#It really does seem that they want Robin to be a lesbian or at least sapphic

[ironunderstands]

Genuine question, where are yall getting the “robins eye dots + the stuff behind her are Xipe colors” from?

Because like I don’t see it, like at all. Xipe has like every color under the sun behind them and the shades aren’t similar to Robin’s at all, they aren’t in the same order and there’s like three million other colors mixed in there. I do think the “that rainbow behind her represents moon lesbians” is a little silly because even if it looks like the flag I doubt hoyo’s devs know what those are (I learned about them today 😭).

However, the other colors on the traffic lights and her cheeks straight up look like they are meant to look like a lesbian flag or at least a pastel version of one, and for the life of me I can’t see where people are coming from when they say it’s related to Xipe. I guess her eyes cover the other colors, but purple and yellow are still missing if she truly wanted to represent them on her face alone

Idk man, let me know your thoughts

[torakowalski]

More Swimmer Steve!

(part one | part two | part three | part four)

"Kinda cold to be sitting out here," Steve says, dropping down onto the grass to sit next to Eddie. He leans his back against the hotel wall and blows on his hands.

"Can't smoke in my room," Eddie says, staring out into the dark evening. "My roommate's quitting."

"Sounds like a drip," says Steve. He picks up the packet that Eddie has been making his way through, gives it a shake, then puts it back down without asking to borrow a light.

Eddie's relieved; with the way he's feeling, he totally would have given one over, even though Steve really is serious about quitting this time.

"Nah," he says. "He's an athlete."

Steve laughs a little under his breath. "And an idiot."

That gets Eddie turning toward him. "Huh?"

Steve rubs his hands up and down his thighs, skin making a gentle noise against his denim jeans.

"I mean, I knew you liked guys, it just never occurred to me that that meant I should act different. I'm sorry, man. I won't forget to take underwear into the bathroom with me, anymore."

That...is not what Eddie expected. Eddie has been sitting out here, trying to work out if he had the cash for a Greyhound home, if Steve kicked him out of the hotel. This is not that. At all.

" You knew I liked guys?" Eddie asks. Far as he knows, the only people who know are Robin and Gareth and Wayne and Dustin, what with how they're the only people he's told. "Did Robin -?"

Steve shakes his head. "She wouldn't. No one told me, I just... You know how you just know?"

"No?" says Eddie who has never ever trust his ability to know that. The idea of getting it wrong is too frightening.

"Huh," says Steve. "I always seem to know. With guys, at least." He smiles a little to himself. "I'm not so good at spotting lesbians."

"They camouflage," Eddie says, automatically. Even he doesn't know what he means by that, but it makes Steve laugh, which is all he ever wants. "But like, you're cool? We're cool?"

"I guess that's up to you." Steve turns to him, devastating eyes all big and earnest. "I'm the one who's been... What did Robin say? Exposing myself to you."

Eddie chokes. "That makes you sound like a creep in the park."

"That's what I said!" Steve knocks his knee against Eddie's. "But anyway, I'm sorry."

"Nah, it's fine. I know you weren't trying to like, taunt me or anything. I thought I was being a creep for like looking."

"You barely looked," Steve says which, how does he know? Did he look at Eddie looking? "And it's no skin off my nose, if you do." He catches Eddie's eye, bounces his eyebrows up and down. "You deserve a treat."

"Oh you're a treat, huh?" Eddie asks. He reaches out, gives Steve's arm a shove, and feels about a year's worth of panic melt away.

Steve just smiles, smug and annoying and fully aware of what he looks like.

He leans back against the wall, staring out across the parking lot. "It's just cos I'm a guy, right?"

Eddie hums a question at him.

"I mean, you're looking, or not looking, because I'm a guy and you like guys. Not because of anything to do with me?"

Eddie freezes. He doesn't do that much; he's much more inclined to flight or fight. Mostly flight, let's be honest. But right now, he doesn't know what Steve wants to hear, so he doesn't know what to say.

Steve huffs, turns to Eddie so Eddie can see him rolling his eyes at himself. "Sorry, stupid question."

"It's kinda because it's you," Eddie admits, because Steve looks like he thinks it _isn't_ and that's apparently unacceptable to Eddie. "Like, a little. Partly."

He holds his pointer finger and thumb an inch or so apart, so Steve can see how much of Eddie's horniness is dependent on Steve's Steveness.

"Huh," Steve says and grins. "That's cool. "

"It... is?" Eddie asks. "Not super fucking weird?"

Steve shakes his head. "No? I mean, I had way more than a little, partly thing for Robin for ages, but after we talked everything, it wasn't weird to her. That's basically the same thing."

Sometimes Eddie has no idea how Steve's brain works. "How?"

"Because!" says Steve, like it's obvious. He definitely picked that tone up from Dustin. "My sexy parts were into hers, but hers weren't into mine, no one's fault, just the way they were made. So if she wasn't weird about me, I'm sure as shit not gonna be weird about you. You know?"

He does a little shrug, hands spread. Eddie knows he hates explaining himself.

"You're something else, Harrington," Eddie says.

"In a good way?" Steve asks.

"In a great way," Eddie promises.

"Cool." Steve nods to himself. "In that case, give me a cigarette."

He reaches for the packet. "Not on your life, you're not that great," Eddie lies, and snatches it away from him.

(continued here)

[strdwvlly]

i know a gazillion people have done this already but... i'm gonna post my stardew valley bachelor/ette age hcs + my reasoning hehe

to start this off, i want to say that this is based on what concernedape said about all of them being 20+ but they're also all my personal hcs so i understand if you disagree!

ok that being said, here we go

- maru: 22. she works as a nurse as well as helping her dad with research, i think she's young but not Too young ykwim? demetrius is also really strict so it adds to her seeming young

- penny: 23. it seems like she's been teaching the kids for a few years already even though she hasn't gone to college yet, she also seems older than she is cus she's had to parent her mother :/

- sam: 25. since he lives at home, i think people think he's younger but tbf i know a lot of mid 20 somethings who live at home (me included until recently). i also think jodi and kent had him really young, like 18ish, typical military couple situation

- sebastian: 27. he remembers a time before robin married demetrius so he has to be at least 4 years older than maru, and i think he's a little older because i don't think robin gave birth immediately after getting remarried

- abigail: 23. she's comfortable hanging out with sam and sebastian but definitely seems younger than them, plus she's doing online school which tends to take longer than traditional uni

- alex: 20. to be honest he just seems like the youngest to me, he still wears his varsity jacket and has big dreams of playing gridball and stuff. also a lot of unresolved trauma.

- haley: 22. she's bratty but in a cute tsundere way which makes me think she might be on the younger side. plus she gives me (and everyone else) huge closeted lesbian vibes, so i feel like she hasn't fully come into her identity yet

- emily: 30. i feel like there's a significant age gap between her and haley cus she has second mom vibes and they also seem to have some friction in terms of responsibilities because emily does a lot for haley

- leah: 31. she gives me huge "i hit 30 and realized i needed to change my entire life" energy when she talks about leaving her ex and moving to stardew valley

- harvey: 34. i think he's the oldest, like he doesn't feel ancient but at the same time he had to have gone through med school and his residency so 34 feels comfortable

- shane: 31. he seems older because of the depression and the trauma, but i don't think he's past his early 30s yet, he kinda stopped taking care of himself so it just looks that way

- elliott: 32. he's got big "phd student who abandoned a career in academia to write his great american novel" type vibes, and he's not really self conscious about being very poetic and flowery so i think he's out of his tumultuous twenties

[svltzmans]

she's just not into you - r.b.

robin buckley x fem!lesbian!reader

steve has been looking at y/n y/l/n for months, to no avail. she just seems to have no interest, even with steve's kind gestures. he doesn't understand why. robin does.

a/n:

hi!! omg this is the first time i'm ever writing something like this! i hope someone sees it and likes it lol :) pls ignore any grammar mistakes i tried my best!!

"i can't believe you managed to score a date with the hottest girl in all of hawkins after my millions of failed attempts", steve remarks, his hands running through his almost-too-long coffee-colored locks. "you've seen it! she just isn't into me at all."

"well, you're not exactly tom cruise or anything", robin responds sarcastically, still lugging her trumpet case from the pep rally.

"tom cruise probably couldn't even pull y/n y/l/n anyway."

"but i could."

"don't remind me!"

the two best friends continue down the halls of hawkins high, robin's heart still pounding remembering what she had managed to pull off minutes prior.

she has a date. a real one.

with y/n y/l/n.

she feels like she'll always remember the exact moment y/n's lips lifted into a smile as she accepted her offer.

the hawkins high pep rally was one of robin's least favorite events of the year.

she loved playing the trumpet. she actually really did.

but playing it in front of her high school full of judgemental jocks and cheerleaders wasn't quite her speed.

nonetheless, she knew she would get to see y/n y/l/n in the crowd. and that made her confidently apply a little extra makeup in steve's car, despite the background noise of steve's babbling.

robin's heartbeat kicked up the second steve pulled into the hawkins high parking lot. she scanned the crowd, but caught no sight of the girl she wanted to see.

that was, until she stepped into the stuffy gym and began to ascend the bleachers.

"robin!", a familiar voice sang.

"oh, y/n! hi!"

"i'm excited to hear you play. i'll be right near the band section!"

those words make robin's stomach start to twist.

"i'll make sure to play as best as i can then!"

y/n laughs in a way that makes robin's cheeks flush a red so deep it's almost maroon.

"oh, y/n, i wanted to ask you a question actually."

oh god, it's happening.

"what's up, robin?"

it's actually happening.

"can you meet me below the bleachers at the end of the pep rally?"

robin's heart pounds while she waits for a response. sure, y/n doesn't know her plans, at least not yet. but simply the thought of her and y/n in privacy makes her feel nervous.

"yeah! i'll meet you there!"

robin simply smiles genuinely, nods, and starts the short walk to the band section of the bleachers.

the pep rally flies by in a blur. robin almost forgets the songs she has to play countless times, her mind only focused on what she wanted to say to y/n.

finally, the student population starts to file out of the gym, and robin makes her way to the bottom of the bleachers. to her surprise, y/n is already standing there, leaning against the wall.

"hey rob!"

the nickname sends a chill down robin's spine.

"y/n! you beat me here!"

"i couldn't keep the best trumpet player in hawkins waiting."

robin's face falls flush again, her hands nervously folded in front of her.

"i guess i'm okay. lots of practice."

"no, robin, you're really good at it. i know a pep rally is supposed to be about school spirit and whatever other bullshit, but i was watching you play. and trying to listen despite how loud everything was."

robin is shaken by how genuine y/n sounds. she knew y/n was kind. she had just never experienced it this personally.

she knows she can't hesitate any longer.

"y/n, do you wanna maybe go get a coffee with me tomorrow? after school?"

she had done it. she had asked one of the most coveted girls at hawkins high on a date.

countless hawkins boys had asked y/n out. robin had even witnessed some of the rejections y/n had dished out, noting the guilty look on the girl's face.

and steve was right. he had tried, quite a few different times. y/n was always kind to him, but never in a more than platonic way. he didn't understand why. had he done something wrong?

"of course i will, robs. that sounds like a lot of fun."

robin then understood why.

[unclewaynemunson]

Pt2 to the Wingman Wayne AU sequel :D (This one’s gonna be slightly longer than most of the other parts!) | You can read pt1 here | ao3 link

Robin would never admit it to Steve, but she is nervous. Like, really nervous. The level of nervous you get from having a date as a lesbian in a small town in the Midwest who has only ever dated one girl before – a girl she knew from the school band, which means they didn't actually meet each other on a date, which means that Robin technically doesn't really have any first-date experience at all – contrary to Steve, who has a lot of first-date experience.

What do people wear for a first date? How do they prepare? Should you even prepare at all? Do people come late, do they come early, do they bring a present, how do they greet each other?  

By the time she's finally changed into clothes that make her feel the right amount of comfortable yet attractive, her room has exploded into even more of a mess than it usually is: her whole wardrobe is covering literally every inch of the floor, another pile of clothes is thrown haphazardly onto her bed, and Polly is making herself comfortable on Robin's favorite soft cardigan, no doubt getting dog hair all over it.

She shoots another glance in the mirror, tugging at her collar and frowning at the way her jeans are fitting around her upper legs.

'No, you're not gonna get changed again,' she sternly tells her reflection. 'You're fine. This is fine. You got this.'

'You got this,' Rosalinda repeats from her cage in the corner of the room. 'You look great. You look great.'

Robin perks up at that; teaching Rosalinda to say “you look great” whenever Robin is looking in the mirror has definitely been one of the better decisions in her whole life so far.

She rushes over to the cage to treat the parrot on some nuts, but then she notices the clock and a string of curses escapes from her mouth as she starts frantically looking for her All Stars - which she finds buried underneath Polly’s butt.

Well, at least she has one thing less to worry about now: fashionably late is gonna be her very well thought through arrival time.

---

She arrives at Benny's about ten minutes late. As she haphazardly shoves her bike into a rack, she spots a curly-haired girl leaning against one of the parked cars with a somewhat bored look on her face.

'I'm so sorry,' Robin says, slightly out of breath as she rushes up to the girl. 'I'm literally the worst at time management and I couldn't find my shoes because my dog was sitting on them and then I lost my keys because I forgot to –'

'It's fine,' the girl interrupts her. To Robin's relief, her lips are curving into a smile – a very pretty smile, that is. 'Mr. Munson already told me that you were probably gonna be late.'

Something about that seems really unfair and Robin huffs.

'How does he even know that? I never even met the man! No one even bothered to tell me your name, and you already know all about one of my worst personality traits!'

'It's Nancy.'

'What?' Robin gives the girl a distracted look.

'My name.' She holds out her hand and Robin shakes it, even though she thinks that's a bit formal for a date – it is, right? Or is this normal date etiquette and is Robin indeed as clueless as she feared she would be?

'I'm Nancy,' the girl elucidates. Her hand is cold against Robin's, but not in an unpleasant way, and Robin can barely suppress a shiver. 'And my worst personality traits is that I always want to be right.'

Robin can't help but smile at her. 'Good to know, I’ll make sure to remember that in case I ever need to let you win an argument,’ she answers.

'You're Robin, right?'

'No, I'm Tammy,' Robin deadpans.

'Oh.' Nancy lets go of her hand, going wide-eyed.

'Kidding. I'm Robin. Sorry for that lame joke.'

But Nancy chuckles, and it sounds just as cute as her smile looks. All of Nancy is cute, actually: she's almost a full head smaller than Robin and wearing a colorful skirt paired with a purple button-down. A necklace with a ballet-shoe pendant is resting against the skin right underneath her collarbones, and her fine-featured face reminds Robin of a work of art: perfectly heartshaped, with sharp cheekbones, a pointed chin, and huge, deep-blue eyes that get this adorable sparkle when she smiles.

And unfortunately, Robin knows all too well what will inevitably happen whenever she's put in front of a girl as pretty as Nancy. It's like she can actually feel the words piling up in her throat.

'I have to warn you, I've never actually been on a date with a girl before. I mean, I've dated a girl, but not been on a date, like, with someone I don't know yet. I mean, it's not like I'm not out yet, alright, but in this town, there's only so many people you can be out to, if you know what I mean, so I couldn't exactly go happily dating around, and I've never really been interested in dating boys at all, so that never happened either – so what I'm trying to say is that I've never been on a date before and it's kinda making me nervous and I have this habit that I start rambling when I'm nervous, so you should probably just cut me off at some point or else I'll be passing out soon because I'm getting really out of breath and –'

'Take a breath,' Nancy finally interrupts her monologue. Her smile is less shy now and more amused, and Robin gratefully does what Nancy ordered her to do.

'It's okay,' Nancy says in a sweetly quiet voice. 'I'm glad you told me. I've actually never been on a date with a girl either. I've been in some relationships, with guys, but they didn't – they didn't really work. Um...' She points towards the door. 'Should we get –'

'Yeah, let's go inside,' Robin says, eagerly taking the chance to continue their conversation somewhere that's not a joyless gray parking lot.

They order at the counter and Robin lets Nancy pick a booth; they end up at the one in the most remote corner.

'Well,' Robin says, raising her Coke at Nancy, 'Cheers to Wayne Munson, I guess, for landing both of us our very first official date with a girl.'

Nancy chuckles and clinks her glass against Robin's.

'Cheers to Wayne Munson,' she repeats. 'I have to admit, I was very surprised when he called me. I only met him once, you know?'

Robin listens attentively while Nancy tells her how she met Mr. Munson at the plant, where he was working while she was on an assignment for the newspaper. It's surprisingly easy, to talk to her. They easily launch into this whole conversation about the working conditions and safety hazards down at the plant, both equally indignant about how the employees are treated there, and Robin fires all kinds of questions at Nancy about her job at the Gazette.

'I've been really lucky,' Nancy admits. 'Last year I got this internship at the Hawkins Post and that was... not great. I was basically the only woman and all those men thought I was only good for making them coffee and sandwiches. It's actually why I broke up with my boyfriend. He thought I should just “sit it out,” be grateful for the opportunity or whatever. Which I thought was fucking bullshit.'

Robin nods eagerly, her mouth too stuffed with Benny's heavenly burger to form an intelligible response.

'Anyway, I didn't sit it out – I went behind their backs for a good story and they fired me. But that's how I ended up at the Gazette. They make much better articles anyway – like the thing we did with the plant.' Nancy pauses to take a sip of her drink, and her eyes are lit up beautifully with the passion for the work she's doing. 'They care about this community, want to publish stuff that actually helps make it better. So I got to talk to Mr. Munson, and he had some really interesting things to say,' she said, coming full-circle with her story like a true journalist. 'But we didn't talk about any personal stuff, you know,' she continues. 'So I was really surprised when he called.'

Robin chuckles. 'Yeah, I haven't even met the man, I only know his nephew Eddie. He's supposed to have some sixth sense for matching queer people,' she tells Nancy while jokingly wiggling her eyebrows. 'That's how my best friend became Eddie's boyfriend. I wouldn't have been here if that dingus didn't tell me that it was gonna be worth it.'

The shyness is back in Nancy's smile as she holds Robin's gaze over their fries.

'Well, I think your friend might be right about that sixth sense,' Nancy says quietly.

Robin feels her cheeks heat up at that and looks away from Nancy's intense gaze.

'Don't tell him that,' she jokes. 'His ego is already annoyingly big.'

She looks back into Nancy's eyes and immediately feels fucking stupid for not taking her chance and say something heartfelt in response to Nancy's brave vulnerability.

'But no matter how much it pains me to admit it, I have to agree with you that he might be right,' she awkwardly adds. And luckily, it works: Nancy is beaming at her like the fucking brightest star in the milky way.

Pt3

Taglist: @munsonsuccubus @messrs-weasley @shrimply-a-menace @booksandsience @sadcanadianwinter @mightbeasleep

[wuffgang-ameowdeus-moozart]

I think that the complaints about Vickie are less "she is too similar to Robin" (bc girl literally had half a scene of screentime. we have no idea who she is.) and more "once again there are only two (2) explicitly queers in the show (I will always be a Will should've come out to Jonathan truther) so of course they will be forced together".

She was only barely introduced. It feels a lot like the only reason she exists is so Robin can be with someone. The Duffers already have problems dealing with their current (pretty big) cast, it does not bode well for Vickie's characterisation tbh (I'm sorry, I love him as much as the next person. But Argyle's one (1) personality trait is literally. Weed. So it doesn't seem improbable that Vickie's one (1) personality trait would be becoming Robin's girlfriend. Which would suck for obvious reasons. Also, like. They are already infamous for their treatment of queer(-coded) characters)

It would also take away from stobin time, which is an already established dynamic everyone (if you don't you are simply factually incorrect sorry not sorry) loves. The cast is huge, the Duffers will have to pick and choose who they want to focus on, and it seems way more probable that those will be the established mcs (Will & El especially) and not Robin's side-character love interest. I mean, it would honestly be bad storytelling if they did that in the last season.

Especially since the straight romances are so good. Lumax? Absolute banger. The early Stancy development? So good. Jancy? Pretty sure there's a poll out there about how they are one of the most well-liked couples. Mileven? Multiple seasons establishing groundwork before they even get together. To have Vickie not even be a character before she is thrown into a relationship with the only lesbian feels a bit like a slap in the face. Like, at least Steve had a bunch of character development after the breakup but that can't happen with Vickie because it's the last season and they really have other stuff to worry about 😪 Like, idk, at least everyone else had a choice, which is part of what makes those romances so impactful (lumax, jancy, etc etc), while Robin - on the count of being a lesbian and Vickie being the only other sapphic character - really.....doesn't.

(Plus maybe it's the aro in me speaking, but I found it kinda cool to have a canonically queer character whose story arc is not completely focused on romance for once)

I also think this part of the reason why ronance got so big. Nancy already *is* her own person. Nobody can look at Nancy and say "her only personality is being queer" or "she's only here so Robin doesn't end up alone because we obviously need to pair everyone off somehow". A relationship between them would be another facette of their development, not the one thing that defines them. (Like. Her being bi is literally the only reason Vickie is even in the season. Sorry not sorry.)

But I mean. The season isn't out. We barely saw the two interact. My expectations are already below ground level. Maybe they will surprise me.

[gingkos-eldritch-secret]

Fanfiction Commentary and Recommendations: Lex Luthor´s Ascend from Supervillainy to Fatherhood Part VI (chapters 26 to 30)

The Original story by @halfagone can be found here.

The previous parts of the commentaries can be found here:

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Part V

Part VII

So, just to begin with: we still continue where the last part cut off. This will include discussions of injury, blood, torture and death. Also, discussions about the morality of killing someone, even in self-defence.

Many good and interesting and also important discussions happen in these following chapters. Which is very, very nice, but also makes for a bit of an emotionally exhausting bit to read. It´s absolutely wonderful, but at the end I lay in my bed and was like 'how. How do I even feel now? What should I feel now? What?' So yeah, be prepared for that.

Now included: Memes and (hopefully) gifs. You´ll see if it worked. As of now I have no clue. And with that: have fun with the commentary :D

○○○••○○•••○○••○○○

So: Dick is still floored by Lex just leaving after admitting that he forgives them for their behaviour. And has the same opinion as me: That he´s a freaking miracle worker. Good for him! He really DOES deserve Alfred´s cookies for this.

And now we get back to the interrogation. I mean. It should be just Gordon doing this, but Batman has been allowed to stay. And knowing how the bat behaves in such scenarios I´m not really sure that that´s a good idea.

A fun fact: the bats are ALL listening in to the conversation. And as I already know how this will go I´ll just say: they´ll be facepalming. A lot. Or will be commiserating with Danny in a way. Because god damn, he kinda verbally eviscerates Bruce. And Bruce freaking deserves it.

I mean, true, Bruce has made it clear that he´s not offering any input. But it´s Bruce. Even if he wanted to, can this man even hold back his opinions and questions?

Jason and Dick hide it out on the roof - more or less in a mix of civilian and vigilante outfits, having their own conversation while listening in.

And listening in they do. I´m not sure that 'What´s one more bad memory in a hospital?' is a wonderful conversation starter, but god damn. It sure sets the mood. You can decide what that mood is, but I´d say a mix between resigned, shifty (if that even is a mood and not a state of being) and exasperated. So Fun mix.

At least Jim doesn´t seem all too happy about the conversation either? Small mercies, I guess.

At least there´s a lawyer present.

(If I´m very wordy in this: blame the mix of melatonin and caffeine that is unique to night shifts. I am VERY giddy right now and that translates weirdly into commentary. It´s weird to write while kind of dancing to a space documentary YouTube video lmao.)

The first question is just. Basic. 'What happened? Begin from the kidnapping'. That was the moment I decided that I needed popcorn. Because with how done Danny seemed from the whole situation to begin with that could only go so well.

So, it begins with Danny beginning at the. Well. Beginning. With him running off and befriending the crazy local lesbians (I love them your honour) and how he spent his time there, how he doubled back after the explosion and the whole Van business happening after that. All the while Jason is still reeling about his relationship with two ex-Villains. But really, should he be so surprised about that? It´s Danny 'i'mma rehabilitate villains' Luthor we´re talking about.

Then he tries to explain why he thinks the Joker targeted him - he brings it back to his connections with said man´s ex and her new girlfriend. Which is understandable. I doubt he knows that he was mistaken as a Robin when he was taken.

And then we get into the nitty gritty. The things that happened after the camera was shot and the stream was ended.

And just oof. There had just been a whole freaking table full of torture instruments. FULL OF THEM. None of them like that revelation.

And of course, Batman interrupts and asks if the camera was shot on purpose. What the fuck man. WHAT THE FUCK. YOU ASK A TRAUMATIZED CHILD IF HE SHOT A CAMERA ON PURPOSE AFTER BEING BOUND AND TORTURED ON A LIFESTREAM? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU????

Danny stays calm. Only just. He explains how he´d meant to get the man in the shoulder or the back to run as far away as possible. How he still managed to get away and knocked out any goons he met on his way. How he found bomb equipment and used it against the bad excuse of a clown when he got too close to a hiding spot. How he´d tried to shoot him in the back and just met his chest instead. How the Joker just LAUGHED and tried to kill him then and there because 'two killers killing each other'. Really. Fuck him.

Jim, bless his soul, just gently prods at what happened next. Which Danny lies about. Says he just tried to drag himself away, but was slow because of the blood loss and the wounds. That Red Hood came soon after that. It´s a good lie. And it´s nearly the truth. But we all know what went on was just a tad more eldritch. Not that he can tell them that. Who´d ever believe it after all? Or react well to that? No one. that´s who.

Now Gordon tells Danny that the goons were all found dead. All of them. Danny … does not take this well. At all. Even the lawyer asks if they should stop for now, but … well. Then they´d have to do it a second time and I highly doubt that would go any better.

And now the million-dollar question. Where did our boy learn how to wield a gun? This is where the bad parenting choices of the Fentons come in. And how they led to Danny and Jazz chasing each other around the house with loaded guns. In a playful way…. Now where is that Danny protection squad. I need a membership.

And of course, Batman asks why they taught their children how to use lethal guns. He´s still not holding himself to the earlier 'promise' of: he´ll stay out of the conversation. I´m still mad at him for that. And I will continue to be mad at him for that.

Go Jason. Own that cringe at the behaviour of your father figure. Though we´ll all agree that the Fenton parents are, in fact, fools.

So, while Danny tells them that he learnt because he had to, that he never liked guns. Which Batman then uses against him with his next question. And Gordon is not happy about THAT either, trying to interrupt. But of course, the great batman just ignores the head of the police force and asks why Danny chose the gun instead of any of the other weapons.

Danny´s just like 'What? Should I have taken a melee weapon? With the joker? How´d I have gotten away that way? It would have been so much harder?'

And Bruce, not understanding or not liking the reasoning is just like 'You could´ve just ran away'

Like. Danny´s right. He´d been trying to do that from the start? Why´d Batman suddenly fault him for this? For self-defence? I repeat myself: WHAT THE FUCK BATMAN?

Now the man is trying to talk Danny into a corner so that he may 'confess' or whatever the hell is going on in his head. Because why ever else would he hide somewhere? If not to just ambush the Joker?

Which is, I think, when Danny gets really fed up and was also the time I was sitting there like

Batman be like 'I just need to know why' and Danny? Has had ENOUGH. Jason may find his eyes creepy at this point. And I do imagine him letting a tiny little bit of his ghostliness slip through. Because all of those accusations? I´d have had enough of that much earlier than Danny.

And that´s when Danny eviscerates Batman. How do you ask? Well. Because he researched. Everything from crime rates to rogue statistics and even looked into the rogues themselves. And the Joker would´ve had the death penalty several times if it was not for his 'plead to insanity'. He´d left behind half a baseball stadium full of bodies. And nothing was ever done? He told about the second Robin´s death and how he enjoyed it. And batman says things about death and playing god by choosing who dies.

And he asks the real questions:

“You talk about how people play god by choosing who dies, but aren’t you playing god by choosing who lives?” Danny sneered; teeth bared. “Who do you go for? The civilian in need or the criminal who caused their suffering? Who’s the priority to you? Who do you chase after first?”

God damn - going right for the metaphorical throat.

He continues. Calling out that bullshit mentality of 'choice', when the Joker still would´ve just gone back to Arkham after killing him when he´d not even wanted to be there in the first place.

Talks about how there´s people who can be reformed. Who can live normal lives again. But that there must be a life for them to get back to and that the Joker had nothing else. He simply had nothing to live for except for his 'jokes'. And even if they´re reformed. They´d have to live with all the people who have heard of their exploits looking at them with scorn.

There´s just so many good points to this conversation, I love it :3

I kind of think that Jason really needed to hear all of this as well if we go by his reaction. Poor man´s been going through the wringer that day.

When Cass and Tim find the corpse, she´s not sure what to think. Should she be upset that Danny has killed? Should she even be upset that it was the Joker in the first place? Sould she be relieved? I think it all depends on the why´s.

In the end. Nearly all of them had killed before. So, what makes Danny all that different?

Meanwhile Bruce is just having big thoughts and would like to be alone for now please. I think what he actually needs is a hot bath with some scented candles. Self-care, my man. It would do you a world of good. Also: introspection. Always good.

But in the meantime, Bruce and Jason talk things out and it´s beautiful. Some parts of it are quite funny - always trying to ease the mood this one. But in the end Bruce is right. He´s not Jason´s therapist, but he´s his father. He just wants him to be well.

And if things have to be talked about for the going well part? It must be done. Even if it very clearly is hard for either of them. But that´s what family is for, is it not? To be there for each other even when things get uncomfortable …

I cried at some parts of the conversation, but Bruce nearly puts his foot in his mouth so many times … like Jason tries to understand, but Bruce doesn´t make it any easier.

They talk about why Bruce feels so tense at Danny being the one to kill the Joker. Why he´s so insistent on Danny. How it shouldn´t have been Danny. But if not Danny, who then?

Jason? Dick? Bruce? Any way has it´s pros and cons. Who´d have been able to live with it? Who´d have come out of it unchanged? Would the Joker even have been able to reform? No. Not in this life. Never in this life.

Jason´s question threw me out the loop a bit because 'Since when do you talk about these things?' is a very justified question xD

Then the talk shifts. Towards Dick, towards the 'golden boy' and how it was originally Jason who gave his older brother that title. Not Bruce or anyone else. And how Jason has always been the favourite.

Jason predictably doesn´t believe that. Which is of course his right, but it made me just so freaking happy? How he disbelievingly tried to make any of his other siblings into the favourite while Bruce just explains that no. The child who´d so earnestly tried to do well in school, who did his homework without asking, who was excited to stay with him, who didn´t leave freaking scars (and god damn Dick you feral child) and who didn´t fake an uncle so that he´d not be adopted.

And Bruce? Just says that he´d never be mad at Jason because he tried to steal the cars of the Batmobile because it gave him Jason in the end. And that really let me tear up a bit there. Cause that´s just so wholesome? My poor little heart.

Then the impossible actually happens: Bruce apologizes. He actually apologizes. That he´s sorry to make think he was never loved, but that he´s his son and it never should have been thought to have been otherwise. That it never changed to begin with. That he loves him now and god damn I´m a puddle on the floor now. I died of family feels my friends. Bury me shallow though. I have the feeling I´ll be back.

After Danny is released from the hospital, him and Lex go to a Diner for some food and conversation. And let´s just say Lex would like to have a TALK with Bruce Wayne still.

He´s also very happy about Danny´s healing factor as that means his boy will be pain free much sooner than he´d be if he´d been human… well if he´d been completely and utterly human he´d probably be dead because he would´ve taken a much longer time escaping his bonds … anyways

Though this also lets Lex think about how Danny had explained his healing factor. How it´s emotion-bound. And how sometimes when the emotions are right and good, he´ll heal, but when he feels bad or if the wound had emotional damage attached it would heal slower or even leave scars. Though the latter would only happen if the psychological damage went over a certain threshold.

And because he´s a dad he won´t beat long around the bush and tells him about his talk with Dick, about how he knows he collapsed after seeing Jason and if he knew why that was and then they talk about cores. And how the 'parasite' may not have had one, but it had certainly reacted to the proximity to one.

Soon after Lex goes outside to talk with Bruce. Bruce apologizes directly to lex - noice. He really needed to do that in person, otherwise it´d have been quite insincere.

Lex compliments Bruce in how his children care for him. How they certainly do care for him, because otherwise? They wouldn´t even bother.

Lex still warns Bruce that he´ll it slide this once and that if it ever happens again? There´ll certainly be hell to raise. Which is quite understandable. If my child had faced what Danny has faced I would not in any way be calm either. In fact, I´d be furious. So, the little warning is certainly appreciated.

While Bruce is surprised by how well Danny already looks since he´s only been out of the hospital for a few hours, he wants to apologize to Danny. And the little shit? Just says 'I´m waiting'.

Honestly, this man xD

Bruce actually, really, honestly apologizes with a whole explanation of why they did that how he´s also sorry that they did not take his trauma response seriously. He´s also understandably confused when Danny asks if he´d taken a blood sample.

And when Danny emphatically asks if he´d tried? Well. Let´s just say that a little of the eldritch energy slipped through and Bruce got a whole lot more attentive. Danny can be creepy. As a treat.

And when Bruce says 'yes`? And sees the reactions has to that? He realizes that Danny´s afraid. Honest to god afraid even though this could not be as bad as his confrontation with the ex-clown. He also doesn´t know how to feel when Danny warns him about trying it again.

Though here I´ll have to throw something in. Bruce may not have gotten a sample. But do you remember that Danny´s been tortured? With knives? And that there´d understandably been blood from his wounds all around the warehouse? And that the hospital probably also had some of his blood from the bullet removal as well as the cleaning of the other wounds? Let´s just say it will come into play later. I completely forgot about the left in my first read but god damn. This just makes the situation so much worse. But first it´ll get better. I swear this is like a roller coaster ride of emotions.

Where were we? Ah yes. Danny asks about the parasite. And if they´d taken it into the Batcave. Bruce is. Not amused. The first question out of his mouth was 'how' and the second was 'did you tell lex Luthor'

Dannys reaction´s just a wrinkled nose like 'ew, why would I do that?'. Which is honestly kind of adorable. And Danny does this whole spiel about secret identities and how they´re not his to tell and that he´s not exactly following lex´ agenda at all.

And after that rant Bruce just focuses on the word 'parasite' like a confused puppy. Danny´s just like 'yes. It´s a parasite. No, I don´t know how he got it' *thinks about ectoplasm* … 'was it a green liquid’ the instant reaction of 'LAZARUS PIT KNOWLEDGE' is funny as frick if you ask just always me. He just always assumes things first before he asks. Let me remind you peeps: To assume makes an ass out of u and me.

And then Danny explains how his parents used to work with 'something like that' and that it´s the reason his blood probably wouldn’t even ping as human because of all the contamination.

As Bruce asks if that´s the reason he´s so shifty about his blood samples Danny´s just like 'Nah. I just don´t trust you with this sort of information. Someone would get it and then they´d just use it maliciously. I KNOW that. Already lived through that'

Then this heartbreaking part follows:

There was only this soft, sad expression on Danny’s face as the boy said, “Oh, Bruce… There is no fixing me.” And then, Danny looked away, gaze falling to the half-eaten plate now. “Not anymore, anyways. Had someone tried a decade earlier, maybe it would have worked out but… No one bothered to try when I was still worth saving.”

I just want to put him in a blanket burrito and hug him until he´s happy and safe and no one will harm him anymore …

Bruce wants to talk about that topic further, but Danny just deflects back to the parasite. He talks about ectoplasm! Achievement unlocked! Knowledge about ectoplasm gained! Congratulations!

Bruce is fascinated. Danny is horrified that Jason was basically put into extremely unhealthy sludge that´s just a very bad representation for Ectoplasm. He´s not surprised about the side effects it had though. Which. If you think about it. I wouldn´t be either. I mean that stuff runs on emotions. And you can´t tell me that the League of Assassins has many positive emotions. Especially around the pits.

And then everyone´s just horrified that the parasite is sentient. Not as horrified that it´s not sapient. Can you imagine a green sludge parasite being sapient? God that sounds like some horror movie stuff.

Now the million-dollar question: Why isn´t Danny as affected by the whole thing? Easy answer? Because he´s been surrounded by that stuff since before he´s been born. It´s integrated in his DNA. Of course, it won´t affect him the same. And of course, there´s no fixing him. But his parents never did realize, did they? They never did understand what they´d been doing to their own flesh and blood. But their work was more important in the end, I guess.

And then we´re back with a mixed bag and some sadder emotions as the talk swaps to Danny´s parents and then to Lex and the situation at the hospital and Damian´s reaction and Danny´s 'mask' being just as much of a mask as Brucie is and. So much information in such a short time. Ouch :')

Good emotions. But too many D:

And now Cass has switched in! She´s taken Bruce’s seat and they ... Talk. Cass is not really all that jazzed about Danny knowing their vigilante secret. She´s also not happy about how the whole situation came about. Not sure what to think about Danny having killed someone.

And … Yeah. She has killed before. Has seen how the life of a man left him and decided: never again. She was raised as a weapon. Only a weapon - that leaves it´s traces.

And then she came to Gotham. She came to Bruce and became a vigilante and there´s the no kill rule (not that it always stops them from killing someone). And Danny just killed someone.

But it was the Joker. He´d done horrendous things to both Danny and her family. And in the end, if it´d been a member of her family who´d done the deed she would still feel not quite right about it. But the kill was not done out of some twisted sense of revenge or someone thing else. It was self-defence in the end. It was accident. So …

And in the end: she can´t be upset about all of that. She wouldn´t have wanted to lose Danny either. Even if she´d always had the feeling of not understanding him.

But that´s the thing about relationships isn´t it? They´re hard. They´re a work in progress. You can never know another person as intimately as you know yourself. We go into a relationship, any kind of relationship, with the intent to learn more about another person. Maybe also to learn more about ourselves. But at the core relationship works out if both people want to see the other for who they are and how they can make it work as a team. The same is true for friendships and family relationships. And there´s always more to learn.

Also. They´re just cute. Cass then asks what his parents did to Danny and his eyes just flash green.

There is no further information before the scene changes to the fathers trying to be subtle about spying on their kids through the window lmao

He recounts a number of their neglectful behaviours, their questionable morale standards, their involuntary hurting their children and just. Not once did they ever question themselves. Not once did they try to change or apologize. And then in the end? They used their blasters on him and he just ran. Danny´s so tired of running. So, so tired of it. He just wants somewhere to belong. A home without the danger of his own parental figures turning on him every second he´s there.

Cass is just so sweet as she gently reminds him that he´s not less important just because he hurt someone. Because in the end no one´s life is worth more, than one’s own. That she´s just glad she´s safe and god, I’m getting diabetes.

AND THEN THEY KISS. It´s all very romantic and cute and the fathers want to protest, but Tim is just sitting next to them with a camera making photos of the whole scenario because he wants to show them on their future wedding party. I understand you, my man, I understand you. That´s just the sibling in you. As well as the photographer. Those two go remarkably well together!

Tim be like:

While going home Lex and Danny make a pit stop at Harley´s and Ivy´s house where Harley and Lex badger Danny into going to therapy for the low price of Lex repairing their home and them basically becoming Danny´s Wine and Vodka aunts. Ahhh yes. Found family at its finest.

Danny also gets permission for a pet from Lex. LONG LIVE THE KITTEN EYES.

Of course, the public has already been informed about the death of the joker and how Danny had been involved. Gotham is throwing a party for him and they´re showered in confetti on their way to the airport. It´s all very heroic and nice. Until the antis come out. But they´ll always come out the little buggers.

And then. AND THEN. My favourite parts about this fic: one of the social media chapters. God damn.

It starts with their excitement about Danny coming to Gotham, worrying about the Joke r and then Danny in his custody, Danny’s health status as well as his being saved by red hood, people worrying about the joker, people being confused at Danny talking with Bruce in a diner, people insta-shipping Cass and Danny and being just so damned happy for them? It´s adorable. The social Media peeps are just CUTE.

And when they find out that Danny killed the joker all hell breaks loose. The stans, the antis - there´s fights breaking out over it, there parties, there´s just so much joy about that little fact.

And then people freak out about a pic Harley shared with the sirens and Danny and Bud and Lou during the Uno game. The Fanart is adorable and people are just joyous about Harley being like 'I´ve only known Danny for a day and a half, but if anything happened to him, I would kill everyone in this room and then myself'. Which. Yes. Dany protection squad RISE UP.

People are not comforted hearing the 'nah don’ worry I’ve had worse' comment upon being asked about his wellbeing.

The exact way Danny revealed that Danny and Cass are now dating just absolutely adorable. It´s so fucking sweet. The whole family is exasperated and the PR team probably wants to cry but god damn, it´s cuuteee

[steddieficrecs]

Best of Steddie

4/?

previous / next

all i need from you (is all your love) by wearing_tearing

"So will you pretend to be my boyfriend for a while?" Steve rushes out to ask, words tumbling out of his mouth.

"Steve," Eddie says, "it would be an honor."

Fake Dating | Fluff

Lovesick in Loch Nora by red0aktree

Even though Eddie's name has been cleared legally, he's still very much on trial in the court of public opinion. Dealing drugs isn't a lucrative occupation anymore, and getting a legitimate job in a town who still considers him a killer isn't much of an option, either. Eddie is beginning to think skipping town and starting over somewhere no one knows his name is the only chance he has left. Steve has another idea.

AKA: Steve gets Eddie a job as an anonymous columnist at a local newspaper.

Slow Burn | Getting Together

Doing Nothing With You by red0aktree

Steve and Robin get a two bedroom in Hawkins. It's perfect, except for all the ways it isn't. Drafty windows, clogged drains, shitty landlord. But it's got a couch. A couch that's often occupied by Eddie Munson. Home isn't really the kind of thing Eddie has much of anymore, ever since his trailer became the primary source for all his nightmares. Luckily, he knows of a semi-comfortable couch where he's always welcome.

Despite all it's problem, the house has perks. Primarily, it's somewhere Steve can actually call home. Secondarily, it's somewhere he can share with the people he loves.

AKA: The fruity four live in a convoluted roommate situation, and romance happens along the way.

Domestic Fluff | Living Together

a map of everyone who loves you by phonemicengineer

Soul flowers aren’t a ticket to true love, he knows that well enough, but they do mean importance, significance, permanence. And so far no one has ever loved Steve significantly or permanently enough to leave some. Maybe that means he’s broken. Maybe that’s why he can’t leave any for her.

So Steve lets Jonathan take Nancy home that night, and tries not to feel too bitter about the matching bracelet of roses on Jonathan’s hand.

Soul Marks | One Shot

A quiet I keep on keeping by ethereal_queer

Robin Buckley is a lesbian.

And Eddie Munson is gay.

And they’re dating.

Well, at least to the outside world.

And to a very, (very) confused Steve.

“I told Steve Harrington you’re my boyfriend.” Through the receiver. Alien words through plastic. He wants to laugh, really he does, but all he can manage is a bit of stunned silence until

“Why the hell would you do that?” With no malice. Not even really a tone to his voice other than curiosity. He of all people shouldn’t really have to ask, because he already knew the answer. He was a liar too.

“I panicked” she says, a shuffling on the other end. “He was getting all… mushy, saying stuff about feelings..”

“For you?”

“I know, right, can you believe it?

“You don’t think you could have told him the truth?” He asks, and there’s silence beneath the static. “Seems like you two are real close.”

And she sighs, and she lets out a noise of frustration that Eddie knows all too well, when you want to tell someone something, need to, and you can’t. You just can’t.

Because it’s Hawkins Indiana and sometimes you have to keep your mouth shut just to stay safe.

Fake Dating | Getting Together

[thestobingirlie]

A few days ago I sent a very ranty ask but I think it got lost and so i was kinda disappointed but also realized I was being a bit of a hater and cannot remember how coherent it was, so it's probably fine it got lost lol. However I was thinking about my little lost hater rant and why I dislike bg ron/ance in steddie fics and not bg steddie in other fics and realized like. Obviously it has to do with my dislike of the ship in general, which means the immense amount of legwork an author has to do for me to feel like Ron//anace actually makes sense for Robin and Steve AND Nancy can only be done in a rn focused fic, which I will not read, because I don't like the ship and even if they say in the tags stobin are bffs it is unlikely that they actually are in the way they deserve to be. (I think it always boils down to people devaluing the relationship stobin have with each other for the sake of a Romo ship, which other ships do but I think rn does it the most or at least the most glaringly)

I also touched on how for some reason sometimes they make Nancy this best friend type person for Steve or Eddie and have her really involved in their relationship or getting together but that's not who she is! I'm not a Nancy hater at all but she doesn't seem interested in the people she saves the world with unless they are saving the world or dating her. She doesn't seem interested in other people's dating lives. And having an ex, even if you ended things amicably (one could easily argue st//cy didn't) smirking about how you are your queer crush in 80's Indiana are so obvious would probably be incredibly uncomfortable. But steddie in like, lu-max or gen fics is just two of their friends dating and maybe a mention of homophobia or how they are kind of an unexpected couple given their archetypes, or how they bicker or something. Obviously they do have to work on their relationship but not to the gymnastic level ooc bending (in my opinion) degree of rn.

i love being a hater. it’s my favourite hobby.

but anyway! yeah, i think it’s interesting that it’s often r//nance that’s the background ship, when it takes a lot for the relationship to work. (obvs the reason this happens is just the way people neglect lesbian couples and prioritise mlm, but still)

like, as the characters are in s4, steddie could be paired off in the background, but i don’t think r//nance could be. (and yeah, no matter what people try to do in a r//nance fic, either stobin gets ignored, or nancy is a completely different character and stancy is a completely different relationship)

a lot of fics prioritise romance over friendship, and i think the reason people notice it more with r//nance fics, is just because of how close stobin are, and so how vastly different the dynamic has to become in fics

but yeah, people try to involve nancy in everyone and it’s like… you are dragging that girl by her ratty hair, she does not want to be friends with these people. i don’t think she hates them! but like you said, unless they’re dating, or actively saving the world, she has no interest in them (sometimes even when they’re dating she doesn’t have much interest lmao).

i could see her getting involved in others relationships, but not out of like, kindness. i think she would just be nosy, and i do not think steve would take that well. and, honestly if anyone made snide comments about how obvious my queer crush was, i would stop talking to that person, let alone if they were my ex.

[carnivoraformes]

@bishonenprince asked, "2. How did you get into this franchise/fandom?

11. Are there some things you dislike about how the show/series/etc. portray the character you have picked up? If so, what? - ( Aventurine )

17. Are there any ships you can’t stand, why?"

canon questionare. || Status: Accepting

How did you get into this franchise/fandom?

Already answered here!

Are there some things you dislike about how the show/series/etc. portray the character you have picked up? If so, what? - ( Aventurine )

//At the expense of sounding like someone that really loves angst to much I do honestly think that they should have put more emphasis on Aventurine's gambling addiction or at least made it clear that this man is addicted to gambling.

And no I don't mean they glamorize it or romanticize it, but it feels like saying 'oh well he is just really lucky' and 'is a paranoid lunatic that plans for everything' is covering up 'oh well he has a gambling addiction and somehow hasn't managed to fuck up badly enough to realize how big his problem is' (which is really saying something) and to avoid blatant spoilers I will say that I personally feel that he is one of those addicts that won't stop until it kills him.

This is just my opinion and I'm sure it will eventually somehow blow up on a much grander scale eventually but it is kind of part of the reason I like the idea of writing my Aven as joining the Family after failing his mission because I want to write the idea he gambled hard and it finally blew up in his face and because honestly if he did succeed how would he feasibly top this? Like this would probably be his magnum opus. Like how would you top this?

Are there any ships you can’t stand, why?

//I like to generally think I am pretty chill when it comes to ships. I have the usual icks but I don't honestly see most ships between consenting adult muses as problematic or wrong or something worth hating UNLESS it is romanticizing abuse, stalking or anything sick like that.

That said one ship I absolutely despise that I keep seeing on A03 is fucking Jing Yuan/Yanqing and Sunday/Robin and I'm just like 'what the absolute fuck is wrong with you, you sorry sick fucks?' I have yet to not see it on tumblr because I'm pretty sure they would probably get scorned by the general fandom on tumblr (or at least they do in the corner I exist in) but for fuck's sake why does anyone think that is okay?

But also I won't say I can't stand it but I am probably 1 of the 3 people that doesn't like Robin/Boothill. Like it seems fun but... I just don't see it. The fanart looks great and I'm happy for ya'll and all the fucking memes people are coming up with is fucking gold but it isn't a ship I'd write seeing as I write Robin as a lesbian and that isn't a flexible thing for me.

But I can't talk to much shit about Robin/Boothill because I ship Wriothesley/Jean.

[steddie-fanfic-recs]

A quiet I keep on keeping

by ethereal_queer

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationship: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson Character: Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley, Lucas Sinclair, Dustin Henderson, Mike Wheeler Additional Tags: Not Canon Compliant, Post-Stranger Things 3, Slow Burn, Beards (Relationships), Fake/Pretend Relationship, Light Angst, Fluff, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Internalized Homophobia, Period-Typical Homophobia, Falling In Love, Mutual Pining, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington Needs a Hug, Eddie Munson Has a Crush on Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson is a Sweetheart, Good Babysitter Steve Harrington, they’re in love your honour, Good Friend Robin Buckley, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington Friendship, Robin Buckley & Eddie Munson Friendship, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson-centric, POV Eddie Munson, POV Steve Harrington Words: 22,133 Chapters: 3/3

Summary

Robin Buckley is a lesbian. And Eddie Munson is gay. And they’re dating. Well, at least to the outside world. And to a very, (very) confused Steve. “I told Steve Harrington you’re my boyfriend.” Through the receiver. Alien words through plastic. He wants to laugh, really he does, but all he can manage is a bit of stunned silence until “Why the hell would you do that?” With no malice. Not even really a tone to his voice other than curiosity. He of all people shouldn’t really have to ask, because he already knew the answer. He was a liar too. “I panicked” she says, a shuffling on the other end. “He was getting all… mushy, saying stuff about feelings..” “For you?” “I know, right, can you believe it? “You don’t think you could have told him the truth?” He asks, and there’s silence beneath the static. “Seems like you two are real close.” And she sighs, and she lets out a noise of frustration that Eddie knows all too well, when you want to tell someone something, need to, and you can’t. You just can’t. Because it’s Hawkins Indiana and sometimes you have to keep your mouth shut just to stay safe.

[thatonesongyouretryingtoremember]

Rating whatever ST ships I can think of bc it's night (post lemon) and I'm bored

Lumax- 10/10 so poetic and beautiful the show doesn't do them justice which is SAYING A LOT romo lumax and platonic lumax have my heart

Elmax- the first ST ship I started shipping before joining fandom! 10/10 incredible beautiful drop dead gorgeous romo and platonic elmax are perfect

Hopclair- 10/10 I may currently be running on a hopclair ANGST high, but as I've said and will not hesitate to repeat, these two NEED to team up and NEED more screentime together! Romo, platonic, and queerplatonic hopclair love in my brain

Henclair- recently found appreciation for them upon season two rewatch and reflecting join season two, cute enough for a maybe 6/10 as romo 15/10 platonic

Henderhop- I just can't picture it 0/10

Morallysus- idrk seems kinda morally sus to me :/ -10/10

Elmike 8/10 platonic and I will not elaborate

Byler- objectively 10/10 but they are not who I'm thinking about when I'm actually watching- that's when my elmax and platonic stobin brain turns on romo and platonic byler on their respective places in the timeline are literary impeccability

Byclair- adorable and I could totally see it, 7.5/10

Wheelclair- surprisingly cute but not my first instinct I do truly Get the cuteness but 6/10

Elumax- be it romo lumax romo elmax with pl hopclair, romo hopclair, or qp hopclair, still adorable to me and I actually understand them more than you do don't go near my children sorry guys blorbo is just for me actually 100/10

Stobin- 10/10 platonic and queerplatonic aromantic and lesbian solidarity!! But also their arc and how they support eachother!! Beautiful precious my precious you can't have it wow am i gatekeeping?

Rockie- unopinionated so 6/10 besties endgame material romo

Ronance- I can never stop thinking about Nancy comparing Barb and Robin to eachother but y'all's headcanons are cute 5/10

Stancy- you know me. I love Steve. I love Nancy. Which is exactly why I can't in good conscious dare ship them together! Nancy's whole thing of relating him to Barb's death (valid) is word on its own if you don't throw in the fact that Steve super cool dream directly contradicts everything Nancy wants in life! Neither of them should have to compromise their LIFE around accommodating the other! You can say what you want about "they still like eachother romantically" which isn't even really true imo but had it ever occurred to you that sometimes people can feel romantically and and decide that a friendship would do them more good? Which isn't to say they are super close friends either because honestly their friendship has gotten the least amount of attention by the writers. -20/10 romo and 7/10 potential friendship that we will never get to see on screen.

Jancy- I honestly could not care less whether they are endgame their unbreakable bond etc etc doesn't care whether they're friends or dating 6/10

Jargyle- 10/10 how does it feel to be the most perfect ship in the world? Pl, QP, romo, alterous, whatever it is these two mean the world to me

Stonathan- question why? I'm sure it's cute I just don't understand the origin of the hype. What's it ABOUT for y'all?

Stoncy- see above, both 5/10

Steddie- I actually like it as a ship kind of if it weren't for the fact I can't see Steve not being aromantic. Also while we're here thank you if you've stopped cross tagging because I'd I look up Erica Sinclair In not looking for Eddie x Reader fics 6.5/10 romo

Boyce- wait actually this might have been my first ST ship not elmax.. anyways they're adorable and I totally hated the way they did the love triangle thing. Hopper being annoying distracted me from Bob being the coolest guy in the world.

Jopper- I guess I'm cool with them now but I was so anti jopper in S2 not because I'm invested in the love triangle I fucking hate love triangles but because Hopper was insufferable in seasons two and three and Joyce had like no boundaries in season three that got weird because ofc the writers decided to build up their canon in the most annoying way possible. Maybe they could have been an 8/10 if ST writers had fucking tried at all before season four but now they're closer to a 4.5/10 for me tbh but go back to season one where their friendship was pretty cool and they've known eachother forever and all that- super fucking sweet 8/10 points taken off because I just generally find Hopper annoying (as a person not as a character I get how he's important to the story and blah blah)

Boycer- since the suffers never ruined it I mean wrote it and I can imagine them however I want- polyamorous Joyce with her two boyfriends is a 10/10

Edissy- I genuinely thought this was a joke 2/10 romo 7/10pl

Joyren- not to be a Karen hater but I kinda hate Karen 1/10

Kargyle- I love Kali with all my heart. I absolutely adore Argyle. But I don't get this ship. Like why. 5/10 romo 8/10 pl

Kalancy- yes let women kill people! I mean I'm the scenario I imagine they are def at Kali's home not Nancy's and it's def not a healthy mindset but let's not think about that.. honestly I don't think about them at all but I guess it could be cool. 8/10 romo 9/10 pl 9/10 qp

[penny00dreadful]

First Impressions - Chapter 2

Part 1 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 AO3

As soon as Chrissy got back into the comfort of their home her tension dissipated and she started to gush about Robin.

Eddie tried to listen in, he really did, but his brain was stuck inbetween the sheer audacity of Dustin fucking Henderson and invasive images of golden veiny forearms and a full pouting mouth that looked like it was regularly swiped with at least chapstick and a downright bitchy attitude that dug it's fucking claws into him.

Chrissy was in the middle of a monologue about Robin’s terrible dancing before she cut herself off and narrowed her eyes at him, handing him a cup of her weird sleepy tea.

“You’re being unusually quiet.”

He took the cup from her and grimaced at the smell. “I can be quiet.”

“Eddie, you used to deliver sermons on lunch tables about conformity and set off bang snaps in the staff room, you are incapable of being quiet.”

He rolled his eyes and sipped his pungent tea. It tasted like ass but whether it was due to constant exposure or the placebo effect it did actually help him to fall asleep quicker.

Chrissy chewed the inside of her cheek, her gaze boring right through him. "Did you get a chance to talk with Steve?"

"Jesus, what is everyone's obsession with me and Harrington? Yes I spoke to him, but I needn't have. I don't know what kind of lightning strike you were expecting, Chris, but to me he seems to be the same vapid, vain and pompous ass as he always was. I'm just glad I never have to see him again."

Chrissy dropped her stare, and seemed suddenly very interested in her own cup of tea.

Eddie looked up at her from his position on the couch, letting his eyes linger as her cheeks steadily got redder and redder. 

If it's one thing that people didn't think Eddie Munson was, it was patient. But he'd spent his life waiting out his bully's tirades so he could verbally tear them down, waiting out his father's anger, locking himself in the bathroom until he could escape, waiting out a heated gaze across a dance floor until they came to him .

Chrissy continued to fidget under his stare before she eventually huffed and glared up at him with only a little irritation.

"Robin invited me to hang out with her tomorrow. Maybe see a movie. Said I could bring you if I wanted."

"You want me to third wheel your date with Robin?"

Chrissy scowled at him, the gesture not quite distracting from the click of her throat as she swallowed and fidgeted with her mug.

“It’s not a date. I’m not- I don’t like girls. Even if she does. That doesn’t make it a date.”

“She told you?”

She levelled him with an unimpressed look. “I know what it looks like when someone has a crush on me, Eds. I’ve seen it enough.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder, maybe preening just a little .

He couldn’t even be mad, Chrissy was hot as shit. He knew it. She knew it. It had taken him a long time to help her build her confidence level up to where it rightfully should be and that confidence looked damn good on her.

“You sure it’s only one sided? You spent the whole car ride talking about her hands .”

“She has nice hands!”

“Sure. If you say so.” He spoke into his mug, taking a large gulp of his disgusting tea, trying to figure out how to approach the next topic. “And you’re okay with that? Hanging out with someone who has a big lesbian crush on you?”

Chrissy almost looked offended that he’d even asked. “Yeah? Why wouldn’t I be? She’s sweet.”

Eddie shrugged, pulling her down to sit next to him, throwing his long skinny legs over hers and settling back into the arm of the chair. “In my experience, straight people are usually not okay with that.”

She tore her eyes away from his and began to pull the threads at the rips in his jeans and shrugged. 

The silence stretched on and Eddie could tell from her posture he wouldn’t be getting much more out of her on the topic so he switched. 

“Anyway, why would Robin inviting you to hang out mean I’d have to see Harrington again?”

“He’ll be driving us, she kinda panicked when she asked and invited Steve as well. So you came up as an option to join too.”

“As a fourth wheel?” Eddie dropped his head back and let out a long suffering groan. “Sorry, honey bunny, no can do. I am not suffering through that . Harrington is already there as your buffer in shining armour and you actually like him for some reason, which I do not understand. I think my day would be better spent vegetating.”

“You mean procrastinating dealing with your writer's block?” She smirked, lightly dragging her manicured nails over his bare knee where she knew he was ticklish.

He jerked his legs away and glared. “Don’t mention the war.”

They spent the next few minutes bickering back and forth as they finished off their nasty herbal concoction. Chrissy gulped it down eagerly. Eddie powered through. Eventually they both slouched off to their respective rooms.

He stood in the middle of his room, staring into nothing, eyes unfocused as he got lost in his head. His mind wandered back to hair. His hair. His stupid, styled, soft, swooping hair. So clean and voluminous and thick. What would it look like if it was dirty? Had the King ever deigned to let it get dirty? Did grime just fall off it like plastic? How would it look finally crushed or flattened after exercise? Flopping and damp with sweat or water from showers, pool water, lake water, sea water... maybe cut through with black goop and just a bit of blood. All fucked up and tugged in different directions from wandering hands-

Stop.

As he scrabbled desperately for the steering wheel in his mind, he wrenched it back into safer territory and far away from... whatever the fuck that was. He didn't want to think about it.

Unfortunately for him, safer territory was still torturous.

The damn insufferable writer's block was completely wrecking his head and had been haunting him for weeks. Why was it, the second he'd decided he might send something off to some publishers, he found himself completely stopped dead. 

Eirwen's story seemed to just drop off a cliff at the midway mark. 

She'd been trapped for a hundred years in her glass coffin, the bite of the poisoned apple didn't get dislodged from her throat as it did in the original fairy tale, instead dissolving into her body, freezing her in a stasis between life and death. She was put on display in the prince's castle, until his grandchildren, weirded out by his obsession over her beauty, stuck her up in the attic after he died. They ended up cracking the glass as they moved her and she'd broken free, swearing revenge on her stepmother and captors. She was now some feral undead thing driven only by bloodlust, donning the castle's old rusty armour and gripping ancient weapons and then-

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

Oftentimes Eddie had the end of a story figured out before the middle but he was in the middle of the story now and there was just nothing. No ending, nothing else of the story. A blank empty void where the rest of the story should be.

It was difficult to explain. Inspiration came to him like lightning strikes and it could come at any time. He’d be out in the world and he’d see something or hear something or someone said something and it was like an entire story dropped into his head. It would need fleshing out but all the bullet points were there. And if they weren't all there then… there was nothing he could do. He couldn't force it. Couldn't make it happen. He just had to wait.  

Wait for something else to infect his mind and latch on.

He'd tried to force it before and it was just pathetic really. He had delivered one of the worst campaigns he'd ever written. Corroded Coffin never played the songs he wrote during that time. He'd burned those stories that he had dragged out of his brain. In those first few years it was like the earthquake had fucked his creativity so severely he thought it would never come back. 

But it had and now it seemed to have abandoned him again. A complete and utter blank space where stories used to run rampant. Right at the time he was trying to live out one of his many childhood dreams;

Go on tour with his super cool future band.

Publish a fantasy book that would have people lining up for the next in the series.

Find Santa Claus and make him explain why he never visited like he did with all the other kids.

Become an astronaut.

The book one had seemed the most achievable out of the four.

Eddie yanked himself out of his clothes, flinging them across his room in frustration, throwing himself down on his bed. He rubbed his face into his pillow before turning to glare at his typewriter.

This is all your fault.

Chapter continues on AO3

Part 1 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10

[awesome-opossum-after-hours]

stranger things rewatch details/thoughts pt 3 (s3 ep1-s3 ep8)

-El kept the baby mask from her sister and its up in her room!

- she also has a large poster of a bird on a beach

- the first store when they walk into Starcourt has a very creative name. "Camera Repair"

- the girl behind Max in the movie theater is MAD annoyed at them. they talk (before the movie starts), and she shushes them. they pass snacks, and she shushes them. rude

-the Scoops Ahoy menu sign quite literally calls it an "Ocean of Flavors"

-i wonder if Will remembers much of the events of s2, or at least the possesion/exorcism. it seems to flood back to him in the theater

-ah wait, Yurtle WAS relocated! totally forgot, could've sworn he was a goner.

-poor "lard-ass". hope he's okay

-Hopper's hatred of Mike is too funny I kinda hope it continues, even if he does loosen up

-god Hopper reminds me so much of my dad. he went as him for Halloween a few years back, and I was s3 El :)

-did Dustin follow Steve's advice in getting Suzie? pretend not to care?

-a buck 25 for a scoop of ice cream sounds fantastic

-a lot of cosplayers forget this with "Scoops Ahoy" Robin but the letters on the You Rule/You Suck board are multicolored. red underneath, black traced slightly off. in Graphics that's a technique used to create a 3D effect, and I'd like to think that was her intention bc she seemed that artsy :)

-God I adore how much you can see the amount of love in Hop's eyes when he's watching Joyce help a customer. when will someone look at me like that oml

-Joyce and Bob were watching Fraiser in the flashback

- Mike has some serious nerve telling the father of his girlfriend and the goddamn Chief of Police that he's a "lying piece of shit"

-Max calls Lucas "Don Juan" 🥺

-if you watch the first Russian message scene with English captions it gives away what it says lmao

-Hopper joyfully singing along to You Don't Mess Around With Jim owns my heart

-Steve already HAD chesthair in s3. you can see it if he leans over in the Scoops uniform ;) do with that what you will

-Lucas is continuing his streak of winning Max back after her dumping him. 6 and 0

- when El and Max are playing the spying version of Spin the Bottle, the people on the wheel are Dustin, Mr Clarke, Mrs Wheeler, Mr Wheeler, Steve, Nancy, and (of course) Billy

- Will's persona of "Will the Wise" is a LOT more assertive than he normally is. bet that'll come in clutch in s5

- Hopper has no shame opening the door in just a towel lmao

- happy screams...

-Max using the iconic 80s phrase "ugh, gag me with a spoon!"

- I completely forgot the whole "Dustin wanting Steve and Robin to date" thing happened before s4

-Robin was apparently a theater kid (which made her "weird" in the Old Steve's standards). she also played soccer

-still not over how Mike and Lucas mock Will's DnD game and act all bored with it and then continue to play DnD really seriously in high school

-the whole "Robin being a lesbian and Steve her emotional support himbo" decision really WAS last minute bc there's a few hints pretty early in the season that would normally lead to 2 characters eventually falling in love (aka- on the rooftop of Starcourt when they have to duck down to avoid the Russians, Steve and Robin do the whole "unintentionally holding hands in danger" thing)

-the way Billy is standing and acting in the scene in Heather's house is INSANELY similar to Henry Creel in the rainbow room (down to the creepy smile and the hands clasped in front)

-Hopper breaks the mayor's nose. guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, blood relation or not

- "if you die, I die" - said Dustin, with total seriousness, to Steve. this better NOT be foreshadowing

-when El wears Sarah's hairtie as a bracelet, it covers up her number tattoo

-oh my GOD Jonathan getting whacked with the hospital stool looked WAYYYYY more brutal than I remember... how the hell did he not get paralyzed

-at first i thought that Hopper's eventual escape route from the machine explosion was adding afterwards for Plot Armor, but that's not true! when the Scoops Troop is running from the Russians they take the same escape route underneath the machine

-the door out to Murray's wonderful little "backyard" says "Keep Door Closed"

-I don't blame Alexei, cherry slurpees are far superior to strawberry

-Erica being a total math genius is something that HAS to be brought up again

-when Robin spits in the Russian's face, he says "you're going to regret that, suchka". suchka, translating in the subtitles as "little bitch"

-after the hospital, everyone must've taken a well needed shower before heading to Hop's cabin

-i would die for Karen Wheeler's FunFair dress

-can we talk about the fact that other than El, Dustin is the only kid to ever K1LL SOMEONE??? I mean maybe he just got wiped out but that Russian doctor looked very not alive

-did Todd ever get his car back

-the answer is hopefully no. screw Todd, Steve's her daddy now

-I think if I had to choose one of these monsters to NEVER have to fuck with ever it'd be the flesh monster. sure Vecna can kill you from your own mind but something about fighting melted humans/rats feels so very wrong and traumatizing

-Steve's been in a vehicle poorly driven by children twice

-if Joyce doesn't stick to this Detective Byers plan in s5 I'm gonna cry

-also I need to physically SEE the Enzo's date, even if it's a flashback

-Dustin and Erica staying at the hill means that they had no way of knowing if the Griswold Family was alive, or whether or not Steve and Robin were headed on a su1c1de mission

-I'd be shittin me britches if i was in that mall no lie

- the flesh monster mind flayer must have some sort of eyes in its tentacles because it tried to catch a mannequin that was wearing El's outfit

-662608004 was the code Murray wrote, but the real password was 662607004. all he got wrong was the 7. come on Bald Eagle

-they straight up left Max, El, and Mike at the mall

-according to Hopper, gunfire is the universal language for "EVERYBODY OUT!"

-Max and Billy lived on 4819 Cherry Hill Lane

-on that TV ad, when they suggest a rise in Satanism is cursing the town, they zoom in on a Dungeon Master's Handbook

-the epilogue says it's 3 months after the 4th of July, AKA October. but it's implied that the party is still just them, so maybe they joined the Hellfire Club in the middle of the year

-Dustin doesn't wear his hat when he's sad

-someone actually bought the Byers' house. fuck that, man I'd firmly believe it's cursed

-was El staying in Will's room? because she's seen packing up her stuff but the Byers only had a 3 bedroom house

-we all know that Steve wears lipgloss this season but I'm also convinced that Mike is in the epilogue

-Mike didn't seem to enjoy that goodbye kiss as much as he was expecting...

[emblazons]

The thing is, they called Will gay through slurs, but aside from that they showed that Robin and Will were lesbian and gay (respectively) through their lack of attraction toward the opposite sex. So in Mike's case, his situation will be similar to Vickie's. Idk why people expect something big.

Unsure if you're the same anon who sent the "I am tired of ppl setting themselves up bc it wont be funny in the end," but both mentioned this so I'm answering both here if that's okay!

Honestly I can appreciate why people want Mike (and Will, Robin, and Vickie) to get their "official label" in the canon from the perspective of a queer person. Labels are a luxury LGBTQ+ people have been denied from having openly for much of queer history, and I can appreciate wanting queer characters we identify with to have them too. Even so...if I'm being honest, it doesn't fit anywhere in the tone of the show, and expecting in canon is an stretch (to say the least) to me.

The Duffers (for better or worse) have decided that giving people labels in the dialogue of the show isn't something they're going to do—they aren't even a fan of relationship labels save using them to show people hold onto them in the absence of actual relational depth (see: Mike constantly using the word "girlfriend" to describe El), as no other couple has really used a label to show us that they're together romantically. Avoiding clear labeling is just how they write, and expecting something different solely because its "the final season" does seem like setting yourself up for disappointment that could have been avoided with a little reflection, at least to me.

I agree that we will get confirmation for Mike that is more subtle, though I do think they might do him a solid for the sake of the audience and give him a parallel S3 Robin/Steve scene with El for clarity (Stobin and M*leven are paralleled a few times anyway). That said, I think post-S5 there will be a lot of interviews where Finn gets to talk about Mike openly (pun intended) where we will get a lot of the more satisfying confirmation a lot of us want. :)

Thanks for the ask!

[shopcat]

anyway steve spends like 2 entire seasons being unlucky in love going on one million dates COMPLAINING about the women throwing themselves at him, UNABLE to even talk to them normally in season 3 and unable to even differentiate between them in season 4... they literally have MULTIPLE little life chats about it, robin says "you don't know what you want" and they despair about it, together, because his best friend and the only one he relates to about this is... a lesbian!!! his ideal future is the most NUCLEAR rose coloured glasses family anyone has ever heard, a future which he sprung upon his ex in the middle of a life or death situation when he felt like he had to because who knows what'll happen...

how it wasn't even focused around The "Wife", it focused around having one million kids bc he grew up alone even among friends and he's terrified of being alone AGAIN and he's freaking out bc the world is fucking ending and he was trying to see what this girl who he once loved's reaction would be to HIM, to what he's saying. not a last ditch effort of trying to get her back but like if she recognised his fucking. soul. and there is SOMETHING to be said for how nancy reacted minimally... how he seemed to just talk for the sake of getting it off his chest and it was almost like how he was checking her reaction to these these because he ALSO knew their futures don't line up like this. it was a goodbye to this idea not a PROPOSAL. (beyond the metaphor for how it was, in fact, also about the younger kids).

when he is WITH a girl he does everything he thinks he's SUPPOSED to because he's the King he's the ladies man he knows all the moves because he memorised the moves and the Play and he knows the game because he invented the game. so he can't slip up. he carries the books and surprises her at the locker and takes her on cute dates and sneaks in her window he takes them all to the makeout point so they know they're supposed to make out it's a PLAY it's a THEATRE SHOW it's like he's following a formulated rulebook on how to be the perfect boyfriend and date. he imagines this cookie cutter future with a girl he's embossed and buffed and shined and lit up on his mind as the perfect girl that can never compete with other girls but also NO girl can compete with his own expectations including her.

the perfect girl for him was ROBIN who was literally just the first person to treat him equally and normally and not as a prize or A Boy who was talking to A Girl and the roles you have to play there but like just... a guy. and he got along with her so well he just immediately assumed well she doesn't make me miserable so i must like her in that way. then when she came out his first thought was to let her know it's OKAY and make her laugh the rejection didn't even occur to him cuz there was nothing to actually reject. DUSTIN had to point out the possibility to him and even then in his initial denial he started listing all these traits that he loves and admires and shares in his FRIENDS, in the people who set him OFF of the path to Suburban Ex-Jock Peaked in Highschool CEO. she's HYPER she's WEIRD she's a NERD she's. literally awesome really.

and there's something to also be said about how his interactions with women are so one sided even when they ARE responding... he didn't even give the girl he took to the basketball game a CHANCE despite being clearly like, set in on the plan to take her and even excited for it!! it's like he decided right out the gate they just couldn't mesh because he doesn't know how to mesh with women and he doesn't know WHY!!!!! but i know why... also how like, at least 20% of it is bc she thought tammy was a good singer 😭 he's such a bitch.

like he tried and tried and TRIED he literally just keeps trying with girls and tbh i don't even see it as him desperately attempting normalcy and landing a hot girl's number to prove he can but i COULD. and that's the whole point. i do just think he's a generally friendly weird guy and he "tries" more often than not because he feels like that's his role to play, and flirting is the easiest way to be charming but he is just charming notwithstanding...

how he seems to only value himself, self esteem wise, as being attractive to girls, he does things "for the ladies", he's constantly making sure he fits this perfect idea of Steve Harrington that HE concocted but got him the babes and the attention and he doesn't know how to divorce his own self image from what he COULD be, for others. i've JOKED about him being the hot girl at the car wash hired to bring in customers but honestly beyond that i do genuinely think a part of him probably only feels useful and worthy when he's playing this role and being the Ladies Man. and if he's not a ladies man if he doesn't even LIKE ladies then what is he good for. he offered to "turn on the charm" for the DEAN of the university 😭

(also, like, his scoops ahoy interactions feel so different from the family video ones to me for this reason bc i think he was honestly just having fun and maybe at some point playing into robin's little tally thing it didn't actually... mean anything. he was just doing it to do it it wasn't MALICIOUS but it was like an awkward showing of the belly of a kid just out of school who has NO idea what he's doing falling into an easy routine of trying to make a girl giggle. and by the time he's at family video he's back in the groove and doesn't understand why he doesn't FEEL back in the groove).

in season two when the moment we finally see the beginnings of the character BEYOND the jock boyfriend trope was how he was giving advice to dustin on how to... get girls. and his entire play there was to "show them you don't care". to drive them crazy... because HE doesn't actually care. and the reason that advice failed was because dustin does actually like the girl he liked, dustin DOES care, and also honestly so does steve!!! every single time he talks to a girl, if not TRIPLED for nancy (who seemed to set the niche he was slowly working into for the rest of his life completely off the rails by virtue of being a genuinely interesting, better person who inspired him to need to match up with that to the point he wore different CLOTHES) he never actually DID this. he was honestly at times DESPERATE, he cares SO much which is whyyyy him even saying this doesn't even make sense to me but speaks to some sort of internalised, subconscious mindset where he knows, deep down, he DOESN'T care. and it IS just a play. and when later dustin was genuinely upset with max and steve was like winking because he couldn't see the difference because i'm willing to bet that genuine upset is something he feels OFTEN.

bc he's gay. He's literally gay. (even if he's not strictly gay and just has the mother of all self image and What Do I Even Do With Myself issues all wrapped up in having to drop everything to save the world every 6-10 months and be reliable in that aspect so he can't AFFORD this i still think he's bisexual. and either he KNOWS or he doesn't know but either way something is holding him back and making him desperate subconsciously or no... he is the comphet study of a lifetime to me. but i think he's gay i think he's bi i think he's whatever.)