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eddiemunson-mylove · 2 years ago

Text

"It's Just Us"

author's note -

back again with another smut for ya'll. Was not expecting it to be so long yikes! I'm going to thank @lovejosephquinn for basically threatening me to get this done :)

I'm also going to tag @thepastdied as a fellow big titty bitch. This one is for the girlies like us

a classic friends to lover's trope, with the additional bed sharing trope... ahhhhhh

summary -

After sharing a bed with your best friend, you wake up to see him ogling at your tits... do I really need to say more?

slightlypervy!virgin!Eddie x largechested!bestfriend!reader

Reader can be perceived as plus sized as she is a part of the big titty committee, but it's not necessary

warnings -

18+ | Protected Sex (because they're smart and you should be too) | Strong Language | Reader is very insecure about her large chest (totally not projecting 💀)

word count -

5.3K

masterlist

_______________

When you woke up this morning, to say you were surprised was a slight understatement. It was the rustling of sheets next to you that had disturbed your slumber. There was another sudden movement from beside you, this time the perpetrator landed a thump to your shin followed by a soft “shit”. Typical of Eddie to immediately wreak havoc upon his first few moments awake.

He rustled some more, no doubt trying to stretch his limbs from the uncomfortable position he had left himself in last night. You, however, had yet to open your eyes and welcome in the golden morning light. You just lay completely still, ruminating on the events that had led you here to be kicked in the shin and perspiring from the additional body heat radiating from your best friend.

_______________

The night before…

Steve was to be the last out of the door. With a quick turn to the two of you as he pointed with a stern look to Eddie, “Look after her, you hear? Get home safe doll,” he directs to you with a wink and shoots off into the night.

Eddie had hosted another successful evening of drinking and catching up with his friends, now ultimately yours too. The trailer held just enough space for yourself, Eddie, Steve, Nancy, and Robin to be seated. Going back and forth with one another with little updates about each other's lives. These kinds of meet ups were rare and cherished, all of you working steady jobs which resulted in time for you all to be together at once. But having known each other from school, their bond would always prevail. You’d hoped that you could get to that point with them all too.

You and Eddie had been friends for just a short while now. You had moved to Hawkins the year prior and he had been one of the first to grace your presence when the long move had kicked your car in indescribable ways. He began taking overtime to work on your lump of metal and even offered to drive you places in the beginning, though you would regretfully decline. Things escalated when you would spot him around town running errands. Sporadic meetings turned into coffee trips, turning into days out together, turning into being invited into his close group of friends. The last year has been nothing short of a dream, and Eddie has been there to encourage you and envelop you in light and laughter.

As Eddie closed the door behind Steve, he twisted his waist and clasped his hands together, “Nightcap before you go, sweets?” His grin was wicked but you know there was no malice, only mischief and a desire to keep you here longer.

“Only if I’m pouring Munson,” you clap back, “I’d actually like to wake up again in the morning.” you gave him the most exaggerated wink that you could muster, emphasised further with a pair of finger guns before plodding off into his kitchenette to find clean glasses. He followed you of course. You noticed that he did that from almost the moment the two of you met, like a lost puppy. Although you were the one that felt kind of lost when he didn’t do it.

One drink quickly became two as you began to share your fond memories of your first encounter. Two became three when you both elaborated on your in depth plans for the future, of course, including each other. You lost count after four. Your shared recollections had only catalysed a trip down memory lane, telling wild stories from high school and various adventures that you had both been on and how you wished the other could have been there too.

It was clear that neither of you were in a fit state to drive. And when a passing glance to the clock that read 2:06 had confirmed your suspicions that a taxi wasn’t going to be an option, you knew you were staying the night. Neither of you were the first to admit it. Although there was evidently a shared understanding after reminiscing about the amount of whiskey Robin had oh-so-graciously spilt over the couch in her final hour here. You were definitely sharing a bed tonight. Neither of you were against the idea. It was just a new boundary in your relationship that was going to be crossed. Friends share beds. It didn’t have to invoke such a reaction in your chest, matched with the heat rising to your cheeks. But it did nonetheless…

The whole ordeal had been awkward beyond belief. Eddie fumbling around with his duvet and clearing the one side of his bed to get rid of the collection of washing (clean or dirty? You didn’t dare ask), before he sprawled himself like a starfish across the expanse of the mattress with a high-pitched giggle to himself. You stood hesitantly in the doorway to Eddie’s bedroom, nervous at the idea of being forced into such close proximity. You suppose you could consider yourself almost afraid. Afraid that you’d become self-indulgent in the situation. That you would internalise the night too much, only to be let down when he would reinforce the friendzone card.

Too caught up in your tangle of thoughts, you hadn’t noticed that Eddie had rolled over to await your own drop onto the bed only to see that you’d stood paralysed. He shuffled himself into a seated position on the edge of the bed and peared up at you.

“Hey, where’d you go just now?” his voice was almost silent, the soft whisper lulling you gently from your trap.

“No. Don’t worry about it,” you shake your head, “just zoned out”.

He was standing up now, making his way to you slowly. Both hands had raised up to grip your upper arms delicately. Eddie stooped his head slightly to match your eye level. You too could see a flicker of nerves in his eyes.

“It’s just me, sweets. It’s just us,” he beams, “I won’t bite… unless you want me to.” Finishing his little pep talk with a wink and a nudge to your shoulder with his fist. After a deep roll of your eyes and a tired smile, you went to the bathroom to remove the majority of your clothes for bed.

Left in only your cami top from beneath your shirt and your panties, you took one final look in his stained mirror. Going braless had taken a considerable amount of convincing, ultimately choosing your own comfort rather than Eddie’s. Sure, you figured your current outfit would have him stoic enough. But you didn’t want to be the cause of his death when visible nipples became involved. Having to once again pull away from your thoughts, your feet pattered back to his room, you find him deep into dreamland anyways. An inevitable effect that alcohol had on Eddie. At least you wouldn’t have to face the awkwardness of explaining that you don’t tend to bring pyjamas with you to any and all occasions.

With just enough space left for you to crawl onto your side of the bed that he had barely left you, you pull the covers over the two of you and place your head on his embarrassingly flat pillows. You were facing each other now, and this gave you a chance to admire your closest friend while he was at his most peaceful. You already knew that you had feelings for Eddie, you weren’t oblivious to this. But to replace the friendship you had with the risk of something more just didn’t appeal to you. You loved him too much to lose him. So with a weak hand reaching up to brush a stray curl out of his face, and a soft “night,” you closed your own eyes and let Eddie’s even breaths lull you into unconsciousness.

_______________

Adjusting your eyes until they were just open a slither, you’re met with Eddie facing you. Well, his body was facing you, but the slight tilt of his chin tucked into his chest and the lack of eye contact made it clear that his focus was elsewhere. You were by no means naive. You knew exactly what he was looking at without even having to follow his line of sight.

You had always been a larger-chested girl. You started growing boobs from a younger age than most around you and they never seemed to stop growing until you’d reached your later teen years. You never missed how certain shirts wouldn’t fit you right and how dresses would bunch up if they had chest seams. But you certainly never missed how people would stare. Not even just men, anybody. The non-stop gawking if you were to wear a lower neckline, their eyes flickering from your chest to your face when you wore a tight-fitted outfit. You’d made peace with it, accepted that it’d never change. You can’t say that you were overly shocked to find Eddie in the exact same position, he was only human after all.

The thing that had surprised you had been the barely-there grin. The fondness in his expression. Almost as though he was gazing in admiration, rather than the pity or the condescension you were used to. The way his lashes fluttered as he grappled between needing to blink but wanting to stare just that little bit longer. A gentle hum escapes his lips as the corners of his mouth twitch upwards some more.

You huff a small chuckle, your own lips beaming in amusement as his head snaps up to meet you. Horror engulfs his face and his eyes, you think, couldn’t possibly widen any more. You wait for his defense, for his panicking, for his justification. But you’re met with only silence. Silence, and the look of pure dread.

“Mornin’,” you smirk at him, a playful glint in your eyes. “Enjoying the view I see. You’re acting like you’ve never seen tits before” you add after a pause, fueling the fire.

You were wrong. His eyes widened even more…

You won’t deny that there had always been a certain tension between the two of you. Not something you could quite put your finger on but the realisation was always just stuck on the tip of your tongue. You recognised it in the flirtatious banter that you shared, leading many to believe you were a couple. You perceived it in the prolonged touches, the longing stares that both parties were guilty of. But you had always been just… friends. You believed that your feelings for him were rooted in the want for attention, to be somebody’s favourite person. It had only been recently that you felt it blossom into more. Your only dilemma was whether Eddie returned these feelings.

But with him now shamefully caught ogling at your chest, you at least knew that he was definitely interested in a part of you. You began to snort a laugh at him, rolling slightly onto your back to direct your laughter away from his face into the void air of his room. Going back to face him once again, you’re met with an exaggerated pout as he grumbles out, “It’s not funny”.

You’d calmed down very quickly when you saw just how defeated he had become. His expression was crestfallen, and you’d berated yourself for thinking you’d pushed him too far. Tracing your steps back to when you could have elicited such a gloomy response from him, you suddenly drew in a sharp breath, cringing slightly at the words getting ready to leave your lips.

“Eds… you have seen tits before right?” It seemed like such a dumb question in retrospect, but you had realised in this moment that you had never seen Eddie with another girl that wasn’t Nance or Rob. And that he had never mentioned girlfriends tonight whilst you droned on about the trials and tribulations of school.

He playfully scoffs at you, “Of course I’ve seen tits before. Like, maybe. Just, like, not in real life,” he admits, defeated. It’s at this new piece of exclusive Eddie-lore that you have a lightbulb moment. Clearly he was interested in your rack, and you were interested in him. It seemed like a win-win in the first instance. You could show Eddie your tits, and then he’d fall head over heels for you!

Okay, definitely a tad far-fetched. But this was your one shot. You’d never had an opportunity to express how you felt to him before and while this method was highly unconventional, it was worth a shot. Which is what led you to vocalise,

“I could show you them, if you’d like?” you ask, more timidly than you had intended. Eddie deadpanned, awaiting the punch line. But once he saw your expression was that of sincerity rather than sarcasm, he was quick to splutter his words.

“Shit! Umm, are you sure?” he asks, “I mean yeah, that’d be great an’ all, but like, for real?” clearing his throat and trying to maintain a casual demeanor, he eagerly awaited your reply.

“Sure Eds. I don’t mind, really. As your best friend I would be honoured,” you assert with a lighthearted giggle. You don’t miss the slight wince in his face once you’d pulled out the friend card. It further fueled your hope for the future.

“Well then, as you are being so generous and noble, it is I who would be honoured,” he announced in his best medieval knight voice. The two of you broke into a fit of laughter, both feeling slightly delirious at the proposition laid out before you. That same proposition was also the reason the laughter dies down as quickly as it started and the room began to feel more silent, more serious. You’re the first to start speaking again,

“Hey, umm… before I do this, I just wanted to let you know,” you began fumbling your words in shame, “boobs don’t… look how you may think they do. Especially not like your magazines.” you finished with a tight inhale. One side of your mouth twitched upward to produce a defeated grin.

“But boobs are just… boobs?” You could see the genuine confusion flash across his features with his reply. His response only pulled a sigh from you.

“Yes. But you see, they get past a certain size and everything just sort of… falls apart?” you attempt. You’re met with no response, his silence urging you to elaborate. “Like, gravity obviously plays a big part in their demise. They’re heavy, and I mean heavy, Eddie. And because of how they fall, how they just drop down, everything is sort of… stretched out. You can see all of the imperfections, all of the pores, the spots and blemishes. And it never ends. They will never be like those blonde pin-up girls in your crusty magazines because they are not real. Real life only leads to disappointment…”

With one final push of air from your lungs you finish your speech with, “You’re more than welcome to see your first pair of real tits Eddie, but I know it’ll only end in you wishing you’d saved yourself the trouble.”

You could see that Eddie’s eyes had glossed over. You knew he had a hard time with you putting yourself down when he cared so much for you. Yet he said nothing. He just stared, directly into your eyes, as though he’d only been allowed to for the first time. With the quilt rustling again, you didn’t have time to see Eddie’s hand. You had only felt it as it made contact with your cheek, his thumb brushing your cheekbone timidly. And that was when he had spoken,

“Hey…,” his smile was gentle, his eyes were even softer, “It’s just me”

And you believe then that you know he would never judge you. Of course he wouldn’t. He wasn’t capable.

“It’s just you,” you parrot back to him, your lips finally turning up once again. He pushes out a soft chuckle from the very back of his throat as his hand comes around for his pinky to flick against the tip of your nose lightly.

“It’s just us, princess…”

That was the final encouragement. You were being silly, you thought. They are just boobs perhaps, as you reach to pull at one strap. You were just simply doing a favour for your closest friend, you justify as one arm is free from its constraints. He seemed to like them enough to gawk at them, you reason with yourself, as you begin to unceremoniously tug at the second strap from underneath you. As you whittled the strap down your arm, the fabric that had previously been shielding your modesty had peeled from your chest and your top had now bunched around your waist.

With Eddie’s focus still maintained on your face, you quickly glanced down to make any adjustments that could be deemed unsightly before peering back up to him and giving him a barely visible nod; he had seen it though. As his attention swiftly flicked back into the position you had caught him in barely 10 minutes ago, you kept your eyes on his face, desperately trying to read any facial expression or slight muscle ticks that could indicate any distaste from the man you were so eager to impress.

He retracted his hand from your cheek and began to shuffle backwards in an attempt to gauge a wider field of view for the gifts you had presented to him. The excitement he exudes was impossible to miss. Almost like a child being told to pick out a new toy of choice. His eyes darted between the pair laid out before him. Like you had explained, your boobs had gravitated more towards the mattress and drooped over your bottom arm rather than sat in the centre of your chest, much like how you imagined Eddie had expected them to be. But there was no indication that he seemed to mind as his tongue darts out to caress over his top lip, his eyes blown in bewilderment.

The sudden change in temperature after being freed from your top had hardened your nipples, making them look slightly more ‘normal’ looking than their usual flattened out state. Eddie’s hand that had previously graced your cheek was now laying flat against the bed between your two bodies, his fingers jolting and twitching slightly. You knew what your next move had to be.

“You can touch them, if you’d like?” you voice, sounding more like a small squeak than actual words. Your nerves had sent a fresh sheet of goosebumps over your skin, your nipples still peaked and aching slightly against the draft in Eddie’s room. His eyes meet your instantly, once again widening as though he was seeking your definitive permission before he gets ahead of himself.

“Are you sure?” followed by an audible gulp, “I mean, I’d love to but… you don’t have to do that”

He was so careful with his actions and his gazes that you knew you’d have to instigate anything further. Lifting your hand to grasp at his wrist that lay on the bed, you slowly spread out his palm and pressed your chest up more before placing his hand directly over the centre of your breast. A sigh of relief that you were not aware you were keeping escaped your lips in the same instance that a croaky groan left Eddie’s, the two harmonising together in perfect synchrony.

The tips of his fingers start to explore the sides of your boob, tracing shapes lightly along the thinner skin there. Allowing his fingers to prod experimentally, he gains enough confidence after a few moments to give his first delicate squeeze. While the action itself was miniscule, it was still enough to elicit a small whimper from you, causing Eddie’s eyes to once again return to yours. With his lips quivering slightly to suppress his satisfaction, his next squeeze was significantly firmer. You watched as, almost in slow motion, the fat of your breast buldged through the gaps of this fingers. Eddie seemed to watch this too, his only reaction being a low “oh, fuck…”

You huffed out a small chuckle before responding, “Everything you expected them to be?” He began to nod vigorously, his curls rubbing against his pillow. Watching his irises dance across your chest had induced many feelings. The most surprising feeling being safety. You knew that in this moment, you could rely on Eddie for anything. He would be cure to all ailments, the cause of all of your laughter. He held the key to your heart, and you knew that he would guard that key with his life. The realisation brings a fond smile to your face. The strongest feeling, however, was enough to wipe the smile straight off your face. That feeling that could not be mistaken for anything else…

You wanted him. You wanted Eddie Munson, your best friend. You desired him, longed for him… burned for him. And just as these revelations had made themselves apparent, Eddie had gently swiped a thumb across your peaked bud causing you to shudder. No, you didn’t want him, you needed him. With your mind now clouded with lust, you reach up a hand to cradle the side of his face, caressing his cheekbone with your thumb. You needed to approach this right. Needed to make absolutely sure that you hadn’t read it wrong, that the line was worth crossing. And as Eddie slowly shifted his gaze to meet yours, his eyes completely blown out and hazy with what you could only recgnise as lust, you had all the confirmation you needed.

But before you could even process what your next move would be, Eddie had already lunged forward and forcefully connected your lips together. You let out a sudden gasp before fervently reciprocating the kiss. His lips were warm, soft. Of course he had to mock you with having the perfect pillowy lips at a moment's notice. Eddie had opened his mouth to deepen the kiss, but had not yet made any intrusion into your own, just enjoying the moment wholly before he could over-extend his actions. You on the other hand had wanted him to push the boundaries; wanted him to explore your mouth, leaving no corner unsearched. Deciding to test the waters you jabbed your tongue into the tip of his, earning yourself a raspy moan, the vibrations making you exert your own breathy whine.

As your tongues danced with one another in perfect cadence, Eddie’s hand that had previously found home on your breast had now slid its way to snake around your waist. Giving it a slight squeeze, he wraps his arm around you to satisfy his only mission of pulling you flush against his body. As your chest collided with his own, noting to yourself that he hadn’t even bothered changing out of his Slayer shirt and sweats from last night's gathering, a deep guttural groan erupted from his chest. You broke the kiss to meet his eyes, swooning at the closer proximity between the two of you.

“You okay there handsome?” you tease, trying to egg on his newfound confidence. It had seemed to work as he mumbled back to you,

“I’ve just always wanted to know how it felt to have the most perfect tits pressed against me,” he rasps out, “so thank you, Sweets”

Rolling your eyes at his dramatic antics, you playfully retort, “God Eds you make yourself sound like such a virgin.” Feeling brave, you decide to hook your thigh over his hips in order to further reduce any remaining space between you. And that’s when you feel it. You feel just how much of an effect your boobs had had on your best friend. You feel just how much Eddie had needed this too. How he yearned for it… ached for it.

He hissed quietly at the contact, one corner of his now swollen lips turning up slightly. With a bit more courage of his own he goaded to you, “If you want me to stop sounding like a virgin so much… then why don’t you change that?”

Plunging straight back into an impassioned kiss, you shift slightly to be able to wrap both arms around his neck, pulling his face impossibly closer as though any slight distance would rip him away from you. With his arm still tucked snug around the expanse of your back, he swiftly rolls onto his back and takes you with him, leaving you laying on top of his frame. Your hips had already unconsciously decided to grind against his crotch, the friction proving to be delicious for the both of you. You lost yourself in the kiss, delving deeper and deeper as though you sought to drown. Alas, you had to force your mind to swim back to the surface, breaking the kiss to ascertain clarity of the situation.

“Eddie, are you sure about this? Is this really what you want to do?” you question. Ending this now would be a devastating outcome. But it would be necessary if there was a possibility that he was unsure, in order to salvage your friendship, if that’s what this still was. He sits up abruptly and shuffles slightly up on the bed to lean across the headboard, taking your body with his as though that was what they were designed to do.

“You're kidding right?” he deadpans, “Fuck yeah, this is what I wanna do! Can’t you feel how insane you’re making me?” You chuckle at that and nod, giving your hips a mischievous wiggle, producing a short exhale from him. He continues, “There is no one else that I could even consider sharing this moment with. Me. You. This… it just makes sense.”

He’s staring straight into your eyes now. The deep brown orbs unravel the very last of your previous reservations. And he maintains his eye contact as he removes his arms from your waist to pry his shirt from his skin that had collected a slight sheen from the anticipation. You didn’t see where his shirt went and neither did he, both of you lost in each other's gaze. Your own hands reach down to find the hem of his sweats, hooking your fingers at his hips and tugging them down along with his boxers until they sit just behind you, collected around his mid thighs.

Breaking the stare, you peer downwards in an attempt to see what you’d be dealing with. You were impressed to say the least. Sure, it wasn’t gonna win any awards, but it was definitely the biggest out of what you’d dealt with before. Enough to make your walls clench around empty space. Enough to make your mouth salivate. Sitting pretty against his abdomen, encased in a thatch of curls. You could see that it was waiting for your next move, twitching at the anticipation.

Quickly glancing up to his face and seeing his confident persona falter slightly, you leaned up to press a chaste kiss to his lips before lowering yourself over the shaft, rocking your hips slowly to create a delectable friction. Eddie was quick to whine out at the feeling of your clothed cunt rubbing salaciously against his bare cock. With your forehead pressed to his, you quickly found your rhythm, each rock of your hips making you pant and whimper at the feeling of him rock hard against your swollen clit.

His hands suddenly shoot to your hips to halt your movements before pleading out, “Please, sweetheart. I can’t take all of this… need to be inside of you, please” The final plea was pathetic, sounding truly fucked out before anything had really begun. Normally you’d be inclined to tease and torture him some more, to use him for your own pleasure. But this was Eddie. Your Eddie. And so it was only right for you to heed his request on demand.

“Do you have a condom?” you inquire, raising your brows slightly to ephasise the urgency.

“Yeah, uhhh shit hang on,” he reaches to his far right to impatiently yank his top drawer open and fiddled with the unopened box before pulling one out and grinning as though he’d just struck gold. Taking the foil from him, you’re brisk in tearing it open and pinching the tip before wrapping a hand around his shaft to begin rolling it down. He whimpers and hisses at the minimal contact, earning an inquisitive look from you.

“What?! It feels good,” he exasperates, “You’re literally touching my dick”

With a light snort you quip, “God baby, you really have no idea…” You admire the way the pet name brings heat to his cheeks, dusting them pink. Lifting yourself gently with your knees, you use your free hand to swipe your panties to the side whilst lining him up with your other hand still grasped around him. Alerted by a quivering exhale from below you, you pause right on the precipice to smile at the beautiful man.

“Hey… it’s just me,” you mirror from earlier, hoping the phrase could provide him with some comfort, “okay? It’s just us” you finish. Waiting for his curt nod as an acceptance, you slowly lower yourself onto him, the stretch immediately welcomed by your fluttering walls. You had let out an elongated hum the further you sank down, whilst Eddie sang a string of curses at the brand new sensations.

Once you had bottomed out you left little time to adjust for the both of you, your need becoming all-encompassing. You’re quick to lift yourself again, stopping to drop back down sharply once almost at the tip.

“Oh my… fuck. Shit, okay” Eddie had become the shell of a man, losing himself completely in the feeling. With a steady pace, not too slow to cause frustration but not too quick to overwhelm him, you begin to bounce. Eddie’s half-lidded eyes were level with your tits, lazily watching them jolt with your movements, his jaw slack. All that could be heard was the slap of your breasts against your chest as well as your arse on Eddie’s hips, and his pitiful moans.

“Ahh, shit I won’t last sweets,” he mutters out, his words slurred in his pussydrunk state.

You slam your hips into his as hard as you could, relishing in the strangled cry of the broken man before you, before once again grinding your hips to meet that delicious friction of your clit against his thick patch of hair. The sensations cause your walls to flutter and grip his cock sporadically, in turn making Eddie whine with each breath he takes.

With this new motion, along with the pathetic display below you, your high was fast approaching. You opted for a combo of grinding your hips together whilst also lifting slightly for Eddie to feel the insatiable drag through your erratically clenching pussy. Feeling his hips begin to thrash up to desperately chase his high, you feel your own suddenly crash through your entire body. The rhythmic pulsing sends Eddie over the edge with you, gripping your hips like a vice as he yells out his strained groans, his voice significantly dropping a few octaves.

With your body going limp against his, you’re only able to muster up enough movement to press an ardent kiss to his jaw before tucking your face into his neck, his curls sticking to your face. Feeling a peck placed on your crown, you’re able to shift your head back slightly so that you’re still leaning on his shoulder, but this time able to gaze at his face. His own face meets yours in the middle. The two of you stay like that for a while, taking in the details of each other’s faces. Eddie is the one who breaks the silence,

“Sooooooo… your tits are nice,” he grins cheekily as his eyebrows wiggle at you. Your eyes immediately widen as you gather the strength to swat at his other shoulder tiredly, but still giggle along at his behaviour,

“Eddie Munson, you really are insufferable”

#eddie munson #eddie munson smut #eddie munson x reader #joseph quinn #joseph quinn smut #joe quinn

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salchica · 3 months ago

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tender love is blind

In which Eddie dies, Steve lives, and the two of them finally get their happily ever after. -- For the Steddie ABO Valentine's Day Exchange!

Published: 02/08/2024 | Words: 5,462 | Rating: Mature | Link: x

Eddie doesn’t believe in the afterlife, not really.

Years ago when the paramedics wheeled his mom’s body away, Eddie had sat at the window in their shitty little apartment building and stared up at the night sky. He didn’t even know what he was looking for-- a sign maybe, like a shooting star. Something to let him know that the heroin was worth it and Josie Munson was in a better place.

There wasn’t anything, of course. Eddie’s Dad had stumbled into the apartment high off his ass, like the solution to his wife’s overdose was to follow in her footsteps. He shoved Eddie into a car and somehow got him to Hawkins in one piece. In hindsight maybe that was the sign, his mama’s way of doing him one last solid from the beyond. Wayne is the best thing that’s ever happened to Eddie, and if the grizzled Beta could be believed Eddie was the best thing to ever happen to him, too. He thanks a god he only sorta believes in that Wayne is safe in Normal Hawkins, that none of this shit will ever touch him. Eddie tries to smile, but then he remembers that he’s dying.

“Please, Eddie--” That’s Steve, fuck. He hadn’t wanted Stevie to see him like this. He tries to talk, but instead of ‘I love you’, iron and copper flood his throat.

Eddie regrets a lot, but right now not mating Steve is the biggest one. Eddie had wanted to wait-- until he’d graduated, until he'd saved enough money, until until until. He regrets not taking his chance at happiness when he could. Steve had wanted Eddie’s bite, had made that abundantly clear every heat and rut they’d spent together over the last year. It had been Eddie that got hung up on wanting to give his Omega the best start at their life together… and now he’ll never get the chance.

“He’s gone, Steve, we gotta go--” That’s Nancy, probably. She seems like the type to compartmentalize.

“Eds, you can’t leave me, please baby get up. It’s your year, remember? You gotta just get up for me, just sit up--” Steve is spiraling. Normally Eddie would distract him, would have already pulled Steve into a hug and probably scented him a little. Make them both smell like clove-honey, cinnamon-vanilla.

“Wakeupwakeupwakeup,” There’s pressure on his chest, but it keeps sliding off because from what Eddie remembers he doesn’t really have much of a chest anymore. He feels a mouth on his, realizes that Stevie is giving him CPR. “Nancy you gotta do something!” That’s Buckley. Killing Vecna must have gone well then, if all three of them are here and alive.

“Shit,” Nancy says. And then she growls, “Steve, let’s go.” All Alpha, a tone Eddie’s only used on Steve to snap him out of a panic attack. Usually Steve is thankful, but this time he makes a sound Eddie’s never heard before; a high, keening wail that breaks what’s left of Eddie’s heart. He hears a scuffle, like Steve is being dragged away. The wail doesn’t stop.

Eddie really hopes there’s an afterlife, if only so he can see Stevie again. He imagines them meeting in Heaven; Steve will be like 98 with crow’s feet and gray hair that’s full but maybe a little shorter and he’s been happy and they can dance and kiss, even though Eddie is frozen at 21. It’s a nice dream. Eddie really wishes he could smile.

Robin holds Steve, after everything.

She’s the only thing keeping him together when his body threatens to shake apart, and now that Steve is almost officially out of secrets he feels numb. The entire Party witnessed him trying to claw his way back into the Upside Down, screaming for Eddie to come back. They’d known he was an Omega-- it was hard to hide, after Starcourt and the Russian drugs-- but they hadn’t know about SteveandEddie.

Eddie had thought it was funny, to keep them a secret. Dustin kept pestering them about meeting each other, and the kid was insufferable on a good day. They’d wanted a big reveal; something to give the kid a heart attack when they finally told everyone they’d been dating for a year. Besides Robin and Uncle Wayne, no one had known, and now everyone’s found out in the worst way possible. In hindsight, Max probably knew the whole time. She’s a smart kid, and if the whole Vecna thing is any proof, really good at keeping secrets.

Over the next few days the Party curls up in the pack nest in the Harrington living room, everyone filtering in and out in shifts so Steve and Robin are never alone. Robin only gets up to make food and use the restroom; she pumps out a constant stream of calm and steady pheromones even though Steve can tell that she’s grieving, too. Steve hasn’t taken off his scent patches since before Vecna. They make his neck and wrists itch, and he knows wearing them this long isn’t healthy but there’s so much he’s not ready to face.

Everyone talks to him, even though he can’t bring himself to respond. Max has a broken leg, but she’s fine. Dustin has a sprained ankle, but he’s fine too, at least physically. Hopper was never dead, just held captive by Russians. Eleven has her powers back. Erica and Lucas are rattled, Mike and Will are being awkward, and Jonathan has a new friend named Argyle. Nancy is busy as always, running around helping with the town’s relief efforts.

They all pepper Robin with questions whenever they think Steve is out of earshot.

“He smells like my aunt after my uncle died,” Mike asks. “He smells like a widow. Were they-- I mean I don’t see a bite mark, but… were they mated?”

“No,” Robin says. “Eddie wanted to wait until graduation.”

“Oh. ‘86 was going to be his year.” Mike makes a punched out noise, like it just dawns on him.

That night, Steve burrows into Robin’s side. Her scent is lavender and lemon, soothing yet sharp. Steve knows he’s not going to like what she has to say when she starts smelling nervous. “Babe, look at me for a second,” She says. She pats his hair until Steve looks up. “Dustin said he saw Wayne putting up posters at the school, looking for Eddie. Looking for the both of you, actually. Someone has to tell him.”

Steve closes his eyes against a wave of despair. It threatens to crush him, to pull him under until he can’t tell up from down. “I can’t, Robbie,” Steve says. He’s never been more at war with himself; his Omega feels far away, only mildly distressed even though Steve has never felt further from peace. “I can’t stand there and tell him I couldn’t bring Eddie home.”

“I know for a fact Uncle Wayne would never blame you,” Robin tries. Steve doesn't answer, just wraps an arm around his stomach. Robin sighs.

“I’ll ask Joyce, or Nancy.” Robin says finally.

He nods. He shuts his eyes. He quietly wishes to float away and never come back.

Steve has only been to two funerals in his life. One when he was eleven; his Grandpa Otis passed away, and the Harringtons had thrown a memorial fit for a small-town king. The coffin was shiny, the food was catered, and the choir was hand-picked from among local unpresented pups. The ceremony was gorgeous, and at the end of it people came out of the woodwork to shake hands with Steve’s parents and tell them how much of a pillar of the community Grandpa Otis was. Little Steve had fixated on the flowers-- even though he was an alpha, Grandpa Otis always loved roses, and had had a huge plot for them in his backyard. He’d said they reminded him of Steve’s grandma, a society Omega that always smelled like roses and rainwater. Otis had taught Steve how to weed and pluck and prune his rose bushes, but at his funeral, there were only hydrangeas and gardenias.

“Where are the roses?” Steve’d asked his mom.

Vivian Harrington rolled her eyes, “Roses are so… common.” She sniffs at the word, her perfect face wrinkling in disgust. “Don’t you want everyone to know how much we loved Grandpa Otis?”

Even then, Little Steve had known to read between the lines, that what his mother was really saying was Don’t you want everyone to see how much money we have? He’d bitten his tongue, but later when his parents were away on another business trip Steve snuck into the cemetery with a handful of roses and spent the night curled up by Grandpa Otis’ headstone.

The second funeral Steve had gone to was for Dustin’s cat, Mews. It was actually more like a candlelight vigil, and Mrs. Henderson had bawled, clutching at a guilty Dustin who’d given a very heartfelt speech. It was all very moving if not a little uncomfortable, but Steve can’t imagine that Mews actually gave a fuck that in lieu of a body they’d buried a can of his favorite food.

Both instances cemented one thing in Steve’s mind; funerals, they’re for the living.

So when Wayne tracks Steve down two weeks after Vecna and asks if Steve will come with him down to the church to plan Eddie’s service, Steve can’t help but think of the way Wayne welcomed him into his home with open arms; the grizzled Beta rarely asked for anything, but gave Eddie and Steve everything in return. Of course Steve says yes.

Wayne’s truck squeals as they pull into the church parking lot. His fingers grip the steering wheel, the white of his knuckles the only thing giving away his nerves. Like Steve, Wayne is wearing a scent patch-- Steve can’t pick out any of Wayne’s emotions, only catching hints of tobacco and orange.

Hawkins only has one church still standing, and it’s unfortunately been run by the Carver family for the last 70 years. Pastor and Mrs. Carver had gone on the morning news and invited all of Hawkins to use their church to say goodbye to their loved ones that died in the “earthquakes”. They were the picture of the perfect alpha omega couple, eyes red-rimmed and mouths spouting bullshit like ‘it’s what Jason would have wanted’. As if their kid hadn't died during a manhunt for an innocent person. Steve knows this whole thing is useless, but he respects Wayne for trying anyway.

He thinks that if Eddie were here he probably would have insisted on the church, actually, if only to scandalize the ‘fine upstanding hypocrites of Hawkins, Indiana’. Steve lets himself imagine it-- instead of hymns, they’d shake the walls with Metallica. The Party would all wear their Hellfire shirts, and Steve would wear the cropped prototype Eddie had made for him, even though it was cut right under Steve’s nipples and entirely inappropriate. Eddie had always loved Steve in that shirt and would always cut it incrementally shorter, and Steve would pretend not to notice. Maybe his ghost would appreciate the show.

Wayne doesn’t move to get out of the car. The silence weighs down on Steve, this heavy thing that isn’t even being offset by the mellow croon of Dolly Parton on the radio. Wayne turns towards Steve, his mustache twitching oddly above his lip.

“Steve--” Wayne starts.

“I’m sorry,” Steve blurts out. “If I hadn’t… after Starcourt, if Eddie hadn’t found me, and then with Vecna it was Eddie’s first time with the Upside Down and if I hadn’t left Eddie and Dustin alone--” Steve hasn’t been able to stop crying in two weeks, and this time isn’t any different. It’s like he gets three seconds of peace before the fact that Eddie is gone slams into his chest and sets him off again.

Steve fists his hands in his sweater, rubbing harshly at the fat tears rolling down his face. His stomach somersaults but he holds back the nausea, not looking Wayne in the eyes.

“Harrington,” Wayne says again. He clears his throat when Steve flinches at the use of his last name-- “Steve, please, can you look at me, son?”

“You don’t have to say anything, Wayne, I know it’s my fault--”

“Steve, I don’t blame you,” Wayne says.

“You should,” Steve scoffs.

It’s true; he’d had a bad feeling about their plan but he’d let everyone go through with it anyway. A not-small part of Steve was convinced that if Eddie had never met him, the Upside Down would have never come into the Munson family's lives. It’s like the Upside Down was a disease; once you’re a part of it, anything and everyone you get close gets infected.

“You should hate me,” Steve says.

“I don’t,” Wayne says. “I can’t.”

Even though Wayne isn’t a man of many words, the Beta has always been kind to Steve. He’s never given Steve a shovel talk, not even when he caught Eddie sneaking Steve out of the Munson trailer more than once in the early hours of the morning. And when they were officially introduced around a dinner of pizza and Coke, he’d welcomed Steve into their family with open arms even though he’d had no reason to trust a Harrington. Even when he seemed confused that Steve seemed to be sticking around.

“You should hate me,” Steve says again.

With a frustrated growl, Wayne lifts his scent patch. The truck is a three-seater, so it doesn’t take long for his scent to flood the carriage with the expected citrus-tobacco-grief. But underneath that… love-protectiveness-affection. Steve’s nose twitches, heart stuttering.

“You made my boy the happiest I’ve ever seen him. The way Dustin Henderson tells it, Eddie went out a hero. Protecting one of those pups you care about so much.”

“Yeah, yes,” Steve is quick to agree. “He was a hero.”

Wayne nods and takes a deep breath.

“Eddie is… Eddie was used to people leaving,” Wayne says. “His mama, his daddy-- that boy was accustomed to giving people his heart and then watching as they stomped all over it. I knew as soon as I saw you two together that you weren’t like that.” He sniffs and clears his throat.

“I knew that boy like the back of my hand, and I don’t know if I would have been able to put him back together, if he had lost you. I know you weren’t mated, but you’re still family.”

Steve realizes, then, that Wayne probably understood. Mike was right-- Steve, when he lets himself take off his scent patches, smells like he’s been widowed. Eddie wasn’t Wayne’s kid, and he wasn’t Steve’s mate, but he still held those places in both of their hearts.

“Thank you,” Steve chokes out.

Wayne gives Steve a pat on the shoulder, rubbing his wrist against Steve’s arms before sticking his scent patch back into place. “You might be family, but I’ll thump you if you ever make me talk that much again,” Wayne laughs wetly. “Now let’s go.”

In the Upside Down, Eddie Munson opens his eyes.

The line for the church moves agonizingly slowly because people keep jostling in front of them once they recognize Wayne. People shove past with barely concealed snarls, and Steve’s glad his scent patches are on; the scent of distress-anger-omega would have probably made the situation worse.

As it was Steve already had to breathe through his mouth so he wouldn’t be able to smell the shock-disgust-confusion radiating off of the people of Hawkins as they wondered at Wayne’s audacity. Even though the government big-wigs had swooped in and cleared Eddie’s name, it wasn’t enough when people had already decided that Eddie had invited evil into Hawkins by simply existing.

“Won’t be long now,” Wayne says.

Two hours pass. Wayne keeps his eyes forward, his scent never wavering beyond his stoic citrus. All the different scents layering over each other give Steve a headache. It bursts into existence from behind his eyes, and Steve isn’t sure if it’s a result of repeated head trauma or… well, something else.

After that everything is blurry.

Steve knows they get to the front of the line, remembers Pastor Carver baring his fangs and yanking the ‘Funeral Request Form’ out of Wayne’s hands. He remembers laughing, humorless; for all that Jason Carver Sr. preached about religion putting him ‘above his base instincts’, he was halfway feral at the very sight of Wayne Munson.

Steve remembers Wayne tilting his head, submitting, and snatches of a conversation--

“I figured you know what it’s like, losing a son,” Wayne had said. “I’d like to bury mine, please. Near his mama, if that’s alright with you.”

He remembers Carver Sr.’s fangs extending, eyes shifting into a bloody, Alpha red—

“My son,” Pastor Carver spat, “was not a murderer.”

“Neither was mine,” Wayne growls.

Steve remembers letting out a whine as a sharp pain shot through his stomach, accompanying the one in his head, Wayne turning, looking at him with concern-- “Steve, are you okay?”

And then, nothing.

Eddie can’t tell if he’s in Hell or the Upside Down.

He also hasn’t decided if he’s dead or not, but that seems like a secondary concern, honestly. He kind of hopes he’s in Hell, because at least then there’s bound to be other Damned souls hanging around if he looks hard enough. But if it’s the Upside Down that means that his friends left him. And if they left him, that means they didn’t think he needed a way out in the first place.

Of course, there’s the possibility Hell only looks like the Upside Down because that’s where Eddie beefed it… he doesn’t know. Everything’s all jumbled together, and to be fair maybe-dying hasn’t left him a lot of time to parse through the maybe-Afterlife logically.

Fact: He’d woken up surrounded by dead demobats. Their bodies were all twisted and broken, like they’d fallen mid-flight instead of landing. Point for the Upside Down.

Fact: Eddie’s room in Wayne’s trailer is still stuck in 1983. It’s almost hard to notice-- Eddie has always been in the habit of adding more things to his room, layering posters on top of each other. Stevie used to joke that if Eddie added any more layers, he’d be boxing himself in. The biggest difference, though, is the absence of Steve’s nest. It makes his Alpha panic, actually; his instincts are screaming for him to find his Omega and make sure Stevie’s safe.

Fact: He’s hungry. He feels like Tantalus, hunger fogging his mind until he can’t even fucking think. His fangs are longer than they’ve ever been, even for an Alpha, and combined everything is pointing to something Eddie doesn’t even want to think about.

So he’s decided that he’s probably haunting a parallel dimension. Maybe. It’s still unclear.

He’s doomed to live out his afterlife in a parallel dimension because he saved a fucking freshman. Not that he regrets it-- Dustin was Eddie’s favorite, and Steve’s favorite even though Steve claimed not to have any-- but Eddie can’t help but relive the moment he died over and over again. He can’t help thinking that instead of cutting the rope and trapping Dustin in the Rightside Up, he could’ve jumped down with him. Instead of standing on top of his trailer and playing Master of Puppets, he could’ve hooked his radio up to his amp and fucking blasted it.

Luckily he has time, an eternity even, to really think about all the ways he’s fucked up.

At some point, Eddie adopts a demobat. It’s rare to find one that’s alive -- all the ones that used him as his last meal were 100% dead, thankfully -- but this one’s a baby. He’s calling it Dustin II, because it’s annoying in a cute way, using its feet to bop along and walk behind Eddie instead of flying. As the only other thing Eddie’s seen alive, he’s kind of attached to the little guy.

“Never let society tell you that drug dealing isn’t good,” Eddie says. Dustin II flaps his ears, and Eddie takes that as a nod. “Nothing can be that bad, especially not when it introduces you to the love of your life,” Eddie says.

“Stevie called me one day, just like super out of it. He said he got roofied by Russians. I thought he was kidding, but now I know he was most definitely not--”

Eddie’s in Melvad’s, trying to find food he won’t throw up. He’s gone through cans of beans, cans of vegetables, bags of chips… nothing sates his hunger, and even though Eddie thinks it might help, he avoids the meat section entirely. It’s probably all spoiled anyway. He ignores the fact that it still sounds delicious.

“He calls me over to get some strong painkillers, and asks me to stay with him in case he freaks out. Of course I do it-- King Steve calling me? I’ve been half in love with the guy ever since he was a fucking freshman, of course went over immediately. I show up with drugs, he actually does freak out. I talk him down, and as the kids say, the rest is history.”

Eddie picks up an apple. It’s more than rotted, it’s practically mummified. He considers it, weighing it in his hand. His stomach revolts-- this won’t do him any good. Eddie shakes his head and throws it away.

Dustin II chitters. “I know, man,” Eddie nods. “Finding out King Steve was actually Stevie, that he’s a good guy who takes care of a gaggle of kids and likes fucking ABBA-- it rocked my fucking world. Falling in love with him probably goes against the natural order, but I dare you to find anyone that wouldn’t love that man.”

Somewhere an aisle over, there’s a crash. Eddie flinches and ducks into a crouch. He was stupid to think that Dustin II was the only thing to survive in the Upside Down-- what if it’s a Demogorgon or a Demo-something else… Eddie’s too hungry, he’s too tired, he can’t do this…

He creeps up the aisle, peeking around the corner. He jumps out with a yell, claws and fangs hyperextended--

--There, in front of Dustin II, is a thick, reddish membrane. Dustin II chitters again. If Eddie didn’t know any better, the thing would look fucking smug. “Holy shit.”

The first thing Steve sees when he wakes up is Robin’s worried face. It immediately shifts to relief, and she goes to punch his arm before she hesitates, her hand spasming before she rubs his shoulder instead. She holds a glass of water up to his lips and he sucks it down, greedily. “What happened?” Steve says.

“You passed out at the church, dingus. Apparently Wayne had to actually catch you before you got another concussion.”

“Oh.”

“Steve… They called the ambulance. The EMTs took off your scent patches.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah,” Robin says. She brushes her wrists over Steve’s neck, his sides, filling his nose with lavender. “Everyone’s waiting downstairs.”

Steve Harrington is officially out of secrets.

The thing is, Steve never planned on saying anything. When the pregnancy test came back positive, Steve had immediately gotten into his car and driven out of Hawkins. Not even twenty minutes later he’d had to pull over and throw up his lunch.

His Omega wasn’t happy-- he could feel his instincts rebelling against his very human, very urgent need to get the fuck out of Hawkins, Indiana. Steve had looked down the highway, eyes roving over the Welcome to Hawkins sign. It mocked him in happy yellow letters, like Hawkins wasn’t a hellmouth that’s already taken everything from him. He’d leaned back against the cool metal of his car, letting the soft rumble of the idling engine sooth his sour stomach. Eddie’s battle jacket was warm around his shoulders, and Steve had stuck his nose in it letting Eddie’s clove-honey scent soothe and calm him down the rest of the way. His hands had passed over his stomach as he got back into the front seat.

He makes a U-Turn and drives back the way he came.

Steve walks downstairs.

As one, all eyes turn to him. Everyone’s there-- all the kids, Hopper, Joyce, Murray. Even Wayne. Steve turns to him, first. He doesn’t care if everyone hears, he needs to make Wayne understand.

“I’m sorry,” Steve says. “I wanted to tell you, but I figured you’d eventually want to leave Hawkins and I can’t be the reason you’re stuck here. This whole place, no matter how much they hated Eddie and the way Eddie hated them… He’s just, he’s all over Hawkins, and I can’t leave him when he’s here or in some version of here, and I know you don’t owe me anything because we weren’t bonded, not really, and we’d just talked about it--”

“You’re carrying my grandpup,” Wane interrupts. His eyes are misty.

“Yeah,” Steve says weakly. Wayne crosses the room and pulls Steve into a hug, passing his wrists all over Steve in a way more intimate scenting than they’d had in the parking lot of the church. This time it’s more than a light touch; it’s borderline parental, in a way Steve’s parents never were.

He sees the happiness in Wayne’s eyes, his joy at having a piece of Eddie that isn’t locked behind the gate to a hell dimension. Wayne has said a million times over that he sees Steve as his own kid, but this is the first time Steve actively lets himself feel it. Wayne finally lets Steve go but hovers at his side as he turns and faces the rest of the kids.

“So yeah,” Steve smiles sadly. “I’m having a baby.” The room erupts into cheers.

Eddie Munson laughs as he bursts into the Rightside Up, taking huge gulps of fresh air. “YES! ‘86, baby, what did I say! It’s my fucking year!!!” At his side, Dustin II screeches, feeding off Eddie’s energy.

So.

Fact: Eddie Munson is a vampire.

It’s the only explanation, really-- he survived for weeks in the Upside Down without food, raw meat is the only thing that sounds even remotely edible, and his fangs are so long they probably belong in a record book somewhere. His first instinct is to find Steve, to claim him right then, to make up for all the time he wasted. He lets himself imagines it:

It’s the afterglow of Steve’s heat and they’re sweaty and practically glued together--

Steve looks at him, his face breaking into a smile that makes Eddie’s favorite moles scrunch together, practically touching, and Eddie will lick his lips, he’d be nervous, probably--

It’d be evening, hopefully sunset, so the sun can outline Steve in a halo of yellow light. He’ll look angelic and fucked-out. His blush’ll spread down his chest and over the sharp planes of his stomach, and Eddie will take his hand in his jaw and he’ll nuzzle at Steve’s throat, popping out his fangs--

Sticky blood runs down his fingers, and he’s trying to prop Steve up and Steve’s eyes go from trusting to horrified and it’s too late and he can’t move and nothing he’s pressing his fingers to Steve’s neck but the blood won’t stop but instead of being horrified… His knot expands, pushing at Steve’s belly from the inside and he’s killing him and he wants to stop and he can’t, and he wants to save Steve but he can’t, and then. And Steve is lifeless, a broken, bloody thing, contorted and dead in their nest.

Eddie shakes himself out of it. That can’t happen, that won’t happen. His laughs peter off into sobs…

He doesn’t think he can ever see Steve again.

Steve’s Omega wakes him up that night.

He shimmies out of Robin’s hold, steps over the pups and out of the backdoor of his house before he’s even fully shaken off the haze of sleep. He walks into the first behind his house, following the scent of clove and honey. Steve thinks it’s his mind playing tricks on him. It’s Eddie’s scent but something more piggybacking on it, something that smells like blood, an undercurrent of iron.

He feels stupid, but-- “Eddie?” The trees in front of him rustle.

Steve whips around, tiny fangs bared and hand hovering protectively over his stomach.“Stop,” The shadow growls. Steve can feel a whine in the back of his throat. His Alpha is ordering him away, doesn’t Eddie want him anymore? Logic is gone, there’s just sadness.

“Eddie, is that you?” Steve’s shaking, he’s unraveling, he’s coming apart why can’t his Alpha see that. “Eds, talk to me please.”

“Don’t come any closer,” He says, but his voice cracks on the command. Steve has fallen asleep to that voice too many times to not recognize it. For the first time since Vecna his Omega and his heart are on the same page. Steve feels despair, but more than that he’s angry.

The shadow moves further into the forest. Historically it’s the Alpha that chases an Omega, but Steve’s nose isn’t lying to him, his heart isn’t lying to him. He holds his hand over his stomach, the barely-there swell comforting him. He’s about to do something so fucking stupid--

Steve runs.

The shadow is impossibly fast, almost teleporting through the trees, but Steve is determined. He ignores that he’s barefoot, even though the ache in his feet is already catching up to him. Maybe-Eddie might be fast, but Steve grew up in these woods, mapping them every summer since he was old enough to walk. Steve sniffs-- smells iron and blood, clove and honey-- there.

He launches himself at the shadow, and they tumble to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Steve’s legs wrap around Eddie’s waist, pinning him to the ground in between his knees. It’s Eddie, but… the first thing Steve notices is that Eddie’s fingers are different, long and skinny and pitch black at the tips. Steve thinks it’s a trick of the light until they move to cover Eddie’s face.

“Alpha, how are you here?” Steve says.

“Surprise,” Eddie says. He moves his hands, finally, and Steve tries to catalog every change in his face. He’s skinnier, gaunt almost, the circles under his eyes making them look impossibly wide and dark. Steve brings his hands up to Eddie’s face, cradling it. They’re both crying. Salty tears drip down Steve’s nose and onto Eddie. “Why did you run from me?”

“Stevie, you saw me die,” Eddie says. “You saw me die, and then I came back wrong.” Eddie’s shaking. Steve holds him tighter. “Nothing about you could ever be wrong, Eds,” Steve says.

“Yeah, well, I’m pretty sure I’m a vampire now.”

That gives Steve’s pause. But… it’s Eddie, impossibly kind, impossibly wonderful Eddie. The guy who takes spiders out in his palms even when it would be easier to kill them. Again, Steve and his Omega are on the same page.

“Okay, so you’re a vampire. There is a literal child with superpowers in my nest as we speak,” Steve says. “I know you, Eddie. You’d never hurt me, and you’d die before hurting our baby.”

A beat. Steve is just so happy now, and it bubbles out of him as he laughs at Eddie’s dumbstruck expression. “Wait, huh,” Eddie says. “Come again?”

“You, Eddie Munson, would never hurt me or our baby,” Steve giggles. “I was thinking Winnie, if it’s a girl, and maybe Otis for a boy. What do you think?”

“We’re having a baby?” Steve is right; even through all the changes, Eddie is Eddie. His hands flutter over Steve’s stomach, eyes searching Steve’s in the dim moonlight. Steve nods, grabbing Eddie’s hands and placing them over his belly. There’s nothing to feel, not yet, but Eddie’s eyes are wide with wonder anyway.

“You’re gonna be a daddy,” Steve says. Between one blink and the next, Eddie growls and pulls Steve down on top of him. They come together in a crash of teeth and tongues. Steve whines, a small thing in his chest that gets louder as Eddie’s attention shifts to Steve’s neck and chest, sucking and biting everywhere but where Steve wants him.

Later, Eleven will go through Eddie’s mind and confirm what Steve already knew, that Eddie is still himself even if he needs a little blood once and a while.

Later, they’ll welcome their baby girl, a sweet little thing with Eddie’s curls and Steve’s moles. They’ll give Wayne his ‘worlds best grandpa’ mug and he’ll get tears all over all of them.

But right now, under the moonlight, they have all the time in the world.

THE END.

Notes: Dividers by @strangergraphics

#eddie x steve #stranger things #omegaverse #steddie #exchange fic #major character death #but not really at all #vampire Eddie munson #non graphic mpreg #mpreg #secret relationship #omega steve harrington #alpha eddie munson #Steve Harrington x Eddie munson

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dwobbitfromtheshire · 24 days ago

Text

If a metalhead falls asleep on you, keep them forever

A Stedancy fanfiction

A/N: It's longer than I thought it would be.

Nancy had been with them since the very beginning, having walked into Family Video right before Max and Dustin. She had talked Eddie successfully down from accidentally stabbing Steve, his body pressed up against Steve and holding him in place. Nancy had pleaded with him, looking at him and then at Steve. Her Steve she had called him. Nancy wasn't mad at him, not really, because she knew how scared he was. Eddie had briefly smirked when she moved closer and threatened to shoot him if he didn't let Steve go. There was this moment between all three of them. . .it was weird and couldn't be explained.

"That's a lot of pretzels," Nancy said.

"Dustin said he loves pretzels," Steve said.

"He also loves throwing them at the kids," Nancy said.

"Hm, well, maybe you can fix it, and I can make him worse in other areas in like a good way," Steve said.

"Are you saying we'd be good for him?" Nancy asked.

"You know, as friends," Steve said, blushing.

"Right, friends," Nancy said.

"Because he needs friends and food, come on," Steve said.

They had left the kids with Robin at Nancy's when they both volunteered to bring Eddie food. It was starting to get dark now, and the man was probably hungry. They grabbed the bags of food and walked up to Rick's front door. Nancy watched as Steve picked the lock on the door with a bobby pin. She looked at him in surprise.

"What? I'd figure it would be a skill we would need to know," Steve said. "Turns out, I'm right."

They pushed open the front door and searched the lower floor of the house but couldn't find Eddie. Steve and Nancy set the bags of food down on the coffee table before moving to the second floor. To their relief, they found him curled up fast asleep on the floor of Rick's bedroom. Eddie's body jerked, and he started whimpering, calling out Chrissy's name.

"He's having a nightmare," Nancy whispered.

Steve and Nancy moved to his side immediately. They touched him gently and shook him. Eddie gasped as his eyes snapped open.

"Wheeler? Harrington?" Eddie asked.

"Hey, man, we're here," Steve said softly.

"We're not going anywhere," Nancy said and began stroking his hair. "We've got you."

Eddie let out a sob as he buried his head onto both of them, holding on tightly. Steve frowned and rubbed his back while Nancy continued to run her fingers through his hair.

"It's not real. It's not real," Eddie cried.

Eddie cried himself back to sleep pretty quickly, nuzzling Steve and Nancy's legs as he relaxed under their touch.

"What do we do now?" Nancy asked with wide eyes.

"Well, we obviously can never move again," Steve said.

"What?" Nancy asked.

"Yeah, when a metalhead falls asleep on you, you're not allowed to move," Steve said.

"I think that's when a cat or a dog falls asleep on you," she said in amusement.

"No, I think that applies to metalheads, too," Steve said. "He seems to be sleeping better. Listen to the cute little noises he's making. Aww."

"We can't leave him here, Steve," Nancy said. "We have to take him back with us. It won't be long before they find him here, too."

"Okay, so, what? Hide him in your basement?" Steve asked.

"Well, if my brother can do it, then so can I," Nancy said.

"Hey, El and Eddie!" Steve exclaimed, and Nancy couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Should we wake him up?" Nancy asked.

"Aw, I really don't want to," Steve said.

"Well, either we wake him up, or you carry him down the stairs," she said.

Steve slipped his arms underneath Eddie and picked him up carefully. Nancy walked behind them as Steve walked down the stairs with Eddie. She was amazed that Eddie was still asleep. Nancy grabbed the bags on the way out while also helping Steve maneuver Eddie out the front door. They managed to get Eddie into the backseat without waking him up. Steve slipped into the backseat of Nancy's car while she slipped into the driver's seat, and they drove off. He had slept almost the entire time. . .until they were almost at the back door to the basement. Eddie panicked and fell out of Steve’s arms. Steve quickly pressed him up against the wall and put a hand over his mouth.

"We're sneaking you into Nancy's basement, but in order to do that, you need to be quiet," Steve whispered. "Okay?"

Eddie nodded as Steve removed his hand. Nancy leaned against the wall next to them.

"Hm, this seems familiar," Nancy smirked. "By the way. . .sneaking Eddie into my basement?"

Eddie snorted and clapped a hand over his mouth, winking at Nancy.

"Alright, Jesus, let's go in," Steve rolled his eyes with a smile.

Eddie helped Nancy with the bags as she knocked on the door with the secret knock that Dustin and Lucas had come up with. Robin opened the door and gasped.

"What is he doing here?" Robin whispered.

"Let us in Robin, and we'll tell you," Steve hissed.

"Right!"

Robin quickly stepped aside and let them in. Nancy and Eddie immediately set the bags down on the coffee table.

"What's Eddie doing here?" Lucas asked.

"Jesus, don't everyone hug me all at once," Eddie said, rolling his eyes.

Dustin threw himself into his arms, hugging him tightly. Eddie laughed as they broke the hug.

"You know what I mean, man," Lucas said.

"Wheeler and Harrington were the ones who kidnapped me. You have to ask them," Eddie replied.

"We just couldn't leave you there, especially after you had that nightmare, and you curled up in our lap like a puppy," Nancy said. "It wouldn't have been right."

"Thanks," Eddie said softly, looking at them with wide and earnest eyes before grinning. "And thank you to Harrington for carrying me out in his big strong arms. You really had me, didn't you, big boy?"

"Are you flirting with Steve, Eddie?" Dustin blurted out.

"Dustin, man, you can't just ask a guy if he's flirting with another guy," Lucas said.

"I didn't mean to! It slipped out!" Dustin exclaimed. "Just forget I asked anything. If someone were to flirt with another guy, we would be okay with that."

"That's sweet of you, Dustin," Eddie laughed. "But I wasn't flirting with him. I'm not gay. I've been with women. Well, one woman. I definitely like women. Okay! Moving on! Sinclair! Talk to me."

Eddie plopped onto the couch next to him.

"Uh, about what?" Lucas asked.

"You know, I never did apologize for the whole basketball sports game thing," Eddie said. "I could have postponed, and I definitely shouldn't have gotten your friends to replace you with your sister. I shouldn't have tried to get between you guys, period. I'm sorry."

"I shouldn't have tried to fit in with those assholes, I should have been honest with them from the beginning. I just wanted the bullying to stop, and it was never my intention to make you guys feel like I was ashamed of you," Lucas said.

Eddie and Lucas hugged tightly, clapping each other on the back.

"For the record, Eddie, you can't ever get between us. Our bond is too strong," Dustin said. "We're family."

"You're officially one of us now," Lucas said.

"I wish there was a better way of doing that," Eddie muttered.

"Don't we all," Nancy said sympathetically.

"So, it's decided. . . Nancy is going to keep Eddie in her basement?" Robin asked, and Nancy snorted, pressing a hand to her mouth. "Really? I expected this kind of behavior from Steve and Eddie, but from you? Nancy, you're the editor of the newspaper!"

Nancy giggled.

"I don't get it," Dustin said.

"I'll explain it to you when you're smarter," Max said.

Suddenly, they heard the sound of the basement door opening. Nancy and Steve quickly shoved Eddie into the bathroom, standing guard in front of it. Karen appeared on the stairs.

"I was just checking in. I heard your car, Nancy. Where'd you run off to?" Karen asked.

"Oh, I went and bought snacks for the kids. They're still feeling a little unsettled by what's going on," Nancy said.

"Well, it's nice that you're all sticking together. I called your parents and let them know that you're staying here tonight," Karen said.

"Thanks, Mrs. Wheeler," Dustin beamed.

"Try not to stay up too late, okay?" Karen asked.

"As long we all fall asleep before Lucas starts snoring, we're good," Dustin said and Karen laughed.

"Goodnight," Karen said as she exited the basement. "Sweet dreams."

Nancy and Steve opened the bathroom, letting Eddie out.

"So, your mom's nosy, huh?" Eddie asked Nancy.

"Yeah," Nancy said.

"That's good. It means she cares," Eddie replied, and Nancy smiled. "I'm fucking starving."

Steve and Nancy watched Eddie dig into the food, tossing some to the kids. He was crouching like some sort of goblin, and they couldn't help but smile at him.

"Waffles?" Eddie asked, pulling out a box.

"You know, when I picked that up, I was thinking of El, but I didn't think at the time that we would be hiding him here," Steve said in amusement and they laughed.

"Is that an inside joke that I don't know about?" Eddie asked, and they continued to laugh. "Yeah, it's an inside joke. Fuck you."

Dustin grabbed the box and ripped it open. He tossed a waffle to Max and to Lucas before grabbing one for himself. The three of them toasted their waffles before eating them.

"To El!"

The kids and Robin had fallen asleep pretty quickly after building the fort for Eddie. He quickly found some entertainment as he couldn't get to sleep. Eddie had drawn on Dustin's face and was now deciding on whose hand to put the pen in. Nancy and Steve watched in amusement as he tried to pick the right person to blame it on. Steve decided to put him out of his misery. He grabbed the marker and placed it in Robin's grip.

"She's going to think she sleep doodled again," Steve said. "It's going to be hilarious."

"You and Buckley have lots of sleepovers?" Eddie asked.

"Yeah, she'd freeze my boxers, and I'd freeze her bra. We'd draw on each other. She likes playing connect the dots with my moles. We'd talk about. . .things. It's all platonic. Very platonic. With a capital p," Steve said.

"Yeah, obviously. She's your Ronnie," Eddie said, flashing his dimples.

"Who?" Steve asked.

"Ronnie Ecker, the platonic love of my life since I was eight years old," Eddie said. "When I was about 13, I assumed that the next logical step in our relationship would be romance. I tried to kiss her. I had never seen her move as fast as she did then. I was so embarrassed. She still laughs about it. I'm glad she rejected me, though."

"Yeah, I tried to ask Robin out," Steve grinned. "I'm glad she rejected me too. Shouldn't have let Dustin convince me I had a crush on her."

"Yeah, the little shit has a way of getting stuck in your head and never leaving," Eddie said, gazing fondly at him. "I could say that I don't care about what the little shrimp thinks, but I would be lying. I was super jealous as hell by the way."

"Of me?" Steve asked.

"Oh, yeah. Dustin wouldn't stop talking about you. Kid worships you, the both of you," Eddie said.

"Both of us?" Nancy asked, moving closer to them.

"Yeah, he loves you guys and Buckley, too. But you two mean a lot to him. He didn't go into detail, but he said you put it all on the line for him and his friends. You driving him to the Snowball. . .and you dancing with him there. . .it meant a lot to him," Eddie said. "And Mike won't admit it, but he definitely looks up to you, too."

"He means a lot to us," Nancy said. "They all do."

"Yeah, I got that when you said you didn't want to see Dustin cry," Eddie said. "Can't believe you threatened to shoot me."

"She almost shot me once, " Steve smirked.

"And you almost deserved it," Nancy grinned.

"Is there something wrong with me, or is it. . .?" Eddie asked, leaning closer to him.

"Super attractive? Oh yeah," Steve said. "Definitely hot. By the way, man - and I don't mean to put a damper on this - but you need a shower."

"I don't smell that - oh, yeah, yeah, I do!" Eddie gagged.

"Well, my mom and dad should be in bed by now," Nancy said. "I can sneak you upstairs, and you can take a shower there."

A few minutes later, Nancy and Steve carefully led Eddie upstairs. They paused on the stairs when they heard a noise. Eddie crouched down behind Steve.

"Oh, that's just Holly," Nancy whispered. "She, uh, sleeps dances."

"That's adorable," Steve and Eddie whispered.

"Come on."

Nancy showed him to the bathroom, gave him some of Mike's clothes, and told him to meet her in her bedroom. Steve and Nancy watched him enter the bathroom before moving to her bedroom to wait for Eddie. Steve picked up the bear on her bed, smiling at nostalgically at it. He put it under his chin and waved it at her. Nancy smiled and laid down next to him.

"We've come a long way, haven't we?" Nancy asked.

"Yeah, it feels like we're both different people," Steve said.

"Well, we kind of are," Nancy said. "I'd like to think we both matured since then. Although, there's one thing that has stayed the same about you. You learn, grow, and you're always willing to do anything, to walk away from anyone, for the people you care about. You've always had heart, Steve Harrington, and it's something that I have always seen even when you had it tucked away."

Steve turned on his side to face her and stared into her eyes.

"You've always cared so much about people, and you were always willing to do whatever it takes to find the truth. You know, maybe it takes me a while, but I do learn. My mom told me I used to crawl backward. One time, I crawled backward and fell down the stairs, nearly busted my head open. I mean, eventually, I do learn. And you coming into my life. . . It was the fastest that I ever learned, and I just want to thank you for giving me the biggest thump of my life," Steve said. "I was asleep, and you woke me up."

Nancy slid her hand into Steve’s, smiling softly at him.

"Jonathan and I broke up," Nancy said.

"Oh, uh, I'm sorry," Steve said.

"It was a long time coming. We were both lying to each other about why we didn't want to go see each other. Jonathan told me he wanted to go to Emerson for me, and I told him I didn't want that. I wanted him to go where he had always wanted to go. For once, I wanted him to choose something for himself. When I found out that he was going to the community college to stay near his family, I accidentally let it slip to Joyce. I didn't know she knew, but Jonathan thought I did it on purpose. He wasn't all that angry when he broke up with me, I think he was looking for an excuse, and quite frankly, so was I," Nancy said and paused. "I think he's seeing someone now."

"I'm sorry," Steve said. "Wish I knew what else to say other than that."

"It's okay," Nancy laughed and paused. "Honestly, it could have gone a lot worse. . .kind of like us. . .you deserved better. You weren't a shitty boyfriend. You were the best first boyfriend a girl could ask for. I was just - "

" - lost. I forgave you a long time ago," Steve said. "We were in two different places then."

Nancy opened her mouth to say something when the door opened and quickly closed as Eddie walked in. He was wearing a pair of Mike's sweats, no shirt, and his hair was wrapped up in a towel. He tossed his dirty clothes into Nancy's hamper, leaving out his vest and jacket. He tossed Mike's shirt over the back of the chair.

"Did I interrupt something?" Eddie asked.

Nancy and Steve took in the sight of him. The sweats hung loose at his hips, revealing the start of his treasure trail. His stomach was soft and pale. . .well, all of him was like that. He was muscular in the arms but also still soft. Nancy wondered how many times he helped load and unload his band's equipment. . .did that play a part in the muscles on his arms? The tattoos above his nipple were weird but interesting as well as the tattoo on his arm. It definitely suited him. Nancy wondered if there were any more tattoos. . .maybe under his sweats? Nancy shook her head and pulled herself out of her thoughts, and looked at Steve to find him openly staring at Eddie with his mouth open. She nudged him.

"Oh! Uh, no, man, you didn't interrupt anything," Steve said, blushing.

"Wheeler, I hope you don't mind that I used your razor to shave my pits," Eddie said.

"What?!" Nancy exclaimed, sitting up.

"Just fucking with you," Eddie said with a grin and he began moving around her room, looking through her things. "Oh, look a Tom Cruise poster! And a box with a tiny woman in it to protect your jewelry! Hmm, she looks innocent, but I bet she comes alive to kick ass when people try to take your shit."

"Are you and Robin related?" Nancy asked. "That's literally the first thing she did when she came in here."

"Jesus, yeah, he's like the male, metalhead d&d playing version of Robin!" Steve exclaimed and then shook his head. "You know, Robin doesn't know who her biological father is. Her mother was already pregnant with her when she met Robin's adopted father."

"My father is a notorious whore," Eddie grinned. "But my uncle has been known to get it on occasion. I walked in on it once."

Eddie shuddered as he continued to rifle through Nancy's things.

"What are the chances that you and Robin are related while ending up here in this situation?" Nancy asked.

"Shouldn't you know the statistics on that?" Eddie asked. "It's very good, though, because now that I'm thinking about it, Buckley has Wayne's eyes."

Nancy watched as Eddie moved to her closet and started looking through her clothes. She grinned as Eddie slipped on a pair of her sunglasses and a bright pink scarf.

"You don't mind him looking through your stuff?" Steve asked.

"He's happy," Nancy shrugged. "Plus, I have nothing to hide."

"Ooh, what's in this box?" Eddie asked.

"Except for that! Eddie, no!" Nancy yelled, jumping off the back and grabbing the box from him.

"Hm, if I didn't know any better, I'd say I found Nancy Wheeler's porn collection," Eddie said, looking absolutely delightful.

"A woman has needs just as much as a man," Nancy blushed.

"I'm right! Now, I'm even more curious," Eddie said.

"If you look in the box underneath that one, you'll find my guns," Nancy said pointedly.

"Noted," Eddie said, putting the box back.

"I'm not surprised at all that you keep your guns and porn together," Steve laughed.

"Shut up, Steve," Nancy smiled. "There's a six year old in the house. Of course, I keep them in a safe place and away from her reach."

"We're not judging you, Nance," Steve chuckled.

"Just mocking you affectionately," Eddie said and then paused, his grin growing wider. "I bet there are naked photos of Steve in there."

"No, Nancy threw those Polaroids out," Steve said and looked at Nancy, who refused to meet his eye. "Right?"

"I just didn't want it to accidentally be found by the garbage men," Nancy blushed.

"That sounds believeable," Eddie scoffed.

"Okay, that's enough snooping," Nancy said.

She took off her sunglasses and scarf, putting them away. She guided Eddie to the chair and pushed him into it. Nancy took the towel off his hair and began rubbing it harshly all over his head.

"Ow!"

"Sorry, just trying to help you," Nancy said sweetly.

Nancy dropped the towel and picked up her hair brush. She began brushing his hair, running her fingers softly through. Eddie sighed and leaned into it. Steve had gotten up and started running his hand through Eddie's hair.

"I don't think this is a two person job," Eddie said.

"I just need to do something with my hands," Steve said, and Nancy giggled. "Nancy!"

"So, you mentioned Ronnie earlier. Where's she now?" Nancy asked.

"Oh, up in NYU studying to be a lawyer," Eddie said. "She was lucky enough to get out. I was jealous of her for about a minute, but I got my head out of my ass. Realized that she deserved to fulfill her dream even if I wasn't there physically. Although it still feels like a part of me is missing, she says the same thing whenever she calls."

"Yeah, Robin tried to go out of town over Christmas, and she ended up begging me to come with her. Are we a little codependent? Sure. I'm her platonic soulmate, though, and she insists on getting matching headstones," Steve grinned.

"Oh, great idea! Next time, I talk to Ronnie. . .so you get it?" Eddie asked.

"Oh, yeah," Steve said as he continued to untangle the rest of the knots in Eddie's hair.

"You know, I don't think anyone's played with my hair like this since my mom was alive," Eddie sighed. "I never really let anybody since. . ."

"Do you want us to stop?" Nancy asked.

"No, it's nice," Eddie said softly. "I was six when she died, I still miss her like she had died yesterday."

"I'm sorry, Eddie," Nancy said softly.

Eddie went quiet, staring at the pictures on Nancy's board in front of them. Barb was still in on there, and so was Fred. Fred. Grief hit Nancy like a ton of bricks. She had been so focused on everything that she hadn't really taken the time to feel what happened.

"Uh, I know I haven't said it yet," Steve said softly. "But I'm really sorry about Fred. I know he was your friend."

Tears welled up in Nancy's eyes and her bottom lip trembled.

"Thanks," she whispered as her hands shook.

"It's my fault," Eddie whispered, sniffling.

"What?" Steve and Nancy asked.

"If Fred hadn't been there. . .if Chrissy hadn't been there with me, then they wouldn't be dead," Eddie sobbed. "I'm fucking cursed."

Nancy and Steve touched his shoulders gently. He flinched and jumped up, pacing the room.

"Eddie, it's not your fault," Nancy said.

"It is, though! Before, when everyone hated me, I kept telling myself that they hated me because I looked like my no good rotten father who conned everyone in this goddamn town! Maybe it's me! It's always been fucking me! Higgins was right! I am rotten to the core, and everyone around me will suffer because of it! I should just do everyone a favor - "

"Don't!" Nancy exclaimed, tears in her eyes, and then she lowered her voice. "It's not your fault, Eddie. When Barb died, all I did was blame myself, and even though I went over and over it in my mind, I realized there wasn't anything that I could have done. It was Martin Brenner, who started this all, who messed with things he shouldn't have. Barb, Bob, Chrissy, and Fred. . . Their deaths are the fallout from his actions. . .all you did was play a game," Nancy said. "Brenner wanted to play God."

Nancy was crying now, too, and Steve had to pinch his nose to stop himself from crying with them.

"Why do I still feel guilty?" Eddie asked, sniffling.

"Because you care, and that's what makes you better than all those mouthbreathers out there even if you can be an asshole yourself. You're an asshole who cares," Nancy said.

She moved closer to wrap her arms around Eddie, and he flinched before hugging her back just as tightly. Nancy appreciated the fact that Steve let them have their moment because they had both needed it. All it took was a look from Nancy, and Steve was wrapping his arms around both of them.

"Just for the record, our little shrimp loves you for a reason. He may not have the best judgments when it comes to making choices and choices that I tend to have to rescue him from when they go bad, but. . .he does have a big heart, and he is a good judge of character," Steve said. "If he loves you, man, then you definitely deserve it."

"We're going to do whatever it takes to save you, Eddie," Nancy whispered.

"Thanks," Eddie said, his voice cracked.

And now he was crying for a different reason. Eddie clung to them, sobbing. A while later, they were laying in Nancy's bed with Eddie curled up in between Steve and Nancy. He had fallen fast asleep the minute he had laid on the bed.

"How did we end up in the position again?" Nancy asked.

"Because we really want to keep him," Steve said.

"You're right. He really is cute," Nancy said softly. "We have to save him, Steve. We have to stop this."

"I know," Steve said. "We will. I'm not going to run away this time."

"What are you talking about?" Nancy asked.

"I couldn't be there when you needed me the most, and I really wish I could have been, but I was scared," Steve said. "I was terrified that something was going to happen to you. . .to all of us. I couldn't sit there and watch that."

"Are you talking about when Jonathan and I took down the lab?" Nancy asked.

"Yeah," Steve said.

"Steve, I know why you didn't want to do it. It was a huge risk, and it was my risk to take. It was a risk that Jonathan decided to take. I never hated you for that. It wasn't your fault that Barb died, and even though I was drunk, I never should have said that. We wanted to be with each other, and it was just unfortunate timing that Barb died the first time we had sex. It was coming up on a year, and I just couldn't celebrate that day knowing what happened with Barb," Nancy said. "I sort of ran away, too."

"So, we're all runners," Eddie's voice spoke up. "Which is ironic, because my lungs are shit and gravity is an absolute bitch to me. Also. . .fuck, your best friend died when you two fucked for the first time? Jesus, no wonder you didn't work out back then. Fucking heavy ass shit, man."

"Eloquent, Eddie," Nancy laughed.

"I'm sorry, I just woke up," he said and rubbed his eyes.

"We should probably get you back downstairs," Nancy said. "I don't want my mother to come looking for us."

Nancy, Steve, and Eddie quickly but quietly snuck downstairs. They were halfway way down the stairs when they ran into Ted. He wasn't wearing his glasses. Nancy started at him, and he stared back at her. He looked at Steve, at Eddie, and then back at Nancy.

"I didn't see anything," Ted said with a sigh.

"What?" Nancy asked.

"Look, last time your brother kept someone in the basement, and it turned out to be a very good reason even if I didn't know it at the time. I'd rather my children not put themselves in danger, but I learned very early on that when it comes to doing the right thing, there's nothing in this world that's going to stop you," Ted said. "And when it comes down to it, it turns out that I can lie to people with guns. . .so, it's too bad I left my glasses upstairs. I can't see shit. Just be careful. . .if you need help, you know where to find me and your mother."

"Thanks, Daddy," Nancy said.

Ted moved past them and back into his bedroom.

"Well, that was unexpected," Steve said.

"Yeah," Nancy said with a smile. "That was."

They ushered Eddie back down into the basement and into the fort. Steve and Nancy dropped down on either side of him, throwing an arm over him.

"Oh, we're doing this? We're cuddling?" Eddie asked.

"Yes," Steve and Nancy said.

"Goodnight, then," Eddie said, and he lowered his voice. "I feel safe."

The next morning. . .

"Who the FUCK drew on my face?!" Dustin shrieked from the basement bathroom.

"Goddamnit, I did it again," Robin said, frowning at the market in her hand.

Nancy handed a plate of pancakes to Eddie that she had Dustin smuggle in from upstairs. Ted had complained about it loudly and then sent a wink her way before rubbing his eye. He didn't see a thing except for the markings on Dustin's face. Nancy shared a smile with Steve and Eddie as Dustin stormed out of the bathroom.

"Robin, what the hell?!" Dustin exclaimed.

"I don't know! I think I have a problem!" Robin exclaimed, causing Eddie, Nancy, and Steve to burst into laughter. "Oh, you assholes! What did you do? Steven, did you do this?!"

She threw the pen at Steve, and it hit him in the head.

"It was Eddie!" Steve laughed.

Dustin and Robin shrieked at him before laughing themselves. It caused everyone to giggle.

"Well, that was entertaining," Eddie laughed. "So, what's next?"

Eddie ended up going with them to check out the Creel House as they didn't want to risk anyone finding him at her place. Plus, Nancy still felt weird about leaving him alone. Eddie was currently helping Nancy and Steve peel away the board covering up the front door.

"I just don't think the wig was necessary," Steve said. "Your jacket is in my car. You're wearing my yellow sweater. I think you could have gotten away with wearing your hair up."

"Artistic liberty, Steven," Eddie grinned. "We're just lucky Nance had another wig. Red really suits me, don't you think?"

"You look like my ugly older sister," Max told Eddie.

"Max!" Nancy exclaimed.

"Nah, it's alright, I love it when she does this. We have an understanding as neighbors," Eddie said, and he looked at Max, trying to think of a comeback. "Damn it, that one was good."

"If Mike were here, he would have gotten her," Dustin said.

"He would not," Max rolled her eyes.

"Please, you and Mike are practically the same person," Dustin said.

"Excuse me, I am own person," Max scowled.

"Sure, I said practically the same," Dustin said, rolling his eyes. "He's a nerd who reads comic books. You're a nerd who pretends she isn't a nerd."

"I am not a nerd," Max scoffed.

"You read comic books, don't you?" Dustin asked, grinning. "Nerd."

"Whatever," Max said, rolling her eyes.

"And you're both defensive in the same way. You both care about El rather deeply. You both have your differences, but you also have the same thing that's very important: you care and sometimes a little too much. When it overwhelms you, you tend to pull away, but you also use it to fight like hell. One thing that's very important is that this party doesn't work without both of you," Dustin said.

"Ugh. . .shut up," Max said, but she was smiling slightly.

"Your kids are sweet," Eddie said.

"Don't you mean our kids?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, you're not just going to leave us to take care of them ourselves, are you?" Nancy asked.

"No, wouldn't want that," Eddie grinned, and then he scowled. "I refuse to be a deadbeat like my own father."

They pulled down the board to find the door locked. Robin quickly rectified that by finding a key. A key that turned out to a brick that she threw the glass window. It was a shame, Nancy had thought. It was a beautiful window. The house was just as creepy and decrepit on the inside as it was on the outside. Everything was covered in dust and cobwebs.

"It's a big fucking house," Eddie said.

"We should probably split up. It would be easier to look around," Nancy said.

"Are you also going to make a trap that inevitably fails?" Eddie asked.

"I did that once when I was little when I watched a little bit too much Scooby-Doo," Steve said. "My parents weren't happy when they came home early."

"Okay, so you're Fred?" Eddie asked.

"Sometimes," Steve shrugged. "And sometimes, I feel like a Daphne."

"Can we all just agree that Dustin is Scooby?" Robin asked and Max snorted.

"You act like that would insult me, but the entire show is named after him, so. . .," Dustin said.

"So, what's this guy's obsession with clocks?" Steve asked as he stared at the grandfather clock in the hallway. "Is he like a clock maker or something?"

"I think you cracked the case, Steve," Dustin said.

"Don't talk to your mother like that, butthead," Eddie said.

"Excuse me - ," Steve started to say.

"I think clockmaker is a definite possibility," Eddie winked at Steve, and Nancy smiled when Steve blushed. "Ooh! Maybe he's a time traveler!"

"Aren't we all time travelers?" Steve asked.

"We do all travel through time," Eddie said. "Like the Doctor! Except none of us have two hearts. . .well, not yet."

"You like Doctor Who?" Steve asked.

"I swear if you tell me that Steve Harrington likes Doctor Who I might scream," Eddie grinned.

"I prefer Star Trek. Me and Robin both," Steve said. "We watch Doctor Who with the kids, too, though."

"We have a bet going on that Kirk and Spock are gay for each other," Robin said. "We haven't watched all of it, so who knows. I think Steve’s full of shit. There's no way that Kirk is gay. He likes the ladies too much."

"I never said that he was gay, Robin, and you know very well that I like women, too," Steve said.

"Yeah, I know that you like women, what does that have to do with anything?" Robin asked.

"Not this again! How many times do I have to tell you?" Steve asked. "It's like the Indiana Flyer all over again!"

"In what way is it like the fake horse, Steven?" Robin asked.

"You don't listen to me, Robin!"

"Nance, do you watch the Who?" Eddie asked, grinning at the pair of bickering best friends.

"No," Nancy said.

"Let me tell you all about Sarah Jane Smith," Eddie said, throwing his arm around her. "You'd love her."

Nancy wasn't sure how she got here, but she found that she didn't mind much listening to Eddie rant about Doctor Who and then about the politics of Middle Earth. It was endearing, actually, and she knew that Eddie needed it to cope with what was going on. At some point, there was a loud noise, causing Eddie to jump and grab her. She thought for a moment that there was going to have a Scooby-Doo situation on their hands and that Eddie was going to jump into her arms like she was Shaggy. He had clearly stopped himself. Nancy and Eddie had just moved down a different corridor when Steve burst out of a room, wiping cobwebs off of himself.

"Yeah, don't - don't go in there," Steve said as he quickly closed the door and turned with his back to them. "Are there spiders in my hair?"

"Hold still, big boy," Eddie said.

Together, Nancy and Eddie ran their fingers through Steve’s hair, working together to get out the cobwebs. Nancy smiled as Steve sighed happily under their touch.

"If there's a spider nesting in there, you're never going to find it until all the eggs hatch and the babies spill out," Robin said as she passed by, cackling.

"Seriously, Robin, what is wrong with you?" Steve asked, and Eddie laughed at Robin. "Don't laugh at that."

"Yes, dear," Eddie said.

They worked in silence for a minute until Steve cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Maybe after we find Vecna, kill him, and save the world and stuff, we can all go out: you, me, Eddie," Steve said. "Or maybe we just hang out at my house and watch Doctor Who or Star Trek. . .I mean, whatever you guys want. I have other tapes."

"Not Robin?" Eddie asked.

"Uh, definitely not," Steve scoffed.

"Or any of the kids?" Nancy asked.

"Yeah, no," Steve said and turned around.

Suddenly, there came the sounds of skidding feet, and Robin re-entered the hallway. She slammed into Steve’s back, hugging him tightly.

"Oh my God! I just got what you meant earlier! I'm so sorry," Robin said. "Tell me again! I'll listen with my ears this time."

"What were you listening with before?" Eddie asked, frowning.

"No, the moments passed, Robin," Steve said.

"I'll totally get it if you want to hold auditions for a new platonic soulmate," Robin said. "You've been telling me for months!"

"Nah, too much hassle," Steve said.

"I'm the dingus now," Robin said.

"Yeah, that's true, but I still love you," Steve said.

"I love you, too," Robin said.

"I don't know what's happening here, but I like it," Eddie said and wrapped his arms around them.

"Seriously, this guy?" Robin asked Steve.

"My uncle might be your father, Buckley," Eddie sighed.

"What?!"

"Nancy, you want to get in on this?" Eddie asked.

Nancy giggled and joined the group hug. A minute later, Dustin, Lucas, and Max found them still in that position.

"What are we celebrating?" Dustin asked.

"Steve’s hair is pregnant with spider babies."

"Robin!"

"I knew it!"

They continued exploring the house until they finally followed the lights all the way up into the attic. Night was soon starting to fall again, and wielding their flashlights, they followed the source of the flickering. Eddie didn't have a flashlight, so he took Nancy and Steve's free hands in his. Standing in the dark room, Nancy could feel his presence, and judging by the looks on their faces, they could feel him, too. One by one, the lights flared to life and then burst suddenly. Eddie squeezed their hands tightly, and even though it was hurting slightly, Nancy didn't want to let go of his hand either. Yes, Vecna was definitely in the Upside Down. Shit.

"So, now what the fuck are we going to do?" Eddie asked, plopping down on the basement couch, in between Steve and Nancy.

Before anyone could answer, the basement door opened, and Karen came downstairs. They didn't have time to hide Eddie. Luckily, he was still wearing Nancy's wig. Karen stared at him and then looked over at Nancy.

"New friend, Nancy?" Karen asked.

"Steve’s new girlfriend!" Dustin blurted out. "Uh. . .Elizabeth!"

"Really?" Karen asked, clearly not buying it. "You're Steve’s girlfriend, Elizabeth?"

Eddie nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

"Yeah, we ran into her when we were out earlier. The kids wanted to invite her over," Steve said, throwing his arm around Eddie.

"I was pretty sure that you and Nancy were getting back together," Karen said.

"They are!" Dustin blurted out again.

Nancy resisted the urge to roll her eyes and smiled at her mother. She placed her hand on Eddie's knee.

"We have a, uh, very open relationship," Nancy said.

"Really?" Karen asked, crossing her arms. "I always assumed it would be you, Steve, and Jonathan."

"Really?!" Everyone asked.

"Well, it's not. Besides, Jonathan is dating someone else," Nancy said.

"So, I'm just supposed to ignore the fact that Elizabeth is Eddie Munson in a wig?" Karen asked. "You do remember that I bought you all those wigs when you were younger when you and Mike decided to play barbershop? You were bald for the longest time."

"I swear, I'm just a lady - " Eddie said in an over the top feminine southern accent and then dropped it. "Yeah, you're not buying any of this."

"No, I'm not," Karen said and sighed. "Look, we've all tried to be patient with all of you, but clearly, there's something that you've been hiding from all of us. As much as I want to, I can't force you to be honest with me. We do trust your judgment. If you think that Eddie's not a murderer than he must not be. We've lied to the police before, and we can do it again. But if you get into danger, then you call us, alright?"

"Dad said something similar the night before," Nancy said. "Is there something you're not telling us?"

"You think after Will, after Starcourt, that we wouldn't know that something's up?" Karen asked. "We may not be perfect, but we're not stupid. You might as well all come up for dinner."

"So, this is what it's like being on the other foot," Dustin said.

"Next time, let someone else tell the lies," Max said.

After a very awkward dinner, Eddie found himself in Nancy's room, cuddling up to Nancy and Steve again.

"I feel like everything is going to change tomorrow," Eddie muttered. "I don't know how I'm going to come back from all this."

"Don't say that, Eddie," Nancy said softly, but Eddie had fallen asleep on them again.

The next day had proven to be a lot harder when they got wind that Patrick had died at Lover's Lake. Eddie was now, officially, a suspect for all three deaths. They had no other choice but to involve the other parents and let them know that they were hiding Eddie Munson. Although Nancy couldn't exactly tell them what was going on because, well, how would they prove it was true? They had spent that day talking about their plan and how they were going to find a gate to the Upside Down. It had been Dustin who figured out that there might be a gate at each murder sight. While the parents were all talking, they all snuck out to Nancy's car and then drove off to Lover's Lake.

"Look, I was captain of the swim team, I've trained as a lifeguard," Steve said. "Anyone else want to go down there to check and see if there's a gate?"

Max, Lucas, and Dustin had protested when they all filled into the boat without them. Steve had ended up with the yellow sweater again while Eddie was once again in his vest and jacket. Steve took off his shoes and shoes before stripping off the sweater. He threw the sweater at Eddie, winking. Eddie scoffed and immediately pulled out a cigarette, popping it into his mouth, tucking the sweater close to him. Robin took the cigarette out of his mouth and tossed it into the lake.

"I refuse to have a cousin that smokes," Robin said.

"Well, you're not going to like having a dad that smokes," Eddie said. "And whatever fish that swallowed that cigarette is probably going to die. Nice, Robin."

Eddie grabbed a plastic bag and used it to wrap up the flashlight. He handed it to Steve.

"Thanks," Steve said.

He moved to the edge of the boat. He was stopped by both Nancy and Eddie grabbing his hands. Steve turned to look at them. Nancy shared a look with Eddie before grabbing his hand as well.

"Be careful," Nancy said, looking backing at Steve.

"Good luck, sweetheart," Eddie muttered.

"Starting to feel like a fourth oar here," Robin said to herself.

Nancy's eyes took all of Steve in for a moment, smiling and knowing that Eddie was doing the same. They released Steve’s hands, and together, they watched as he jumped into the lake. Nancy was the one squeezing Eddie's hand this time, and he squeezed it back, letting her know that he was just as frightened as she was. They waited with baited breath, not saying anything. It seemed to last forever until finally, Steve’s head broke the surface, and he swam towards the edge of the boat. He reported that there was definitely a gate down there, but it was small. Before they could pull him back onto the boat, something yanked him underneath the water. Everyone screamed. Nancy immediately jumped up.

"Nancy!" Eddie yelled.

"We have to go after him," Nancy said.

"I know," Eddie said.

He stood up and grabbed her hand. Together, they both jumped into the lake. They found Steve in the middle of the Upside Down version of Lover's Lake. A vine was wrapped around his ankle and a tail of a bat like creature wrapped around his throat. There were bats eating into his stomach. Nancy didn't hesitate to pick up an oar and start swinging. She was pleased to note that Eddie and Robin didn't hesitate either. They hit the ones attacking his stomach away, but it was Steve who grabbed the one around his throat and tore it in half by stepping on it. Blood dripped out of his mouth as he gasped for breath. More bats were coming, and the others had blocked the gate. Their only choice was to find cover, which happened to be Skull Rock. Nancy wrapped an arm around Steve while Eddie did the same on his other side. Robin led the way to Skull Rock. They set him gently down underneath, all four of them diving for cover. Nancy knelt down in front of Steve and immediately began tearing off bits of her shirt.

"Does he get hurt a lot?" Eddie asked. "I feel like he gets hurt a lot."

"This is definitely not the first time," Robin said, looking over Nancy's shoulder.

"And it won't be the last," Steve said.

Eddie helped Nancy wrap the makeshift bandage around Steve. Nancy chuckled softly.

"What?" Eddie asked.

"Just thinking about the last time that Steve and I were here," Nancy said.

"Seriously, Nance?" Steve blushed and smiled.

"We were in similar positions, except that it was the other way around," Nancy grinned.

"Really? You got King Steve to kneel for you?" Eddie asked, his eyes twinking.

"He loves being generous," she said. "He is very good with his tongue."

"Really?" Eddie asked with a wicked grin. "That's good to know."

"I'm also good with my tongue," Nancy said.

"Damn," Eddie said. "That's also good to know."

"And you know those pictures of Steve? The pink scarf is the only thing that Steve has on," Nancy said.

"Nancy!"

"Fuuuuckkk."

"There's a special dance that goes with them," Nancy said.

"Too much information about my best friend!" Robin exclaimed.

They helped Steve up, securing an arm around him. Just as they were moving out from under the rock, the ground began to shake. Steve held on tight to both of them as all three fell to the ground. He was still holding onto them even when the shaking stopped. The four of them decided that the next best course of action was to gather Nancy's guns from her house, and they moved quickly on. Well, as quickly as they could with an injured, shoeless Steve. Nancy was sure his ankle might have been sprained from being yanked into the lake. Eddie gently slipped his vest onto Steve’s shoulders with a grin. Nancy and Eddie each kept an arm secured around Steve, letting him lean on them while Robin led the way.

"Thank you both for saving my ass back there," Steve said.

"You've got an ass worth saving, Stevie," Eddie said grinning.

"I'd do it again," Nancy said, squeezing his hip. "It's not just your ass that's worth saving. You deserve it, too."

"She didn't waste a second, you know," Eddie said fondly. "Not a single goddamn second. You know, if I were you, I'd get her back because that was the most unambiguous sign of true love that my cynical eyes had ever seen."

"You jumped in with me," Nancy pointed out.

"Yeah, I did do that," Eddie said, clearing his throat before smirking. "Maybe you've got competition, Wheeler."

"You're not fighting over me in the Upside Down," Steve said.

"It's hard to believe, you know, that I am in this position. I'm glad I was wrong about you, man. Steve Harrington, popular, great hair, and good with women. . .no way, is he such a good dude?! I was wrong about Chrissy Cunningham, too. She was kind and beautiful. . .not as mean and scary as I thought she would be. I was wrong about you, too, Nancy, I thought for sure you'd be prissy, but you two are the most badass people that I have ever met," Eddie said. "I've never been more glad to be wrong in my life. If there's any good that's come from all this shit, it's been getting to know you two."

"Eddie," Nancy said softly.

Nancy looked over at Steve, and he looked just as touched as she did. Nancy blushed, suddenly, as she realized that Steve might not get told this often enough. She should have said something back then that he wasn't a shitty boyfriend. Eddie gazed at Steve, looking at him with soft eyes, and Steve's eyes were even softer. Yeah, he definitely needed to be told that more. Does he know that he's a good man?

"And Robin, too!" Eddie yelled suddenly. "Gaining her as a cousin has been an absolute delight!"

"I can do better!" Robin yelled back.

"Asshole," Eddie grinned.

"You were pretty sure earlier that it was just women for you. What made you change your mind?" Steve asked, softly.

"You did, big boy," Eddie winked. "You two, without a doubt - ,"

Before he could finish his thoughts, the ground shook again. He fell quiet after that, holding onto Steve as tightly as he could without hurting him. Nancy knew, without a doubt, that she was falling in love with Steve all over again, but goddamn it, she was also falling for Eddie. Eddie, who was falling for Steve and she couldn't help but wonder if he was falling for her as well. She wondered if this could really be something. After getting to her house, they discovered that the guns were no longer there due to the fact that the Upside Down was stuck on the day Will went missing. After that, they discovered or, rather, Steve and Nancy had discovered they could communicate with Dustin through the lights. Apparently, Dustin was somehow back at Nancy's house. They ended up riding to Eddie's trailer on bicycles. Nancy tried not to laugh at the fact that Eddie got stuck with the kid bike. He playfully glared at her.

"Want to switch?" Nancy asked.

"I can manage," Eddie said.

Eddie pushed off, and when he fell back behind Steve, Nancy got curious and fell back with him. Eddie nodded his head at Steve, who had his rear hiked up in the air as he peddled. Eddie flashed his dimples at Nancy, and she giggled. The laughter had died down when they entered Eddie's trailer and found the gate glaring at them with a red light, reminding them that this was where Chrissy died. Nancy took Eddie's hand and caught Steve’s eyes. He quickly grabbed Eddie's other hand to let him know that he was there for him, too. There was a long stretch of silence as they all gaped at it. Suddenly, something tried to tear through the skin like opening of the gate. It startled all of them, especially when it was revealed to be the handle of a broom. They moved closer to the gate, very careful not to do anything stupid. They looked up to find other other people looking up at them as well. It was Dustin, Lucas, Max, Erica, and. . .

"Dad?!" Nancy exclaimed.

"So, this is what you've been up to?" Ted asked. "I'm both mortified and filled with regret."

"How can you tell?" Eddie asked.

"That's just his face, Eddie," Nancy said, slightly offended for her father.

"Right, sorry."

It was Dustin, yet again, who figured out a way for them to get through safely. Which to Nancy's amusement, Eddie had enjoyed quite immensely. Nancy was the second to last, climbing up into the gate until. . .suddenly, she wasn't. She was in Steve’s pool and watching Barb die again. The visions changed to Eddie dying, being ripped open by bats. . .the same thing happening with Steve. Then, she was shown visions of Vecna's past. Henry Creel, the comatose son who had been behind it all. . .who had tricked and manipulated Eleven. And she was shown Henry's vision of the future: Hawkins being ripped open. . .Nancy's family dying: Mike, Holly, Karen, and Ted. She was shown her friends dying one by one, the kids dying. . .once again, she was shown Steve and Eddie. This time, Jonathan was there, too. Nancy woke up from the nightmare to find herself in Steve and Eddie's arms with Ted hovering above her.

"It's okay, darlin," Eddie said. "We've got you."

Shaking, they all helped Nancy up and through the gate. Max quickly offered up her trailer, and as soon as they were away from the gate, Nancy threw herself into Ted's arms. She never wanted to get him or her mother involved, but right now, she was glad that her father was here.

"I'm here, baby, I'm here," Ted said softly.

He wasn't the best at showing physical affection, but when the kids needed it, he came through, like he was right now. Ted held onto her tightly as she continued to sob. Nancy was about to tell them all what happened when there came a knock on the door. Everyone tensed up. Nancy and Steve quickly hid Eddie behind them as Max moved to answer the door. Wayne Munson stood on the doorstep.

"I was stopping by the trailer to pick up some stuff. . .I didn't expect to see, well, hell, I don't know what that was," Wayne said. "I thought I'd come check on ya. Is your mama home?"

"Of course she isn't," Max scoffed.

"Is everything alright?" Wayne asked, and then he spotted Steve. "Hey! That's Eddie's vest. Why do you have that? Where's my boy?!"

When Wayne stepped into through the door, Max quickly closed the door behind him. Eddie popped up from behind Steve and Nancy.

"I'm here, I'm fine, don't kill him!" Eddie exclaimed.

"Eddie," Wayne said, his voice breaking.

Wayne pulled Eddie into a hug, holding onto him tightly.

"I didn't - ," Eddie started to say.

"I know, son, I know," Wayne said.

Eddie cried into his shoulder, in the very same position that Nancy had been in earlier with her own father. Robin came up between them, clutching Steve’s arm. Nancy glanced at her. Right, there was a chance that Wayne was her biological father. She was standing back, though, and letting them have their moment. . .or maybe she was afraid. Studying Robin's face, she knew that it wasn't the right moment, not for Robin or for Wayne. As soon as Wayne pulled away from the hug, Nancy caught him up on what was going on, including letting him and everyone else know what went on in her vision. Nancy stood in front of them all. She knew what they had to do.

"We have to kill him," Nancy decided.

"Did you forget one obvious thing, Nance?" Robin asked. "He has powers. We do not. How the hell are we supposed to go up against Vecna/Henry/One with nothing?!"

"We can't let him kill Max and destroy this town, Robin. We have to try because if we sit here and do nothing, then what's the point of everything we've ever done? What would have happened if Joyce had given up on Will? If El hadn't come back when the gate was still open?" Nancy asked. "What if Dustin had given up on finding you and Steve in the Russian bunker under Starcourt? If you had been left there to be tortured? We have to try because that's who we are."

"Okay. . .fair point. The question still remains: How?" Robin asked.

"Well, if he has powers like El. . .then maybe has weaknesses like El, too?" Dustin asked.

"What do you mean?" Nancy asked.

"Well, El is at her most vulnerable when she remotes travel. Maybe it's the same for Vecna. We'd need bait to pull him in," Dustin said.

"I'll do it," Max said. "I'll be the bait."

Everyone was immediately up in arms about it, but in the end, it was Max's decision. They needed an arsenal. Eddie immediately suggested going to the War Zone.

"When did you go to the War Zone, boy?" Wayne asked.

"Remember in the spring of '84 when Dad manipulated me and conned me into helping him rob a drug kingpin's supply line?" Eddie asked.

"Vaguely," Wayne said, scowling.

"That was when," Eddie said.

"I'll never forgive Al for that," Wayne muttered. "No good, son of a bitch."

"You have the same mother," Eddie said in amusement.

"You can't prove that," Wayne said. "His mama - "

"Your mama, too, Uncle Wayne," Eddie said.

"HIS mama was a bitch," Wayne said and Robin laughed.

"Hey, Wayne, have you met Robin?" Eddie grinned. "We might have the same grandparents."

"Al?" He asked.

"Think again."

"Your mama's name Melissa?" Wayne asked.

"Yeah."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"So, you'll tell us all about that thing with your dad, right?" Nancy asked Eddie.

"As long as you promise not to put it in the paper," Eddie grinned.

"Can't make any promises," Nancy said, and he laughed.

After making plans for the War Zone, they realized that they needed a bigger vehicle. That meant stealing one, specifically the RV in Forest Hills. They all had to sneak into an open window, including Ted and Wayne. They had argued against all of this, but they knew their kids were going to do this with or without them. They thought it was better to do it with them. As much as Ted wanted to go back home to let Karen know, the police would also had eyes on the house still, and Nancy knew they figured out by now that Ted had slipped past them. Now, Nancy was watching with Steve as Eddie hot wired the vehicle.

"Just one of the things good ol' dad taught me," Eddie muttered.

"It's a useful skill to have, especially now since you're using it save the world," Nancy said. "Very heroic."

"You know, I'm not so sure about you driving this thing, Eddie," Robin said.

"Oh ye of little faith, cousin!" Eddie yelled. "Wayne, tell your daughter to have more faith in me!"

"Nah, she's got you pegged pretty good, Ed," Wayne said.

"Ha!"

"Don't worry, Robs, Harrington's got her, don't ya, big boy?" Eddie asked, peering around Nancy.

Suddenly, Wayne moved Eddie to the passenger's seat and took the wheel.

"You shouldn't let your wounded boy drive, son," Wayne said as he started the vehicle.

"My wounded boy?" Eddie asked, blushing.

"You gave him your battle vest," Wayne said as he drove faster.

"Oh, they're after us, and they're pissed!" Dustin yelled.

"Well, it's not every day you lose your car and your house in one fell swoop!" Robin exclaimed.

"Trust me, darlin, they're assholes! I can't prove it, but I'm pretty sure they killed our cat!" Wayne said.

Nancy was moving towards the back when they hit a pothole. She fell backward and right into Eddie's lap. He grinned and held onto her. They managed to get far enough away where Wayne could slow the vehicle down.

"You know, if I had another vest, I'd give it to you, too, sweetheart," Eddie muttered to Nancy.

"You're so cute," Nancy muttered.

"So, what's going on here?" Wayne asked.

"Pay attention to the road, old man," Eddie grinned.

Nancy and Eddie got up to move over to Steve to check on him. Eddie yanked Dustin up and took his spot beside Steve. Nancy and Eddie immediately began to fuss over him, ignoring Dustin's protest about moving him out of his seat. Meanwhile, Ted squeezed Nancy's shoulder before moving to the passenger's seat to sit beside Wayne. Eddie made some makeshift bandages from the clothes he found in the RV and a bottle of water. He picked up Steve’s feet and began cleaning the wounds on the bottom. He wrapped them up and looked up at him.

"Hey, Steve?" Eddie asked.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"You do know that you're a good man, right?" Eddie asked.

Nancy smiled. Clearly, he had picked up on that, too, from their little moment in the Upside Down.

"I mean, yeah, I guess," Steve said awkwardly.

"Well, you are, sweetheart. The best there is, I think. You two, both. I mean, I don't know anyone who'd do what you all have done. You love these kids, and you put it all on the line for them. You've even risked it for me," Eddie said softly.

"Hey, you're a good man, too," Steve said, tilting his chin up. "It's important that you know that."

"You're both amazing," Nancy said, biting her lip.

"So, are you, darlin," Eddie said.

"Oh, yeah, I know," Nancy said, and they laughed.

"You know, I had this dream when I was a kid. . .it probably sounds silly," Steve said.

"Tell us," Nancy said softly.

Eddie remained on the floor and nestled himself between their legs. He rested his chin on Steve’s leg, looking up at him.

"Ooh, story time," Eddie said.

"There's an RV kind of like this one. . .I'd imagine gathering up the six little Harrington nuggets into it. We'd go anywhere. . .to the beach, to California, to Yellowstone. We'd see it all together, and it would be like. . .," Steve trailed off.

"An adventure?" Eddie asked with a smile.

"Yeah, not like this one, though," Steve said.

"It would be exciting," Eddie said.

"It sounds nice," Nancy said and then said in a teasing voice as she glanced at the kids. "The six kids part sounds like a total nightmare."

"Hey, are you talking about us?" Dustin asked.

"Well, it's not like we have any practice, or anything," Steve grinned.

"Hey! You are talking about us!"

"That's fair," Nancy laughed as they continued to ignore Dustin.

"So, what made baby Steve dream of such adventures with his little chicken nuggets?" Eddie asked in amusement.

"Well, whenever my dad would go away on business, my mom would go with him to make sure he didn't cheat. They didn't like bringing a kid on a plane, and they'd leave me at home. I always wanted to travel with them and see more of the world outside of the house," Steve said. "They always left me alone, though, and I just didn't want to do it alone."

"I get that. Before I moved in with Wayne, my father constantly left me alone because he was a conman, and his schemes were always more important than me. I used to dream of getting out of Hawkins and traveling the world, making it big with my music. My mom had these records. These records that she loved. She used to call them her plane tickets. She loved music, and because she did, I did, too. I never wanted to leave this town on my own, though. I hate being alone," Eddie said. "Despite the fact that I do have a tendency to keep people at arms length, sometimes."

"I don't want to be alone, either," Nancy said softly. "You know, reporters can travel anywhere, too."

"Well, if I didn't know any better, I would definitely think that Nancy Wheeler is asking us to run away with her," Eddie said in amusement.

"It certainly sounds like that," Steve said with a smile.

"Well, if this doesn't work out, the whole clearing my name, I'm definitely going to have to go on the run," Eddie said and smiled. "It would be nice to have company. Although, I'm not sure if I can ask you to do that."

"You don't have to," Nancy said softly.

Eddie took her hand, and then Steve’s. He placed a kiss on Nancy's hand before doing the same with Steve’s. Curled up in between their legs, Eddie laid his head on Steve’s leg again and fell asleep.

"It's amazing how quickly he does that with us," Steve said.

"It's because he feels safe with you!" Wayne hollered from the front seat. "As a baby, it used to take forever to fall asleep in Al's arms, but whenever his mama held him. . .Boy fell asleep so fast. He was the same with me!"

Nancy and Steve shared a smile before running their fingers through his hair.

"We're definitely keeping him," Nancy whispered.

Ted went into the War Zone with Nancy, Steve, Robin, Erica, and Max. Wayne decided it would be safer if someone stayed in the RV with Eddie, Dustin, and Lucas.

"I'm sorry," Ted said as they walked through the aisles. "That you had to go through all of this, and I'm sorry that I haven't - that I'm not sure what to say."

"You know I don't hate you for being awkward, right?" Nancy asked.

"No?" Ted asked.

"You and Mike are a lot alike," Nancy said.

"We are?" He asked.

"Both very awkward people who tend to put their foot in their mouths," she said in amusement. "Then again, so am I. Maybe I'm more like you than I thought. I'm not the greatest at picking up on social ques either, which is something I have in common with Robin, Steve, and Eddie."

"So, I'm normal, then?" Ted asked.

"I think normal is an overrated and overused word that no one really knows what it means. Everyone has their quirks," Nancy said.

"Never thought about it like that," he said.

"Most people don't," Nancy said.

"I'm proud of you, you know that?" Ted replied.

"Thanks, Daddy. I'm proud of you, too," Nancy said softly. "Thanks for showing up."

"Always."

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Steve talked to Robin. He was wearing proper clothing now, which was a shame because he looked hot in Eddie's vest with his chest hair peaking out. Although Nancy thought he looked attractive in the camouflage shirt and the brown leather jacket. Steve probably also appreciated the fact that he had shoes now. Nancy followed Robin's eyes and found what, or rather, who she was looking at. Vickie Fisher. Oh. Nancy had talked to her a few times. She was in the band, and Nancy knew she rambled a lot. Yeah, she was perfect for Robin. Nancy smiled as she showed her father the guns. He didn't know much about them. Nancy was in the middle of explaining each one to Ted when Jason Carver showed up. He had clearly wanted to show her who was in charge, but with her holding a gun and her father behind her, he had changed his mind. They left quickly after that. . .rushing to gather their things and nearly tripped over each other, getting into the RV. As Wayne drove away, Nancy noticed that Eddie's eyes never left Steve, and she smiled. Yeah, he liked the new outfit as well.

"Alright, this seems good," Wayne announced.

He had parked them in a clearing surrounded completely by trees. It was a good place to hide from people and a good place to put their weapons together. Nancy was showing Max how to make a sawed-off shotgun.

"So, you seem cozy with Steve and Eddie," Max said.

"Yeah, I suppose I am. Where are you going with this, Max?" Nancy asked.

"Do you like both of them?" She asked.

"Yeah, I do. I definitely do," Nancy grinned.

"Are all three of you a thing?" Max asked.

"I mean, I don't know for sure. We've talked about it, but we haven't really talked about it," Nancy said. "You know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I guess," Max said and paused. "So, Steve was willing to take you back even though you hurt him?"

"Well, he didn't hold a grudge because he understood the circumstances involved and why I pushed him away. He knew how hard I was struggling then. He has a really good heart," Nancy said. "He knew that some people just fuck up, especially when life turns into something so messy and complicated. He just completely understood that I deserved to be forgiven."

"Do you think Lucas will do the same thing?" Max asked softly.

"I know it," Nancy said. "You both deserve it. He understands that you've been through so much and that it wasn't your intention to hurt him."

"Billy was hurting," Max whispered. "When he hurt people, he was hurting, too."

"Max Mayfield," Nancy said. "You are nothing like him. You're allowed to get angry, and you're allowed to pull away when you're hurting, but it doesn't make you a bad person. Intentions matter, Max. You handled it way better than he did. Even at your lowest, you chose not to hurt people the way that he did. It's difficult to go through this, and no one is expecting you to know how to deal with it all. The fact that you managed to get this far says a lot. The fact that you're still willing to fight. . .we're all proud of you, Max."

"Thanks, Nancy," Max said.

Nancy smiled and hugged her. Max froze, and then she wrapped her arms around her, hugging her back tightly.

"I'm here, Max," Nancy whispered. "We're all here for you."

"I'm scared," Max sniffled, and Nancy held her tighter. "I don't want to die."

Nancy glanced over Max's head and watched as Eddie fought playfully with Dustin. Suddenly, he pulled Dustin close to whisper something to him, and then they hugged. She was more determined than ever to save Max. They had to stop him. They just had to. Nancy glanced over at Steve. He was sitting next to Robin, Wayne, and Ted, making molotov cocktails. Nancy smiled briefly as Steve talked with Ted. He always got along with her father. Suddenly, Max pulled away from her.

"I'm going to go talk to Lucas," Max said.

Nancy caught Steve’s eye and nodded towards the RV, then back at Eddie. Steve smiled, letting her know he understood before getting up and walking into the RV. Nancy caught Eddie's and motioned to him to follow her before moving to follow Steve. When Nancy and Eddie got into the RV, Steve was sitting on the couch in the back. They sat down on either side of him.

"Before we did anything, I wanted us to talk," Nancy said.

"Yeah, me, too," Steve said.

"Do you have something that you need to get off your chest, Stevie?" Eddie asked. "Your shirt, perhaps?"

"Shut up, I do need to say something, asshole," Steve said.

"You go first," Nancy said.

"The dream that I mentioned earlier, it was true, every single word of it, but there's an important part that I left out," Steve said, taking their hands. "The most important part. You were there. You've always been there, Nance, but now there's someone else there, too. It might be a little soon, but you're there too, Eddie. I don't want to chose between you. . ."

Steve looked down at his lap. Nancy touched his cheek, gently with her fingertips, and turned his face so he could meet her eyes. He said what had needed to be said.

"Then don't," Nancy said and closed the gap between them.

God, she missed kissing him. It really did feel like coming home, coming back to a part of herself that she had left behind. Steve was sweet and soft as ever. She could feel it in the kiss that Steve missed her just as much as she missed him. She pulled away and let Eddie be the one to kiss him. They looked beautiful together. It clearly wasn't Steve’s first time kissing a man, but it was his first time kissing Eddie Munson, who brought the same energy towards kissing as he did with everything else: enthusiastically manic. Steve had pulled back a little bit, startled by the enthusiasm at first, but then he kissed Eddie back, trying hard to match him. It was like they were challenging each other. . .their lips fighting together. Nancy recognized the warm feeling in her stomach. She didn't give them the chance to break apart. She yanked Eddie back. She had to know. Nancy slammed her lips to Eddie's. He tasted like the old cigarettes and flat mountain dew he found in the RV. It was gross, but she enjoyed the way he kissed. . .how desperate he was to prove himself. God, she wanted to climb on top of both of them. Eddie let out a whine as she pulled back. She cupped the back of their heads with each hand.

"Mine," she said to them.

"Yours," they agreed.

Nancy was charged up and ready to go. Maybe it was Max telling her she wasn't ready to die or maybe it was her dad being there for her, or maybe it was the kisses she shared with her men that fueled her rage. Solidifying all of that and tying it together was the rage she still felt from Fred and Barb's death. . .from Bob's death as well. . .from all the trauma the kids endured. She was ready. It was time to do this, and knowing what was at stake, she was more determined than ever. They dropped off Max, Lucas, and Erica at the Creel House first, then drove back to Eddie's trailer. They were all wearing protective vests, something Eddie refused to zip up, much to Nancy's and Steve's annoyance. Wayne, Ted, Dustin, and Robin were the first ones out of the RV. Steve and Nancy held Eddie back.

"You're missing something," Steve whispered.

He grabbed Eddie by his hips and pulled him flush against him. Steve wound his arms around him. Nancy stood behind Eddie and encircled her arms around his waist. She fastened Eddie's new belt from behind him. Eddie looked down.

"Holy shit! Is this belt for me?" Eddie asked, touching the bullet belt.

"Yeah, Eddie, the belt is for you," Nancy laughed.

"Metal," Eddie breathed.

Nancy moved and wedged herself in between the two young men. She grabbed his chin, not too forcefully, to look at her.

"We need you to not do anything stupid, okay, Eddie?" Nancy asked.

"Yeah, don't be cute, and try to be a hero," Steve said.

"Nah, I'd figure I'd let you two be the heroes," Eddie said with a smirk.

"We're serious, Eddie, we want you to be safe," Nancy said.

"I want you to be safe, too," Eddie said softly.

"Eddie," she said gently, touching his face, and then she scowled. "For fuck's sake, zip up your jacket."

He leaned down and kissed Nancy before moving to do the same with Steve. They moved out of the RV and into the trailer. With Ted and Wayne's help, they were a lot more confident, though they wished they had somehow gotten a message across to the other parents without alerting the authorities before they started all of this. The seven of them went through the gate without any problems. . .well, almost. Wayne nearly busted his ass. Luckily, Ted was there to help him.

"Aw, I think my dad is making a friend," Nancy said.

"Aw, that's crazy because my dad is also making a friend," Robin said.

"Shut up," Ted and Wayne said.

Of course, Steve had to show off for Eddie and Nancy, who just laughed him. They weren't impressed at all. Once they were through the gate, they knew it would mean parting ways. Ted would be going with Steve, Robin, and Nancy while Wayne would be staying with the others.

"You take care of them," Wayne said to Ted, clapping a hand on his shoulder, glancing at Robin.

"Of course, you do the same," Ted said.

Robin rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Wayne.

"You have to stay safe, okay? I don't need any DNA test to know that you're my father. I can feel it. My mom and Pop, they want to see you. My pop wants to know you, and my mom wants to thank you for giving the greatest gift of her life. No matter how many times I say that, I'm not great, and I try to prove it by pointing it out that she hates it when I ramble," Robin said and laughed. "Like I'm doing right now, which is weird. My mother doesn't do it, so who knows where I get it from."

"Used to be quite the yapper when I was younger and my daddy, too, but my mother couldn't stand it. She talked a lot, too, but her way was more subtle, not all together all the time. A lot more conniving, too. She used to yell at us all the time to shut up," Wayne said. "You don't ever have to stop talking with me."

Eddie threw his arms around the both of them. Nancy watched with a smile on her face and shared a look with Steve, looking longingly at them. Suddenly, she remembered that Steve didn't have his parents, and he never really did. Nancy put her arm through his and pressed her cheek into his shoulder, reminding them that they were his family. Dustin had the same idea and hugged him.

"You're not allowed to get hurt again," Dustin muttered. "You die, I die. Remember?"

"I got it," Steve said softly. "I'll tell you what I told Eddie. Don't try to be a hero. You guys are the distractions. You get to safety as soon as possible. Got it?

Steve wrapped an arm around Dustin and pressed his cheek onto the top of his head.

"Got it," Dustin chuckled weakly. "We'll leave the heroics to you and Nancy."

"You and Eddie are both assholes," Steve said in amusement.

Dustin pulled back to hug Nancy as well.

"You're still my favorite," Nancy whispered as she hugged him, and he laughed.

Robin pulled away from hugging her father and cousin to hug Dustin.

"You're a pain in our ass but I love you, you little hellhound," Robin said. "Stay safe."

"You too," Dustin said before moving to hug Ted.

"I thought you hated me," Ted said in surprise.

"Oh, Teddy, you really are clueless," Dustin said. "I enjoy our banter, and you make it easy it mess with you."

"Glad I could help," Ted said and paused. "Don't die."

"You don't die," Dustin said.

Ted, Steve, Nancy, and Robin started walking towards the Creel House when Eddie called out.

"Steve, Nancy?"

Nancy and Eddie turned to meet him. Eddie paused, looking at them both meaningfully.

"Make him pay."

Nancy swallowed. Yeah, that they were definitely going to do. For a moment, she could see what he was thinking. She was thinking of Barb. . .of Fred while Eddie was clearly thinking of Chrissy. Nancy threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. It was brief, and she could feel Steve beside them. She moved aside to let Steve kiss him as well. They didn't say anything else. They didn't need to. As hard as it was, Nancy and Steve walked away from Eddie. She reached out to Steve and took his hand, holding onto it tightly. As soon as they got to the Creel House, it was an immediate disaster. All four of them had gotten trapped to the walls by the vines, nearly choked to death by their grip. Luckily, something had stopped it from killing them. . .as though it had been some invisible force guiding their hand. Nancy wondered if El somehow got her powers back. She didn't dwell on it for too long. They finally made it to the attic. Shit, he was just as terrifying in person.

"Get into place," Nancy said to her dad, and he looked at her. "We'll be fine."

Ted nodded and moved delicately towards the back of the attic, behind Vecna. He gripped the axe in his hand, preparing to do his worst. Steve and Robin lit their cocktails while Nancy prepared to shoot, praying that her plan worked. This was her plan. This was all on her if it didn't work out. Nancy tried not to think about it. If she thought about it, then she'd throw up. Robin threw her molotov first, and then it was Steve lighting Henry Creel on fire. Vecna awoke with a roar and started moving towards them, the vines snapping off him. Nancy raised her gun and started shooting. Ted had moved at the same time. He raised his axe in the air and slammed it into Henry's neck. It had barely made a dent with the thick vine like material that was now his skin. Vecna roared and turned to swipe his claws at Ted, throwing him backward as he did so.

"DADDY!" Nancy screamed. "HEY! ASSHOLE!"

Nancy moved forward, closer to Vecna as she continued to shoot. Vecna turned to her and smirked as he moved closer to her as well. Ted had gotten up, blood soaking his vest, and raised the axe again. He slammed it into his neck, this time with more force, and hit him again. Together, Nancy and Ted came after him. No one was sure what finally killed him, but it was Ted and Nancy who took one finally shot at him. Ted sliced through his neck at the same time Nancy's bullet hit the skin. Vecna's head rolled off his body. Nancy, Ted, Steve, and Robin followed it. Nancy quickly loaded her gun again while Ted raised his axe and started to hit Vecna's head with his axe while Nancy unloaded her gun. Finally, after a minute, they realized he wouldn't be moving. They stopped. Sharing a look, they realized they wanted to make sure he was dead. The four of them gathered his head and body into a pile. With the last of their supplies of molotov cocktails, they lit his body on fire. Nancy turned to Ted.

"Are you okay, Dad?" Nancy asked.

"We can worry about that later. Let's get out of here," Ted said.

They didn't waste any time arguing with him. They moved as quickly as they could towards the trailer, the flames of the burning Creel House at their back. Nancy could swear she could hear screams coming from the burning vines themselves. The ground began to shake harder than ever, and they stumbled a few times, getting back to the trailer. The closer they got, Nancy could feel that something was wrong and the feeling only grew. Just as they were almost there, they heard it. Dustin's screams. They took off without hesitation. When they arrived, Dustin was kneeling in between a bloody Eddie and Wayne, surround by dead bats.

"NO!" Nancy, Steve, and Robin screamed.

They skidded down next to Dustin. Nancy's heart was hammering in her chest. No, this couldn't be happening. Not again. They couldn't lose him, either of them.

"They're still alive," Dustin sobbed. "Not for long though, we have to get them out of here."

Ted quickly helped Robin with Wayne while Nancy and Steve helped Dustin with Eddie. It was difficult, but they managed to get them both back through the gate. Eddie and Waybe were both slipping in and out of consciousness. None of them had time to watch, but they managed to get a glimpse of the gate closing behind them. They stole the RV again with Ted behind the wheel this time. Nancy and Steve cradled Eddie between them. Nancy leaned forward to give him mouth to mouth, her hands beating on his chest as she tried to keep him breathing. Steve took turns to do the same when Eddie finally gasped for breath and opened his eyes. Nancy burst into tears at the sight of his beautiful, confused brown eyes.

"Did I fall asleep again?" Eddie asked, his eyes fluttering.

"You have to stay awake, Eddie! You have to stay with us," Nancy cried.

That was when Wayne woke up with a loud holler.

"Boy! You ain't going before me! You ain't allowed to! You hear me, Edward Wayne! I promised your mama!" Wayne sobbed.

"Neither one of you is going anywhere!" Robin sobbed as she held onto Wayne. "I just got you. It isn't fair."

"Five more minutes, Uncle Wayne," Eddie muttered, glancing at Steve and Nancy with a smile. "Safe."

Eddie closed his eyes, and this time, it was Steve letting out a loud cry. Steve slapped Eddie's face gently.

"Eddie! No, come on, babe! We want you to stay. We want you with us!" Steve exclaimed.

"You want me - " Eddie started to say with a gasp. "You want me to stay forever?"

"Yes, forever, Eddie," Nancy said, sniffling.

"Forever," Eddie muttered and went still.

Nancy let out a loud shriek, her chest tight and full of pain as though someone was squeezing her heart. . . Choking it. Steve pressed his forehead to Eddie's, his body shaking with sobs. Dustin and Robin screamed together.

FOUR DAYS LATER. . .

Nancy sighed, rubbing her eyes. She wondered if she would ever sleep again. She walked into the room, squaring her shoulders. She glanced at the loud, annoying machines. As obnoxious as the sounds that come from it were, she also appreciated it. It filled her with joy because it meant that Eddie Munson was alive. His eyes fluttered open.

"Hey," Eddie gasped.

"Hey," Nancy said, smiling.

"What a beautiful sight to wake up to," Eddie beamed.

"Please, I look like a mess," Nancy muttered.

She felt like one, too. Her hair was piled messily on top of her hair, curls spilling out. She was dressed in sweats and Eddie's vest. She and Steve had taken turns wearing it.

"Considering that, I didn't think I would wake up at all," Eddie said. "Yeah, it's definitely a good sight."

"Eddie," Nancy said softly.

"So, we won?" Eddie asked. "I don't see any cuffs on me."

"Yeah, we won. I don't know how Dr. Owens managed it or who he had to call, but he not only did he clear you all of the charges, but he managed to persuade Sullivan to stop hunting El down and help clean up the mess made by Vecna and Sullivan," Nancy said. "Sullivan had been after El and any project created Brenner for a while now."

"Damn," Eddie whistled.

"Of course, there's one thing they couldn't change," she said.

"The court of public opinion," Eddie sighed.

"Yeah, but don't worry, I'm going to fix that. I'm going to write until my fingers bleed - ," Nancy said.

Eddie groaned as he reached over and took her hand.

"You don't have to go through all that trouble for me, sweetheart," Eddie said. "How's the kids doing?"

"Traumatized as hell again," Nancy said with a sigh. "But we'll help them get through this."

"Shit! Wayne!" Eddie yelled with wide eyes. "The last thing I remember is him trying to save my stupid ass."

Nancy smiled and pushed back the curtain. Wayne was fast asleep in the other bed. Robin was asleep as well, snoozing on Wayne's shoulder. Her parents were asleep behind Robin. All three haven't gotten the best sleep. . .well, none of them had, really.

"They're good, Eddie. The kids are alright, too. It was crazy, actually. When we came here, it wasn't long before Erica, Lucas, their parents, Max, and her mom came storming in here. Susan had been picking up something from the store when she overheard a couple of jocks talking about heading towards the Creel House. They had named Max, Lucas, and Erica. Susan had snuck out, slashed their tires, and went off to my house to warn everyone. Susan and the Sinclairs showed up to the Creel House with my mom and Claudia. By the time the assholes showed up, they were face to face with the others. They were pretty sure that Jason and the others would turn their tails and run, but Andy attacked Erica. . .all hell broke lose. Luckily, they were there. No one on our end got too badly hurt, Erica and Lucas only got a few bruises. Jason and his friends are pretty messed up. They might not be able to play basketball ever again," Nancy said, and then she smiled. "My mom, Sue, and Susan fucked them up pretty good."

"Holy fucking shit. . .I'm glad we have the parents backing us up," Eddie said. "How's your dad?"

"Yeah, me too," Nancy said. "He's good. He'll have a scar forever, but he'll live. My parents are getting a divorce."

"What?! That's crazy! I'm sorry, sweetheart," Eddie said.

"No, it's fine. It's better this way for all of us. Their relationship actually seems better now that they've accepted the fact that they don't really want to be with each other," Nancy said, and she scrunched up her face. "I'm glad I wasn't the one to walk in on our mom giving him a proper goodbye, though. I think Mike's scared for life."

"What? Mike's back?" Eddie asked.

"Yeah, they're all back from California. Including the Byers. Don't make that face. Yes, that includes Jonathan," Nancy said as Eddie furrowed his brow. "Baby, you don't have to worry about him, remember?"

"Right," Eddie sighed and paused, frowning. "Where's our Steve?"

Suddenly, someone burst into the room. It was Steve, and he was still in his hospital gown. He beamed at the sight of Eddie.

"You're awake," he said. "Is it going to hurt you if I kiss you?"

"Probably, but it will be worth it," Eddie said. "Get over here, big boy."

Steve shuffled over to Eddie and bent down to gently kiss his lips. Nancy grinned.

"Steve, babe," Nancy said in amusement, and he pulled away, turning around.

"Yeah?"

"Hello, Sailor!" Eddie exclaimed, looking at Steve's backside.

"You forgot your underwear again," Nancy said.

"Oops," Steve said.

"Happy accident," Eddie said, flashing his dimples and then frowned. "Were your wounds that serious?"

"Yeah, I collapsed after bringing you here when I finally had a moment to pause. Nancy didn't want to risk me leaving the hospital and dying of like an infection or something, so we've been here ever since," Steve said as he secured his gown tightly around him.

"Did you flash your ass to the entire hospital?" Eddie asked, cackling.

"Yeah, I think so," Steve said.

"You're an idiot, Steve Harrington," Nancy said.

He just grinned proudly at her while Eddie laughed again. Yeah, she was definitely keeping both of them.

OCTOBER 1987

Nancy sat comfortably behind the wheel of the RV, a place that had become their home over the last year or so. The people hadn't wanted it back after Eddie and Wayne had gotten their blood all over it, so Nancy had kept it along with Steve and Eddie. Ted had reimbursed them with a new one, anyway, using the hush money that they had been given. Sure, the memory of Eddie almost dying was a constant reminder, but it was easily overshadowed by the fact that they also shared their first kiss in there. Nancy smiled as she slid into the lot of the gas station, lining up perfectly next to the pump.

"Alright, I'll fill it up," Steve grinned and bounced out of the trailer, his long hair bouncing with him, and let the door close behind him.

It had become an unspoken contest between the three of them to see who's hair could grow the fastest. Eddie's had been set back slightly when that kid in that dinner in Colorado had put gum in his hair, so now Eddie was determined to grow a beard along with his shaggy hair. It wasn't going well. Nancy's hair was now long enough to tie into a messy braid down her back, which it was currently at. She was going to cut it when she went to Emerson. Hmm, Emerson. Nancy was startled out of her thoughts by a cry and then a loud groan from Eddie in the back of the RV.

"He woke the baby!" Eddie exclaimed.

Nancy turned in her seat to find a sleepy looking, shirtless Eddie cradling a bundle in his arms. Of course, Eddie had him wrapped up in his shirt. Nancy admired him like she and Steve always did when he had his shirt off. Her smile when she caught sight of his new tattoos. There was a new one right above his remaining nipple: a nailbat crossed over a shot gun. Nancy's and Steve's names were underneath it. Eddie plopped in the passenger's seat. Ace popped his head out from the blanket and yelped at the sight of Nancy, tongue hanging out of his mouth. He was a beautiful golden retriever puppy and apparently a little small.

"Aw, did Daddy wake you?" Nancy cooed, and Ace wiggled out of his arms, towards her.

Nancy took him into her arms and pressed a ton of kisses to the top of his head, narrowly avoiding getting the tail on top of his head in her mouth.

"I still can't believe they were going to put him down," Eddie said.

"Luckily, we rescued him," Nancy said.

"What do you mean we?" Steve asked as he came back into the RV. "That was all you, Nance."

"You guys were great backups as always," Nancy said. "So, we're sure about his name?"

"Ace Cerberus Wheeler," Eddie grinned. "I definitely still love it."

"Me too," Steve said.

Eddie had found a huge book on mythology on one of their trips and had insisted on reading it allowed. Nancy loved mythology, especially learning about it, but she definitely loved discovering Steve’s interest in it. . .the way his eyes lit up as Nancy and Eddie took turns reading it to him. Steve loved to read, but at the same time, he also had trouble with it. Nancy gazed at them fondly as Steve and Eddie cooed over their dog. It had been a long journey, but Nancy had loved every minute of it. . .seeing the country and all that it had to offer. She had even loved the hard times that came with it. Living in an RV for several months with two guys definitely wasn't perfect, but even when she had been frustrated, it had been amazing. Together, they were able to find a way to communicate and were able to let out their anger in a healthy way. Sometimes, it wasn't so healthy, but afterward, when they made up, it was exciting. It was all so perfectly imperfect. It was the best kind of chaos. Nancy grabbed the Polaroid and snapped a picture of them.

"You still coming with me when I go to Emerson?" Nancy asked.

"Of course," Steve said.

"Wouldn't miss it," Eddie grinned. "And as we discovered, we can find work anywhere."

"Did we ever say how fucking proud we are of you?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, those assholes rejected you because of me, and you worked your ass off the entire time, while still fucking taking everything in, just to prove them wrong. One day, you're going to stand up there, and you're going to make eat their words of rejection. We'll be there in the crowd, cheering you on and flipping them off," Eddie said and paused as he thought about it. "I mean, you writing in the RV, on top of the RV. You even stopped in the middle of the Grand Canyon."

"I love it when she couldn't find her notebook, and she used us to write on," Steve said with a goofy grin.

"I took a Polaroid of the one she wrote on me yesterday," Eddie cackled. "Totally getting that one tattooed. . .proud of you, babe."

"I'm proud of you guys, too."

Steve and Eddie leaned forward to kiss both of her cheeks. Nancy giggled and got up.

"I hope Claudia is okay with us bringing a guest to her Halloween party," Steve said.

"She better be! Oh, Steve, he fell asleep again. Shh!"

Nancy wandered over to the board with all the Polaroids on it. There were several of them traveling throughout the country. From California to Yellowstone to New York where they met up with the rest of Corroded Coffin and Ronnie. She smiled at the one with three of them in front of the RV, ready to embark on their journey for the first time. Nancy wasn't sure how she was going to go back to living in a house. She loved the RV life. . .Hopefully, everyone in Hawkins has calmed down by now. She couldn't wait to see everyone again and tell them everything. The several letters, phone calls, and post cards hadn't quite been enough.

Nancy stared at a picture of them in a small town in Texas where the RV had broken down. It had been smaller than Hawkins, and they had ended up being there for two months. They all worked at the diner, but Nancy had also worked as a tutor while Steve also played basketball with the kids there, and Eddie taught some of them to play the guitar. It was where Eddie discovered he wanted to teach music, and Steve wanted to bake but also coach basketball. Nancy loved the picture where she was writing with her back against Steve’s while he wrote a postcard to Robin. Both of them had been focused with their feet on each window. Nancy's hair was loose with a pencil in her hair, while Steve had his glasses perched on his nose with his tongue out. The next one was her most favorite. Eddie had fallen asleep on Steve and Nancy again. The kids had taken it upon themselves to draw on Eddie's face, much to Eddie's displeasure and amusement. Nancy smiled. When a metalhead falls asleep on you, she thought, keep them forever.

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powderblueblood · 9 months ago

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Can we please talk about the Jonathan of it all? I love that lacy had the tiniest thing for him before nancy had him all spellbound (no hate to my girl nancy. She can't help it that her pussy pop's severely or however that meme goes) lacy likes herself a weirdo and I am right there with her. I want to ask, she mentions they went out on one date and you mention it a bit but was it really a date or something she, for lack of a better word, tricked him in to? because we both know he wouldn't have asked her out and I'm completely unsure if she'd even utter the word 'date' to him because it might have spooked him or had him thinking she was trying to pull something on him. Basically I want to know how you think lacy would have gotten him to agree to even meet in the park because as stated in a later chapter, he's pretty hard to get a hold of. sorry I'm fixating on this one part. it's just, idk i really liked that lacy saw something in him and went as far as she did to pursue him, you know?

never apologize for fixating in my inbox EVER, that's what this place is for. this dynamic is so secretly special to me. i honestly think if things were different and lacy didn't need a motormouth like munson to rev her engine up and bring her to life out of sheer annoyance, there would be a strong dair energy between her and jonathan. he appealed to something very real within her; he's sweet and thoughtful and sweet and thoughtful are in short supply. the following is how lacy and jonathan ended up standing elbow-to-elbow in main street vinyl that fateful summer. written in the third person because i thought, why not, fun. part of the hellfire & ice universe

HAWKINS, INDIANA. JULY 1982-ISH, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

Dear reader,

Summer makes us pliable, I think. It makes us liquid and wanting. We've hit record temperatures this July, and even the best conditioned of places feel like they're warping. I find myself spilling over into things I usually wouldn't, looking over people's shoulders to peer into how they're handling the heat. Anything to break the monotony of Carol's/gas station/Lover's Lake/Skull Rock/substitute as appropriate.

I'm not finding anything interesting. Or didn't. Until today.

TRACK ONE - MARQUEE MOON by TELEVISION.

The weather that day was too heavy for the sky to hold, and Lacy's sour mood with everyone was too heavy to gloss out. She peeled her car out of the rocky bank at Lover's Lake and may have nipped Harrington's on the way, humidity fogging over her spatial awareness.

No one bothered to poke holes in Lacy's flimsy excuse for leaving, which she kind of resented--in fact, she was kind of resenting the grand dearth in attention she was getting. Cass on Mikey, Carol on Tommy, Tina chasing Steve, Derek pouring over Nicole, but no one quite zeroing in on her. The boys would shoot a stolen glance her way when her shirt and shorts came off, a momentary and forbidden distraction from whatever they were supposed to be locked into.

She's gorgeous, sure. And she knows it, of course. But not gorgeous enough to latch onto, it seems. Nothing of substance there. Lacy was bored to distraction herself.

Once she hit the throbbing, melting concrete of Hawkins' main drag again, she parked a couple of blocks away from the record store, figuring it would do no good to hitch her car right out front. Even if no one was looking for her. Lacy was a girl made of buffers and alibis, pushing the heavy glass door open just as the lightning cracks overhead. It announced her arrival in a way she could have done without.

The clerk, Jerry, a man made up of mostly Groucho Marx facial hair with bifocals perched on top, regarded her with a half-second glance. Lacy patted her perspiring brow as delicately as possible and wound her way towards the 'T's. She had a riff caught in her head that the darkening sky inspired, with all that threatening rain and achy rumbles of thunder, and she needed to exorcise it. It wasn't something she could do in the grand privacy of her own bedroom, because this was a purchase she hadn't smuggled home yet.

Plucking the record out and looking to the listening booths with a satisifed quirk of her lips, Lacy caught Jonathan Byers' dark, serious, brow-knit stare the very second before he thought to snap back around. His headphones skewed against his dull brown hair in a way she knew should have disgusted her. Pavlovian, Lacy waited for her learned reaction to kick in; a lurch, an ew, Byers, what a weirdo! squeeze of the abdominal muscles but... nothing. Nothing happened.

Like she'd left the part of herself that knew how to perform that back at the lake with the others.

Whatever.

The listening booth beside Jonathan Byers stood free. His spine visibly stiffened as she stepped up to his right, picking up the headphones and putting the needle down. The perspex between them was stained heavily, browned blotches of nicotine from decades past, but still transparent enough to see through. And Lacy could feel Jonathan's stare again, beady and judging and zeroing in on the vinyl cover as she flipped it over in her careful hands.

Confusion teemed off him in waves, prompting her to feel something-- a kind of smug indulgence in the notion that he might be thinking, What the fuck is Lacy Doevski doing listening to Television?

Smugger still that if he were to tell anyone, no one would ever believe him.

TRACK TWO - HERE SHE COMES NOW by THE VELVET UNDERGROUND.

Jonathan doesn't spend any time thinking about people like Lacy Doevski, and he means that. Not a flitting fantasy of oh, what would it be like to have the glaring sun of someone so popular shone upon him, nothing like that. Kid's a realist, okay? He knows that people like Lacy are not even worth entertaining the thought--plus, she's mean. As kindergarten as it sounds, he about as much mean in his life as he can handle, thank you very much.

But there's something about a person encroaching on your space, especially in summertime. Was it not for the perspex, they'd be elbow-to-elbow at the listening booths of Main Street Vinyl. And due to the Byers' shot air conditioning with no fix in budget and therefore in sight, he comes here every day to avail of those big box fans. So, unfortunately, does Lacy.

Doesn't she have a state of the art unit she could be sitting in front of, blasting cold air and listening to all these records that she can definitely afford but never ends up buying in the privacy of her own plush Loch Nora home? Why does she hang around here with a soft sheen of perspiration on her forehead that she has to keep shyly dabbing at? Irritably flipping her hair as she tries to subtly spy what he's listening to?

She's not as smooth as she thinks she is.

Why did she roll her eyes and smile a little when she spotted the copy of White Light/White Heat he was listening to? Why did she swap out what she was spinning for a copy of The Velvet Underground & Nico?

Why did Jonathan kind of smile back?

TRACK THREE - FEAR IS A MAN'S BEST FRIEND by JOHN CALE.

Shutting up feels good in a place like this.

Not that Lacy doesn't thrive off the empty caloric intake of a good gossip, but a break in the buzz became more and more adored. And this wordless game of record chicken she'd taken to playing with Jonathan Byers...

Well, how does one explain that without coming across as cruel? Fact was, she was having fun with it and a huge portion of that pie was because Jonathan was so far out in the social hinterlands that it would never blow back on her. No one would ever accuse Lacy of having freak-loving tendencies because no one would ever care to notice Jonathan in the presence of someone like her. He was younger and he was quiet. He had a busted up family, of course, no one found that too interesting. He didn't parade himself around as a paragon of oddity like some people did, like that Munson kid did. He was just... nobody. And for a while, so was she, and it didn't feel entirely terrifying.

The two of them fell into this strange, silent rhythm, where it appeared to the naked eye that they were just two distant classmates standing next to one another in this stuffy record store.

But Jonathan's nose would wrinkle if she was listening to something he didn't recognize, and he'd tug at the hair behind his ear if he did. Jonathan's nose was always a little oily and a soft waft of body odor escaped under his deodorant as he passed her in the stacks-- yet, none of these imperfections triggered that habitual repulsion that they ought to. That they would have, if school was still in session. Instead, Lacy began to feel this animalic pull toward them.

It was as if she immediately started to try and sniff him out each time she entered the store.

And Lacy being Lacy, the pull made her want to push back. Threaten it. Break the unspoken covenant they had and see what Jonathan would do. Boredom with your life begets a thing like that, you see. So, she lifted her needle off John Cale, curved her fingers around the stained plastic that separated them and said, "I love Linda Thompson's voice, don't you?"

He'd never directly met her eyes before then.

"You wh-- sorry?"

TRACK FOUR - SUGAR ON MY TONGUE by THE TALKING HEADS.

Jonathan's a good judge of character. You have to be, with a father like Lonnie and a mother like Joyce. You have to know how to spot someone who's an asshole or someone on the verge of a breakdown from a few hundred miles away. You have to know the difference between good company and bad; Jonathan's skilled at that. Just, so far, seems that the only good company in Hawkins is his own.

Until. Well. Listen.

Lacy kind of made the lines blur.

He couldn figure out if she was fucking with him or not.

Instinct told him that she was; that this was some big elaborate plot to humiliate him somehow, because something like that always seems to be lurking around the corner for him. But the way she smoothed the arch out of her brow when she spoke to him--bitesized sentences, Bagel Bites of conversation--made Jonathan edge closer to that dangerous maybe not.

And they only ever talked about music.

Lacy did most of the heavy lifting, with Jonathan too struck to offer anything beyond a single-word affirmation or a strangled smile over the alarm bells that kept ringing in his head. She kept going, however, saying these incredibly clever, snipped, almost curated things that made Jonathan notice the shape of her mouth.

"...and I actually have that. I could make you a tape."

Jonathan's finger twisted into the wire of his headphones. "Oh, you don't-- I actually, I have this one too."

"Oh."

What was he talking about? That copy of Talking Heads: 77 that he's played to death but couldn't find for the life of him, not in the deepest recesses of his bedroom? The fact that it was missing brought about crazy feelings of self betrayal because that thing was one of Jonathan's prized possessions. Not least of all because it came out the same year he turned ten; same year Lonnie made him shoot a rabbit, same year he proved to Lonnie that he'd never be the man his father wanted him to be.

"Um, no, actually," Jonathan said, pinching the bridge of his nose, "I lost it, actually. My copy." Say actually one more time, buddy. "But you don't have to."

Lacy gave him a look that was solid and confident, one he almost recognized from the real-her, the one that existed in the spaces outside this record store. This looked more genuine, though. Like there was light behind her eyes.

"I want to," she said, "I wouldn't have offered if I didn't want to."

TRACK FIVE - PABLO PICASSO by THE MODERN LOVERS.

"Meet me in the park at off Maple at like... midday?" Lacy knew how it sounded, so she gave him a shrug, one so characteristic and comforting to her. Sliding responsibility right off the curve of one shoulder. "Or don't. It's up to you. But that's where I'll be."

And if she's confessional honest, she hadn't expected him to come. To breach containment of the bubble they'd created in the listening booths, hogging them away from the other patrons of the store. It was safe there, where they didn't have to exchange pleasantries like how are you or what's new, where things were abstracted yet so incredibly personal because this, this, music was one of her secret vestiges that she didn't share with anyone.

To bring it out in the light like this, in the pollen-filled field, to a pockmarked picnic table, meant Lacy was risking it.

Most of her knew that a thing like this couldn't survive being outside it's stuffy, soundtracked bell jar. But the little flicker that thought, dangerously, maybe burned bright in her. In some long neglected place.

"Hey."

"Oh, hi."

Summer makes you pliable. Makes you want to try anything.

It had that effect on Jonathan too, because he showed. But Jonathan shies away from the light; even sitting with Lacy in the shade, the farthest he could position himself from her, he squinted and hunched and looked all apologetic about it. Lacy couldn't hack through the awkwardness with a chainsaw, one she wanted so desperately to rev and scream,

DO YOU LIKE ME OR HAVE I BEEN WASTING MY TIME? I THINK YOU'RE NICE. NO ONE'S NICE. I SHOWED YOU SOMETHING NO ONE ELSE GETS TO SEE. SHOULD WE TRY SOMETHING? DO YOU READ ME?

Everything is that serious when you're sixteen.

The pirated tape of Talking Heads: 77 sat between them on the bench, and Nancy Wheeler crested the hill with a dog on a leash, and Lacy watched as Jonathan's eyes opened. His shoulders relaxed some and his face took on a faintness of a glow she had recognized, because Steve Harrington had looked at Nancy that very same way a couple of weeks back.

Not a look of distraction. Because they were in the real world now.

Spell broken, bubble popped. The shame that she would ever be so stupid to try something like this blew through her like a harsh gust, snuffing out the hope-- because no matter what she does, what she chances to reveal to boys like Jonathan who operate with a sweetness, who need coaxing, there'll always be kinder. There'll always be better. There'll always be Wheeler.

#powder room talk #Anonymous #this took me forever to write and i must apologize but i hope you enjoy my love #j. byers by powder #jonathan byers x oc #hai brainrot #lacy doevski #blurbs #published by powder #stranger things fic #l. doevski by powder

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chicgeekgirl89 · 11 months ago

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Summary: A nightmarish White Elephant gift haunts Carlos for the entire holiday season. Rating: M (no sex, but like...heavy on the implied) A/N: Is this a Christmas fic? Yes. Is it now January? Also yes. But Christmas is a feeling you can have anytime! Read on AO3

“Noooo!!!”

There’s a collective shout of protest from the entire group as Mateo snatches a mug full of handmade chocolate from Paul and returns smugly to his seat on Owen’s sofa. “I got it for you boo,” he says, smiling up at Nancy with such a lovesick expression that it prompts another groan from everyone.

“Cap that’s not fair! People shouldn’t be allowed to steal gifts for other people!” Marjan protests.

“You’re just mad because now Paul’s gonna steal your bath bombs!” Mateo tells her, not looking the least bit sorry.

“Yep,” Paul says, hopping up and plucking the bag of bath bombs from her lap.

“Cap!” Marjan protests again, trying to grab it back and failing.

“There is nothing in the rules that says you can’t steal a gift with the intention of giving it away once the game is complete,” Owen says calmly.

“Is there anything that says how unfair it is that the couples get to take home two gifts?” Marjan grumbles, crossing her arms and sinking back into her chair petulantly.

“Maybe you should bring a boyfriend next time then,” Mateo shoots back.

“Okay enough children,” Tommy says calmly from where she’s sitting next to Judd and Grace. “Marjan you get to either steal or pick a new gift.”

“Fine,” she huffs and rolls her eyes. “I will take a new gift.”

Owen’s annual White Elephant party has been in full swing for a couple hours. The food and drinks have been flowing all night and they are deep into their gift exchange. Tommy holds a gift certificate for a local movie theater, Carlos stole a set of ornaments from Nancy two rounds ago, Judd has managed to wrangle a set of freezable beer glasses back after three steals, and Grace has threatened bodily harm to anyone who tries to take the gift card for a pedicure that she unwrapped to start the game.

It’s been a night full of laughter and holiday spirit, much needed after the last few months. T.K. is snuggled into Carlos’ side, his eyes full of light and happiness. The relief Carlos feels at seeing him enjoy this time with friends and family is palpable.

“Fine,” Marjan says, putting on that air that says she’s “rising above” even though she’s likely still harboring bitterness inside. “I will choose a new gift.”

She opens a gift bag with snowflakes on it to reveal a “Grow Your Own Avocado Kit” that mollifies her. “Okay Tommy, you’re up,” T.K. says. “Are you stealing or opening?”

“I think I will open,” Tommy says, reaching for a flat-ish gift that’s wrapped in the standard Amazon gift wrap. “I like an element of surprise.”

She puts on a face of fake contemplation and shakes it lightly. “Hope it’s not breakable,” Judd teases.

“Doesn’t sound like it,” she says, pulling the packaging off.

She and Grace both realize what it is at the same time and their eyes go comically wide. “Oh…my,” Tommy says as Grace clears her throat and shifts a little, clear amusement on her face.

“What is it Tommy?” Nancy asks, craning her neck to try and see.

“It is um,” Tommy turns it around for everyone to see, “an adult advent calendar.”

For a long moment the only sound in the room is Michael Bublé crooning on about white Christmases and sleigh bells. And in that moment, Carlos should realize that he’s doomed. But he’s too relaxed and full of holiday cheer to realize his fate has been sealed. So instead he sits there in blissful ignorance and doesn’t realize that his fiancé, cuddled sweetly in beside him, is already plotting a course of action that is going to ruin his holiday season.

“Well,” Owen says finally, “that is…an interesting choice. Who um, who decided to bring that gift?”

“It was me!” Mateo says proudly. “My buddy got one last year and said it was awesome. He and his girlfriend really enjoyed doing the activities.”

Carlos winces. Poor Mateo. The kid really doesn’t get it sometimes.

“Babe,” Nancy says patiently. “What do you think an adult advent calendar is for?”

“I don’t know,” Mateo says, obviously confused by everyone’s reactions. “Like drinking wine and stuff? Things for adults.”

“Mateo, can you really not think of another meaning for the word ‘adult’?” Judd asks.

He wrinkles his forehead in confusion and then it clears, his mouth forming an “o” shape. “Oooooh, adult like…ADULT.”

“There it is,” Paul says with a nod.

Marjan leans over Tommy’s shoulder. “Twenty-four naughty challenges for every fast day,” she reads aloud. “Every fast day? What the hell does that even mean?”

“I think it means this came from a country where English isn’t the primary language,” Grace says in amusement.

“Oh god, Tommy, I’m so sorry!” Mateo says, looking horrified.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Tommy says with a laugh. “I don’t think I’ll be getting much use out of this as a single person, but it’s the thought that counts, right?”

The group gets a good laugh at Mateo’s expense and the game moves on. Owen opens a gigantic Hershey bar and immediately goes on a rant about how sugar is a metabolism killer before trying to foist it off on Judd to give to Charlie, and then Marjan steals Grace’s gift card and all hell breaks loose for about ten minutes as vicious gameplay ensues. Carlos loses his ornaments and ends up with the Hershey bar, which, if nothing else, will make his nieces and nephews happy, so it’s not too big of a loss.

When the dust settles everyone is left with a gift except for T.K. “What’s it going to be T.K.?” Judd asks. “Are you taking the last gift or choosing to restart the violence?”

T.K. looks up at Carlos, a wicked smile on his face and Carlos’ stomach lurches. “Please don’t,” he says.

“Don’t what babe?” T.K. asks innocently.

“You know what,” Carlos says, a cold sweat breaking out on the back of his neck.

Because somehow, in all the chaos, Tommy still has the sexy advent calendar. Apparently no one else is interested in “naughty challenges for every fast day.” But T.K. is always up for naughty challenges. And embarrassing the shit out of Carlos.

“What are you two whispering about?” Nancy asks suspiciously. “Are you crafting some master plan for stealing these bath bombs? Because you can pry them from my cold dead hands.”

“Relax. I don’t want your bath bombs Nance,” T.K. says in that voice he uses when he’s about to ruin Carlos’ life. It’s the one that’s obnoxiously casual with hints of mischief and delight and it sends fear shooting through him like nothing else.

“Okay well we don’t got until New Year’s, pick a gift T.K.!” Judd says.

“If you insist.” T.K. stands and walks toward Paul only to do an abrupt about face and grab the advent calendar from Tommy instead. “I think we can probably find a way to have some fun with this at our place.”

Carlos dies. He literally dies. He can feel his face going fire engine red. He wishes he could sink into the couch and disappear. He knows T.K. is sex positive. He knows that that entire 126 is far more aware of the intimate details of their bedroom life than he would like. He knows. But rarely does he have to see it flaunted so blatantly in front of his face. In front of his soon to be father-in-law’s face.

Right now Carlos is also sex positive in that he’s positive they’re never having sex again.

T.K. plops back down next to him and opens it up to a random page. “Ooh look at Day Eighteen babe!”

“I wanna see Day Eighteen!” Mateo comes running and leans over Carlos’ lap to take a look.

“Don’t look at Day Eighteen, skip right to the end,” Nancy says, snatching it from T.K.’s hands and riffling through the pages. “Game in Santa? Is that like a threesome? Do you have to hire a Santa actor? That feels like something that should have been booked months in advance.”

“Santa actors are indeed very busy this time of year,” Owen says. “And I’d imagine a Santa willing to participate in a threesome is going to be much more expensive than your standard mall Santa.”

Carlos slumps lower in the couch and covers his face with his hands. This is a nightmare.

Carlos is on shift the next day when his phone buzzes with a text message. He and Lexi are on desk duty, working on end of year paperwork. Other people might be unhappy about it, but as much as Carlos enjoys the more active aspects of his job he also finds paperwork soothing. It’s like putting things to bed and tying it all up in a neat little bow.

Lexi does not agree.

“Whyyyyyy are there so many forms?” she moans, dropping her head dramatically onto her desk, dangerously close to her coffee cup.

Carlos automatically reaches over and moves it to safety. “You’re going to have to do them all over again if you spill coffee on everything.”

“No I won’t. I’ll just send them in covered in coffee stains. That’s admin’s problem.”

“Your desire for perfection is admirable,” Carlos teases her, picking up his phone to find T.K. has sent a picture of their sock drawer. Everything is neatly aligned and perfectly in place, just the way he likes.

Thanks for doing the laundry babe, he texts back.

Three little dots pop up immediately followed shortly by a second picture, this time of their spice cabinet. Carlos frowns in concentration and zooms in a little bit. “Did he refill all the spices?” he asks under his breath.

“What was that?” Lexi asks, clearly eager to be distracted from her work.

“T.K.’s home today and he’s sending me pictures of his chores,” Carlos says, showing it to her before typing back, Busy day huh? Thanks.

Their sergeant calls them in for an impromptu meeting after that and Carlos doesn’t get to look at his phone again until lunchtime. A third picture greets him, this time of their vacuum, lines apparent on the carpet where T.K. has done some vacuuming. Carlos chuckles to himself, amused by his boyfriend’s antics. Thank you? he responds. What’s with all the extra chores today?

He knows something’s up when T.K. begins responding immediately. Even through the phone he can sense T.K.’s eagerness and glee. Whatever’s going on, T.K. is very proud of himself and probably about to make Carlos just a little crazy.

It’s Day Seven.

Carlos stares at the text, his mind drawing a blank. Day seven of what? December? What does that mean?

He texts T.K. back asking as much and receives yet another picture in reply. Carlos has to bite back an incredulous laugh when he realizes it’s a page from that stupid advent calendar telling them to send suggestive texts to each other throughout the day.

This is your version of sexting? he types out, trying not to smile too obviously. The spice cabinet and the vacuum? Very hot.

The reply comes immediately. No, it’s your version of sexting. This is my version of sexting.

The dots disappear for just long enough that Carlos gets distracted by a couple forms that need his signature. When he absentmindedly checks his phone again a few minutes later his jaw drops.

T.K. has sent a selfie of himself in front of their bathroom mirror. His shirt is unbuttoned, chest fully exposed, his belt and the button on his pants undone so they’re slung low on his hips with the waistband of his boxers peeking out tantalizingly over the top. And his face, god his face. Most of the time T.K. looks like a giddy little boy. But with his head tipped back, eyes half closed, mouth slightly open, god, he looks like…

Fuck.

“Carlos? You okay?” Lexi asks, bringing Carlos crashing back into the present and his current location.

He shifts a little and immediately turns his phone screen off. “Yeah, just um, just need a break I think.”

She nods. “See? Told you. All this paperwork is bad for you.”

“Yeah,” he says, clearing his throat, heat still pooling in his midsection. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

“Don’t rush. The paper’s not going anywhere,” she says.

He slips into the locker room, checking to make sure no one is around before locking himself in one of the bathroom stalls. He taps T.K.’s name and it takes only one ring before his boyfriend is picking up. “Hey baby.”

“Jesus Christ T.K.,” Carlos says. “I’m at work.”

“I’m aware.” T.K.’s voice is full of delight.

“You’re going to kill me,” Carlos says, letting his head fall back against the cool metal of the stall wall.

“Mmm might you be a fan of the advent calendar after all?”

Carlos huffs. “No. I have,” he checks his watch, “four more hours before I can get home to you. I very much do not like the advent calendar right now.”

“Four hours huh?” T.K. says. “I can send a lot of sexy text messages in four hours…”

“T.K. I swear to god, do not keep sending me stuff here. I’m going to turn my phone off.”

It buzzes as he speaks and he pulls it away from his ear to see yet another text message. “Just one to remember me by then,” T.K. says, his voice flirty. “I’ll see you when you get home.”

And then he’s gone, leaving Carlos alone and turned on as hell. He sucks in a breath and tries to give himself a stern talking to about professionalism and decency.

It barely works.

He equal parts wants to worship T.K. and murder him.

He can’t help himself. He opens the last text. Couldn’t resist, it reads and then there’s a picture of T.K. in nothing but his boxers, lip caught between his teeth, his free hand so suggestively placed that Carlos considers faking sick and rushing home as fast as he can.

Instead he hardens his resolve. Two can play at this game.

He flicks through the pictures on his phone, settling on a selfie he took a couple weeks ago. He’d really been feeling himself after a heavy lifting session and snapped it in the gym bathroom. His shirt is pulled up between his teeth, his curls messy and sweaty in a way he knows T.K. thinks is sexy as hell. You can just make out the faint outline of a bulge in his shorts.

Carlos smirks as he sends it, then turns his phone off without waiting for a reply. He has to make it through the rest of the day and that’s not going to happen if T.K. keeps texting.

When his shift is over he stops at the grocery store to grab more cheese and a salad to go along with the pasta they’re having for dinner. He gets home a little after six, his mouth watering at the smells of tomato and garlic that are swirling from their loft out into the hallway. “Hi!” he calls as he steps inside and slips off his shoes.

“Hi.” T.K. steps out of the kitchen, an apron over his clothes and an amused smile on his face as he gives Carlos a welcome home kiss.

Carlos rolls his eyes. “Dinner smells good.”

“Should be ready in a few minutes.” T.K. watches as he sets down his work bag and starts looking through the mail that’s on their console table. “Have you checked your phone lately?”

“I turned it off,” Carlos tells him. “You were extremely distracting and I didn’t think I could make it through the rest of my shift if you kept texting.”

T.K. takes a step closer, false casualness coloring his voice. “You might want to take a look.”

Carlos sets the mail down. “If I look at more dirty pictures of you now we’ll never eat dinner. And I’m starving.”

“I think my dirty pictures are the least of your worries,” T.K. says, glee lighting up in his eyes. “Your picture on the other hand…”

Carlos smiles as he pulls his phone out and powers it back up. “Oh you liked that huh?”

“I definitely liked it. And so did everyone else.”

“Everyone else? What are you talking abo—“ Carlos’ eyes go wide as forty-six missed messages pop up onto his screen. The most recent one is from Judd, and when he opens the text thread he finds that—

“Yeah, you sent your revenge thirst trap to the 126 group chat babe,” T.K. tells him.

Horror fills Carlos from top to bottom as he scrolls through the messages.

“Whoa, what is this, Thirst Trap Thursday?”- Paul

“Dang, do you lift bro?”- Mateo

“Oh Carlos, sweetie, I think you sent this to the wrong person.” -Tommy

“Okay Officer Hottie!”- Nancy

They go on and on, everyone chiming in at one point or another, including Owen, who offers to hook Carlos up with his supplement regimen the next time they’re at the house and culminating in a text from Judd asking everyone to stop forking texting, his phone hasn’t stopped buzzing for an hour.

Carlos has never been more mortified in his entire life. “Oh my god,” he says.

“Deep breaths. You’re okay,” T.K. says, patting him gently on the back.

Carlos pulls back and glares at him. “This is your fault!”

“Pretty sure I didn’t send my sexy pics to the wrong group thread. How is it my fault?”

“You and that stupid advent calendar! This never would have happened if you’d just let Tommy keep it!”

“It’s one picture Carlos. Everyone will have forgotten about it by tomorrow.”

(No one forgets. They bring it up all the time. They blow it up to poster size and hang it in T.K.’s locker at work. They send a graffitied version of it to Carlos on his birthday. The following year’s white elephant exchange includes a copy in a garish frame.)

Carlos crosses his arms over his chest. “We’re getting rid of it.”

T.K. snorts. “No we’re not.”

“Yes we are!”

“It’s my gift! You can’t throw away a gift!”

Carlos clenches his jaw. “That thing is trouble T.K. I don’t want it around anymore.”

T.K. steps closer. “That’s funny. Because usually you like it when I get into trouble.”

“Do not start with that.”

“Come on baby,” T.K. says, his tone flirty and suggestive. “We were having a pretty good time with it before all this.” He runs a finger along the buttons on Carlos’ shirt. “I thought that picture was hot. And I like that everyone knows this beautiful body is all mine.”

God help him, something inside of him unspools when T.K. talks like this. “Your dad saw it. And Tommy,” he protests, the embarrassment lingering.

“Tommy sees bodies all the time at work,” T.K. says. “And my dad really doesn’t care. Honestly it’s kind of surprising he didn’t send a selfie back.” He looks up at Carlos through his lashes. “Let’s have dinner and then I’ll make you forget about anything except how hot we both are, okay?”

He must be the weakest man alive. “Okay,” he says. “But you have to promise me that that stupid calendar will stay between us from now on.”

“I promise,” T.K. says, patting his chest. “Only the two of us will know anything about it.”

“Good,” Carlos says in relief.

A couple weeks later Carlos comes home from Christmas shopping, struggling to find his keys as he exits the elevator with an armload of bags full of gifts for his family and T.K. He’s so focused on trying to extract his keys from his pocket without dropping anything that he doesn’t notice their front door is slightly ajar until he’s reaching toward the lock.

He immediately goes on high alert. T.K. had texted he was on his way home five minutes ago. There’s no way he could have gotten here so fast. And even if he had, there’s no way he would have left the door ajar.

Carlos carefully sets down his bags and pulls out his phone as he eases the door open a little further, peering carefully inside. There’s music blasting and the smell of cookies in the air. Are they being robbed by the Keebler elves?

He ventures in a little further, body tense and ready for a fight, when out of nowhere there’s a blood curdling scream and he has to duck as a mixing bowl comes flying at his head. “Whoa!” he yells as it crashes to the floor behind him, splattering something all over their entryway.

“Carlos?! What the fuck?!”

He looks up to find his sister staring at him. “Cesca! Oh my god!”

“You scared the shit out of me!” she yells angrily.

“You scared the shit out of ME!” he yells back, rubbing his chest where his heart is still thundering away.

“Why is everyone yelling?" Adriana appears from the bedroom looking confused and mildly annoyed, giving him his second heart attack of the last three minutes.

“Why are you both in my house?!” he asks incredulously.

“We’re baking cookies,” Francesca says, as if this is totally normal and acceptable.

“Don’t you have an oven at your place?” Carlos asks.

“It’s broken,” Adriana tells him, as she walks around the couch and then spots the mess the mixing bowl left on the floor. “Cesca, what the fuck? We’re going to have to make the icing all over again.”

“He broke in and scared me! I had to defend myself!”

“I didn’t break in, this is my house!” Carlos says. “And you left the door open!”

“Sorry you have a weird ass bougie slidey door that’s difficult to close,” Cesca mumbles with a roll of her eyes as she returns to the kitchen.

His heart finally returning to normal, Carlos steps outside and retrieves his bags and then firmly closes and locks the door behind him. He’d prefer if his cousin and sister were on the other side, but getting rid of them is harder than getting rid of Christmas card glitter. He’s just going to have to accept their presence in his home until they get tired or bored and leave.

“Why didn’t you just go to Mom and Dad’s?” Carlos steps around the sticky mess on the floor to deposit his purchases on the couch before going in search of a towel to clean it up.

“We did,” Adriana says. “Your mom kicked us out.”

Carlos picks up the mixing bowl and swipes a finger along the icing inside, popping it in his mouth as he heads toward the kitchen sink. “Why would she kick you out for baking cookies?”

His eyes land on the kitchen counter and he stops dead in his tracks. Every square inch is covered in gingerbread people, some of them already decorated, some of them still plain brown. But decorated or not, one thing is very, VERY clear. Every. single. one. is having sex.

“Tía Andrea claimed it was pornographic,” Adriana says, picking up a piping bag to add some details to a pair that are doing it doggy style.

Carlos feels like he’s having an out of body experience. His sister and cousin have always pushed the envelope of decency a little bit, but this is another level entirely. And he’s completely trapped. If he expresses dismay they’ll call him a prude. If he says nothing, he risks this happening again.

“We call it The Caramel Sutra,” Francesca tells him. “It’s for our Christmas party.”

“You and T.K. are invited, by the way,” Adriana says. “It’s on Friday.”

“I think we’re busy,” Carlos says, his voice strained. Does he yell? Does he run? Does he go in the bedroom and shut the door until they leave?

“Oh my god, not you too,” Francesca says with a roll of her eyes. “That’s the same look Mom had on her face right before she started yelling at us to get our smutty cookies out of her kitchen.”

“I mean, they’re pretty…aggressive,” Carlos says.

“They’re just cookies,” Adriana says. “Don’t stand there and pretend like you’re some kind of prude. We know what you and T.K. get up to around here.”

She picks up something off the counter and waves it at him. Hot dread spikes through him as he recognizes the god damn Sexy Advent Calendar. “Where did you get that?” he asks.

“It was on your bed,” she says.

Damn it T.K.

Despite his best efforts to get T.K. to forget about the calendar, he’s given in a few times and allowed his boyfriend to use it to spice things up. Most of the suggestions are ridiculous, but Carlos has to begrudgingly admit that a few have been kind of fun. Still, he hadn’t expected anyone else to see the stupid thing.

“Why were you in my bedroom?” he asks, trying to keep his voice even, still not rising to the bait they’re dangling in front of him.

“I was using your bathroom,” she says. She flips a couple of pages. “Did you guys try Day Nine? Oooh Tía Maria is going to make you go to confession for that one.”

“What’s Day Nine?” Francesca asks, wiping her hands on a towel and leaning over to see. “Oh god. Wow. Do you have that hip flexibility?”

“Okay, that’s enough,” Carlos says, unable to stand it any longer. “Give it to me.”

He holds out a hand but Adriana pulls it back. “No. I’m getting ideas.” She pulls out her phone. “Hold still.”

“Now what are you doing?” he asks.

She lifts the calendar and snaps a photo of it with him in the background. “Perfect. I’m going to hold onto this in case I ever need it for blackmail.”

“Adriana, give me the calendar,” he demands in his best police officer voice.

It does not work.

She flips another page. “Oooh lap dance on Day Twelve! Nice that T.K. got to revisit his stripper roots on that one.”

He lunges for her, his hand closing around air as she darts away from him into the living room. “Adriana I am not kidding!” he yells as he follows her.

She runs around the couch, facing him down on the other side as she flips another page. “Tell us Carlos, what is your ‘free naughty wish’?”

“My current wish is that you leave here and never come back!” he says, feinting to the left and then dashing to the right to try and catch her.

She squeaks and evades him again by climbing up onto the couch cushions, holding the calendar high above her head.

“Get down from there! No shoes on the furniture!” Carlos yells.

“Throw a pillow at him!” Francesca says from where she’s mixing new frosting and watching the entire situation unfold.

He turns around sharply and glares at her. “Shut up!”

“You shut up!”

He changes course and stalks toward her. “Oh hell no Carlitos,” she says, cutting through the dining room and holding the mixing bowl threateningly above the floor in front of Lou II’s aquarium. “I will drop this on your carpet and I will not feel bad about it.”

“Day four seems messy,” Adriana says.

“Stop reading it!” Carlos yells.

“Um, hi?”

They all turn toward the once again open loft door to find T.K. standing there, his work bag in hand.

“T.K.! You’re here!” Francesca says in delight.

Carlos uses the momentary distraction to vault the couch and snatch the calendar from a shocked Adriana. She lets out a squawk and topples into the cushions as he lands on the other side, triumphant. “Hey babe,” he says, slightly breathless. “Welcome home.”

“This looks fun,” T.K. says, that gleam in his eyes that says he’s going to be of absolutely no help to Carlos.

Everyone dreams that their family will get along with their significant other. Sometimes Carlos dreams that T.K. would get along a little worse with his.

“T.K. I need to know, who was on top when you did Day Thirteen and do you have regrets?” Adriana asks.

“Our personal life is none of your business!” Carlos hisses at her.

“Then why did you leave your sex-vent calendar out in the open?”

And that is when Carlos loses it. He’s sixteen years old again, the two of them invading his privacy, and he reacts accordingly. “IT WASN’T IN THE OPEN IT WAS IN OUR BEDROOM AND YOU’RE NOT EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE HERE AT ALL!”

There’s a brief moment of silence as they all process his outrage. And then, “T.K. want a cookie?” Francesca asks.

“I would love one,” T.K. says. “But I think your brother might combust if I don’t talk him down a little bit first.”

She shrugs. “They’re here when you’re ready.”

“I’m fine,” Carlos snaps when T.K. walks over to him.

“Mmmm okay,” T.K. says, amusement on his face. “Come on, come here for a minute.”

Carlos follows him into the bedroom and stands stiffly with his arms crossed as T.K. shuts the door, giving the illusion of privacy even though his sister and cousin can probably still hear every word. “This is why we should have gotten rid of this thing!” Carlos yell whispers at his boyfriend, shaking the calendar angrily. “You can’t leave it lying around! My family has no boundaries! They wander in and out at will! This is our private sex life and I don’t want them to be a part of it!”

“I know,” T.K. says calmly, prying it gently from his fingers. “I get it. I’ll make sure it gets put away where no one can find it.”

“Thank you,” Carlos says, releasing an angry breath. “Sorry, I didn’t mean for you to come home to this.”

“Carlos I am familiar with the ways of your sister and your cousin. It doesn’t surprise me anymore to come home and find them hanging around.”

“Does it surprise you that they broke into our home to bake pornographic cookies in our oven?” Carlos says bitterly.

T.K.’s eyebrows rise. “That…is a little surprising, yes.”

“Well that’s what’s happening. So, yeah.”

He sits down on the bed and tosses the calendar down beside him. T.K. steps forward until their knees bump together. “You know what might help?” he asks gently.

“What?” Carlos asks, still feeling moody and pissed off at his family.

T.K. rubs a hand up and down his arm, that gleam back in his eye. “If we try out Day Sixteen again.”

Carlos flashes him a sour look. “I hate you.”

“But you loved Day Sixteen,” T.K. says, pushing a hand into Carlos’ curls.

That’s true. And T.K.’s sweet smile and bright eyes and the way his fingers feel in Carlos’ hair make his stomach do that stupid flippy thing that always happens when T.K. is around and he feels himself teenage angsting a little less. But then he glances down at the advent calendar beside him and remembers what a nightmare it’s been.

“I don’t think we should use it anymore,” Carlos says.

“Not even for Day Sixteen?” T.K. tries.

“We don’t need a calendar for Day Sixteen. We already know how to do it.”

T.K. sighs. “Fine. You win. I will get rid of the advent calendar.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Really. It’s clearly bothering you, so I’ll make it disappear.”

A smidgen of guilt flitters through Carlos, but the relief at not having to worry about the unpleasant side effects the calendar seems to bring them overpowers it. “Can you get rid of my sister and cousin too?” He realizes he sounds whiny, but he’s too wound up to care.

“I will.” T.K. says. “But it might take a little while. You know how difficult it is to get them to leave.”

Carlos sighs. “I know.”

“And your mom would probably want us to invite them to stay for dinner.”

“Ugghhhh,” Carlos groans. “Fine.”

T.K. steps back and holds out a hand. “Now come on. I’m actually dying to see these cookies.”

Carlos lets T.K. pull him to his feet. “I knew you would be.”

Noche Buena has always been chaos at his parents’ house, and it’s only gotten crazier since his sisters started getting married and having kids. Their family seems to expand by at least ten people a year and everyone has an open invitation to show at up at any point throughout the night.

Carlos goes over early to help with tamale assembly. The house is already full of family even though it’s early yet. His sisters are all here with their husbands and kids, and a few cousins, tíos, and tías have shown up to help with food prep too. He smiles as he listens to his mom and Tía Maria argue over how much salt to use in the masa. They have the same argument every year and every year the tamales are exactly as good as the year before no matter how much or how little salt they put in.

He’s stirring what equates to a vat of sauce when the doorbell rings. “I’ve got it Andrea, your hands are full,” Tía Lucy says as his mother searches in vain for a towel on which to wipe them.

She disappears from the kitchen and seconds later he hears her exclaim, “T.K.! Feliz Navidad, come in, come in!”

“T.K. is here?” The words are spoken nearly in chorus and the next thing Carlos knows he’s been left completely alone as every woman in the house flocks to the front door. When they return they have his boyfriend in tow.

“Now you know that you are family in this house, no more ringing the doorbell mijo,” Carlos�� mom is chastising him as they walk in, the rest of the group murmuring their agreements and insistence that he simply walk in and out at will like everyone else as they return to their food prep duties.

“I’ll remember for next time,” T.K. promises, even though Carlos knows full well that he won’t.

“T.K.! Come taste this!” Lucía, one of Carlos’ middle sisters, holds out a cookie toward him.

He takes it dutifully, his eyes finding Carlos’ and sparkling with joy. Sometimes Carlos feels like his family is some kind of zoo exhibit, wild and crazy and amusing to anyone on the outside. But T.K.’s brightness and exuberance have fit seamlessly into the mix. In fact sometimes Carlos thinks T.K. fits in better than he himself ever has.

“Ay, let the man kiss his boyfriend. They haven’t seen each other in hours,” Teresa says over the chatter, her Mrs. Claus apron fluttering as she bends over to check on things in the oven.

They let him through the crowd and Carlos pauses his stirring to give T.K. a brief peck on the lips. “Welcome to the crazy,” he says with a smile.

“I love the crazy,” T.K. reminds him.

“I know,” Carlos says, warmth filling him from head to toe. “Don’t let them talk your ear off. Oh,” he lowers his voice, “and definitely do not answer if Tía Maria and Tía Dolores ask you whose pozole is better. It’s a trap.”

“Got it,” T.K. says, giving him a mock salute with his un-cookied hand.

“Carlos! The sauce will burn! Stir!” Tía Maria calls out sternly and Carlos quickly returns to his duties.

T.K. is pulled away after that, plied with food and drinks and taken to the living room for conversation by most of the tías. “Mom, go with them,” Elena urges. “We’ll handle things in here.”

“There’s still so much to do,“ his mom protests.

“We’ve got it,” Lucía insists. “Go.”

She looks reluctant, but removes her apron. “Don’t let Adriana and Francesca touch the masa.”

“Hey!” they protest at the same time from where they’re seated on the counter’s barstools, both of them halfway through their second glasses of wine and doing absolutely nothing to help.

“You heard me,” she says, giving them all a warning look before disappearing out the door.

Carlos switches hands, his right arm aching from stirring. Teresa sidles up to him. “So,” she says. “How’s the advent calendar working out for you?”

Carlos whips around. “I’m going to murder you!” he says, holding the dripping spoon out like a weapon at his sister and cousin. He should have known they wouldn’t keep it to themselves.

“No murder during the holidays,” Teresa tells him.

“What?” Francesca asks. “She asked how you guys were doing. What was I supposed to say?”

“Literally anything else,” Carlos tells her through gritted teeth.

“I think it’s fun,” Lucía says. “You’ve gotta keep things interesting somehow.”

“But not too interesting. That’s how you end up like this,” Elena says, rubbing a hand over her pregnant belly.

“Good thing Carlos and T.K. don’t have that problem,” Adriana says. “All fun and no consequences.”

“Tell us about Day Nine,” Lucía says, her eyes sparkling. “That sounded very fun.”

“Since when did we become a family that discusses our sex lives?” Carlos asks, feeling suddenly hot and short of breath.

“Oh we’ve always talked about it,” Elena tells him. “You’ve just never gotten to be part of it because you’ve never brought a boy home before.”

“Sh! Shut up!” Teresa hisses, all of them going quiet as Tía Maria reenters the kitchen.

She looks at them suspiciously. “Your mother wants the green tablecloth with the poinsettias on it.”

“I’ll get it,” Francesca says, hopping off her bar stool and opening a drawer next to the pantry. “Here you go.” She’s doing this fake sweet innocent thing with her face that makes her look even more guilty.

“Gracias,” Tía Maria says, still eyeing them all as if she knows exactly what they were just talking about. “Carlos, you’re not stirring.”

“Sorry tía,” he says, quickly turning around and going back to work.

She gives them all one more look and then leaves. Carlos puts his spoon down and turns on his sisters. “And that is just one reason why I don’t like talking about my sex life. Are you trying to get me lectured on Christmas Eve?”

“God don’t be such a prude,” Adriana says with a roll of her eyes, popping a chocolate into her mouth and talking around it. “You’re over here gatekeeping the good stuff from us.”

“I’m not gatekeeping anything,” Carlos says. “You could get that stupid calendar on Amazon if you really wanted it. And we didn’t even finish it anyway.”

“Uh oh. Trouble in paradise?” Elena asks.

“Did one of you get a sex injury?” Francesca wants to know.

“God I can’t remember the last time I had a sex injury,” Lucía says wistfully.

“No!” Carlos says. “I told him we had to stop because everyone kept asking us about it.”

There’s silence in the kitchen. “You quashed your boyfriend’s holiday sex fun?” Teresa asks. “Yikes Carlos. Not good.”

“What a Scrooge,” Adriana mutters.

And odd mix of guilt and embarrassment floods through him. “I—it was—“

“Someone literally handed you a book of Christmas sex ideas and you turned it down,” Francesca shakes her head. “I’m ashamed to call you family.”

“Rejecting your partner can be very damaging to the relationship,” Lucía says as if she’s reciting from a self-help book. “Especially at the holidays.”

“I really don’t need your advice thanks,” Carlos says, even as her words hit home. Has T.K. been feeling rejected? He hasn’t seemed off or upset but…sometimes T.K. is really good at hiding things from him.

“Just saying this is Texas. There are plenty of other Carlos Reyeses around if T.K. feels like you’re not respecting his interests,” Francesca tells him right before she drains her wine glass.

“Okay, we’ve made the poor boy suffer enough. Let’s leave it,” Teresa says, finally taking back the reins of peacemaking oldest sister. “But seriously Carlos,” she says, leaning closer so only he can hear, “you should live a little. Before you know it you’re old and married and have to schedule sex on Google calendar between karate classes and PTO meetings. Take advantage while you’re both still young and fun.”

Carlos feels stricken. He continues stirring automatically, but as soon as he can persuade Lucía to take over he goes to find T.K.

His boyfriend is laughing at something Tía Lucy is saying and Carlos pauses for a moment to appreciate how natural T.K. looks sitting with the rest of the Reyes clan. If T.K. thinks organizing their sock drawer is the sexiest thing he could possibly do, he is deeply, deeply wrong. Seeing T.K. fit into their family like he’s always been there is a massive turn on.

But there are more important matters at hand so Carlos pulls himself back to the moment and interrupts. “Hey, sorry tía. T.K., can I talk to you for a second?”

“Ooh some Christmas secrets? Or are you two off to kiss under the mistletoe?” Tía Lucy asks, the sparkle in her eyes matching the one Lucía had earlier. “Wait! I have some in my pocket you can use.”

“That’s okay, we’re good,” Carlos says, waving her off as T.K. gets to his feet. “We’ll be right back.”

T.K. follows him up the stairs and down the hall to his childhood bedroom. “Everything okay babe?” he asks when the door is shut securely behind them, his brow furrowed in concern.

“Did I make you feel rejected?” Carlos asks. “When I said no more advent calendar?”

“Rejected? What are you talking about?” T.K. asks in confusion.

“I told you no more advent calendar. Did that make you upset?”

“I mean…it was kind of a bummer,” T.K. admits. “I was having fun and I thought you were too when you weren’t sexting our friends or chasing your family around the loft.” He shrugs. “But it’s fine. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah,” T.K. says, patting his stomach reassuringly. “Come on. Tía Lucy was about to tell me about the time she went paragliding in Hawai’i.”

T.K. heads out the door and back to the party, leaving Carlos to relive the kitchen conversation on his own. All he can think about is scheduling sex on Google calendar. Which sounds exactly like something he would do. And he absolutely does not want that to be their future.

Maybe his sisters are right. Maybe he is too much of a prude.

Carlos looks around and spots his dad’s printer. Before he can second guess himself he grabs a piece of paper and goes to work.

XXX

T.K. is woken by soft, but persistent kisses. He inhales deeply, eyes fluttering open, gritty with lack of sleep. “Hey,” he grinds out.

“Merry Christmas,” Carlos says softly, pressing another kiss to his lips, then sliding his body over until he’s draped across T.K.’s torso. He trails kisses across T.K.’s collar bone, around his pec, and then back up to his neck.

“Mmm, that’s nice,” T.K. says, shifting a little bit to get more comfortable.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

They’re crammed into the full size bed in Carlos’ childhood bedroom, but T.K. doesn’t mind a bit. It means they have to snuggle close, cuddling each other while they sleep.

Last night they’d donned matching pajamas and stayed up late playing games with Carlos’ sisters and brothers-in-law after the kids went to bed. T.K. had stuffed his face with tamales and buñuelos and laughed at the antics of the Reyes children. They’re a special kind of chaos and it’s very funny to see his calm, sweet boyfriend absolutely lose his shit over a board game.

T.K. skates a hand across Carlos’ bicep and up the back of his neck, toying with the soft curls he finds there. “What time is it? Do we need to get up?”

Carlos shakes his head. “I don’t hear the kids yet.”

T.K. blinks a few times and squints so he can focus on the alarm clock next to the bed. “Carlos!” he squawks. “It’s five o’clock in the morning!”

“I know,” Carlos says, nuzzling into his neck.

“Baby.” It comes out on a long suffering groan. “We’ve only been asleep for like four hours.”

“We need to take care of the final day of the advent calendar before everyone wakes up,” Carlos tells him softly, his nose brushing against the shell of T.K.’s ear.

T.K. frowns and pulls back a bit, forcing Carlos to lift his head and look at him. “The advent calendar is done. The last day was yesterday.”

“Mmmm, are you sure about that?”

“Yes?” T.K. says in confusion. “It was Game in Santa. Which we couldn’t figure out.”

“You know I’ve always thought it was kind of lame that you don’t get anything from an advent calendar on the twenty-fifth,” Carlos says. “It seems like you should get an even bigger gift.”

“I think that’s the point. You get something every day and then all your Christmas gifts on the twenty-fifth,” T.K. tells him.

“I don’t like it,” Carlos tells him.

T.K. snorts. “I’ll be sure and submit your complaint to the advent calendar council.”

“Good,” Carlos says, nuzzling down into his chest again. “But for now, I think you should check the advent calendar and make sure we didn’t miss anything.”

“The advent calendar is at home.”

“Is it?”

“It should be since you made me swear on my life that I would hide it away from any prying eyes.”

Carlos rolls away from him and reaches over the side of the bed, dropping a piece of computer paper on his chest. “Carlos what on earth?” he asks with a laugh.

“Take a look,” Carlos says, a smirk on his face.

T.K. reaches over and turns on the bedside lamp and squints as he reads Carlos’ bold handwriting.

Day 25: Fulfill a Fantasy.

He looks up at Carlos, a questioning look at his face. “What does this mean?”

“What do you think it means?”

“I—-I have no idea. You’re going to have to spell it out babe.”

Carlos pushes up onto an elbow and uses his free hand to grip T.K.’s hip, stroking his thumb back and forth right along the waistband of his pajama pants. “You stole Adriana’s phone last night.”

“You saw that?”

“I did,” Carlos says. “You deleted the blackmail photo she took of me and the calendar, didn’t you?”

“Very good detective,” T.K. says with a chuckle.

“You took care of me,” Carlos says, his voice low. “I think you deserve something special for that.”

He pulls T.K. closer and kisses him, firm and insistent, his mouth warm and wet and it sends sparks flittering through T.K.’s core. He pulls back for a second. “Are we going to have sex in your childhood bedroom?”

“Mhm,” Carlos says, diving in for another kiss.

T.K. lets him go for a second and then pulls back again. “We’re not allowed to have sex in your childhood bedroom. You tell me all the time that we’re not allowed to have sex in here.”

“I know.” Another kiss.

“Then what—?”

“Isn’t it one of your fantasies to have sex with me in here?”

“I mean yeah but—“

“Well,” Carlos says, trailing a finger down T.K.’s bare stomach so that his muscles jump and twitch under his touch. “Let’s consider this a one-time special Christmas gift. But you are going to have to be very, very quiet.”

“What if your sisters walk by?”

“The door is locked.”

“What if your mom walks by?”

“T.K. do you want to do this or not?”

God he’s so turned on right now. Carlos’ fingers dip beneath the line of his boxers and T.K. arches into his touch, letting out a moan that Carlos immediately swallows in another kiss. “Yes,” he says breathlessly when Carlos releases him from it. “God yes, yes, yes.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“This is going to get us both on the naughty list,” he says.

Carlos laughs. “I think I can deal with that for one year.”

Tagging some people who might be interested in reading: @lemonlyman-dotcom, @liminalmemories21, @carlos-in-glasses

#Tarlos #Have Yourself a Sexy Little Christmas #Advent Calendar Fic #Tarlos Christmas #Fluff #Humor #The Reyes Sisters (My Version)#Adriana and Francesca

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aloneinthehellfire · 2 years ago

Text

Chapter 4: Symptoms

Season One | Season Two | Season Three | Season Four

Raining Hellfire: Season Four

Word Count: 2813 words

Warnings: swearing, mentions of death, nosebleeds, visions, descriptions of vecna's curse

[A/N: well well well what do we have here? more angst? yes please]

Symptoms

“It was here. Right here.”

Max says, pointing her flashlight to the wall in front of her. The others look on in confusion but a cold chill runs down your spine, a faint ticking noise in the back of your mind as you stare. If you look hard enough, you could almost see an outline of…

“A grandfather clock?” Nancy questions and Max nods.

“It was so real.” Her voice breaks slightly and you move closer, allowing her to lean her shoulder against yours. “And then, when I got closer, suddenly I just… I woke up.”

“It was like she was in a trance or something.” Dustin adds, shaking his head, “Exactly what Eddie said happened to Chrissy.”

“No.” You whisper quietly under your breath, tears threatening your eyes again.

“That’s not even the bad part.” Max turns around to face everyone, fear on her face.

She led you back to the office, showcasing the files you had found earlier.

“Fred and Chrissy, they both came to Ms. Kelley for help.” Max points to a page of notes, sighing before she began to list off symptoms they all shared.

With each one, your mind swarmed with a thousand memories, making your heart pound quicker.

“Uh, they were both having headaches.”

A searing pain flooded through your head, making you squeeze your eyes shut. Goosebumps trailed along your arms, up to your neck. A sickening chill shooting down your spine.

“And then… then the nightmares. Trouble sleeping. They’d wake up in a cold sweat.”

You wake up with a pounding heart, sweat soaking the bed. It had been a while since you had that dream.

“Then they started seeing things.”

Beads of water were scattered across your face as you stood in a dark room, vines covering the walls while white specs floated aimlessly in the air. Your breath was cold. And all you could do was stare at the dark figure that stood behind you.

“Bad things. From their past.”

You kept your focus on the figure in the pool now floating. The ceramic side to a once blue pool now covered in crimson red blood.

“These visions, they just… they kept on getting worse and worse, until eventually…”

“Everyone you love, every person you drag down with you, will be taken from you” His eyes turn a milky white and you claw at his hand, “Stop fighting and obey”

“… everything ended.”

You rush to him, seeing the whites of his eyes staring to the sky, arms held out either side of him.

Then, they begin to snap.

“Vecna’s curse.” Robin says and you blink back into the room, hugging yourself tighter from where you stood out of view against the wall.

“Chrissy’s headache started a week ago. Fred’s six days ago.” Max states, before taking a breath. “I’ve been having them for five days.”

Your chest is about ready to burst with fear and anger.

“I don’t know how long I have. All I know is that, for Fred and Chrissy…”

You slowly start shaking your head, as if it was all a bad dream. You didn’t want her to say it.

“… they both died less than 24 hours after their first vision. And I just saw that god damn clock, so… looks like I’m gonna die tomorrow.”

As she takes a shaky breath, you suddenly push away from the wall. Heads turn as you walk out of the room, trying your hardest not to make more of a scene than you already were. You just didn’t think breaking down in front of her would make Max any less scared for her future.

Once you walk into the hallway, you slump against the wall in defeat. It felt like tears wanted to escape, a genuine pain in your chest, but nothing came.

“Hey.”

You turn your head to see Steve gently closing the door behind him, muffled voices on the other side of the wood.

“You okay?”

You let out a breathy laugh, shuffling so your back was pressed against the wall. “Oh, yeah. I’m having the time of my life.”

He leans next to you, eyes never not looking at your face. “She’s gonna be okay. We’re going to make sure she’s okay.”

“24 hours.” You shake your head, “We have 24 hours to kill Vecna. It just… it doesn’t make any sense.”

“What do you mean?”

“The symptoms.” You lean on your arm, facing him. “The fact that it only takes six days.”

“This Vecna guy obviously wants the job done quick.” Steve frowns.

“What if you’ve had them longer than six days?” You ask and his breath hitches.

“Are you telling me you’ve been cursed?” His voice raises in fear, “Because if you are then we need to-”

“No!” You lie, placing a hand on his shoulder as you shake your head, “No, I- I was just wondering.”

“Good.” He breathes, looking into your eyes, “I’m not losing you too.”

A sudden noise echoed down the hallway, catching your attention. The others hear it too, cautiously filing out of the office and exchanging looks.

Steve quickly runs back into the office, only to return with a lamp and in any other circumstance, you’d laugh.

“Stay behind me.” He whispers to you, creeping closer to where the noises start to echo louder.

Footsteps begin to approach rapidly and you hold your breath. Steve raised the lamp in his hands, ready to swing.

Suddenly, Lucas turns the corner and you all scream, Steve only just stopping himself from using his weapon.

“It’s me!” Lucas yells in shock, both hands held out.

“Lucas?” You say in surprise, stepping forward.

“It’s me.” Lucas sighs, finally looking at you. “Y/n?”

“Jesus, what’s wrong with you Sinclair?!” Steve yells at him.

“I’m sorry.”

“I could’ve taken you out with this lamp!” Steve stresses.

“Okay, okay, let’s calm down.” You say, reaching out and pushing the lamp down so Steve dropped it.

“Sorry, guys, sorry.” Lucas pants, taking a breath, “I was… I was biking for eight miles. Give me a second. Shit.”

He holds out his finger as if to ask for a moment and he looks to you.

“Hey, Y/n… welcome… back.” He says between breaths and you smile.

“Hey, Luke.” You rest your hand on his back, “You good?”

“No.” He shakes his head after pulling you to a quick hug, “We’ve got a code red.”

“What?” Steve shakes his head and you widen your eyes.

“Dustin.” Lucas crosses the space to the boys, panting. “I’ve been with Jason, Patrick, and Andy, and they’ve gone, like, totally off the rails.”

“How?” You step closer and he shifts his eyes between you both before settling on yours.

“They’re trying to capture Eddie, and they think you both know where he is. You’re in terrible danger.”

“Me?” You raise an eyebrow. “I literally just got here.”

“The guy who saw you. He must have told Jason. Shit.” Dustin notes and you purse your lips.

“Oh, yeah.”

“Oh, yeah?” Lucas questions, exasperated. “How could you forget someone threatening you like that?!”

“I’ve been a little busy with mind wizards on a murder spree!” You retaliate and Steve places a hand on your shoulder.

“All right. Lucas.” Dustin nods slowly, “Yeah, that definitely sucks, but we’ve got bigger problems than Jason right now.”

When Dustin turns to Max, Lucas physically stills.

You suddenly hear an echo in the back of your mind, something you can’t quite make out until it stops.

Clock chimes.

You all end up in the Wheeler basement, you and Nancy convincing Karen that it was for a celebration of your return to Hawkins.

“I’m so happy you’re back.” Karen had said, hugging you so tightly you barely breathed.

You wish you could feel that great about your return.

“Okay, be honest.” Steve sighs, pacing the room with a paper in his hands, “Uh… you guys understand any of this?”

He looks down at you, Lucas and Dustin, sitting side by side on the couch with you in the middle.

“No.” Lucas shakes his head.

“Yep.” You reply at the same time and you exchange looks.

“I’m glad we have you back.” He breathes out a sigh of relief and you nudge his shoulder.

“Pretty straightforward.” Dustin replies to Steve’s question, nodding at you.

“Oh, straightforward, really?” Steve mocks, glancing between you, “One of you wanna explain this, then?”

“What’s confusing you?” Dustin questions.

Steve simply gestures to the whole of the paper.

“Well-” Dustin begins before catching your eye, “Actually, Y/n can take this one.”

“Why?” You ask.

“I missed your genius.” He simply says and you smile.

“Okay, so,” You lean forward, staring up at Steve, “So far, everyone Vecna has cursed has died, except for this old Victor Creel dude Nancy found.”

“He’s the only known survivor.” Dustin adds and you nod, pointing to him.

“Which means,” You continue with a hopeful glint in your eye, “If anyone knows how to beat this curse, it’s him.”

“That’s assuming he was cursed, which we don’t even know.” Steve counters and you sigh.

“It’s worth a shot.” You say quietly, glancing behind him to Max currently at a desk, writing away.

“How can Vecna have existed in the ‘50s? It doesn’t make sense.” Steve mutters and you lean back in your seat.

“Far as we know, Eleven didn’t create the Upside Down.” Dustin theorised, “She opened the gate to it.”

“So, the Upside Down could have been around for thousands of years?” You question.

“Millions.” Dustin straightened in his seat, “I wouldn’t be surprised if it predated the dinosaurs.”

“Dinosaurs?” Steve looked at him in disbelief, “What are we-”

“Okay, okay.” Lucas interrupts, “But if the gate didn’t exist in the ‘50s, how did Vecna get through?”

“Oh, and how’s he getting through now?” Steve adds.

“And why now?”

“And why then?” Steve paces again, “Just pops out in the ‘50s, kills one family, and he’s like ‘I’m good’ and poof, he just disappears. Just.. gone? Only to return thirty years later and start killing some random teens? No, I don’t buy it.”

“My head hurts.” You sigh, rubbing away the migraine forming in your mind. At this point, you had no idea if it was anything to do with the curse or just stress. “What if…”

Lucas and Dustin look at you as Steve mutters under his breath, staring back down at the paper.

“No, it’s stupid.” You shake your head.

“Nothing’s stupid at this point.” Lucas says and you sigh again.

“This Vecna guy… we don’t know how old he is, you know? What if… what if he’s always been in the Upside Down. Or, maybe, he was able to do his curse on the surface?”

“That still doesn’t explain how he ended up in the Upside Down in the first place.” Dustin slumps in his seat.

“Or why he’s doing any of this.” Lucas whispers, and you know exactly who he’s looking at.

Steve falls into an armchair opposite you with a sigh.

“Any idea what she’s writing?” Dustin suddenly asks and your breath hitches in your throat.

You knew exactly what she was writing.

Max used to keep a diary when she was young, any time she needed to blurt out her feelings freely would cause her to put pen to paper. She used to give you those letters instead of talking to you sometimes. Especially when Susan and Sam first started fighting. You and her were alike that way. You both struggled with saying things out loud for the fear that it would make things too real. And letters were a way to ensure those feelings would be heard, even if we never get the chance to say them.

“Did she sleep?”

“I mean,” Lucas frowned, “Would you?”

You look down at your hands, taking a deep breath. When you look up, Steve’s eyes are on yours, a worried frown dancing on his eyebrows. You simply smile before the basement door opens, Robin and Nancy descending the stairs.

“Okay, so…” Nancy looks at Robin who gives her a nod, “We have a plan.”

Robin threw two files onto the table with a smirk, Steve and Dustin immediately grabbing them. You stood, walking over to stand behind Steve and peer over his shoulder and Lucas shuffled towards Dustin for a better view of the documents.

“Thanks to Nancy’s newspaper minions, we are now rock-star psychology students at the University of Notre Dame.” Robin explains and you smile, impressed at the handiwork.

“These look pretty good.” You nod and Nancy smiles.

“I’m now Ruth.” Nancy announces.

“And I’m Rose.” Robin bows.

“Ruth?” Steve raises an eyebrow at Nancy who just smirks at him. The twinge in your stomach fades when you meet Nancy’s eye, smiling with her.

“Nice GPA.” Dustin comments.

“Thanks.” Nancy glances around the group, “So we called Pennhurst Asylum, told them we’d like to speak with Victor Creel for a thesis we’re co-writing on paranoid schizophrenics-”

“To which they said no.” Robin reminds her.

“But,” Nancy continues, “We landed a three o’clock with the director.”

“Now all we have to do is charm him and convince him to let us talk to Victor.”

“Well, you are both very charming.” You nod and Robin winks at you.

“Then maybe we can rid Max of this curse.” Nancy says quietly and you slowly step away from the group, hugging your torso.

“Yeah, about that.” Steve glances behind him before leaning forward, “We’ve been doing our Victor Creel homework and, uh… we got some questions.”

“Lots of questions.” Lucas stresses.

“So do we. Hopefully, Victor has the answers.” Nancy sighs.

“If anyone can get answers, it’s you.” You interject, turning back around, “And Robin has a way of confusing people enough to get them to spill their secrets.”

Robin holds her hand to her heart. “You know me so well.”

You laugh before a strike of pain looms in the back of your mind. The others were busy shuffling through papers enough to allow you to turn and face the wall.

Your hand reached up to swipe below your nostril, blood marking your skin.

“Shit.” You breathe quietly, wiping it away on your jeans and turning back to the conversation. The symptoms were becoming more frequent.

“Where’s mine?” Steve asks and the girls exchange looks.

“It doesn’t… exist.” Robin says simply before nodding at Nancy. “We should probably get ready to go.”

They quickly stand and make their way up the stairs, disappearing as Steve is still sat in his chair, frowning.

“They’ll be…” You begin before Steve springs from the seat and bounds up the basement stairs, leaving you staring at an empty chair. “...fine.”

“You okay?” Dustin looks at you and you slowly nod.

“Yeah.”

“You sure?” Lucas looks concerned now, leaning forward. “I mean… Max…”

“I’m not letting anything happen to her.” You say with determination, walking up the stairs with the intent to drag Steve away from pestering the girls and their plan.

But once you close the door behind you, there’s a shooting pain down your spine and you stumble to the hallway, breathing heavily.

You close your eyes, willing the pain to stop.

Opening them again was a mistake.

“Do you hear it?”

You stumble backwards, the one you can only assume as Vecna stood directly in front of you.

“Listen” He demands and you continue to step backwards, one foot at a time.

But, sure enough, you listened. Clock chimes. They only rang four times.

“Four chimes?” You shake your head and he tilts his head at you.

“Four chimes”

You keep backing away until your back hits something heavy. Spinning around, you’re met with a grandfather clock and your breath is caught in your throat. You stare up at the clock face, noticing the two cracks on the glass.

“What happens after four?” You question shakily, reluctantly turning around.

Vecna stands close enough for you to feel his breath and you stifle a scream.

“Your end”

You gasp, opening your eyes to find yourself laying on the floor with a pounding heart.

As you slowly sit up, breathing erratically, you feel more blood dripping from your nose and you panic, wiping it away.

You don’t hear the footsteps approaching.

“Y/n?” Steve looks down at you, immediately crouching to your side when he sees the panicked look on your face. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

“Nothing.” You shake your head, stumbling to your feet and he holds your arm, “Nothing happened. I’m-”

“What the…” He mutters under his breath as he raises your arm, the sleeve stained with blood, and he stares directly into your eyes. “Did you…”

You squeeze your eyes shut when he lowers your arm gently, stepping closer.

“I know who the figure in my nightmares is.” You simply say and his face drops when he realises.

“Shit.”

Chapter 5: Guilt Consumes You ->

taglist: @gnnnne / @beepisbeep / @paintballkid711/ @eddiesbirdie/ @livasaurasrex/ @darktimelegends / @jackierose902109 / @mvrylee / @chervbs/ @eternallyvenus / @nervouscatsuit/ @f1nn-wolfhard/ @hereiamhereigo/ @ladybug0095 / @fangirling-4-ever / @astrolockley/ @mothmanatemycat

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fastcardotmp3 · 1 year ago

Note

for the fanfic name thingie: "guts" or "i know you think we are good" whatever inspires you the most!

there are still so many of these sitting in my inbox that I forgot about BUT HI ANON THANKS FOR THE INSPIRATION MWAH this turned into less of a premise and more of a ficlet but what're you gonna do

guts

Eddie Munson watches a girl be killed by supernatural forces.

He runs.

He hides.

He gets caught.

All that frenetic energy and anxiety, it's not enough for him to escape even the incompetency of the Hawkins PD, or maybe it's too much, a trait which has plagued Eddie from the moment he discovered stories and loud music and the places where those two things meet.

He's in custody when Fred crumples, when Patrick falls, but all it does is convince them that Eddie is covering for a partner and all it does is open up all these avenues and offerings of deals that Eddie can't even consider taking because none of it is true.

He sits in a windowless room with his hands cuffed to the table and wearing clothes out of the lost and found since his are evidence now.

They won't let him talk to his uncle because he's not a minor and Eddie is pretty sure he's legally allowed a lawyer but it's not like they'll be able to help him out of this no-exits situation.

They ask him again. Who are you working with.

They demand again. Tell us and you might get a lower sentence.

The yell and shout and go all quiet and intimidating and threaten him again, again, again and Eddie yells right back, frustrated tears in his eyes and a lack of anything even parading as rest in days hanging heavy on his aching back.

He maintains that he's innocent because if he's locked away for this he can only really keep this, he can keep his own knowledge of what happened, no matter how little he wants to.

Days pass.

The ground shakes.

The town, from what Eddie can understand of frantic whispers and more time spent left alone in that windowless room, is in crisis.

Everything falling apart, as if it hadn't already, Eddie lays his head down on the table to block out the glare of too-bright fluorescent lights.

His head swims, he drifts, he thinks about a life spent in isolation and he thinks about the electric chair and he thinks about Wayne, mostly, how much he's let his old man down.

Alone. Buzzing lights. Creaky chair.

And a soft clicking at the door.

When the knob turns and it pushes open, Eddie doesn't lift his head, too used to this same visit and this same conversation with these same cops--

"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty, no time to lose."

Eddie's head shoots up because he's hallucinating and that's not a show he wants to miss. Not when Steve Harrington is bringing a-- a lock pick?-- to his cuffs and Nancy Wheeler is standing peering out the cracked door with a gun in her hand?

"What the fu--"

"Thirty seconds," Nancy says sharply, "are you sure you know how to use that thing?"

"I've got it, I've got it," Steve implores with hushed exasperation as he does, in fact, unlock Eddie's cuffs and free his wrists for the first time in what's probably been close to a week at this point.

That's. Not something a hallucination can do.

"We clear?" Steve asks as he joins Nancy by the door, Eddie still gaping from his seat, stunned shocked at the sight of them as he rubs his wrists, both of these kids bandaged to hell and with bags under their eyes to rival his own and-- "hey, snap to it man, if we fuck this up Henderson'll have all our heads."

"You're the one who made a pinky promise," Nancy clenches down on her jaw.

"You're the one who insisted on coming."

"You're the--"

"Am I having a psychotic break?"

Both of them whip around to look at him and Eddie both appreciates and shies away from the attention, no matter how brief it is before something is stealing Nancy's gaze back out into the hall and she's calling time and--and--and--

"Up and at 'em," Steve is muttering as he all but drags Eddie to his feet with an arm around him to force him to keep pace.

"I can't tell if you're delusional or if you have just have major guts," Eddie says just before the cross the threshold, just before he lets these two near-strangers potentially save his godforsaken life.

Steve Harrington chuckles, soft and surprised in Eddie's ear, and the look on his face, the shine in those eyes, is the kind of thing that might just make a life on the run worth the fuss.

"Guts, Munson," Steve grins, as hopelessness fades, "definitely guts."

#ask #dot post #steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #this was a fun one thank u anon <3

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im-just-a-random-fandom-girl · 4 months ago

Text

Uhm you are genuinely stupid with your twisting

1. Democrats are only trying to ensure gun safety and stricter checks so that people who are mentally unstable or too young or have a history of violence cannot have access to them. For example: every single school shooter who has somehow bought a gun despite TONS of evidence that they should not have been able to. Also, pretty much every single one of your conservative Supreme Court justices JUST agreed a couple weeks ago that someone who is convicted of domestic violence should not be able to get a gun. That’s what we want.

2. Literally what? That’s the Republicans. They literally want to prevent queer teachers in school from talking about their partners or having pictures on their desk even though straight teachers are allowed to, they want to remove climate change from textbooks, they want to FORCE teachers to have to tell parents if their kids are LGBTQ+. They demanded that protests for Palestine get shut down on college campuses. They demanded the BLM protests be shut down, even those that did not have destruction of property. They constantly attack the media and make claims of “fake news” when it is very obviously not (and they want to overturn NYT v. Sullivan). They want to make it more difficult for people to vote (policies all target demographics that typically vote blue). The list goes on and on.

3. LOL. What concentration camps. No Democrat is even advocating for people to be arrested for not getting the COVID vaccine. This is a bonkers claim. Not to mention the fact that the vaccine WAS proven to be significantly effective. The virus has many variants and can be extremely harmful on the body. The vaccine reduces the chances that you will get it, but if you do get it, it will help your body fight it. Less extreme symptoms, less death.

4. Not true! Just insane to claim such a thing. You know who is heterosexual, white and Christian? Nearly single person in my family. They are all Democrats. They do not feel threatened. Republicans want to force schools to teach the 10 Commandments (that is not only against the separation of church and state, but also it prioritizes Christianity over all other religions and antagonizes them). They want to make it impossible for trans people to access gender affirming care (my cousin transitioned when he was 14 and he just had top surgery at age 17. had he not been able to, he would be dead. the cutting scars on his arms and wrists are proof of that). They want to prevent people that have a uterus from accessing contraceptives and abortions, and some say that even in cases of rape or incest (SEE: JD VANCE). On LGBTQ+ again and race (oh and non Christian particularly Jewish and Muslim) see: the long list of hate crimes and mass shootings committed against those populations! Which all are committed by straight, white, often Christian men who often are Republican/have manifestos that look like the Republican party wrote it!

5. See above on all points. BLM occasionally involved some destruction of property as did 1 pro-Palestine protest. On the Republican side see: Charlottesville. JANUARY 6TH. The list goes on. And like? Socialist propaganda? What?? Imprisonment?? If you are referring to Trump and his cronies, you are simply stupid because they committed CRIMES. That’s why they were imprisoned.

6. See above point. They committed CRIMES such as TAX FRAUD, CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS, CAMPAIGN FINANCE VIOLATIONS, LYING TO CONGRESS, and so on.

7. Some people, not all, made jokes about the attempted assassination. I agree that on a moral level, if we are against gun violence we should be against all gun violence. But to use this to antagonize Democrats is crazy when Republicans use violent and aggressive rhetoric every day. They have “Fuck Joe Biden” flags and shirts, and had lewd ones for Hilary Clinton, they celebrated when Nancy Pelosi’s husband was attacked in his home and then started conspiracy theories to put the blame on him… the list goes on. I mean they aren’t even willing to admit that the shooter was a registered Republican AND they have started conspiracy theories that it was ordered by Biden and an inside job. Totally insane.

Stop with this bullshit.

listen, i hate how biden has responded to the crisis in gaza as much as the next person, but for i cant bear the idea of withholding my vote in the upcoming election… trump just said in the debate that we should “let israel finish the job”

how HORRIFIC. how DISGUSTING. i get that voting for biden feels like we are settling, but the alternative is just so much worse

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masterofd1saster · 6 months ago

Text

CJ current events 23may24

About time!

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a full pardon Thursday for a former U.S. Army sergeant convicted of murder for fatally shooting an armed demonstrator in 2020 during nationwide protests against police violence and racial injustice. Abbott announced the pardon shortly after the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles announced a unanimous recommendation that Daniel Perry be pardoned and have his firearms rights restored. Perry had been in state prison on a 25-year sentence since his 2023 conviction in the killing of Garrett Foster, and was released shortly after the pardon, a prison spokeswoman said.***

You might think that Foster was some innocent African American who threatened no one. Sorry. Wrong! He was a white man who pointed an AK-47 at Sgt Perry. https://www.texastribune.org/2021/07/01/garrett-foster-indicted-murder-daniel-perry-austin-protester/

***

Hm, I wonder about his immigration status....

Eduardo Sarabia, 40, was arrested on Monday and is being held without the possibility of bail after the DA's office filed two felony counts of forcible rape and forcible oral copulation. https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/serial-rapist-arrested-for-2-alleged-assaults-in-angeles-national-forest-investigators-seeking-additional-victims/

He kidnapped and raped one woman on May 12, and another on May 13.

Sarabia’s white 2015 Ford Transit van — described as a “rape dungeon on wheels” — had no windows and was “disgustingly outfitted for rape,” sources told Fox 11. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/serial-rapist-illegal-migrant-attacked-woman-in-rape-dungeon-on-wheels-cops/ar-BB1mwvj8

You can read about it on the Sheriff's tweet or at cbs above. But if you're curious about his immigration status, you will find 0 about it at either of those sites or on mainstream media in general.

If you go to Fox or NYPost, then you can learn that he is an illegal immigrant.

BTW, where in this post do I say that all or even many illegal immigrants are bad people?

***

Pelosi getting hammered

DePape Attempted to Kidnap Nancy Pelosi and Assaulted Paul Pelosi on Account of Her Official Duties as Then-Speaker of the House of Representatives

David DePape, 44, of Richmond, California, was sentenced [Friday, May 17, 2024] to 360 months in prison and five years of supervised release, following his conviction on assault and attempted kidnapping charges in connection with his Oct. 28, 2022, intrusion into the home of Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and her husband, Paul Pelosi.*** https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/david-depape-sentenced-after-conviction-assault-and-attempted-kidnapping-charges

So is Donald Trump President Emerito?

***

An abortion of justice you can't talk about because the Brits censor it

→ Censorship of the British “baby killer”: Lucy Letby murdered seven babies. Or at least, the former NHS nurse was convicted last August of murdering them, after one of England’s longest ever murder trials. But her case could make history again—as one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in British history. Last Monday, The New Yorker published a story that very credibly argues she should not have been found guilty. The trouble is, no one in the UK is allowed to read it. I am writing from London, where anyone who clicks the article gets an awkwardly jaunty redirect notice. When I first saw it, I assumed it was a mistake, but then rumors started to fly that it had been “geo-blocked” in the UK—later confirmed by a statement from the magazine, which blamed a “court order restricting press coverage of Lucy Letby’s ongoing trial.” With the Streisand effect in full force, Brits fired up VPNs and set their virtual locations to random American towns. Thirteen thousand words later, it seemed possible that Letby could have been one more conscientious but chronically overwhelmed nurse in our crumbling National Health Service being blamed for failures that weren’t hers. The prosecution leaned heavily on the fact that Letby was present for a disproportionate number of unexpected infant deaths—giving in to a well-known statistical fallacy. (What if she was just always asked to look after the sickest babies because she was the best nurse? One of her colleagues actually said her colleagues would “thank God” when she arrived, “because she’s really good in a crisis.”) Why was the story blocked for UK readers? Because in Britain there’s a complete ban on any media activity that can prejudice a jury—and Letby is awaiting the retrial of one charge. In Letby’s case, the judge granted an “unusual” number of additional reporting restrictions. Journalists covering the trial described it as “extremely difficult for people to follow.” But it was easy to demonize Letby, to call her a “baby killer” in headlines, as long as it was in quotation marks, or after the word alleged. If there’s one thing Letby’s defenders and detractors agree on, it’s that Brits deserve to know more about the case. Last week, a Member of Parliament argued that the block on the New Yorker story—which he said raises “enormous concerns” about her conviction—exists “in defiance of open justice.” Meanwhile, a lawyer representing the families of Letby’s victims said that “grossly offensive” conspiracy theories about the case were “distressing,” and compared his clients to the relatives of American school shooting victims. His solution feels American, too: he recommended that proceedings be livestreamed. —Freya Sanders*** https://www.thefp.com/p/martin-gurri-eli-lake-michael-cohen

***

Fat Leonard cases

SAN DIEGO — A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed the felony convictions of five retired military officers who had admitted to accepting bribes from a Malaysian contractor nicknamed “Fat Leonard” in one of the Navy’s biggest corruption cases. The dismissals came at the request of the government — not the defense — citing prosecutorial errors. Retired U.S. Navy officers Donald Hornbeck, Robert Gorsuch and Jose Luis Sanchez, and U.S. Marine Corps Col. Enrico DeGuzman had all admitted to accepting bribes from defense contractor Leonard Francis, nicknamed “Fat Leonard.”*** The three pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disclosing information on Tuesday. The judge also dismissed the entire case against U.S. Navy officer Stephen Shedd. Their defense lawyers could not be immediately reached for comment. It marked the latest setback to the government’s yearslong efforts in going after dozens of military officials tied to Francis, who pleaded guilty to offering more than $500,000 in cash bribes, along with other gifts and wild sex parties in Southeast Asia, to Navy officials, defense contractors and others. The scheme allowed him to bilk the maritime service out of at least $35 million by getting commanders to redirect ships to ports he controlled and overcharging for services, according to the prosecution. Francis owned and operated Singapore-based Glenn Defense Marine Asia Ltd., which supplied food, water and fuel to U.S. Navy vessels. He was arrested in 2013 in a sting operation in San Diego. Prosecutors said in legal filings outlining their request for Tuesday’s dismissals that the action does not mean the defendants did not commit the charged crimes but because information was withheld from the defense and other mistakes were made, they wanted to ensure justice was served fairly. In 2022, Judge Janis Sammartino had ruled the former lead federal prosecutor committed “flagrant misconduct” by withholding information from defense lawyers. In September, the felony convictions of four former Navy officers were also vacated. The four men pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and agreed to pay a $100 fine each.*** https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2024/05/21/felony-convictions-of-5-retired-officers-dismissed-in-fat-leonard-case/

The case was a major black eye for the Navy. Decisions on where ships are serviced should be based on value, not on cozy relationships with fat bastards. Moreover, the Navy threw many people under the ship in order to protect the highest ranking officers. Many of the defendants had been told to attend Fat Leonard's parties.

Even worse, the prosecutions were debacles. Prosecutors misbehaved atrociously. DoJ let Fat Leonard flee the U.S. to Venezuela. The whole case was a DoJ fiasco.

***

Turns out crime is only popular with criminals.

Mike Schmidt, the district attorney for Multnomah County in Oregon who was criticized for being too “soft on crime,” lost his primary race to one of his own deputy prosecutors. Schmidt was defeated by Nathan Vasquez, who garnered about 54% of the vote as of Wednesday evening. Schmidt’s defeat could serve as a bellwether for other progressive district attorneys across the country as some major cities grapple with rising crime rates. “The voters have made it clear that they are ready to take our county in a new and safer direction,” Vasquez said in a Facebook post Wednesday celebrating the victory.*** https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/3012631/portland-oregon-progressive-district-attorney-loses-election

***

0 notes

amatchinwater · 2 years ago

Text

Pairing: Steddie

Characters: Eddie Munson, Steve Harrington, Nancy Wheeler

Warnings: explicit sexual content, blow jobs, cum swallowing, heavy orgasm delay, mild jealousy, possessive behavior

Words: 1601

Kinktober: Orgasm Delay/Denial

Ao3 link Masterlist

Reposting because Tumblr didn't want to put it in the tags 🙃

---

Let Eddie start by saying he’s not much of a jealous person. He really isn’t. Eddie is more than secure in his relationship with Steve. He doesn’t feel threatened by all the pretty girls that walk by and fawn over him. Or the guys still in the closet casting side glances when they think no one’s watching them. But this shit? Watching Nancy paw all over Steve like she doesn’t have a boyfriend of her own?

Boils Eddie’s blood something fierce.

They were supposed to be watching a movie together tonight, so Eddie is parked outside Family Video waiting for Steve to finish his shift. But through the big ass glass windows, all Eddie can see is his boyfriend’s ex damn near throwing herself at him. He should stay in the car, Eddie knows that. He shouldn’t walk in there and give the girl a piece of his mind. Especially considering that Steve isn’t really feeding into any of her advances or whatever nonsense is coming out of her mouth.

It’s more so the fact that, yes, Steve isn’t reciprocating, he’s just not doing anything to stop it either. Flicking his cigarette onto the pavement, Eddie gets out of the van. Squaring his shoulders, he crushes the bud’s embers with his boot, stalking into the store. The bell over his head dings loudly from yanking the door open and both pairs of eyes shoot to his direction. Nancy’s fills with a clouded disdain, like she’s trying her best to hide it. Steve’s brighten, glistening with adoration.

It puffs Eddie’s chest with pride watching Steve slide away from his ex to lean on the counter towards him instead.

Just a little unfortunate that he’s still a little pissed off and not quite in the mood to play nice. Something dangerously close to possessiveness, a sense of territorial nature courses through him and before Steve can so much as utter a hello, Eddie slams their mouths together. More pride rushes through him at the soft noise his boyfriend makes in the back of his throat when Eddie licks into his mouth. Not caring one bit that Nancy is standing there watching them make out.

Steve’s his.

A well known fact at this point.

Hell, the Slayer shirt underneath Steve’s uniform vest is Eddie’s.

“Get a room,” Nancy grumbles under his breath.

Eddie laughs, a fake sound that’s more of a scoff, not even remotely filled with humor. He pulls away from Steve’s mouth, “I’m sorry,” he scoffs again, glaring at the girl, “do you have a problem with me kissing my boyfriend?”

“Eds,” Steve’s hand curls around his bicep.

“No, no,” he chuckles, softening his gaze for the flickering moment he looks at Steve, “I wanna know.” Eddie turns his attention back to Nancy, her brows pinched in annoyance. “I don’t see a problem with showing my boyfriend affection when I come to pick him up from work for our date night.” Eddie nods his head to the side, “unless, of course, there’s another reason. Like maybe you want him for yourself.”

Nancy’s mouth falls open, sputtering to try and come up with a response.

“Eddie!” Steve scolds his name, “let’s just drop it, okay? I’m sure she didn’t mean-”

“Are you serious? You’re defending her right now?” Eddie snaps, thinking his boyfriend is trying to stop this for his ex-girlfriend’s sake. “I’m not the one flirting with someone else while I have a boyfriend of my own,” his eyes darken and an almost sneer pulls at his lips when he looks back at Nancy, “again.”

“I-I don’t-”

“Yeah, I know all about how you cheated on him with Jonathon, princess,” Eddie interrupts her. “I don’t care how sorry you are that you hurt him or how much you regret leaving him or wish he was yours again. Understand this-” Eddie steps towards her, enjoying the height difference making him seem a little more menacing than usual. “-he’s mine and you will never and I mean ever get the chance to hurt him again. So why don’t you go call Jonathon, I’m sure he’d love to know how many times you just pawed at Steve’s chest and arms.”

“Steve, I-” Nancy’s face reddens, but whatever else she was trying to say neither boy hears due to Steve all but dragging Eddie out of the video store and towards his van.

His back slams against the side door, expecting a lecture Eddie says, “I’m sorr-'' but Steve’s lips crash into his. Fingers curling into his denim vest and leather jacket, silencing his apologies.

“I wasn’t defending her,” Steve huffs his breaths against Eddie’s mouth, “I was defending you. I know how you can get when someone pisses you off too much. I’ve patched up a lot of bloody knuckles from Jason’s bullshit.”

“I’d never lay a hand on her,” Eddie whispers.

“I know,” his boyfriend leans back to look at him, brushing a stray curl out of his face. “But your tongue is just as sharp.”

Eddie snorts, grabbing Steve’s waist to pull them flush together, “I thought you liked my tongue.”

The other boy rolls his eyes at him, chuckling, “shut up,” before kissing him with a smile.

---

It didn’t take long for Eddie to discover that Steve really likes being edged. No matter what way he chooses to do it either. Fuck his boyfriend relentlessly until he just reaches the brink the slows to a leisurely pace or pull out completely? Steve goes nuts for that shit. Suck him off until he becomes a whimpering mess and Eddie can feel him twitch against his tongue then cease all movement? Man, the way his boyfriend squirms is the best thing. Pale, mole speckled flesh flushing a beautiful shade of red.

But there’s one thing Steve forgot.

Just how good Eddie is at doing it. How strong his resolve is. Especially if he’s ticked off and wanting a bit of a punishment or way to relieve his own stress. Needless to say after watching the whole scene with Nancy, Eddie isn’t in the happiest mood right now. And Steve is just too fun to play with.

Handcuffed to his bed, Steve is already turning pink having been brought so close to the edge three times already. Eddie really wants to see his boyfriend tremble a bit first. Needs it even. Some sick part of him wanting to hear Steve beg him for release because he’s the only one who can get him like this. Such a strong man broken down to babbled pleas and teary eyes.

“Eds,” his boyfriend huffs, trying to take a proper breath, “please. Babe, please,” Steve’s hairy chest heaves, wrists tugging against the cuffs.

“Please what, sweet thing?” Eddie teases, hand lazily pumping his boyfriend’s cock. Brown eyes flickering over Steve’s face where he’s still curled beside him. He’ll give him the pleasure of his mouth. In a minute.

Steve comes dangerously close to a growled out whine, body jerking on the bed. His own brown eyes snap to him, “I want to cum, please, Eds.”

“Aww,” he coos, leaning in to slot their mouths together, moving his hand faster. Groaning into the kiss, Eddie simply adores the way his boyfriend whimpers around his tongue, little breaths catching in his throat. “Not yet,” he whispers against Steve’s mouth, ceasing all movement and moving away for good measure.

“Eddie,” Steve whines, eyes getting a little bloodshot.

Oh, he’s so close to that beautiful mess.

Taking just a touch of pity on his boyfriend, Eddie crawls down the bed, spreading Steve’s legs to tease his tongue at his neglected hole. Steve yelps his moan at the action, so incredibly sensitive. Eddie chuckles, licking a long stripe up his balls and to his leaking cock. One more. Just one more and Steve will be right where Eddie wants him. He knows what to say if it’s too much. But fuck if his eyes aren’t communicating the most perfect green.

So Eddie takes him all the way to the back of his throat, moaning around the tip. Steve is gasping for air, barely any sounds to his moans. Eddie hollows his cheeks, sucking hard and fast, fondling Steve’s balls. He feels them tighten in his grasp, his boyfriend’s inhales getting shorter and shorter.

Then Eddie stops, taking his mouth off completely.

Steve cries out angrily. Wet, glazed, brown eyes boring into him, “Eddie, please. Please, I just want to cum. Please, I can’t-” Steve pants, “I can’t, please. Please, Eds, please.”

“Such a sweet thing,” Eddie praises, kissing his boyfriend’s shaking thigh, “asking so nicely. Okay, baby,” he licks the same path as before, chuckling at the shiver he gets for it, “cum for me.” Eddie doesn’t hold back. Doubling his efforts, he deep throats Steve with a purpose, making sure all of his drool drips down to his balls.

It doesn’t take much before Steve’s throat cracks on his moan, his cum filling Eddie’s eager mouth. Fuck, does he love that taste. He never lets a single drop go to waste, swallowing and continuing to suck Steve’s cock until it’s clean. A pleased hum ripples Eddie’s chest when he pulls off with a pop and his boyfriend jolts. Eyes so heavily lidded, he’s not sure they’re even actually open with wet, flushed cheeks.

Beautiful.

Eddie climbs over his boyfriend, bumping their noses together and Steve hums around a grin. “My pretty boy,” he says, pecking Steve’s nose.

Steve laughs, “yeah, yeah, yours. I’m yours, Eds,” he lifts his head to press their mouths together, wrapping his legs around Eddie to keep them close.

#steddie #eddie munson #steve harrington #steve x eddie #eddie x steve #stranger things 4 #kinktober vol. 2 #Match Writes

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undercoveravenger · 3 years ago

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Closing Cases

Written for my 2021 Halloween event

Pairing: EJ Caswell x Male!Detective!Reader

Prompt: EJ with a Nancy Drew/Scooby gang reader investigating something haunting the school and EJ steps up to help. With “I am running on two hours of sleep and fifty tiny candy bars” and “Can we go five minutes without talking about ghosts, ghouls, or goblins?”

A/N: This is prompt # 2 for my Halloween event! The next prompt will be posted Thursday, October 7th.

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East High was being faced by an unexplainable problem. Each night, lockers were being broken into and various class and club rooms had been found vandalized. The faculty had examined the footage from all of the security cameras near the areas that had been attacked, but weren’t able to see anyone in the videos; only that the halls looked normal in one frame, and had been trashed in the next.

As someone who had spent his entire childhood looking up to all of the great detectives, you took it upon yourself to get to the bottom of the situation. You had told Miss Jen, the theater teacher, that you’d be missing rehearsals one afternoon in order to conduct your investigation, but she had been the only person you told.

You supposed that was why it came as such a shock to find EJ Caswell, a popular senior and star of the water polo team and drama department, leaning against the locker beside yours after school.

You disregarded his presence, moving to open your locker and tuck away your textbooks.

“So I hear you’re not going to be at rehearsals today,” EJ said after a moment, turning to face you. “Care to share why?”

“I’ve got more important things to do,” you said easily. You knew it was kind of a weak response, but it was the first thing that’d come to mind.

He rolled his eyes, lips quirking up into a grin. “Yeah, we both do, I guess.”

That gave you pause. You turned to look at him incredulously, and you had to force yourself to ignore the way the amused glint in his pretty blue eyes threatened to make you smile. “Excuse me?”

“You’re investigating the break-ins, right?” EJ asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched you.

“I’m not convinced that they have been break-ins, but yes,” you said, grabbing a different backpack entirely out of your locker and leaving the one with your school supplies in it before shutting the door. “Is there a reason you’re talking to me?” You turned away at that, making your way down the quickly emptying halls.

EJ scrambled to keep pace with you, weaving around the remaining students and faculty to stay at your side. “I want to help! I’ll be the first to say I don’t really have experience with investigations, but I want to help stop what’s going on.”

You let out a sigh, turning abruptly to face EJ. “Fine. You can help,” you held up a hand to interrupt him when he made to let out a victorious whoop, “But if you get in the way of my investigation, I will tell you to leave and you will listen. Do we have a deal?”

The brunet nodded vigorously, falling back into step beside you as you resumed your previous path, “Deal. So,” he said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. “Where do we start?”

“Here,” you said as you came to a stop outside of a janitor’s closet on the second floor.

EJ’s brows furrowed in obvious confusion. “Our investigation starts at the janitor’s closet?”

You nodded, twisting the door open and entering the small room. You sat down, nestling your way between a set of shelves and several empty garbage cans. “Well, this is where we’ll be waiting until the time is right.”

“And when is that?” he asked as he crept into the closet with you, wincing as the door slammed closed behind him.

You snickered, pulling out your phone to set an alarm. “Well, the thief only strikes at night, right? They’ll probably emerge at around nine o’clock, which means we have,” you glanced back at your phone, “About five hours to kill.”

“Five hours?” EJ asked incredulously, blue eyes wide as he looked at you. “What the hell are we going to do for five hours?!”

“Well, I was going to play games on my phone since I wasn’t planning on having company until a few minutes ago,” you said, glancing pointedly down at the device. “You’re still more than welcome to leave, if you don’t want to wait?”

EJ shook his head stubbornly, shifting to sit with his back against the opposite wall from you. “No, but my phone definitely isn’t going to hold up for that long.” He paused, thinking, “Maybe we could play twenty questions while we wait?”

You shrugged, figuring that humoring a cute boy wouldn’t kill you. “Alright, sure. But since it was your idea, you have to go first.”

He smiled widely, clearly delighted that you’d agreed. “Okay!” He hesitated for a moment while he thought, but a question seemed to strike him pretty quickly. “So, do you make it a point to hang out in sketchy janitor’s closets often?”

You barely managed to bite back a snicker, but the upward tilt of EJ’s lips made you suspect that he knew about your poorly concealed amusement. “I do when my cases require it,” you said by means of explanation, but you found yourself elaborating further at the confused-puppy expression on his face. “Today’s a Tuesday, which means that the cleaning staff isn’t in tonight, so no one will be checking this closet for stragglers like they would the library or a classroom. Waiting in here means that I’ll be able to remain in the building after the doors are locked, which means that I’ll be able to find out if anyone else comes into the building after it’s locked down for the night.”

“Wow,” EJ said, eyes wide as he processed everything you’d just said. “You put a lot more planning into this than I would’ve thought?”

“What, you thought I’d just wing it?” you teased. You had to admit, you were enjoying his company far more than you had anticipated. “I like to think that I take my job pretty seriously.”

He gestured wildly with his hands, like he was trying to wave away his previous words. “No, no, no; that’s not what I meant- I meant that-” He cut himself off as he noticed you beginning to laugh, “You’re messing with me, aren’t you?” He faked offense, but the appearance of his dimples gave away his amusement. “Fine, you got me.” His grin widened as he looked at you, “Alright, Mr. Holmes, what’s your leading theory?”

You let out a thoughtful hum, “Currently? Vengeful spirits.”

EJ let out a surprised laugh. It was deep, uncontrollable and infectious, and you were helpless to hide the grin it brought to your face, though it faded after a moment, “You’re serious?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure what else to think,” you started softly, fingers twisting nervously in your lap as you were forced to admit that, for once, you really weren’t sure about what the outcome of your case would be. “Any normal person would have been caught on camera, and the only people in this city that have the ability to manipulate the footage to make it look like no one was there either wouldn’t care enough to do it or they’ve got an alibi.”

EJ’s brows furrowed, “And none of them could have lied about the alibis?”

“Mr. Mazzara could’ve, I suppose,” you mused, “But I double-checked it with Miss Jenn and it sounds legit.”

“So ghosts then, huh?” he prompted, scooting a little closer to you until his knees brushed lightly against yours. “Seems like a little bit of a leap in logic.”

You shrugged helplessly, a tired grin forming on your lips, “I am running on two hours of sleep and fifty tiny candy bars. Ghosts weren’t the least probable option, if I’m being honest.”

“How would you even get rid of a ghost-” He stopped as the rest of your statement caught up to him, “Wait, you’ve had fifty candy bars?!”

“Just the little ones.” You said, waving off his concern and checking the time on your phone. “Depends on the type of spirit, but I’ve talked to some sophomores who practice witchcraft and they say that sage and pure intention to banish it should take care of whatever we’re seeing, as long as it’s a normal ghost or spirit. I just want to eliminate any other options before I take action.”

“Can we go five minutes without talking about ghosts, ghouls, or goblins?” EJ demanded, taking your phone from you and setting it aside so he could get you to focus on him, “You’ve gotta take better care of yourself,” he said quietly, normally bright eyes turned stormy with concern, “You’ve got a lot of people that care about you-”

You scoffed, rolling your eyes, “Like who?” At his stunned silence, you pressed on, “Everyone at this school thinks I’m a weirdo. You don’t think I’ve heard people call me Scooby-Doo or Nancy Drew or Sherlock?” You shook your head, pushing yourself to your feet as your frustration mounted, “This was a mistake. I’m leaving; I’ll solve this case on my own.”

“Wait,” EJ exclaimed, shooting up to his feet and grabbing your wrist to stop you from going. “You’re wrong.”

“I’m wrong?” you asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow as you looked up at EJ. “About what part?”

He nodded seriously, eyes locked with yours, “About no one caring about you and about everyone thinking you’re weird.” He took a deep breath, and, for the first time since he’d joined your investigation, you watched his confident facade falter. “I care about you,” he started softly, like he was afraid to finally say it. “And I really like that you’re so passionate about solving mysteries.”

Your brows furrowed as you turned to look back at him, “You… like that?”

“I like you,” he said, so quiet that he was barely audible, but when you didn’t pull away he continued, volume picking up as he did so, “I really like you and I can’t believe I get to help you do something I love, and that probably sounds pretty dumb since we don’t really know each other that well, but I would really like to get to know you better and maybe even take you out to dinner sometime if that’s okay with you?”

It took you a long moment to find your voice again. “Okay,” you found yourself saying as you tugged your wrist from his grip to link your fingers with his instead. “Okay,” A wide smile spread across EJ’s face and you could feel an answering one as it tugged at your lips, “When we close this case, I’ll let you take me on a date.”

“Really?” he asked, like he almost expected you to tell him it was some cruel joke. He let out a breathless laugh when you nodded, “Then what are we waiting for?” he asked joyfully, tugging you towards the door by your joined hands. “We’ve got a case to solve!”

You couldn’t help but laugh as you were led out into the long-abandoned halls of East High, glad to have finally found someone who matched you. After all, all the greats came in pairs; Daphne had Fred, Sherlock had Watson, and now you had EJ.

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morganaspendragonss · 3 years ago

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so so many thanks to everyone who read even one of these stories. i am forever grateful for all the support i've received; every comment, every kudos, every reblog, every like - they all mean so much. i'm overwhelmed, honestly, but in the very best way. ily all 🥰

day one: against all odds (we're still here) for @trkstrnd

Carlos will hate himself for it later, but he’s so focused on his task that the screech of tires coming around the corner barely registers as a blip on his radar. He doesn’t notice anything until TK suddenly barrels into him, throwing Carlos to the side just before something else, something heavy, crashes into them with a blinding flash of pain, and then—

Nothing.

a simple trip to the grocery store quickly turns to disaster for tk and carlos

day two: out, damned spot for anon

TK wakes up gasping, choking on air. The sheets are suffocating him and, when he tries to free himself, they only seem to get tighter. The hands reaching out for him, trying to calm him, are the final straw; TK throws himself from bed and sprints to the bathroom, slamming and locking the door behind him as he collapses against the sink.

On some level, he is aware that the hands were Carlos’s, that the sheets were theirs, that his hands are clean, and that the dream was just a dream.

But they weren't always that way.

day three: the meetings for those in my wake for @freddieholic

For years after the divorce, Gwyn came to learn that any call from Owen was almost certainly bad news, and almost always about their son. Things have been better in the three years since her time in Texas, which is why she thinks nothing of it when he calls just after she’s put Isaac to bed for the night.

“Owen, hey,” she greets. “What’s up?”

The silence she’s answered with is the first sign that something’s wrong.

The sob that follows is the second.

“Gwyn, it’s TK. He's... They think we should say goodbye."

day four: a friend in me for 📍 anon

Carlos has come to see Nancy as a force of nature, a woman who will let nothing and no-one stand in her way, whether that’s out on the field or during a game of Monopoly. But, right now, as she sits hunched over in one of the interrogation rooms, shock blanket around her shoulders, he's never seen her look so small.

the story of how nancy and carlos become the new champions of 126 games nights

day five: truth is heavier than fiction for anon

Carlos pauses with his hand on the doorknob, taking a moment to prepare himself before going inside. TK’s shift finished an hour ago and he’d texted to let Carlos know he was home, which means Carlos is going to be walking right into a conversation he’d rather avoid.

Not that he’d have much choice either way; he might be able to cover his cracked and bruised ribs for a little while, but the arm in a sling will tell on him as soon as the door opens. Carlos doesn’t want to hide his injuries—they’ve had enough conversations in reverse on that theme to make him a hypocrite if he did—but he may have made some choices that he doesn’t particularly want to go into right now. Not while he’s tired and aching and just wants to cuddle with his boyfriend.

He blows out a breath, then opens the door, bracing himself for TK’s reaction.

“Hey— Shit!”

day six: slowly, and then all at once for @pragmaticoptimist34

The realisation that he loves Carlos hits him like a bolt out of the blue.

And at the worst possible moment.

We are getting updates on the active shooter situation at the Four Seasons Hotel. Austin Police Department have closed off the area and officers are currently preparing to enter the building to detain the suspect. It is as yet unknown if there have been any civilian casualties, but—

“Paul, turn the damn TV back on.”

“No.”

five times tk can't admit his feelings about carlos, and one time he finally does

day seven: the promise of tomorrow for anon

Up until five minutes ago, Carlos had been terrified of never having TK in his arms again. Now, the thought of letting him go scares him just as much, and TK seems to feel the same, if the way he’s clutching at Carlos’s jacket and pulling it tight across his back is any indication.

Carlos hugs him close, sinking down to his knees as TK falls into the chair behind him, letting the rest of the room fade away to nothing as he realises that they weren’t too late—that TK is here, with him, alive and mostly whole.

day eight: we'll hold each other soon for @221bsunsettowers

“Be careful, please,” TK said, smoothing down the lapels of Carlos’s shirt. “Whatever happens out there, whatever you have to do, just promise me one thing. Promise you’ll come back to me.”

Carlos knew better than to promise something like that, and TK knew better than to ask it. But because it was him, and because it was TK, Carlos just nodded and leaned in to press a kiss to TK’s temple.

“I promise,” he whispered, pulling away.

It's the last good memory Carlos has, and he's going to hold onto it for as long as he has left. If he's going to die, then the last thing he wants to see is TK's smile.

day nine: now i am just but the wayward man for anon

Ben is glaring at him again.

Klaus is very familiar with this specific glare—it’s the one Ben breaks out when Klaus is being ‘stubborn’ and ‘stupid’ and ‘a fucking asshole junkie with no self-respect who only cares about the next high and, really, it’s a fucking miracle you haven’t gotten yourself killed yet, Klaus’.

He has to hand it to him. Ben really does have him down to a tee.

winter is approaching and klaus has nowhere to go. his siblings are his only option—meaning he effectively has no options.

day ten: i can't imagine my life without you for 📍 anon

It had come completely out of left field—one minute everything was fine, the next Carlos had turned to him with guarded eyes and a clenched jaw, and said six words that sent TK’s whole world crashing down.

“I think we need a break.”

nobody likes to be asked 'trouble in paradise?', particularly when the answer is yes.

day eleven: start again from the beginning for anon

Owen trusts his son. He’s watched TK fight his addiction and stay sober for the last six years, and he has faith that he can handle himself.

But when TK doesn’t show up for work the night after proposing to Alex, Owen knows that something is wrong. After all, they've been here before.

day twelve: let me love you when your heart is tired for anon

TK knows it’s going to be a bad day from the moment he opens his eyes. Slowly, slowly, each twitch like he’s moving mountains, he inches his hand blindly across the bed to reach out for Carlos. If he can just feel his boyfriend, if he can just see him—

But, of course. Carlos has a shift today. TK has a vague recollection of him getting out of bed at five this morning, rousing him with a shift to the mattress and a gentle kiss on the forehead.

If this were a normal day, he might smile at the memory.

day thirteen: couldn't utter my love when it counted for 📍 anon

TK takes his time in the bathroom, stopping to stare at his reflection in the mirror for several minutes and trying to talk himself down from any more-than-friendly feelings towards Carlos.

Later, they’ll tell him that this saved his life.

But that won’t be for a long time, until after the smoke has cleared and the dead have been counted and the statements have been taken. For now, TK steels his resolve and nods at himself, then turns to the door, a hand reaching out for the handle.

That’s when the explosion rips through the building.

after the boba date, tk lets carlos go. they're friends, which is working just fine, until a horrific accident threatens to take even that away from them.

day fourteen: if i walk out the door (a thousand eyes) for anon

TK gets this feeling sometimes, a sort of prickling at his back, like someone’s behind him, breathing down his neck. At first, it was only a once-in-a-while situation, so he thinks nothing of it; when it becomes an everyday occurrence, he starts to wonder, but he’s probably just being paranoid. The shooting, kidnapping, firehouse explosion, and the fire at his and Carlos’s house had all taken their toll, and TK’s just generally more on edge these days.

He doesn’t tell anyone about the feeling, not even Carlos. There’s no reason to fuck up everyone else’s peace with something so stupid. It’ll go away eventually; TK’s sure of it.

That is, until one of the lots just down from the firehouse gets occupied.

day fifteen: find you here inside the dark for @fanfic-corner

Yaz has walked this room too many times to count now; she’s traced her fingertips over the walls, searching for any cracks or crevices to indicate where there might be a door.

If the Doctor were here, she’d have her sonic out by now, spitting out words, only half of which Yaz could understand. She’d find a way out in no time. Or, if not, at least she’d be here. Talking a mile a minute, probably annoying the hell out of their captors. Yaz can almost hear her now—

Wait.

She can hear her now.

day sixteen: accidents happen for @ilovemosss

So, Jason reflects, it may not have been the best idea to take Pythagoras out training while they’re all suffering from a severe lack of sleep. Being the more logical of them, Pythagoras, to his credit, had attempted to talk him out of it, but Jason ignored him.

He very much regrets that decision now.

day seventeen: you and me (moving through this world as a two-man team) for @laelipoo

TK does not have a crush on the 126's latest hire.

Carlos Reyes: an Austin local, an incredible firefighter, and—objectively speaking—the most beautiful man TK has ever laid eyes on. Which is, in fact, the entire point; TK has eyes and, yes, he will use them to sneak a look or two when he’s suddenly sharing space with a man who looks like a Greek god.

That does not mean he has a crush, Paul.

(and, sure, maybe he does sometimes dream about how soft Carlos’s lips look and the little blush he gets when he laughs and those little flecks of gold in his eyes, but he’s only human)

(how TK knows about the gold in Carlos’s eyes is none of anybody’s business)

day eighteen: in perfect harmony for @anyotherheartwilldo

Here’s the thing—Carlos doesn’t believe in signs. He used to when he was younger, raised on his abuela’s stories, but as he’d gotten older his father had taught him that what mattered was the choices he made. He’s the only one who has a say in the way his life turns out, and if he wants something, he has to put in the work to get it.

But there comes a point—namely, after his fifth thwarted attempt to propose to TK—when he begins to wonder if the universe really does have something against him.

proposing to tk proves far more complicated than carlos had first thought.

day nineteen: whatever here that's left of me (is yours) for anon

“Are you…” TK leans closer, peering at the hoodie Carlos is wearing, and—yep. “Why are you wearing my hoodie? Was there nothing in your size from the crew? You should have said something. We can fix this, you don’t need to be uncomfortable.”

There’s a beat, and then Carlos, studiously avoiding TK’s gaze, clears his throat. “It smells like you.”

post-2.12, carlos finds comfort in tk's hoodies.

day twenty: can't smile without you for anon

Carlos would be lying to himself if the possibility hadn’t occurred to him before. He has always worried for TK’s safety, and the knowledge that a serial killer is on the loose in Austin has sent that worry skyrocketing. Especially because he’s the lead detective on the case; he’s spent hours poring over horrific crime scenes, examining all the facts until they’re burned into his brain.

Admittedly, the killers seem to be mostly indiscriminate in who they take, meaning the chances of it being TK are slim.

But there’s still a chance.

a before, during, and after of tk's kidnapping in a hole where your memory goes

day twenty-one: lately you've been searching for a darker place to hide for @freddieholic

“Can I ask you something else?”

TK stiffens at the sound of Mateo’s voice, a nervous note to it that wasn’t there last time. Something tells him he knows exactly what Mateo wants to ask; still, he turns to lean against the counter, crossing his arms as casually as he can manage. “Sure.”

“Are you…” Mateo trails off, biting his lip and avoiding TK’s gaze. “I mean, do you… I mean—”

“You can say it, you know,” he interrupts, not unkindly. “If you want to know if I’m thinking about heading out and getting high, then just ask.”

five times tk turns to unhealthy coping mechanisms when he wants to use + one time he finally asks for help

day twenty-two: know me crazy, soothe me daily for anon

It had freaked Carlos out the first time it happened.

“It was a seizure,” TK explained, after Carlos had finished telling him about it. TK had been disoriented and confused for about ten minutes after, and couldn’t even remember half of their earlier conversation. “I… It’s because of the drugs. They fucked something up in my brain, especially after my first overdose, and now I get seizures occasionally."

in which carlos gets a little over-protective and tk is mildly exasperated

day twenty-three: lover, be good to me for anon

Carlos holds his arms out, and TK comes willingly, setting what Carlos now recognises as a tray of food carefully on the bed. “What’s this?”

TK stares as if it’s obvious. “Date night.”

“What?”

TK pauses, then gasps. “You’re right.” He pats himself down frantically, then pulls an object out of his pocket with a dramatic flourish. It’s a little electric tea light—real candles long since banned from the bedroom—and Carlos watches in bemusement as TK flicks it on and sets it down on the tray. “Now it’s date night.”

his fiancé being bed-bound isn't going to keep tk from date night

day twenty-four: bring you in from the cold for anon

As a cop, Carlos has always been uncomfortably aware of his own mortality. He’s considered his own death more than is probably healthy, but when you’re facing down the barrel of a gun almost every single day, it’s kind of forced on you.

He’s imagined himself being shot, stabbed, strangled, and everything in between.

But he’s not sure he ever pictured dying in a walk-in freezer after getting trapped there by mistake.

day twenty-five: heaving through corrupted lungs for anon

TK is itching to go home and check on Carlos, to make sure he’s still breathing and actually resting like he’s supposed to be. On the other hand, Carlos would probably kill him if he left work, illness be damned. It’s just… Carlos had looked so ill that morning, skin ashen and voice all but gone, and it had taken a lot of convincing for TK to still go to his own shift. He’d insisted on making sure Carlos had all the blankets and water and snacks and anything else he could possibly want, but even so, he’s still uneasy.

His gut is telling him that something’s wrong, and TK doesn’t think he can ignore it for much longer.

when carlos falls ill, they think it's just a bad cold. but when tk goes to check on him, he's in for a nasty shock.

day twenty-six: slowly becoming lovers for @pragmaticoptimist34

Things don’t get fixed overnight. They agree to give them a shot, but that doesn’t change the fact that TK is still reeling from his break-up and overdose, nor that Carlos is still hesitant and afraid of pushing too hard at once.

But, slowly, they get to know each other. And, slowly, they start to fall in love.

tk and carlos, getting to know each other and falling in love

day twenty-seven: and curse the gods for @girlwhowasntthere

Jason knows what it is to be cursed.

day twenty-eight: ignoring every warning for @moviegeek03

TK is fine.

He is absolutely, 100% fine.

And, sure, maybe he’s not supposed to be at work right now, and maybe his hand hasn’t fully healed yet, but it’s nothing. His doctor cleared him to go back to work, which means it’s healed enough, and TK is certainly not going to admit defeat no matter how much he's hurting.

day twenty-nine: can you beat back the night? for @girlwhowasntthere

He misses the bard. Geralt won’t admit it, not even to Roach, but he misses him. After months—years—of Jaskier’s constant chatter and the sound of his lute, the silence, once valued above all else, is too much.

It’s been months since the dragon, since Geralt lost both Yennefer and Jaskier in one fell swoop. He’s cursed himself many times over for the words he said—to both of them—and cursed himself more for the mistakes he made to get in this position in the first place.

this is the lot of witchers, to be alone.

day thirty: ease my mind for @silvarafael

Briefly, Carlos considers calling TK and telling him about the accident. But… He only broke two of his fingers and it barely even classifies as a minor injury in his book, so there’s really no reason to bother his fiancé while he’s still on shift himself. He pockets his phone then looks around to figure out where the exit is.

Only, an all-too familiar laugh distracts him from his task, drawing his attention to the nurses station.

Where TK is standing, smiling as a nurse swats at him for stealing one of their lollipops.

Carlos is, beyond doubt, fucked.

day thirty-one: scars turn to memories for anon

Their front door is open. It’s wide open, and the wood of the door frame is broken, splinters littering the driveway and the floor of the front room. TK’s heart stops in his chest as he surveys the scene, his brain going blank, struggling to comprehend what he’s seeing.

Everything is quiet in the front room, not even a table setting out of place. TK creeps further into their home, his every nerve on edge as he barely breathes for fear of alerting whoever’s here of his presence.

And then, he remembers.

Carlos was off shift tonight. He was here. Alone.

#masterlist #holly's august extravaganza #fanfiction #my fanfiction #writing #my writing

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