#No upside down au

[steddiehasmywholeheart]

No upside down au. Different meeting. Scar-centric.

Thinking about mid-twenties Steve who is desperately tense and in dire need of a massage, but who has scars he is incredibly self-conscious about. He knows that a professional shouldn't judge. That it would help immensely. But the idea of taking his top off—of anyone seeing him—makes him sweat through his top. He loves Robin to death and trusts her with his life, but it's still A Thing for her to see him.

Thinking of Steve coming across an ad in a magazine he was mindlessly browsing whilst waiting for an appointment with his therapist, placed by a masseuse who specialises in people with scars. The ad has a small photo attached of a bloke with wildly untamed hair, pale skin, and the kindest doe eyes Steve has ever seen. Eddie. The ad tells him. Who also has extensive scarring from a car accident when he was in his early twenties. Which Steve doesn't need to read, because he can see. Eddie's topless in the photo, putting all of his pink, raised skin on full display. Perfectly at ease.

Thinking of Steve feeling something break inside him. Something a little ugly, and bitter, and a lot lonely and sad and desperate for all the confidence he used to have but can't imagine having now. For all the people he shies away from. All the hugs he's told himself he doesn't need.

Thinking of Steve booking an appointment before he's even realised what he's doing, and, despite almost throwing up with nerves beforehand, just sinking into Eddie's presence.

They don't even really get to the massage. They just talk. Share their stories. Set boundaries. Figure out triggers and safewords. And it should be disappointing that he's still tense—that he still hasn't taken his shirt off—but for the first time in a long time, he feels seen.

He heals a little, that day in Eddie's small studio. Cries a lot. And returns to his day to day life 100 times lighter. It carries him through until his next appointment, when they actually get to the undressing. The touching. The beginning of a massage.

Under Eddie's careful fingers, he unwinds, cries some more, finally lets some things go. Somehow knowing Eddie will catch anything essential for him.

He doesn't realise that at the same time, he's letting a piece of his heart go, too.

[stevieschrodinger]

Eddie runs the second he gets a chance, face still wet with tears. The branches whip him and the brambles scratch him, but he doesn't stop. He runs from the trailer, from the strange man there who says he's Eddie's uncle.

Eddie doesn't like how he can feel the breeze on his shorn hair, misses the way it used to tickle his ears and cheeks; it should be flowing behind him as he runs. It's not his fault he shifted into an Alpha wolf; he'd screamed and screamed when they'd shaved his head, but his father could not have him nearby. He's a threat to the pack now. To the leadership. He calls everything into question; Eddie had to go. He had to go far away.

He finally slows, scenting the air. Something good here. Something nice. Something that calls to Eddie's wolf. Something that smells of awesome and amazing and forever. The scent trails through the trees, and Eddie follows it to where the scent grows thick, and falls through the trees onto a perfect lawn.

Steve hates the stubble on his head. Rubs it again. Can feel his exposed scalp burning in the sunshine. He doesn't understand; it's not his fault he hasn't shifted. It's not his fault he was born without the wolf. He's been shaved to shame him, and he swears from that moment on that when his hair grows back he's going to take such good care of it. He will show them, wolf or no wolf.

It's just not fair, Steve wipes his tears and snotty nose, and tries not to think about the look on his father's face, "Steven you have disgraced the bloodline of our pack."

The way he'd turned his back on Steve, left him alone. He had no wolf to comfort him. Steve sniffles again, then startles when a boy comes out of the tree line.

His head is shaved, just like Steve's. He's got tear tracks on his face; just like Steve.

"Hello," the boy tells him, approaching like he hasn't just walked onto private property, "we're going to be best friends."

Steve nods, he could use a friend right now, and takes the boys hand.

Eddie comes back. He promises he will and he does. He comes back every day for weeks over the summer. They watch films and build forts and climb trees and play in the pool and explore the woods and lie on the lawn in the sunshine and Eddie never, ever asks why Steve's been left alone in this big house, even though Steve's only seven years old.

It's the end of the summer when they get caught, and Richard Harrington gets Eddie by the scruff and snarls something about "the Munson runt."

Steve screams, tries to follow them, doesn't understand what's happening or why Eddie's being taken away.

Eddie snarls back at Richard Harrington, even as he hangs from his fist, and Steve's never seen anyone do that, not ever, not anyone in their pack would dare challenge the alpha.

Steve, suddenly realises that Eddie must have a wolf.

It's too late.

Steve has the best hair in all Hawkins. They don't call him Steve 'the hair' Harrington for nothing. He taps the table, bored. Patsy is twizzling her hair and making eyes at him and he wants to fast forward and get through to boring date and to the mediocre fuck so that he can kick this girl out and get a decent night's sleep.

He cuts her off - goes to the bar. He's going to need a stiff drink to get through this.

The shock of being pushed over makes him cry out, the pain in his neck makes him yell.

Steve blinks awake in a strange bedroom, the side of his neck is throbbing. His shirt is gone, but he's still wearing his pants. His shoes are on the floor next to the bed. He touches his neck cautiously - it's been bandaged.

He can't remember much. Just falling, and pain.

Someone screaming.

He leaves the room carefully, slowly, creeps along the hall, follows the sound of voices. Doesn't make it to the open doorway before someone's coming out to meet him, she has choppy ginger hair and a big smile, "hey, I'm Robin, you doing okay?"

"Steve...and I've been better," he says, following her into a room for of people. A rag tag bunch of teenagers, some younger then Steve, some his age, and a handful of adults, all his parents age or older.

"You must have questions," and older lady says kindly, "I'm Joyce."

"Yeah...where am I and what happened and then probably another fifty after that."

Next to him, Robin snorts.

"You might want to sit down honey," Steve does, "so, first things first. The big thing is that...werewolves exist. They're real. We all turn into wolves."

Steve blinks.

"You're taking this...well."

Clearly these people have no idea who he is, and now is not the time to reveal that, "I'm...in shock?" He tries, weakly.

There's a ripple of reaction through the room, a lot of muttering and elbows, no one's buying it.

"Hmmmm." Joyce looks speculative, never the less, they carry on, "Robin?"

"We were out. For drinks, you know," she gestures vaguely at the group, "and Eddie he just, he just fucking lost it, he-"

"Wait wait wait," Steve might not have a wolf, but he can't ignore his instincts, "Eddie? Munson?"

You could probably hear a pin drop.

All the memories of that summer hit Steve at once. He focuses on the last one, Eddie being dragged away. Eddie fighting to get back to him. "I need to see him."

"Kid, he bit you. He tried to mate you, you don't understand what that means. He attacked a human, there's rules-"

And Steve might be a runt, he might have been excluded from the pack for over a decade, but he still knows the punishment for attacking a human. Eddie's going to die, and Steve will not let that happen, "absolutely fucking not. I'm a Harrington, and Eddie is my mate."

[allthingssteddie]

When Steve was 12 years old his parents hired a gardener and the man would bring his son with him. Steve was excited because he didn’t really have someone his age around. The boy he learned his name was Eddie was shy at first and wouldn’t say a word to him but when Steve falls and bruises his knee Eddie immediately pushes the house keeper away from Steve and bandages him up. From that day they would be inseparable. As they grow closer he notices bruises on Eddie and In the safety of Steve's room , he would tend to Eddie's wounds. "Does it hurt?"

Eddie nodded, voice trembling. "Yeah, but am used to it.” Steve was angry by that he wanted to hurt Eddie’s dad . One day, Steve saw Eddie's dad strike him, Steve bit his hand. Horrified, he froze. And Eddie takes his hand telling him to come with him. They both sprinted towards the treehouse in the woods, escaping Eddie's dad's wrath. Breathless, they collapsed onto the wooden planks. Eddie trembled, knowing his dad wouldn't hesitate to hurt Steve. Eddie's trembling hands clasped Steve's, his eyes wide with fear. "Steve, I—"

Steve's grip tightened. "I won't let him hurt you eds . Ever."

Eddie's voice barely whispered. "I won't let him hurt you either, Stevie."

Their hands intertwined, a promise sealed. Steve's determined gaze met Eddie's, and for a moment, the world outside faded. Until they heard yelling coming from the distance. Their intertwined hands tightened as Steve's dad yelled.

"Steven! What's this I'm hearing? You biting the help? Get your ass down here now!"

Fear flashed through Steve and Eddie's eyes.

"Eddie," Steve whispered urgently.

Eddie's panicked He leaned in, sinking his teeth into Steve's throat.

Steve gasped holding on to his bleeding neck.

Sealing their fate, Eddie whispered, "Whatever happens, I'll alway be with you."

Tears streamed down Eddie's face as he kissed Steve's cheek.

Together, they steeled themselves and descended the ladder.

Side note I was thinking they wouldn’t see eachother untill dustin introduced them to each other in Eddie’s senior year. Also it would be like weird for them because they had this mate out there but didn’t have any contact with each other and Steve parents made sure he was home schooled. And would have to approve of his friends. So he was always sheltered.

[imfinereallyy]

There is a knock at Steve Harrington’s door.

Three to be exact.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

It’s nothing new. This happens every night. It doesn’t make it any less terrifying.

Steve gets out of bed and walks over to his apartment door, hands hovering over the handle. His body shakes, he feels too cold for a July evening.

Steve doesn’t bother looking out of the peephole. He knows there will be nothing to see. He hopes briefly it’s the awkward girl from down the hall, she always wears beat up converse and can hear her raspy laugh two doors down—but he knows it’s not. She often speeds by Steve’s apartment door, like she’s either terrified of him or what’s inside his home.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Three knocks, three times. It’s only number two.

Steve wishes he knew more people here, but he hasn’t been here very long. So no one is looking for him, no one is here to wake him up at 3 am.

His palm sweat—but the chill hasn’t left him. He’s starting to think he’s haunted. Though nothing ever happens inside. Nothing happens at all, except the knocking. Steve never dares to open until it’s finished.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Steve takes a deep breath, and opens the door….

No one is there.

Releasing a stuttering breath, Steve gently locks up and puts his head on then door.

“Fuck.” He whispers.

Then he hears, it from his bedroom.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Steve’s let something inside.

[piratefishmama]

Stevie Harrington who always had a weird little crush on the town freak but was too much of a chicken shit to really do anything about it.

Like she'd heard the stories from Cass an Nicole, what he was like, how he treated them (wonderfully apparently), they giggled and bragged and maybe for a brief half an hour of gossiping with the girls she'd entertained the idea of maybe going and seeking him out herself... but then Carol had rolled her eyes, called them both gross, called Eddie trailer trash and then Tommy had told them point blank that they should probably go get tested.

Stevie put her little crush into a box and just kind of. Hid it there for fear of judgement, for fear of exclusion, expulsion from her friend group for daring to want someone who didn't fit their 'image'.

It wasnt like Eddie ever really made any attempt to talk to her anyway, looked at her occasionally, they traded glances across the hall, which he'd quickly break and hide behind his hair (cute), she lent him her pencil once and never got it back. Saw it on occasion, resting on his ear, pointing out from within his mass of unruly curls.

Cute.

But then they graduate, Eddie taking a little longer to do it but he does it, to the mass cheering hysteria of his chaotic group of nerdy gremlins, given his 'only Munson to Graduate' status, the chaos was a given really.

And then he's gone. Got out of Hawkins as fast as his legs could carry him leaving his incredibly proud uncle behind to cheer him on from a distance.

An it should have been easy really, to move on from her little crush, the one she'd hid in a box for safe keeping, it should have been easy to find someone else, she was never unnattractive, in fact she was probably one of the most sought after women in Hawkins, but... she just doesnt.

She has flings here and there, meaningless one night stands, dates that dont really do it for her. Laments to her new best friend and sister she never knew she needed, Robin, about how she'd let popularity screw her out of what could probably have been something really good. She'd let fear of exclusion stop her from going for what she wanted.

Robin had scoffed, called Eddie three wet opossum in a trench coat, but it'd never been with quite as much judgement or disgust as her old friends had talked about him, so it was safe for her to talk.

But Robin also knew Ronnie from band, and Ronnie, had Eddie's current phone number. And so Robin, now had two VIP tickets to the brand new location on Corroded Coffin's most recent tour that they've only just very spontaneously added to the list because Eddie is, and always has been, a fucking simp.

So, y'know. Maybe harbouring that crush for as long as she had, wasnt the worst idea in the world.

Eddie still hides behind his hair. It's still very cute.

[wheneverfeasible]

Cheerleader!Eddie AU pt. 1

POV: Eddie

When Eddie found a sobbing Chrissy in the restrooms after school, where he had been about to tag some stupid shit about one of the football players who had left him with a bruised face a previous week, he hadn’t expected it to lead to them becoming friends, her breaking up with her shithead boyfriend, or him joining the cheer squad.

Yet here he is, wearing the stupid school colors and his long hair tied up in a ponytail to match Chrissy’s, even down to the identical green scrunchie. Chrissy was lucky he loved her. Platonically, of course. They’d kissed after everything, figuring that’s that the thing between them was, but it ended up being like kissing a sibling (or so Eddie guessed, not ever having had one before), but quickly discovered that whatever middle school crush might have existed was well and truly gone.

Everything else was just right, however, and if such a thing as platonic soulmates existed, then Chrissy was well and truly his. She had to be, to get him to agree to this stupid shit.

He wasn’t an official member of the cheer squad at first, nothing more than a glorified backup, but he helped her in all the practices and learned all the moves and somehow, without realizing when, he started performing at games and pep rallies. Which didn’t help the queer rumors from spreading, even when Chrissy acted like his beard at first. Because the rumors would have been galling if they hadn’t been true.

Don’t get him wrong; he liked chicks too. But there was something to be said about seeing a pretty boy on his knees.

He played it up, taunting the other team and his own with blown kisses and suggestive hand motions with his tongue in his cheek, but he had cheerleader privilege, and Chrissy’s best friend privileges, so he actually managed to avoid anything more than pointed words and threats, which he then always turned into a kink thing to make the jocks uncomfortable.

“Oh, you’re right, Princess, I look amazing on my knees,” he cooed with a wink when King Steve himself deigned to be one of the insulting masses. Of course, all Harrington had said was that he should stop messing around and get back under the pyramid during cheer practice instead of poking fun at the basketball players on the other side of the gym.

Harrington always flushed whenever Eddie got too weird, too freaky, too queer, and it was quickly becoming one of his favorite things. Chrissy teased him about it when he’d go out of his way to harass Harrington, telling him to stop pulling the king’s pigtails, which he vehemently denied doing.

No way. Nuh uh. Not King Steve. Gag him with a spoon, or whatever they said in the movies Chrissy always made him watch.

Soon Harrington started snapping back, however, but with an amused smile on his face. More than that, he’d snapped at Hagan to leave Gareth alone when he’d come to playfully jeer at Eddie until they could head to Hellfire together. (Chrissy had actually taken DnD up too eventually, much to everyone’s surprise, though it was less surprising than her Level 7 Chaotic Neutral homebrew half-Orc male Barbarian whose tragic backstory was only known to Eddie so far, seeing as he had helped her craft Uragoth the Undaunted.)

To say that Eddie was surprised when Harrington of all people protected a freak was an understatement. And then it kept happening. Harrington always stepped in if he saw any freak or nerd being bullied, he even used logic, pointing out that Eddie was both freak and cheerleader, so going after the freaks was going after him and the cheer squad, and did any jock really want to piss off the cheerleaders?

A jock using logic? Unheard of!

Eddie was a little flattered though to think that his freaks had best friend privileges as well because of him, that he could be the shield offering them protection simply by straddling the line between the two sects at school.

Harrington never stopped snarking with Eddie, however, always calling him a freak but always with that smile that almost spoke of something…fond.

And then it was the day of the big game, the championship, and Chrissy was giggling as she tried to pretend like she was having second thoughts, even as her hands never faltered getting him ready. They, and the rest of the squad who had slowly warmed up to Eddie, had scoured the rule book to make certain he could do it, smirking amongst themselves at the surprise they had in stock.

Eddie waited at the end of the line, waited for their introduction, and then he was running in with the rest of the cheer squad, his pale and hairy legs flashing beneath the short green skirt. Gareth and the rest of the freaks screamed, sending out wolf whistles and making enough noise to draw the attention of anyone who might not have noticed yet.

Eddie only had eyes for one person though.

Harrington’s gaze was fixed solely on him as he jogged out wearing the female cheerleading uniform, a bright pink high on cheekbones and his mouth agape, and Eddie thought he had even seen the guy swallow as his eyes took in Eddie in a skirt.

The game went exactly as the cheer squad had hoped, their secret routine putting Eddie front and center, and he took great enjoyment in rolling his hips suggestively and blowing his kisses and winks as he taunted the opposing team, resulting in more than one fumble when he distracted them. The fact that Harrington seemed equally distracted seemed something else entirely.

As well as the fact that Harrington roughly fouled the player from the other team that Eddie had pointedly flirted with during their halftime routine.

Hawkins Tigers won in the end, easily, with Harrington scoring the final winning points like the king he was, pointing at Eddie right before he took the shot with a wink. Eddie rolled his eyes, almost hoping Harrington would miss in retaliation for the tease. Instead, Harrington ended the game as the buzzer sounded with his last three-pointer and the crowd went wild.

Typical.

Less typical, however, was how Harrington strode through the crowd right after, bypassing the celebrating teammates and cheerleaders and fans that had streamed onto the court, to head straight for Eddie. Eddie was given just the barest moment to wonder if he was about to be hate crimed when Harrington’s hand landed on his back, the other cupping the back of his head, and he was spun into a dip as Harrington leaned in for a kiss.

Except Harrington didn’t immediately kiss him, he hovered above his lips, his eyes looking into Eddie’s asking for permission, and really…what more could Eddie do except wrap his arms around Harrington’s neck and close the distance?

If later that night Eddie was still wearing that skirt as he and Harrington came to an understanding, well, no one needed to know.

And if the next night it was Steve wearing the cheerleading skirt…that was between him and his king.

Part 2

[steddieas-shegoes]

you're not jonathan

for @steddieholidaydrabbles prompt 'no upside down au' rated t wc: 997 cw: recreational drug use, language tags: meet-ugly turned meet-cute, flirting, somewhat ambiguous ending but we all know what's gonna happen

🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿

Steve was not supposed to be the one picking up the drugs for the party.

He wasn't even going to the party.

But Jonathan couldn't get it from his usual guy, said he was back home in California for the summer, and it wasn't like Robin had a hookup.

Eddie Munson didn't technically deal anymore, but he made exceptions for previous customers, and Jonathan had been a regular during high school.

It wasn't shocking news to Steve, but what was shocking was hearing all these stories about how Eddie didn't even usually meet someone during daylight hours. Except today, apparently.

Steve tripped over another branch, barely caught himself before falling on his face.

"I better get so high off this shit," he said to himself.

"I only sell the good shit."

Steve froze.

Somehow, he'd missed a person walking up to him, probably when he nearly ate dirt.

"Is there any reason a hike is required to get some weed?" Steve asked, brushing his hands on his pants to get the remnants of the tree trunk he saved himself on.

Eddie crossed his arms in front of him, raising an unimpressed brow.

"No. Jonathan suggested the place."

Hard to believe the guy who hated being outside for more than a few minutes would have suggested a half mile trek into the woods, but Steve didn't really care to argue.

"O...kay. Well, I've got the cash if you wanna get this over with," Steve said as he reached into his pockets that were..."Fuck."

He started patting his pockets, his shirt, looking around him at the ground to try to find his wallet.

"Everything okay?" Eddie asked, coming closer.

"I lost my wallet. Shit!"

"Alright, I can help you look, man. It's not a big deal. Gotta be somewhere, right?" Eddie started looking around him, though it was half-hearted at best. "What's it look like?"

"It's brown. Um, leather?" Steve suddenly forgot any other details about his wallet. How convenient.

"Okay, so the color of the ground. Should be easy."

Steve snorted.

Eddie was smirking as he walked the way Steve came, checking the ground around him as he did so.

Steve followed behind, but he was pretty certain they wouldn't find it.

After ten minutes of looking, Eddie sighed.

"We should just smoke a bit. Take the edge off. Ya know?"

"I don't think that's a good idea. I can't pay you until I find my wallet," Steve said as he continued looking, bending down to get a closer look at a spot that seemed like the color of his wallet.

"On the house."

Steve stood straight up.

"Really?"

"Can't really kick ya when you're down, can I? Plus, I planned on smoking after you left anyway. We can share," Eddie shrugged, like it was no big deal.

Steve had never gotten high outside of house parties, the comfort of his own home or a friend's home soothing his anxieties about losing his inhibitions.

But out here? With Eddie? It didn't seem like a smart thing to do.

"Alright," Steve shrugged back.

Eddie must have sensed something about him, though, because he didn't let him take more than three puffs of the joint before he put it out and found a collection of boulders for them to sit on.

"You ever think about how trees are alive but they don't have ears?" Steve asked a minute later.

"Oh, you're that kind of high." Eddie poked his hand, making him look over at him. "You eat today?"

"Maybe. I've been busy. Do you think trees get hungry?" Steve replied.

Eddie searched his face before letting his pinky rest against Steve's hand on the rock.

It felt like fire.

"They do."

"But they don't have pancakes or cheeseburgers. Like, we can't grind it up and put it in the dirt for them, right?" Steve's jaw dropped. "Can we?"

Eddie watched as Steve looked over at some of the trees surrounding them.

"I don't think we can, no."

"A shame. They're missin' out. You know who else is missin' out? Jonathan! He made me come here and he didn't even tell me you had long hair or like the nicest eyelashes. Which is weird because he didn't shut up about anything else about you but he forgot about the eyelashes!" Steve's hand curled around Eddie's pinky. "And you look warm."

Eddie's brows raised.

He wasn't sure who Steve was. Jonathan had just insisted he was cool.

But Jonathan hadn't mentioned that his hair looked softer than silk, or that his eyes were wide and innocent despite his lip curling up in the corner in annoyance.

Jonathan seemed to have left a lot of things out.

"Well, it is summer. It's pretty warm," Eddie gulped. "But you do look a little cold."

"I get cold easy. Robin says it's because I don't eat enough red meat or something. Low irony or something."

Eddie was so endeared.

"I could help you stay warm? Walk you back to your car if you want?"

Eddie did not want that, but he knew Steve probably needed to walk off some of this high before his friends started to worry about him.

"Don't wanna walk," Steve leaned his head on Eddie's shoulder. "My head is walking."

"Should I try to head back and get one of your friends?"

Steve shook his head.

"Be fine in an hour."

"Okay," Eddie put his arm around Steve's shoulder, surprised to find that Steve was shivering. "Hey, you okay?"

"You do have good shit."

"That's not an answer," Eddie chuckled.

"I'm good. Best."

Eddie let him burrow further into his side and waited for his shivering to subside before he suggested heading back to his car again.

Steve still refused, and Eddie didn't have it in him to push.

Not when they were finding shapes in the clouds and he was holding Steve close.

He'd definitely owe Jonathan a lot of product if this went the way he wanted it to.

[little-annie]

What if it all started with a single hair tie?

What if there was no Upside Down and no fear for one's life when they chose to wander the lonely streets of Hawkins Indiana in the midst of night?

What if one of those nights one lonely boy stumbled across another? One with a recently broken heart and the other failing at holding back drunken sobs over his broken home.

It could be either of them really.

For yes Nancy had just called Steve bullshit and stomped his heart so deep into the ground it looked as if it had become one with the roots and soil at his feet. His parents having done much the same not more than three hours prior, announcing their divorce along with the impending sale of the only home he'd ever known.

And Eddie, sweet sobbing Eddie, curls laden with fallen rain and an aching, blooming bruise to his cheek had just seen his father for the first time in years, free from his shackles, only for the man to spit slurs and tell him of his mother's death with not a single ounce of remorse across his ashy, foul face. Wayne had been at work when it happened and Eddie, without another thought ran to the only other person he'd thought he could find solace in. A boy, one with blonde hair and blue eyes who at night held Eddie close to his chest and kissed the pain away as much as he bruised it into his skin. Never had he thought that affection was only one for night skies and whispered words beneath bedsheets. Never had he thought a cry and a sob would elicit the man to strike him with already blackened knuckles in the light of day, uttering words his father said to him not even an hour prior.

Sad, sobbing, drunken and distraught they found themselves at skull rock feeling more alone than ever before.

The rain falls heavy, soaking soft cotton and ageing leather and two boys who have spoken nary a word to one another in the span of three years sit side by side. Asses in the rain wet dirt and backs to the cooling stone of a rock that looms over them with the face of death.

Words never do make it to the humid air between them, but when a rather awful sob racks through Eddie's body making him shake and shudder, Steve looks over. And through his own tear blurred eyes he catches the frustration and fear, the exhaustion and the mixture of so much more accompanying the purpleing skin of Eddie's face, he's never seen those emotions accompanied by the colours of abuse look so remarkable.

For the shortest second it allows Steve to catch his breath.

The longer he looks the more he sees. And along with the slope of Eddie's nose and the strength of his jaw, Steve too notices the way ring adorned fingers catch and pull and grasp at sopping curls to remove them from where they want to cling to porcelain tinted cheeks.

It hardly crosses his mind when he does it, really he'd go as far as to say it doesn't at all. But with a shaky hand, stained with the remnants of spilled booze and tears of his own, Steve pulls a single black hair tie from his wrist and sets it on the bareness of Eddie's knee.

It'd been Nancy's, one he'd kept for the times she'd huff and brush her hair behind her ear, a wrinkle in her brow formed by the frustration the annoyance had caused. And in those moments when he'd hand it to her and ease her troubles, he felt useful, worthy of the love that apparently was never there.

But handing it to Eddie or rather setting it on pale skin that pokes through the rip in his black jeans, it feels different somehow. It's not like anything Steve can explain, but there's an odd twist in his gut that accompanies the motion. Tears are still slipping down his cheeks along with the ever falling rain, but there's something else, something unexplainable lingering there in the moment.

Eddie chokes back his tears to wipe roughly across his face, wincing when brushing the blooming bruise on his cheek and for a moment he's quiet. Eyes tearful and dark, full of so many emotions as he simply stares at the black hair tie resting on his knee.

And then he looks at Steve.

And for the first time in his life Steve feels as if he's being seen.

The colour of the rain sodden soil beneath them, glassy in ways that give away to so much pain, Eddie eyes meet his and for a moment that probably only lasts seconds, Steve feels like he can see a lifetime in that gaze.

It lingers and eventually shifts along with the barest twitch of Eddie's down turned lips, but Steve can't bear to look away. So he watches. He watches as Eddie grabs the tie and pulls his hair back, fingers roughly combing through soaked strands until they're tied in a low knot at the base of his skull. Snug and sitting above the collar of a leather jacket Steve can smell in their close proximity and the rain. Loose tendrils falling and framing. Showing off what seems to be a few silver hoops through the skin of a porcelain ear.

And still Steve watches.

Because how can he not?

He watches until Eddie turns to face him again, a rushing of heat in his cheeks along with the feeling of being caught floods through him and for the faintest of moments Steve feels an odd rush of fear.

Fight or flight.

Or stay, another voice says, that twist in his gut turning into a gentle flutter.

Stay.

So he does and after Eddie's eyes sweep across his face once more, Steve feels the weight of the other man settle against his side.

Where there was once a small space for rain to fall and cold air to lie, there's now two arms pressed together. Leather and cotton. Eddie and Steve. Two halves of an eventual whole.

Hesitantly, seaking a comfort that hopefully can be found in such a space, Steve leans into the warmth and weight, his head falling to Eddie's shoulder with just as much ease.

It's there, where it starts.

Where two boys, broken nearly beyond repair, find each other.

And it's a hair tie, something so small and insignificant, something that can be found in the millions, that binds them to one another. Through the years it'll change hands, or wrists for that matter. Steve or Eddie. Eddie or Steve, but no one else.

It'll feel the nervous snap against Eddie's wrist when he shows up to Steve's for the first time invited for something other than a party. Stuttering his way through what Eddie assumes couldn't possibly be a date.

It'll feel the silk of Steve's hair when it grows long enough for a hardly there French Braid, pulled into place by deft, guitar string bitten fingers. Eddie to his rear and an accidental kiss laid to his shoulder.

It'll be there for the first date, the first kiss and the awkward moments leading up to both. It'll be there for held hands and sharp laughs. For the moments that aren't the best and sometimes even the worst, but it'll be there too for the repair of those times. For the whispered words, the tearful apologises and the kisses and cuddles that follow.

It'll be there for the first apartment.

The first pet.

The first home.

And the moment when Steve drops down to one knee, Eddie having planned to do the same no more than a blink of an eye later. On their 13th anniversary. In the place where a single hair tie seemed to have started it all.

And when they ask for one another's hand to hold through a lifetime and more.

[atimeofyourlife]

A group thing?

written for @steddieholidaydrabbles prompt: no upside down au | rated: t | wc: 944 | tags: no upside down au, pre-steddie, steve x corroded coffin Steve gets a job in a record store in Chicago, and a familiar group of guys come in looking for a place for their band to play. Who knows where it could go

Getting out of Hawkins was the best thing that had ever happened to Steve. The plan had been cemented between him and Robin when they started working at Family Video after the freak fire at Starcourt, the result of an electrical fault caused by the cut corners and corrupt construction. They were both going to work as many hours as possible at Family Video, so they could save up ready to move away after Robin graduated high school, with Steve planning to follow her to wherever she went to college.

The plan led them to Chicago, with Robin getting accepted to study linguistics at the University of Chicago. They found a small, relatively affordable two bed apartment, and did everything they could to make it theirs. While Robin worked on her degree, Steve found work at an independent record store. Even though it was still retail, he found it much better than working at Family Video and Scoops Ahoy had been. There was no uniform, the manager was pretty chill, and employees could choose anything from stock to play over the store's sound system. Steve did tend to play a lot of Queen when it was his turn to pick, but he was learning a lot about other genres from his coworkers' tastes in music.

But Steve's favorite part of the job was the live music. There was a small stage area that local bands could book and come in and play for free, in a chance to get more experience playing. Some of them weren't the best, but some of them were amazing. It was something that made it feel less like work. Some bands were pretty regular, and Steve was starting to form a real friendship with some of them.

"Hi, how can I help?" Steve asked as he came back to the counter from the stock room where he'd been processing a delivery with his coworker. There were a group of guys all waiting around, so he assumed that they were a band wanting to get a play spot. There was something familiar about them, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what.

"Er, hi. We've just moved to the area, and a buddy of ours told us you let bands play here for free." The guy at the front with long hair said, seeming to be the leader.

"Yeah, we do that. Just give me a moment." Steve ducked down to grab the folder from under the counter. "So the boss is the one who makes the final decisions on all the bands, so I'll just need to take your details, and she'll call you back to arrange everything. And I can give you the information sheet with everything you need to know."

The band took the sheet, and murmured a little amongst themselves.

"Okay, so if I can start with the band name?" Steve asked, pulling out a sign up sheet.

"Corroded Coffin." One of them replied.

Steve wrote it down, and tried to make conversation as he did. "You said you guys just moved here? Where'd you come from?"

"This shitty, small town in Indiana. You've probably never heard of it."

"Uh huh. And a phone number we can contact you on?"

The number got rattled off for Steve to note down.

"That sounds a lot like where I'm from. You wouldn't be from Hawkins, would you?"

"Yeah, we are."

"I thought you guys seemed familiar. We probably went to high school together." Steve said. "And your names?"

Each said their names as Steve wrote them down. The last one, who had seemed to be the leader, "Eddie Munson."

Steve looked down at the sheet, before looking up at Eddie. "You used to sell, right? At a picnic bench in the woods behind the school."

"You used to buy? Then do we get your name, big boy." Eddie asked, leaning on the counter.

"Steve. Harrington." Steve replied, watching hesitantly as they all seemed surprised.

"King Steve, what brings you to working in a place like this?"

"Trying to make rent. My parents cut me off after I graduated, and I'm pretty sure it would be a total disownment if they knew half the shit I got up to now. So me and my best friend moved up here after she graduated. She's in college and I'm making sure we can afford our shitty two bedroom apartment."

"Now I want to know what you get up to." One of the others said, Steve was pretty sure he'd said his name was Gareth.

"Let's just say I know what the bandanna in Munson's back pocket stands for." Steve winked as he said it, and couldn't help laughing as they all spluttered slightly. "I've got all the information I need, and I'll make sure to put in a good word with the boss for you."

Steve was working when Corroded Coffin were playing at the store for the first time. He was on hand to help them get set up and make sure everything went smoothly.

"I think that's everything, you guys can start playing when you're ready, and I'll let you know when your time is nearly up. Do you need anything else?"

"How about a kiss for good luck?" Eddie asked.

Steve smiled before pulling Eddie in by the shirt and kissing him deeply.

"Hey, what about the rest of us?" Gareth called from behind his drum kit.

Steve just shrugged, before going around and kissing each of them softly on the lips.

He made his way back behind the counter, looking forward to what could come between him and the band. Friendship, or maybe even something more.

[steddiehasmywholeheart]

Just thinking about an no-Upside Down au. Teacher!Steve, escort!eddie, SFW, both mid-twenties. Never met Eddie.

Steve has trauma from the way his parents treated him, and nightmares from the mall fire he was in. He usually manages this by hanging out with Robin and having sleepovers once or twice every week as long as she's single, or her coming over for evenings and keeping him safe for a few hours while he naps. It's not the best sleep in the world, but it gets him by.

But then one day, he realises she's going on holiday. For 2 weeks. And he has no idea how he's going to sleep. He can't won't take any medication because of a bad experience, and nothing but someone he trusts being there ever helps him get a good night's sleep. Even if he tried to get a casual fuck over the weekend, the chances are he'll have a nightmare and scare the shit out of them. That's happened one too many times and he refuses to do that again.

He's watching TV one night when the characters on screen start talking about escorts, and suddenly, the idea doesn't seem too crazy. Fast forward a few days, and after a lot of research, he finds himself making the call. He knows it's a lot of money, especially on his salary, but if it helps, it helps, and he knows he hates going a week without some decent sleep, let alone 2. He's bound to get a migraine, and he can't afford to miss work for that.

So, he books in with a male escort, voice shaking and hands sweating, but determined all the same. It's his only hope of surviving.

The week Robin leaves is exactly as hard as he expects it to be, and by Friday he's almost too tired to be nervous. But when he gets home from work and showers, some jitters return, getting much stronger when there's a knock at his door, 7pm sharp.

The guy standing on the other side of the door is utterly gorgeous. Tattoos, leather jacket, messy long black hair, and just a hint of a self-confident swagger that Steve is sure he's muting in an attempt to be professional. Steve just stands there, trying not to let his jaw hit the floor or his eyes pop out of his head. The guy's - Eddie's - smile, isn't helping.

Initially, Eddie flirts a little, trying to put Steve at ease. And it should work. But for some reason, it doesn't. Maybe it's because this is a guy that Steve would fuck, but tonight, he just needs to sleep, and somehow that feels even more vulnerable. But Eddie quickly picks up on it and backs off, talking to him in a soothing tone, and Steve quickly feels himself unspooling, settling into having Eddie in his space.

The rest of the night passes easily. They eat takeout, chill on the sofa, chat, and before Steve knows it, it's 10pm and Steve's eyes are burning. Eddie just lets the conversation settle, smiling gently and letting Steve make the first move. Letting Steve know he's still in control.

Its nerve wracking to go through his evening routine with a stranger he's paying to be there (though for what he still hasn't decided. He'd told the agency cuddling, but that seemed such a big ask right now), waiting in his bedroom for him, but Eddie makes that easier once again. When Steve emerges from the bathroom, he's met with his metal attire neatly folded on a chair, wild hair now tied up in a messy bun, and the man himself in sausage dog covered pjs. He can't help but laugh, Eddie's triumphant grin sending flutters through him.

They settle into bed, and Eddie does ask what Steve wants, but the words don't come. So, Eddie just holds his arms out, and with Steve's consent, gently guides him into his chest. His large, warm, safe chest.

For the briefest moment, Steve remains tense, breath not coming as easily as he'd like. But then he's melting, fingers curling into Eddie's soft pj top, a sound dangerously close to a whimper threatening to crawl up his throat. And Eddie just holds him tighter (though not too tight), murmuring softly in his ear, his voice low and ever so slightly raspy, sending shivers down his spine.

Steve doesn't want it to end. It's perfect. With Robin gone, he hasn't been touched intentionally in a week, and even before that, it's more likely that they're sitting on each other's laps or something. He can't remember the last time he was just held.

"Easy, big boy, I've got you," Eddie murmurs as Steve clutches onto Eddie's shirt even more tightly. "I'm not going anywhere."

He knows he's delusional from the lack of sleep, because right before he drifts off, he thinks he can hear real concern and care in Eddie's voice.

[xspeter]

soon :)

[allthingssteddie]

Both Steve and Eddie were in unhappy marriages. Steve who was with Tommy since high school and Eddie who’s was with his band manger.

It was Steve’s 27th birthday and he was throwing a party while Tommy was on a business trip. He was secretly relieved that he was gone so he can enjoy him self. He was having a fun time catching up with everyone and was surprised when Eddie showed up thinking he wouldn’t be able to make it with him being so far away. As the night ends and everyone goes home Steve invites Eddie to stay and watch some movies. (They used to have movie nights together before Eddie moved away) after about the third movie in and both drinking they start sharing their struggles in their marriage with Steve not able to become pregnant and Tommy being distant and Eddie who’s husband can be controlling. In one of the scenes in the movies the characters were both cheating on their spouses with each other and Steve asks Eddie does he ever think about having an affair and Eddie admits he does. And one thing lead to another they are sleeping with each other in the morning Steve tells him they can never do that again and Eddie agree. But both end up continuing which leads to Steve’s pregnancy . Both are screwed because they can’t leave their spouses. Even thought they are in love with each other.

[steddieunderdogfics]

Oh Darling, Please Be Mine by Atalia_Gold

@ataliagold

Rating: Mature

56,249 words, 22/22 chapters

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Tags: Steve Harrington is a Vet Tech, Steve Harrington has a stutter, Steve Harrington Has Head Trauma, Steve Harrington Has Migraines, Eddie Munson Has a Crush on Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington Needs a Hug, Eddie Munson Needs a Hug, Fluff, Steve Harrington Has Bad Parents, Eddie Munson Has Bad Parents, Steve Harrington is a Sweetheart, Steve Harrington Has a Crush on Eddie Munson, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Kittens, Receptionist Robin Buckley, Nancy Wheeler is a Vet, Alternate Universe - No Upside Down (Stranger Things), Vomiting, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Depictions of Sick/Injured Animals, but no animal deaths, Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Assault, Injured Steve Harrington, Supportive Wayne Munson, Hurt Eddie Munson, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mild Smut

Summary:

Steve gave a sheepish nod and followed her out to the waiting room, relieved to see it relatively quiet now at the end of the day. It had been a hectic few hours – Chief Hopper had brought in a starving dog he’d found when called to a domestic, Mrs Byers' dog Chester was in with a limp, someone had dragged a puppy with a suspected parvo case into reception which meant Steve had had to disinfect half the building, not to mention their existing inpatients and routine surgeries for the day, and being short-staffed as usual. Steve was tired. So when a man in tattered black jeans and a patched denim vest pushed through the main door carrying a box of mewling kittens, Steve’s initial reaction was to sigh. The man headed over to reception, dropping the box onto the desk and gesturing at it. “I, ah, found these guys,” he said awkwardly. Eddie brings six dumped kittens into the vet clinic Steve works at. Steve falls in love.

Thanks for the rec! This recommendation is apart of our Writer's Wednesday! All of the recs today are written by @ataliagold . Want to nominate an author? Fill out this form!

You can submit fic recs to our asks or the submission box!

[piratefishmama]

There was just something magical about a good Renaissance Faire. Something in the air that set Eddie’s little crow brain alight with excitement. Especially around December when Christmas loomed around the corner and snow dusted the ground.

Be it the shiny trinkets dangling from wooden hooks amidst the old wooden stalls, be it the haggling voices of stall vendors and customers, all dressed in garbs they’d likely sewn, dyed, modelled themselves, the smells of the food stalls, the glow of twinkling fairy lights reflecting on the snow, the music played on lutes and sang from haybales for gathering crowds, be it the energy of likeminded folks all there to be a little bit weird, joyously, freely, without shame or judgement.

He could be himself there.

Dressed to the nines in layered fabrics purposefully aged and torn to simulate era appropriate wear and tear. His hair held silver trinkets, tied up by lengths of dark fabric in a messy up-do that’d taken Wayne a good few hours to figure out, and would no doubt take them both a hell of a lot of huffing and puffing to remove without cutting it out later. He had a cloak made out of a thick set of curtains he’d thrifted, dyed, and repurposed.

He had his bag, something he’d sewn himself out of extra fabric from those curtains, made with plenty of little pockets and places to put his spoils, he’d saved up for months to get as much out of this faire as possible because things weren’t CHEAP there.

Most things were handmade, most things were lovingly crafted by gifted individuals. He didn’t even want to haggle, he had money specifically for the faire! He was going to spend money on the endlessly talented individuals at the faire!

He got himself a new journal, leather bound with thick blank pages for sketching in. it was embossed with intricate swirling patterns around a pentagram that he’d absolutely get shit for if he ever pulled it out in public but it was beautiful, and it had a cool swing lock clasp.

He got himself a pretty necklace, wire wrapped with a fancy gem that he’d keep safe to use as a prop at some point.

He found some beautiful homemade dice, made in such a way that it looked like liquid moved inside of the dice, little flecks of glitter sloshing around a cloudy liquid inside the green tinted gold leaf inlaid resin with every roll, beautiful, eye catching, immensely satisfying to his little crow brain. Surprisingly enough they were the most expensive purchase he’d made at the faire, tiny little dice, fifty whole dollars. Not the most expensive thing he’d seen there, but definitely the most expensive thing he now owned from the trip.

They came with an incredibly pretty velvet dice bag though, which he hadn’t expected to get as a little freebie but the girl at the stall winked at him when she handed it over and wasn’t that a trip. The fabric was dyed to look like some kind of galaxy, with little silver and gold stars embroidered into it.

It made those dice a steal and he would treasure it and them, always.

He perused the fabric stalls, getting himself a cool hand painted scarf, detailed with a beautiful dragon that he’d find a good frame for later to hang up because it would not be worn, no siree. He grabbed a cool hand carved wooden mug for Wayne that looked like something straight out of a Viking’s mead hall, he’d give it to him for Christmas.

He got himself some food. He watched a joust, got a photo with the riders and their horses, one of which tried nibbling his hair, tipped the riders, and very quickly found himself running low on cash.

All that scrimping, and saving, and dealing… worth it. So very worth it.

So sue him if he looped back around and walked through again, he couldn’t afford much of anything else, he’d spent his last ten spot on a fridge magnet, had five left for gas station snacks on the way home, but that was fine, he could take photos, he’d borrowed Gareth’s camera, Gareth would have come but his parents had one stipulation for him attending the faire, and that was taking his failing grade in biology, and upping it to something that at least predicted a pass before thanksgiving.

He’d failed, and no amount of grovelling could fix it. No Ren Faire for you good sir!

Jeff was out of town with his family on some ‘visit all the out of state family members before Christmas snowstorms lock everything down’ country wide tour. And Dougie couldn’t get the time off his part time job to go.

So Eddie had promised plenty of photos to show them what they missed out on.

It was the very last stall at the end of the strip that caught his attention. Maybe it was the way the dying sunlight hit it, or the way the wind caught the chimes dangling from its flimsy rafters, he felt… called to it. Drawn to it like a moth to a flame and who was he, but a lowly little moth, to ignore the call of the fire?

So he wandered over, let himself be drawn in, offered a friendly little finger wave to the greying woman sat behind a makeshift counter wrapped in shawls and decorated in silver jewellery that jingled as she worked a single crotchet hook into a slowly coming together wine red shawl. The woman offered him a simple bow of her head and a small smile in response but no sales pitch.

No conversation of any kind really, she simply sat there while he looked, crocheting away without a care in the world. He could appreciate that, not being bothered by pushy sales tactic, especially when he had so few funds left to play with, he always felt guilty when he couldn’t afford what they were selling.

Like why was he even there if he had no money to spend?

The old woman didn’t do that, allowing him to wander through her surprisingly large stall full of little trinkets and goodies uninterrupted, which was for the best because had she spoke, he might not have stayed long enough to spot it. Amidst the little boxes decorated with carved patterns and pretty gemstones, amidst the scarves, crocheted bags, amidst the leather work belts, and wallets sat a single, solitary little bottle.

Sealed with a cork coated in wax and pressed with a decorative seal in a shape too worn down to really make out but obvious that it’d at one point had a shape. The bottle was hand blown, not manufactured, lightly frosted a dark brown to a brilliant amber around its square base, the colour crept up the smooth sides towards its seal, like a diamond in shape.

The bottle wasn’t empty either.

Much like the dice that’d caught his crow brain hook line and sinker earlier, this little bottle was filled with some kind of liquid. It swirled like a galaxy inside, and at the centre a brilliant light that looked like it held its own sun, always at the centre of the swirl, never distorting or shifting out of place, eternal in its circular flow.

It was warm in his hands. He didn’t even realise he’d picked it up.

“Two dollars.” Eddie damn near jumped out of his skin, whirling around, the bottle tight in his grip. That old woman had moved. And she’d done so with a quiet stealth some might attribute to a ninja, which was impressive considering how much jewellery she wore.

“Huh?” So eloquent of him.

“Just two dollars, child. The bottle? It is… calling to you, yes?” He couldn’t place her accent, something foreign, European maybe, he had no idea but it definitely didn’t sound any parts American. “I take two dollars for it, will bring you luck.” He looked back to the bottle, eyeing the swirl that still held its pattern even as he’d jostled it, like nothing could knock it out of its gentle swirl, then back to the old woman.

What was two dollars, really?

He had five left, if nothing else the bottle could make a really cool prop, and if it did bring him luck, then hey bonus. Who was he to argue with a mysterious old lady at a Renaissance Faire? “You uh… you got yourself a deal, ma’am.” She smiled brightly at him, eyes alight with both happiness and… something else, something that reflected in the light that he didn’t think hard enough about. She accepted the five dollars he had left, she gave him his change, and a little paper bag filled with tissue to hold his new purchase, which he didn’t really need as he put it right into his own bag after receiving his change, and then she sent him on his way, uncaring as to whether or not he wanted to look at her other wares.

He’d gotten the bottle. Nothing else mattered apparently. Maybe he should have found that suspicious, but why would he?

As soon as he left the little stall, all thought of it seemed to wash away from his mind leaving him freely wandering back to the entrance where his trusty steed, his Van, awaited him to take him home. Blissfully unaware of the little bottle he’d just purchased. Blissfully forgetful of the stall he’d visited, of the old woman he’d just met, of her smile, her eyes, her mysterious accent.

All of which was for the best, really, as if he’d thought about it, if he’d taken a single moment to stop and look back to the little stall at the end of the row, the little stall that held more treasures than it should have been able to for its size, if he’d looked back to wave his goodbyes to the old woman and her treasures, he’d have found nothing.

No stall, no woman, no trinkets or treasures. Just a single row of recycling bins and benches.

But he didn’t look back.

Definitely for the best.

Part 2

[wheneverfeasible]

A random plot idea that came to me suddenly. Please feel free to use this idea, just credit me if it inspires you and send a link with any story written!

-

I’ve read a few fics with the premise but it’s like a She’s All That AU where King Steve is bet to make The Freak, Eddie Munson, fall in love with him, or make him popular, or get him to prom so that they can Carrie him. And of course Steve goes along with it because he’s still trying to be what people want him to be or whatever and he doesn’t like it but he does it, only to end up catching feelings for Eddie.

And okay yeah. Cue that heartbreak angst when Eddie finds out. But…BUT…

Imagine that AU but Eddie knows about the bet. They don’t know he knows, but he discovers it quickly. He’s King Freak after all; the gossip gets back to him before the popular jocks even get to putting the plan in motion, or he overhears it himself, or whatever. But he knows.

He knows and he plays along. He lets Steve woo him, acts first like he’s wary and annoyed about the guy, makes him work for it, but he lets himself pretend to fold and accept the dates. Accepts the kissing. Accepts the more.

Because yeah, he knows it’s fake, knows Steve could never actually want him, but he still has King Steve’s mouth around his dick, and he honestly has to congratulate the guy for going so far for a bet. And hell, he’s not going to pass up the chance to see just how good the fabled King is with his dick either.

Eddie figures he’ll have some fantastic sex, eat good food and get some dope gifts like a new amp for his sweetheart all courtesy of Harrington money, and…yeah, okay, even if it’s fake, Steve’s actually pretty good company. And Eddie even makes friends with one of the cheerleaders and isn’t that fucking bizarre but she’s sweet even if her boyfriend is an ass.

And Steve is still friends with his ex and through that he knows some dweeb kids, and damn is Harrington actually kind of good with kids, kind of…nice? And he’s funny in a bitchy kind of way, and his family life actually kind of (a lot of) sucks. And he helps this band geek who was being bullied by one of his teammates, and…and maybe, in another life, Eddie might have thought King Steve was actually a good dude instead of the douchebag he knew he was.

Because this was fake. It’s all just a bet. And Eddie is going to laugh when, after all of this, he gets to pull the final prank on Harrington and all his court. Because he knows it’s fake. He knows Steve doesn’t actually like him. He knows that, even when he laughs in all their faces at the end because he got to fuck King Steve in the ass, he’s going to be leaving it all alone and…and without Steve.

And that’s fine. It’s fake. It’s fine. Steve could and would never actually like him. The King and The Freak. And it’s fine. It’s fine. It’s fine.

And the truth is revealed, and Eddie laughs at them because he’s known all along, and Eddie pretends his heart isn’t breaking while Steve does the same. And it’s okay and it’s fine.

Except it isn’t.

But it is fine, because Steve’s ex? That band geeked he helped? Eddie’s cheerleader friend?

By god they’re going to get these two idiots to realize what’s been right in front of their eyes this whole time.

And this is only the beginning of the royal love story of King Hair and King Freak and how they turned Hawkins High upside down.

I guess you could say they really are all that.

-

Tagged: @derythcorvinus

[hbyrde36]

No Vacancy

Now Complete!

Steddie | WC: 58,586 | R: Explicit | CH: 12/12 | AO3 Link

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4

Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8

Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12

Summary:

When Eddie Munson arrived at the Buckingham Beach Motel to spend the summer with his best friend Chrissy and her business partner Robin, the absolute last person he expected to see hanging around in the lobby was former King of Hawkins High and renowned jock asshole, Steve fucking Harrington. To make matters worse, Eddie found that Steve's presence was just the tip of the iceberg—long story short? Mistakes were made and it turned out the motel was a little overbooked. Absolutely not. Eddie grabbed her by the hand, cutting her off and tugging her across the lobby, as far from Steve and Robin as they could get. “Are you crazy?! You want me to be roommates with King Steve?!” He hissed, throwing his hands around wildly. “Have you completely forgotten what a giant asshole he is?!” “We’re not in high school anymore, Eds. I’ve spent time with the guy. He’s always been nice to me, and if what Robin tells me is true? Then not only is Steve not like that anymore, maybe he never really was.” Eddie's jaw tightened. She could not be serious. Jock’s don’t change their stripes, or whatever.