widely it's gaping.

"Robbie?"

"I, uh....wow, I don't know how to do this." She stutters out, suddenly devoid of the immense confidence it took to get down on her knee in the first place. But nothing's going to stop her from trying to get those words out, you can see it by the way her brow furrows and she takes a deep inhale. "You....are.....m-my love, you're everything to me." She sighs, turning her eyes down and away from you to collect herself before she starts right back, determination clear in her eyes.

"I didn't ask permission to do this. I'm just doing it. I love you. I want you to be my wife, a-and...I want us to be together forever. I wanna laugh with you, I wanna make you happy, and if we have to bleed, I want us to do it together." Robin tears her eyes away to cast her gaze over the other three, each of them with hopeful, happy expressions on their faces--Steve encourages her, mouths the words "Go on!", and her eyes crinkle with a brighter smile, the confidence returning as she looks back up at you. "And I don't care if we can't get married in a church, or if people always wonder why we're all so close, I just....I love you. I love you! If I could marry all of us together, I would. But....will you settle with being my wife? Just....for us?"

"Y...Yes, yes! Oh my god, yes! Robbie, I-" You can't even bring yourself to bother finishing whatever it was you were going to babble out, not when she's jumping up to meet you, pushing her lips up against yours and practically hiking you up off your feet in an embrace that feels tighter than ever. The other three make a show of clapping and Eddie wolf whistles just to make your faces burn brighter, as Robin tears herself away from the breathtaking kiss just long enough to slide the ring on to your finger, her eyes glued to the way it settles there on your hand perfectly.

Wife. That word hasn't had the same meaning for you as it has everyone else, everyone you grew up with who always dreamed of having a nice husband in a nice house and being a pretty wife with cute babies. You'd never dreamed of the same big, white wedding or the man that would fit the role of any romance movie protagonist--your dreams have always been different, weird, and you've always figured they were just that. Dreams. But when Robin kisses you again and your other partners hurry up to share the joy in a whirlwind of alternating hugs, you can feel that jubilant swirl of emotions inside you that have your eyes leaking with tears again.

"Well, I'm not gonna be nearly as well-spoken as Buckley," Eddie suddenly grins, swiping a box out from behind the armchair that none of you had noticed until now, too distracted by the tree and the presents underneath it. Upon closer examination as it sits in his hands, it's not even wrapped, just looks a bit like a shoebox with a closed, brown top. "But I had the same idea. Least we all get rings now, right?"

With a flourish, your boyfriend pulls up the flap to show off the contents--and the four of you are left speechless by what lies inside, Robin letting out a shocked laugh at how similar their thinking seems to be.

Laid out on a soft, clean blue cloth, are four more rings. Each one is different, however--the bands are all made up of entwining coils of silver, much resembling the twisting, celtic-knot-esque patterns that Eddie's excitedly shown off to you in Tolkien's books. But the crystals set in each one are the same, glittery and almost pure white like the gems of Lasgalen, cut and bound into the bands firmly so they won't ever come loose. If he didn't proudly exclaim that they're all his own handiwork, you wouldn't believe he hadn't spent an exhorbitant amount of money getting them custom-made....but they're too Eddie to be something bought from a store, and he's clearly happy to be met with a group of slack jaws and teary eyes as he passes them around. The small, dainty one with elegant designs goes to Nancy, the thicker one with wider coils is Steve's, the one with intertwining silver and gold accents is for Robin, and yours....it has such sweet simplicity that it's just awe-inspiring, it's perfect, and it's even got the tiniest symbols of leaves that surround the crystal; like the leaves of Lórien.

"Eddie, you made these?" Nancy finally speaks up, holding her own hand as she looks down on the ring like it's some priceless, royal artifact.

"Sure did, sweetheart. Can't let Harrington have all the fun dolling you up, can I?" He chuckles, and the box nearly hits the ground when Nancy grabs hold of his cheeks and bends him down to kiss her, the gem on her hand and the ones on her wrist shimmering off the Christmas lights still twinkling around the room. But there's one ring left to bestow, and when the two of them break away with flushed faces, Eddie plucks it off the cloth and meets your eyes with his own, hazily giddy ones.

"How about I wear yours, angel? More romantic that way, dontcha think?" He asks, and when you nod with a smile that could rival the sun, he happily slides it on to his own finger and finds that it fits just splendidly. All five of you hold out your hands on instinct to compare your new jewelry, the four matching rings somehow accentuating yours even more with the silver bands complimenting your entirely gold one. And it hits you all at once--engaged. You're engaged not just to one, not just at all, but to all four of the people you couldn't love more if you had the choice to pick anyone in the world. It's not traditional, but it doesn't matter, because it's yours to share for the rest of your lives.

"....I'm just gonna assume those are all yes's, right?" Eddie finally laughs, breaking the stunned silence into a hubbub of chatter and "of course!"s as you take turns thanking him with lips, hands, and tongue. Steve returns the kiss he got earlier by tenfold, his hands firmly on Eddie's hips as he swallows any other cheeky comments--but just as everyone is cooling down and enjoying that one, last high of gift-giving, you manage to find the courage to push out the words you've been waiting to say.

"So....um, actually, there's....there's one more gift." You admit, the gentle squeeze of the band on your finger allowing you a little more boldness as you look between their satisfied faces.

"Oh, god, don't tell me you got someone a car. We already broke our rule within, like, ten seconds!" Your boyfriend dramatically cries out, before your new fiancée pipes right back at him with her arm around your waist.

"Says you, mister tiffany diamonds and luxury guitars." Steve sticks out his tongue and flaps his fingers together like a fake mouth, before pinching Robin's offending cheek and getting a playful swat on the hand.

Being used to their antics, you just nervously bite your bottom lip, and turn to kneel down and reach back under the tree to close your fingers around the box. It shakes a little when you pull it out and sit back on your knees, though that's probably because your hands won't stop trembling. Just do it. It's gonna be okay. They're gonna love it.

"It's....it's for everyone, but...." You get up slowly and move towards Steve, standing in front of him meekly with your knees practically glued to each other. Without another word of explanation, you wait as they all move to crowd the couch, Robin huddled up by Nancy's side while Eddie perches on the arm next to Steve. And when they do, you feel your heart stall as you place the little box in Steve's open hands, and your stomach drops to your feet when he carefully takes the top off.

The silence kills you, so quiet that not even their breathing interrupts it--but Steve's eyes widening with nothing but shock cuts you deeper, and suddenly the ring on your finger feels too tight, like it's suffocating you.

"Are you serious?" He breathes, finally looking up at you.....but you can't tell what he's thinking, what he's feeling, and suddenly the place you're standing is the last place you want to be, an eerily quiet "Y-Yeah" escaping you with a tremor in your voice. Please don't be mad at me. Please, God.

"Steve? What is it?" You hadn't even realized that the other's vision had been obscured by Steve's hands, not until Eddie shatters that terrifying quiet and leans over for a look. But now, Steve isn't looking anywhere else but you, a glossy sheen filling his sweet, brown eyes.

"You're pregnant?"

Nancy claps a hand over her mouth, Robin's eyes nearly bug out of her head, and Eddie sits there staring like he's still deciphering the words and the little pink test sitting in the lap of your lover. You've got no idea what to do, what to say, and you feel tears start to well up in your own eyes--maybe this was all a mistake, maybe this was too much and you just crossed a line you can't ever step back over.

"Th-This is why you were sick? You're having a baby?" Your hands practically glued together, you nod without looking his way. That mysterious illness that had been pervading your mornings and afternoons had resulted in quite the concern from your partners, but even when they'd asked you to take a test, you'd managed to hide those positive results and convince them they were all negative. Hoping that it would make this moment all the more special, which....seems a little naïve now that it's happening and it's too late to back out.

"Yeah, we....we're having a baby. It....Steve, it's yours."

"I'm gonna be a dad?"

As much as he usually tries, he can't hide the tears this time, and still worried about gauging his reaction wrongly, you stammer out your explanation like you're trying to disarm a bomb.

"Y-Yeah, I planned it out....I t-tracked my cycle, and....that's why I asked Steve to take me to California. I mean, I don't know for sure, but-"

"Oh, honey," Eddie's hands suddenly hit his forehead, and he drags them down his face in a way that frightens you even more. "Is that why you asked me what you asked me?"

The girls look over at him for clarification, still not entirely sure that what's happening right now is really happening, and it's not just some elaborate prank. And while Steve's still digesting the news with teary eyes, Eddie explains.

"Angel's fuckin' clever--or I'm just an idiot--but she asked me, if we have kids, if I cared who got to be the dad first. I just said it didn't matter to me, but....I hoped Steve would get to do it first."

There's no need to say more after that. Steve's finally on his feet, sliding the box aside carefully to let Nancy grab it and hold the test up closer so she and Robin can take a look--and in one step he essentially sweeps you right off your feet, strong biceps clinging to you and his face buried in your neck as you squeal and graze your socked toes across the carpet. It isn't even until your skin warms and prickles with goosebumps that you realize he's planting kisses on every inch of skin he can reach, smiling into your skin and mumbling around mouthfuls of you.

"My baby, my baby--you've got my baby inside you, god, I can't believe I'm a dad-" Like a man that just won the lottery, he lets out a cry of pure, unbridled joy that was just bubbling up inside him so strongly he couldn't keep it down. And once he puts you back down on your feet, he drops to his knees in front of you, nuzzling his face into your belly with his arms tight around your hips, kissing and nosing at the imperceptible bump that you know will be growing even larger pretty soon. "How far along are we? When do I get to meet them?" He asks you with starry eyes, and your heart just melts at the sight of him so excited--it's a sense of relief that you can't even explain, you just have to let your own tears flow out of joy.

"The...the doctor said six weeks, just about. So we should be due in-"

"August?! We're having an August baby!" Steve cheers, though you're sure now that he'd have the same reaction to any month--he just couldn't be happier, jumping back up to his feet for another kiss before you notice the other reactions you've got waiting for you. While Eddie is pawing away his own tears to try and keep it together and Robin looks like she's so happy she's shaking, Nancy looks almost pained at the news, and it sends your heart plummeting from that glorious high all the way down into the dirt at once, her name falling off your lips with worry lacing each syllable. Her eyes shift to meet yours, big, blue oceans that tug at your heartstrings until her lips quirk up into an unbelievably pretty smile.

"You're gonna be a mom," She preens, tucking her hair out of her face as she gets up and squeezes past Steve to go in for a hug, holding you like a teddy bear but not tight enough to hurt her baby. "We're gonna have to decorate, and buy baby clothes, and....we're gonna be parents. The best parents."

As soon as she says that, it seems to light something in Robin and Eddie that has them finally moving off the couch. They hurry in and crowd around each side of you, smothering your happy tears with affection and cuddles and hands on your belly, cooing at both you and the baby growing inside you that they just can't wait to meet. It seems almost silly now, how much you had fretted and worried about breaking the news to them. How you had wasted away precious hours of sleep because you were laying beside them, watching them breathe softly with their heads on their pillow, and wondering if you had made a huge mistake by guessing this would be something they wanted. Many nights you'd warmed yourself against Steve's bare chest, throat rumbling with gentle snores and pleased hums at the feeling of your body cozied up in his arms, scratching your fingers lightly through his chest hair as you thought about the moment he would find out. If he would be happy.

You can see it now in his face, and in the other's faces, too. He's happy. They're all so happy.

"Well....I guess we need two more savings jars. Baby jar and wedding jar." Nancy finally breaks the silence as you're finally let go, cradled instead in Eddie's arms as he kisses the crown of her head with a smile and a pair of misty eyes. He's still in disbelief, but there's no coming around needed. You can see in his faraway look that he's already running through baby names in his head.

"Wedding?" Robin pipes up, looking between all of you as she tries to put the pieces of the puzzle together. But they know, they can already sense it, even though your girlfriend-turned-fiancée is still a little too delirious to believe it.

"....Yeah? You asked angel to marry you first, did you not?" Nancy replies with a grin, and pats the arm Eddie has around her. "So we need to have a wedding. Backyard should be fine, right?"

"Are you sure?" She looks between Nancy to you, eyes glimmery and hopeful. She clearly had expected some pushback from everyone else with her decision, especially considering she hadn't asked or confided with any of them before she went ahead and popped the question. You've got no idea, but in reality she didn't figure she'd actually have the courage to ask it, which is part of the reason why she didn't say anything. But regardless, you answer the question for her with a brief, but loving kiss.

"I'm gonna be your wife, Robin Buckley. You think I'd pass up on a wedding to the love of my life?" This time, you could swear she's really gonna faint. Her cheeks run hot all of a sudden, her smile quirking up slowly until it's bright and toothy, and she bounces on the balls of her feet before dipping in for a long, sweet peck. "Besides, I've got an album to put all the pictures in, now. We'll invite our friends, the kids-"

"Wait, really?"

"Robbie, I think they're already gonna be asking questions when they see me with a bump. Unwed, no boyfriend, living with my "friends"--and they love us. They'll be thrilled." You try to reassure her, because really, you want so badly to have a ceremony with your loved ones. Even if they won't know the true extent of the love you all share, and even if it's not official by any stretch of legality, it's something you've always dreamt of and if you have the chance, you want to make it a reality. Suddenly, Eddie turns on a dime and points at Steve, who snaps out of his delirious happiness when your boyfriend opens his mouth.

"We'll convince Dustin the baby's Robin's! Get that little butthead to drive himself crazy trying to figure out if it's true--bet you twenty he'll believe it." He declares with a smirk, the mischievous gears already turning in his wicked little head. Honestly, sometimes he's more of a kid than the kids are--but you love him for it, and by Steve's response, you know for a fact that Eddie's not the only one.

"You're a dingus.....and you're on. That kid needs a good kick in the head." He grabs Eddie's hand for a shake before the metalhead can spit in it first, and he relents, although Nancy just rolls her eyes and slips out of his hold as they solidify their silly little schemes.

"Anyways," She pipes up, drawing everyone's attention back to the matriarch of the household. "I think it's about time for breakfast. You're eating for two, now, mh?" Nancy delicately brushes her hand over your belly, moving past you to kiss your cheek before she heads towards the kitchen, with Steve following close behind to offer an extra set of hands. And with a little time before then, you, Robin, and Eddie all get to work on clearing up the living room and bringing everyone's present piles to their bedrooms, with the two of them eager to cut in and take anything they even remotely perceive as "heavy" from your arms to haul it around for you. They're honestly almost too excited to pamper you, their precious, pregnant angel, but even at their mother henning you just have to let go of a laugh and offer some kisses and hugs for their devotion. It's a fair trade, after all--you give them a baby, and they give you the whole world as you see it. So maybe, next Christmas, you won't worry so much about going a little over the top for your husbands, wives, and the parents of your most anticipated little addition to the family.