#Eddie sure he's looking for a reporter calling around looking for Steve Harrington and every one being like ???

[2btheanswertothequestion]

Steddie rockstar x roadie AU, with Steve being Eddie's queer awakening

(in a not-fic-format because I cannot be arsed to actually write it)

So. Corroded Coffin isn't huge by any means, but they're big enough. Successful and respected within their genre. Has a loyal fanbase, constantly sells out smaller venues, gets to go on tour every so often. They're rockstars who've made it while still getting to live like they're not rockstars when off the clock (and stage). The best of both worlds, really.

They're gearing up for another tour and have a couple of new faces on their crew. One of them got the job by being a friend of a friend. He doesn't at all look like he'd be a roadie for CC, and he doesn't actually listen to them – he's more into classic rock (respectable) and occasionally new wave (not respectable), but it's whatever. He's strong and hard-working and gets the job done. He also withstands the initial hazing like a champ, even biting back a few times. Yeah, Steve Harrington carves a place for himself in the crew and is soon one of them.

Eddie is especially fond of the new guy. Partly because it's clear Steve is as enamored with Dustin as Eddie is, and mutual interests bring people together. But also because Steve is simply a fun dude to be around? He's nice. Except for when he's mean; then he's funny instead. He's honestly funny a lot of times, even when he doesn't mean to be. Like, sometimes someone will make an exceptionally nerdy reference that he doesn't get, so he'll tilt his head and scrunch his eyebrows as it's explained to him. And, all right, maybe that's not funny, per se. More like cute. Endearing. Eddie often finds himself endeared and wanting to pat Steve on the head like the sweet little puppy he so strongly resembles.

The others mock him for it. Tease him about his man-crush on Harrington. Eddie laughs along with them, because yeah! Were he into men, Steve absolutely would've been his type. Look at him! Guy's ripped and has great hair (almost better than Eddie's. Just imagine the mane it'd be if he let it grow past his shoulders...) and Eddie has great taste. He'd for sure be head over heels for Steve if he were gay, and he is man enough to admit it.

That's how the flirting starts – as an extension of the joke. It's not out of character for Eddie, who flirts with everyone. With reporters, interviewers, photographers, TSA officers, venue security, other bands, anyone! Gender, age, or appearance don't matter because flirting is fun. And it's especially fun to flirt with Steve, because he flirts back! No matter how much Eddie does it, Steve will flirt back and help make everyone laugh. It's a great part of their dynamic and actually brings them closer as friends. Dustin would be proud of them.

So, while on tour, they have this thing where one member of the crew gets to decide where they'll go after shows or on their days off. Participation is optional but encouraged, because it's an 'organic bonding experience' or whatever their manager called it. Occasionally it'll be a movie or a museum, but usually the destination is a bar or club. What's there to say, they're a bunch of male, red-blooded twenty to thirty-somethings – what better pasttime is there than to get drunk after a hard day's work? Yeah, every so often someone will pick up a girl, but it's a rare occurrence. A bunch of the guys has special ladies waiting at home, and for the single ones it's much easier to just book a date with their own hand.

There's one guy on the crew, Peter, who always takes them to a gay bar when it's his turn. This because he is gay. Duh. No one minds it, and if they do they don't come back next tour. Corroded Coffin prides themselves on their allyship. They're freaks of nature welcoming all other freaks of nature. Seriously, what does it matter if a dude likes cock instead of tits? Why is it wrong if he wants it up the ass? It's actually not that bad! See, Eddie used to date this woman who was puh-retty kinky. Pegging was just one of the many, many, maaaaaaany things she enjoyed. And Eddie loved her, so, well. It wasn't as good as she claimed it'd be, but it was fine. Enjoyable enough to do again. The point is that CC doesn't dance with homophobia, and Eddie will scream it from the top of every table.

Anyway. When it's Peter's turn, Steve (who hasn't gotten to pick yet because he's the newbie and they pick last) comments upon it. Nothing big. Nothing bad. Still, Gareth is on him, puffing himself up like a chihuahua and asking if Steve has a problem with it.

Eddie’s hands turn clammy with nerves in the split second it takes for Steve to roll his eyes and scoff "of course not".

Look, he'd really like for Steve to be back next tour, okay? They're buddies now and he doesn't want to lose him to bigotry. Also, it'd suck to have to tell Dustin that the guy he hero-worships is actually a douchebag. Nothing to fear, however – Steve continues to prove himself to be a good dude. He doesn't even blink when propositioned at the club! Simply tells them "thanks, but no thanks". Unsurprising, since he's cool with Eddie's nonsense, but there's a difference between a straight guy hitting on you as a joke and a gay guy doing it for real. At least, for some it is. But not for Steve. Fuck, Eddie hopes he'll be back next tour. He's on his way to being Eddie's new best friend and he'd miss him.

Then, it's time – they're in Chicago and it's Steve's turn to pick. Some of the others grumble over the newbie getting such a big city at his disposal. Eddie doesn't blame them for suspecting favoritism – it's happened before – but not this time! It just became like this and Eddie has nothing to do with it! Ask the other band members.

(When he breaks the news to Steve, his hazel eyes light up. He asks, "Can a friend of mine come with?"

"Sure, man," Eddie says, clapping him on the shoulder.

Steve buzzes with excitement, giddier than a kid on Christmas morning. Fuck, he's so cute.)

That night after the show, as they're leaving for the 'organic bonding experience' (seriously, Chrissy? Of all the things you could call it...), they're met by a young woman outside the venue.

She's tall and skinny, like a giraffe, and that's all Eddie can tell at first glance because she rushes up and flings herself into Steve's embrace. They hug, they laugh, they might cry a little, and he even spins around with her in his arms.

(Girlfriend? She's certainly pretty enough for it.)

Once the heartwarming reunion is over, Steve introduces her as Robin, and tells her that it's his turn to pick a place for them to decompress but he's making it her choice. Robin spits out options with a speed none of them keep up with; Steve stops her, saying, "No, Robs. I'm making it your choice."

They share a look.

She gasps.

They grin, mischievously, and then...

She takes them to a lesbian club.

It's open to gay guys too, obviously, but clearly caters to lesbians. It's a smaller thing, the kind that entertains a steady line of regulars. Apparently, Robin and Steve are among these regulars, because the bartender greets them by name the moment they step inside.

They order their drinks and claim a booth. Robin is quick to instigate a discussion about what dorky things Steve has done while away from her. Eddie is happy to share while Steve laments he should've known better than to introduce them.

An hour or so in, Robin skitters off to catch up with a group of women, all varying degrees of butch. Not ten seconds later, someone new claims her seat (which is also Steve's lap). Eddie mistakes them for a girl at first, because they're small with a high-pitched voice, but no, it's just the twinkiest twink. He makes himself at home on Steve's thigh, pressing a kiss to Steve's cheek and squealing, "Stevie! I didn't know you were back!"

Steve laughs. "Hey, babe. Just for tonight. I'm here with my coworkers."

The twink twists around in Steve's lap. He really is girly-looking: soft jawline, slender build, shoulder-length blond waves, and huge eyes enhanced with makeup. He even smells like a woman, strawberry and jasmine.

"Oh! The rock band!" He extends a dainty hand. "Hi, I'm Brendan!"

Brendan sticks around for a while. Like Robin, he wants to know what Steve's been up to. Unlike Robin, he's more interested in awe-inspiring stories than embarrassing ones (unfortunate, for the latter kind heavily outweighs the former). He doesn't move from Steve's lap. Kind of weird, actually. Like, there are available seats. Yes, Robin also sat exclusively in Steve's lap, but that's different. They're best friends and it was chaste and cute. Brendan is... honestly, Eddie doesn't know who Brendan is. Some dude who's shameless enough to rub his ass on Steve's dick in full view of everyone. Yeah, you're not as subtle as you think, babe.

He doesn't even move when they get up to let another crew member go to the bathroom! No, Steve slides out of the booth still holding him, Brendan perched on his forearm. His muscles flex, a vein straining underneath the skin, but Steve's face is relaxed. As if the – small, sure, but still grown – man in his arms weighs nothing. More likely, Steve is just that used to carrying things.

For some reason, Eddie's mouth dries a little at the thought of it.

At last, Brendan leaves, but not before sweetly kissing Steve on the lips and telling him to "let me know when you're back for real, stud".

Steve promises with a laugh, then turns back to the table and rejoins the conversation as if it was nothing strange. As if making dates with other men happens to him all the time.

Shit.

The entire thing leaves something gnawing on Eddie. He holds it in while in the club. He holds it in when they escort Robin to her cab. He holds it in as they walk back to the tour buses.

Then the others are gone. It's just him and Steve left, lingering to smoke in the parking lot, and he can't hold it any longer.

"I didn't know you're gay!"

Smoothness, thy name is Eddie Munson.

Steve shrugs. "I'm not; I'm bisexual."

"Right, right."

Eddie takes a deep drag, putting some of the smoke in the wrong pipe and coughing it up. Steve thumps his back.

"Woah, man, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Eddie rasps, tears prickling his eyes. "So, um, is it okay? What we've been... The flirting?"

"Uh, yeah?" Steve tilts his head, eyebrows scrunching and, Jesus Christ, how can he be so adorable? "Why wouldn't it be?"

"Because!" Eddie gestures between the two of them. "You're bi, and I'm not, and is it offensive for me to...?"

Steve blinks at him, before bursting into laughter. Eddie feels the blush warming his neck.

"Don't be stupid," Steve says in between peals of giggles. "It's just a fun thing. S'not that deep. You don't have to lose sleep over it."

"Alright, man. Then I won't."

But he does.

That very night he finds himself tossing and turning. And thinking. Thinking about Steve. About Steve's strong arms and broad chest. About his square jaw and plush lips. About his thick hair and hooded eyes. About how the ugly polo shirts the techs wear look genuinely good on Steve, and about how his tight jeans leave little to the imagination. That particular line of thought has Eddie whimper and roll his hips against the mattress. Rachael's strap-on always felt kind of so-so. Was it because it was too rubbery or because it was too small?

He also thinks about what makes Steve Steve. Like Steve's selflessness, always the first to volunteer to do the tedious work so no one else has to. And Steve's barbed tongue, sharp enough to give even Eddie a run for his money. Eddie thinks about their easy banter, and how Dustin sings his praises, and how Steve let Robin pick a club when it was his turn.

After three consecutive nights of tossing, turning, thinking, and no sleep, Eddie comes to a horrifying conclusion.

It's not simply a question of 'want'. He's not just horny and curious. No, he likes Steve.

It makes things so fucking awkward. He has no idea how to act around Steve afterward. Falling for a crew member is bad enough (so unprofessional; Chrissy would definitely be on his case if she knew), but this is worse because he's a guy. Eddie's never been into guys before! Sure, there are men out there who are objectively hot. Eddie can admit that. But it's not the same. There are feelings involved here.

And the worst is that people notice. Steve notices. How can he not? When Eddie stops responding to their usual flirting, turning into a skittish bunny whenever Steve is close.

At first, it makes Steve pause. Tilt his head, scrunch his eyebrows, and pout in confusion (Eddie's heartbeat turns irregular every time he does). Then Steve pulls away, and Eddie's heart fucking breaks. The atmosphere among the crew turns tense; Peter starts sending him dirty looks that Eddie shrinks away from.

A few days into it, he's cornered by a pissed off Jeff.

"Dude, what's your problem?" he snaps; Eddie wants to sink into the ground. "I thought you were better than this. Who cares that Harrington is also into dudes? It's still Harrington! It won't kill you to treat him like you used to. No one is going to think you're gay for standing next to him."

Eddie croaks, "What if I am?"

"You- What?"

"What if... I like Steve?"

Jeff's jaw hits the floor. "What."

Eddie inhales deeply, staring at his wringing hands. "I like Steve. I've been thinking... After Chicago, I started to think about... And I realized I like him." A sob tears from his throat. "I don't know what I should-"

Jeff's arms wrap around him; Eddie buries his face in the crook of his neck.

"Jesus Christ," Jeff mutters, stroking Eddie's back. "Um, it's okay? We support you. No one will judge you! We love you all the same."

Eddie nods, Jeff's leather jacket squeaking with the movement. He's been wearing it since high school and it smells like home.

"I don't know how to act around him anymore," he sniffles.

"Why don't you tell him?"

Eddie recoils from the embrace to give Jeff his mightiest 'are you stupid for real' look. Jeff sighs at him.

"Oh, come on. You're his friend and a good-looking guy. Why not?" Jeff says, as if it's that easy. But...

"I'm not his type!"

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do! Didn't you see that Brendan guy?"

Jeff falters. He realizes Eddie is right. Because, yes, Eddie is pretty hot. He has the long hair and a pretty face, he's been told. But he's still a masculine guy. A blue-collar type with calluses on his hands and dirt under his nails. He's not a svelte, dainty, little twink – he's as tall as Steve is, with more tattoos than bare skin and who smells like sweat and tobacco badly masked with cheap cologne, not strawberries and jasmine. He doesn't wear makeup or do his hair and some days he just fucking picks a used shirt from his pile and maybe sniffs it before putting it on. He talks too much and too loud. His limbs flail when he's excited. He's not going to sweetly ask for flattering stories about Steve – his instinct is to tease him for calling one of the guys from Nip/Tuck 'Dr. McDreamy'. He's closer to Robin than he is to Brendan. Jesus Christ, he's in the same category as Steve's lesbian best friend! Or at least he was, before he shot their friendship to hell.

There's no hope.

The tour ends on a sourer note than previous ones. It's all Eddie's fault. He doesn't even stick around for the last 'organic bonding experience' – he gets into his car at the first opportunity and drives home.

And then comes the wallowing. Several tubs of ice cream are consumed as High Fidelity plays on loop on Eddie's TV. He writes dozens of miserable, yearning songs and screens his calls, not even picking up for Chrissy or Wayne. It's not until Dustin's cheerful lisp rings out from his answering machine that there's a change. He's inviting Eddie to come visit him and Suzie and the cats in Massachusetts, like he always does after a tour.

Eddie can't turn that down. Besides, he probably needs to get out of the house.

So he goes, and it's nice. Dustin is still a little shit, Suzie is a pearl, the cats are cuddly, and Eddie is a good enough faker to mask his emotional state – his hosts notice nothing amiss.

Then, halfway through his visit, Eddie returns from his walk and who does he find unpacking their car in Dustin and Suzie's driveway?

Can you guess? I think you can.

It's Robin!

And Steve. They're a package deal, you know.

And Dustin's like, "Eddie! They're here! Oh, did I forget to tell you they were coming? Oops. Well, you already know them, so it's fine."

And Eddie is panicking, and Robin is trying to murder him with her mind, and Steve is just like,

"Hey."

Coldly polite.

Eddie hides in his guest room until dinner time. When he comes out, he expects Dustin to chew him out for being an asshole homophobe and kick him out of his life permanently.

But he doesn't. Dinner is as usual, if Steve Harrington ignoring you and Robin Buckley glaring at you is part of your usual dinner experience.

After cleaning up, Steve steps outside to smoke. Eddie, figuring he has to take some responsibility, follows him. Steve is standing on the deck, elbows resting on the wooden railing, his back to the house. He straightens up and turns when Eddie closes the screen door behind him. The sun has set, but the moon is out; Steve's profile is sharp in the pale moonlight, his posture sure. The cherry of his cigarette makes shadows and flames flicker dramatically over his features, highlighting the edges and the curves and he's so fucking gorgeous Eddie forgets how to breathe. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder.

He slinks over, Steve's gaze following him.

"Hi," Eddie says.

"Hi," Steve says.

"You didn't..." Eddie swallows. "You didn't tell Dustin?"

Steve frowns. "No. It's between us. For now, at least."

"Oh."

Shuddering, Eddie wraps his arms around himself. It's late summer and still warmish as long as there's no wind. Right now it's windless, the cold coming from within.

"I wanted to talk."

Steve hums, noncommittal.

"I wanted to apologize."

Another hum, more interested.

"I'm sorry. For how I acted. I've been an asshole and you don't deserve any of that."

Eddie glances up to gauge Steve's reaction, and oh. The whole evening, Steve's been aloof, cordially keeping Eddie at arm's length, but now...

Now he just looks sad.

A few weeks ago, they were close enough for Eddie to hug him when he looked like this. Eddie would crush his own heart with a sledgehammer if it meant they'll go back to that.

He says, "We haven't known each other for long, but you're already one of my best friends. Then it got weird at the end and-"

Steve's face hardens again, eyes tapering with anger.

"Things didn't 'get weird', Eddie. You made them weird. What the fuck?"

And Eddie takes a deep breath and says,

"I like you."

Shock colors Steve's expression; he takes a step back. It takes everything to stop Eddie from following in an attempt to reel him back in.

"I don't know when it started," he says, the confession tumbling out. "I always liked you? You're a good guy and fun to hang with and a great friend, and I guess you were hot, but a ton of guys are hot and it doesn't have to mean anything. I can be straight and still think guys are hot, you know? But then, in Chicago, you came out and I started seeing you differently. So, huh, turns out, in my case? Thinking guys are hot does mean something. And I freaked out because I didn't know what to do. Being close to you made me so nervous, and I couldn't tell you how I felt because just because you like guys doesn't mean you like me, and I already know your type is cute little blond twinks, and-"

"I actually prefer brunets," Steve says.

Eddie chokes on what else he had to say. He looks up at Steve, who's smiling. Kind of shy but mostly bright, eyes crinkling at the corners. His cigarette is almost down to the filter; Steve drops and snuffs it out without looking away from Eddie. His eyes are like gold, glittering.

"Y-you what?"

"I don't really have a type," Steve says, stepping closer. "I like who I like." Another step. "But, uh, most of my relationships have been with brunets." Another step, then stop – they're nose to nose. "Nerdy ones."

Eddie's head spins. He squeaks, "Oh?"

Steve nods. "I like smart, passionate people. And I..." He giggles. "I've had a crush on you since the beginning."

Eddie's head fucking explodes. It leaves a gash in his face that stretches from ear to ear. A breeze blows past, caressing his burning cheeks. It's his turn to giggle.

"You're fucking with me."

Steve tilts his head, but doesn't scrunch his brow this time. No, it remains smooth, but his eyelids droop as his eyes roam Eddie's body.

"So far, only in my head."

Eddie sputters. He grabs a fistful of hair and pulls it in front of his red face. Steve, the bastard, laughs at him. He reaches out, coaxing the locks out of Eddie's grip and tucks them behind his ear. There's an endlessness in his gaze; simultaneously looking through Eddie and at him. Seeing him from every angle, especially the ugly ones, but touching him just as tenderly anyway.

Eddie wets his lips. Since he caused the distance in the first place, it only seems fair he takes the last step. "Do you want to go out with me?" he asks. "A date?"

Steve leans in until they touch from forehead to nose tip.

"Yes," he says. "I do."

[jellyfishloveletterghosts]

okay, one more thing and then I'm done probably maybe. I dunno. I'm still very tempted.

Steve and Eddie end up chatting through the night. Steve trying to get down to who the artist is and Eddie teasing the information but never giving it up.

It’s a good time, Eddie hasn’t had such an attractive reporter come looking for him in a long time. Why else would Steve be looking for the bat.

As much as Eddie enjoys the game and Steve’s company over all at the end of the night he doesn’t ask for Steve’s number or anything, he doesn’t fuck with reporters to much risk they’ll snoop. He packs him up in a cab after he’s paid his tab and sends him home.

Eddie feel light and amped up, as he walks back in to see the staff cleaning. Wayne is staring at something, a serious air about him as he waves Eddie over. Before Eddie can ask what’s up Wayne slides a credit card slip across to him. Eddie frowns looking over the  numbers for anything unusual.

Mouth dropping open when he gets to the signature, ripping his pants open to double check his hip. Finger tracing the chicken scratch signature that inspired his bat, a perfect match for the one scribbled on the recite.

He’s losing his shit internally.

His soulmate found him and then Eddie went and sent him away without so much as crumb to find him by. Fuck!

Now it’s Eddie’s turn to play detective.

Some more thoughts Based on this post where you have your soulmates signature and Steve is a bat by @strangersatellites

I'm putting them in a new post so I don't derail it. I hope to I see several take on the initial concept. It's so fun.

Nancy and Jonathan he knows from back home they moved out here before him and have jobs at the paper. Are they are romantically involved or just friends now 🤷‍♀️ either way they work well together.

And they help Steve in his search. Jonathan knows where most of the murals in the city are and Nancy gives him some tips on getting people to give him information and a list of questions to help him along.

Benny has a deli across from one of them. He won't give up much, things good for business draws a crowd and if Eddie just happens to a regular who always tips good well why would he sell him out. Still he does offer Steve a sandwich and a list of a few murals that are lesser known in the city.

Heather works in the shop across from on and is annoyed in the uptick of customers. They're cutting into her down time. She didn't see anything anyway and she tells Steve he's wasting his time. The Bat is a ghost no one ever seen him. Or so she says.

Steve still has to work so there are days when he makes no progress, gets nowhere on finding his soul mate. Spends sleepless night tracing the bat on his hip and looking at the picture Jonathan gave him hoping somewhere in the is a clue.

So on and so forth skipping ahead.

Then the Robin thing I initially brought up

I can see a Steve running around the city type of thing happening because of this. He’s turning into a real detective, asking about all the murals, folks who live in the area. Steve meeting other characters from Stranger Things as he moves closer to his goal of finding his soulmate. He’s checked every single one he knows of is commiserating at the bar by the latest one. Robin is a bartender, mostly waving off his search until he waxes on about his soulmate and how talented they are. Steve isn’t the usual sort looking for Eddie so she slips him the address for another bar, one that play live music, has art all over, tells him to check it out. CC is of course play in front of the biggest mural Steve’s seen from his soul mate yet.

Steve wants to memorize every aspect of the mural, wants to take in every detail but it's hard with a band playing right in front of it. Harder still when his eyes catch on the lead singer and can look away. Mesmerized for an entire set.

He doesn't even realize he's just been sitting there watching until the band leaves for a break. Then he's turning to the bartender, an older man in flannel, asking about the mural. Wayne chuckles, "you'll have to ask the owner about that but he doesn't usually talk about it."

Steve's a little tipsy form earlier as he accepts the beer Wayne slides to him like a condolence. Sulky over one more obstacle standing between him and his person. "Could you ask him anyhow, please?" Wayne looks him over takes in his downtrodden face and the begging tone of his voice before giving a nod.

Steve’s not very hopeful by the time Wayne slides another beer to him either a shrug. He stays for the band and hopes that maybe if he's persistent he'll get the information. Nancy always insists sleuthing takes persistence.

He's mesmerized all over again and feels like dark eyes are boring into him, like this one's just for him. Which is silly, he's drunk and he's never heard this band, much less met the man singing. No way would he be singling him out, just a trick of the lights and the third beer he ordered.

When the singer climbs down from the stage he trips over a light playing it off as a bow. But what stands out to Steve is dark eyes still hooked on him as Eddie dances through the crowd signing autographs and giving hugs.

Steve turns away, it's a lot, too much and he's still ninety percent sure he's imagining it. All up until there's a sweaty musician's chest brushing against his arm as Eddie leans on the bar next to him, "so I hear you've been asking about our favorite artist."

I dunno I'm sorely tempted to write it write it but I've got so many wips already so I jsut wanted to get out some thought because I found the concept so inspired.

[paradimeshifts7]

All my things, all in one place 🌱 ↴

Twitter | ao3

All my fics, mostly steddie:

Desperado (You better let somebody love you)

Rated E | 164k | Exes to lovers

Twelve years after tire tracks and shattered trust, Wayne's illness brings Eddie back to Hawkins.

Once Bitten (Twice Shy)

Rated E | 22k | Christmas fic

Steve’s relationship with Christmas had always been tenuous, to say the least, but it didn’t help that this was the first Christmas he would be suffering through since his ex-girlfriend had snatched up his self-esteem and taken off running the year before.

He knew it was the intrinsically romantic quality of the holiday season, and nothing more. Just his lonely bones after a year of healing from heartbreak.

But Eddie's arms around him when he needed them most were starting to feel a lot like love.

Silk Chiffon

Rated E | 6k | Library smut

Steve and Eddie visit Robin and Nancy at Emerson, and a casual stroll through the library stacks turns into the best blowjob of Steve's goddamn life.

Tooth and Nail

Rated E | 113k | Punk pop slow burn

Eddie told himself that he was done, because he wouldn’t survive another heartbreak at that boy’s hands. But he really, really needs someone to open for them on tour.

Steve has a fist full of letters by the time he arrives in Los Angeles, but the Eddie Munson he knew is nowhere to be found. Left to make sense of this new version of the friend he once bared his soul to, Steve’s just trying not to fall off the fucking deep end again.

Lover, Come Over

Rated E | 15k | EMT Eddie/Divorcee Steve

Steve Harrington is the last person Eddie expects to see sitting on the curb when he responds to the call, but there he is, looking like absolute hell.

Sometimes, love is right on time.

Apple Pie (Baked Just Right)

Rated M | 4k | Food as a love language

Three times Steve silently says "I love you", and the one time Eddie says it back.

This Little Light of Mine

Rated E | 4k | Dad fic

It begins with a cough.

Just a dry, brittle thing that starts up one Friday morning over rice cereal and apple juice.

One look at Rosie, and Eddie knew she’d pull through just fine. Kids get sick, a simple fact of life. Something Steve, surely, is aware of.

Right?

Star Light, Star Bright

Rated E | 4k | Soulmates, Dreams

Steve swore he never dreamt before the age of sixteen, his nights spent swimming alone through dark, formless slumber until suddenly — he was no longer alone.

At age twenty, he finds himself staring into a pair of familiar eyes.

The Very Thought of You

Rated E | 65k | Jazz AU

The jazz music scene explodes when world-renowned pianist Eddie Munson is spotted getting cozy with a mystery man in New York City. Journalists have managed to link the pretty face to the prestigious Harrington name, an old money family with business all over the globe and a direct link to Diana Harrington, famous jazz starlet. But reports of bad trades and schemes gone wrong are beginning to muddy the waters of this particular love story, and it’s only a matter of time before the real origins of this torrid affair emerge.

The Poem You Make of Me

Rated E | 7k | Touch-starved wlw

“Could I?” She asks, barely a whisper.

“Could you what?”

“Take care of you,” Eddie says, ducking down to press a slow kiss to Stevie’s shoulder, pausing to murmur against her skin. “Make you feel good.”

Soft as Sin (Let Me In)

Rated E | 2k | pwp

Steve Harrington was drunk, although not as drunk as he wanted to be. Definitely not drunk enough to distract him from the fact that Eddie was sleeping no more than six feet away, the curves of his body laid out on the twin bed blurred in the dark. Despite the constant swimming in his head, Steve lay still, having to remind himself to breathe every couple of moments lest he pass out from the sheer apprehension.

Sugar’s Sweet (And So Is He)

Rated E | 42k | Sugar baby Steve/lit professor Eddie

The sugar baby!Steve and lit professor/author!Eddie au, wherein Eddie is a disaster at fine dining, and Steve helps him out.

Among the Wildflowers

Rated E | 28k | Steddie BB ‘23

It was easy, letting go. At least, that’s what Eddie told himself as he watched Hawkins fade to a tiny smudge on the horizon, his whole life packed into the van and Wayne’s old truck as they fled the Indiana tree line for the high mountain valleys of Idaho. Amidst the hot, dry air and sweet sagebrush, Eddie’s mind wandered, crawling back night after night under a blanket of stars to the golden boy he left behind and the chasm in his chest that used to house his heart — whistling and waiting, a near eternal ache.

Home came together slowly, and then all at once when Steve Harrington showed up on his doorstep a year later — haggard and worn, searching for something among the wildflowers.

A tale of death, birth, and the promise of green.

Some Kind of Angel

Rated E | 6k | Accidental subspace

The one where Eddie yells at Steve, and Steve accidentally goes into subspace about it.

Strawberry Fields

Rated E | 19k | Small town romcom

So close to earning his Emmy and the life he's always wanted, Steve sets off with a cameraman to the tiny town of Mt. Harding, hoping to catch a glimpse of a winter solstice phenomenon held secret by locals. It’s not exactly the gig he’s always dreamed of, but he’ll make it work. The only problem is that he has to do it with Eddie Munson.

The Moon Doesn’t Mind

Rated E | 14k | Unconventional omegaverse

Stuck in the Upside Down, Steve and Eddie are forced to reckon with what they’ve become, and what they’ve always been.

Monster. Inhuman. Changed.

In the Garden, Under Your Hand

Rated E | 23k | Community garden au

Thrown into community service after a bad run-in with his dad, Eddie is hardly expecting the next few months to be anything of note. That is, until Steve Harrington emerges from behind a patch of sunflowers at the community garden, claiming to be his supervisor.

The Winner Takes It All

Rated E | 32k | Romcom (My Best Friend’s Wedding AU)

Later, as he was sitting on the toilet, he remembered what Steve had said: February. The wedding was in February. Eddie checked his phone, confirming his suspicion.

“Fuck,” he swore softly, and then again, “Fuck.”

A little over two months until Steve said I do, binding himself to a total stranger. Eddie wasn’t about to let his best friend get snatched up by someone who was likely not good enough for him, let alone someone Eddie had never heard of. Steve was too kind to be taken advantage of like that — too special.

How things had ended up as they had, Eddie couldn’t be sure, but one way or another, he was going to get to the bottom of it.

On the Living Room Floor

Rated T | 1k | Stobin minific

The end of the world happens on a Tuesday.

Kalahari Down

Rated E | 11k | Small town country singer Steve/Rockstar Eddie

When his tour bus breaks down just outside of Hawkins, Indiana, Eddie Munson isn’t expecting the tiny town to offer up anything more than a cheap drink and a few side eyes.

He isn’t expecting Steve.

Tempest Entire

Rated E | 20k | Lighthouse/amnesia

The shape loomed dark and odd in the middle distance, flat on the sand like some dead thing, ominous in its unrecognizability. Through the lash of salt, Eddie squinted, walking toward the shape with morbid curiosity. He felt himself pale as he came closer, a knot of dread drawing tight in his stomach, because it wasn’t a seal or any kind of plant-based lump that lay motionless on the beach.

It was a man.

Impossible Not To

Rated E | 2k | Stommy collab with @tone-mariie

Except for Steve, it had always been more than that.

I’ll Show You Hands Ready to Bleed

Rated E | 5k | Vampire Eddie

It was meant to be a casual offer.

“You could drink some of my blood, I don’t mind.”

But the moment Eddie’s pupils began to narrow at the notion, Steve knew there was going to be nothing casual about what happened next.

Evermore

Rated E | 50k | Magic/fantasy au

The blight spread quickly, ravenous in its hunger as it stretched toward the high seat of the royal city, its evil already well-known to the farmlands where the earth lay dry and cracked — where magic and its ruin had no friend.

Steve knew the labor he put forth on his father’s land would amount to nothing, but still he toiled, knowing not what else to do, the oath he’d sworn a noose around his neck.

That is, until a stranger stumbled into his shed and into his life.

Until Eddie.

Come a Little Closer

Rated E | 10k | ren faire, omegaverse

Waylaid by a surprise rut, Eddie is certain he won’t be able to get through the ren faire without making it tragically weird for everyone involved. Steve is convinced he can get him through it — what are his stupid pheromones for, after all? Everything will be fine. That is, if Steve can keep his own feelings in check.

Dollhouse

Rated E | 9k | lingerie, collab with @glitterfang

Forced to house sit for his parents after being kicked out, Steve is thinking he and Eddie are going to watch a movie. Maybe fool around a bit. What he isn’t expecting is how Eddie in a bit of black lace is going to make him feel.

[ahsokaismyqueen]

A Not So Good Day

Pairing - Steve Harrington x HendersonSister!Reader

Summary - It’s Spring Break in Hawkins, and you can already tell that it’s going to be a great, relaxing time. Well, until you find out that your best friend might be dead and the gate to the Upside Down might not be as closed as you thought. 

Word Count - 2.1k

Warnings - None! 

Today was going to be a good day, and you knew it. 

Not only were you on your Spring Break for college, but you had also managed to snag the week off for vacation at work. Not to mention last night, you had started rekindling your friendship with Eddie. 

Most importantly though, last night was the first night you had been able to sleep in Steve’s arms in . . . you couldn’t remember when. This morning, when Steve’s alarm had gone off, you had to admit you put up a bit of a fight to keep him in bed for a few minutes longer, nuzzling into his skin and giving him lazy kisses. Of course, being the pushover boyfriend that you loved, he gave in for ten minutes . . . then twenty . . . then a half hour until a phone call from Robin who was waiting on him to open the store had you both scrambling for your clothes and running out the door. 

You had expected a lashing as soon as the two of you pulled up, Steve’s hair a mess and your shirt wrinkled, but Robin still had stars in her eyes from last night. 

A smile formed on your face as you sat behind the desk and watched the two stack videos, Robin talking about how she had made Vicki laugh. “Of course. It’s my Muppet joke. It’s hilarious. Right babe?” Steve called over to you. 

“Oh yes, it makes tears come to my eyes every time.” You teased, smirking at him as he shot a pout your way. 

“Stop flirting and pay attention.” Robin interrupted the two of you. “My point is that Vicki laughed and everything was just like . . .” 

“Perfect?” You supplied when she couldn’t seem to find the words, knowing exactly the feeling she was talking about. 

“It was perfect.” She agreed. 

Steve and you knew Robin well though, and he sensed what was coming. “But?” 

“But I’m having this problem where it’s like, I should stop talking. I have said everything I need to say. But then I guess I get nervous, and the words keep spilling out, and it’s like my - my brain is moving faster than my mouth or-or rather my-my mouth is moving faster than my brain. I’m digging this hole for myself, and I want to stop digging, I’m trying to stop, but I can’t. And I’m doing it right now, aren’t I?” 

While Robin had been rambling, Steve had finished stacking his tapes, and came up behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist and resting his head on your shoulder. “Yeah, you are.” He said. 

“I think it’s adorable.” You said, trying to make her feel better. “I bet she does too. I saw her smile at you a few times when you weren’t looking.” You told her, wiggling your eyebrows at her. 

“Wait - you did?” Robin said, hurrying over to you. “Tell me everything.” 

Steve let out a chuckle and kissed your cheek, “I’m going to find a morning movie.” He whispered in your ear, and left you to keep discussing with Robin everything that you had seen last night. 

You weren’t sure how long the two of you sat talking, you were trying to encourage the girl that Vicki was into her, because you were sure she was, and Steve was looking for a movie to put on the television. It was only when you heard Steve call out to the two of you that you even realized the tv was on. 

Your heart sank to your stomach, dread and nausea filling up inside of you as you listened to a reporter talk about the death of a Hawkins High Student inside a Trailer Park that you knew very well. Your ears started ringing, making you feel as if you were underwater, your hands gripping the edge of the counter as two faces flashed in front of your eyes, both two people that you cared about very much, one of who could be dead right now. Your knees began to buckle, but Steve was there in an instant, holding you up. “Hey, hey, talk to me. What’s going on?” Steve asked, concern in his voice as you kept your eyes locked on the screen. 

“Eddie and Max . . .” You managed to gasp as the world began to spin around you. “Eddie and Max both live in that trailer park.” You gripped his shoulders, trying to anchor yourself as the room continued to tilt and whirl. “What if it’s one of -”

At that exact moment the door burst open, and all three of you turned to see who arrived. Your brother was storming in like he was on a mission, and to your relief, you saw the girl at his side was Max. 

On unsteady legs you hurried over to her, pulling her into a tight embrace. It wasn’t until that moment you realized how little you had seen of her lately. Between your job, spending time with Steve, and her not hanging out with your brother as much, you couldn’t even remember the last time you had seen her. Guilty, you hugged her tighter. “I saw the trailer park on the news - I didn’t know if it was you -”

“I’m fine.” She insisted, muffled against your shoulder. “Just - can’t - breathe-” 

You pulled away, and looked over at Dustin who was staring at you with sympathy. If Max was okay, did that mean . . . “Eddie?” You said, covering your mouth in horror as you once again felt Steve’s hand supporting you. “No, no,” You murmured, shaking your head back and forth. Your best friend - he couldn’t be -

“Eddie’s fine!” Your brother quickly interrupted, but then exchanged a look with Max. “Well . . . he’s alive.” 

Relief flooded your body, and you collapsed back into Steve’s waiting chest, exhausted from the range of emotions you had gone through. 

“Henderson, what the hell is going on here?” Steve asked as Dustin and Max exchanged another look. 

“Eddie hasn’t been in contact with you?” Dustin asked, and you shook your head. “Do you have any of his other friends’ numbers?” 

“I mean I have the rest of the club’s, but that’s it. Dustin, what happened to him?” You asked. 

But he didn’t answer. Instead, he hurried past the both of you, over the counter, knocking several of their tapes off of it, and got on the computer. “I’m going to need those numbers. Write them down on a sheet of paper.” 

“Dustin, you’re my little brother, and I love you, but I swear to God if you don’t tell me what’s going on right now I’m going to murder you in your sleep.” You told him, frustrated by his lack of response about Eddie’s well-being. 

“Fill them in.” Dustin said, shooting a quick glance at Max, and then turning back to the computer. 

“Fill us in on what?” Robin asked. 

At the look on Max’s face . . . you were scared to know. 

_______________

For over two years now, you have tried to keep Eddie safe from this world. You were afraid that if he knew the sort of dangers you had fought, he’d want to do something to help. Be a part of the adventure. So you hid it from him, not wanting to risk his safety, and now, because you had done that, he was hiding somewhere, probably thinking he was crazy, after experiencing something that even if no one else was, you’re sure was from the Upside Down. 

Because there was no way that Eddie could have killed Chrissy. It wasn’t in his nature to kill anything outside of a mythical creature, but you knew that no one would believe that. 

So you poured everything you had into trying to find him, ignoring the concerned glances that your boyfriend shot your way as you called every number that you could think of trying to find him along with Max and Dustin. It wasn’t until Max got a lead, and Robin figured out how to get the address, that you felt like you could take a little breath. You were sure in your gut that Reefer Rick’s had to be where Eddie was hiding. No other place made sense. “Okay, Dustin, Max, let’s go.” You said, reaching on the counter for Steve’s keys since he had driven today. 

He snatched them before you could. “I’m coming with you guys.” 

“You have to stay and work.” You told him, shaking your head. 

He spun the keys around on his finger. “Robin can take care of things.” 

“If you think I’m missing this, you’re out of your minds.” Robin spoke up. 

Steve shrugged. “Fine. Then we’ll close up shop.” 

You let out a sigh. “Steve . . .” It wasn’t that you didn’t want Steve with you. In fact, you wanted him there more than anyone. The problem was you had no idea what state Eddie was in, and the two of them didn’t have the best track record. For years Steve had looked at Eddie as nothing more than a freak, and Eddie looked at Steve as someone who stole his best friend away from him. There was no telling what kind of trauma Eddie had endured, and Steve seeing him in such a vulnerable state was one of the last things he wanted. 

Steve didn’t say anything, instead searching your eyes in a way that made you fidget. When you broke his gaze, he grabbed a hold of your hand. “Robin start to close up. I’ll get the back half.” He said, and without another word, dragged you to the back of the store. 

“We don’t have time for an argument!” Dustin yelled after the two of you. 

You both ignored him as Steve led you to the back door which he locked before turning back to you. “I don’t want you to go alone.” He said. 

“I won’t be alone. Dustin and Max will be there.” You argued. 

Steve didn’t even have to say the words. The really?  look in his eyes said it all. 

“We’ll be fine,” you tried to reassure him. 

“You realize we’ve been dating for eight months now, right? I know you, and I also know you’re barely keeping it together right now.” He whispered, and you had to fight back a little wince at the brutal honesty, and how easily he had read your emotions. “I’m not letting you do this on your own. Besides, I’m not going to risk anything happening to you.” 

You shook your head at him. “Eddie is not dangerous.” 

“He might be right now, and you know that as well as I do. We don’t know what the hell happened to Chrissy Cunningham. If it was something from the Upside Down, it could have possessed him, and I’m not putting you in the path of that.” He insisted. 

You didn’t want to admit it, but Steve had a point. No matter that you had been dealing with things from the Upside Down for years now, you knew very little about it. If something had taken over Eddie from there . . . the friend you knew might be long gone. The thought had tears building up in your eyes along with the guilt. “It’s my fault. I should have told him about this a long time ago.” You whispered. 

At once his face softened, and his hand reached up to cup your cheek, wiping away some of your tears with his thumb. “This is not your fault. You thought you were keeping him safe. We weren’t allowed to tell anyone about this.” He reminded you. 

“He’s my best friend, Steve! Or was . . .” You choked off, closing your eyes as more tears fell down your cheeks. 

“Hey,” His voice was soft, calming, and you felt his lips brush against your forehead. “He’s still your best friend.” He told you. “We just have to figure out what’s going on with him, and until I’m sure he’s not dangerous, I’m not leaving your side. We stick together, remember?” 

You leaned into the touch of Steve’s hand, opening your eyes to look up at him. You could see the worry on his face, and wondered if he was having flashbacks of the same thing as you, a giant monster attempting to kill everyone inside of a mall, and the look of terror on his face as it almost got too close to you. You couldn’t blame him for not wanting you to go alone, because if you had been in his shoes, you would have wanted to go with him as well. Besides, a part of you knew that you were going to need him. Placing your hand on top of his, you gave it a squeeze. “We stick together.” You agreed.

[grey-sides]

For the prompts; “if you cry, i’ll cry ─ and that won’t be fun for anyone.”

Hello, anon! Fair warning that this drabble contains some spoilery stuff for S4 because until I finish what will likely be a longer fix-it, I still wanted to get a little something something out there. Essentially pre-harringrove here! Also, this prompt comes from this list.

Steve’s side still kind of aches where Nancy has bandaged it up, he’s going to need stitches and probably like every vaccine known to man. But he’s alive and Vecna is dust, literally, and Max has her arms wrapped around Billy. Billy who is alive and whole, if a bit grubby and sweaty. 

Chrissy is back too, sobbing against Eddie who looks simultaneously ecstatic and totally freaked out. And Nancy is kneeling next to Fred, holding his hand while he mutters to himself. Lucas has Patrick in a one armed-hug, staring over his shoulder at Max and Billy. It’s surreal that they get this, this happy ending where everyone lost to Vecna in the past year is back. 

Steve is…a little unclear on the divide between the Mindflayer and Vecna because the kids thought Vecna reported to the Mindflayer. But Nancy said Vecna created the Upside Down and maybe Steve has lost more blood than he thought. 

He pushes away from the tree he’s been leaning on with the Creel house crumbled in front of them. There will probably always be a sinkhole there, it’s for the best. This land is cursed. Maybe all of Hawkins is, maybe it needs a cleansing fire or something across the whole town. It’s not Steve’s problem to solve right now. 

Steve limps over beside Max and Billy. Max’s head hits him right in the chest where Steve saw the Mindflayer pierce it. One of his former English teachers would probably call that poetic and might ask them to explain what the symbolism means. Steve wouldn’t know, would just sit there, head down, hoping he doesn’t get called on. 

Billy lifts his head and fixes Steve with a thousand yard stare. But he’s not angry, he just looks…lost. Like he’s forgotten where he is or why he’s here, his hands tighten just a little more in the back of Max’s blue jacket. 

“Nice fucking vest,” he says and his voice is rough, but it’s him. It’s Billy. Finally sounding like himself and not some fucked up alternate universe version of himself. His eyes shine in the moonlight with unshed tears. It’s his birthday. Rebirthday too. 

“It’s Munson’s,” Steve tells him, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. As if Billy would think for one second that it’s Steve’s. Maybe he thinks Steve had a breakdown or something and found salvation in heavy metal. Fat chance, he’s more likely to get into jazz or something. 

Billy nods and buries his nose against Max’s hair. Her breathing is erratic and she keeps hiccuping. There’s just a lot of tears happening and Steve feels caught in the middle but also outside of it all. Should he be crying? He feels like he should be doing something. Feels like the first time his mom gave him a haircut and he had freaked out, expecting it to be life changing. But it was just a haircut and now he gets them sorta regularly and it’s nothing. The Upside Down shit is starting to feel like a haircut. 

Billy pulls his head back up and looks at Steve again. His eyes seem more sure, his hands a little more steady where they’re holding Max. “Come here, Harrington,” he commands, lifting one arm. 

Steve just blinks at him, taking a step back. He should check on Dustin and Robin, he’s pretty sure they’re arguing about magnetic polarity or something insane. 

“Come here,” Billy repeats. “You look like you're about to cry and if you cry, I’ll cry and that won’t be fun for anyone.”

Steve reaches up to touch his cheek. Is he about to cry? Steve Harrington doesn’t cry. Didn’t even cry when the demobats tried to eat him alive. But he feels really unsteady and he wants to know what Max wrote in her letter to him. And he suddenly wants to know what Billy’s arm feels like wrapped around his shoulders. 

He steps closer and finds himself boxing Max into Billy. He wraps his arms around both of them and presses his cheek to the top of her head and she turns a little, to get an arm around him too. It should be weirder, he thinks, to be part of this family reunion. But it’s not, Max and Billy are just another part of the little band of misfits Steve calls his family more than he calls his own parents.

“No crying, okay?” Billy tells him but when Steve looks at him, he has tear tracks carving out the dirt on his cheeks. 

“Okay,” Steve breathes and he swallows back any tears that could even think about making an appearance on his face. Or he doesn’t. Max’s hair is just kind of damp to begin with, probably, she won’t notice if he gets tears in there too. 

When Steve feels like he has his shit under control, he pulls back to look at their ragtag group. Dustin has migrated over to lean against Lucas’ side with Erica and Robin is holding Nancy’s other hand. Steve is done trying to make sense of all of this, he’s hugging Billy Hargrove after all and Billy’s hand keeps tightening and releasing against his back. Because he slid his hand under the vest at some point. It feels nice. 

A loud, smelly van pulls up on the street and a helicopter lands in the park across from it and the rest of the group has arrived. Steve feels his shoulders sag with something like relief, but he doesn’t let go of Billy or Max. Jane’s head is shaved again, he kind of feels bad for relying on her so much. Jonathan has a new friend he has a feeling Eddie is going to get along with. Hopper is…also alive, but looking different. Not Vecna or the Mindflayer then. 

Some government guys show up to start leading people into vans and away from the scene while Jane gets ready to do what she does best. Seal it up. Close it down. Make the monsters sleep for another year. 

Steve refuses to let go of Max and since Billy won’t let go of her either, they get bundled into the same van. He’s pretty sure Lucas would rather be here with her, but Lucas is the only one Patrick knows, so he’s being a good friend until someone who knows him better can arrive. 

“Thanks,” Billy says when the back door of the van slams closed. Max is still wrapped around him, her headphones around her shoulders but Steve can faintly hear Kate Bush playing. “For helping her.”

Steve shakes his head and leans it back against the wall of the van. He’s tired and Billy’s hand is warm in his where they’re attached across the aisle. “Nah, I could have done more.”

Billy fixes him with a glare, it’s lost a little heat with the tears still on his cheeks. “You helped her. You did.”

Steve doesn’t argue, is too tired for that. He hopes he doesn’t have to stay long in the hospital, he just wants to curl up in bed for days on end. He’s gonna have to get like fifty shots probably, rabies has a lot of shots. “Listen, uh, I don’t know if you heard Max’s letter but they’re living in a trailer right now and I just wanted to offer up my guest room. If you want it.”

Billy looks down at Max and brushes his hand over the back of her head. Her eyes are closed. Steve wonders how long it’s been since she actually slept. “Yeah, think we might take you up on that. Just, no more crying, okay? We won.”

“You know, the Hawkins basketball team won the championship a couple nights ago. Right after we both were on the team. Shitty, huh?”

Billy cracks a small smile and leans his head back too. “Yeah well, you were just too damn distracting on that court.”

And Steve thinks. Maybe. But that maybe he doesn’t care anymore about winning basketball because, in his mind, they just won the fucking war. 

[spiderwaffle]

“The Killer’s Sister”

Author’s Note: This is a long one so get comfortable! (No smut this time, sorry yall lol)

AU: Where Y/N is Eddie Munson’s younger sister & meets the gang, Steve Harrington finds himself falling for her. 

       That fateful night, the one you couldn’t get out of your head, you had slept over at a friend’s house. The next morning, when you showed up at your house, a crowd of people and police officers stood in front, watching something intently and whispering amongst themselves. You pushed through the crowd, your heart beating out of your chest as you wondered why the cops were surrounding your home. 

“Ma’am you can’t come in, this is an active crime scene,” a police officer told you as you tried getting past the crime scene tape. 

“I live here! What’s going on?,” you said, in a rather harsh tone, you didn’t care though, you were scared out of your mind. 

“There’s been a murder,” the police officer informed you. You gasped as a million different thoughts ran through your head, “No, please God no. Is my brother okay? Is Eddie okay?” 

      The police officer sighed, “Eddie Munson is your brother?” You nodded and in a hushed tone, the officer said, “It’s not him we’re worried about. I’m afraid to tell you he’s a suspect in the murder of a local Hawkins student.” When he said that, it was like time stopped, none of it made sense. You knew your brother, Eddie, was weird and off-putting at times, but he was no killer. 

“I’m sorry officer, but there’s just no way,” you nearly chuckled at the absurdity of this claim.  The police officer called over his partner before telling you, “We’re going to have to interview you, please come with me.”

      As you were being interviewed, you couldn’t help but worry about Eddie. Him not being anywhere to be found was only making him look more suspicious and this all felt like a nightmare you couldn’t wake up from. You spent the whole rest of the day looking for Eddie, checking every place you knew he loved or would sneak off to, but still, he was nowhere to be found.

     When you returned to school the next day, word had gotten out about Eddie being a suspect in the murder of local beloved cheerleader, Chrissy Cunningham. As you walked down the halls, you tried to ignore the whispers and stares from your fellow classmates.

When you got to your locker, you found “Killer’s Sister” had been written in red spray paint. People watched and laughed and you held back tears, walking away from your vandalized locker. It wasn’t exactly the locker that hurt your feelings, it was all the stress building up and how even your own friends wouldn’t talk to you- they didn’t want to be associated with the killer’s sister after all. It was mere torture having everyone take out all their anger on you even though you’d never laid a finger on Chrissy.

      Days passed and still no word of Eddie, you stopped going to school to avoid having people scream all sorts of things at you or accuse you of helping Eddie in the murder you were sure he didn’t commit. You had even gotten into a fight trying to defend your brother, resulting in a cut lip and bruised knuckles. 

     You were sitting at home worried sick wondering where Eddie was until you got a knock at your door. You imagined it was either reporters or the cops coming to check if Eddie had returned, but when you opened the door, you found a ginger girl standing alongside a lanky dark-skinned boy, you recognized them as kids from your school but you had never gotten around to talking to them since they were only freshmen. 

“Are you Y/N Munson?,” the boy asked. “Who’s asking?,” you replied, cracking open the door a little. 

The girl sighed, “We don’t have time for this... I’m Max, this is Lucas. We know where Eddie is and we can take you to him if you want.” 

“Oh my God, are you serious?… Wait, how do you guys know where he is?,” you asked, you’d never seen Eddie hang out with these kids before and you knew all his friends. 

“It’s a long story, we’ll tell you about it later,” Max said. You didn’t question it, you hopped onto your bike and followed them to wherever they said Eddie was hiding out. 

     They led you to the house of a local dealer, you hesitated following them to the back of the house but realized this was your only lead at finding Eddie. Lucas held the boathouse door open and you walked in, quickly taking a look around.

This was the exact moment, Steve Harrington saw you. His eyes widened and he quickly ran his hand through his hair, fixing it up, before turning to Dustin. 

“Who is that?,” he whispered, in awe.

“Y/N!,” Eddie called out, you ran towards him and hugged him tightly, it’d been years since you guys had hugged but you were so relieved to see him alive that you didn’t even think twice before embracing him.

 “I think that’s Eddie’s sister,” Dustin whispered back to Steve. 

“How is he related to her?!,” Steve asked, bewildered. 

“Maybe they have different father’s,” Dustin suggested an explanation. 

“Why didn’t you go send me a letter? Or at least left me a note telling me where’d you be going? I was worried sick!,” you yelled at Eddie, pushing him around. 

“I couldn’t risk it. I knew I’d be the first person the cops would pin this on!,” Eddie explained, “I had to leave before they could get me!”

“What even happened? You didn’t k-,” you could barely get the word out, “Kill her, right?...” 

“Are you insane? Of course, I didn’t! I’ll tell you what happened and I swear it’s all true, but you’re not gonna believe me.” 

“I don’t care, explain now.” 

      Needless to say, you weren’t expecting anything Eddie said. But you knew he wasn’t the type to lie about something this serious and you knew your brother well, the fear in his eyes as he retold the story couldn’t be faked. “These kind people believed me, they’re the only ones in this town who don’t think I killed Chrissy. And they’ve been bringing me food,” Eddie said, rather sheepishly. 

        You spotted Robin, a fellow classmate of yours and greeted her awkwardly. “Don’t be rude, introduce yourselves,” Robin said to the group of teens. Dustin introduced himself, Max and Lucas re-introduced themselves, Nancy introduced herself too- although you already knew her, everyone knew Nancy Wheeler. When you got to the last person though, you froze. 

     You’d been so distracted by Eddie that you hadn’t realized your long-time crush, Steve Harrington, was standing in the same room as you. 

“I’m Steve,” he said, continuously running his hands through his hair. 

“I know who you are,” you chuckled, “Steve ‘The Hair’ Harrington.” 

“I forgot people called me that,” Steve awkwardly laughed, going a bit red in the face.

     Days passed and you’d grown closer to the whole group, from finding out Max was the newest victim to learning the truth behind the Creel family murders- and losing Eddie again, you realized danger and trauma really has a way of bringing people together. And now you found yourself on a small canoe with Steve, Nancy, Robin and Eddie. This was a group you never thought you’d see hanging out together. As Steve and Robin paddled the canoe, Steve turned to look at you, his big hazel eyes sending butterflies to your stomach. 

“You know... you’ve been hanging out with us for days, you don’t have a boyfriend that might be worrying about you back home?,” he asked you. ‘Real subtle, airhead’ Steve thought to himself.

 You scoffed, “I don’t have a boyfriend... Guys don’t really pay attention to me.” 

Steve chuckled, “I’m sure that’s not true.” 

“I mean I’m no Nancy Wheeler, she’s the definition of the perfect girl with her hair done all the time and her outfits all put together. I’m just loud and weird... And annoying.” 

“I like loud, weird and annoying,” Steve said with a slight smile. 

      You tried to hide your blushing face behind your hair.  Before you could say anything though, Nancy announced that the compass was going crazier than before and she believed the dimensional gate must be here. Without hesitating, Steve offered to dive into the lake and find the gate. 

“I was the captain of the swim team, I’m the best person to send down there,” he said. 

You turned to look at Steve, “I’m coming with you. I did lifeguard duty with Billy last summer.” 

“No way, Y/N,” Eddie immediately opposed to the idea. 

“What if he needs back-up?! Steve can’t go in by himself!.. And it’s not like we’re going in the gate, we’re just going down there to see if it’s actually there.”

Steve jumped in to oppose your idea too, “No, Eddie’s right. You should stay. I can do this just fine on my own.”

“I don’t care. I’m going with you,” you insisted before jumping into the lake.

“Y/N! Are you out of your damn mind? Get back in here!,” Eddie yelled. 

“Are you coming or not, Steve?,” you asked, ignoring Eddie’s comment.

    Steve took his shirt off prompting you to look away shyly, attempting to hide the fact that you were blushing once again. “I promise I’ll keep her safe,” you heard Steve whisper to Eddie. Still, Eddie continued yelling at you to get back in the canoe but to no avail- you weren’t going to let Steve go in there alone.

You and Steve began swimming to the bottom of the lake, you could barely see anything in the dark murky water but the two of you continued swimming.

After swimming deeper and deeper into the water, you and Steve spotted a bright red light. You guys swam towards it, getting close enough to make sure it was actually a dimension gate. Steve held your hand as he led you back up to the surface, it was a good thing you two were in water or your hands would’ve been sweaty and shaky.

      You both popped your heads out of the water causing Robin, Nancy and Eddie to sigh in relief. “It’s definitely a gate!,” Steve exclaimed as he began explaining what you two had seen down there. Eddie helped you back onto the canoe but as you turned to help Steve back up, he was plunged back into the water. A second later, he came back to the surface and looked behind him, confused as to what had just happened. 

      “What the-,” Steve muttered before he was cut off abruptly. Within a split second, he was dragged back into the water again, but this time, he didn’t return to the surface. “Steve!,” you screamed. Your heart was pounding out of your chest. Without hesitation, you dove back into the water and swam towards the gate. You didn’t want anything to happen to Steve, especially not now when it seemed like he was finally showing interest in you. 

        You pulled yourself into the gate, not caring what would happen to you in the Upside Down, the only thing you cared about right now was helping Steve. You quickly found him, a hoard of bat-like creatures sat on his stomach, trying to get a bite of him and a long scaly vine-like creature was gripping onto him tightly by the throat.

Robin, Nancy and Eddie followed right behind you, bringing the paddles from the canoe with them as weapons. You took out the pocketknife you kept on your person at all times, stabbing into the creature choking Steve and stomping on it with your heavy combat boots. ‘It’s a good thing I wore these today’ you thought to yourself. 

      Nancy and Eddie beat the bat creatures with the paddles until eventually, Steve was let go. That wasn’t the end of it though, more creatures approached the group and began attacking Nancy and Eddie who fought them off successfully. Steve grabbed one of the creatures that attacked him and bashed it into the ground, finally killing it with a stomp to its neck. 

“Oh my God, are you okay?,” you rushed to his side, grabbing his face as blood poured from his mouth. 

“Well they took about a pound of flesh,” he joked, looking down at his bloody stomach. 

You grabbed the flannel around your waist and tied it tightly around his stomach, “This should keep you from bleeding out.” 

“Thank you,” he whispered. “Of course.”

       The group began creating a plan, ultimately deciding to go to Nancy’s house for weapons. The only problem was that everyone was going to have to walk through a super creepy forest. As if it wasn’t already scary enough in the normal world, this one was filled with creatures’ shrieks and an occasional shaking of the ground beneath you. 

     You talked to Nancy and Robin, working on the plan and what the group would do when they got to Nancy’s house. Unbeknownst to you, Steve and your brother, Eddie were talking about you as the two followed behind you, Nancy and Robin. 

“You know, my sister didn’t hesitate to jump in after you when that monster dragged you back into the water,” Eddie told Steve. 

“She didn’t?,” Steve asked, dumbfounded. His eyes glistened with hope at the idea that you might like him back.

      I mean you cared enough to jump into the water after him and that had to count for something. He also felt a great deal of admiration towards you, he couldn’t think of many people who would do something like that. 

“She’s had a crush on you since her freshman year. I never really knew what she saw in you but she always thought highly of you. I kinda assumed her days of crushing on you were over until I saw how quickly she offered herself up to go in the water with you. She still really likes you dude.” 

“Wow, I didn’t know she felt that way...,” Steve thought to himself deeply, “So you wouldn’t think it was weird if I dated your sister?” 

“No, it would be really weird. But if she’s happy, I’m happy. Just don’t break her heart or I’ll actually be the killer everyone thinks I am,” Eddie teased, although both of them knew that last part was kind of true. 

       Steve and Eddie looked at each other for a couple seconds and Eddie nodded towards you, signaling Steve to go talk to you. He ran his hands through his hair one last time and made his way towards you. 

“Thanks for saving me. Y’know, you’re pretty badass,” Steve told you, once he caught up to you. 

“No need to thank me. We’re a team, we gotta look out for each other, right?” You noticed how nervous Steve looked as a bead of sweat ran down his forehead. 

“Are you okay? Do you want to sit down or something? We can rest for a second, if you need to,” you asked, afraid that he might be bleeding out or might have caught some disease from those demobats that were mauling him not too long ago. 

      Steve loved how much you cared, he thought it was sweet how you would stop everything just to make sure he was okay. 

“No, no. I’m fine, I swear,” Steve assured you, “I just wanted to tell you something.” 

“Oh alright,” you chuckled. 

 “I was talking to Eddie and he told me you used to like me back when we were still in high school together-“

You interrupted him, “I’m going to kill him if those demobats don’t get to him before me!” 

“No, no! I thought it was really sweet,” Steve sheepishly said, “And I think you’re really pretty. And funny and amazing. I mean who in their right mind would go into a dimensional gate to save this doofus?!” 

“You’re not a doofus,” you laughed, “But thank you for thinking I’m pretty and funny and amazing... No one’s ever told me that before.”

“Then they must be blind and stupid, just like I was,” he paused, staring deeply into your eyes, “I mean I was stupid for not noticing the amazing girl standing in front of me. I’m sorry I never gave you a chance.” 

“It’s fine,” you chuckled, “It was my fault for never having had the courage to just talk to you.” 

“What matters now is that we’re friends now. But I do want to make it up to you,” Steve took a deep breath, “So do you think that maybe you’d want to go out with me after this is all over?” He was nearly red in the face as he anxiously waited for your response. 

“Of course,” you said with a smile. 

     Eddie broke out in a huge grin as he walked behind you two, eavesdropping on the whole conversation. “I never thought I’d see this day come!,” Eddie exclaimed, putting his arms around you and Steve as the two of you laughed. 

Maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing that Eddie ended up in this whole situation... It was what started the beginning of you and Steve’s love story, after all.