manabonana

[manabonana]

thinkin about steve who used to be a total jock, basketball team, swim team etc but after graduating he wasn’t doing sports anymore and after lovers lake he can’t get in the water without having a panic attack (probably internalized because he feels like he has to be the one who’s Okay™️ all the time) so over time after the world is decidedly not ending anymore he goes a lil soft. maybe he has a lil tummy™️ and that along with the scars makes him pretty self conscious because he’s comparing himself to what he used to be, all smooth and unscarred skin and in good shape.

he stops even trying to go on dates because he can’t relate to any of the pretty airhead girls in hawkins and they certainly wouldn’t be able to understand why he can’t look at his own pool or why he starts shaking when the lights flicker a little bit, and he also knows they would have questions he can’t answer about his scars so there’s no point. might as well resign himself to being alone, at least he’s surrounded by platonic love and that’s enough right?

of course, unbeknownst to steve he and eddie have pretty much been circling each other like courting swans, doing things steve doesn’t even think twice about (like holding hands or running their fingers through the other’s hair or cuddling up to each other during movie night or sleeping on each other during movie night or the fact that they have a movie night with just the two of them at all) because it feels natural, he does those things with robin and it’s totally Capital P Platonic™️ until with eddie it ISN’T and suddenly things are added to that list like kissing and backhugs and hickies and oh shit he and eddie are kind of a thing now??? dating unofficially? boyfriends?

but steve is all too aware that he’s not the jock they tease him about being anymore and maybe gets in his head about the way he “should” look (it’s my headcanon personally that steve was probably a chubby kid or something which is normal but his parents are toxic and constantly bullied him about it until he got into sports and lost the fluff) so he’s worried about what eddie will think and that he won’t be attracted to him so he puts off doing anything past the aforementioned list of things and they probably don’t discuss it outright but eddie picks up on the hesitation and (thinking it’s because steve isn’t comfortable with his sexuality yet) is SO reassuring that they can wait until steve is ready to do anything and it’s at his own pace and he won’t ever pressure him into anything

but the thing is steve IS ready and he wants so bad he’s just gone down this whole spiral of self consciousness that one night when they’ve gone a little past the usual making out that they’re used to and they’re both breathing hard and a little more than desperate for each other, steve finally starts to shed his clothes in front of eddie and yeah maybe the dim lighting helps a little bit but he’s still so nervous that eddie will take one look at him and not be attracted to him at all, or laugh or even be disgusted by him but eddie is just in awe because to him, steve is perfect no matter what he looks like but here’s the kicker: eddie is totally into dad bods.

so here we’ve got steve damn near chewing the skin off his lips in anxiety and eddie is just feeling like a kid on christmas or some shit because between the chest hair and the lil tummy™️ and the constellations of moles and freckles and the scars that he has to match there isn’t a single thing about steve that eddie doesn’t love. and you best believe he tells him out loud immediately, multiple times, between kisses and bites and squeezes that he’s beautiful and perfect and so fucking sexy, he tells him until steve is smiling instead of anxious and he’s not biting his lip out of worry anymore that’s for damn sure

[manabonana]

i know my priorities

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Eddie: never thought I'd die fighting side by side with a jock

Steve: what about side by side with a friend?

Eddie: Keep talking like this and you'll be fighting side by side with a lover, big boy

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s1 steve, with a hint of desperation in his voice: so.. you and eddie are dating... but which one of you is the girl

post s4 steve: neither of us is the girl, that's what makes it gay

s1 steve: yeah but... y'know... which one of you is the *girl*

post s4 steve: yknow what. me. im the girl. what now, steve.

[manabonana]

Eddie & Steve 💕

[manabonana]

Eddie and Steve writing each other little notes around the house, some simple like 'get milk' or 'concert friday', some caring like 'don't forget your pills' or 'your glasses are cute, wear them', other just their thoughts about the other 'you looked so soft this morning, sorry I got the early shift' and 'i forgot my keys and you were singing in the shower, you should sing more it's beautiful' and under each is a response and many end up in a little box under their bed full of memories they treasure.

[manabonana]

@xxfiction-is-my-realityxx asked for Steve and Eddie hugging from behind, and an anon asked for kissing. So much like the 80′s I mixx-taped them both together for a cute kiss from behind ;P

[manabonana]

mhm yep

im normal about them

[manabonana]

steve affectionately calls eddie “bambi” when they’re alone

[manabonana]

Steve and Robin are very physically affectionate. It's part of their friendship, Eddie supposes, for them to be all over each other. He knows it's not romantic. He and Robin have already come out to each other, there's nothing to worry about there...

But Eddie has started to wonder if that physical affection is restricted to Robin. He's started to wonder if he'd be allowed to be like that with Steve. He's started to wonder if it would mean the same thing.

He decides there's only one way to find out. He decides to just... go for it. Slowly. He hopes it leads to good things.

When they next sit down to watch a movie in Eddies trailer, he doesn't go for the single chair, tells Robin and Steve to shift. It's a squeeze, but they all fit. Steve is squished between him and Robin but, if anything, he looks very happy.

He starts sitting closer after that, pressing fully against him. He never looks bothered, doesn't even acknowledge it happening outside of the occasional smile sent his way.

So Eddie ups the ante. He starts touching his back, as casually as he can- the first time, he puts a hand on his lower back, gently pushing him forward so Eddie can squeeze past. Sometimes he'll pat him on the back. Usually, he'd let his hand rest on Steves back when he's leaning close.

But, again, Steve doesn't react much. Sometimes Eddie will catch him smiling to himself, sometimes will feel him leaning back into the contact. So it's more than ok. But Eddie kind of wants to see Steve react...

He puts a hand on Steves thigh one day. The opportunity was perfect- Robin is on the other side of the room and Steve, sitting next to him, blocks his view. So he shifts, leaning forward, using Steves thigh as leverage.

Steve goes a little pink, but still... no real reaction.

Eddie keeps getting more touchy. To the point where no one bats an eye at Eddie being just as all over Steve as Robin is. Yet, aside from blushing a little more, Steve doesn't react.

Eddie isn't sure why he wants Steve to react, isn't sure how he wants him to react. He just knows that something will happen if he starts pushing and he's too curious to see what it is to stop now.

In the end, it's the smallest thing that finally makes him crack.

Eddie had come into the kitchen, finding Steve in the middle of doing the dishes. He'd snorted when he noticed a loose strand of hair hanging loose, Steve struggling to push it back without using his wet, soapy hands.

So Eddie stepped forward without thinking, gently brushing the hair back, taking a moment to brush through his hair and making sure it's sat right, how he usually styles.

"Oh, you fucking..." Steve muttered. He narrowed his eyes, almost glaring. "I don't know if you're just trying to be friends, but if that's all you want then you need to tell me, right now, because otherwise I'm going to kiss you."

Eddie blinks, stunned. "Your gonna what?"

But Steve takes that as an answer. Which then gives Eddie his; that type of physical affection is restricted to Robin. It means something very different with Eddie.

Later, curled up in bed with him, Eddie knows he's definitely found a good thing. He decides that he's not going to let go, not unless Steve wants him to.

[manabonana]

Some soft steddie on a rainy afternoon

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Eddie: Hey, Stevie, it’s, uh… it’s really muggy out today.

Steve: I swear to god, Eddie, if I look outside and all of our mugs are on the front lawn, I’m divorcing you.

Eddie: *slowly sips coffee from a bowl*

[manabonana]

My absolute favourite steddie trope is when steve *insists* that Eddie Munson is straight. Because like, Stevie.. What?

[manabonana]

I am not gonna be what my daddy wants me to be

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i need more codependent steve and robin.

steve and robin sitting on each other’s laps during movie night, sharing a thing of popcorn between the two of them

constantly holding each other’s hands while joking around with each other. robin will be endlessly making fun of steve all the while she is holding his hand in her own and refuses to separate.

steve complaining that he can’t get a date and doesn’t understand why, meanwhile robin is sitting on the counter at family video behind him, playing with his hair.

whenever they are saying goodbye they kiss each other on the cheek and say “i love you.”

they have a “date night” every week where they go to a diner and get food and share a milkshake.

eddie and nancy think they have absolutely no chance with steve and robin, respectively, because the two of them are clearly dating. when robin comes out to them their entire world feels like it flips on its head.

steve and robin being each other’s unintentional beard. they didn’t mean for it at first but everyone just assumed they were dating already so they stopped correcting people, letting them think what they want. (it makes robin’s relationship with nancy and steve’s with eddie comically easy to hide. no one looks twice when they are with them bc steve and robin are clearly together)

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"steve is so stupid lol" yeah? YEAH? everyone loves talking about how robin deciphered the russian code but if steve hadn't recognized the 'daisy bell' song from the coin operated toy horse, robin and dustin would've still thought that the transmission was from russia or something. robin asks "maybe they have horses like that in russia?" and steve immediately says "'indiana flyer'? i don't think so." so just because steve harrington, who was a popular jock for the majority of his school years, doesn't understand the nerdy/geeky references the party makes, it doesn't make him stupid.

[manabonana]

one thing about eddie is he really loves when steve treats him like he’s precious and carries him around with his jock strength, he told me so