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frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe · 2 years ago

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A Recipe for Disaster (Chap. 10)

Pt. 1 | Pt. 2 | Pt. 3 | Pt. 4 | Pt. 5 | Pt. 6 | Pt. 7 | Pt. 8 | Pt. 9 | AO3

AAHHH!!!! I've had the majority of the wedding scene written since i started planning this AU, so you get two chapters in a row 😈 next chap will be the last and will include the coronation and a bit of an epilogue

Steve wakes up uncomfortable, but warm.

He nuzzles his face into his pillow an–why is his pillow scratchy?

Blinking his eyes open, he sees Eddie looking down at him. “Good morning, sweetheart.” Eddie says, his voice low and raspy with sleep.

Steve smiles sleepily, pushing his face back onto Eddie’s chest. “We stayed out all night.”

“We did…” Eddie’s voice has a smile to it, and his arm tightens around Steve’s shoulders..

Wait.

Steve throws himself upright “We stayed out all night!” Eddie’s hand is rubbing Steve’s back as he has his short panic attack, and Steve turns to look at him.

Steve catalogs the other man; He cannot be comfortable, and he stayed like that all night? His upper back and head are propped up on the trunk of the tree behind him, and from the look of the roots around him, he must have a big chunk of one digging into his lower back right now. Eddie doesn’t seem phased by that though, he only looks concerned for him.

Steve smiles, his panic settling into tired laughter as he hunches forward and puts his head in his hand. Eddie sits up beside him, crossing his legs and pulling Steve into his side. He feels more than hears Eddie's chuckles, and definitely feels the brush of what could only be his lips against the shoulder of his hoodie.

Steve rubs his eyes clear of their sleep gunk and looks out around the lake, seemingly glowing in the soft pink light of the sunrise, the fog catching the rays as it rolls over the glass-smooth water.

He stops on an odd sight though, There is a man rowing a boat a good ways away. Steve squints. “There’s a man on that boat.” he says aloud.

“Hmm?” Steve feels Eddie turn his head to look, keeping his cheek pressed to his shoulder. “Probably just a fisherman.” He turns back to place his lips on Steve’s shoulder, sending a thrill through him.

Yeah, that could make sense. They are a ways off from the palace, so this could be a random citizen, or maybe a palace worker getting in some early fishing before going into wo–

Steve watches as the man hastily sets the oar handles down into the boat, and fishes around for something at his feet, not taking his eyes off the two of them as he does. Steve’s stomach starts to tighten as he waits, starting to lean away from the man on instinct even though he must be at least 50 yards away.

The man finally gets a grip on what he was looking for and lifts it into Steve’s line of sight.

His stomach instantly turns to lead and drops down into his feet. Past his feet. And his heart is quick to follow.

Steve gulps. “With a video camera?” a legit video camera too. One of the big ones that are usually reserved for members of the media.

Eddie freezes beside him, doesn’t look up when Steve turns his head to him.

That’s all he needs.

“You’re pathetic.”

Steve throws Edmund off of him and stands, yanking the rest of his blanket out from under the dazed man.

He can hear Edmund scrabble in the dirt to get up behind him as he stalks off toward Sandy.

“No, Stevie, wait! I have no idea–”

“You know, it’s really a shame you didn’t get me naked last night, huh? You motherFUCKER.” Steve turns halfway and throws his wadded up blanket in Edmund’s face, leaving him to struggle with it as Steve jogs the rest of the way to Sandy. Seeming to know the exact mood he’s in, Sandy is also ignoring Danny beside her, and nips at him when he gets too close to her.

“Steve, wait, I have nothing to do with this! Stevie, please, hold on!” Steve hears his voice crack.

It’s the most coordinated he’s ever been, throwing his foot into one stirrup, the other over the saddle, and giving Sandy a nudge forward in one fluid motion.

“Steve, you have to believe me, that’s not my boat!”

“You know what, Edmund? Have a nice life.” Steve doesn’t look at him, can’t look at him.

He nudges Sandy with his heels twice more and she takes off, running hard and fast back to the stables. Lucky for him too, because the tears that betray him and fall on their own either fly off his face or dry out almost instantly.

Everything between leaving Edmund under that tree, to him bursting back into his room is a blur.

There were trees rushing by him in one second, then he was handing over Sandy’s reins to a very confused Gustav in the next, and now he’s here.

And so is Joyce.

And Robin (Who is pulling herself out from under his covers).

“Steve? What is going on?” Joyce asks, looking him up and down.

Steve opens his mouth to say…something…but is cut off by Murray coming into the room.

“Prince Steve, I think you should see this.” Murray goes straight to his TV and turns it on.

Oh no.

“After years of boring royals, Genovia finally has a world class scandal!” the voice of that god awful woman from the local morning gossip channel filters through the TV and into Steve’s ears.

He feels like he’s going to pass out.

The whole screen is dedicated to the view that the camera man had, showing everything. Realizing the camera was there, Steve throwing himself from Eddie’s embrace, and onto Sandy’s back.

The whole time the video is playing back, that woman’s voice is narrating “What will Princess Nancy have to say about this? Will she stay or will Lord Muñoz be Genovia’s new King? Maybe we'll see the continued reign of Queen Joyce!”

The footage stays on Eddie a for a good second or two before it cuts back to the hostess and Steve kicks himself for feeling a pang in his heart from how heartbroken and dejected Eddie looked after he left.

“No matter what, it’s out of the frying pan and into the fire for Prince Steve. Keep your eggs sunnyside up!”

Steve crumples to the floor head between his knees and arms over his head.

His ears are ringing.

Someone is rubbing his back.

He hears Robin’s voice beside him “I’d like to tell her what she can do with her eggs.” she must be the one rubbing his back.

Her ministrations pause for a moment.

Robin’s hand leaves and Steve feels a presence sit down beside him.

“So?” It’s Joyce.

Steve lifts his head and rests his chin on his arms, now crossed over his knees. “I got played.” He sniffles, his face is wet.

“Uh huh.” he can see Joyce nodding in his peripheral. “The real question is, do we still have a wedding?”

If that question didn’t alone make a new flood of tears threaten to spill over, seeing Nancy bursting into the room absolutely did.

Steve can’t even register that she doesn’t even look mad before his vision is blurred out and his face is scrunched up. “Nancy! Nancy, I am so sorry.” She touches his shoulder, but he jerks away and snaps up to his feet as fast as he can, backing away from her. “Please Nancy, please know I wasn’t trying to hurt you, I am so sorry, I hope we can still be friends after I leave Genovia–”

“Steve, wha–” Robin sounds concerned but Steve can barely think, barely function, he just keeps backing up until he hits the wall.

“Please, Nancy, I promise it wasn’t all bullshit, I really do care for you,” he just needs to shuffle a little faster.

“Steve I care for you too, what are you–”

“I’m sorry, so sorry, you can be happy with Jonathan now..” he bolts to his ensuite and locks the door behind him. Sliding down the back side of the door and just dissolves against it.

You ruin everything.

“Steve?!” Robin’s voice is muffled through the door, she sounds concerned.

You’re Pathetic.

“Steve, please come out and talk to us! I still think this marriage is a good idea.” Nancy’s voice is next, calmer, but she sounds bored, like she is talking to a child.

You’re disgusting.

“Steve, darling, please come out.” Joyce’s voice comes last, she sounds so disappointed

You think these people really care for you?

He can’t take this anymore. He lets out a noise that’s more scream than anything, and suddenly the tile floor seems like a great place for a nap.

—-

“Lady Sinclair? What are you doing outside Lord Muñoz’s room?” She hops up on her feet and pulls Hopper around the corner.

“He didn’t do it.” Erica looks up at Hopper; she has a shocked, somewhat sad look on her face.

“I’m sorry?”

“Eddie didn’t do it, he’s been yelling to his dad about the lake thing since he started packing. His dad called the paparazzi..”

Hopper processes that information, and files it away. “I’ll make sure to tell Steve. You are not to tell him yourself, promise?” He sticks out his pinky to her and she looks at it incredulously.

“What do I get?”

“I’ll tell you a secret of mine.”

“I already know you and the queen have something going on.” she crosses her arms. “That’s what happens when you slow dance in an empty ballroom in a palace full of people.”

“Fine, you’ve got me there. Tell you what, you don’t tell Steve about Lord Muñoz, and you can tell him about myself and her majesty.”

Erica grins and locks his pinky with his.

Once she runs off, Hopper moves to knock on Edmund’s door.

“Yes dad, I’ll be home later tonight. Bye.”

Hopper knocks as soon as he hears the call end.

“Come in?”

“Hello Edmund.”

“Hopper.” Edmund looks scared seeing him in the doorway. He puts his hands up and takes a step back “I swear it wasn’t me, I would never want to hurt Steve, I promise! He’s so important to me, I just wanted a taste of the life I could’ve had with him and–and–” He’s stopped by his own throat choking him up. He clears his throat and continues on “Genovia will still have their rightful king, he’s going to marry Nancy…and I’m so in love with him.” Eddie finishes softly, looking at the floor.

Hopper steps forward and Eddie flinches, looking back up at the other man “I knew I wasn’t going to be disappointed in you.” Hopper says, clapping a hand to his shoulder.

“Edmund, you absolute motherfu–” Robin bursts in behind Hopper, Nancy at her side.

“Oh good, Hopper’s already here. Now we don’t have to explain anything.”

“Explain what, Your Highness?”

“Why you may or may not have found Lord Muñoz dead in his quarters.” She shrugs and Robin stalks forward toward him, a baseball bat (‘Where did that come from??’) in her hand.

Hopper, bless him, doesn’t react. He just puts a hand out to stop her from closing in on Eddie.

“He’s leaving today.”

Eddie looks at Nancy. “Nancy, I’m so sorry for the grief this’ll cause you two; I’m sure Steve won’t have anything to do with me after this so you won’t have to worry about seeing me around anymore.”

“Good.” Robin turns around immediately, hefting the bat onto her shoulder and waltzing back out the door.

“I told you nothing good would come of it if you were spotted together.” Nancy scolds, and he nods. “We were all rooting for you Edmund, no matter how weird that sounds. We were. We told you as much.” She takes a deep breath. “Goodbye, Eddie.” and with that, she too leaves.

Hopper places a big hand on his shoulder and Eddie looks up at him. “I will have your uncle come down to see you off if you’d like.”

Eddie’s throat tightens up so completely he can’t breathe. All he can do is shake his head.

Hopper nods. “I will come collect you in ten.” he pats Eddie’s shoulder and he too takes his leave.

As soon as the door is closed behind him, Eddie sinks to his knees, to his elbows. Crumpling up into a ball, hands on the back of his head, tears slipping silently off his nose and into the carpet.

—-

Steve finally gets himself under control a good five hours later.

He immediately wants to go back into the bathroom at the sight of the four people still there after his tirade. They all turn to face him.

“Steve,” Robin is the first to him, moving so fast it was like she’d teleported straight to him. “Can I touch you? I want to give you a hug.” She asks, searching his face.

If there were any tears left in him, they would’ve sprung forth at that. But he was empty.

He nods and she pulls him down to her immediately and holds on tight. He holds onto her and looks over her shoulder. Joyce, Nancy, and Dustin are all there, the former two looking at him in pity, and Dustin looks– “Dusty, have you been crying?”

Steve removes himself from Robin and moves to Dustin, holding out his arms. Dustin’s face scrunches up and he throws all his weight into Steve “Steve I’m so sorry, I can’t believe I’m related to that asshole.” Steve hugs him tighter “Wayne told me last night, and now he does this shit? I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

“Hey, Dustin, buddy, it’s not your fault. It’s mine.” He pulls back and Dustin lets him clean off his face with his sweater sleeve. Steve rubs it all over his face, making Dustin huff out a laugh and back away with a sad smile.

“Steve?”

He turns his attention to Nancy and his stomach shoots up from where it’s been in his feet since this morning, only to shoot back down again.

“I don’t know if you heard me before, but I am still here for you, for this.”

He thinks back, “I thought you sounded bored, like you wanted to be literally anywhere else.” He looks around, everyone around him is silent. “That was just me, wasn’t it.”

“Yeah, I think it was just you, Dingus.” Robin comes up from behind him and rubs between his shoulder blades.

“Steve, honey, we are all here for you.” Joyce assures him. “No matter what you decide to do.”

Nancy steps up to him, taking both of his hands in her tiny ones. “Listen to me carefully, Steve. If you’ll still have me, if you still want this,”

“More than anything.” Steve says immediately.

Nancy smiles softly at him, “Then we are going to stand up in church and say ‘I do.’ and tomorrow we will be husband and wife.” She squeezes his hands. “And you are going to make an amazing King of Genovia.”

He looks around at the four most important people in his life…and nods. He pulls Nancy to him and kisses her forehead. “Thank you, Nancy.” he murmurs into her hairline, “You’re very welcome, Steve.”

Robin, Dustin, and Joyce all crowd in around him.

“I really am sorry, I shouldn’t have been so stupid. It could’ve cost us everything.” he directs the last at Joyce, once they all pull away.

“It’s not all your fault, Dingus. I think we were all rooting for you and Eddie, even though it couldn’t really happen.”

“Is he–He’s gone then, isn’t he?”

“Left this morning, not before we threatened him a little bit.”

Steve sputtered at that, “You threatened him??”

“Yep! I brought your bat with us, hope you don’t mind.”

“Ohmygod, Robin!”

“And Nancy too, she was there too!”

Nancy just giggles in response. Actually giggles.

He looks at Joyce and Dustin, who aren’t reacting “And you guys knew this too?” his face is threatening to break out into a smile.

Joyce nods, and Dustin says “You were in the bathroom a long time, dude.”

—-

Hopper, bless him, doesn’t make a fuss about having the car drop him at Chrissy’s, and not his dad’s.

He goes to the back entrance to her apartment above a boutique on main street, and knocks loudly.

She’s there lightning fast. She had to’ve known he’d come here.

“I am so mad at you.” She hugs him close and pulls him in the door.

“I’m just gonna wallow on your couch, okay Chris?” he trudges up the stairs behind her.

“Anything, E, you know that.” he drops his duffel and himself onto the couch, face first, and doesn’t plan on moving from this spot until…well he doesn’t know until when.

“I take it you aren’t going to be going to the wedding tomorrow?”

Eddie moans into the cushion.

“Thought not.”

—-

The next morning, Steve wakes less than rested. He’d really thrown himself for a loop with his impromptu bathroomfloornap yesterday, then last night, could barely sleep with the added nerves because,

“I’m getting married today.”

He says the words and they still don’t feel real.

He dresses in comfy clothes while he can, knowing he’ll be stuffed into a suit sooner than later, and heads to join everyone for breakfast.

When he gets to the dining hall, he’s surprised that when Joyce’d said everyone will be at breakfast this morning, she really meant everyone. She, Robin, and Nancy, Mike, the Hendersons, the two younger Sinclairs, Will and El, Max, even Jonathan, all seated along the dining hall table.

No one says anything, no one really acknowledges he’s joined them, they all just continue on with their meal, and Steve wants to thank whoever it is that told them all to not mention it. Though Wayne does level Steve with a look that he thinks says ‘I’d like to talk to you later, but if not, know that I am sorry.’ Steve nods at him, and he returns it, placated.

After breakfast, he goes with Nancy and Robin to Nancy’s suite, planning on lounging around and judging while she gets her hair done for the ceremony. They’ve got a chair set up for her in front of a mirror, but the chair is facing the wrong way.

“The stylist they are having come in is a bit…eccentric.” Nancy explains when he asks why not have her facing the mirror. “He likes to do a reveal to himself first before he lets you see.” She shrugs and before Steve can say anything, the man himself waltzes in.

“Ah, Paolo.” She greets. He’s a rounder man, with a shiny bald head and multiple shiny rings. His coat is hastily taken off his shoulders by his two assistants before he reaches both of his hands forward for Nancy’s, giving each set of knuckles a quick kiss in greeting.

“Buongiorno Principessa, ah! And Principe Stephan! Wonderful to see you, are we getting you done for the ceremonies too?”

“Ohhohoho, no. I am all good, I know exactly how to take care of mine just fine. Thank you, Paolo.” Steve waves his hands (probably a little too much) fending off the stylist.

“Ah, good man, good man, knows his angles, his features!” Paolo seems to only talk with his hands. “Let us get started then Principessa.” He waves Nancy back into her chair and gets right to work.

Steve and Robin lounge back on Nancy’s bed, scrolling social media, scrolling faster past any mention of he-who-must-not-be-named, and waiting to react accordingly to each style Paolo attempts to wrangle Nancy’s hair into.

Once the first attempt is finished, Paolo does, in fact, do a reveal to himself. His assistants covered Nancy’s face from his view with headshots of previous clients and pulls them apart from each other at his command. Strange, but okay.

Nancy turns to him and Robin first, and they both have to stifle laughs “You should definitely look first, Nance.” Robin tells her.

She does, and her eyes go wide. “I look like a moose.” Paolo had split her hair down the middle and twisted the gathered strands on each side upon themselves to twist up off the top of her head. “I have antlers.” She sounds absolutely mortified.

“Yes, but a very cute moose.” Paolo defends, “Make all the boy moose go HWAAAAH.” Steve and Robin lose their shit at his exaggerated attempted moose call, both of them also bursting out in their own moose calls.

He attempts a more floofy, curly look next. This time all Nancy can manage when Paolo spins the hand mirror to her is a strained “I look like a poodle.”

She really does, and Paolo knows it. Doesn’t even try to defend it. Just dives back in with a “Here we go again!”

“She really does look like a poodle.” Steve comments from his new seat on Nancy’s couch. A poor choice, really, because he’s within arms’ reach of Paolo. Who grabs his spray bottle of water and spritzes him directly in the face.

“I like it.” Robin comments idly, not looking up from her magazine in the chair on Nancy’s other side.

This time, Paolo reacts much better, lifting Robin’s hand from the arm rest and kisses it reverently. Then gets back to work on Nancy’s hair. Robin’s still reading her magazine like nothing just happened.

Steve’s still stunned from the whole water to the face thing and stands to leave. “I need to go get ready, I’ll see you there Nance?” He questions as if he doesn’t already know the answer.

“Of course, Steve, I’ll be the one in white.” She gives him a wink and Robin belts out a singular loud “HA!”

On his way back to his suite, who should he run into other than Lady Applejack herself.

“Hey Erica, you look great!” she’s in a puffy-sleeved, pastel pink/peach colored dress, pristine white Converse high-tops, and an expensive-looking bag on her shoulder.

She rolls her eyes, “I know I do. But thank you.” she nods “It’s a Selkie dress.”

“I have no idea what that means, but good for you?” he starts walking away, “I’m heading up to get ready myself, can’t be late!”

“Oh, wait!” Erica calls, and he turns back to her in the hall. “I forgot to tell you about Joyce and Hopper!” she sing-songs as she skips up to him. “Me and Ed—SOMEONE ELSE saw them slow dancing all love-y with each other in the ballroom the other day, AND I have it on good authority that he proposed.” She crosses her arms across her chest and smiles smugly up at him.

With everything else going on with him recently, he’s completely missed this whole thing happening between Hopper and Joyce? Well not really, there’ve always been vibes between the two, but still.

“That’s…actually that makes a lot of sense. I hope she said yes.”

After a couple seconds, her stance softens and she drops her arms, looking a bit sheepish.

“Hey, Steve? I know we all really like..him. But we’re all on your side if you'd like us to be. Even Will seemed ready to kill him for that, and Will is definitely more tame of all of us.”

Steve huffs out a laugh at how easily he can imagine both Will and Ellie, somehow with some sort of psychic powers, lifting Edmund off his feet and exploding him into tiny bits.

“Thanks Erica, I’m really lucky to have you all.” He pulls her into a short hug and sends her on her way, telling her he’ll see her at the chapel.

—-

The rest of the morning is a blur, and suddenly, Steve is standing with Hopper on the opposite side of the chapel’s heavy wooden doors.

He’s in the black version of his (what must be trademarked at this point) pear tree print suit, maroon bowtie, and a silver version of his grandfather’s crown set atop his hair.

“Hey Hop, I want you to know that I’m 100% in support of you and Joyce.” he looks up to meet Hopper's eyes.

Hopper stares down at him. “Erica knows everything.” Steve says with shrug as a form of explanation and turns back to face the doors.

After a moment, Hopper heaves a long sigh. “Highness, before you go in there, you should know,” He pauses. “Eddie did not set you up at the lake.”

Just that one sentence and Steve’s thrown off his axis, the most overwhelming feeling of hope floods his senses. He snaps his head to Hopper once more. “Are you sure?” he manages to whisper out.

“Erica knows everything.” Hopper echoes with a smile, then leans over to whisper: “She happened to overhear him having a very heated and incriminating phone call with his father yesterday.”

Steve gives him a shaky smile, but then he can hear his cue play from behind the double doors, and a moment later, they open in front of him.

Steve and Hopper walk through the doors, Hopper stopping at the pew at the very front to take his seat beside Joyce. Steve takes his spot next to the bishop in a daze. That really wasn’t Eddie? Does he dare to hope that Erica is telling the truth? That damn father of his…. Steve feels like an idiot. He’s planted his feet where they are supposed to be and looks out at the people in the pews.

Well. Here he is.

At the last step he needed before he’d be able to become King.

Standing in front of the world’s most important people, the only thing Steve could think was that there was one face missing from the crowd.

The only face that mattered.

Steve turns to Robin (his best man) and by his look alone she says, “Take a right, third door on the left. I’ll tell them you’ll be right back.”

Minutes before Nancy was to walk down the aisle to him, Steve was walking the wrong way back up it, and out the door.

He doesn’t register the murmurs and tittering of the crowd, doesn’t register Hopper telling Joyce “It’s alright, he’ll be back.” and sitting her back down at the front of the church, doesn’t register what Robin is announcing to the crowd, the only thought on his mind was ‘Find Nancy.’

He found her exactly where Robin said she’d be, Chrissy helping her with the last couple things.

“Steve?” She sees him enter in the reflection in front of her, and turns to face him in the doorway.

“Nancy..” He has no idea what to say. No idea how to explain to her what he wants, what he’s planning on telling everyone.

Nancy hurries forward and closes the door behind him before she takes him by the hand and sits him on the bench in front of the vanity. She crouches down in front of Steve, a hand on his shoulder, face level to his. Steve’s focus is halfway between the present and completely faraway, and she knows.

“So, do you think I should change out of my dress then?”

Steve blinks fully back to the present, searches her face and only finds determined honesty. Steve laughs until his eyes let loose a couple of tears. “Only if you want to, Nance.” He looks down at her, “You look beautiful.”

She pulls him into a hug and Chrissy rubs his back comfortingly.

“Steve,” Nancy pulls back, “do you know what you are going to say?”

He thinks for a much shorter moment than he thought he’d need, and says “Yes.”

“Do you know that if you do this now, even if it works, Parliament will find a way to get you back for this later? Even if they seem to agree now?”

“Huh?”

“Exposing them to the whole world at once may not bode well for you in the future.”

Steve hadn’t thought about it that far ahead. But he knows this is what he needs to do. “Will you be there to help me when it bites me in the ass?”

She smiles, “Of course I will Steve.”

“Then I’m good.”

Nancy wipes his eyes clean with the handkerchief Chrissy holds out for her, and studies his face for a moment. She must’ve decided something, because she nods, pulls him up from the stool, and heads out the door to lead them both back to their ceremony.

They get to the doorway, hand in hand, and Joyce is there with Hopper, having been waiting for them.

“Aunt Joyce I–” Steve’s cut off as Joyce hugs him tight. He releases Nancy and embraces the Queen, wondering to himself how she knows.

Joyce pulls back and cups his face. “You’ve got this honey, remember, I am on your side no matter what.”

Steve smiles and grabs her hands from his face, gives them a squeeze, then turns back to Nancy. They give each other a nod and start down the aisle together. The orchestra starts up with the bridal march as they were told to, and everyone stands to face them.

—-

The second Steve appeared in the chapel doors on his screen, Eddie bolted up. He had to get there, he had to be there. Steve looked gone. Confused. It was a pull he hadn’t felt before.

He ran to the bathroom, and changed into his suit as quickly as he could, thanking Chrissy with all his soul that she’d thought to have it set up for him in case he changed his mind about going.

“No one’s going to want to see me there, Chris. I can’t do that to him.”

“Well then, if you decide to torture yourself, it’s ready to go.”

He didn’t even get his tie on, just shirt, pants, jacket, and shoes. He didn’t need to look like he was getting married, just not like he’d been wallowing the last 24 hours at least.

He’s pulling his shoes on when there are gasps and tittering from the gathered crowd in his phone. He snatches it up and watches as Steve marches back down the long aisle of the church.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!” He crams his feet the rest of the way into his shoes, throws himself down the back stairs of Chrissy’s apartment, and out onto the nearly deserted main street.

He doesn’t have to go far to the chapel, it being just around the corner at the end of Main street, but when he does round the corner, “Jesus H. Christ.”

Duh. Of course there’s going to be crowds outside too.

He manages to sneak down a side alley to the back side of the church, and where there should be legions of guards, there is only...

“Dustin? Dustin please, I have to see him.” Eddie calls to him, jogs the rest of the way to the teen.

Dustin glares back. “Eddie, I don’t know how you think I’m going to let you in after what you did to Steve.”

“Please, Dusty, you’ve gotta believe I didn’t do this. Look, Wayne may not have told you already but–”

“No, he did.”

“He did.” Dustin nods, and Eddie forces himself to recover from that. “Okay, so you know exactly why I am now trying to get away from this damn family. I swear Dustin, I had nothing to do with it, my father was trying to set me up–Steve up– to fail. And I don’t know what else he’s going to try and pull, but I need to be there when he does.”

Dustin’s eyes squint closed even more, but he says “Swear on my mother.”

Eddie breathes a hesitant sigh of relief. “I swear on your mother.” raises his hand in pledge just for an added measure.

“Okay, you can go (“Thank you!”) but you better go fast,” he turns his own cell to show him, “They’re walking down the aisle right now.”

“Oh fuck!”

–

Steve and Nancy reach the front row of pews and Steve lifts a hand to stop the bishop as he opens his mouth to speak.

Nancy places a hand on Steve’s shoulder and holds something out to him, he opens his palm and she drops his grandmother’s ring into his hand. The two of them smile broadly at each other as the whole place gasps at once. She releases his shoulder and moves to stand beside Jonathan (who should be snapping pictures at the moment, but is just standing there staring at her as she slots into place next to him at the wall, his face beet red).

He moves to stand in front of the microphone and podium off to the side, clears his throat, and speaks.

“Good afternoon everyone. I know you are all wondering what this is, what is happening.” he takes another steadying breath. “I am not going to be getting married today.” The crowd breaks out in a wave of startled whispers, and Steve continues. “I am standing before you today because one month ago, someone else decided for me that one half of any possible group of people I could fall in love with one day, was too much of a risk for Genovia. A risk of what? I am not sure. But I was given an ultimatum. Marry an eligible noblewoman or forfeit the throne.” Another round of titters and gasps wash over him and he can only imagine how wild the chat is on the palace’s livestream right now.

“I am not going to lead this country in a loveless marriage like my father would have before his death. I know very well that his ascension to the throne would not have been a welcome change to the majority of people in this beautiful country and I mean not to have the people of Genovia be led into that with me.

“I love Nancy. She has been an additional rock to me in this whirlwind of a month, and I will forever be grateful to her and I will always be her friend. All this to say that I believe I have proven myself as a leader, and with Nancy’s continued support, the support of my aunt, and with the support of the people of Genovia, I will continue to prove myself over and over if I need to.

“So I ask the members of parliament to reconsider their ultimatum, and if they still do not deem me worthy of being your King, I will concede, and Lord Muñoz can take my place.”

“I won’t,” Eddie calls from the chapel entrance, this time, Steve joins the gasps of the crowd. “I refuse to be King of Genovia. Steve has proven himself more than worthy.” The crowd dithers and chatters amongst themselves, and Steve can see Viscount Muñoz stand up sharply from his seat. ‘Oh boy..’ Steve thinks

“He does not need anyone on his arm for him to shine. And just imagine how handsome he’d look on our postage stamp.” Steve likes to think he knows Eddie well enough to know the exact smirk and wink he just gave before turning and marching back out the way he’d come, even though he can’t see it from where he is.

“Handsome on a postage stamp?? You would look handsome on a postage stamp!” Steve watches as Viscount Muñoz struggles out of his seat, over the fabric barrier at the end of the pew, and hobbles off down the aisle after Eddie, Hopper stepping fully in front of Joyce as he passes with lackluster bows her way.

The chapel doors are closed firmly behind him.

Wayne steps up to Steve’s podium then, “Your highness, you should make a motion for a vote.”

There’s suddenly a huge pit in his stomach. This was not a good idea, what parliament members are going to vote to keep him on the throne after this??

“You will be alright, my boy. Trust me.”

Steve gulps, but turns back to the microphone, casting a glance to Robin and Nancy, both of whom give him encouraging nods, and Robin gives him a sly double thumbs-up.

“Prime Minister Henderson, I move for a vote. To overrule parliament’s previous decision on Viscount Munoz’s contest to my right to the crown.”

Wayne nods, and calls across the gathered guests to all the members, wherever they may sit. “I will also be adding the amendment that any current and future member of the royal family may marry any person, or persons, of any gender they wish.” Steve is floored, gaping at Wayne. “All those in favor, say ‘Aye’.”

Silence. Too long of a silence.

Steve can feel his resolve crumbling with every passing second, but he holds strong.

“Aye!” Steve whips his head to the voice, not a parliament member, but Erica Sinclair. She’s stood herself onto the seat of the pew, arms crossed, and Steve feels like crying.

“Apologies, Lady Ap–Lady Sinclair, you aren’t a vote we nee–” Waye starts.

“I don’t care. ‘Aye!’ He’s the best person to be King and everyone here knows it.”

There's another, shorter stretch of silence, and Lucas stands beside his sister (not on the seat, but still). “Aye.”

“Aye!” Nancy steps forward from the wall, grinning at the other two (and holding tight to Jonathan’s hand).

“Aye!” Chrissy this time.

Steve feels like he’s going to combust when he realizes what they are doing; they’re using their own pull, their own royal and royal-adjacent power to show everyone else who is going to be on Steve’s side here, no matter what the actual decision from parliament will be.

It’s another slap to the face of parliament when the to-be King, and current Queen of one of Genovia’s closest allies stand with a joint “Aye!” Steve thinks Mike is actually being sincere and not nearly as embarrassed as he could be, standing tall with his mother.

Then Lord and Lady Sinclair stand in agreement, seeming spurred on by Karen taking the leap for him.

There is another beat of silence, with Wayne coaching Steve in his ear (“Stare them down, nope, not that hard, gentler. There you go. Show them you aren’t going to back down on this.”) before that one oldest member of parliament stands shakily with his cane.

Steve braces himself internally.

“I have young grandchildren, Your Highness.”

“Lord Palimore?” Wayne urges when the man does not continue.

“I believe they will be in excellent hands with you as King. Aye.” he nods sagely and his face crinkles up into a smile.

Steve sucks in a breath, forcing his heart to slow it’s jackhammering.

After him, there is a slow trickle of agreement, ‘Aye’s come from the three members Steve admittedly gave a bit too much shit to when he proposed his idea of converting the winter palace into a children’s shelter, then there is a flood of ‘Aye’s after them, as if the others aren’t about to be outdone by the others, or maybe they just don’t want to be seen on the wrong side of history.

Either way, “The ‘Aye’s have it!” Wayne calls, and there are cheers from the majority of the crowd, and listening over them, there’s a booming cheer coming from the people outside the chapel as well. “Congratulations, your highness.”

There’s a brief moment of celebration and Steve has a thought, “Murray!” he calls the man toward him, “Give me your earpiece and mic?”

Murray grins at him and hands them over. “Oh, don’t act like you know what I’m going to say.” Steve shakes his head at him, then holds the earpiece to his ear and speaks into the mic.

“Hop?”

“Your Highness?” His voice is tinny, and Steve can see Joyce turn when he addresses him.

“Might as well not let all this go to waste, huh?”

Hopper is silent in the earpiece and Steve can see him standing stock still at the other end of the church. “That’s something you’ll have to ask Her Majesty.”

“Oh come off it, that’s your job isn’t it?” he drops the earpiece and mic at the same time, showing his hands to Hopper ‘Hah! Can’t hear you!’ He thinks at him.

He gives Nancy a whistle and tilts his head to the end of the aisle ‘Hop’ he mouths at her. She has no clue what he’s trying to say. Robin shoots up “I’ve got it! Bouquet please, Nance?”

She passes it over, and Robin power walks down the aisle just in time, Hopper is removing his mic and earpiece, and holds his arm out for Joyce. She’s beaming when Robin passes the bouquet into her hands, and she’s still beaming as she addresses some of the crowd (“Sorry for the short notice, but you were already dressed!” she jokes), and beaming brighter still when she reaches the bishop.

Steve takes back Nancy’s bouquet from Joyce, and she gives him a loving pat on the cheek.

“My lord archbishop,” she faces forward again, “I would like to take this man as my husband, if you please.”

“Finally.” he says, smiling at his queen and Steve hides his laugh behind a flurry of coughs. “We are gathered here today for a different wedding.”

Joyce and Hopper exchange short vows, all they need, a simple ‘With this ring, I thee, finally, wed.’.

“I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.” the bishop tells Hop, and he wastes no time pulling Joyce to him in a crushing, loving kiss.

Last part here!!!

@henderdads @sadcanadianwinter @hopefulslothcollecter @steveshairychest @sidebarre @resident-gay-bitch @kaspurrcat @melkene @livewondrousss @steddieasitgoes @mightbeasleep @princessstevemunson @totallybitchin @potentialheartofdarkness @spectrum-spectre @munsonfamilyband

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frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe · 2 years ago

Text

A Recipe for Disaster (Chap. 8)

Pt. 1 | Pt. 2 | Pt. 3 | Pt. 4 | Pt. 5 | Pt. 6 | Pt. 7 | AO3

Here's Chap. 8! Clocking in at 19.5 pages on google docs this time, we have Steve and Robin's meeting with Parliament about the children's shelter, the throne room scene that I somehow missed before, and a good ol' Robin and Eddie interaction (plus much more!!!)

The next morning, Steve and Robin are sitting down for a meeting with a select few members of Parliament. Wayne is there with them, and Steve thinks it’s giving him a chance to look mean, if nothing else.

“And so, gentlemen, the winter palace in the mountains of Libbet will be converted into a children’s shelter until money can be raised for one of their own.”

“The use of the castle as a resort is a sort of…perk. For parliament members and dignitaries.” the member sitting on his left (on Robin’s other side) interjects, the other two agreeing with short nods and hushed “Agreed.”s.

“Well, I’m going to de-perk it.” Steve levels him with a look that has him shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “I feel guilty having two homes while they have none.”

He hears one of the other members whispering from his right and snaps his attention toward the other two. “Lord Crawley, how is your brother doing?”

Crawley has the decency to look embarrassed for being caught, “I–I don’t speak to my brother, Your Highness.”

“Oh. Well, I’ve hired him to be the lead architect on the project!” Steve smiles. Wayne raises his hand and the doorman lets Mr. Crawley into the chambers.

Mr. Crawley greets Wayne when he pulls out the seat kitty-corner to Steve’s. Steve stands and shakes his hand “Your highness, gentlemen.”

They both sit, and Mr. Crawley gives his (twin) brother a curt “Jerry.” that his brother echoes with “Dean.”

“I am very excited to get started, your highness, and to get your notes on the project!...and no one else’s.”

That last bit of backhanded commentary gets Lord Crawley riled up and the two start bickering between themselves, and over the unfortunate third parliament member stuck between them.

Steve leans toward Robin while keeping his eyes on the two, whispering “Nevermind, I’m glad we aren’t twins?”

She snorts out a quick laugh and busies herself with her notes, though he’s sure they’re as immaculate as always.

He raps his knuckles on the table in front of him as the twins’ fight reaches its peak, and the two back off instantly, looking sheepish.

“The queen approves of the plan, and I intend to see it through. Now, gentlemen, I’m sure it won’t take too long to raise the money, do you?”

–

“So, you kissed Eddie, huh?” Robin asked once they were heading back to get Steve ready for his and Joyce’s scheduled open meeting with the public.

Steve sighs, “Yeah, I did. We did? We kinda kissed each other at the same time.”

“So…? How’d you even get close enough to kiss?”

“I uh…” He scratches the back of his head absently “I told him how I felt. About him.”

“That you have capital “F” feelings for him right? That’s what you said yesterday.”

He lets out a long breath and stops walking. He looks down at the tile at his feet, hands on his hips. “That’s…not exactly..all of it.”

“What do you mean ‘not all of it’?? You have big Feelings for him, that seems like a whole lot.”

“It is all big, real, Feelings, but…I saw our whole lives together, Rob.” it’s just barely more than a whisper.

Robin is quiet for a few seconds “Steve, that’s–”

She’s cut off by the incoming sound of footsteps. They both look over, and let out a synchronized breath of relief. It’s only Murray.

“Oh! Murray!” Robin jogs up to meet the man, saying something to him that Steve couldn’t pick up. Murray nods the whole time, assuringly, then pats Robin on the shoulder and continues on his way.

“Good morning, sir!” is all he says to Steve as he passes, then Robin is back.

“What was all that about?”

“I just needed to ask him about some other Royal Advisor shit I’ve been working on, but keep going! You haven’t told me about these prophetic visions of the future you’ve been seeing! Does Eddie become a silver fox? Do you eventually go bald?”

Steve’s hands fly to his hair, “Oh my god, Robin, don’t say shit like that! You’ll curse me!” he starts walking toward his suite again.

“Oh please, you’ll be fine, your grandpa had a full head of hair on his deathbed. Now tell meee!”

“Okay, okay, so back when Nancy first got here, I told her the truth, that I got a big ol’ crush on tall, dark, and handsome after one dance but then found out that he and his dad are trying to run me out so that had crushed me.”

“Duh.”

“So she asked me if I could see myself with him, and I told her no. Y’know, like a liar.”

“Sounds about right.”

“But I saw it so clearly as soon as she asked me, and it was like my chest caught fire.”

“Thinking about yours and Eddie’s possible future together gave you heartburn?”

“No, no, like, okay, at my peeping tom moment, as you like to call it, it felt like something sparked in my chest; and I, of course, took that as hatred.”

“Yeah, ‘how dare he be a real person with a real hobby’.” She nods.

Steve snaps his finger at her. “Exactly. So when she asked me that, that spark that ended up not being hatred started burning so hot…and I could see it all, Robin. I could see him off to the side at my coronation, smiling all proud at me. I could see him at my side when we’d meet with the public. We, Robin, side by side. And I could picture the portrait they’d have painted of us, a little older, some gray in our hair, sure, hanging right beside Joyce and Bob.

“I told Nancy I couldn’t see it, and the day of the garden party I told Eddie that I’d lied to her, that I really could see it all, but that I’d be wiping my hands of him.” He does the same fake during his hands off movement he did that day.

“So…in essence, you told him you could very clearly picture a life with him, AKA you have big sappy feelings for him, then that you hated him.” They’d arrived back at his suite, so Robin lets herself in and holds the door open for him.

“No, I–” Steve runs his hand through his hair. “Okay, yeah, basically. But when I went to leave, he grabbed my arm, whirled me around, and we kissed.

“We were pressed together, and it was like my brain switched off completely, not a thought in my head. We both started leaning toward each other..then it happened.”

“Ew gross, this is so sappy.” Robin flopped herself onto his bed and pillowed her chin in her hands, looking up at him to continue.

Steve rolls his eyes, but does. “Here's something else cliche and sappy: I know what they mean now when they say there are fireworks sometimes, when you kiss someone.” He laughs at Robin’s mimed puking. “I’m serious! His lips were soft, his hands were calloused and warm, and…and he held my face like I was something precious. Something worth holding onto.

“But then I came to my senses, pushed him off me, causing him to fall backwards into that damn fountain, causing me to fall when I tried to catch him, giving me a bruise, a soaking wet, nearly see-through suit, and a litany of “Prince Steve” fanpages posting zoomed-in pictures of my crotch.”

“All that, and you still almost kissed him again yesterday.” She shakes her head at him in exasperation.

“Oh! And he told me that he wished he could know what I’m working with, so I guess you were right, he does have feelings for me too.”

“That’s great!”

“Only sexual though, seems like. Which is fine, I get it. Just. Sucks, you know?”

Robin starts grumbling under her breath at that, so he leaves her be and starts getting ready to meet with the public. This time he pulls out the powder blue version of what is becoming his signature pear-tree printed suit.

“You should get ready too, you’re going with me to the throne room, right?”

She jumps up from the bed “Oh yeah! Meet you there, Dingus!” Then she was gone.

–

“We will have someone come to your farm tomorrow morning and perhaps we can repair your well, and save your feed.” Joyce addresses the man stooped down in front of her.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” He bows his head, then reaches for the basket at his knees “This is for your table.”

“Thank you!” Joyce says, bowing slightly in return and sweeping her hand out for the footman at their side to take the basket.

While the basket is taken away, Steve grabs a goblet of water from behind them, and passes it to his Aunt. “You do this so well, they all just adore you.”

She takes the goblet thankfully, looking up at him from the throne when she does. “Oh, well it’s part of a long-standing Genovian tradition to meet with the citizens this way. You must be fair and very honest. Even if you can’t help, you have to show the people you care.”

Steve smiles at her “We haven’t had time to talk much lately, can we after this?”

Joyce’s face softens, and she reaches up to pat his cheek. “Of course my dear.”

Murray introduces the next citizen then, and Steve takes the water back from Joyce.

Steve looks out over the throne room, over the waiting line of citizens, and all the way over to the wall on his right where a few chairs have been set up. All of them are occupied: Robin is sitting in the first chair, texting furiously with one hand at her side and writing down something in the pad of paper on her knee with the other. Wayne is in the next, struggling to stay awake already and starting to lean onto Eddie who’s in the next chair over. Eddie’s already been looking at Steve every time he risks a glance to the other man, and every time Steve has to think about literally anything else to keep the blush off his face. Eddie’s father is here too for some godforsaken reason, but makes a good foil for his reaction to Eddie. Get flustered about Eddie? Just look over to the last chair in the row and remember what Eddie’s really doing here.

The constant high to low mood shift is giving him a headache.

More citizens come through the line, each offering something for the royal family. It’s very touching, having each of these people put together the best of their best, likely from their families own crop, own shop, own hands for Joyce. Steve feels even more so like he has a lot to live up to, coming into the throne after someone as beloved as her.

“Citizen Tiny Duvall.” Murray announces once again.

Okay, that’s just not fair. Only movies name obviously very large people ‘Tiny’.

“Your Majesty.” Tiny beams at Joyce, not from below, but at her level. Seated a couple steps up from the floor, her height in the throne leaves her and Tiny, who is kneeling, at the same eye level.

“Bonjour, Tiny.” She smiles “May I present my nephew, Prince Steve.” She’s done this with a couple of the citizens who’ve visited, calling out his presence at her side for a reason unknown to Steve.

“Prince Steve,” Tiny turns his bright eyes to him and gives a small head bow.

“Monsieur.” Steve greets in return.

“Thank you for seeing me today. Something for your table.” He pushes the covered basket in his hands to Steve, who gestures the same way he had for all the other offerings, and the footman takes the basket from Tiny.

“She’s my favorite!” Tiny declares, and Steve immediately needs to know more. “I hope you like omelets.”

Steve glances at Joyce and huffs out a short chuckle, “Uh, may I?” He asks Tiny, gesturing to the basket.

“Of course!” He nods excitedly so Steve pulls back the cover and..it’s a chicken? “Be careful.”

“Oh, it’s a chicken!” whatever it is that possesses Steve to try and pick the chicken (an animal he’s had exactly zero interactions with in the past) up out of the basket, he doesn’t know, but he does. And the chicken flaps out of his arms and to the floor.

‘Oh what the hell?’ He steps forward and tries to grab it back up, and misses, and misses again, and again. It’s stupid fat, feathery body is staying just out of his reach, and causing chaos in her wake.

She’s climbing up the steps in front of Joyce and Steve thinks ‘I’ve got you now’ as she slows down to hop up the marble steps.

Just his luck, he misses her (again) and she starts off on her circular path through the corridor behind the throne (once again). But he can’t follow the feathery warlord, being caught by Joyce as he lopes past her.

“Uh, Steve?” She says to him through a grin, and he turns to her “a prince should never chase a chicken.”

Steve stands there next to Joyce, jaw dropped open, and wholly embarrassed, and looks over to where Eddie is seated.

Viscount Muñoz is chuckling heartily and elbowing Eddie, who is laughing uncomfortably at his father, but looks to Steve and they lock eyes

‘You okay?’ Eddie mouths to him, a lighthearted, still teasing, smile on his face.

The tension in Steve’s chest snaps and falls away at that and he lets out a breath, giving Eddie a small nod.

–

“Stupid, stupid, stupid, what the fuck, Steve?” Steve mutters to himself all the way back to his suite after the throne room debacle.

He showers to get out all the gel he’d slicked into his hair previously, and fixes it up the way he would normally. After he changes into a plain white tee and some jeans, he texts Robin and asks her to meet him for a late lunch.

It’s already past three in the afternoon and he hadn’t had anything to eat since a quick cup and coffee and some toast before his first meeting this morning.

Robin texts him back with: ‘Sorry Dingus, I have Super Important Things™ to catch up on, I will see you for dinner?’

He’s disappointed, but not surprised. She does, afterall, have her own responsibilities within the palace.

He sends back a ‘sure, see ya then bobs’, and continues down to the kitchens.

This time it’s Max, El, and Dustin he encounters, all of them munching on whatever snacks they could find while Max is chopping what looks like salad ingredients.

“Yeah, but Max, Lucas plays and–” Dustin starts

“What does that have to do with me playing? I don’t care what he does or doesn’t play.”

“I would like to play some time.” Ellie says, and Dustin starts in on an explanation of character creation? If Steve had to guess?

“Hey, munchkins, what’s cookin’?”

Max rolls her eyes so hard that her whole head almost goes with them. “Well, dad, nothing at the moment. Seeing as how I am chopping up lettuce, that historically does not get cooked.”

Steve pauses, then turns to face El and Dustin more. “Hey, munchkins, what’s cookin’?”

El and Dustin both laugh while Max rolls her eyes again. “Careful, those might roll out of your head one of these days.” Steve tells her.

“See?” She points her knife at him, looking at the other two “Dad.”

“I was just telling El about creating a character for the campaign Eddie’s crafting right now.” Dustin puts his hand out onto El’s forearm and Steve notices her face go red

“Oh that’s cool what are–El, you oka–” Max clears her throat and locks eyes with Steve before using them to gesture to the other two, shaking her head.

Ah. “So what kind of character are you going to make?”

“I thought I could be a wizard, like Will.”

“Oh, that’d be cool! I wonder if Eddie would let us get away with boosting yours and Will’s stats whenever you are casting together? Like, real wonder twin wizards!”

Dustin starts on a rant about all the possibilities and starts scribbling into the notebook in front of him.

Steve shuffles off to the side and pulls out a pack of tuna and some mayo, planning on just a sandwich for now, to hold him over until dinner with Robin.

He fixes it up and heads back up the stairs, eating as he goes, to meet Joyce at her suite.

–

So the scream he’d heard, and came to investigate, ended up being El Hopper.

He’d come around the corner below the two staircases in the ballroom like he does nearly every day after waking up, only to be confronted with shadow and a new wall?

He comes out from under what he now can see is a ramp, and sees each of the teens taking turns sliding down a massive slide on mattresses, each sliding to a stop just before a short stage set up on the opposite end of the ballroom.

He looks to the top of the ramp, and Dustin is the next to go, El getting up off her mattress and moving out of his way. “You having fun?” he yells up.

“Eddie! Hang on, I'll be right down!” Dustin calls back then starts down the ramp.

“You.” his head snaps to his left and Steve’s right hand woman is in his face. “I need to talk to you.”

“Sure, Buckley, go ahead.”

She opens her mouth to respond, but then Dustin’s there “Hey! Are you going to stay for the party?”

“No he’s not, he’s here cause I needed to talk to him then he’s going right back to his room.” Robin grabs his arm and tugs him out the glass side door of the ballroom (“Aw, what?”).

“Ow, ow okay, I’m right here, lay off the arm.”

She lets his arm go. “Enough chit chat, listen to me Edwin, (“Edmund.” “Literally doesn’t matter.”), I am only telling you this out of necessity and to get you to understand my point BUT.” She takes a deep breath, “Steve is really into you, okay? His words exactly were that he has capital “F” Feelings for you.”

Eddie knew the former, but the actual feelings part is news to him.

“I–”

“He was under the impression previously that you were only trying to get close to him in order to get him to not marry Nancy, and in turn not become King. And from what he told me, it seems like you really are only thirsting after him.”

“He said th–”

Robin cuts him off. “He would do anything to see this through, including ignoring his own feelings for quote, unquote ‘tall, dark, and handsome’ for the sake of the homophobes above him.”

“The homophobes? What are you talking about?”

“Parliament, obviously. He’s marrying Nancy because they don’t think having two kings is good for the country.” She says as if it’s obvious. “They told him that he has to marry a noblewoman in order to take the throne, otherwise they’ll give it to you. You, sans partner.”

“Wh-what? Why?”

“I don’t know, Doofus, he thinks you’re 170 pounds of pure sex appeal.”

“No, no not that,” Eddie shakes his head and waves her off, “I mean, I’m flattered, and obviously he’s sexy as fuck (“Okay, ew.”), but no, I mean why would Parliament let me take the throne without a partner but not Steve.”

“Probably the previously mentioned ‘homophobe’ part, Edward. Do they not know you’re fruity too?”

Eddie shakes his head, “Don’t see why they would…”

“Well they do know about Steve. There was a whole media fiasco with his old best friend back in the states.”

Eddie’s stunned at this revelation, but Robin barrels on. “So as much as I would support you two in any other circumstances, I–”

“Robin, I have capital “F” Feelings for him too.” Eddie cuts her off.

She just stares at him, dumbfounded, so he continues. “Look, the day before yesterday, Steve told me he could so easily picture our lives together when Nancy once asked him.” Eddie starts pacing in front of the ballroom door. “He told me that he lied to her, said he couldn’t, but that he actually pictured it so clearly. He didn’t tell me what he saw, but I could see it, Rob. I could see it so clearly.”

“What are you talking about, Edith?”

“I was in the gardens that day when Nancy asked him that. I was sitting out there like I normally do and could hear them as they walked by. She asked him “You could see yourself with him, couldn’t you?” and it was like she was asking me. I could see it as soon as she asked.

“I could see myself at his coronation, smiling all proud at him. I could see myself at his side in the throne room when he’d meet with the citizens, at his side at any number of random events that flashed through my head all at once…just..being with him.

“He told me he saw us together so clearly, and I never told him that I saw it too. It felt like my chest was on fire, Robin.”

He is breathing heavily now, having winded himself with all that.

“Eddie…” Robin steps forward and places a hand on his shoulder.

Eddie huffs out a laugh, “Finally Eddie now, huh?”

“Don’t push your luck, Theodore.”

“Theodore?? How the hell did you get to that from ‘Eddie’?”

“You know, Theodore can be Ted, to Teddy, to Eddie.” She shrugs.

“Okay, you got me there Robert.”

Robert smiles at him. “You both are the dingiest dinguses I’ve ever met.” She coos at him, like he’s a child and it works, he barks out a real laugh this time and tosses her hand off his shoulder.

“Are you guys done, yet? Can we steal Eddie back?” Dustin poked his head out the door, scowling at them.

“Almost, I promise. I’ll meet you back inside Dusty-buns.” Eddie replies

“Dude, gross. Only my mom calls me that.” but he goes back inside.

“What am I supposed to do now Robin?”

“I don’t know…I wanted to get you to back the fuck off, but now I’m kinda rooting for you guys. As undeniably a bad idea it’d be.”

“You are?”

“I don’t know, I think you’d be good together, sue me.”

“Then why root against us in the first place?”

“Because I want my best friend to become King! No offense.”

“None taken. I don’t even want it anymore.” Eddie thinks for a moment. “What about Nancy?”

“What about her?”

“How does she feel about all this?”

Robert thinks for a moment then opens the door and yells “Hey, Nance!”

Eddie panics, “Robin, what the hell??”

“Hi Robin, what’s…up…” Nancy stalls when she sees Eddie outside too. He gives her a small wave.

“Eddie’s fully, actually in love with Steve.”

“Robin! What the fuck?!”

Nancy looks between Robin and Eddie (who is absolutely mortified, by the way), then dissolves into giggles.

“Okay, what the hell is happening, this is like some Twilight Zone shit.”

“Steve is pretty great, isn’t he?” Nancy says, looking at Eddie.

He drops his head in embarrassment, “I’m sorry, Your Highness, I promise I didn’t mean for it to happen.”

“Who ever does?”

Eddie looks back up at her and she’s smiling softly at him. “Okay, seriously, what the hell is happening right now? You should be wanting to fight me right now.”

“Do you want me to?” Nancy says and starts pushing the sleeves of her sweater up her arms.

Robin keels over in laughter when Eddie starts backing away, hands raised.

“So? Robin?” Nancy asks

Robin catches her breath, “So, they both have real feelings for each other and after telling me, Eddie here asked how you feel about the whole thing.”

Nancy nods with a sigh. “Eddie, I care for Steve very much. He’s become a great friend and supporter to me, even in the short amount of time I’ve known him.”

“But…?”

“I am not in love with him. I have feelings for someone else.” Eddie nods, and she continues. “I am still going to marry him, if he needs me.”

“That’s kinda fucked.”

“It is; I agree, Robin agrees, Steve agrees. But I wouldn’t be if I didn’t think Steve would be an amazing ruler. Do you even know how great he’d be?”

“I do.” Robin says.

“We know you do, Robs.” Nancy pats her on the arm. “Steve is the grandson of the most beloved ruler in recent Genovian history, and the son of a royal pain in the ass.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Eddie mumbles.

“Steve is more like Stephan the First, and would be a welcome and needed change in the landscape of European monarchs. A vibrant young man of the people, someone who’s made mistakes like any person would, had them blasted across international media, and grown from them since. Overall, a great representation of the next generation of rulers. Plus, I think he’s a good influence on, and role model for, Mike, and will make him a better ruler in the future.”

Nancy smiles an easy smile, as if she didn’t just make him fall in love with Steve more.

“All that, and you’re telling me you’re not in love with him?”

“No, I’m not.”

“Okay, great. Now what am I supposed to do with that?”

“As much as I want Steve to be happy, with you or not, there is so much that could go wrong with you two being together, even the smallest thing could make his life a living hell.

“If he and I marry, then divorce in a few years, we can both have what we want. I can be with Jon–the person I want to be with–and so can he.”

“So when you say a few years, how many are we talking? Two? Three?”

“Unless the peanut gallery gets real cool about a lot of things real quick, sounds like as many as it takes.” Robin says.

“I fully believe you and Steve would have the support of the people, or at least the majority, but they can’t do anything to sway Parliament if they don’t want to be swayed.”

Eddie nods as he processes all this, even pulling a lock of his hair over his face to worry the strands between his fingers as he thinks.

He stops, fixes his hair, turns to the two women and says: “I will wait for him if I need to. Steve’s worth it.” The two women beam at him, “But let's get back inside before Dustin has a conniption. What are we–you guys–celebrating anyway?”

“We are throwing a surprise bachelor party for Steve!” Robin pushes open the door and holds it for the other two.

“And joint bachelorette party for me too I suppose, but it was just because I’m not heading back home anymore.” Nancy shrugs “I’d rather be with you guys here anyway. Oh! We should’ve invited Chrissy!”

Robin starts spluttering and Nancy catches Eddie’s eye and winks.

He grins back at her “You’re absolutely right, Nancy, I should give her a call!” He pulls out his cell and Robin goes completely red. “Eddie! How are you?” Chrissy answers his call after a few short rings.

–

Steve and Joyce have spent the last couple hours together; talking about everything and nothing while Joyce took care of some things first, then they went out for a stroll through the yards of the palace.

He told her about Dustin knowing that Mike played D&D (“I don’t know any specifics, so don’t ask.”) immediately after meeting the young prince, and that he seems to be less high-strung and less entitled now, having been around Dustin and Will.

She told him that the coronation is scheduled for August 1st, two months to the day after he and Nancy are supposed to be married.

He told her that he thinks Ellie has a crush on Dustin, and Joyce laughs giddily at that (“Oh, they would be so cute together!”)

She asks him if he is happy.

Steve processes that for a bit, while they walk back to the palace. “I think I am content. I am happy with what I have, I know that I really lucked out with Nancy, and having Robin here, meeting Dustin and gaining a little brother. But I don’t think I would say I am happy, you know?”

She nods in understanding at that, then asks “Would you be able to say you are happy if it was Edmund you were marrying, and not Nancy?”

He blinks at her, but it seems like she’s actually asking (not that Joyce would be capable of showing a hint of malice to her nephew). “I don’t know…” Is what he finally says.

She levels him with a look like she doesn’t believe him.

“I don’t though!” he defends, “Really! I don’t know him so I really don’t know. But in my head, best case scenario, yeah. I think I would be.” the last part comes out almost a whisper.

She nods, taking that in, and they walk in comfortable silence the rest of the way.

“Wait, what is that? Steve can hear muffled music coming from the palace as they approach.

He looks through the glass doors and sees…everyone? The whole Party (as Dustin would call them) running amok in the ballroom. Erica is chasing Max around the room on rollerskates, Max on top of a well-loved looking skateboard, Will and Ellie are trying to take razor scooters off short plastic ramps, and the ramp had been set up from the upper level, Mike, Lucas, Dustin, and Eddie(??) are all taking turns sliding down on mattresses. Nancy, Robin, and Chrissy are lying about on two of the mattresses in front of a short stage, and there are tables piled high with snacks and drinks and sandwiches on one side of the stage, and a huge pile of blankets and pillows on the opposite side.

Steve is flabbergasted, “Are they having a slumber party?” he laughs. Joyce steps back from the doors then, pulling one open and stepping in, Steve close behind

Eddie’s gaze catches on Joyce and Steve as they enter, he and Dustin are standing on their mattress (halfway down already), trying to surf their way to the bottom. It seems like he straightens on instinct and the movement causes Dustin to faceplant onto the mattress, and Eddie to flop backward off the mattress and onto the metal ramp. His head connects with the slide with a resounding gong and he slides down the rest of the way on his back.

Steve rushes forward to help him up, which Eddie refuses. “That was embarrassing. You can just leave me here to die, your highness.”

Steve rolls his eyes and offers his hand again, which Eddie takes and allows Steve to haul him up off the floor. “No dying on my ballroom floor, Muñoz.” Steve says, keeping Eddie pulled into his chest for a moment before releasing him and moving over to Dustin to make sure he was alright.

“Eddie, what the hell we almost had th–” Dustin looks up to see Joyce smiling at him, “Your majesty, my apologies for my language.”

Steve stifles a laugh behind his hand.

“It’s quite alright Mr. Henderson, may I take a turn next?”

Everyone falls silent at that. “Y-yeah, of course ma’am, let me bring it up for you!” Dustin picks up the mattress excitedly and rushes up the stairs with it, Joyce following behind.

Everyone else stops to watch whatever it is that’s about to happen.

Joyce gets to the top, Dustin having set the mattress up right at the edge of the slide. Then she stands on it. Like she is going to surf the mattress down.

“Is she really going to do this?” Robin says, having come up to Steve’s side.

“Uh…” is all he gets out before, yep, there she goes. Joyce jumps forward a bit onto the front of the mattress to get it going, arms out, and slides. Standing, all the way to the bottom.

“Ta da!”

The ballroom erupts into cheers and the teens crowd close around Joyce, fully in awe at what she was able to do, and Dustin (and Eddie) weren't.

“I tried that like 15 times! How do you know how to do that?!”

“That was incredible! You’re the coolest!”

All of them talking over one another until, “I grew up here, you know; my father, my brother and I all loved to surf down and see who could make it the furthest.”

They again all started talking over each other, until “Alright, you goblins, let Queen Joyce take her leave. We have the rest of the party to get to, now that Steve’s here.” Robin herded them away from Joyce, who climbed back up the stairs to her quarters with a wave to the rest.

“Okay, so what’s happening now?”

“Surprise! It’s your bachelor party!” Robin throws her arms out to gesture at the room around them. “We set it up while you were gone with Joyce!”

“I said we should’ve gotten you some strippers but Robin said no.” Mike interjects

“Ew, gross dude, it’s Nancy’s party too.”

“Then she should’ve gone home like she planned to, Max.”

“ANYWAY.” Robin cut off their bickering. “It’s Steve’s bachelor party and it is what it is because I know Steve and this is what he’d want. We’ve got the ramp set up, music, sandwiches and snacks that yes, you can have now that he’s here, and 80s/90s karaoke. A Steve Party.” she shrugs at the end.

They all look toward Steve when she’s done, and he’s beaming. His face hurts already, but he couldn’t stop if he tried. “What are you all looking at me for, go wild!” He shoos them all away and they do just that, most of them going for the food now that they can. “Just don’t hurt yourselves! Max, I’m looking at you, no skateboarding down the ramp I swear to god.” Steve follows them to the food.

–

“So who’s gonna get karaoke started?” Eddie asks the gathered masses, all sprawled out on the mattresses piled in front of the stage with their snacks and sandwiches.

“You said it, now it’s gotta be you.” Max snarks back, not looking up from her phone.

“It’s all old stuff anyway, we aren’t going to know much.” Erica says from Max's side. ‘Hoo boy that is a dangerous combo’ Eddie thinks to himself

“It’s not that old!” Steve says, half mock, half actually offended. “You’ll probably know some of them.”

It was definitely a surprise when Steve’d decided to plop himself down next to Eddie, but a welcome one (though he could do without the looks Chrissy had been throwing at the two of them).

Speaking of, Eddie looks over to Chrissy, who’s a couple bodies down, sitting on the floor in front of Robin.

“Chrissy!” She looks over at him and he raises her eyebrow “Shall we?”

Grinning brightly, she pops up from the floor “Abso-fuckin-lutely.”

“Okay, hold on. What was that, should we be worried? I’m worried.” Steve is looking between the two as they hop up on stage, effectively pulling the attention of the others, who look up at him and Chrissy expectantly.

“You all will know this one, it’s mine and Chrissy’s go-to song.”

The first two notes is all it takes before everyone around them is screaming.

“Hiya, Barbie.”

“Hi Ken!”

They all start yelling along to Eddie and Chrissy’s absolutely amazing rendition of Barbie girl, and once they’re done, all the teens are fighting over who gets to go next.

“Really? Barbie Girl?” Steve asks when he sits back down.

Eddie shrugs, “Yeah, it’s a real ice breaker, but it’s also the only karaoke you’ll get out of me, so I hope you enjoyed that.”

“Yeah, it was pretty great.” Steve smiles a megawatt smile at him and Eddie almost forgets how to breathe.

After a double hit of ABBA (“Dancing Queen” from Max and El, and “Super Trouper” from Nancy, the rest of them unable to resist providing the backup vocals), “Should I Stay or Should I Go” from Will (and Jonathan who’d wandered in at some point and decided to stay), “Don’t Stop Believin’” from Lucas and Dustin, “All Star” from Mike, and a super impassioned “Man, I Feel Like a Woman” from Erica that had everyone singing along, Steve took a turn.

The plain white tee and jeans combo really added to his performance of “Dancing in the Dark”, looking every bit the part of Springsteen. Eddie wanted to eat him.

“Okay that’s not fair, Springsteen’s so in your register. Not gonna do anything daring, Stevie?”

Steve’d been about to put the mic down, but raised a brow at Eddie’s taunt and raised it back to his mouth. “Okay, you little shit.” he punches something into the machine and…

“Can anybody find me somebody to love?” Just in that one line he’d proven his point, his voice shifting through the whole opening line’s highest and lowest notes with no effort at all.

He sings the rest of the song effortlessly, much to the delight of his crowd who were all singing along.

Eddie knows his heart eyes are obvious, but it doesn’t matter.

“Now what about you, Muñoz, gonna do another song or are you just here to heckle the rest of us?” Steve asks after he’s done.

Ignoring the taunting 'oooohhs' from the rest of the peanut gallery, Eddie says “Not a chance, big boy, but I may have something better. Give me ten minutes.” He hops up and jogs back to his room and after a quick change, heads back to the ballroom, his sweetheart in hand.

“No fuckin’ way, is that a warlock??” Mike jumps up as soon as he sees Eddie again, running up to see up close.

Everyone else turns to look and a few start throwing whoops and wolf whistles at the sight of him.

“Whoa now, step away from the guitar. You’ll get your gross Mike germs all over her.”

“Rude. Also, the hell are you wearing?”

They’re back at the semi-circle with everyone else, and he sets his mini amp and his baby onto the stage. “Oh, this?” He spreads out his arms and gives a slow spin, letting everyone take in his carefully crafted battle vest, vintage band tee, and favorite ripped jean combo. “This is me, Mikey; Eddie Muñoz, nice to meet you.” He sticks out his hand for Mike to shake and the teen rolls his eyes and bats his hand away.

“This is insane, you look like Hammett,” Jonathan points at Eddie, “and you look like Springsteen.” pointing at Steve. “This is turning into a real 80s fest.”

Steve preens at that, and all Eddie can think to say is “You know Metallica?”

“Everyone knows Metallica.” Mike cuts back in

“Oh, don’t even start, Mike, as if you know any of their names. You just know ‘Metallica’.”

Mike grumbles and moves to tackle Dustin back onto the mattress, nearly elbowing Lucas in the scuffle.

“Okay, okay, enough!” Steve calls, getting the boys to stop. “So, Eddie, you gonna put on a concert for us?”

“Eh, something like that.” Eddie rubs the back of his neck “I’m no singer but I wanted to pull her out and play while I had some sort of chance.”

“Have at it, man, the floor is yours.” Steve smiles and gestures to the stage.

Eddie gets his shit plugged in and set up, listening to the conversations around him as he does.

“Eddie had a band back in secondary school, they were horrible and scream-y but I thought they were all so cool.” Chrissy is telling Robin, Nancy, and Jonathan (who’d made himself comfy next to Nancy).

“Am I seriously considering getting a denim vest right now?” He hears Dustin wonder aloud.

“It’s not just a vest, bonehead, it’s a battle jacket. It’s different.” Erica (surprisingly) says.

“How in the hell do you know that?” Lucas asks as Eddie plugs the mic into his amp too.

“If you actually like music, you’d know that every community has their thing, Sinclair.” Max cuts in “Battle vests are metalheads’ thing.”

“Can you make one even if you aren’t a metalhead?” Eddie can hear Dustin ask quietly.

“That you can, Dusty, just make sure you know the history before you do.” Eddie shucks off the vest in question and tosses it to Dustin “Be careful with it, will you?” Dustin nods, him and the other four already distracted by his pins and patches.

Eddie slings his sweetheart around his neck, ready to go, and sees Steve, El and Will sitting cross-legged on the mattress directly in front of him, all three looking at him expectantly.

“Okay, you all. I’m not a singer, but I hope at least one of you knows this one.” Eddie says into the mic, then strums.

–

The teens around him erupt into cheers and Erica yells “Master of Puppets!”

Eddie points at her with a grin and keeps going, fingers going a mile a minute and Steve is enthralled.

Steve’s come to accept that Eddie will literally always look damn good, but he looks Damn. Good. up on that stage; guitar in hand, hair taken out of the bun it was in before and flying with every movement, the fucking eyeliner he’d added with his “real Eddie” clothes that’d made Steve’s mouth go dry.

They all cheer and scream when Eddie’s done with his song, and he starts in on another, playing a few chords before Erica again is yelling out the name of the song. The song changes and this time Jonathan guesses correctly; on and on with different songs, changing each once someone guesses correctly.

Steve finally recognizes one, “I Was Made For Lovin’ You!” he yells before Jonathan or Erica can.

“Finally!” Eddie grins and points at Steve “Of course it’d be KISS that you’d recognize, Stevie. Okay, this one’s for you.”

This one Steve recognizes with the first note, and is frozen where he sits. ‘How’d he know this is my favorite?’ Steve looks at Robin with wide eyes, and she’s already looking at him, her mouth open in shock. ‘Did you tell him?’ he mouths at her. She shakes her head furiously and looks back at Eddie.

He looks back at Eddie, who’s looking down at his hands on the strings, head bobbing to the unheard beat, hair curtained around his face. A couple of the others had already guessed the song correctly, but Eddie keeps playing, the song is a little empty without the usual keyboard and drum, but it works. Damn does it work.

Steve’s on his feet and stepping onto the stage without even thinking about it. As soon as he is, Eddie’s head snaps up, confused, but his hands don’t falter. Just watches him as he picks up the mic right on time to sing “Welcome to your life, there’s no turning back..”

He sings, and looks at Eddie, who’s looking at him with the fondest smile he’s ever seen. Steve’s heart is hammering, burning hotter and hotter for Eddie with every beat.

He tears his eyes from the man next to him and looks out at his mish-mash group of friends singing along with him; Nancy and Jonathan singing along and swaying side to side with Chrissy and Robin (the latter of whom’s arms are tucked around the former), Mike had taken Steve’s spot next to Will when he’d gotten up (both of their faces red), leaving El next to Dustin (who’s now wearing Eddie’s vest), Erica on his other side, phone held up and a mischievous grin on her face, and Max and Lucas next to each other at the end, each leaning in to the other, but not quite touching.

Steve grins around the lyrics he sings, and thinks that he needs to find Joyce to tell her “Nevermind, I am definitely happy.”

Chap 9 here!

@henderdads gave me most of party's karaoke songs, and @yournowheregirl suggested Barbie Girl for Steve and Robin, but I swapped it to Eddie and Chrissy instead! Thank you guys!!!

@sadcanadianwinter @hopefulslothcollecter @steveshairychest @sidebarre @resident-gay-bitch @kaspurrcat @melkene @livewondrousss @steddieasitgoes @mightbeasleep @princessstevemunson @totallybitchin @potentialheartofdarkness @spectrum-spectre

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