#Benny Cunningham

[princessstevemunson]

I just found out that there’s a Santa Claus, Indiana.

I’m just thinking about a silly hallmark movie Steddie AU.

Steve and Robin move to Santa Claus, Indiana. Maybe they got seasonal jobs at Holiday World, and decided to stay on the off season. Maybe they just randomly decided to move there because it was close enough to Hawkins but still not Hawkins, and Robin say the silly name and was like Steve we gotta go there.

Either way they move to Santa Claus, Indiana. Steve’s car breaks down, and he gets help from friendly mechanic Eddie. They get closer, and soon Eddie’s like my uncle wants me to take over the family business, but I’m not sure if I’m ready. Steve can obviously relate, but Eddie’s like I want to like it’s a great job, but I like my life the way it is or whatever.

Eddie is obviously super ambiguous about whatever it is that Wayne does, but then it’s revealed he’s Santa Claus.

Obviously there’s a Buckingham subplot. Maybe Chrissy is a waitress at Benny’s. Maybe she’s an elf there’s definitely jokes about her being an elf.

[ghostlynimbus]

Probably going to change my mind about these again in the future

But as of rn a few shifts I have decided so far for my shifter au:

Steve Harrington - Anatolian Shepherd

I debated a few options for Steve (lion, deer, etc) and definitely went back and forth more than a few times on this decision. But I think this feels right for the story I want to tell.

Anatolian Shepherds are livestock guardian dogs, they may not be as individually formidable as some large wild predators, but they protect their flock and they are far from weak.

Billy Hargrove - Jaguar

Max Mayfield - Bobcat

I'm definitely not sure about this. I also like the idea of a fox for her.

Eddie Munson - Manned Wolf

Did you know Manned Wolf pee smells like weed? Zoos have been raided by police bc of this.

Chrissy Cunningham - Deer

Dustin - African Painted Dog

Jim Hopper - Grizzly Bear

Benny Hammond - Bison

Bob Newby - Pig

Tommy Hagan - Timber Wolf

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

And this applies for the older members of the Party. . . This was supposed to be a Steddie post, but it ran away from me:

Lmao, it's going by Horror movie virginity rules, but queer edition. The reason that Steve survived is because he hasn't lost his GUY virginity yet, but he has done stuff with guys, so he gets beaten up quite a lot. The same goes for Eddie, but apparently, he went a little further. He's not dead, though, because he still has to lose his guy virginity with Steve. Well, if that applies, then. . .Barb?? Oh my God, Bob??? (Actually, not surprised.) Jesus, Hop, what did you do with a guy? I mean, clearly, you're not dead, so. . . but you did do stuff. Chrissy?! What happens at cheer camp, stays at cheer camp, I guess. Fred and Patrick. . . Jason. . .hmm. Billy, not too surprised. (Still hate him.) Benny, almost immediately. You're welcome to add on if I missed anyone. Oh! Heather! I bet it was with Chrissy.

[witcher-heart]

Me when a character that has, like, five minutes of total screen time. Why the fuck am I like this?

[hyperfixationgoddess]

Alright, I just have to say this, because I think Eddie Munson, Steve Harrington, and (though I know this may be an unpopular opinion) Billy Hargrove deserve the world.

Canonical Stranger Things character death?

Cancelled.

Duffer brothers?

Disinherited.

Billy, Eddie, Benny, Bob, Barb, Alexie, Chrissy, Fred?

Alive forever in our hearts.

Reblogs and comments give me life, so please do one and/or both if you agree!

[theplantscientist]

Because I'm not ok with Billy winning in this poll. I decided to make a new one:

(In my personal opinion every single one of them deserves justice)

[starshideurfics]

Ring my bell, part 6

steddie, omegaverse, flagging/signaling culture, there’s plot now, in the smut, mdni 🔞

Part 5

Steve wakes to the sound of the phone ringing. The sky is still pre-dawn purple, and Eddie’s arms are tight around his waist. He hears Wayne shuffle to the phone and answer with a tired, “Munson residence.” Barely two seconds pass before he continues, sounding much more awake, “Kid, slow down. Eddie’s sleeping, s’early. — Yeah, I’ll get him.”

The receiver taps as it’s set down on the counter, and Wayne doesn’t bother keeping his steps quiet as he heads down the hall and pokes his head into the room. “Ed, get up. Got one of your friends on the phone and he’s barely gettin’ a word out that I can follow.”

“Be there in a second,” Eddie grumbles, squeezing around Steve’s waist. “Just gotta grab pants.”

“Morning, Steve,” Wayne adds as he retreats.

“Morning!” Steve calls back, flushing hot. Wayne had Eddie invite him for dinner back in January, told him the only ground rules were no sleepovers on school nights, and practically welcomed him to the family. Doesn’t mean Steve isn’t embarrassed to be caught naked in bed with his boyfriend.

Eddie pushes himself out of bed, gropes around for a pair of ratty sweats that he tugs over his pasty ass, and slouches out to the kitchen. “Yello!” Pause. “Lucas, hey, slow down, dude.” Pause. “What the fuck? Are you okay? Shit, no—Are you safe?” Long pause. “Okay, thanks for the heads up. Do you need someone to come get you? Are your parents gonna freak?” Pause. “Okay, I’ll be right there.”

He jogs back to his room, plucks a shirt from the “still good” clothing pile, and struggles to dress quickly.

“What’s going on?” Steve mumbles, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“Something fucking bad happened, Stevie. Lucas is freaking and Chrissy Cunningham’s dead.” He bites his quavering lip.

“What the fuck?”

“I *sold* to her yesterday, Steve. She was good at hiding it, but she was terrified of something. And Lucas sounded real messed up on the phone.”

Steve swings his legs over the edge of the bed and searches for his clothes. “I’m coming with you.”

“Puppy…”

“Lucas has seen enough bad shit as it is. I’m coming to check on him.”

“And yet you claim you didn’t birth these kids.”

Steve tugs his henley back over his head, and grabs Eddie’s hand. “Now you’re just wasting time.” As usual, he’s the one taking charge and he grabs his keys. “We’re taking my car, you drive like a maniac.”

“Puppy! I’m not that bad!”

“And we’ll look fucking suspicious showing up in your van.”

“…Yeah, okay.”

Steve doesn’t bother saying Eddie is jittery as all hell, that he knows he wouldn’t pay enough attention to the road. They just say bye to Wayne and hurry out to the Bimmer.

“The basketball team started partying out at Benny’s old place when Hargrove moved here… I’m guessing that’s where we’re going?”

Eddie nods, suddenly quiet. As soon as Steve starts driving, Eddie starts shaking his knee so hard that Steve needs him to stop—he’s bouncing too much in his peripheral vision. His right hand shoots out and grabs Eddie’s thigh, squeezing twice. “Ed, hey. We’re gonna get Lucas and get out of there. That’s it.”

“It’s not that… There’s more—we both know Lucas would call you in an emergency over me. But I wasn’t the backup. He called because my phone number is still written on Chrissy’s hand.”

“Eddie…”

“She wanted something stronger than weed! I figured I’d give her some options later! I didn’t think whatever she was scared of would leave her d—” He chokes in the word. “Steve, I hate this.”

“I know, Puppy. Me too.” Steve lifts his hand, holds it palm-up, and Eddie takes it, lacing their fingers together.

When they pull up to Benny’s there are cop cars everywhere, blocking in the cars of the basketball team. Most of the guys are standing around or sitting in the grass, all with the same haunted look, but Lucas is talking to Chief Powell.

Steve parks, and he and Eddie get out together, hands finding each other again.

“I told you,” Lucas says as they approach, his back to them, “There was no screaming. I was one room over and I didn’t hear anything.”

“But you did recognize the phone number written on her hand?”

“Yeah, I noticed it the night before, because it’s my friend’s number.”

“Oh? And who would that friend be?”

Eddie lifts his hand in a quick wave. “That’d be me, Chief. Chrissy loaned me her History notes, told her to call me when she needed ‘em back.”

“Munson. You staying out of trouble?”

“Trying to.”

“And where were you last night?”

“At home, with my boyfriend.” He lifts Steve’s hand, showing their laced fingers and drawing attention to him.

Lucas’s eyes bug out.

Powell shrugs. “We’ll call if we’ve got any more questions.”

[ghostlynimbus]

My wife suggested a poll might work better to get an art request, but I wasn't sure how to do it since I wanted a character and an AU. But I think with two polls I should be able to get it figured out.

So, first we will decide which AU I will be doing, then I will make a second poll with characters/ships that i have fun art ideas for for that AU.

[rose-n-gunses]

Social media au:

Eddie runs a satirical Instagram account called hawkins--official where he posts memes and fake headlines and stuff shitting on the town because he hates it here and it's fun. Tons of people follow it and they all know it's run by a Hawkins High student they just don't know who.

Anyways, he posts shit on his story all the time when he's at different places (like a picture of steve's pool and "who else at the Harrington House?"). People often respond to it (and get ghosted) or they just show up trying to figure out who it is behind the account but he's already long gone.

Until one day he posts a picture of the ferris wheel and says "yo who else at the fucking fun fair". Not even five minutes later his phone pings because someone has responded to his story. He's about to ignore it, but then he sees who it's from.

Chrissy🌼 replied to your story

I am lol!

He blinks down at his phone and decides, y'know... what the hell. He's bored and the day that he doesn't lunge at the opportunity to be within ten feet of Chrissy like a dog for scraps is the day he drops dead.

You

Well howdy, Cunningham

(Yeah, because that's cool.)

Chrissy🌼

If you're still near the ferris wheel come over to the popcorn stand

I um

I got stood up so I have an extra

Oh and don't worry I'll keep your identity a secret 🤫

Eddie's never looked up so fast in his life. As soon as he finds the popcorn stand he makes a beeline for it, keeping an eye out for Chrissy.

He's thinking of something suave to say when he finds her, but she beats him to it. As soon as she sees him she waves and holds out a little paper bag of popcorn. "Hello, Mr. Hawkins Official."

Eddie takes the popcorn and looks away grinning. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Chrissy hums like okay, sure and smiles into her drink.

He was gonna play coy but she's just so cute that he can't help it. "How'd you know?"

Chrissy does this like. Full body wiggle that just screams see, I was right! "You posted a picture at Benny's a few weeks ago and I could see your reflection in the window," she whispers conspiratorially.

Eddie clicks his tongue. "Damn. I thought I was being pretty covert."

She shrugs. "I don't think anyone else has caught on yet. They don't wanna believe it's you."

"True," he laughs. "So...you got stood up, huh?"

Chrissy nods. "Big surprise, right?"

Eddie snorts. "Well, then. As the official representative of the town of Hawkins, Indiana, would you grant me the opportunity to show you around one of our finest attractions?" He sweeps an arm out dramatically at the fair before offering her his hand.

For a second he thinks she's going to turn him down, but right before he can drop his hand she takes it, grins, and says "Only if you promise to take my picture at the top of the ferris wheel."

"Deal."

(He does, but that picture doesn't go on hawkins--official. It goes on his personal story, along with a matching post of him on Chrissy's.)

[trashmouth-richie]

prequel to Honey I’m Home

master list

summary: a peek into the lives of our love birds back in 1985

w/c: 4k

tw: no minors, underage drinking, drug use, party behavior. hinted at: rape

Engine roaring hot with the early dog days of summer, Eddie’s van skids to a stop sliding against black asphalt of Piney Wood Lane.

“Eddie! What the fuck?!” A church mouse voice that resembled nails on a chalkboard shrieks when the van halts to a stop. Peach colored lipstick is smeared in a wavy line across her pale skin, Chrissy glares icy blue daggers into the curly haired metal head.

Stoned and nearly asleep, Eddie forced his tired lips into a grin, pearly whites gleaming against the backdrop of the setting sun through the dirty windshield. “Oh babe you’re so pretty, here let me help.” Grabbing the tube of lipstick Eddie draws a matching line across her other cheek, “all better,” he yawns as she snatches the lipstick tube back and shoves the lid back on slamming it into her purse. Using a dirty t-shirt by her feet that she knew was used to wipe Eddie’s cum off her stomach some time last week after one of his shows, she rotates it to a cleanish spot and works the black cloth gently across her face, muttering to herself.

“Where are these little shits anyway?” She grumbles as she avoids Eddie’s lips on her neck, shoving him away with the heel of her hand.

“Fuck Chris, relax,” Eddie says, arms up in a surrender and lowering slightly to light a cigarette and blowing the smoke into the open warm air through his window, “little Tooty said they have to sneak out of the basement window.”

It had been a full year since Eyeball had left town and graduated without Eddie. His best friend was always smarter than he was, never having to repeat senior year, he left Eddie’s trailer park ass in the dust— never to be heard from again.

A scoff breaks from Chrissy’s pastel pink lips as she swipes more powder blue eyeshadow on her lids in the mirror. “I don’t know what my brother sees in her.”

The high encompassing Eddie falters for a split second. Chad Cunningham? What the fuck would Tooty want to do with him?

“Damn, tell me how you really feel,” Eddie says, rolling his eyes and inhaling from his cigarette, “don’t hold back.”

Chrissy flips the visor up with a thud and crosses her arms, her lips twisted in a sneer, she opens her mouth to speak but Eddie shushes her when five moving figures run across the neatly mowed lawn of the Wheeler’s.

Opening the sliding door is a pimple-faced Mike Wheeler, accompanied by Dustin Henderson, Lucas Sinclair, Max Mayfield, and you.

“Whoa whoa whoa,” Eddie says holding his hands up in protest, “watch the carpet yeah? Won’t be a shaggin’ wagon if the carpet is stomped all to hell you little gremlins.”

“Fuck dude,” Dustin speaks, sliding next to Mike on the floor, “you gonna give us upholstery lessons or are we going to this party?”

Mike and Lucas laugh as Eddie takes off before the door is even shut. Screaming into the night like a bat out of hell. Passing out cigarettes from a crumbled pack you kept in the breast pocket of the same ratty flannel you wore almost daily, everyone leans forward to catch the flame at the same time. Inhaling deep and choking back smoke against baby pink lungs.

Eddie wasn’t your favorite person but if he was one thing: it was reliable. He’d show up in his van, rolling up on the last remnants of weed whenever you called him. Day or night, rain or shine wherever you were— he’d drop whatever he was doing to pick you up.

Like the time Mike had left you at Benny’s after falling asleep in the red cracked booth following a late night movie premiere of Cujo. A quick dial to the Munson trailer, with a worried Benny behind you, after a couple of monotonous dial tones an out of breath Eddie answered grumpily reassuring you he’d be there soon.

Ten minutes later the blaring tunes of DIO were heard faintly as his van roared down the street, foregoing stop signs and swerving all over the place.

Benny raised an eyebrow and gave Eddie a pointed finger grunting: get her home safe.

Eddie greeted you with a stupid smile and deep dimples, threatening Mike’s life and his Hellfire spot for leaving you behind.

“Don’t make this a habit,” he scolded lightly, eyes red and higher than a kite, his boots were untied and his hair was sticking out in every direction, “Eyeball will skin me alive.”

You roll your eyes and put your feet on the dash, “Kev doesn’t even know I’m gone.”

Tapping the brakes Eddie laughs deep when you lunge forward, millimeters from almost smacking your head on your knees. “You know my rule, feet down little T.”

The night was young and you were filled with a naivety that coursed through your veins. With Eyeball at college your parents were rarely home, and you spent every waking minute you could with the boys, Max and El. A group of unruly teens, knobby knees and bad haircuts. The summer was barely at its peak, and you couldn’t wait to live it.

“Alright you little brats,” Eddie joked, pulling into Rick’s driveway, “no humping, no grinding, don’t take anything if you aren’t sure of what it is, and you all owe me $5 for the ride here and supplying you little degenerates with the best weed and warm beer in all of Hawkins.” He goads with a warm smile and jumps out of the van, leaving Chrissy to readjust her hair and makeup for the tenth time in the fifteen minute drive to get out to Lover’s Lake.

Filing out of the van one at a time, everyone slaps an Abe Lincoln into Eddie’s upturned palm. When it’s your turn he quickly closes his hand and you give him an annoyed look.

A look of concern colors his brow as he peers into your face, “Are you seriously dating Chrissy’s brother?”

Turning your lip up in defense, you scowl at the accusation, “so what if I was?” You gonna run and tell Kev about it?”

Eddie didn’t want to be on the receiving end of Eyeball’s fury, having seen for himself how Eyeball could fight the biggest of assholes at the Hideout, and he damn sure as hell didn’t want to see you on that end either. “Nah,” he chides, pocketing the bills into his chain wallet and standing with his hands on his hips, chest out, “what the hell do you think I am some shithead narc? I just didn’t think that you’re old enough to date.”

Snarling a grin and pushing his shoulder you answer sarcastically, “Are you my mother? Stop smoking Munson, you’re turning into a softie.” Traipsing past him you quickly run inside to find your friends, feet crunching on the gravel.

What the hell got into him?

—

The party is buzzing and so are you, two drinks in and a hit from Jonathan’s blunt and you’re dancing with Max, El and Will around the living room.

Tears flood Will’s eyes but he won’t say what’s wrong. Lately when he drank, he always seemed to get a little gloomy and dark. Whatever was bothering you he’d never tell, just going on about how it’s not fair. Only for the next day to claim he didn’t remember.

In a blurring spin from El’s outstretched hand, you can make out Steve Harrington. His tongue was wrapped around some blonde girl’s throat. Hands cupping her ass like she might float away. He wore his sunglasses in the house pretending like he really was fit to be “King”.

King Douche of Hairspray Island

Nancy and Jonathan are whispering close together slow dancing to a song no one can hear but them. Her stylish hair and clothes always fit her like she was straight from a Gap catalog.

Eyeing you, she waves and blows you a kiss. One you pocket and blow back. You’ve come to know Nancy quite well this last school year. Being one of your best friend's older sister’s she was cool and grown up.

Showing Max, El and yourself the proper way to wear makeup without looking like a cheap tramp.

“I don’t care if it is popular, blue is not a shade for anyone’s eyes.” Her makeup lessons earned an eye roll from Max, but you and El took special interest in it.

Collapsing onto the couch after Girls Just Wanna Have Fun ended; Will, Max and El all fall into a fit of giggles, you are breathless and your legs feel like freeze pops before they’re frozen. Being drunk and spinning around wasn’t the best of combinations but it was a blast.

A wayward glance towards the makeshift poker table in the small kitchen has Will wiping his eyes, rushing to the bathroom, excusing himself with a rushed “gotta pee.”

Finishing the last swallows of a lone beer sitting atop the barely standing coffee table, Max tosses the empty can behind her and leans forward, turning her head towards your direction, her eyes squinting into a serious glare, “you really gonna date that weasel dick Chad Cunningham?”

El’s face lights with devilish delight and you roll your eyes. Chad Cunningham was in your grade, and more popular than anyone you hung out with. Exceptionally good at sports and school, he was a dreamboat for any girl to set sail with. A future of wealth and riches lying at your feet. And he had been laying on his advances thick.

Plucking a cigarette from the crumbled pack in your shirt pocket, you offer the redhead a drag after taking a long inhale.

“Jesus,” you breathe through a cloud of smoke, “I swear I’m gonna kill Lucas.”

Max only laughs, poking your ribs with a slight jab of her unpainted fingernail, red from a picked stubborn hangnail, “Lucas couldn’t keep a secret if someone paid him too.”

Lucas and Chad played on the same baseball team, and it was he who said he would put in a good word to you for Chad. Apparently they were talking about more than just batting averages at practice.

Stealing the cigarette from your mouth, Max slots it between her own chapped lips, inhaling and blowing the smoke upwards as she falls back into the couch.

Lighting another cigarette, you listen to Max’s scoffing noises as Eddie runs through the living room, shirt off wearing cutoff denim shorts and boots, a screaming Chrissy over his shoulder as he trots towards the dock. Her high pitched whines are faint as there are two splashes into the lake, one after another.

“We’ve talked on the phone once, maybe twice,” you offer the small information as a gift, waiting for your two best friends to pull the pink satin bow and open it revealing the secret surprise. “Just lucky my mom didn’t get to the phone before I did.”

“No shit,” El hums around a can of Pabst, a wicked smile evident on her lips, “so what did he say?!”

The three of you dive into a giggly drunk conversation about boys, laughing at how awkward they were, how dumb they could be, ending the conversation still unsure whether or not you would give in to Chad’s charm. He was cute after all.

He wasn’t like you, while your family wasn’t poor, Chad’s family was extremely wealthy. They were all matching outfits for family pictures and lately your parents were gone more than they were home. Hushed whispers and teary eyes from your mother.

You didn’t know what was going on, maybe they would be getting a divorce? Maybe you’d be like Max and live in the trailer park after whichever parent decided to stay in Hawkins. Between the choice of living with your mom or dad, you’d rather sleep in a dog kennel.

Of all the girls in the school, Chad had chosen you. The sleepless nights on the phone were nothing but sweet talk. Telling you how pretty you were, calling you honey bun, how he couldn’t get you out of his head. Teasing him and telling him he was crazy, his flirting only deepened. Creating a pocket of desire and questions of what if? burrowed deep into your skin. Warming your heart with each peel of his words cozying inside of it.

He even left flowers on your window sill in the middle of the night so you could wake up to the smell of wildflowers drying in the growing sun of the dewy morning.

He was a charmer. And he’d charmed you right to a fit of heated cheeks and butterfly stomach aches.

When you saw Chrissy’s blonde hair in Eddie’s van you almost expected to see him in the back. Stomach sinking when he wasn’t stuffed into the grungy van.

Last night he made you promise to call when you were done hanging out with your friends. A promise you weren’t sure if you would keep or not.

El slinked from the couch and joined Mike and the rest of the boys playing their drunken hands at poker. Losing every cent of allowance and weeks worth of mowing yards in Hawkins to Steve and a piss drunk Tommy.

Max and Lucas were wrestling on the floor now, his deep skin turning a violent shade of purple only seen on plums from Max having him in a headlock, making him swear to stop calling her Pippy due to her choice of hairstyle.

The scent of murky lake water infused with green algae and harsh whiskey fogged your brain, tiny droplets of water slid down your cheeks, making you question how many beers you actually had. Putting your head on the cushion and looking back revealed Eddie, standing behind you in all his stupidity and brainless head banging to Heaven and Hell. One hand clutched around a bottle of Jack Daniels by the neck, his rings clacking loudly around the glass, the other pinched a fat joint. One wet boot on the back of the couch.

“Trailer Park run out of water again?” you spit, making a show of wiping your face with the back of your hand and sitting farther away from the metal head menace. Kev’s friend or not, Eddie was a special kind of jackass. Loud, ruthless, a real mother fucker, but come hell or high water, he was loyal to his friends. But shit, even an old porch dog is.

Eddie made a voice and chuckled deep, taking a large inhale from the joint, the paper crinkling against the orange burnt end. Blowing big O’s around your face, he merely grins, “you’re too kind to me little T,” he gathers his hair and wrings it out over your head, leaping over the back of the couch landing next to you with a sopping squelch sound of wet denim slapping against polyester, “better ease up on that sweetness or someone might think you’re not made of piss and vinegar.”

Kicking him away from you he only laughs harder ow stop you’re hurting me ow, he breaks out through choked laughs at your attempt to throw him off the couch.

When you have him pinned against the arm rest, your dirty white converse pressed into the slab of graffitied alabaster that makes up his back, he gently grabs your ankle and tosses your feet off of him in a swift throw.

Crossing your arms in a stubborn fashion you deliver one more kick into his side before retreating your legs in a pretzel beneath you, taking the joint from his outstretched hand as a peace offering. Hard to deliver kicks when your feet felt like they were stuck in brownie batter thick mud.

After a few hits, droopy eyes, and Eddie’s dripping curls down his back and onto the woven beige fabric of Rick’s couch, Eddie lets out a loud sigh, taking a pull from the whiskey bottle he still was nursing.

“Thought Eyeball was supposed to come home this summer?”

The question is more of a statement from Eddie as you lazily shrug your shoulders and find intense concentration on the frayed edges of your shorts. Fingers rolling the edges until the fabric is warm and sweaty.

“Dunno, precious Kev hasn’t said much since he went out East, nobody has.”

“Ohh c’mon,” Eddies velvet voice hums deep through his high, eyes barely open, “your rents aren’t that bad.”

Blowing hot breath through your lips you mimic a balloon, giggling at the way your lips feel with each wiggly vibration against your them. “Next. I’m not talking about my feelings with you when you’re higher than Willie fuckin’ Nelson.”

“Rocky Mountain High,” Eddie grins, tipping the neck or the Jack Daniel’s bottle to his lips.

Heckling him you correct, “That’s… John Denver …dumbass— ,” a yawn escapes your mouth, brain functioning on low as the high creeps into your brain, an unannounced nap knocking on your eyelids.

The couch dips with Eddie’s weight as he reaches for a blanket and tosses it to you, “Kid, I don’t know how you and Eyeball are related,” he presses, laughing at the way your eyes heavily blink back at him, “you can’t hang.”

The slowest fuck you rolls of your tongue, the living room fading in your vision you can almost taste the insult rolling around your mouth.

His idle smile falls into a frown, eyebrows pulled inward, eyes looking over your head you train your eyes to follow his gaze.

The noise of Chrissy’s bubbly giggle as she emerges from Rick’s bedroom, catches your attention. She’s wearing a pair of his boxers and a worn heather gray shirt, faded kelly green writing reading, Hawkins Athletic Dept 1980. Her eyes are twinkling with each murmur from Rick’s slack mouth, bent low to her ear, neither of them seeing Eddie sitting on the couch.

Stepping into the low hanging lights in the living room, Rick quickly gestures to Chrissy’s nose and she hastily wipes at it with the back of her hand.

You knew very little of Chrissy other than her family lived on the golf course in a lavish house with a perfectly manicured yard. One boy, one girl, perfect cookie cutter JC Penney catalog assholes.

Last year, you, Dustin and Mike threw three dozen perfectly shaped, white eggs at their front door on Halloween. While Will and Lucas rang the doorbell and Max lit the brown papered sack filled to the brim of Forest Hills Trailer Park’s finest dog shit.

There were wanted ads in the Hawkins Post for weeks about any known whereabouts of the “hoodlums” who defaced private property.

And Joyce Byers stood her ground on not knowing anything when Chief Hopper begrudgingly stomped his way from his police cruiser to the lonely woman’s door. Nevermind her receipt from Bradley’s Big Buys that was identical to what was used in the Halloween crimes of 1984.

It truly was a mystery.

Chrissy didn’t talk to you or any of your friends when you all hung out with Eddie and that was perfectly fine with you, she seemed on edge and would scowl anytime Eddie wasn’t paying her attention or waiting on her hand and foot. At the very least she looked to be in desperate need to fucking relax.

Her wide pupils scan the living room and stop on Eddie. The innocence of Bambi struck the blues in her eyes.

The couch shifts as Eddie stands on firm boots and makes his way to Rick and Chrissy. And before you can crane your neck to hear the conversation, Dustin throws himself down beside you, grabbing the blanket in a yank.

“Pretty sure I’ve figured out the physics of the beer bong,” he says as he flips your legs on his lap.

Before long your eyelids have taken the shape of sandbags and you’re fast asleep. Left on the couch after Dustin’s lengthy explanation of the correct number of breaths taken before the beer bong rendered you to a peaceful dream state.

When you wake by being lightly shaken by a sober-looking Eddie, his warm dark eyes swim with anger and look too wet, and his smile doesn’t match his eyes, “let’s go, kid,” he looks around wildly, on edge, “you’re drunker than a skunk— it’s time to go.”

You’re incoherent as you try to stand, a dizzy spell capturing you in a wave and you feel like you're underwater. Looking around you don’t recognize anyone but Eddie. Rick’s is packed with faces you don’t know.

Not wanting to be there for another second, Eddie grabs your wrist, squats low in front of you and throws your arms around his neck. He wraps the smooth crook of his elbows into the back of your knees, wearing you like a drunk backpack.

A piggy back ride that left your face in the curly, tangled tufts of his drying hair, the tang of weed and lake water stinging your nose as you bury your chin into his shoulder.

A cool blanket is on you when you open your eyes and become a little more alert. You’re in the passenger seat of Eddie’s van, a cigarette hangs limply from his lips as he’s muttering something to himself. It’s dark, and no music is playing. An odd thing for him.

A quick glance around and you see that no one else is with you. A street lamp shines through the windows and you can see Eddie’s knuckles are painted with a deepened glossy red substance.

“Eddie?”

He doesn’t hear you immediately so you repeat his name. His head turns sharp towards you and the blazed look of rage emits from his face. If it were a look from anyone else you’d be terrified. He quickly softens his eyes.

“Everyone’s at Steve’s,” he says quickly, “the kids, Nancy, Jonathan.. we’re heading there—that cool?”

Confused but unable to concentrate a single thought on why the fuck Eddie would be taking you to Steve mop head Harrington’s house, you nod in agreeance. Fighting sleep but losing.

“.. okay okay okay! Explain to me again what the hell happened, I was helping Lucas get Max in my car when it went down.”

“Ouch! Jesus Chr—“

“Sorry!”

“.. they were eyeing her man, all of them! — it was— fuck!”

*glass breaks against a wall*

“Who Chrissy?”

“No, Tooty!”

“Oh my God.. Munson. Who were they?!”

“I don’t know man, I’ve— I’ve never seen them before… fuck this I’m going back there— gonna snap their fucking necks!”

“Stop, this needs to get cleaned or it’ll get infected!”

“Henderson, weren't you sitting by her? Where the hell were you?!.”

“I was Steve! fuck— I just had take a piss, I was gone for like 2 minutes and then I heard the yelling…”

“Christ! Did they touch her?!”

“No,” a tearful voice warbles, “Eddie knocked out that big fucker and the rest of them backed off.”

“I fucking swear to God— Harrington, I will slit their throats if I see them again!”

“I know dude I know, me too.”

“She’s asleep. Max and El are staying with her in the guest room upstairs, I think we should all get some sleep it’s fucking 3 in the morning.”

“Nope, all due respect Wheeler— I can’t.”

“Ed—”

“Fuck! I won’t go back there, alright? But I can’t just lay down and go to bed— not after this..”

The weary eyed stubborn watchdog waits til dawn, aching back from the wall he’s propped up against and bruised knuckles sting with tightness. Flipping the steel end of an old pocket knife open and closed.

Steve stayed up with him for a while, a bat with nails protruding from every which way in a death grip in his fist.

Eddie didn’t think he actually was all that bad, underneath all that hairspray he could tell he’s a genuine person— lost on the surface of money, name brand clothes and expensive cologne.

The two of them made a pact that night that the kids would be protected at all costs, two guardians in the halls for them in high school in the fall. The jock dickheads who crashed Rick’s party amongst them, but the threat behind Eddie’s fist evident in the broken jaw of the football captain behemoth. No longer able to to take the Tigers to a state championship or try to have his way with a younger drunk girl at a party.

Both Eddie and Steve decide that in the morning if you didn’t remember what happened— it would die there, a protective secret amongst new friends.

🧡

see you in volume xi

[shichey97]

If Not For You (Hellcheer) pt 1

Eddie Munson hadn’t left Hawkins like he always planned, instead he went to a trade school after ‘86 and got his ASE certification. He found a small shop that was abandoned, paid the property taxes, and opened his business. He quickly became the best mechanic in Hawkins and thanks to his uncle managing the books he has been able to focus on fixing the cars.

However things weren't going smoothly due to Eddie having to make the appointments, leave time for walk-ins, etc. He needed help on that front so over dinner at Benny’s he asks about Wayne possibly hiring a person to make appointments. Wayne says of course and a few days later he calls Eddie into the office.

“The new hire is coming in soon. She’s a single mother and needs to bring her daughter with her for now. I set up a playpen for the girl.” Wayne says motioning to the corner behind the desk. “I expect you to be nice Eddie Munson.” he says firmly. “Wayne, I'm not going to ruin my business by being a jerk to whoever it is you hired.” He says sighing as he pours him some more coffee into his cup, “How old is the kid? I don’t want her to get hurt.”

“She’s 2. I’ve explained to her mom that she’ll need to keep her with her or in the playpen.” Wayne says and Eddie nods. “You have a customer.” He says pointing to the burgundy 1983 BMW 733i that just pulled in causing Eddie to take one final drink and set it down before walking out. Eddie is busy talking to none other than Steve Harrington to notice Chrissy walking into his shop with a blonde toddler on her hip and a baby bag on her shoulder.

“Wayne, I need to order a new camshaft for the Bmw 733i.” Eddie calls as he walks through the door stopping short when he sees Chrissy behind their little desk on the phone with a client writing something in a notebook and then she hangs up.

“Hey, Eddie.” She says nervously, “Your uncle hired me.. I hope that’s not a problem.” She nervously played with the hem of her skirt.

“It’s ok.” He says giving her a small smile before walking over and taking the phone dialing a number. He gets the part ordered and has Chrissy write down when it’ll be in. He hangs up and looks at her, “If you can stay a bit later I’ll tell you what I need you to do around here.” 

She nods, “I can stay later. It’s just me and Beth now so I don’t have any reason I can’t stay.” She says quietly and Eddie nods.

“Ok thank you.” he says before leaving back to the garage part of the shop. He explains that it’ll be a few days and that Steve is welcome to use the phone in the shop to call someone to pick him up. Then his appointment arrived so he parked the BMW and hung the keys up.

It’s 6 hours later when Eddie closes up shop and walks into the office as the last customer was leaving. He has oil and grease on him from the cars, but he looks happier than he ever had in school. Chrissy iss swaying side to side with her daughter who looked like she had just got done crying.

He washes up and sighs, “I’m hungry. Are you guys?” He asks, looking at Wayne and Chrissy. Wayne nods, but Chrissy shakes her head.

“I don’t have extra cash for anything but essentials.” she explains and both men look at her then each other.

“My treat.” Wayne says, straightening up and grabbing his keys. “Come on we’ll get Benny’s.” He says and Eddie hums with a nod.

“You really don’t have to feed me. I can make something at home. It’s no problem.” she argues and Wayne looks at her with a small smile.

“Miss Cunningham, you’re a part of us now so we’ll take care of you as we would each other.” he says and pats her shoulder “You’re not a problem at all.”

Chrissy nods and grabs her diaper bag following Wayne out of the shop leaving Eddie to lock everything up. He had just bought Wayne a new truck since his truck had crapped out on him. Eddie opened the door for Chrissy who crawled in and buckled her and her daughter in with a soft thank you.

Eddie climbed in the front and looked at Wayne, “Let’s stop by the general store really quick.” He says and he turns down the radio.

“So what are you going to need from me?” Chrissy asks nervously as she holds the little girl’s hands.

“I’m sure Uncle Wayne explained most of it, but I need you to make appointments and order parts.” He says looking at her. “You’ll handle the money and I’ll need to make you a cheat sheet for what are problems and what questions to ask the people who call in.” He says making a list of things he needed to do, causing his uncle to laugh slightly at his nephew’s antics.

“Eddie slow down a little bit. It was her first day, there's no need to cram everything into one day.” Wayne says after he caught the panicked look on Chrissy’s face.

“Right. I’m sorry. The second half was more for me, not you.” He says twisting to look at her again. He studied her face a moment before humming, “What’s your little girl’s name?” 

“Elizabeth.” She says quietly and smiles at her. “She’s two and my whole world.” Chrissy says it proudly as if being 21 with a 2 year old was the best thing to happen to her.

“I see. She’s adorable. She looks like you.” He says reaching back to offer his hand to the little girl who just stared at him with big blue eyes. He laughs and pulls his hand back as they get to the general store.

Everyone in town knew who the father was; The Cunninghams and the Carvers made a huge deal out of their families merging and becoming one when Chrissy and Jason got married in September of ‘86 when they were just 19. Eddie, being 2 years older, couldn’t imagine being married with a kid at 19 let alone now.

“Chrissy, can you come in with me?” Eddie asks as he gets out of the truck. He helps her out and Wayne comes around to take Elizabeth promising to take care of her.

Chrissy nods and follows Eddie in, “What did we stop here for?” she asks, looking up at the curly haired man. “Well if we’re going to be feeding you and Elizabeth at the weekly business dinner then we’ll need to get a carseat for the truck. I also want to get some things to keep at the office in case you run out.” He says looking at her.

“I plan on getting a babysitter once I have a steady income. I just need to bring her for a little bit.” She says looking down. “I just have to find someone who would be willing to do it.”

“Why don’t you try Steve Harrington? A friend of mine says he’s great with kids. I could talk to him for you. I know he’s in between jobs right now.” Eddie says looking at the car seats he looks so lost as he reads about the features and safety things. He picks out one that sounds really good and looks at Chrissy in question. “That’s really expensive, Eddie. We can get a cheaper one.” She says, sounding like she’s panicking a little bit. It’s obvious she’s already thinking of how to pay him back.

“Hey don’t worry about paying me back. I want to make sure the little one is safe and has what she needs.” He then turns red, “Not that you’re not doing a good job. I just remember my mom and uncle telling me that sometimes you can have everything you think you need and then something happens and you need something else that you don’t have.”

Chrissy nods slowly, “Ok…you don’t have too though. I know you need office space for the business.” “We have a closet that holds the coffee, filters, snacks, and personal things. We can just put her stuff there.” He says smiling softly. So they spend a good 20 minutes making sure to get Elizabeth everything that Chrissy may need while at work including fruits and veggie snacks.

Once they are done and back at the truck Eddie installs the car seat properly and smiles, “There we go.” he says and takes Elizabeth and sits her in the car seat buckling her in with a big smile and puffing his cheeks out. The little girl giggles and grabs a handful of his hair causing Eddie to squawk and grab her little hand gently. “Gotta let go of my hair, pretty girl.” he says as Chrissy works to untangle her hand from his curls.

She finally got it undone and the girl starts whining so Eddie smiles, “How about I sit back here by you?” he asks looking at Chrissy for her ok. Once she nodded he climbed in and sat by Elizabeth entertaining her while they drove to Benny’s and then they took Chrissy and the baby back to her house bidding her good night.

[acowardinmordor]

This idea really only works as a tumblr post rambling to someone about a fic, but it aches, so I'm sharing.

Standard issue setup where Steve gets thrown back in time so he can fix things. One minute he's trying to keep the last of his friends alive in the final fight, the next he's waking up in bed in 1983, a day before Will would have gone missing.

Will is safe and home, but has horrible nightmares for a few weeks. After the first night, when he told his mom and his friends about it - the monster and the creepy place he went and the cold - they have nightmares too. It's strange that they all had dreams, but Will has always been a good storyteller.

Nancy and Barb get stuck on babysitting duty for the kids, where they mostly gossip about how Steve broke up with her one day and became a social outcast within two more.

The Party meets Jane at the start of summer break in 84, and they become fast friends. They know she has something bad in her past, but she's very careful not to say something she shouldn't. The boy who found her told her it was important, and her Dad agrees. The boys tell her that friends don't lie, and she quotes the boy who found her first, that 'safe is more important'

Will gets new nightmares as time goes on. Dustin dreams about a tadpole that grows too fast and eats his cat. They dream about things that could never be real, and they dream about Jane having superpowers and fighting monsters. Sometimes they talk about them a little, mostly they don't. They're just weird dreams after all, using words from DnD, and they're not little kids anymore.

Steve Harrington goes missing in early 1985. His car is found near the construction site for the new mall -- well, what's left of the construction site after a gas leak causes a massive explosion and fire.

That's when the kids start to realize something is weird. They see photos of this missing teenager who has been in so many of their dreams. It starts them talking, and they start to listen, and they've always loved to solve a mystery. They hear Nancy talking about him, and how he broke up with her out of nowhere and became super weird. How he dropped out of sports and showed up with bruises and bandages and scars after that. How he pushed away his old friends and never made new ones.

It's not until they're talking to El, who says she's not supposed to talk about him, that they decide there is definitely something weird, but they can't figure out what it is.

The dreams get weirder, and the circle grows. Nancy eventually talks to Jonathan and the kids. Joyce and Hopper talk. Over the summer, Robin, confused and shaking, finds Nancy to ask what's going on. Eddie makes it to 86 before a nightmare breaks him so badly he calls Chrissy Cunningham's house in the middle of the night to be sure she's okay.

It's not everyone who was ever touched by the Upside Down. Barb and Chrissy and Billy don't remember it at all. Benny goes about his life. Its the people that Steve knew and loved and had a connection to that are stuck with these dreams.

Once they accept that they're all seeing a cohesive thing, they start to compile it. Notes and notebooks and pinboards and post its as their dreams tell them the story.

Eventually, El confirms it might be possible by levitating the toaster.

They all accept that what they saw is real, but they also know it never happened. The Mall never opened. No earthquakes. Eddie is alive and Will never fell into the Upside Down. Even as more of them have dreams about dying, they don't understand.

It's Robin who puts it together for real, because everyone had dreams about Steve outside of the big fights and horrors, but she had dreams of long conversations and hushed confessions all the time. So at the end of 86, she's the one who hears him crying after they lost Dustin and Lucas to a pack of demodogs. She hears him talk about how he'd give anything to take it back and make it right. That's her Platonic Soulmate, and she knows him, even though they've never spoken.

So yeah, she might not know how, but she's the one that realizes what must have happened, what he must have done, and how much he achieved. They've all seen how much happier he was as years went on and they got closer. They've seen him protect them and tease them and help them in a hundred different ways.

And they know he made the choice, like he always did, to keep them safe, even if it cost him everything.

[sourw0lfs]

WC: 3,557 | Chapters: 1/5 | Warnings: None | Rating: E

Relationships: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson

Characters: Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley, Chrissy Cunningham, Gareth (Stranger Things), Jeff (Stranger Things), Unnamed Freak (Stranger Things), Heather Holloway (mentioned), Benny Hammond (mentioned)

Tags: Chef Steve Harrington, Rock Star Eddie Munson, Good Friend Robin Buckley, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington Are Best Friends, Steve Harrington Needs a Hug, Steve Harrington Whump, POV Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington Loves Eddie Munson, Eddie Munson Needs a Hug, Eddie Munson Loves Steve Harrington, Transmasculine Eddie Munson, Mutual Pining, Getting Back Together, Moving In Together, Steve Harrington is Bad at Feelings, Eddie Munson is Bad at Feelings, Hotel Sex, Breaking Up & Making Up, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Minor Robin Buckley/Chrissy Cunningham, Gareth is a Little Shit (Stranger Things), Corroded Coffin is done with these idiots, Idiots in Love, Corroded Coffin Going On Tour, Food as a Metaphor for Love, Eddie Munson's Guitar Pick, Vaginal Sex, Unprotected Sex, Top Eddie Munson, Bottom Steve Harrington

Summary:

Starting with a new client should have stopped being so nerve-wracking five years ago, but Steve can’t help the anxious butterflies fluttering around his stomach as he hits the end call button. It’s his first job since… well, everything, and he can’t help but be a little anxious. There’s something scary about just being him now instead of them. Even if they never really were them in the first place. Not when it came to work. OR: The one where Steve is a traveling personal chef working for Corroded Coffin

FIC by @sourw0lf

ART by @inflomora-art

BETA'd by @just-my-latest-hyperfixation

Written for @strangerthingsreversebigbang

[st-rarepairbang]

Before I Bury You

Author: justyrae / @astorytotellyourfriends Artist: @starboygrove Beta readers: @romantiquesnouvelles and @cyraclove Characters: Andy, Argyle, Murray Bauman, Fred Benson, Robin Buckley, Jonathan Byers, Joyce Byers, Will Byers, Jason Carver, Henry Creel, Victor Creel, Chrissy Cunningham, Benny Hammond, Billy Hargrove, Steve Harrington, Dustin Henderson, Heather Holloway, Jane Hopper, Jim Hopper, Max Mayfield, Patrick McKinney, Eddie Munson, Erica Sinclair, Lucas Sinclair, Tammy Thompson, Vickie, Mike Wheeler, Nancy Wheeler Relationships: Chrissy Cunningham/Eddie Munson, Jason Carver/Chrissy Cunningham (minor), Joyce Byers/Jim Hopper (minor), Billy Hargrove/Heather Holloway (minor), Jonathan Byers/Nancy Wheeler (minor), Max Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair (minor), Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler (minor), Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington (implied) Rating: Explicit Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, No Vecna, Angst, Blood and Gore, Character Death, Flirting, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Sexual Content, Murder, Recreational Drug Use, Revenge, Survival Horror, Violence Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death Word count: 43,516

Summary:

When two counselors turn up dead at Camp Hawk and the camp leaders are forced to leave to get help from police, it’s up to the remaining counselors to try and keep both the campers and themselves alive.

Art Masterpost