#Two Single Dads AU

[dreamseersystem]

Sneak Peak of

Two Single Dads AU

So number 2 won so you get a sneak peak at a random opening post for the blog when it's ready!

Error was busy knitting a new doll as he sat on his bean bag. Things were returning to normal for him and finally new Undernovella episodes were airing. It was peaceful and he just wanted it to rema...

"Ruru!" A familiar voice rang out along with the crying of some child. Ink came out of a puddle holding a small skeleton child. Error blinked at the scene.

"What the fuck is that?" He asked.

"Oh! I am taking care of him since his story is a bit off," Ink said.

Error blinked and held his nose ridge. "Ink, did you kidnap some random kid on a whim?"

"No! He is fine! See!"

Error glared at him and did a check on the child as he cried. Dream the check said, from Dreamtale... And he had a twin...

"Where is his brother?" Error demanded.

"Who?" Ink asked confused. "Oh right! There were two!" He looked around him and even lifted the crying Dream above thinking that would make his twin appear. "I don't know... Whoops!"

"You are a damned idiot! He is crying for his brother! Go find him ink stain!" Error growled at the other.

Ink nodded at that and went to grab the brush when he paused. "Oh! I shouldn't take him with me!" He said as he shoved Dream into Error's arms.

Error proceeded to glitch out and shut down while holding Dream crying in his arms. Having touched bone on bone that sent him to that crash. Ink just grinned and left in a puddle.

When Error came to, Dream was sniffling and looking at him worried. He huffed as he adjusted his hold and took off his scarf to wrap up the kid so he doesn't get set off again for now. He didn't know how to deal with kids. He just hoped Ink actually finds his brother and not forget and wander the fuck off.

"Look, Ink will find Nightmare okay? I'm sure he is just fine and landed in some pacifist au and missing you just as much, but there isn't much we can do at the moment," he huffed at the toddler. Dream sniffled some more and just leaned against Error's chest.

"Nini," he finally said for the first time.

"Yes we will find Nini," Error agreed. Well Ink will find Nightmare since he created this damn mess in the first place. In more ways than one. For now... He huffed and took the kid to the beanbag and settled down on it and opened up the window to his show again. Dream settled down and closed his eyes, sticking his thumb in his mouth as he made himself comfy in the scarf and on the chest.

Error huffed again. What the fuck was he supposed to do with a kid? There is no way Ink will be able to care for him or his brother when he is found. He looked down at the slumbering baby. He looked so vulnerable like this. He wrapped one arm around Dream and watched his show. Looks like he was going to have to take care of him now. There was no one else, and returning him to his au so young didn't seem right. "You owe me big time kiddo," he huffed. He went back to watching his show, unbeknownst to him, he was purring softly to keep Dream at peace.

[ask-sibverse]

Oh Right! Tell Your Husband They Write Well! I Wanna Read More Of That AU They Keep Talking About! The One They Just Released A Sneak Peek For!

They're honestly having a lot of fun with the AU honestly, its going to be an ask blog they want me to do art for, @two-single-dads with the rare (at least I don't see stuff for this ship) Cross/Error ship

[ineffectualdemon]

Airplane doesn't give any kids he has his issues because like any good author he does that to his OCs instead

Peerless Cucumber doesn't put his issues on his kids because he puts all his issues on Airplane

[afewproblems]

Season Two Halloween AU Part Eight

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six Part Seven

Synopsis: What if Eddie had been at Tina's Halloween Party in Season Two? Featuring Steve!Whump, Stancy Breakup, and Eddie just trying to keep up with all these new revelations about who King-Steve actually is...

As always, thank you thank you to the lovely Jess @strangersteddierthings for letting me brainstorm and send spoilers!

***

Eddie pulls gently on the strap of Dustin's safety goggles, trying as much as he can not to snag his curls in the process.

Almost everyone is decked out in their make-shift protective gear, with bandanas over their mouths, swim goggles --hell, even an old diving mask that Lucas found in the Byers basement. Mike won the painters mask, even though it's slightly too big on his little face.

When Eddie asks if all of this is really necessary, Dustin, Lucas, and Mike all glare ferociously at him before shouting over top of one another about how the Upside Down is toxic and that Will had been lucky last year, and to stop being an idiot. 

Eddie looks to Max who shrugs and pulls down her own swimming goggles over her eyes.

"Don't look at me, I'm new here remember?" She mutters, walking towards the pile of various items the kids brought with them. She grabs a pair of rubber gloves and tosses them at Eddie who manages to catch one while the other falls limply into the dirt.

"They went in full body suits last year, on oxygen, to save Will," Dustin adds, his voice slightly muffled by the floral scarf wrapped around his face, "as little exposed skin as you can, it isn't safe".

Eddie can't help but picture the last Sci-Fi pulp story he read in a zine with government conspiracies and men in yellow suits investigating supposed 'crash sites' in the desert. 

He shivers and pulls his own black bandana from his back pocket to put on.

Steve hasn't moved since they parked and hauled everything out of the van for their descent.

He sits in the sliding side door of the van with his head between his knees and the bat between his hands. Steve had insisted on coming with them, despite the fact that he'd only just managed to stop vomiting about five minutes ago and the nausea is still kicking his ass.

Stubborn idiot.

Eddie shakes his head as he turns back to Dustin to find the kid has wandered closer, standing right beside him now.

"He's dating Nancy," Dustin says quietly, tipping his head towards Steve as surreptitiously as he can.

Eddie freezes at the words and tries to keep his face blank in the way he's seen Steve do, he's not sure he's managed it but the way Dustin rolls his eyes. 

Eddie opens his mouth to respond, with what he isn't sure of given the chorus of shitshitshitshitshit playing on a loop in his head. 

Dustin beats him to it.

"But Mike told me they've been fighting lately, if it helps?" 

Eddie just stares, his mind running a mile a minute, his eyes search Dustin's face for any hint of malice or disgust. But there's nothing.

"You don't…care?" Eddie says slowly, softly, he looks around to the other kids to see if anyone else is listening.

They all continue to argue and bicker over the equipment  except for Max who has walked over to Steve to hand him a pair of rubber gloves. She leans down and tilts her head to look at Steve who still hasn't moved from his position in the van door. 

Dustin shrugs, "why should I? I know what people say about it, but you protected us, you stayed," he looks at Eddie with fierce blue eyes, "bullies talk a lot of shit about other people for what they like".

"And you're not bad Eddie, you're good, just like everyone here". 

Eddie blinks trying to ignore the tightness in his chest at the words and the sting behind his eyes. 

'You're a good kid Ed, that's all that matters,' Wayne had told him the day he came out. 'And I'll love you no matter what'.

So that was at least two people who didn't think he was the town 'freak' -- but a stubborn image of Steve's expression that night by the pool comes to mind as he vehemently argued against being scared of Eddie during the now infamous Halloween party.

Three people then.

"If it helps, he wouldn't shut up about Dallas after he and Nance watched the Outsiders last year so," Dustin shrugs again, this time with the slightest teasing grin. 

Eddie is overcome with such a strong feeling of fondness for the kid that he reaches out and pulls Dustin into a one armed hug that's really more of a headlock than anything else. Eddie takes off Dustin's hat to ruffle his hair before putting it back on and tugging it down over the kids eyes, he snorts at the squawk that Dustin makes in response.

"Dallas huh?" he says with a grin before clearing his throat, "I've always been more partial to a pretty boy myself". 

He laughs as Dustin pushes him off muttering under his breath, "everyone's obsessed with relationships," which only makes Eddie laugh harder. 

Maybe it's the hysteria of the situation, maybe it's the exhaustion loosely wrapping itself around his hands, but in this moment Eddie lets himself push away why they are standing in the middle of this field in the pitch dark, and lets himself reach out for what was previously impossible.

He claps Dustin on the back and tips his head towards the rest of the party getting ready. 

"How distracting can you be?" Eddie asks in a low conspiratorial voice.

Dustin frowns, his eyes dart from where Max is struggling to pull on a second blue rubber glove after getting the first one on to where Steve is finally managing to sit up in the van, pulling on the gloves Max left him with, and rolls his eyes again.

"Yeah, yeah, you get five minutes," Dustin drops his voice slightly, and if it's an imitation of Eddie barking orders at the kids earlier, it's pretty good actually. 

Eddie huffs and sends Dustin a wink before turning on his heel and making his way to the van.

Steve has managed to finally sit up properly and in the moonlight it appears that the green caste to his face is also gone. He looks up as Eddie approaches, and sends him a wane smile. 

"How you feeling?" Eddie says softly. He crouches down on the balls of his feet so he and Steve are at eye level and reaches out for his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. It's as though a dam has burst ever since he was able to gather Steve in his arms in the van, he can't stop reaching out for him. 

"Like my head has a pulse," Steve answers after a moment, "kinda how it felt after Jon cleaned my clock last year, but worse". 

He shrugs and gives Eddie a small smile that stretches his split lip until a small bead of red appears, Steve winces and swipes his hand over the cut, "I'm kinda hoping it doesn't become a yearly thing, you only get so many concussions ya know?" 

No Eddie doesn’t know, but he was also never a jock, dodging elbows, or balls, or apparently monsters in the woods on the regular.

He looks back at the kids, only to see Dustin pointing at the watch on his wrist; even in the dark Eddie can read Dustin's expression.

Hurry up.

Eddie swallows roughly and turns back to Steve, who doesn't move his gaze quickly enough to hide his own stare.

The wistful pinch of Steve's brow is still there, plain as day, and it cements Eddie's decision.

He leans closer, close enough that his nose is nearly touching Steve's own.

"I need to tell you something, and I need you to let me get through it because we don't have a lot of time, okay?" 

Steve blinks once, his wide hazel eyes search Eddie's face as he slowly nods, his mouth opens but Eddie reaches up and presses his palm to gently cover it.

"You caught me off guard before," he whispers quickly, before Steve can move the hand on his mouth, "when you told me about your Nonna". 

He sees Steve's eyes go even wider and feels him freeze under his hand, but he has to keep going. 

"And I thought, you couldn't possibly be saying what I thought you'd were saying, I couldn't--"

Eddie forces himself to meet Steve's gaze this time, as though he could simply transfer his thoughts directly, save himself the embarrassment of trying to make the words come.

He takes a deep breath in, releasing it slowly through his nose.

"I couldn't let myself hope, not then".

"But when I thought you were dead on the floor, that Billy had broken you into a million pieces and we would never be able to put you back together again and I realized," Eddie moves his hand now, letting it travel along Steve's jaw, to the back of his head. He swipes his thumb along the crest of Steve's cheekbone and tries not to let the way the other man holds his breath deter him.

"That I might not get another chance to be that person your Nonna told you about, if I didn't tell you how I felt". 

Steve blinks again and Eddie halts, letting go of Steve completely as he watches the wide hazel eyes grow shiny in the moonlight. 

Oh fuck.

Steve's nose flares slightly with how rapidly he's breathing and his mouth opens and closes in quick succession as he seems to struggle to find the words to respond.

"I--"

"Steve! Eddie!" Mike calls out from behind them, "we are running out of time! Let's go!" 

Eddie curses under his breath and whirls around; Mike stands at the edge of the cavern, his hands on his hips in a similar position to one Steve held earlier, the painter's mask pulled up to reveal the irritated frown on his face.

Dustin has his own face in his hand but looks up soon enough to offer Eddie a resigned shrug.

He catches Max watching the exchange with curious eyes, her face tilting between Eddie, Dustin, Mike, and Steve, but he can't think about that now. 

Not with Steve pushing himself up from the van on unsteady legs, he brushes past Eddie, reaching up with a shaking hand to pinch his nose. 

Eddie darts a hand out to catch Steve's elbow, halting his path.

Steve lets him.

Eddie takes a step closer, wracking his brain, trying to figure out what he could have said to make Steve so upset, had he read him wrong after all, had he overstepped somehow?

"Steve," he says softly, his grip on Steve's elbow is loose but steady as he pulls him closer.

Steve doesn't turn to look at Eddie but he doesn't move away either.

"What the hell is the hold up assholes!" Mike barks out again and Eddie lets himself throw a dirty glare at the kid, which Mike merely rolls his eyes at. 

The attitude on these kids.

Mike does eventually turn, pulled by Dustin, back to the rope that Lucas is securing to the nearby fencepost, hopefully distracted for long enough to let Eddie figure this out. 

But before he can say anything, Steve is pulling himself away from the grip on his elbow, “Eddie--”

"Please,” the word falls out of his mouth, desperate, louder than he wants, “please Steve, just, promise me we'll talk”.

Steve turns his face slightly, just enough that Eddie knows he sees him. 

His eyes are no longer wet, but still red rimmed, his nose slightly pink, the same way he looked that night at the halloween party sitting on that rock in the dark. 

“Okay,” Steve whispers into the night air, quickly and quietly before he presses forward. 

Eddie lets him go, his empty hand drops limply at his side as he watches Steve make his way back to the kids. He snatches an unused pair of goggles from the nearly empty pile on the ground and checks the post where Lucas had secured the rope. 

Eddie watches from the sidelines as Steve seamlessly moves back into Babysitter mode, and while some part of Eddie is relieved at this, he can’t help but miss the way it felt to hold Steve, to put him back together again. 

Even if it was just for a moment.

Part Nine Now Up!

Tag List:

@eriquin @luvinthefreaks @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @goodolefashionedloverboi @ellietheasexylibrarian @bambibiest @sadboislovebeans @howincrediblysapphicofyou @coleys-a-nerd @whycantiuseunderscore @airconditioning123 @xxfiction-is-my-realityxx @corrodedbisexual @starman-jpg @ilovecupcakesandtea @yoriposts @clumsiluni @pelinelin @phantomcat94 @lololol-1234 @anaibis @steveshairspray @hellfireone @eddielives1986 @sunswathe  @tentativeghost @robin-not-batman @estrellami-1 @manda-panda-monium @tinyplanet95 @perseus-notjackson @queenie-ofthe-void @rainbowsaw @sp0o0kylights @littlebluejane @hi-im-eff  @phantypurple @just-ladyme @thoroughlycollected @justrandomfandomstm @swimmingbirdrunningrock @finntheehumaneater @dynamic-powerm@nightmareglitter @genderless-spoon @zaddipax @thebiblesays @pyrohonk @emly03 @geekymagicalpotato @sidebarre @lemon-astra @cipounette @discreetapple @starlitlakes @saphhicwitchbitch @marvel-ous-m @lingeringmirth @honorarybrit81 @bookbinderbitch @finntheehumaneater  @lololol-1234 @eddie-munsons-missing-nipple @monsterloverforhire @gaydrieeen @starlight-archer @homosexual-having-tea @devondespresso @rennnnon @my-hyperfixations-hell-blog

And a few people I think may be intersted!

@steddierthings @steddie-there @stevesbipanic @henderdads

[brainrotroulette]

Cowboy Aeneas for @please-be-nice-im-sensitive ‘s Cowboy Iliad AU

(which you should ALL check out)

‘TIS FINALLY DONE! (As done as it’s going to get because I injured my shoulder 🤡) Peep the little nods to his godly guardians 🤭

[moeblob]

They're soulmates in every single universe and I miss them at the most random times.

[profoundbondfanfic]

A Day In The Life Of A Newly Single Dad

A Day In The Life Of A Newly Single Dad by Hectatess | @hectatess Rating: Teen and Up Word Count: 9.7k

Raising a teen girl is an adventure every day, especially when you’re on your own, and Dean is so glad the internet is there to help him. He loves the advice videos from the YouTuber named Newly Single Dad. The fact that the man is gorgeous and has a voice that sounds like it should read adult audio books has nothing to do with it… Castiel doesn’t mind raising his adopted nephew and niece. He does mind that their old house is falling apart on them. Luckily the videos of YouTuber JustGoodHands help him out immensely. Plus the guy is quite a sight for sore eyes, with his freckles and green eyes. But he knows they shall probably never meet. Then one day he gets a text from the father of Claire’s best friend Emma…

Okay, raise your hand if you’re a sucker for Dadstiel like I am. If your hand is up, did you know that there’s a writing bang just for Dadstiel fics? Credit goes to our fandom for having a bang for just about anything, and to all the writers who continue to give us stories, even years after the show has ended. Add to it the endless bounds of creativity and new scenarios to put our two favorites in and you've got yourself into one lucky Fandom. 

Add this sweet story to the spoils. In it, we meet versions of Dean and Cas who both like to post videos on YouTube; Dean as a helpful handyman, and Cas as a newly single dad after he becomes the only parent to his niece and nephew. They are fans of each other, with a pair of wicked crushes to go along with everything else, so imagine both their surprise when they figure out that they're daughters are actually best friends. 

This story is adorable. Soft dad's Dean and Cas are irresistible, and I'm always a big fan of any story that includes Emma when Dean is a single dad. This story gives us a few POVs, including a scene or two from the kids, which is always fun. Added in is a little drama toward the end to bring the men together, but all’s well that ends well, at least in this cute fic, which is all most of us want out of our fan fiction at the end of the day. 

Enjoy! 

[diazsdimples]

Several Sentence Sunday

Tagged for Inspiration Saturday by @jesuisici33 @hippolotamus @alliaskisthepossibilityoflove @disasterbuckdiaz @cal-daisies-and-briars and @daffi-990, please take this as your Sunday tag. Yesterday I was busy being insane over 7x01 so didn't have time to write but managed to smash a bit more of Single Dads out when I got home from Delivery Suite today! Please enjoy a section of my version of Dosed

Buck figures out something’s gone wrong when he starts to hear the pollen. The truck sways as it banks a corner and Buck tips sideways into Eddie, feeling like his body and time are moving through thick molasses, everything shiny and floaty. He looks at Eddie and man, he really is beautiful. His lashes sparkle and his eyes are shining pools of hazel brown chocolate. Buck swears he can see Eddie’s eyes ripple every time they blink. It’s like he’s floating on a cloud as he walks into the building, his legs barely moving but still he moves forward. He dimly wonders if his feet have been replaced with wheels. The world comes grinding to a halt when he sees the first beauty queen. She’s tiny, barely coming up to his hip, but looks like an adult and Buck’s brain kind of short circuits as he stops abruptly and stares at her with his mouth open. Eddie’s next to him with a dopey smile on his face and Buck very vaguely registers Chim hurrying off in another direction with his gear. He knows he should probably follow but he can’t, rooted to the spot with fascination for these tiny women. Not even the call of “Hey Diaz, Buckley, let’s go!” can unstick him. Buck slowly turns to Eddie. “Did these beauty queens shrink, or are we suddenly giants?” Eddie’s eye bug out and he takes a step backwards, inhaling sharply. “They’re like your beauty queens!” he exclaims as Buck watches Athena handcuff a lady. That’s confusing, why does Eddie think he has beauty queens? The only tiny people he has at home are his daughters. And boy are they miniscule. Buck wonders with a thrill of fear if they’ve been shrunk too! He should ask Hen to check them out when they get back, he doesn’t want shrunk daughters. That would be bad. Buck turns to Eddie and grasps his arm. Wow. Eddie’s muscular. Buck would like to sink his teeth into those biceps. “Do you think they shrunk Lily and Carrie too? Or Christopher?” he asks urgently. He’s gotta know. They’d have to take them to the paediatrician, or something. “I think that’s possible,” Eddie nods seriously. Buck doesn’t like that one bit. He stares at the ceiling instead, watching as weird lines of silver and gold shimmer around the eaves, leaving Eddie to bemusedly survey the tiny ladies. Athena ushers another tiny beauty queen, complete with her full-grown adult companion, across the room, letting another police officer take them as she comes to a halt in front of him and Eddie.

tagging @theotherbuckley @watchyourbuck @thewolvesof1998 @puppyboybuckley @bucksbackwardcap @fortheloveofbuddie @spotsandsocks @aroeddiediaz @steadfastsaturnsrings @wikiangela @buckbuckgoose @exhuastedpigeon @cal-daisies-and-briars @wildlife4life @slightlyobsessedwitheverything @evanbegins @rainbow-nerdss @kitteneddiediaz @elvensorceress @epicbuddieficrecs @smilingbuckley @actuallyitsellie @spagheddiediaz

[13reasonstoeatthatcake]

I really want to know how Lilith Sorrengail feels about trying her best to get her youngest daughter away from whatever it was that her dad supposedly found in the Archives after Brennan 'died', just to get said daughter even more involved with the tyrrish rebellion two: electric boogaloo.

[flamingwordsinthesky]

I'm developing that SpideyDevil Single Dad's Au and It's just the cutest thing. I'm not sure how I'm going to manifest it but just Matt and Peter being dad's is so important to me.

[dreamseersystem]

So I posted this post that I linked below. While I don't think I want to start a full fic when I am writing Overwritten Destiny... Would people be interested as an Ask thing?

I will admit, I cannot do art for it. I am a terrible artist and have no way of drawing anymore even if I wanted to.

But I can do replies from the characters or small drabbles based on the asks if people would be interested in that. Would anyone be?

If I did this I think I'll call it the Two Single Dads AU. And the pairing of eventual CrossxError which I am dubbing Cocochip.

[into-the-feniverse]

Trigun OC's || Kotori & Kaeda

(I'm assigning Vash & Wolfwood some kids)

Additional Info (& doodles) under the cut!

About Kotori:

Name meaning: "little bird"

Nicknames: Ko, little sparrow, songbird, chirp

She's a very timid and shy thing, very quiet, softspoken stays out of trouble. She struggles to make friends and prefers to sit by herself in a corner and read. But once she warms up to you she is the sweetest little thing.

Vash found her one day while he was traveling through the desert. She was all by herself in an abandoned town, with no clue where she was or where she should be. The only things she seemed to know was her name and age (4 at the time). He took her to the nearest town, but nobody seemed to know who or where she was from, or really wanted anything to do with her. So she traveled for a bit with him until they found a town with a reputable orphanage. Vash felt a little bad about leaving her there, especially after everything they had been through together, but it was for the best. Thankfully, she's a very forgiving and understanding person, and while she was a little sad she didn't put up much of a fuss. Vash tries to visit whenever he can though.

Her favorite color is lilac and she likes storms

About Kaeda:

Name meaning: "maple tree"/pulled from "Kaeda Valley" (but in actuality, in the creator context, extrapolated from Cicada ;P)

Nicknames: bug, roly-poly, creepy crawly, little terror/tyke, runt

She’s an energetic little ball of spite and curiosity. She can be a bit hot-headed, extremely stubborn, and very persistent. She’s not afraid to speak her mind and probably picks more fights than she should (verbal and physical) and doesn’t know when to quit, which gets her into a lot of trouble with the caretakers at the orphanage. She's not above biting when provoked.

Despite her rather vibrant personality, she does make friends fairly easily, once other kids give a chance to get to know her a bit better. She’s on good terms with most of the other kids at the orphanage, but butts heads with a lot of the kids in town. Once she’s decided you’re her friend though she will be fiercely loyal until the end.

Kaeda met Wolfwood by chance. He happened to be staying in town one day when she spotted him and took an immediate interest in his appearance (Aka followed him around asking him "what his deal" is/why he had a giant cross). Wolfwood thought she was amusing at first, but quickly found her to be rather annoying once realizing how absolutely relentless she could be. Unfortunately this town was one of the spots that he ended up passing through/staying in fairly frequently. So Kaeda had ample opportunities to continue pestering him every time he passed through, which she did without fail. (It's like she has a sixth sense for when he's around). After awhile though (and he’d never actually say this to the little brat’s face, but) he does end up enjoying spending time with her, even if she can be annoying as all hell more often than not. But in the end it’s a little endearing. It’s like having a little sister of sorts.

Her favorite color is yellow and her favorite food is Mac and cheese

She's rather small for her age, but what she lacks in size she more than makes up for in energy and spirit

[afewproblems]

Season Two Halloween AU Part Seven

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six

Synopsis: What if Eddie had been at Tina's Halloween Party in Season Two? Featuring Steve!Whump, Stancy Breakup, and Eddie just trying to keep up with all these new revelations about who King-Steve actually is...

As always, thank you thank you to the lovely Jess @strangersteddierthings for being my cheerleader!

[CW: Discussions of injuries, vomiting]

***

Eddie grips the steering wheel tightly in his hands, while his eyes flick from the rearview mirror and back to the road over and over again, watching for movement, for some sign of wakefulness in Steve.

Dustin had managed to find bandages and peroxide earlier in the Byers washroom to help clean up Steve's face before they left, while Eddie delicately picked the shards of ceramic out of Steve's hair.

The impact had broken the skin and would definitely require stitches, but there were no pieces left in the wound.

The biggest worry for Eddie, with Steve now cleaned and bandaged, was that Steve had already been smacked around the day before by Hargrove. He can't even imagine what two blows to the head in two days has actually done, and there wouldn't be any way of knowing until Steve wakes.

And that is where the argument had started.

***

"We can't just leave, we have to do something we have to give them time!" Mike insists while Eddie gathers the soiled towels covered in blood and peroxide.

Eddie scoffs and whirls around on Mike.

"Are you joking? Your babysitter just got obliterated by an ashtray, we're going to the hospital".

Dustin reaches out for Eddies shoulder, shaking it with urgency, "Steve would have--"

"No, he told you guys that we were not getting involved, we're on the bench".

"You can't keep all of us here," Max tries this time, she crosses her arms in front of her and scowls at Eddie, "if we all go, we'll all be safe".

Eddie barks out a nearly hysterical laugh at the suggestion, these fucking kids.

He looks down at Steve and tries to imagine what he would do in this scenario. Hopper, Joyce, Nancy, and Jonathan are gone; Steve is the only other expert left in this situation, the only other voice of reason in the house.

With his eyes closed and the blood now gone, Steve looks as though he could be sleeping.

"Shit. Shit," Eddie brings his hands up into his hair and tries to slow down the panic coursing through him. It's too much, too many people to worry about even without the literal destruction of their town hanging over their heads.

He looks at Steve again.

"Okay, but if we do this, you listen to me, no arguments, none of that shit you give Steve," Eddie begins counting off his fingers as he speaks, "and most importantly, we go to the hospital, you get forty-five minutes".

***

"Mike, are you still keeping time for how long he's been out?" Eddie asks as he looks at the kids through the rearview.

Though he hadn't thought about it when he bought the van off of Reefer Rick --a deal he's still not sure who got the better end of, based on the lightness of Eddie's wallet for weeks afterwards, Eddie is pretty grateful now for the number of seats and the long bench in the back.

Steve's Beemer wouldn't have been able to fit all of them and as much as Max tried to justify stealing her brothers car, neither would the Camero.

Mike mutters something under his breath and Dustin elbows him in the ribs, hard by the sound Mike makes and the glare he shoots Dustin in response.

"I got it," Max says tiredly, she holds up her watch before letting her hand drop into her lap.

She perks up slightly and leans forward to grip the back of the drivers seat, "you know, if you want to sit back here, I can--"

"Nope, nope," Eddie punctuates the words by slapping the steering wheel, "your job is to watch him, and navigate".

"I'm navigating," Lucas insists from the passenger seat beside Eddie. He has the map from earlier spread out over his legs and a finger tracing the red marker lines they had made earlier that night, "you're going to keep going straight and then it's a left on Mount Sinai by the way".

Eddie nods and opens his mouth to ask about how long until the turn when a groan floats up from the back.

Eddie nearly slams on the brakes in surprise, instead jerking the wheel, sending the van into a harsh swerve over the empty road. The kids all yell over one another but Dustin's voice carries the loudest.

"You're jostling him, Jesus Eddie!"

Eddie winces as he manages to straighten the vehicle's course once more, "shit, shit sorry, just, is he awake?"

"Not really," Dustin says, the sound of rustling fabric and another groan punctuating the silent car.

Eddie's resolve finally snaps.

He turns to Lucas, "you said it's just straight and then one more turn right?" Eddie asks as he lets the car drift to the side of the road before throwing it into park.

"Yeah, why?" Lucas says slowly, his face scrunched into a confused frown, Max perks up once again from the middle row in Eddie's periphery.

Eddie turns to face Max's wide grin and rolls his eyes, "yeah, yeah, get up here," he grumbles, popping open the driver's side door.

"Seatbelt or no deal, keep it under sixty, and slow down on the turn".

Max nods rapidly and bites her lip, nearly vibrating with excitement as she scrambles over the middle console to take Eddie's place, "you got it!"

"Why does she get to drive?" Mike growls under his breath but it still carries through the open drivers side door. Steve makes another noise and Eddie has to tamp down a scream of frustration at the sound.

He makes his way to the back passenger door, sliding it open to meet Mike's glare, "my van, my rules Wheeler, move up, Dustin you're keeping the time now".

Dustin nods and leans towards the front, lifting his watch as he asks Max quietly about how long Steve has been out.

Eddie settles in the far back next to Steve, ignoring the guilt that settles heavily in his stomach. If only he had locked the door, if he had been able to hold his own with Billy, this never would have happened. Eddie swallows the lump that begins to form in his throat and pours his focus into Steve, that's who needs him now.

Eddie's never seen someone with a head injury before, hell, he's never seen anyone get their ass beaten like Steve just did and Wayne's lessons in first aid never went past burns or cuts, maybe splinting a break.

Eddie was out of his depth with this.

Steve's unfocused gaze lands on him as he tilts his head slightly. He makes a small noise of recognition and lifts his left hand up to brush softly against Eddie's face.

"Nance?" Steve slurs out, blinking a few times, and fuck, if that doesn't sting.

Eddie can't quite hide his wince and breathes out sharply through his nose, "Nope, sorry, you're stuck with me".

Steve blinks again, this time his eyes narrow slightly as he reaches out again, but Eddie manages to catch his hand this time and gently lowers it back down. He allows himself one indulgence though, and entwines his fingers through Steve's own.

Just this once.

"Ed?" Steve says this time and Eddie can't help the grin that slowly pulls at his lips, thank God.

"Yeah man," Eddie whispers, he clears his throat in an attempt to move the lump that appears once more. Steve's pupils are different sizes but that doesn't seem to stop him from realizing they are no longer in the Byers home.

"Why--we're moving?"

"I was out numbered," Eddie says darkly, sending a glare to Dustin who flips him the bird over his shoulder. He's looking at Lucas's map from the seat behind him.

Steve groans again and Eddie watches as all the colour drains from his cheeks and lips. By the time Eddie realizes what is happening, Steve is already leaning his head over the floor and vomiting all over Eddie's shoes.

"Oh shit Steve, okay, okay, let it out," Eddie helps him sit up slightly and manages to move his feet for the next round, nose wrinkling at the smell of bile. He lets go of Steve's hand and instead settles for letting one hand brace his shoulder while the other sweeps into his hair, pulling the slightly longer sections away from his face.

Eddie tries to focus on keeping Steve steady rather than how soft his hair is.

Mike sucks his teeth in disgust as Dustin swears from the middle seat and covers his mouth, "did he just puke?"

Eddie wants to throttle them both.

Steve pulls him from his violent thoughts though as he coughs and gags again, breathing out a heavy whine as he catches his breath.

He mumbles something so quiet that Eddie almost wonders for a moment if he spoke at all, but then Steve taps his hand weakly against Eddie's hand on his shoulder.

"Pull over," he whispers in a much clearer voice this time and Eddie looks up towards the front of the car, Max is in the middle of turning, the last one if Lucas was to be believed.

"Steve, we can't," Eddie tries, hating the way that Steve deflates, it's almost like when Eddie found him after Tina's party.

"I sorry sweetheart, I promise, hospital after this," Eddie says quietly.

He freezes at the realization of what he just said.

Shit.

It's as though his heart has stopped in his chest and his ribs are crushing inwards, as though he's about to collapse like some dying star.

Eddie looks around the interior of the van, hoping no one else heard him only to catch Dustin staring him down with an intense but curious look in his eyes, his brow furrowed as though Eddie is a puzzle and the last piece has gone missing.

Dustin says nothing though, and turns back to the front where Mike, Lucas, and Max are talking animatedly.

Steve's head flops backwards onto Eddie's chest, pulling his focus from the kids. Steve is looking up at him and from his close Eddie can count the number of eyelashes, the number of freckles dusting his nose, the flecks of green in his blown eyes.

Even with his bruised face and the faint traces of bile on his breath, Steve is beautiful.

Eddie thinks of how Steve protected them all again and again, how he offered advice to Dustin -even if it wasn't the best, how he had insisted that Eddie wasn't the reason Steve had been scared that night, not wanting him to feel like yet another person was afraid of Eddie.

He thinks of all the ways that Steve has shown himself over the last few days and feels the last few strands holding up the image of King-Steve Harrington, finally fall away.

He's never let himself to stare like this, unashamedly at another man, it had always been too dangerous --especially in Hawkins.

Perhaps he can allow himself this other indulgence then, just for now.

Unbidden, the words Steve said earlier echo faintly for Eddie as they sit in the back of his beat up old van while the kids start arguing over the one painters mask they found in the shed earlier.

'People will come in and out of your life all the time, and the ones that are meant to be there will stay, and if they go, then it wasn't meant to be.

I think I need more people in my life like that'.

He swallows heavily as Steve's eyes close and he sinks even further into Eddie, his soft hair tickles against Eddie's neck as he burrows closer.

Eddie lifts his gaze to the roof of the van. He doesn't believe in God, no, hearing his uncle's stories of 'Nam, his mother dying, and Al kicking him to the curb were enough to dissuade Eddie of any real notion of a higher power existing.

But it doesn't stop him from sending a thought out into the universe.

If we make it out of this, Eddie thinks, I promise to listen this time.

Part Eight Now Up

Tag List:

@eriquin @luvinthefreaks @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @goodolefashionedloverboi @ellietheasexylibrarian @bambibiest @sadboislovebeans @howincrediblysapphicofyou @coleys-a-nerd @whycantiuseunderscore @airconditioning123 @xxfiction-is-my-realityxx @corrodedbisexual @starman-jpg @ilovecupcakesandtea @yoriposts @clumsiluni @pelinelin @phantomcat94 @lololol-1234 @anaibis @airconditioning123 @steveshairspray @hellfireone @sunswathe @tentativeghost @robin-not-batman @estrellami-1 @manda-panda-monium @tinyplanet95 @perseus-notjackson @queenie-ofthe-void @rainbowsaw @sp0o0kylights @littlebluejane @hi-im-eff @phantypurple @just-ladyme @thoroughlycollected @justrandomfandomstm @swimmingbirdrunningrock @finntheehumaneater @dynamic-powerm@nightmareglitter @genderless-spoon @zaddipax @thebiblesays @amerikanskaya-krassavitsa @pyrohonk @emly03 @geekymagicalpotato @sidebarre @eddielives1986 @lemon-astra @cipounette @discreetapple @starlitlakes @saphhicwitchbitch @marvel-ous-m @honorarybrit81 @lingeringmirth

and for some peeps that I think may be interested! @steddierthings @steddie-there @steves-strapcollection @henderdads @stevesbipanic @spooky-brakers @flowercrowngods (welcome back Dio!)

[sonicrainicorn]

No, you know what? This video gets its own fucking post

[f1-disaster-bi]

You guys might be getting a new Single Dad au fic tonight

[elkkiel]

whenever i'm working on the single dad ivy fic i feel like you are the little angel and devil on my shoulder whispering ideas in my ears

😇 "give them a lovely meet cute where iv feels wanted for the first time in years"

😈 "make him cum in his pants before he even fucking touches him because he's just That Excited"

i can be ur angle .. or yuor Devil >:3