#Steve meets Eddie out at the picnic table after school to make sure he never sells to the kids

[queenie-ofthe-void]

Playing with the idea of Steve giving Mike, Lucas, and Dustin a heads up about Eddie before they start their freshman year. About how it's in their best interest to join Eddie's friends, called Hellfire. He hypes Eddie up: how he loves DnD, sounds smart like they are when he gives his super annoying speeches. He's really into music and movies and he's got a van, maybe he'll take them to the arcade.

So now it's Eddie's first day of his third senior year, he's sitting in his normal spot in the caf with the boys, when he's bombarded with three freshman he's never seen before. They're excited to meet him. Can't stop talking about how they've heard he's cool "but in a freak way, like us", how he's so smart and funny, loves DnD. Great at sticking up for the little guy and will be able to protect them

He can't help preening a bit. Normally he's got to save the new needs himself, but apparently his reputation proceeds him. By the time they settle down, he's blushing under the weight of their praises. Definitely something he's not used to, even from his friends, to hear an entire list of reasons why he's apparently so cool.

"So, my young padawans, who spoke so highly of your new Dungeon Master?"

"Steve," Lucas replies, bouncing with excitement.

Confused, Eddie looks between the three of them. "Uhhh, Steve who?"

The curly-headed one scoffs, rolling his eyes. Pretty bitchy for a freshman, Eddie thinks. Kid's got an attitude problem.

"Steve Harrington. What, like you guys don't know him?"

Only the sounds of the cafeteria pierce the tense silence around Hellfire table. Eddie thinks he should check the guys' reactions, but he's honestly so stunned he can't force himself to move.

"Yeah, we do know him," Jeff says. "He's and asshole."

"He's not an asshole, he's awesome," Dustin screeches.

The boys continue to bicker back and forth, but they still make space for the freshies.

Eddie's got a million questions, but one more than the rest.

Does Steve Harrington think I'm cool??

~~~

Wrote a follow up fic!

[munsonfamilyband]

I’ve had a Different Meeting AU stuck in my head for ages and I’ve decided to share it

After Starcourt Steve can’t sleep. The nightmares and panic keeps him from getting sleep; if he’s lucky he gets an hour. After a week he’s falling apart and he suddenly remembers a piece of his past - he remembers smoking weed with Tommy H and sleeping like a baby. So he starts digging, ends up having to talk to people he never wanted to speak to again, but he finds out who to call.

Eddie Munson. The name is familiar, but the number isn’t. Steve calls Eddie and sets up a meeting the next day to buy some weed. When he drives to the meeting spot he walks through how he’s going to apologize for who he was. Steve is pretty sure he never did anything to Eddie but he wants to be safe rather than sorry. He gets out of his car and ambles through the woods to meet Eddie at a picnic table. Eddie Munson is sitting on the table, legs kicked out in front of him and leaning back on his elbows. Steve quickly averts his eyes from the tattoo he can see on Eddie’s stomach where his shirt has ridden up. He’s aware that he finds men attractive, has been since Jonathan beat him up in ‘83, but now is not the time. Eddie looks up when Steve steps into the clearing and smirks.

“You’re late, I was starting to think you were going to stand me up.”

“Uh, sorry, I got a little side tracked. But um, before we do this I wanted to say sorry…I guess? I’m not sure if I ever did anything to you in school, I’m pretty sure I didn’t but I wanted to apologize for being a dick anyway.” Eddie just blinks at him, grin gone, as he sits up fully while still sitting on the table.

“You’re….. sorry?”

“Yeah, man. I’m trying to be a better person, throw the whole ‘King Steve’ shit out, and I figured that apologizing to the guy I’m hoping will sell me weed is a good place to start, y’know?” Steve knows that there’s a flush crawling up his neck from the embarrassment, can feel it heating up his ears, but he can’t focus on that with Eddie Munson staring at him with his big eyes and wild, curly hair- nope, stopping that right now.

“Oh. Well, you didn’t do anything, I mean, your buddy, Tommy H, used to fuck with me until he started buying my shit. The guy’s almost feral but he isn’t stupid enough to piss off his dealer. So, I guess we’re good then?” Steve breathes out a sigh of relief, moving closer to the table to sit while Eddie climbs down to sit on the opposite side. “So, how do you want to do this?”

Steve clears his throat, glancing around a bit. Eddie probably assumes it’s from nerves around the deal, which is fine with Steve. He doesn’t need to know that Steve is still looking over his shoulder for Russians and flesh monsters. “Uh, look, man. I know you’re wondering about my face, and it has to do with why I’m looking to buy. I was at the mall when it…burned down.” Steve hears Eddie mumble something like ‘holy shit’ under his breath. “I got knocked over during the panic and got trampled,” Steve easily lies. The cover story had been repeated to him until he knew it just as well as the real events. “Ever since, I’ve been having a hard time sleeping and I know weed can help so I was looking to get some to help.” He can feel Eddie’s eyes on him, studying his face in a way that reminds him eerily of Nancy.

“I can totally get why you would need weed after that. But, no offense or anything, you seem way more nervous about this than normal.” Steve can’t help but sigh, of course the drug dealer can read him like a book.

“Yeah, I uh, I got drugged when I was at a club a little while ago. I guess I’m nervous about being high again, even though I need to sleep.” Steve meets Eddie’s eyes and watches a complicated series of emotions flash across the other man’s face before seeming to decide on something.

“Okay, I normally wouldn’t do this, but you really do seem to be trying to be better, and you’ve clearly been through a lot lately, so I’m going to make an offer and you can decline if you want, but I figured I would try.” Eddie takes a deep breath, Steve narrowly avoiding watching his cheat expand with it. “Because you’re nervous about this, I can waive the fee this time and bring the pot to smoke with you. So that you don’t have a bad trip, or whatever.” Steve freezes, thrown aback by the offer. After a moment he is able to voice a response.

“You would do that for me?”

“I mean, just because I deal drugs doesn’t mean I have no morals. It feels weird to sell you shit and then let you go off on your own knowing you had a traumatic experience.”

Steve, despite being stunned, manages a smile. “That- thank you, Eddie. That is- I appreciate it a lot.”

The quickly make a plan to meet up the next day at Steve’s house, and Steve offers to get food as payment.

This pattern continues for a month before Eddie’s friends convince him to try a move on Steve - who has been maybe flirting since they met - and the night ends with them making out on Eddie’s couch. They date happily for 6 months, laughing as they pretend to not know each other in front of the kids, until the first day of Spring Break Steve sees a trailer he spends more time at than his own house on the news. As soon of Dustin and Max show up, Steve is grabbing his keys and running to his car, knowing exactly where Eddie is hiding.

Steve never wanted his boyfriend to get involved with this part of his life, but there is no way he will leave him alone now that he is.

[sparkling-ariaria]

Eddie Munson fics I read and want to keep...no°3

*Complete fem or non-gendered reader insert fics* Updated: 16.08.2023

Shy boy, my boy by upsidedownwithsteve prompt: can I hold your hand? Shy Eddie, some yearning and fluff.

Enchanted by you by andvys Eddie finds you sitting on bench with tears rolling down your cheeks after your breakup with your boyfriend. He takes matters into his hands and takes care of you, making it one of the best nights of your life.

Eddie my love by itsoutrageouss - gf!Reader Dancing in front of Eddie in his room, having the time of your life with the boy you love.

It’s nice to have a friend by lilacletter Every morning Eddie sits on the porch with a stray black cat who he has quickly grown to love. When his morning routine gets disturbed by her not showing up for three days, he goes to find her, only to see she and multiple other cats are in very capable hands.

Taste test by eddiebaghetti - gf!Reader Pressing your lips to Eddie’s cheek and giggling at the glossy red print it leaves behind..

Fluff blurb by eddies-ashtray - gf!Reader Eddie finds out he’s finally graduating. You and Wayne have a surprise for him.

New girl headcanon by swtnrcmnt - girly!popular!cheerleader!Reader

Marking his territory by writingdumpster - gf!Reader Eddie doesn’t like it when Steve lets you borrow his sweater.

Forget-Me-Nots by galaxy-siren Eddie finds a flower in his locker and Dustin explains that he might have a secret admirer sending him messages through the language of flowers.

Two’s Company, Three’s a Crowd by galaxy-siren - gf!Reader Dustin meets a nice and smart girl in the science club and ends up talking about her at the lunch table, claiming he has fallen in love. Eddie gets jealous when he learns that Dustin is talking about his girlfriend.

If the slipper fits by galaxy-siren When one of the leads of the school play gets injured, Robin asks Eddie to fill in. He’s not to keen on the idea at first but when Robin mentions that you are in the play, and he would get to play your romantic interest, he changes his mind. 

Concert date by lovebugism - shy!Reader The one where Eddie rejects you when you ask him to go to a concert with you, thinking it's a joke, and immediately regrets it.

Bedtime stories by galaxy-siren - gf!Reader Eddie can't sleep, so he asks you to read to him.

Cute girls don't play D&D by galaxy-siren You're new at Hawkins High and ask Eddie if he can teach you to play D&D. Unfortunately he thinks you're trying to pull a prank on him.

Eddie brings home a baby kitten by wroteclassicaly - gf!Reader

Good to me by huntingingoodwill Running through the rain with Eddie and him just being sweet and going out of his way to spend time with and take care of you.

Eddie x soft!shy!crybaby!Reader thoughts by biancadjarin

Him ordering food for you by bruisedboys - shy!gf!Reader

Drunk Eddie by eddies-ashtray - gf!Reader

Drunk Eddie being clingy and insecure by eddies-ashtray - gf!Reader

Breathing deeply, walking backwards by eiightysixbaby An evening at the fair leads to a big confession from your best friend (who you just so happen to have feelings for).

Whipped by mstigeress37-blog - sunshine!cheerleader!Reader Eddie never knew why you hung out with the cheerleaders. They were terrible people OR Eddie’s whipped for a cheerleader.

You callin' me a liar? by sailortongue - gf!cheerleader!Reader Eddie tells the boys that he has a girlfriend, but they don't believe him. Eddie vows to make them eat their words.

Lovesick!Eddie asking Steve for hair care advice because he’s about to meet your parents and gets all insecure by eiightysixbaby

I adore you by sunflowerdaydreamer - gf!Reader A picnic date with Eddie on your birthday.

"Don’t you dare touch him” by lovebugism - shy!gf!Reader The one where Eddie melts when his quiet gf sticks up for him in front of Jason.

A Sure and Steady Thing by majestyeverlasting - gf!Reader A rainy evening in Hawkins sets your lake plans awry, but brings you closer together back at his place through a confession you didn't quite see coming.

[nburkhardt]

Other parts: one, two, three, four, five

Steve

Eddie’s words of reassurance are the only thing keeping him from completely freaking out when the reminder of their party comes into view as he makes his way downstairs. As his feet hit the last step, his memory races to remind him of what happened.

That his friends were there, that they saw him break.

His breath hitches as he sees the door to the backyard, there’s a mess out there. As if they all got up in a hurry and he doesn’t quite understand why. They usually never clean up but they at least make an attempt to make it look like they do.

Peeking out the window, there’s not even a trash bag in view. Cans hastily throw on a table or chair, forgotten pizza boxes are scattered around the yard from birds grabbing hold of it and chairs pushed around with towels no where to be found.

It’s confusing, he doesn’t know where to start.

Before he can even really figure it out, the doorbell rings. Sighing, he moves away from that door and goes for the front instead. Hoping it’s not any of the kids, he takes a moment to school his face and attempt to look fine.

“Sunshine!”

The tension he built up nearly falls away at the sight of Eddie standing there with a smile and a basket in hand. He’s confused but he smiles back anyway, moving away to let the older boy in. Eddie doesn’t give him a chance to close the door, he kicks it shut and sets the basket down. “Hug?”

He nods but still tenses up only a second before completely melting into the hug. Eddie squeezes him close and doesn’t say a word when Steve hides his face in his neck.

It’s probably one of the best hugs he’s had in years.

“You feeling better, Sunshine?” Eddie asks and doesn’t bother letting him go, keeps his arms tight around him.

It helps being in the hug to admit out loud, “I’m okay, I think. Maybe overwhelmed? A little confused, what- um, happened after?”

Eddie doesn’t answer him immediately, squeezes him again before pulling away. He has to bite his tongue to stop the honest to god whine he can feel bubbling up. But he drops his own arms, letting Eddie go.

“You mean at the party?”

He nods, crossing his arms and looking down at the basket. “Noticed the mess in the backyard, they didn’t even bother cleaning up and now I have to cle-“

“I kicked them out” Eddie interrupts him and it makes his head snap up, meeting his eye and seeing annoyance there. “They were being mean to you, they didn’t deserve to be here. So, I told them to get out.” He shrugged, “you don’t have to clean up, I’ll do it. You, my Sunshine, will be getting ready.”

His head goes a little fuzzy at knowing that someone was sticking up for him. He nods and sees Eddie smile at him, then the words catch up to him. “Get ready?”

Eddie’s smile widens, lifts the basket up higher which doesn’t answer him but he looks at it. “We are going for a drive and I packed a picnic for us!”

————

Eddie

With his plan written out, his motivation in the right places and the absolute need to provide for Steve, he woke up early to put together the best picnic ever.

“What’re you doing, boy?”

Nearly dropping the jar of peanut butter, he glared over his shoulder at Wayne, “packing a picnic”

He rolls his eyes as Wayne comes over, “Picnic, for who?”

It takes him a minute to word his response correctly. Not wanting to betray Steve’s trust but also not wanting to lie to Wayne. Maybe someday they’ll talk to him about it, when Steve is in the room and comfortable with sharing.

“For Steve and I, no it’s not a date.” As much as he’d love for it to be a date, this is not the time for Steve to think about dating.

Wayne nods with a soft, “if you’re sure, Ed. This Steve know that?”

Groaning he turns to look at him, “it’ll only be a date if he wants it to be, I’m his friend. I’m worried about him and think he deserves a picnic”

Wayne nods, leans against the counter and crosses his arms. “Ed, you’re a good person. Know that? I hope everything is good with your friend”

His cheeks start to burn at the pride he hears in Wayne’s voice, he hides it behind his hair and ducks his head. “Thanks Wayne”

The rest of the packing is done without interruption. It’s just a simple lunch, PB&J sandwiches, chips and fruits. He’ll pick up beers on the way over and maybe some desserts, it’s not much but he has a feeling Steve will love it.

He can instantly tell something is off with Steve once he’s at the house. Hugging Steve feels like home, feeling him just melt in his arms? The best feeling in the world. He’ll never get tired of this. Hopes for it to happen everyday, hopes for it forever.

Pulling away hurts but it’s necessary to get going, needing to get Steve out of this cold house. Admitting about kicking out their friends is easy, cleaning up the mess is even easier.

Once it’s all done and Steve is ready, they’re off.

They look like an odd pair and Eddie loves it. The contrast in their clothes is eye catching. Steve’s soft tones and Eddie’s harsher ones, it makes him smile.

Steve’s got on a yellow sweater, it’s new and a size bigger than the one he lost. He’s wearing light wash jeans with his normal Nike shoes. While Eddie on the other hand, he’s got on fishnet sleeves with an old Black Sabbath t-shirt he cropped a while back. He’s got his ripped black jeans and leather jacket on with a pair of doc martens.

Total opposites, but they work. Like a jigsaw puzzle, their edges match up and fit perfectly together.

“So, where are we going exactly?” Steve asks once they’re in the van and he’s in the passenger seat without one complaint about not driving.

Eddie can’t look at him but he smiles anyway, “Well, was thinking taking a nice drive out of town to find a park, just the two of us, that okay?”

If he doesn’t want to go out of town for this, Eddie will just find a quiet park their friends don’t go to. He won’t force Steve anywhere, even if he knows getting away from this town would be good for him. Steve doesn’t even realize how much of hold he has on Eddie, how much Eddie is willing to do to care for him.

“Yeah, yeah that’s okay.” Steve answers back then whispers, “Is, is this a date?”

Tensing up, he grips the wheel and slows to a stop before pulling off to the side. He’d like to actually face Steve while talking about this. “Sunshine, Steve, do you want it to be a date? I don’t want to force you into anything, okay?”

Steve’s eyes go wide at that and he reaches out to grab his hands, waits for the nod before gripping them and squeezing. His eyes drop to their hands, Steve shifts them to lace their fingers together.

“I’d really like it to be a date, Eddie.” His voice isn’t as nervous as before, more confident but not anywhere close as before, “Do you?”

Squeezing his hands, he brings them up to his face and waits until Steve’s looking at him before he presses a kiss to both of his hands. Steve’s cheeks turn pink, it makes him smile.

“Sunshine, I’d love for it to be a date. You have me already and I’d really like it if I had you too”

The smile he gets back lives up to his nickname, it’s blinding and beautiful. This beautiful boy doesn’t even know that he’ll do anything and everything for him. But for now, he’ll make this picnic date the best damn date ever.

Oh hey! I finally got more motivation for this and apparently the boys wanted this to turn into a date. Impatient boys, damn. We were getting there! Also sorry for the accidental undertone dom/sub? I didn’t mean for that, it just sorta happened. I even read back the other parts and uhhh it’s always been there and I didn’t even more for it to happen. Oops. Anyway now we got soft dom!eddie and sub!steve in this lol. oh!!! Shout out to @i-less-than-three-you for her being a soundboard for me, it really helped me out ❤️

tag list: (its getting long lol) @i-less-than-three-you,  @zerokrox-blog, @piningapple, @i-wanna-combust, @stevecarrington, @henderdads, @fiore-della-valle, @eddiemunsonswife, @mixsethaddams, @momotonescreaming, @ajamlessbaby, @novelnovella, @flustratedcas, @thelastwalkingsoul, @hellfire1986baby, @manda-panda-monium, @xo-blairej, @freyaforestafay, @princessstevemunson, @lifeisnotsobadonceyoustopcaring, @sapphirecobalt-1, @stevesworldxx, @jonathanbyersbbg, @fromapayphone, @anzelsilver, @adaed5, @koyislosinghismind, @idontgetpaidenoughforthisshit, @bornonthesavage, @seths-rogens, @xwildangel, @mightbeasleep, @y0urnewstepp4r3nt,@saphhicwitchbitch, @m-chmcl-rmnc, @swimmingbirdrunningrock, @steddieassheg0es, @didntwant2come, @itsfreakingbats, @stranger-poets-society,@maya-custodios-dionach, @prideandsensibility,@dreamlandforever,@estrellami-1,@and-say,@huskysarelife,@kayloquial,@lovelyscot,@thunder581,@thegingervulcan,@renaissan-vvitch,@luna-munson83,@blackholegladiator,@sherrylyn628,

[piratefishmama]

For Steve Harrington, divorced father of one singular little munchkin, trying to get back onto the horse that was dating?

Not easy. He had a kid, for one, and sure, he was a good dad, he’d learned from his own parents mistakes, learned what not to do from them, and while on paper that’d seem like such an easy sell for any straight woman to happily fall into. And yet.

They always got that look, whenever he mentioned Rosie. That pinched surprise, like oh, I didn’t know you were someone’s sloppy seconds, with a side order of baggage, neato. Kind of surprise. And the few that did seem excited to meet Rosie… well.

It never went well.

Not for Rosie, she seemed to have fun, or at least she made her own fun, but they always spoke to her like she was five.

Okay, so technically, she was seven, but she was mature for her age, she could read at a level higher than Steve could at her age, she understood things, worked things out quick as a whip, she got a lot from her mother.

She got her looks from her father. A solid fifty-fifty split, brains from her mom, looks from her dad. She was a double whammy with great hair that’d no doubt knock everyone’s socks off when she grew up, so Steve worked hard to make sure she knew exactly who she was and what her boundaries were, and how best to enforce them when someone tried pushing it.

He was a solid girl dad.

Her mother always told him to keep his chin up, someone will come along eventually, because as a fun addition to the troublesome dating life, she was still around. Not in a bad way, not in the way that warranted the distaste on women’s faces when he mentioned it.

Steve loved Nancy. But he wasn’t… in love.

And hadn’t been for a good few years before they eventually called it quits in a spectacularly explosive fashion, but… they’d needed it to be explosive, they’d needed the catharsis of an argument, of a blow up. It’d been good for them after years of a stale day to day ‘we’re together because it’s expected of us’ relationship that felt more like a not fun roleplay than an actual relationship.

She had an active role in Rosie’s life though, took her on weekends, and on holidays when Steve had to work, she’d made more than a few appearances on live TV reports, the station Nancy worked at loved her, as did their viewers.

Would have her helping with the weather reports some days, and she always help to read the fluff pieces, like local shelters doing adoption drives, or that one time when she presented rainbow roses at a pride parade in Indy to anyone who wanted one (they ran out within twenty minutes and had to run and find more). She loved going on adventures with mommy.

But because of how hectic mommy’s life was, Nancy had given him full custody of her, trusting that he’d never use it against her.

He wouldn’t. Never, never in a million, infinity years, would he ever use it against her.

He just. Couldn’t land a date that’d stay. That’d treat Rosie like the little grown up she was rapidly shaping out to be, he needed someone who was happy that Rosie had her mother around, someone who felt as deeply as Steve that Rosie DESERVED to have her mother around, he didn’t get why that seemed to be an issue for people.

So colour him surprised when he found an inkling of that in Eddie ‘The Freak’ Munson.

A guy who Steve distinctly remembered jumping on tables, yelling at jocks, who dealt weed and sometimes stronger behind the school at an old picnic bench left there for reasons unknown, nobody ever that interested in the history of mysteriously placed picnic benches to question why it was a good couple of minutes’ walk from the football field, why it was surrounded by trees on all sides, why someone thought it’d be a good idea to put a picnic bench just. There. With nothing else around it.

Why nobody thought to monitor it for sneaky drug deals.

He distinctly remembered Eddie being loud and unapologetic, remembered him herding the weird kids, the outcasts, and the oddballs into his little group, keeping them safe, using his ‘mean and scary’ looks to intimidate anyone who dared come near them.

He distinctly remembered finding him off putting, remembered calling him a freak once or twice but only in reference to the epithet he’d earned through the years of freakish behaviour.

Maybe it shouldn’t have come as a surprise to see him effortlessly interacting with Rosie, talking to her as if she was the little grown up she was rapidly becoming, giving her his undivided attention over diner food as she launched into a story about how her mommy once uncovered a drug scandal at a local Applebee’s. How she went into the details of which drugs were there and the classifications of them, making Steve take a mental note to remind Nancy not to leave her story notes lying around because Rosie would pick them up and she would read them all and soak it all up like a sponge.

Maybe it did come as a surprise because it happened at his high school reunion.

Maybe it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that the second time he came across Eddie at the garage after his oil light had decided it was its time to shine on his way home from picking Rosie up from elementary. That Eddie would pop his hood, and show Rosie all the little bits and pieces, teach her how to do little things under there.

Like how to refill the screen wash “it’s this little blue cap here, you wanna just pop it open right—yep like that! Perfect, you’re a natural, Rosie.”

Then he gave her the little jug, making sure she had gloves on, and helped her to refill it, reassuring her that spills were fine, it’d just go right through the network of wires and metal and drip to the floor, no harm done.

Steve didn’t even ask for a screen-wash refill, Eddie just “it’s on the house, you did pay for our first diner date” with a wild grin that kicked Steve’s stomach butterflies up into a frenzy.

He went right back into explaining parts to her, showed her how a dipstick was used to check oil levels, and explained that it’s a valuable lesson to learn, because autobody garages can charge through the nose for it, can be really mean about it when it’s a super simple thing to do at home.

He kept her engaged, he showed her all the safety goggles and gloves and drove home the importance of wearing them, he barely paid Steve any attention at all, it all effortlessly went to Rosie, and it was beautiful to watch her soaking it all up, eyes wide and full of excitement to learn.

His teenage self would have been surprised at Eddie in his home hours later, cleaned up and ready for dinner that Steve had again, with a little more confidence this time, invited him to.

Nothing like the empty show house looking estate he’d lived in back then, his home was a modest two bed house with a dark blue fence and a lawn filled with wildflowers and crazy rose bushes that the HOA hated but Rosie loved because “bees daddy!! Bees!!”

So the wildflowers stayed, multiple letters and bitchy housewives be damned. He’d been subjected to a lengthy spiel about the importance of dandelions one too many times. His kid had many interests, he was happy to encourage all of them.

It was cosy inside, filled with warmth in the wall colour choices and the soft furniture he and Rosie had spent hours jumping on and sinking into in furniture shops to make sure it suited their lifestyle. Throw blankets, plants, pictures filling the walls, drawings covering the fridge.

The only thing they didn’t have was a furry animal living there, they just hadn’t gotten around to going and getting one yet. It was on the agenda.

His teenage self would never have guessed that Eddie would be in his home after sharing in taco Wednesday “because, daddy, nobody would ever assume we’d have tacos on WEDNESDAY Taco Tuesday is overdone” Eddie agreed with her, seriously, he congratulated her choice to stick it to the schedules of which society consumed their tacos, and her stark refusal to engage in overdone alliterations, Steve was such a goner.

That he’d be sat sort of next to him on their comfy couch, Rosie snug between them with a big bowl of movie butter popcorn in her arms while they watched Jim Carrey wholeheartedly attempt to lie despite being cursed with honesty.

That he’d get to watch Eddie, carefully take Rosie to bed and tuck her in when she inevitably fell asleep between them midway through the second movie, Steve, and Rosie’s fourth screening of Brendan Fraser in a loin cloth surrounded by jungle friends. That he’d get to watch, having quietly (like a ninja) followed them up, knowing that Rosie didn’t know he was there, that he’d get to hear the quiet, sleepy little,

“Night, daddy” from his all-seeing daughter, knowing that it wasn’t directed at him.

Or the little clearly emotional “goodnight, Angel” Eddie whispered back as he pecked a kiss to her forehead and tucked her in, reminding himself of that first night when Eddie had claimed he’d always wanted a barnacle.

That the person he’d been looking for, the person he’d been missing in his life, who Nancy had assured him would come, would melt into the inevitable kiss that awaited him in that hallway, and stay when Steve asked him to, and keep staying.

He’d have never guessed it’d be Eddie ‘The Freak’ Munson.

hey uhm. No upside down AU, with a side of school reunion single parent Steve Harrington attending with his daughter cause he couldn't find a sitter at such short notice and in comes Eddie Munson, the once upon a time local drug dealer now 5* local mechanic and part time dive bar rockstar who's great with kids hanging out in the corner playing some dumb game with all the kids whos parents also couldn't get sitters, and clearly that corner is the most EXCITING corner in the whole place cause Eddie's there having a blast with a bunch of kids rather than interacting with people who never understood or interacted with him back in highschool.

and despite having so many people vying to say hello to him, so many people wanting to catch up with the king, Steve just finds himself drawn in to his daughters shenanigans with the ridiculously pretty guy he once dubbed a freak cause said Freak lights up like christmas when he sees him, all teeth and dimples and a far too charming

"Steeeeeve Harrington! His royal highness graces us lowly peasants with his presence!! Come my little adventurers, bow before your king."

even his daughter mocks a little bow, and it's the cutest fucking thing Steve has ever seen in his LIFE.