#always a paladin eddie

[hisbucky]

Buck, writing a script for D&D: There are quite a few things that are wrong about this world—

Eddie, snorts: A few? More like a thousand.

Buck: Eddie, babe. I'm trying to write a monologue here.

Eddie: And you're doing great. Appreciate everything you do for the campaign - I just have an opinion.

Buck, squints eyes: Says the person who always ends up being a paladin in my games.

Eddie: Not all of us can be math geniuses, Evan. Some of us just want to swing a sword and call it a day.

[undreaming-fanfiction]

Modern AU, Eddie and Steve are together and live together, Steve is a paramedic and Eddie is a bartender + fairly successful streamer. He usually plays games where you can create your own character, or at least customize it.

Steve doesn't watch any of the streams, but he's very supportive of Eddie's career.

What he doesn't know is: Eddie always creates a character based on Steve. Always.

Mass Effect? Commander Steve Shepard, brown eyes, hair and tons of bitching from Eddie during the stream that the faces are all ugly and they don't do Steve justice. He goes for the destroy ending because he'll never, EVER have Steve die in a game for good.

Dragon Age: Inquisition? Warrior Steve to the rescue. He also romances Dorian because "of course he would date a sassy gay, duh."

Baldur's Gate 3? Paladin Steven with Oath of Devotion, doing as much good as possible, keeping Gale from becoming a horrible godly being, becoming besties with Karlach and romancing Astarion because "that's just who Steve is, he believes in people even when they don't."

Steve doesn't learn about this for years. But when he does, he completely loses it at a sentence that Eddie always uses to end his stream: "Be good, guys. Always ask: WWSD - What Would Steve Do?"

And yes. There is merch with that.

[strangersteddierthings]

What's Eight Plus Seven?

Part One🦇Part Two🦇Part Three🦇Part Four🦇Part Five

Prompt from @devious-kitten

Steve had a mild interest in DnD as a freshmen because of a cousin or something. The interest was killed by Eddie being mean since Steve is a jock. Post vecna Eddie finds dust covered DnD handbook Steve explains and Eddie faces a still hurt Steve as a results of his biases

((Half written fic, half rambling about how it would go down. Apologies for the formatting. Also I added more angst than the prompt called for hehe))

Steve has always loved sports. This is a well-known fact. He's played on some sort of sports team from the time he was old enough for his parents to be able to sign him up.

A lesser-known fact is that Steve loves fantasy. Or, at least, he used to. On the playground in elementary school, Steve could often be found playing knights and dragons, and it was anyone's guess if he would be a knight or a dragon on any particular day.

The summer between middle and high school, Steve spent with his grandparents from his mother's side, on the farm they'd retired on in Michigan. A month long stay that he'd shared with his cousins, Amber, Robert, and Christopher. Amber and Robert are twins, four years younger than Steve, and Christopher was two years older and infinitely cooler than anyone else Steve knew.

Christopher was on the varsity basketball team at his high school when he was just a sophomore, captain of the JV football team, president of the chess club, and in a games club.

Christopher was everything Steve wanted to be now that he was going to be in high school. Minus the chess club because

It was during that summer, Steve got to indulge in playing make believe for another summer with his younger cousins, without the judgement of people (his father and peers) who thought he was too old for such things. He also got to learn about make believe for older kids, because Christopher played a game called Dungeons and Dragons with his game club the last month of school before summer break and spent many evenings going over what had happened with Steve as a captive audience.

"I wish I'd brought the books," Christopher had whispered to him one night from the bed, peaking over to look down at Steve in his sleeping bag on the floor, "we could have played."

Steve wishes he'd brought the books, too.

At the end of July, Christopher, Amber, and Robert's parents show up to pick them up, five days before Steve's scheduled flight to Indianapolis. It's a sad goodbye because one summer a year isn't enough with his cousins but they live in Washington. Steve's always jealous their parents drive all the way to pick them up, but a little proud he gets to brag about how he's flown alone since he was seven. No one else in his class can brag about that.

His mom picks him up in Indianapolis and they go back to school shopping while there.

A week later, Steve receives a package from Christopher. Inside Steve finds Advanced Dungeons and Dragons books, three of them, and even though Christopher said nothing about advanced, he's sure he can manage. On the inside cover of the players handbook, Christopher has written:

Hey Steve, I think you'd rock playing a dwarf paladin. Let's play next summer? Christopher 1981

He spends the last three weeks of summer vacation reading the player handbook cover to cover and making a character. It's slow going, because letters don't stay where they're supposed to be on the page (that's a problem he's had his whole life, so he's not surprised but he is determined), and he's never been good at math, so getting the stats down on paper isn't easy. He can't decide what he wants to play, so he makes two characters; an elf magic-user and, of course, a dwarf paladin.

(He's a little disappointed you can't be a dragon.)

Steve's never been one to dread the first day of school, but he's never actually looked forward to it, either. It's just been another day.

Until today.

Today is his first day as a high schooler. And the only people who go to the first day are Freshman, except the upper classman that have volunteered to man the booths for school activities for the last hour of the day. It's supposed to help the Freshman get the lay of the land without being overwhelming and Steve's excited for it. He needs to see if Hawkins High has a games club like Christopher's school does.

Here Steve is, that last hour of school. He's already been to the basketball booth, promising to sign up as soon as the season started, and the swim booth because he's got a pool at his house and has been swimming for as long as he can remember and knows he enjoys it. He also stops by the football booth even though he's never played, or cared much, for it. (Maybe he's trying to emulate Christopher, sue him.). So, the final thing is to see if Hawkins High offers a chess club and a game club.

Steve is delighted to see that, though there is no games club, there is a Dungeons and Dragons club! That delight wavers because of the kid manning the booth. His hair is curly and falls just below his ears, with big brown eyes. Steve hates to think it, but he'd be cute if he didn't look like he wanted to stab Steve.

"Yeah, no, keep walking," says the boy, pulling the flier with meeting information on it out from under Steve's hand, where he'd been attempting to read it.

Steve looks up, brows furrowed in confusion. "I was reading that."

"And I said no. Jocks don't play Dungeons and Dragons."

"I could," Steve says, offended. He squints at the name tag sticker slapped diagonally across the way too big jean vest this guy's wearing. E-d-d-i-e. Eddie.

"Have you ever played?"

"Well... no, but-"

"No buts. Mitch let a jock join last year and that was a nightmare. He could barely read the rule book. And with how you were squinting down at the flier, and then my name tag, you're not going to be much better."

Jokes on Eddie, Steve's already read the rule book. Even if it was slowly. "I can read just fine."

"Can you math, then? What's eight plus seven?"

"What?"

"Simple addition. Eight plus seven. What is it?"

Steve knows simple addition. This is fine. It doesn't matter than he's been put on the spot, and that math is hard for the same reason as reading. He can do this. His hand twitches with wanting to pull it up and use it to keep track. He's faster at math when he can do that, but this jerk is mean mugging him and he just knows if he moves his hand, this guy will mock him the rest of the school year.

Eight plus seven. Ok. Make it easier, get to ten. It takes adding two to the eight to get ten. Ok. Take that two away from the seven now. That makes... five! Ok. Ten plus five is-

"Dude, it's fifteen," Eddie snaps.

"I knew that!"

Scoff. "Right. How about seventeen plus six."

Steve can feel his face turning red with embarrassment but he's not going to let this jackass be right. Round up. It takes three to get seventeen to twenty, so take three away from the six-

"23. Point proven. Go. Away. Go play your jock games and leave me- us alone."

Steve opens his mouth to argue, or maybe plead, that he can do this, and that, more importantly, he wants to do this, but laughter cuts through the air and for the first time, Steve notices the audience that has gathered. Three people are laughing at him, and his inability to do mental math, and it makes Steve snap his jaw shut and swallow.

"Mental math isn't that hard, Steve," one of them, Brant, says, as he elbows the guy next to him.

"Thank you!" Eddie says, "that's what I'm saying."

"Whatever, man, like I'd want to play make believe at this age anyway," Steve mutters and rushes away.

If, two weeks later, Steve watches Kyle trip who he now knows is Eddie 'The Freak' Munson in the bathroom, and drag him into a stall for a swirly, well, no he didn't. He briefly thinks of saying something to stop Kyle, but shoves the words down and instead turns on heel and leaves that bathroom just as the sound of flushing and Eddie yelling start. The thick bathroom door does a good job of muffling the noise and if Steve feels any guilt about that, he shoves that down, too.

Besides, Kyle's the captain of the basketball team and if Steve wants a chance to be on that team, he can't stay anything. It's a well-known fact that Steve likes sports, after all. He's going to stick to that. Screw Eddie Munson and his Dungeons and Dragons club.

Steve will get to play Dungeons and Dragons with Christopher next summer.

Except, halfway through the school year, Steve and his parents quickly board a plane bound for Washington. Turns out being as perfect as Christopher was is hard. Overwhelming.

They arrive the day before the funeral, and fly out right after it. Steve barely has time to mourn before they're shuffling him back to school that Monday.

Christopher died, and with him, so does Steve's desire to be just like him. He quits the football team. He keeps basketball because he does like it, even without Christopher's influence. He can't bring himself to get rid of the Dungeons and Dragons books, but he can't look at them, either. They end up in the downstairs hall closet, forgotten on the shelf.

So, years later, after rising to the top of the food chain (no one was ever going to embarrass him like Eddie Munson had again) and then falling to the bottom (who cares about high school popularity when interdimensional monsters exist) and of course, the years of fighting against said interdimensional monsters before ending it all in spring of '86, Steve finds himself, unwillingly, agreeing to host Hellfire since the school banned the club following the events of spring break.

Damn Dustin Henderson. Steve usually has the backbone to say no but Dustin had to play up 'getting a chance to finally just be kids' and fuck, how was Steve going to say no to that? Despite how quickly his own desire to be a freshman playing Dungeons and Dragon had been squashed, he can't be the one to ruin this for them.

"Thanks for hosting, man," Eddie says when Steve lets him in. He's an hour early but had asked if that was okay. Apparently the dungeon master has a lot of prep to do? Not that Steve would know.

"Sure," Steve says, dismissively, because while Eddie and he went through hell together, and Steve carried his sorry ass out of the Upside Down, Steve can't quite let his guard down around him.

It's funny. In the Upside Down, Eddie had made a point to tell him he's changed, is a 'good dude' now. So, what's funny is how much Eddie is exactly the same person he was five years ago. He was an ass to Steve five years ago, and as far as Steve is concerned, was also an ass to Lucas for wanting to play basketball just this year.

He swears to God, if he hears one negative thing about Lucas tonight, he's punching Eddie unconscious, no matter what the rest of Hellfire will do or say about it.

Eddie's been in his dining room for maybe five minutes before he finds Steve in the living room. Steve's got a movie playing but he couldn't tell you which one. He's not really watching it.

"Do you got a table cloth for that big table? Jeff's got a set of metal dice and I'd feel like a real ass if we scratched it on accident."

Steve takes a deep breath before answering. He hates that Eddie is considerate like this, has been since spring break if Steve's being honest, but he doesn't want to see Eddie's good qualities. So, he waves in the direction of the closet. "Yeah. There should be some in the hall closet there. Help yourself."

"Thanks."

He twists on the couch to watch Eddie cross the room to the closet door, listens as the door creaks opens, hears the quiet, pleased noise Eddie lets out when his eyes land on the stack of table clothes. Steve continues to watch as Eddie just grabs the whole stack and yanks them off the top shelf.

Which means his watching as the stack of non-fabric objects, which must have been half atop the table clothes, also tumble out of the closet, bouncing off various parts of Eddie. It's a bunch of miscellaneous items. However, Steve realizes with horror, the book that bounces off Eddie's head is his copy of the Monster Manual. Eddie has stepped back in surprise (and possibly pain), so the Dungeon Master Guide and the Players Handbook bounce off his torso and leg before landing on the ground.

"Fuck," Eddie curses, before he stares down at what just assaulted him. Steve just stares at Eddie, watching as he slowly comes to comprehend what he's seeing. He watches as Eddie bends down and grabs the Player Handbook, the last thing to fall, from a top the pile. "What the-"

Steve stands, suddenly defensive, but doesn't actually say anything or move closer. He just watches as Eddie examines the book, flipping it from front to back in his hand like the title will change if he does that enough times.

Then, Eddie turns to him, bewildered. "Present for one of the kids? Thought they all had their own copies."

"No."

Eddie flips the book open. Reads the words written in there so many years ago. "Who's Christopher? Wait. 1981? You were playing D&D in 1981?"

"None of your business, and no," Steve says, now kicking into action, stomping up to Eddie and snatching the book from his hands.

Eddie hold his hands up in defense before his eyes turn mischievous. The same glint in them now that was there when Eddie'd leaned into this space in the RV and called him big boy. "Are you lying to me, Stevie? You've played before, haven't you?"

It makes Steve's blood boil. "No. I haven't played!"

"Alright. You could now, you know," Eddie says. And it's the way he says it, all nonchalant and like he's trying to be coy about it- it tips something over inside Steve. A bottle that held his humiliation and hurt from all those years ago.

"Oh, now I'm good enough for D&D? Now I can join? Aren't I too much of a jock for you!?"

"Whoa, what's with the hostility-"

"What's eight plus seven, Eddie!?" Steve snaps. His memory might be shit these days, with all the concussions, but the unfortunate part about Steve is that he always seems to remember the bad. And he remembers Freshman First Day like yesterday. "No? How about seventeen plus six? Come on, mental math isn't hard. Or don't you remember? I'm just a stupid jock too slow on the uptake, or no, what was it you said? It'll be a nightmare to play with me, 'cause I might be barely able to read the rules?"

He watches as Eddie's face morphs from confusion, to understanding and horror. "Holy shit, Steve. That was you- you wanted to join Hellfire-"

"Yeah, and you made it pretty fuckin' clear I didn't belong in it."

"I'm sorry man. I shouldn't have- if I'd known you, I never would have-"

"That's the problem, Eddie!" Steve shouts, waving the book in front of him. "You didn't know me. You looked at me and decided for me that I was going to be a jock and nothing else and then humiliated me in front of other people! You didn't even bother to try to know me. I spent three weeks reading this stupid book cover to cover because I knew I was shit at reading and I still wanted to try anyway."

He sees Eddie puffing up in anger. "Well, I wasn't exactly wrong, was I? You were a jock, a bully even!"

"Yeah, because I was a dumb, hurt kid who decided that it was better to hurt than be hurt. As if you weren't exactly the same that day, lashing out at me first, at my reading ability, and mocking me for not being quick at math. Fuck you, Munson!" Steve walks away, not hearing anything Eddie shouts after him as he sprints up the stairs and shuts himself in his room.

Steve knows he was a dick in high school, and it's not Eddie's fault he was a dick. Steve made choices he's not proud of and no one forced those choice on him. But Eddie doesn't get to throw that back in his face. Not when Eddie made him feel humiliated and stupid on the first goddamn day of high school, long before Steve became mean himself.

[stevieschrodinger]

Baker Steve/Rock Star Eddie wrong number AU

Part One

Part Two

PART THREE

"It's like a TV show, but on YouTube."

"Right," Steve answers, half listening to Dustin's explanation, "so it, like what, has an air time, or whatever?"

"Yeah, like a series."

"And it's just, what, famous people playing dipshits and dickheads?"

"Steeeeeeeeeeeevvvvveeeeeeeeeeee why are you like this?"

"Dunno," Steve shrugs, trying to read a recipe online. Unfortunately that's resulted in his having to scroll past someones entire fucking life story and he's ready to give up and try and work out the dumb Oreo cake recipe himself, "just lucky, I guess."

Dustin drops his head on the kitchen counter like Steve is the greatest difficulty he's ever going to face.

"So why do you need to be here to watch this?"

"Because we all want to watch it together, the guests are Corroded Coffin, they all like, play, the whole band, it's so cool-"

"Corroded Coffin? Playing your nerd game?" Steve's interest leaks through before he can stop it, "I mean, like, I think I've heard of them?" The last thing he needs is the kids finding out he's been kind of friends kind of flirting kind of maybe wants to date the actual Eddie Munson.

Dustin looks at him skeptically, "yeah...so you-"

"You can all watch it here, it's fine...I'll make cookies."

Dustin's completely distracted by his own success, instantly whipping out his phone to inform the other kids. Steve's pretty sure their group chat is called 'No Steve's allowed' but he hasn't actually found out for sure yet.

Steve does bake cookies. All the kids are gathered around his smart TV, absolutely demolishing them while they wait for this thing to start. It's like, an actual channel, with intros and graphics and stuff, a logo that reads 'Final Roll.'

And there's Eddie and the band, sitting around a table with two dudes who must run the channel. They all have the bits of paper and dice and little figures that Steve's used to seeing when the kids commandeer his dining room table.

There's preemptive ramble, and Steve leans forward a little every time Eddie's in shot. He's relieved all the kids are all sitting in front of him and all glued to the TV, so he can ogle in peace. They do introductions, and then everyone introduces their characters.

"May I introduce Sir Steven, the half elf paladin," behind Eddie Gareth rolls his eyes so hard his whole fucking body moves. Steve can see him and Geoff mouthing something to each other. Steve can only assume it's because Eddie has named his character, presumably, after him, "he has a sworn oath to always protect those weaker than himself."

Steve's heart fucking melts.

Steve's phone is buzzing. He's prepared. He knows Eddie's back in the country, they've been talking for months. Steve's kind of done waiting, and he's ready to press his advantage. He's had this set up for a little while, just waiting for the right moment. He presses play, and then answers the phone.

"Hey Stevie how-...are you listening to Corroded Coffin?"

"Yeah, yeah," Steve turns it down, bomb dropped, trap sprung, advantage played, "the kids absolutely love them, they're trying to get me into them even though they're not exactly my thing."

"Right, ah, right, what do you, uhm, think?"

"Yeah. Still not my thing-"

"Oh."

"But I really like it when the lead guy sings."

"...yeah?"

"Yeah, not the like, shouty growly singing, I can't understand a fucking thing he's saying-" Eddie chuckles, "but like, the parts where he properly sings. I think he has a beautiful voice."

"I ah, well, I mean, I bet the, uhm, shouty bits are hard work, you know. I expect that takes a lot of, you know, practice. Hell on the throat. I imagine, I would guess anyway, I don't actually, like know-"

"No no, yeah, well, maybe he should just sing more then, save those vocal chords, or whatever. I'd like that a lot."

"Yeah?" Steve can practically hear Eddie blushing down the phone. Eddie's so cute when he goes shy.

"Yeah." There's a long beat of silence before Steve goes in for the kill, "the kids are trying to get me to go see them. They're in the states now, apparently. Will be playing a gig in Indie."

"Yeah they are- I mean, I assume they are, most bands, uhm, yeah-" And Steve is hardly holding it together, Eddie is such a bad liar, and he's trying so hard not to lie at all. Steve doesn't know how he;s keeping his tone normal and not letting the whole ass cat out of the bag.

"And the kids are absolutely itching to go, you know? But tickets man, they're all doing every chore they can find to get some extra cash, but tickets are pricey, and for eight of us? Because I'll need someone else to help me chaperone and, you know..."

"I. I might...know a guy. Maybe. Like, because of the band I might...know someone who can get you tickets."

"Seriously? Eddie that would be incredible, the kids will absolutely loose their shit."

"Yeah, ah, is your work email cool?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course of course, man, the kids are going to love you for like, forever."

And maybe I will too, Steve just about manages to keep the words inside.

@steves-yellow-cardigin @melodymeddler @pitrsattabhaadmeinjao

@superduckmilkshake @she-collects-smut @paintsplatteredandimperfect @resident-gay-bitch

[ataliagold]

But My Heart Is Just A Little Boy

Pairing: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson

Rating: Teen (swearing)

W/C: 2012

Tags: Established Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, hurt/comfort, Steve Harrington has dyscalculia, Steve Harrington has self esteem issues, Steve Harrington needs a hug, fluff, light angst, DnD, Mike and Dustin are a little mean here

Notes: Just slowly posting some of my AO3 stuff here as well :) Title from Rattlesnake by Jack Van Cleaf.

___

Steve joining in on Eddie’s campaign was supposed to be a nice surprise for his boyfriend.

And it was; Eddie’s face had lit up with joy when Steve had walked in and sat down with the kids around the table. Steve had taken the dice Dustin had loaned him and lined them up in front of him, from the D4 (the funny triangle one) up to the D20 (the one with heaps of sides, Steve reminded himself.)

If he kept them in that order it would help him pick the right dice quickly, he’d decided.

Because he wanted this to go to perfectly.

Eddie had been asking him to join in on a game for months, but Steve had so far refused, only coming along sometimes to watch quietly. There were parts of it that piqued his interest – namely the combat and the creatures Eddie planted into the game, because some of them were so damn cool even if Steve wouldn’t readily admit it out loud. A small part of him, a much younger part that had loved fairy tales and stories about knights and dragons and sword fights before his father had confiscated those books, deeming them too childish, watched with a quiet giddiness as the kids battled all manner of beasts.

But much of the game was so complicated - there were so many numbers, and Steve had no idea how Eddie and the kids managed to keep track of everything, how they added dice values together so damn quickly and kept track of a seemingly endless list of stats and bonuses and modifiers, whatever the hell they were.

Eddie knew about his difficulty with numbers. He’d seen the way Steve had to count with his fingers, how it took him far too fucking long to do a simple equation, how he stood in Melvald’s staring at the price of something just trying to make the numbers make sense so they wouldn’t blow their grocery budget.

And Eddie was patient, always. But D&D was Eddie’s realm, his place to shine, and Steve was so worried about holding him back and ruining the game every time he had to pause to add two fucking dice together.

Finally, he’d caved. Secretly, with Dustin’s help, he’d put a character sheet together. He’d made a paladin because Dustin had told him it suited him. Steve made him strong and lawful good, just like the knights he used to read about as a little boy. Dustin had rolled his eyes a little at that but Steve had been quite proud of what he’d put together.

Plus, Dustin had promised to help him with the math.

But here Steve was, well over an hour into the campaign, and he was struggling.

Cheeks burning, he turned to Dustin yet again.

“Wait, which one am I rolling?” he whispered.

Dustin rolled his eyes. The kid had been patient at first, but it was beginning to wear thin.

Steve was beginning to wear thin.

“The D10, Steve,” Dustin hissed.

“Right,” Steve nodded, grabbing for one of the dice.

“That’s the D8, Steve,” Mike said wearily.

Steve’s cheeks flushed even hotter, and he grabbed the other dice, rolling it quickly.

“Ahhh...seven,” Steve announced.

“You slash at the goblin, your blade cutting deep into its chest, the creature gurgling and reeling backwards…” Eddie leant over the table, giving a dramatic recount of events.

Steve smiled, unable to help it. His boyfriend was having such a good time, and even if Steve wasn’t enjoying himself so much, well, that was ok. He could do this, for Eddie.

“…but it scrabbles back to its feet, weak but alive,” Eddie finishes.

Mike groaned and slapped the table.

“It has to be almost dead,” Lucas announced.

“Yeah, but there’s still four others,” Mike pointed out.

“This one must be on two hit points or less,” Will surmised.

How did he know that? Steve frowned, let the kids talk amongst themselves. His gaze wandered over to Eddie, watching him lean back in his chair, eyes shining. He shot a wink at Steve when he caught him looking, then frowned a little, obviously noticing Steve wasn’t looking all that comfortable.

You ok? He mouthed at him.

Steve nodded quickly.

But he felt small.

Grow the fuck up, you’re fine.

“…Steve!” Mike groaned.

Steve’s attention snapped back to the kids. “What?”

“Stop staring at Eddie and tell us how many hit points you’ve got left.”

“Um…” Steve glanced down at the piece of paper in front of him. He’d scribbled some numbers down like Dustin had told him to every time his character had taken damage, but there were a lot of numbers there and he wasn’t sure they all actually related to his hit points…

“Give it here,” Dustin snatched the paper from him impatiently, peering down at it.

Steve waited while Dustin assessed his work, the feeling vaguely reminiscent of being back in school, his teachers reading over his work with a disappointed shake of their heads.

“This can’t be right, Steve,” Dustin sighed. “It says you’re on twelve hit points…is that a twelve? Your writing’s messy.”

Steve nodded. “Yours isn’t much better, pea-brain,” he mumbled, just to shoot something back at the kid.

Dustin narrowed his eyes at him. “You must have less than that because of the damage you took in the last round. You’re probably down to…eight at the most, by now.”

“Just make it eight, then,” Steve grumbled.

“Eight it is, big boy,” Eddie agreed.

“It doesn’t work like that, though,” Mike huffed. “You actually have to keep track of this stuff Steve, there’s no point playing if you just make the numbers up.”

“It doesn’t matter, really,” Will tried to intervene quietly. “It can just be eight.”

Dustin picked up his pencil, drawing some columns on Steve’s paper. “Ok, so just use this one column to keep track of damage, don’t write all over the page. There’s your total hit points at the top, and every time you take damage, write it down under there, ok? And then just take it off the total. Simple.”

Like it was that fucking easy. Maybe for them, it was. They didn’t get every number mixed up in their brain, they didn’t stare at a single digit trying to put some numeric value behind it and coming up with zilch.

Dustin was trying to help, Steve knew. But his tone of voice was so fucking condescending that it had Steve squirming in his seat, wishing he was anywhere else.

He felt Eddie’s eyes on him.

“Come sit by me, Stevie, I’ll help you keep track.” Eddie said gently.

“You’ll just go easy on him, and that’s not fair!” Mike whined.

“Can it, Wheeler,” Eddie snapped at him.

“Just because he can’t do basic math.”

“Right, you get to roll with disadvantage now, just for that,” Eddie told him smugly.

Mike was retorting with something, but Steve didn’t hear it.

His pulse was thumping in his ears, his cheeks on fire. The years were stripped from him, the sensitive child he’d tucked away inside a long time ago forced to the surface.

“Look, just carry on without me,” Steve muttered, and stood up quick enough that his chair scraped on the floor.

“Steve -” Dustin started, but Steve was finished, striding towards the stairs and blinking back tears.

He wasn’t going to cry in front of the kids, not over a fucking game, not over something his boyfriend loved so much.

But they were coming faster than he could blink them back as he headed out of Mike’s stuffy basement and out to the driveway, the cold night air caressing his flushed face.

This was supposed to have been a treat for Eddie. It was supposed to be fun, and Steve had ruined the night by being fucking stupid.

A tear tracked down his cheek , Steve losing the battle against them. He’d just drive home, he decided. Steve had come straight from work that day, so Eddie had come separately in his van, he wouldn’t be inconvenienced.

And then they could finish their game in peace, without having to treat Steve like a five-year-old.

He was getting in the driver’s seat when Eddie ran to him, both hands reaching for him.

“Stevie…” Eddie murmured softly.

“I’m sorry,” Steve mumbled, dragging his sleeve across his face, smudging the tears there.

“Why? The kids were being assholes, I’ve already yelled at them.”

Steve shook his head. “I was just slowing everyone down, they were getting frustrated, I get it.”

“No, sweetheart, they were being rude,” Eddie corrected him. “Especially Wheeler.” Eddie brushed his thumbs across Steve’s cheeks, crouching down beside the open driver’s door. “I’ve told them to pull their heads in. Do you…do you want to come back inside?”

“Eds…” Steve leant into his hands a little. “I’m no good at it. I really wanted to try, for you, and I’m so sorry I ruined it, but there’s too many numbers and I can’t keep track of everything and it takes me so fucking long and it’s embarrassing because I can’t even keep up with a bunch of kids, and I just feel like I’m back at school again.”

Eddie cupped his cheeks again, tilting Steve’s head to look at him. “Hey. You haven’t ruined anything, they did. I’m so happy you came along tonight, because I know you did it for me. But look, D&D doesn’t have to be your thing -”

“But -”

“It doesn’t,” Eddie cut in. “Just like…your balls in laundry basket games aren’t mine. But I like hanging around while you and Wayne watch them, and I love how excited you get about it, and how you sit there with that fucking pretty smile…”

Steve huffed out a small laugh, and Eddie grabbed his wrist to press a kiss to the inside of it.

“But I don’t know what’s going on most of the time,” Eddie continued. “It makes you happy, and that’s enough for me. So, I don’t want you to feel like you have to play D&D just for me if it’s not something you enjoy. It’s more than enough that you listen to my ideas, that you help me write -”

“I don’t really,” Steve said quietly.

“You do! Or have you forgotten who came up with that fucking amazing twist with the elven prince?”

“I got it from a movie,” Steve argued.

“So? I didn’t think of it, and it had the little shrimps completely stumped.”

Steve managed a small smile. “I do like some of the stories,” he admitted quietly. “But I think…I just wanna go home, ok? You can carry on.”

Eddie shook his head. “I’m gonna get them to pack up in there. I’ll drop them home, then follow you back, ok?”

“Steve?” came Dustin’s voice from behind Eddie, small and hesitant.

Steve quickly straightened up in his seat, wiping a hand across his face.

“Yeah, buddy?” he replied, his voice a little hoarse.

“I’m…I’m sorry. That we weren’t more patient. It’s ok if you struggle with numbers, and we should’ve helped more.”

“It’s ok, Dusty,” Steve told him.

Eddie frowned, reached down to squeeze Steve’s hand, then turned to Dustin. “It isn’t ok,” he argued. “But it was nice of you to apologize.”

Dustin nodded. “If you want to try again sometime, I promise I’ll help more. I…I really liked having you play.”

“Thanks,” Steve managed.

“Tell Wheeler to start crafting his apology too,” Eddie said firmly, still cradling Steve’s hand in his own. “Otherwise he’s rolling with disadvantage for the whole next session.”

Dustin’s eyes widened a little before he nodded.

After packing up, the kids waited sheepishly by Eddie’s van. Eddie stayed crouched next to Steve a moment longer.

“Go home, get comfy on the couch, and pick out any movie you want to watch, ok?” Eddie murmured to him. “When I get home I’m gonna order us some pizza, and I’m gonna cuddle the shit out of you, understand?”

Steve laughed softly. “Sounds perfect.”

“Good. I’ll see you soon, sweetheart.”

___

[hitlikehammers]

the light behind your eyes (steddie timeloop; pre-bat attack🦇)

feat. Eddie falling hard and fast when Steve's had innumerable loops to have already fallen ✨🖤✨

“Not that I am not, hmmmm,” and he can barely bite back a moan; “not that’s I’m not fucking ecstatic, Harrington,” Eddie mouths against the lips on his, and he means it, too, he is in fucking heaven right now because not only is the hottest guy Eddie’s ever seen in real life and probably also in, like, magazines and stuff too: that guy is kissing him, touching him, running hands up under his shit and teasing his waistband, rutting a little against his thigh but…he’s doing it almost like it’s routine, like it’s not quite desperate, or not just desperate, expect for the touch of it and so no, Eddie doesn’t have to understand it at all for him to not be fucking complaining in the slightest—

Save that pointing out that he isn’t complaining stops Harrington’s hands on his body cold, freezes the lips pressed against him mid-suck and then they pull back, and Eddie’s panting so hard it burns, and he wants to whine, he’s only just learned the taste of this man but he wants more, it’s like he’s addicted already but then kinda like he always has been, like the deepest cells of him, the mitochondria from the textbooks he didn’t fucking read: it’s like it all knows the shape of this body, the flavor, and—

And that’s fucking ridiculous, but when Harrington pulls away?

Eddie kinda feels like the world’s ending.

And it is ending, in a way. Interdimensional madmen serial killers and all that, but.

This is different.

“Steve.”

Eddie frowns and can’t help but reach, frame Steve’s face even as Steve tries to shy away but still leans into the touch, and Eddie doesn’t understand; not least how Steve sounds so fucking shattered around his own goddamn name—

“Can you,” and Steve’s breathing heaves, shudders: the kind that lives between sobs but Steve’s cheeks are dry under Eddie’s palms and that almost feels all the more heartbreaking:

“I know it feels like you barely know me but,” and Steve blinks so fast, then he’s scrunching his eyes so tight and that, that might be why his cheeks are dry and oh: this is it. He thought before but:

This is the heartbreaking thing.

“Could you call me Steve? Please?”

And god, good fucking god but he asks it so small. It’s pleading and kinda edged in something desperate but here, from this titan of a man Eddie’s seen anew just these past days, this warrior barbarian his sheepies sand the praises of, this paladin out of the shadows come to save them all: he’s so small.

Eddie’s hands don’t move from Steve’s face, just draw him closer, upward on instinct until their brows touch, until Eddie can breathe in every shaky exhale that spills forth.

“Steve,” and maybe Eddie doesn’t quite understand the why, here, but he sure as shit savors the shape of that name on his tongue anyway, fucking sue him; “not that every single fucking version of my gay little fantasies aren’t dancing like they’re at queer fucking prom,” and he pauses, because he expects Steve to snort, maybe, expects to lighten the moment so charged, and not just with the kind of tension that tightens Eddie’s jeans—and Steve does make a sound for Eddie’s stupid little not-quite-joke, but it’s not a chuckle.

It’s a moan—but not the good kind. The kind that means pain.

And it’s almost worrisome, how when Eddie pulls Steve closer, he doesn’t fight it one bit; leans in almost…not even greedy. Almost fucking anguished.

“But this is just because it’s the end of the world, right?” Eddie makes himself ask, because too many things don’t add up, not least how Steve doesn’t even try to pull away, barely moves at all save just to breathe, and just to press closer into the crook of Eddie’s neck to do it.

“It’s just because I’m a wanted man whether it’s the cops, or the feds, or that fucker with the clock and the music,” Eddie rambles; doesn’t move his hand where it’s slipped to the side of Steve’s neck like an intimacy, though, doesn’t even consider shifting a fucking centimeter away from the heavy pulse of life surging under his palm. “Like, I mean, whether it’s 20-to-life or an electric chair or the bats—“

It’s the way the chest against him shudders that trips him up; not least to realize how close they are, that they’ve gotten, that Steve’s heartbeat’s something he can tease out without effort at all there, too, and…

Eddie glances up a little further to see Steve staring at the ceiling of the trailer, eyes glistening, the effort not to fucking cry evident as anything and, just, like…

What the fuck?

“Steve?” Eddie hedges a little, gentles his voice further because even though he doesn’t let a single tear fall, just seeing this man so close to it, while staying so close to Eddie, it’s, he just…

He can’t even try to lighten the moment, can’t even push didn’t realize I was that bad of a kisser, fuck past his lips.

“Give me a minute,” Steve doesn’t even rasp, just says even but so so quiet, and again, just so so small. It’s…

It’s not even heartbreaking anymore. Eddie’s whole chest just fucking hurts.

“You okay?” Eddie ventures after what has to be more than a literal minute; when Steve stops staring at the ceiling but screws his eyes close tight again to pull creases at their corners, between his brows; and Eddie whispers the question when he even dares to speak at all because something in this moment feels…fragile. Sacred in some way, even if he can’t name how or why. He waits, and Steve doesn’t move, barely breathes for the longest time so much it starts to kindle real fear in Eddie’s chest, so it’s only once Steve half-gasps and gets back to his lungs working like Eddie wants them to, once that holds for a while and Eddie understands that the closest to an answer that he’s going to get—he lets Steve breathe, and lets the feeling of it calm Eddie down, too, before he does the stupidest, most selfish fucking thing and asks, again:

“What is this, though?”

The way Steve sucks in his breath at the words cuts Eddie sharp; he shouldn’t have said anything. He should have let this lie and just…enjoyed a little bit of impossibility at the end of the world that wasn’t a bad thing.

He thinks maybe that’s what pushed him over, though, and made his tongue move, to shape the question at all: it’s so fucking far from a bad thing that it’s…it makes too much lightness in Eddie that he’s never felt before. Even in the absolute shit of this entire situation, Eddie’s basically nonexistent future on the horizon if he manages somehow to make it out of the next 48 hours alive: this is something that makes him feel like he could hope.

Hope even for the most absolutely absurd fucking things.

And hope like that has to make anyone fucking selfish.

“This?” Steve glances indicatively between them, with a quirked brow that he pulls off perfectly but it can’t land like it should, not for Eddie who’s just watched this gorgeous human swallow the stages of grief whole where he’s…he’s pulled back, Eddie realizes, Eddie can’t feel him chest-to-chest anymore and the idea of it’s a crushing thing, but it’s got nothing on the reality—either way, though, he’s hovering over Eddie now, still close, likely has been for a while and…and shit: his arms hadn’t even given out.

What the fuck kind of…superhuman stuff is this man made of?

“Thought it was obvious,” Steve chuckles, and that part, that sound rings hollow: Eddie’s had enough of a latent-forever crush on this boy for enough years to maybe have never heard this kind of chuckle but, it’s off. Eddie knows it’s not…what it should be.

Steve laughing is some kind of sunshine, nearly always, like a rule. Eddie knows that much.

“Must have lost my charm,” Steve grimaces while he looks down, down, hides from...Eddie doesn’t know what from, exactly. Save that whatever it is, he wants to hide a little, too.

But hiding, now, means that he’ll turn from Steve. And Eddie…Eddie wants to hide from the nameless horrible thing that’s swelling up in the space around them.

But Eddie doesn’t want to miss a second of Steve. He’s kind of afraid of the very concept of it, missing any…part of Steve. He knows they’re on borrowed time. He’s also not entirely sure this isn’t all of fever dream, maybe he got scraped by one of the nasty-ass rusted nails in the boathouse and all of this is just tetanus or some shit. Maybe it’s the X-Men-knockoff wizard fucking with Eddie’s head by giving him the unthinkable sort of thing he’s always wanted.

Whatever it is: Eddie cannot miss a second of it.

“This, yeah,” Eddie reaches to brush Steve’s chest where his heart’s still pounding, even when it’s not presses flush to Eddie’s anymore, even when they’e stopped kissing too many minutes ago for an excuse; “you more that live up to the hype, big boy,” Eddie chuckles a little, tries to make it warm, fucking grateful; “exceed it even,” Eddie adds, can’t help but splay his fingers and stroke up and down a little over the street of Steve’s shirt.

“But,” because Eddie’s selfish. Because touching Steve slow like this, even as he’s so stiff and his pulse is so fucking scared: take out the frantic pace of what it means to feel him, and Eddie…the hope’s all the stronger, now. The wanting.

The selfishness.

“This,” and Eddie lets his hand move to the notch in Steve throat, like his body knew he’s feel the pulse there as much as the shiver, and the hard swallow after he asks, one more time:

“What is this.”

And Eddie forces his gaze from Steve’s skin to Steve’s face, where his eyes are blown and his color’s off, too pale even in the dark.

Where he’s fucking beautiful, even as he steels himself and takes a deep breath, less like a diver to the depths and more like a man facing an executioner. Jesus.

But his gaze is still so tender, like whatever hurt he comes to know for what he’s about to do is acceptable, so long as it doesn’t touch Eddie, doesn’t spill over. Like he’s…shielding Eddie from something worse than everything that’s already come, somehow, and that’s fucking terrifying in and of itself but—

But Steve—Steve who he barely knows but feels like he knows somewhere deep in his chest that feels knew and known somehow before these moments, like it was made only for the feelings and the certainties he holds in regard to Steve, Steve, Steve, like maybe that space inside of him was only made on some cosmic level not just for the person who made him feel this way against all odds, but maybe made only and specifically just for Steve—but Steve protecting Eddie, and hurting all the more for taking the hit?

It’s unacceptable. It’s sour in Eddie’s veins.

“If I fuck it up again, it won’t matter, I guess,” Steve seems to speak to himself, mutters low even for the soft quiet they’re holding between them. He doesn’t even know if he’s seeing Eddie for how far away he looks, sounds, like he’s reasoning with the universe.

That tips the sour feeling straight into full on sick.

But before Eddie can say anything, do anything, Steve’s sitting up, drawing back: Eddie can’t help the way he whimpers in the back of his throat for the loss; if the loss feels like more than just the closeness, the promise of it—if it feels like the moments to come are poised to change the world.

“Don’t say anything until I’m done, okay?” Steve asks, implores. Eddie’s powerless against it.

His throat’s already too dry to do anything but nod.

Steve looks, nearly studies him, wide-eyed and needy and…Eddie just wants to hold him.

He just wants to hold him, and keep him.

“‘Kay,” Steve exhales heavy, shaky, like his heartbeat’s knocking around his lungs so there’s no possible world where he could have breathed out steady, where no one could, no matter how strong.

“I’m in love with you.”

Eddie—for wholly other reasons he suspects—gets his own dose of his lungs getting knocked around for how his heart trips and stumbles around those wholly fucking impossible and insane and desperately wanted words echo through his head, his ribs.

“And it might not make and fuckin’ sense to you, but,” and Steve’s breath hitches as he reaches, as he pauses like he’s not sure he’s allowed; “Eds,” and that’s not a thing he’s called so often, and certainly not in that tone, gutted but so steeped in…he said it and it’s true, because that name, hisname on Steve’s lips is fucking saturated in love and how, sure, but the fact of its undeniable enough that the semantics, the mechanics of it: irrelevant.

Would have mattered in the face of something lesser, but.

This isn’t that other-lesser thing.

So Eddie grabs those questioning hands and brings them to his cheeks where they’d been looking to land, to frame his face: to let them both feelthis, however it came to be, whatever else it holds inside.

He looks Steve in the eyes as he holds Steve’s hands to frame his own face like he’s something dear: because it is love. Unmistakably. Steve isn’t lying, or exaggerating.

And Eddie’s halfway fucking there with him, just to look at it.

Save for the way it also looks devastated. Also looks…in the kind of pain that doesn’t end, but somehow doesn’t fade. The scab you rip off to start the process over and over, to hurt all over again.

“I’ve been trying to save you so many times,” and Steve’s voice hitches some more around it, and it should probably cause more question, those words; should definitely cause more questions for Eddie himself, given how he accepts it so fast—the fairly clear implication.

“I’ve held your body in my hands so many times,” and Steve sounds broken for it in ways that even he, Edward Munson, who has seen what he’s seen these past few days, didn’t know a body, or a soul, could withstand and survive.

Also: okay. Okay.

More than an implication, before. Yep. Okay. But—

“Times?” Eddie finds himself croaking because…he’d jumped straight to saving his life but, but: times?

How many fucking times has Steve scratched the scar off and started again? How hard, how deep is the scar tissue?

“I’ve broken your ribs trying to convince this,” and Steve’s hand’s sliding down from one side of Eddie’s face to settle over Eddie’s still fumbling heart, hand stretched wide like it wants to hold the thing whole and true and safe: “to come back, back to me—”

And Steve’s voice cleaves down the center then, just flat out fucking gives out. And Eddie…

Eddie’s an impulsive person. Eddie’s not what you’d call…circumspect, doesn’t pull his punches once he feel inclined to run, to or from or alongside anything in his life.

And even he has never felt so strongly about anything than then thing that spills form him in absolute earnest, with the whole of his mess of a chest and the entire weight of his wild frantic heart:

“Sweetheart,” Eddie takes the one hand that’s not holding Steve’s to his face anymore and reaches, strokes his thumb so gently over Steve bottom lip, and yeah he takes in the way Steve’s eyes widen for it, the way he shifts from shattered to shocked in a second: but it’s all peripheral.

But the whole of Eddie is invested in the one thing he needs to know. More than he needs air to fucking breathe:

“How can I stay with you?”

And he watches Steve’s jaw drop as he moves his hand from those lips to cover Steve’s own hand one more time, still on toppings chest and he doesn’t think twice before damn near close-on begging:

“What do I need to do?”

Steve stills. Blinks.

“What?”

“I might not have had the pleasure just yet,” Eddie tries to sort the words out as he goes because his heart hurts so hard but at the same time it’s so full: “but I’m looking at you,” and he is, he’s looking at Steve and seeing so much, so many things, things that are there and things that could be there in the foreseeable future and things that Eddie can fantasize and dream of being his whole-ass future and just, just, just—

“You love me?”

Steve nods, lips still parted. No hesitation. Not a question.

Jesus.

And Eddie’s heart’s still racing, faster now, even but for…

Not just for fear, or shock, or lust, or…any of it.

Not for anything so simple as all that, now.

“And I die?” Eddie chides himself when Steve flinches ever so slightly, tries to find a gentler way to pitch the words when he speaks again because the point itself is thorny, he can’t make it soft:

“I’ve,” Eddie licks his lips; “I’ve died a lot of times?”

And he waits, and Steve’s blinks a lot of time really fucking fast, but then, again: he nods.

And Eddie’s heart hurts harder at the confirmation, and Steve’s clear bid not to shed a single fucking year—his heart hurts harder, but poundsharder for bigger reasons because fuck, fuck—

“And you’ve loved me enough to somehow bend time and space to try and undo it, to try and stop it?”

And if Steve’s got the trick to that magic, it stills the moment, stops time around them both as Eddie sees the words as they sink in for Steve, as they register and shift the shade of his gaze ever so slightly, brighter and deeper and magnetic and Eddie…

Eddie doesn’t need him to nod. Just looking him, just feeling everything that gaze is giving, solely for him, is all the answer he needs.

“So how do I get even the chance to stick around enough to deserve it?” Eddie asks, because he needs to know so that he can make sure he does it to the letter, and then fifty million times over to be sure. “To get to feel it full on,” because for as much as he’s already feeling, he can’t only imagine what it would be to feel it for an hour, a day, a week, a…a lifetime. He can only image.

And he fucking wants.

“What do I have to do to be able to feel this for more than a couple minutes,” and Steve’s eyes shift again, because he hears what Eddie’s saying, not hiding so much as trying to cram in: he feels this already, and at the same time knows it’s sample sized when what he craves, what he needs is something too big to measure; “to feel this, and return it twenty-fold and for the long haul,” and Steve’s still staring, still kinda gaping, so Eddie forces himself to pause, to ask even if everything points to a singular answer—he forces himself to wait and make super fucking sure:

“If you’ll have me?”

Steve blinks, frowns, then asks, voice hoarse:

“You believe me?” and he says it so slow, disbelieving himself. “Like, you get what I’m saying, and you, you,” he flounders, looks cast adrift and closer to tears now than he’s been yet and Eddie…

Eddie can’t let that just be.

“Of course I do.”

And maybe it’s not of course exactly, in the sense that Eddie doesn’t have questions, like a fuckton of questions but: he doesn’t have doubt, not in Steve. Somehow of all that he doesn’t know and that makes no sense, he does know that Steve is where his faith—if he was ever going to have any in anything—is meant to sit, whatever that means, whatever that demands accepting.

“Of course, sweetheart,” Eddie says with so much of himself he never knew was actually inside him to speak, to beg such truth. He didn’t know.

“So please, please tell me,” he fucking please it; “what do I do?”

Because he knows now. The breadth of what can, could, does, will live in his chest. And once he knows it?

He’s gonna fight like hell to have the whole of it. For always.

“To get to have this,” Eddie reaches, can’t help but brush some of Steve’s hair behind his ear and just…consider him. Marvel a little at the fact that the world is changing, Eddie can feel it, and it’s because this man loves him.

Him.

“This thing I’ve never even considered getting to know,” Eddie strokes Steve’s jaw and asks the only question left:

“What do I have to do to have the chance fall in love with you?”

Because Eddie doesn’t care if he has to lob off a fucking arm. He’ll do it. He’ll learn to play his guitar with his goddamn feet before he lets this chance go.

“Don’t be a hero.”

Eddie’s face must do something at the sorta sudden kind of outburst from Steve, because Steve ducks his head down a little and smiles almost apologetic, and still so fucking sad.

“I tell you not to be cute about it, and not to try to be a hero, but you are, you do, every time,” Steve tells him, explains, and that part at least tracks: he’s a contrarian to his detriment but…he doesn’t want to believe he’d do it when the stakes are this high. Not without a good reason and he can’t…imagine a good enough reason to leave this man so broken, and still fighting nonetheless.

He can’t imagine any reason in the whole fucking world good enough for that.

“Then I won’t,” Eddie says, because: well. It’s an easy fix in general, but like, he’s no fucking hero, so then it’s even easier.

“You will,” Steve smiles the saddest goddamn smile Eddie’s ever seen in his whole entire life., I too of the string of sad smiles he’s been treated to so far. “You always do,” and the resignation in stage a tone is only outweighed by the…pride, almost, for what he’s declaring against all odds to be true.

“Just, just,” Steve seems to debate with himself for a second, maybe whether he wants to fight the weight of established precedent one more time, wants to scratch off that scab in a whole knew way, because it felt like Steve was watching this play out different when Eddie believed him, and asked to work with him to make the wrongs right instead of aiding the process of his own ruin, and what looked like Steve’s own process of self-immolation in slow motion, over and again. Eddie gets why he pauses.

But it’s not even long enough to be called hesitation, really, before he’s diving in and giving Eddie the playbook, with no guarantee or even a whole lot of hope based on existing evidence to trust.

Eddie feels the magnitude of the living in a whole new way, on a whole new level, for that, as Steve speaks:

“When you do, when you’re a hero again because you always are, I need you to run when you’re done. We will be okay, I know what I’m dealing with now, I know how,” Steve says with. Steel creeping into his tone and Eddie wants more than anything to know what he’s planning to deal with, how Steve plans to stay safe because now Eddie’s heart’s tied up on the opposite end of the equation and he…he can’t survive and have it only flip the tables, have there still be a loss because Eddie’s not made of what Steve’s made of, and sure he’s only had a taste of this, but he…

He won’t survive losing it. Even just the taste.

“Don’t buy us more time,” Steve cuts back into Eddie’s headspace, the more important voice; the most important; “you do more than enough, I need you to trust me and I know you don’t have a reason to—“

“I trust you.”

And that’s unequivocal. Eddie trusts Steve. The end.

“How will I know when I’m done?” Because if Steve’s willing to go through this for him, he’s going to fucking take notes to make sure he does his part in turns, makes sure this is the last fucking time.

“Play the puppet master song,” which Steve doesn’t know, no way he’d fucking know on his own and Eddie didn’t doubt, but, like…

Jesus.

It takes a fucking second, just digesting what it means to be right for no doubting. It’s heady. Terrifying.

But also like stars in his stomach. He feels reborn in the simple reality of believing in this person who loves him this hard.

“Block the vents, don’t ignore the vents. When Dustin goes up the rope, you follow. Pull it up after you and block it off, hold them off in case any stragglers stick around,” Steve tells him, doesn’t sound skeptical, exactly, but just…maybe wary. Rightly so, given the…previous rounds of things. “We’ll need you to throw it back to us when we’re done.”

Eddie feels his face screw up a little because he wasn’t paying the most attention but he really thinks, like:

“Aren’t there closer gates—“

“I’ll need to,” Steve swallows hard, the bob in his throat almost painful to watch because Eddie can almost imagine the weight of it, the way the same motion’s been repeated so many times and yet he’s still at it, he’s still trying—

For Eddie. Jesus fuck.

“I’ll need to see.”

And if the hard-swallow wasn’t heartbreaking—again, every time Eddie thinks he’s been gutted entirely Steve goes and ups the fucking ante, good god, and he keeps doing this? He continues to say yes to this, these feelings, this, this…this, because if, for, for…

But regardless how you slice it: the way Steve’s voice cracks, on just those four words?

Holy fucking Christ—this has to be what’ll kill Eddie harder, deeper down than anything Steve’s trying to save him from.

“I won’t fail you this time, Steve.”

And Eddie means it, even if the words themselves spill from him automatic: they’re there to spill at all because Eddie means it, because Eddie’s heart’s never felt swollen like this before and he wants to give whatever it’s all fat and tender with to this man he barely knows but…maybe he knows more important things about him than he knows about most people in his life. Nearly all people in his life.

And that’s fucking has to count for something. For more than something.

“Eddie,” Steve starts, like he wants to argue some point but Eddie isn’t gonna have that, not now.

Not ever again, if he has anything to fucking say about it.

“No,” Eddie cuts him off and this time, this time, it’s Eddie who reaches and cradles Steve’s face, holds him like he’s precious, as much as he can because this man is precious beyond reason, but human hands are only capable of so much care: he gives what he can.

He knows it’s not enough, and hopes his heart in his words will make up the difference.

“No, this,” and he runs the pads of his thumbs beneath Steve’s eyes, because as gorgeous as they are, as he is: those eyes used to be bright. They were bright…before. When did they change, when did Steve from now like Eddie become Steve who’s tried to start Eddie’s heart with his own hands, and couldn’t?

Doesn’t matter.

Steve’s eyes aren’t supposed to be hollow behind the color; there’s only supposed to be the sunshine.

Not the endless dark.

“I’ve been taking it away, haven’t I?” Eddie breathes out in a level of horror at the realization that’s settling in the more he looks at Steve, and reads the toll he’s been paying, for Eddie. “I hate that, I hate that I—“

“Eddie,” Steve breathes, and the only shine in his eyes is tears and it’s wrong, it’s just wrong.

“It gets taken away because yours isn’t there anymore,” Steve reaches back, now, and holds Eddie’s face in his broad hands: “the light in you,” and his voice cracks and he blinks and one tear.

One tear falls.

Eddie’s sternum splits in two.

“I want to know what it is to fall in love with you,” Eddie says in a rush, demands on the whole fucking cosmos: “the whole way, because I think I’m already halfway there,” and it’s true, it’s true because he’d give his life for Steve already so he understands, of Steve’s in longer and deeper, why he’s fighting despite the hurt, but, but…

No more.

“And I want to earn it,” Eddie tells him. “I want you to fall for me not just because of, because of life and death stuff, or tied up in losing,” Eddie tries to fit the avalanche of feelings in him to words, prays it’s enough:

“I want it to be a,” he chokes, shakes his head and bites his tongue: “a good thing,” because he wants to be a good thing for this man. He wants to be only a good thing, as best he knows how.

“You are a good thing,” Steve counters, and fierce with it; “you’re the best thing.”

Eddie’s not strong enough to hold himself to just one tear when the floodgates break.

“I run when Henderson runs,” he breathes shakily. It’s a vow more than anything he knows how to give.

“You don’t run,” Steve tells him, so soothing, still so protective of Eddie, always protective of Eddie; “you’re so fucking brave, and you save our asses,” and he brings their foreheads to lean against each other as Eddie’s inhales trembles: “you’re just gonna fall back this time, so you don’t break my heart, too, okay?”

“Okay,” Eddie would agree to anything, at this point; this is easy. This he can do, no problem.

This he will do, no question.

“I’m sorry,” he finds himself whispering, because…because he has to.

He is so fucking sorry.

“You’re…” Steve starts, uncomprehending as Eddie just shakes his head, almost like a compulsion.

“I’m sorry I’ve disappointed you so many times,” Eddie hissed through clenched teeth, tries not to descend into blubbering, tries to maintain something like, if not composure, the capacity to be heard and known when he promises with his whole heart:

“I won’t do it again, I swear.”

And Steve watches him, eyes red rimmed and still brimming but carefully, assessing.

Eddie can help, though. He can put him a little bit at ease, or damn well fucking try.

“I already feel something,” and he brings Steve’s hand to his chest again, reminds them both his heart’s still beating in this world, in this time. “And I’m too selfish Steve.”

Steve cocks his head in question; Eddie wants to watch this man’s quirks, learn the minutiae of his every expression.

Forever.

“I need the whole shebang.”

Steve smiles, watery and still strained but less sad, and that’s something.

It’s all they have time for, because he can hear everybody coming back with supplies, remembers they’d been prepping for war.

It’s all the have time for—for now.

“I’m holding you to that,” Steve says, a little watery, a little shaky, a little unconvinced but wholly filled with love, still, and all together isn’t only serves to harden Eddie’s resolve that much more.

“You flake on me again?” Steve flips his fingers backward against Eddie’s shoulder in a poor excuse for a smack: “I’m gonna tie you to the driver’s seat next time, and leave Nance with Dustin.”

“There won’t be a next time,” Eddie answers, dead serious; “except for one thing.”

There’s something molten, a glint that isn’t tears when Steve lifts a brow in askance; when Eddie leans in and kisses Steve hard, deep, quick because they have to but it doesn’t have to be anything else because he leaves his heart and soul in the exchange, willingly and willfully and all fucking in.

“There’s gonna be a next time for that. I swear to god,” Eddie murmurs against Steve slips when he pulls back; “we’re gonna have so many next times.”

And when the door to the RV bursts open and everyone else spills in, Steve’s lips are a little swollen if you’re looking.

And Steve’s eyes still have that light.

For @klausinamarink, who requested 'The Light Behind Your Eyes—My Chemical Romance' at my HOBBIT-STYLE BIRTHDAY MONTH PROMPT FEST

✨permanent tag list: OPEN (lmk if you want to be added/removed): @pearynice @hbyrde36 @slashify @finntheehumaneater @wxrmland @dreamwatch @perseus-notjackson @estrellami-1 @bookworm0690 @imhereforthelolzdontyellatme @nerdyglassescheeseychick @swimmingbirdrunningrock @goodolefashionedloverboi @sanctumdemunson @theheadlessphilosopher @sadisticaltarts

divider credit here

💫 ao3 link here

[pythoness94]

Y'all don't know how important Mike calling Will every day while he was in California and never getting past the dial tone is to me. Like, I have this scene in mind where Mike just had a shit day. Max has completely pulled away from them, Lucas in spending all his time with his basketball people, Dustin is spending all his time with Steve or Eddie, Nancy is at the newspaper, Karen is with Holly, even if Ted was in the house it wouldn't matter because Ted wouldn't pay much attention to Mike anyways. He is completely alone, he has nobody and he just needs his best friend, his older brother figure, his girlfriend, his other mom, anybody. So he is sitting by the ponywall, shifting anxious as he dials the number, Nothing. He dials again, nothing, Again, nothing. Again, nothing, Again, nothing. His eyes get watery as he slips down the wall, head pressed against the cool paint. Again, nothing, again, nothing, again, nothing, again, nothing. He starts to sob, hand trembling but never missing a number from muscle memory.

He is surrounded by ideas, false prentices that his family is perfect, his life is perfect, but what made his life worth living his leaving him, some has already left. Again, nothing, and it's fault, or atleast he thinks it is. Again, nothing, again, nothing. It's really such a pretty house, the Wheeler home, objectively it's what everybody wants and needs, but it's not what Mike needs. The house is cold and dark, the only place that ever felt lived in, the basement, goes unused by everybody but him. The large room that was once full of life and friends is now empty, only used by the leader. He's a king with no kingdom, a paladin with nobody to lead. Again, nothing. Again, nothing. His DnD books gain dust, he just uses Eddie's, the ones he has are to full of painful memories. Again, nothing. He looks up to Eddie, really he does, he's exactly what he wants to be, confident, handsome, loud, proud, so unabashedly himself and people love him for it. If Mike was himself he'd be even more alone than he already is. again, nothing. He wishes he was closer to Eddie, however he seems fonder of Dustin. Which is fair, everybody he ever looked up to is fonder of Dustin. Nancy, Steve, Eddie, it's practically expected at this point. Hell, if he looked after himself, he'd be fonder of Dustin too....Again, nothing, it doesn't make it hurt any less.

Mike's stomach rolls as hot tears fall down his cheeks, Again, nothing. Time ticks past, the clock chimes louder in his ears has the cold press of the dial digs into his finger tips. Just once, just once, just once, he begs and please but nothing, it's always nothing. Heat boils in his veins. Best friend of thirteen years and can't even pick up the fucking phone? He's known the guys Brother for years and he can't pick up the phone? He practically lived in her house and kept her son safe she can't pick up the phone? He's her boyfriend and she can't even answer the fucking PHONE! He slams it against the receiver, dock shaking on the wall as his shoulder shake and chest heaves with heavy breathes. He curls into a ball, shivering and sniffling as his face gets irritated by his scratchy jeans. The sound of the dial tone mocking and grating. He's alone, his cries heard by nobody in a dark house, the savior never to be saved. Distantly, a clock chimed and blood is mistaken for snot that he wipes away without checking.

[tinytalkingtina]

The True Face of Bravery

Written for the @steddiemicrofic June challenge prompt, using the word "stuff" and max 483 words.

483 words | Rating: T (for a single swear word)

Tags: Fantasy DnD AU, Tiefling Steve Harrington, Anti-Tiefling racism, Steve Harrington has bad parents, implied child abuse, first kiss

Ao3 link

"'Mi'lord', your squire is whining he can't find your club, the one with the spikes and-um." Eddie froze with his hands still on the tent flap, staring at Steve. And surely this was Steve, he had the same facial features and clothes as Stephen Harrington, heir to the Barony of Loch Nora and paladin extraordinaire. Except Stephen Harrington didn't have luminous red skin, or a pair of horns that spiraled up out of his hair and curved back over themselves just above his ears. And he certainly didn't normally have a pointed tail poking out from his trousers. Before Eddie could even begin to think of retreating, he found himself roughly yanked inside the tent. “Wait!” Eddie flailed, wrenching himself out of Steve's grasp. “Please don't kill me! As fitting as it would be for Eddie the Banished to die at the hand of a noble I really would rather it not happen today, I promise I can keep my mouth shut and—“ Eddie stopped babbling as he took in how badly Steve was trembling. Weaponless, he had only moved to block the tent flap. Steve lifted a shaking hand to his nose. "Father was right, it was always going to come down to an act of stupidity on my part. Just, let me finish this mission, please." Eddie blinked, still wrapping his head around his companion’s true appearance. "What?" "Vecna is a blight on these lands. Even if the Order is going to expel me once they know, I swore an oath to slay him. I'm asking that you wait to turn me in until we're done. I promise, I'll go quietly." "Why would I turn you in?" Steve's tail twitched when he was anxious. "Have you somehow missed that I'm the shameful reminder of my ancestor's wrongdoings?” he said, clearly mimicking something he had been told many times over. Eddie took a tentative step forward. "And what makes you think I give a flying fuck what stuff society or your Order believes? Sweetheart, I'm just impressed you've managed to hide yourself for this long." "As a child my parents wouldn't let me leave my chambers until I could cast illusion magic." Steve whispered. "But why—” "You're kind of the ideal paladin, you know?" Eddie barreled on. "Always throwing yourself headlong into danger to protect others. You're kind and funny and," he blushed, "absolutely breathtaking. If those abyssal chickens hadn't broken my lute, I would immediately start composing something about the swirl of your horns." "You would...oh." Red hands with black-tipped claws reached out to gently encircle his waist. Eddie shyly reached up to tuck a loose lock of Steve's hair behind one of his horns. "Come on, let's get some rest. You have an undead lich to slay tomorrow, Sir Stephen the Brave,” he said softly. The equally soft kiss he received in response spoke of something much longer than tomorrow.

Some tidbits of trivia/more babbling about this AU under the cut!

I've had an idea for a DnD AU for a long time, featuring members of the nobility Harringtons who made a deal with a devil in exchange for power and wealth. When their first-born son was a born a tiefling, to hide their shame, they at first kept him hidden from view, then, once he learned magic, forced him to constantly cast disguise self to appear human.

As a paladin, he is driven to helping those in need, but doesn't like anyone touching his hair (they'll feel his horns under the illusion magic) hence his nickname "the Hair". Dustin is an artificer gnome, his loyal if mouthy squire, while Eddie is a half elf bard who doesn't initially like "Mr goody two shoes shining knight".

Vecna is a literal undead evil lich causing trouble from his own pocket dimension, dubbed "The Upside Down".

Also Abyssal chickens are in fact a real DnD monster and they are adorably terrifying.

[emeritusemeritus]

Sauron’s Secret [Eddie Munson x Reader]

Title: Sauron’s Secret, one ring to rule them all.

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Wife!Reader {Established but hidden relationship}

Timeline: Around S4- slight alternate timeline, no Vecna. No mention of past events in Hawkins.

Summary: Eddie’s hiding a secret and Dustin is determined to figure it out.

Warnings: Swearing. Mentions of marriage. Hidden relationships, secret marriage. Mentions of drugs and marijuana. Dustin is a sleuth and I love him for it. Lord of the Rings references.

I had so much fun writing this. Set in mostly 3rd person/ Dustin POV.

Eddie Munson was allusive and mysterious, even to his closest friends.

He shared only what needed to be shared and kept his business private, just how he liked it. Eddie's favourite colour? Who knows, probably black or red but you'd never get a solid answer. His favourite movie? He says it's some old slasher film from the 50's that defied cinematic structure and gave the middle finger to the 'man' trying to oppress the creative spirit of filmmaking. Was it the truth? Probably not. His favourite book? He’d alluded to it being Lord of the rings but if questioned he would act like he’d never heard of it.

The only things he was open about were his love for heavy metal, pizza and D&D, and even then he kept his sadistic and intricate campaigns under wraps for as long as possible before the big reveal, trusting no one with his secrets.

Despite his attempts at general ambiguity, there were a few 'tells' in his behaviour, if read carefully, that could clue your in to his inner workings.

Dustin Henderson in sheer contrast is a completely open book; wears his heart on his sleeve, has little to no filter and will openly discuss all of his favourite things, regardless of if the audience is listening or not. But Dustin is also naturally inquisitive and curious, always trying to dig deeper and see the little idiosyncrasies in people that clue him in to their internal thoughts. He notices things that most people overlook and in the case of Eddie, someone he looks up to and proudly calls his friend, his curiosity is never stronger, particularly around the subject of Eddie's concealed love life.

It started a while ago, just a random day at Hellfire when Eddie came in a little late, trying to downplay his flustered nature as he shot off a roundabout apology and began setting up his campaign as Dustin looked on. Eddie had never been late, always having the table laid out perfectly, the mood lighting and repositioning all done ready for the Paladins, Wizards and Artificers ready to commence their quest. Dustin noticed as the game wore on that Eddie smelt better than usual, not that he ever smelt bad before but he seems to have a little more cologne on and his clothes smelt clean. Sometimes Eddie's clothes would have a faint tinge of damp, like they'd been sat in the dryer a little too long before airing out and being worn, only occasionally but that seemed to disappear completely after that specific meeting.

Sometimes, Dustin swears that he can smell a faint whiff of strawberries emitting from their Dungeon Master, specifically from his hair. At first he thinks he's crazy but the second or third time it happens it's definitely too much to be a coincidence.

A few weeks later when Hellfire had just come to a close, Dustin watched as Eddie shrugged on his signature two jackets and instantly frowned as he looked at the patches on the outer battle jacket. He quickly dropped the frown on his face, unknowingly doing it in the first place, before shifting subtly closer to that he could look to see what was different. The Dio patch on the back piece of the jacket was no longer raised or peeling upwards as it had been before in the bottom corner. He couldn't see any additional patches so he put it down to a fluke that Eddie just have re-sewn the patches, this time doing a much neater job than before.

But then he notices the lunches. Eddie had always brought something easy for his lunch, a bag of trail mix or questionable nut and pretzel mixes but suddenly there were sandwiches and the odd leftovers. That's when things began clicking into place for Dustin, realising that he might actually be on to something. He kept quiet about it, uncharacteristically, until he had more concrete evidence that supported his theory.

One day at lunch, Dustin walked in to see Eddie frantically scrawling ideas and little drawings on to a notepad, an actual wire bound notebook. Dustin had asked Eddie where he got the notebook but he just received a harsh glare and a dismissive insult in reply. Unfazed, Dustin smiled to himself as he tucked into his lunch tray, adding another point to his mental list, taking Eddie's defensiveness as evidence that he hadn't just stolen it from an unfortunate freshman, it was given to him. Eddie usually scrawled onto little slips of waste paper he'd find in his pockets or donated by his friends, never having brought an actual book to school in all the years that Dustin had known him, which were then folded or crumpled up and thrust into one of his many pockets.

The first Hellfire meeting after Christmas break is when Dustin realises that he'd been right all along. Eddie lights up a smoke after getting things loaded into the truck and for the first time since Dustin had known him, he wasn't using gas station grade clippers nor a random pack of matches he sometimes carried when the shitty lighters inevitably died on him. He instead lit the questionable cigarette with a black zippo lighter, one of those that were built to last, refillable and much, much nicer than any he'd ever seen in Eddie's possession before.

Still, he says nothing, content in knowing something about Eddie that no one else did, almost gleeful actually. He decides that if he's going to find anything else out then he needs to tread carefully, not wanting to alert Eddie to his inside knowledge or tip him off that he's digging around in matters that were not his own. He has to plan this carefully, asking questions that are only appropriate in the right setting, not out of the blue.

Luckily for Dustin, the moment presents itself not too long after at Hellfire when mid roll- Eddie's shirt shifts just enough for a second chain to be seen beneath his shirt, the movement of him shaking and rolling the dice allowing the pendant and chain to slip out from under his neckline. Eddie had always worn the guitar pick necklace, he never hid that beneath his shirt but this one had definitely not always been there. Dustin doesn't miss the golden glint of something hanging from the necklace, a ring that looked like a simple band. There's a few tense moments where Dustin studies the ring intensely before Eddie notices it slip, trying to quickly instil it into his mind for future reference before Eddie is alerted to his necklace being on show.

It lasts all of ten seconds before Gareth pipes up about the curious piece of jewellery in a less than delicate manner, his face scrunched up and turned to one side as he questions Eddie about it. Seemingly not missing a beat, Eddie quickly looks down at the offending article and smiles before he stuffs it into his shirt.

"That my friends is a custom made ruling ring, one ring or Isildur's Bane if you will. Genuine lord of the rings replica, 'One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them'." He smirks dangerously at the crowd after replacing the chain inside of his shirt before crouching down and casting aside one of the figurines on the table, "now, gentleman, are you prepared for your next defeat? You've fought valiantly but it may not be enough to save your sorry hides!"

Dustin gives him a lingering side eye, knowing that there was way more to that then he's made out; He'd seen the face Eddie had involuntarily pulled when he realised his mistake. Dustin was moving in on him now, biding his time until he can make his move and actually probe Eddie for the truth.

What Dustin doesn't expect however, after the months he'd spent agonising over gathering secret intel and evidence on Eddie is that one day soon, Eddie would put himself completely due to unfortunate bad luck.

It's raining, tipping it down as the Hellfire club burst through the doors of the school in sheer elation, celebrating their defeat of Vecna and his cult. The gang separates into separates cars all waiting for them and disperse as they run to get out of the rain. Dustin's mom was at work and he'd have to cycle back regardless, cursing himself for not bringing his waterproof. Eddie offers him a ride in the van, only for him to scream multiple profanities when the van only stutters before giving up completely. He kicks the wheels in frustration, already stoked to the bone from the rain in just his two jackets before he turns to Dustin to ask for his cellphone. Dustin watches him closely as Eddie dials a number entirely from memory, moving away so that his conversation would remain private as he quickly talks to someone at the other end of the phone. Dustin quickly shies away as Eddie's gaze flickers over to him briefly, acting as if he wasn't paying attention at all, until Eddie ends the conversation and hands him back the phone.

"Got a ride, stick around and we'll drop you off at home," Eddie says, nodding his head back towards the school so that the two of them could stand under the canopy to avoid getting wetter. Dustin watches as Eddie rings out his nearly flat curls, boosting them up so that his signature look wouldn't be ruined. Dustin however, pays no mind to his wetness and instead stares intensely at the road leading to the school, not wanting to miss who would be picking them up, transfixed on the idea that it might be someone he'd been waiting to meet, or prove was real, for a long time.

Dustin has to fight back a happy jig when he spots an old looking pickup truck driving up the road towards the school, eyes stinging with the rain as he daren't even blink, desperate to catch sight of whoever was driving.

When the truck comes to a stop, he falters as he sees an old man get out, wearing a boiler suit uniform having clearly been a mechanic of sorts. He then notices the logo on the side of the truck, something or others repair shop. Eddie steps forward and has a brief conversation with him but Dustin pays no mind, throwing himself down onto one of the benches under the canopy, his chin resting on his hand as he pouts.

When the older man begins to tow away Eddie's van with one last wave and a pat to the back for the dungeon master, leaving Eddie and Dustin stranded, he shoots Eddie a confused glance. Eddie simply averts his eyes, shooting him a strange look before wrapping his arms around himself, the cold clearly getting to him.

Nearly as soon as the old truck pulls away with Eddie's van, a second truck pulls around the corner, pausing briefly window to window to talk to the man in the truck from their respective vehicles. This truck is all black and seemingly well loved, an old Chevy of sorts but Dustin's not great with car models. The trucks pull away from each other and the second truck comes to a stop outside the school, right by the canopy.

"Wait here Henderson," Eddie mumbles, eyes focused on the truck as he ducks out of the canopy and into the rain. The windows are slightly tinted so it's hard to see what's going off though Dustin desperately tries to sneak a peak at the owner of the truck.

"Haul your bike in the back," Eddie calls out, pulling open the passenger door, only to be met by resistance from the person inside the car. He huffs, closes the door and helps Dustin lift the bike onto the truck bed before he opens the passenger door again and slides across the bench, giving Dustin room to climb in.

He notices the woman driving immediately but doesn't recognise her at all. She's pretty, really pretty and is dressed in a leather jacket with a material hood that is hardly concealing her hair, dark jeans and fingerless gloves.

“Hi, you must be Dustin,” she smiles towards him and Dustin has to fight a blush that the pretty girl was talking directly to him. His momentary silent pause isn’t missed by his dungeon master, who shoots him a harsh look before letting out a low chuckle at the kids face.

“Hi,” he says shyly with a small wave, which only makes the woman smile wider.

“You’re up on Cornwallis right?” She asks, turning the key in the ignition to start up the truck. He gives a little nod, still not finding his voice entirely and she smiles back, turning to check her mirrors.

“How’d you know?” He asks only a few seconds later as the truck begins to pull away. He frowns when both Eddie and the mystery woman share a little mischievous smile, an inside joke of sorts.

“I’d like to tell you it was seeing you riding past on your bike when I’d visit Barb but,” the woman says, barely taking her eyes off the road as she navigates through the heavy rain.

“Skull rock’s just behind your house, dude,” Eddie says with a chuckle, finishing the sentence for him.

“Oh,” Dustin says, “oh.”

Both of the older constituents chuckle and Dustin takes a moment to watch them, seeing that they both had a natural ease with each other, like they’d known one another for a long time. He decides a little harmless digging wouldn’t hurt.

“You knew Barbara Holland?” He asks, watching her reaction carefully. She gives a sad little smile before shrugging gently, the faint rustle of leather ringing out in the near silent truck cabin.

“Our dads used to work together at the shop, before all the shit went down, nice kid,” she replied. Dustin watches as Eddie’s hand seems to move just slightly so that he’s touching her thigh, though it’s subtle, no doubt on account of Dustin’s presence.

“So you didn’t go to school with her?” He digs further. Something tells him that with the addition of the woman, who still remained largely a mystery to him would shield him from Eddie’s wrath if he caught on, like a buffer for the situation.

She snorts a little at the thought and shakes her head, flicking the wipers up a speed as the rain continues to pour, the windshield hardly clearing before it’s full again.

“Don’t know if I should be flattered or offended by that,” she says with a smile and a chuckle. Eddie’s mouth pulls to one side, like he was trying to hide his smirk. “I graduated in 84, spend two years at high with her but we didn’t interact much, she had her friends and well, I got stuck with this degenerate,” she laughs, gesturing to Eddie beside her. He shoves her, muttering his outrage at her statement but she merely laughs harder.

So they were at school together; before Dustin had ever reached high school. He wondered if Steve knew her? He didn’t recall him ever mentioning her, though he didn’t even know her name so that was one issue. He notices they are already on Cornwallis and he pouts again, wanting to find out more about the woman but by the time they’d pulled up to the mini intersection of Old Cherry, right by his house, it was too late.

“Thank you!” Dustin says very pleasantly as he prepares to make a run for it to grab his bike from the bed of the truck, frowning as he wonders how he’d lift it by himself.

“Eds, go help him,” the woman says, urging Eddie to help with the bike. Surprisingly, Eddie doesn’t hesitate much and does actually move to help

Dustin, who gives him an odd look.

“Thank you again, errr,” he pauses before hopping out of the cab, hesitating so that he’ll grab her name.

She’s about to reply but Eddie shoves him quickly out of the cab and reaches for the bike himself before placing it on the floor and handing it to Dustin.

“Night Henderson,” Eddie says, quickly messing with Dustin’s wet cap before he smirks and hops up into the truck again. The truck doesn’t pull away straight away and Dustin realises they are waiting for him to let himself in, checking he wouldn’t be left outside. That had to be the woman, Eddie would have been nothing but exhaust smoke and tyre screeches in the distance by now.

As soon as he opens up the garage, the truck begins pouring with loud music, something heavy and angry sounding and the truck begins to pull away with a single beep of the horn.

This brief but important encounter has only spurred Dustin on further, amping up his desperate need to find out exactly who she was and who she was in relation to Eddie. They seemed overly friendly but comfortable, could she be the one that had given him the necklace? She wished he was sat next to her so he could get a whiff of her hair; if it was strawberry scented he’d have been on to a winner. The next day, he cycled to the library, thankfully it much better weather than the previous day, and had scouted through pages and pages of source material trying to find old yearbooks from Hawkins High that might have illuminated who she was. Nothing.

He cycled to family video, scrambling for any information Steve could give but he was nearly as clueless as Dustin.

“Dude I’m telling you, I never noticed Munson until the satanic rumours started, never paid any attention to him,” Steve shrugged, already having told Dustin this at least three times but the kid was persistent.

“She had * colour hair and she was wearing a leather jacket, really pretty,” Dustin tried to explain her but Steve looks vacant.

“There were tonnes of girls with her hair colour and pretty,” he says defensively.

“I said really pretty,” Dustin says, adding the inflection. Steve huffs and takes a seat on the stool behind the counter, trying to rack his brain for anyone that might have been with Eddie. Until a faint memory appears at the very edge of his brain, making his face squint as he tries to recall it, having been so long ago.

“There was a chick, she was into rock music, saw her with Billy once,” Steve says, still squinting.

“Ughr,” Dustin says, his face distorting into disgust. Steve immediately sees Dustin’s reaction and clarifies.

“No, she told him to fuck off,” he then chuckles, “was pretty funny actually.” He’s quiet for another moment before it comes to him, the memory getting clearer in his mind, the vision of her coming into full view, he clicks his fingers in a eureka moment. “Hot girl! Munson pulled hot girl?” He sounds aghast, muttering it again under his breathe as he questions it over and over again.

“Hot girl? Come on Steve, names, I need names!” Dustin says, banging his hand on the counter.

“Alright alright! Sheesh,” Steve says, running his hand through his hair. “Umm, it was… something hot.”

Dustin gives him a thoroughly unimpressed glare but he doesn’t notice, too consumed with mentally searching for the name on the tip of his tongue. “Ashle…bec..ayleigh…Rox… y/n! It was y/n!” He clicks his finger again, smiling proudly that he’d been able to recall the information. “Y/n L/n!”

“Hey!” He suddenly shouts after Dustin who races out the door with no reply and no thank you. “I need new friends.”

Dustin wastes no time as he pedals harder and quicker, his destination set in his mind, with her name repeating in his head so that he didn’t forget even a single syllable. As he pulls up in front of his house, he doesn’t even slow before dismounting the bike, leaving it on the grass in front of his house without a single care. He runs in, completely ignoring his mums greeting and whizzes over to the phone book that Claudia Henderson always had sat on the side table. He leapt towards the book and quickly began searching for her name, endlessly trawling through the alphabetical listing until her name would show.

Nothing. It was like she never existed.

“Mom! How olds this phone book?” He shouts, his volume way above appropriate for inside. When she tells him that she only got it last month, he frowns and sinks down into the chair with a slump.

“Dammit!”

“Dusty-bun, language!”

He lays off the trail for a while, exhausted by his extreme efforts, pleased that he knew her name now but feeling deflated at not getting any further. He still watches Eddie for any signs and notices a few odd things here and there but nothing feels groundbreaking anymore.

Until the Byers’ pay a visit to Hawkins. Will is immediately accepted back into the group and whilst Mike is distracted with El and Lucas at basketball, Dustin spends most of his time with Will. Jonathan mopes around most days and even his spirited friend Argyle seems a little lacklustre and irritable at times.

“What’s up with them?” Dustin asks, nodding his head towards the two older boys who are sat on the couch moping, hugging pillows to themselves and barely watching whatever’s playing on tv.

“I thought it was just Nancy stuff you know, but they’re been like it for a few days,” Will says with a shrug, casting a look towards Jonathan and Argyle who look visibly irritated.

Later that evening, Argyle catches Dustin alone and delicately tries to swoon him with pleasantries and chitchat until he finally asks the question that seemed wholly inappropriate.

“My dude, where can we find the devils lettuce?”

“What?” Dustin asks bluntly, completely lost.

“You know,” Argyle says, mimicking smoking a blunt, “some green, some kush, Chiba Chiba, ‘pass the kutchie pon’left hand side’.”

“Weed? You want weed?” He asks bluntly, not caring for the theatrics one bit.

“Well yeah my dude, if you have to be so crude about it,” he says jokingly. Dustin rolls his eyes and walks over to the telephone on the side, reaching for the phone book and flipping it straight to ‘M’ for Munson. Eddie’s side business was the worst kept secret in Hawkins, especially to his friends even though he kept discreet about it for good reason.

Dustin’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head when he came across the name beside Eddie’s seeing it listed directly beneath his. Y/n Munson.

“My dude! I’m the delivery guy, don’t sweat it!” Argyle shouts with a laugh as Dustin suddenly takes off, offering no explanation as he grabs his bike and pedals away, straight towards Forest Hills.

He doesn’t stop, not even to catch his breath as he nears the entrance to the trailer park, flicking his eyes around for Eddie’s van. He’d been here once or twice, mostly to try and visit Max and had spotted Eddie in the opposite plot, assuming that he lived there and had visited once when Eddie needed something for D&D that Dustin had mistakenly taken. He pushes on, catching sight of Eddie’s beat up van and the black truck parked beside a trailer and doesn’t stop until he’s immediately outside. Dismounting his bike, he gasps for air and pulls out his inhaled from his jacket pocket, wheezing as he puffs on it a few times to catch his breath.

He walks up the steps to the trailer door and knocks over and over loudly, insisting that someone come to the door. The door opens to reveal Eddie in a Metallica shirt and some lounge pants, something Dustin would never believe he would wear, assuming he wore his jeans all the time.

“Henderson?” Eddie looks around behind Dustin and pulls him inside, “the hell are you doing here?”

The place looked very, very different from when he’d been here last, the rooms clean and not fusty anymore. The walls were no longer lined with display mugs and trinkets but rather nice homely decorations that were a little off centre, framed band posters and photos of people in nice frames.

“Dustin?” He hears the all too familiar woman say as she walks through into the kitchen. She’s also wearing a band T-shirt, Judas Priest he thinks he can make out, with some plaid pyjama shorts and a cardigan. She reaches up to smooth her hair down, not having expected anyone to turn up and a glimmer of something on her left hand makes Dustin freeze, before he remembers exactly why he came here.

“You’re married?!” He asks, turning to Eddie, shocked and outraged that he’d managed to keep it a secret. The woman, who Dustin now knew to be Y/n Munson, bursts out laughing as she throws herself down onto the couch, immediately covering her legs with a soft blanket.

“You’re still playing that game?” She asks, turning to look at Eddie, who looks like he’s about to spontaneously combusts.

“Fucking Christ Henderson, you came all the way here for that?” He asks, ignoring his wife’s laughter. Dustin simply shrugs, appearing resolute on the outside but internally he’s beginning to see how much he’s overreacted.

“You ashamed of me, Munson?” His wife teases, turning her head to the side, goading him with a smile. He finally turns to her and snorts, also amused by her words.

“Yeah like getting the hottest girl in Hawkins is something I’m ashamed of.” He sends her a wicked smile and she blushes just slightly, both of them smiling at each other as their eyes meet.

“So what am I missing?” Dustin says, not reading the room. Eddie breaks his gaze with his wife to glare at Dustin for interrupting the moment, the kid clearly had a lot to learn about women.

“Just tell him,” y/n says encouragingly, reaching for the cup of tea in front of her as she watches on with rapt interest, and slight amusement.

Eddie huffs and sighs, his shoulders dropping a little as he prepares his explanation, though why he was explaining things was a little lost on him.

“We got married in October,” he pauses as Dustin immediately looks like he’s going to blow a fuse and with one harsh glare, he closes his mouth, allowing Eddie to continue. “Been together for a few years but Wayne moved out last summer so my girl moved in and then we got hitched just after,” he explains, taking a seat on the little chair, offering the other to Dustin who declines. “I didn’t tell anyone because being a married man, still in school and DM’ing a kids D&D club isn’t exactly ‘cool’,” he says, sounding honest and a little deflated.

“To be clear, you weren’t that ‘cool’ before,” his wife snarks, thoroughly enjoying the show. He shoots her a look and she simply sinks at him, seeing the argumentative look diffuse immediately from his face as he smiles at her, seeing her beaming back at him, if not a little sarcastically.

The pieces slowly meld together in Dustin’s mind, illuminating the big picture, each little thing he’d noticed now becoming clear.

“So the ring,” he says, gesturing towards the chain around Eddie’s neck. “It’s not a Lord of the rings thing?”

Y/n’s loud burst of laughter breaks the last lingering slither of tension in the room and once again Eddie sends her a warning glance though she ignores it completely.

“Yes that very powerful wedding ring forged in the fires of Orodruin by the dark Lord himself, Edward Sauron Munson. Does it enhance your Dungeon Master powers specifically or is it like an all around enchancement? Because as far as I can tell there’s been no improvement to your cooking skills,” she says with a chuckle.

“Sweetheart you are in for it,” he says threateningly, though his eyes still shine with amusement. She lifts her eyebrows once as if goading him, hopeful that his words will take on a very different meaning later.

“Why not just wear it on your hand?” Dustin asks, missing the point of it all being hidden.

“Because, Henderson,” Eddie says, leaning forward to push Dustin back to fall into the seat opposite him. “My girl got me this ring,” he says flashing him the skull ring that sat on his left ring finger. “18th birthday. Couldn’t get married using that so I got a normal band but this means more to us,” he says, gesturing back to the ring. “Plus.”

He then slips off the ring and extends his hand under Dustin’s frowning gaze until he spots what Eddie is trying to show him. Her initials, tattooed on his ring finger, concealed by the skull ring he always wore.

“Soon as I graduate, it won’t be a secret anymore, hell, I’ll probably shout it from the rooftops,” Eddie says with a beaming smile, “but for now, it’s just between us three okay?”

“Okay.”

It’s graduation day and Eddie proudly walks the stage in his cap and gown to accept his diploma before giving the finger to Principle Higgins on the way. His friends sit in the auditorium and cheer him in but no one cheers louder than ‘hot girl’ who stands and cheers, clapping loudly for her husband who had finally graduated.

“Dude,” Gareth says, pointing towards the side of the stage after everyone had walked and the procession was over. They all turn to see Eddie place the cap onto the woman’s head before pulling her in for a searing and very public kiss.

“Who’s that?”

“Hot girl?”

“What?!”

Dustin smiles, watching the pair only briefly before the scene suddenly becomes decidedly less PG, turning to his group of friends that all look on in complete amazement. He smirks, ready to unleash the secret he’d been hiding for months, keeping his tone casual as if it were completely obvious.

“Oh, you guys don’t know Eddie’s wife?”

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[flowercrowngods]

in which they lie on the floor and take care of each other, falling in love somewhere along the way between music and silence

🤍 also on ao3

When Eddie makes it to Steve’s a few hours after the others because he sort of got lost in that song he was working on and completely lost track of time when the words finally cooperated with him and the chords, he is not surprised to hear the sound of laughter and chaotic conversation, accompanied with the upbeat pop music Steve likes so much. What does surprise him, though, is the picture presented to him once he reaches the spacious living room.

The group is sitting in a circle on the luxurious sofa and on the plush carpet, talking and laughing and throwing the occasional pillow. So far so normal. What’s decidedly not normal is the fact that Steve is lying a bit away from the group, still included in their circle from the way they’re sitting, and he is absolutely still.

Eddie’s first instinct is to panic because surely Steve is having a flashback, an episode of some sort, maybe he’s been possessed, maybe he—

No. No, the others wouldn’t let that happen, wouldn’t let him lie there like that if it were at all concerning. Eddie tries to calm himself, to breathe away the panic and just be fucking normal.

He catches Dustin watching him and clears his throat, willing an easy expression as he asks, “Hey, uh. What’s up with Harrington?”

“Oh, he’s having floor time,” is what Dustin tells him like it’s the simplest, most obvious thing in the world. Like Eddie is supposed to know what that means.

Except, he does. Sort of.

And now that the panic is gone and he looks closer at Steve, he sees that his eyes are open but not unseeing as he is staring at the ceiling. He looks calm. That crease between his brows his gone and everything about him seems relaxed.

Floor time.

Of all the things Eddie could have imagined learning about Steve fucking Harrington, nail bat swinging national hero and hair care extraordinaire, this wouldn’t even have made the list.

And so, with a careful eye still on the boy starfishing on the white carpet, Eddie goes to sit down beside Dustin.

“So. Floor time, huh?”

The boy gives him a sideways glance and nods. “Yeah, it’s sacred. We used to do that at my place all time, it’s strangely calming. It’s kind of our thing.” And he says that with such pride in his voice, stage whispering like he is letting Eddie in on this huge secret, he can’t even find it in him to tap into that jealousy that always used to accompany every mention of Steve Harrington coming out of Henderson’s mouth.

Eddie bumps their shoulders together gently and promptly joins in on the discussion over whether or not it was boring to choose the human race in Dungeons and Dragons, which then turns into explaining to Jonathan why a paladin and a wizard are not the same, until everything derails completely and there are five discussions at the same time and Eddie is having a wonderful time keeping up with all of them.

All the while, though, he lets his eyes wander back to Steve. To the steady rise and fall of his chest, to his hands where they are still relaxed and twitching, not clenched, knuckles white, bracing to fight for his life.

He does feel oddly protective over the boy who usually does all the protecting, at least in that moment. Part of him wants to cross the distance and lie down beside him. Not to talk, not to touch, just to be there. Just so Steve doesn’t have to be alone.

It’s stupid. Steve’s not alone. He has a house full of his closest friends who let him lie on the floor and don’t ask for his attention until Robin grabs the phone to order some pizza. When Steve is back, he looks… Well, he looks good. He always does, sure, but this time he also looks like he feels good. And Eddie stares a bit before Will and Lucas vie for his attention again.

It does indeed become a Thing, like Dustin told him, because the next few times they’re meeting – sometimes at the Byers’, sometimes at the Wheeler’s, but mostly at Steve’s – Eddie will find him lying on the floor at some point of the evening. Not always quiet and zoned out, sometimes he’s actively participating in whatever conversation is the loudest, sometimes he’s watching with a smile on his lips.

Eddie has stopped watching him. Or at least that’s what he’s trying to tell himself. But Steve is okay, it’s his Thing, there is no need to worry, no need to watch. Even when sometimes Steve needs several tries at finding his words again, Eddie has stopped worrying.

It’s a Steve Thing. And it’s really fucking endearing.

He tries not to watch.

But then one day, after a really rough week and one too many threats directed at him, Eddie just… Doesn’t feel like talking. But he doesn’t feel like being alone, either, his hands still slightly shaking from running into Tommy H and his goons that seem to have missed the memo that high school is over and they can start behaving like adults now.

And so he finds himself standing in front of Harrington’s house, bracing himself for the noise, the questions, the demands, the stories, for all the words he really doesn’t want to say today. It takes him another five minutes to ring the bell.

Robin lets him in, and Eddie feels overwhelmed already, but it’s too late to turn around now, so he swallows and heads inside. His heart sinks further when he finds Steve walking around, joking, chiding. Chasing after El when she steals a cinnamon roll that just came out of the oven. Eddie’s heart sinks and it flutters at the same time, and it is that sensation that makes him crumble.

He lies down on the living room floor and hopes that it’s enough, that he won’t have to explain, that he can just… exist.

The noise around him doesn’t stop, but he finds that he doesn’t need it to, because they leave him alone, don’t try to talk to him, give him time to breathe, to gather himself, to be okay. The world fades a bit, but it doesn’t turn upside down.

Floor time is sacred. And he’s starting to understand why. There’s something oddly calming about feeling the hard floor beneath him, about watching everyone from this angle, about staring at the ceiling with no thoughts in his mind.

And he understands why Steve does this so often. Where his hands have been shaking just moments prior, they are calm now. Where his mind revolved around the Upside Down and Tommy H and run, run, run, now they are quiet. Dulled. Like they can’t rech him, like he is safe here. On the floor.

The only thought that comes to him is that everything would be even better with a weight on his body. And for a moment, he imagines Steve lying down on top of him, to ground him some more. Or Nancy or Robin or Jonathan. Hell, even Eleven would do. Maybe one day. It’s about time they implement cuddle piles into their weekly routine, but Eddie doesn’t feel like opening his mouth and asking for that right about now.

He zones out. Lets the magic of the Sacred Floor wash over him and thinks how that would actually make a fine addition to his campaign. Maybe another riddle for Dustin to decipher.

By the time he hears the music, he feels like a completely new person and it takes him a while for the fog to life enough, but then—No way. His eyes widen and immediately find Steve’s where he’s leaning against the doorway to his right with a gentle, knowing smile on his lips.

“It’s always better with music,” he says, almost sheepish, like he’s worried he maybe crossed a line. “Hot chocolate is coming up right away. Leave it if you don’t want it, Dustin will also drink it cold.” Definitely a smile now, fond this time as Steve’s eyes wander to where Eddie assumes he can find Dustin.

He doesn’t look away from Steve, the expression on his face probably still somewhere between disbelief and wonder. And he’s staring. He knows, because Steve gives him that sheepish smile again and starts to speak after a moment.

“I hope Twisted Sister is okay? I actually quite like this album, but I can go see if I can grab something from that Sabbath band you were talking about, or… Metallica? Something like that. Sorry, uhm. Metal is not really my strong suit, as you may have noticed.” He laughs almost nervously and Eddie just melts.

Steve, worried about his music choice for Eddie’s floor time, which he is absolutely ready and willing to go out of his way for as it seems, laughing and rubbing the back of his neck as We’re Not Gonna Take It starts playing is not what Eddie expected of his day when he woke up this morning.

He might actually have a little crush on the Harrington boy, he realises in that moment, as he smiles up at Steve in a way he hopes is reassuring. It’s perfect, he thinks. Like your stupid hair and your nervous little smile.

Steve seems to understand as he answers with another smile of his own, though all traces of nervousness or worry are gone now, replaced with patience and kindness and understanding. It’s almost too much for Eddie to bear and he looks away.

Moments later, Steve reappears in his line of sight and places a mug of hot chocolate well within his reach but still safe from overly energised teenagers.

Eddie is hesitant about it, but in the end it’s the best hot chocolate he has ever had, not even ruined by the smug grin on Steve’s face that said something along the lines of, ‘I have been babysitting this bunch of teenagers for three years now. I know how to make damn fine hot chocolate and you cannot deny it.’

Eddie just shakes his head in dramatic exasperation and hides his smile in his mug.

Eddie tries not to think too hard about his little crush on Steve ‘The Hair’ Harrington. It’s probably nothing but a trauma-related attachment anyway, just like he has with all the kids, with Robin and Nancy and Jonathan. It’s nothing. It’s stupid.

But then one night there’s a thunderstorm rolling over Hawkins and everyone’s probably having a shit night, but Eddie? Oh, Eddie is a mess. Every noise is a bat ripping into his flesh, every time he wants to open his mouth he feels like he’s choking on his own blood. He can’t breathe, can’t drink, can’t eat, can’t stop fucking shaking. Pulling his hair has stopped working a while ago, and he wants nothing more than to go over to Steve’s stupid big house and feel safe again.

Before he knows it, he’s in his van waiting in front of Steve’s house, the lights still on, always on, holding his walkie talkie in shaking hands.

“Hey Stevie?” he finally begins, just as a particularly loud crash of thunder makes him gasp, but he bites his lip desperately and braves on. “You there?”

The answer is immediate and it makes Eddie breathe a sigh of relief. “Eds? Yeah, I’m here. Are you okay?”

It’s past 1:30am, but neither of them are surprised that the other is still awake.

“Yeah,” Eddie laughs, but it’s too shaky to be anything but pathetic. “Sure am. Was just… thinking, y’know.”

A silence follows and Eddie cringes at himself, at his words, at his presence. Why did he think it was a good idea to come over here again without so much as a plan? Oh right, he didn’t think. At all. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

“Hey, listen, man, do you wanna come over? I mean… Is Wayne home? Stupid thunder, right? I’m… I’m here if you wanna talk, yeah?”

“I don’t wanna talk,” is all Eddie says, his eyes clenched shut as another bolt of lightning lights up the night sky and he counts twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, until he hears that dreadful thunder rolling above.

No, he doesn’t want to talk. What he wants is to just not be alone. To be in the same room, lie on the same floor and share the same air as Steve. The thought of talking while thunder is rolling above them makes his skin crawl, and he deosn’t want to talk, doesn’t want to speak, just wants to— Steve.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay, right? Eds? Hang on, is that—Oh Eddie.” Steve sighs, but it’s not exasperated, not annoyed, not angry. It’s fond. Kind. Patient. And Eddie wants to cry.

But he doesn’t. Instead, he just looks at the curtain moving behind the window before Steve spots his van. Eddie lifts his hand and just says, “Surprise?”

And then there’s a bit of static on the other end of the line before Eddie is only met with silence. The sudden moment of complete silence is a stark contrast to, well, everything, and Eddie panics for a moment. But then he sees the front door opening, Steve illuminated by the lights he always keeps on. He looks like an angel, even through the curtain of constant drizzle between them. Eddie’s treacherous insides melt some more when he sees that Steve is coming over with an umbrella in his hand. When he opens the driver’s door with that gentle little smile on his lips and simply offers his arm to Eddie in a gesture so chivalrous that the metalhead cracks a laugh and considers swooning for all but one second before he realizes that his laugh sounded more like a sob of relief.

Gods, but he is a mess.

Whether that is because of the thunderstorm that seems to creep closer and closer, or because he has just compared Stevie to an angel, and now here he is treating him like a gentleman, at ass o’clock, with a look in his eyes like there’s nowhere he would rather be, well. That’s between Eddie and his stupid heart.

Steve leads them inside, shutting and locking the door like he always does before turning back to Eddie. He takes one look at him, enough for Eddie to want to apologise for dropping in like this, but he can’t get the words out before Steve’s already asking, “Metallica or Motörhead?”

And Eddie wants to cry again. Because maybe Steve knows. Maybe he understands.

“Metallica,” he rasps and Steve nods. Smiles. Turns around to head into the kitchen and leaves Eddie where he is, allowing him to follow along or to find his own way, trusting him with that big empty house.

That’s when Eddie realises that he’s never been alone with Steve. Not here, at least. And he kind of wishes that he had come over in a better state, not quite this much of a wreck. But then he wouldn’t have gotten to see the kindness, the patience, the ‘We’re all fucked up here but you’re family so let me take care of you, dammit’-look that Dustin had to suitably dubbed.

Standing in the entry hall, feeling a bit lost and small, Eddie realises that he wants to follow Steve into the kitchen. Wants to stay close, touch him, drape himself over his back and just exist there, in silence and mutual understanding. He doesn’t. But it takes great physical effort to go find his way into the living room instead, sitting down in the white carpet where he had first seen Steve lying on the floor all those weeks ago. He breathes easier now as he runs his hand over the soft, plushy texture and finds himself unwilling to stop. He’s always had a knack for sensory stuff, and touch was by far the most intense, so he splays his palm over the carpet and moves his hands back and forth.

Then the music starts playing and it’s the rather slow first notes of “Fight Fire With Fire” that make Eddie look away from the white plush and back up at Steve, who is standing and watching with a barely-there smile.

The music isn’t very loud, just enough to create a comfortable atmosphere and drown out the rolling thunder. Just for him.

His heart is doing the traitorous shit again where it thinks it’s only beating for Steve Harrington in that moment. He doesn’t have the strength or the will to stop it, though.

And Steve, angel that he is, looking down at him in the dim, warm living room light, puts the two mugs of steaming hot chocolate on the coffee table beside Eddie before promptly sitting down beside him. He meets Eddie’s eyes with all that patience, all that compassion that it gets kind of heavy after a while.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Steve murmurs, barely audible over the music, and Eddie just shakes his head. There’s nothing to talk about, just stupid thunder and lightning making his brain feel like it’s being fried and splintering.

“Alright,” Steve whispers and falls back, lying down beside Eddie, who doesn’t have it in him to follow quite yet. His eyes sting. He will not cry in front of Steve fucking Harrington! But then there’s a hand brushing lightly over his back and his voice, so impossibly gentle, telling him, “C’m here, Eds.”

And who is he to deny, to resist, to refuse Steve ‘Kind Eyes’ Harrington?

Eddie slowly lets himself fall backwards, and they just lie there for a while. Not touching, not talking, not moving.

But this time, Eddie’s mind isn’t quiet, because Steve, Steve, Stevie is so close. So gentle. He’s there, he’s here, he understands, and he doesn’t judge. Doesn’t talk. Doesn’t question. How can his mind be quiet when Steve is perfect?

How can his mind be quiet when his heart is racing as he slowly, achingly slowly like they do in the stupid movies Nancy loves to watch, moves his hand closer to Steve’s. He’s powerless against the pull of the boy beside him. His heart is beating in his throat when Steve meets his hand halfway, wrapping his pointer finger around Eddie’s pinkie. Their feet find their way to each other, just resting there, basking in each other’s warmth.

He is weak when his head lands on Steve’s shoulder. His eyes close and he breathes — quietly, shallowly, for fear of breaking the moment.

He doesn’t break it. In fact, the moment lasts far longer than the record Steve had put on – because of course he had to play a Metallica record instead of a cassette like normal people would –, and then it is quiet. The soft lights fill the room with warm, indirect safety and finally help his mind quiet down.

Of course, the realisation that he’s maybe a little bit in love with Steve Harrington had to be a quiet one. Soft, gentle, kind, and definitely far from what he ever would have expected. Just like Steve himself.

Of course, where everything else in Eddie’s life was loud — from his music to his kids to the thoughts in his head when he can’t sleep at night —, this one had to be different. Quiet. And when Steve begins to draw patterns into his back where Eddie is now essentially lying on top of him, Eddie dares once more to reach for Steve’s unoccupied hand, tangling their fingers. Not to hold him, because Steve isn’t going anywhere, but simply to touch.

Steve understands, Eddie realises, because he brushes his lips over his temple and then leaves them there. Not to kiss, not really, but simply to touch.

And while Eddie’s heart is busy feeling like it’s going to burst from these sudden realisations, from how quiet and how safe he feels, from how utterly, indescribably right this feels, Eddie just closes his eyes and accepts the fact that he is actually, absolutely, irrefutably and completely in love with Steve ‘Floor Time’ Harrington.

[dodger-chan]

Did I procrastinate by writing steddie fic again? Maybe. In my defense, I think this is very funny. Also on AO3.

Warning for non graphic but frequent discussion of sex.

Like a good number of things, it was Wheeler’s fault.

Under normal circumstances, Eddie would have no problem sitting back in his throne and staying above the fray while his little sheep had their silly arguments. Talking is a free action, etc. etc. And they’d wrapped for the night, were only delaying clean-up. But Wheeler, pressed by his friends to join in the defense of their favorite paladin, had gone with a very explicable but awkward choice of phrasing.

“I mean, Steve doesn’t suck.”

Eddie bit down on his tongue. He wasn’t going to say anything. He was not.

Unfortunately, something about the tepidness, the lackluster nature of Wheeler’s tone only encouraged Gareth.

“Au contraire,” he said, standing and making a gesture that Eddie chose to interpret as homage rather than mockery. “Harrington most assuredly does suck.”

Eddie bit down harder. He couldn’t say anything.

Gareth then began to list a number of harms done to the members of Hellfire that were, for the most part, merely tangentially related to the actions or existence of one Steven Harrington.

Perhaps it had always been a little unfair, to blame the social strictures of highschool on one individual who had no part in designing them and had done little more than anyone else in the way of enforcement. But what was the point of a figurehead if not to take the blame?

Of course no part of Gareth’s speech addressed the one way in which Steve truly did suck dick: literally. Steve had taken to oral sodomy like a duck to water. Eddie would love to claim credit by citing his excellent tutelage - largely by example - but he suspected his boyfriend was a natural.

Eddie tasted blood in his mouth. He couldn't keep biting his tongue. But he also couldn't set the record straight, so to speak. Even if he could tell all of Hellfire that he and Steve were dating, it would be beyond inappropriate to discuss Steve's cocksucking acumen with the freshmen.

“It's an interesting linguistic phenomenon, wouldn't you say?” Eddie interrupted Gareth’s spiel. “You are debating the merits and acceptability of one Steve Harrington, but using as shorthand a term that refers to oral sex. A phrasing that suggests people who give head are lesser than those who do not.

“Without making too many assumptions, I feel safe in saying that most of us would like to enjoy a bit of oral sodomy in the future. Now, I may not be the smartest guy in town, but it seems to me that preemptively insulting the people who might suck your dick is a good way to ensure they never will.”

He gave them a moment to digest his speech.

“So I should have said Steve doesn’t blow?” Mike asked, tentatively.

“Blow comes from blow jobs, so that’s the same thing,” Dustin corrected. A little less confidently, he went on. “Bites, maybe? Biting’s not a sex thing, is it?”

Eddie sighed. Surely there were insults that didn’t reflect some aspect of his sex life. Though biting was, at minimum, not related to oral. And it would probably be easier not to brag about the number of little bruises he’d left on Steve’s neck. And shoulders. And chest. All over Steve’s body, really.

Who was he kidding? He needed to shut this whole conversation down yesterday.

(this now has a sequel)

[strangersteddierthings]

Gut Instinct: Interlude - Eddie

[Art] [Ao3] [Prologue] [Chapter One] [Chapter Two] [Interlude]

A/N: Friday evening from Eddie's POV.

-

“Holy shit,” Jeff says, “you actually do know King Steve?”

Eddie almost gives himself whiplash from how quickly he looks from Erica to Dustin and, holy shit, the Keg Stand King himself, Steve Harrington.

“I told you he’s awesome,” Dustin says in a tone that implies Jeff’s an idiot. “Come on Steve, sit beside me. I’ll help you with the rules.”

“Hold up,” Eddie says, rounding to Harrington. He looks like a deer caught in the headlights for a moment, which is hilarious to Eddie. Who knew Harrington could be startled? However, any joy he might have gotten from startling Harrington is fleeting, because Eddie doesn’t trust why he’s here. Why he would agree to sub. Harrington’s always been bad news, and Eddie doesn’t trust him as far as he can throw him, no matter how nice he is to look at. “Your character is?”

“Oh, uh, tiefling paladin, oath of the crown,” Harrington says, trying to catch Dustin’s eye in what Eddie thinks Steve believes is a subtle way.

Eddie shoots a glare at him. No way Harrington came up with that character. It had to have been made by Dustin, which Eddie would normally count as cheating and kick someone out for, but… Well, he’s got to admit a little intrigued. Harrington might not have made his own character, but he pronounced tiefling right and knew to say the subclass. “Right. And why’d you agree to sub?”

There is a small pause before Harrington simply says, “Dustin asked.”

He’s got to admit to some surprise here. He didn’t think Harrington could actually care about other people, but he seems genuine. Honest, almost. “Fine.” Eddie watches as Dustin steers Harrington to an empty seat. Eddie takes his own spot back on the throne. If Harrington is going to play, he’ll need to tweak the battle a little. Having another higher-level paladin in the group throws off his carefully calculated challenge rating. Easy enough to tweak. A few more minions can join the fight, and Vecna can still be deadly as he is now without changes. He’ll see if he needs to up the hit points for Vecna after the first combat encounter. If they breeze through that, Vecna’s definitely getting a boost.

Also... Well, also, Eddie’s almost a little excited that Harrington’s going to see this side of him. Yes, Harrington was witness to more than his fair share of cafeteria rants but that’s different. That’s Eddie acting out against the system because it’s rigged in favor of people like Harrington, and against people like Eddie. Here, Harrington will get to see Eddie perform.

While plotting, he does take the time to eavesdrop at bit. Specifically on Harrington.

“Hi. I’m Steve.”

“I know,” Gareth says, and he couldn’t sound more disinterested in talking to Harrington if he tried. Eddie’s a little proud of him.

“Right. And you are…?”

“Gareth.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“We’ve met. Like four times,” Gareth says dismissively and Eddie grins behind his DM screen. How many times had Harrington dismissed them? He knows he shouldn’t be feeling this vindicated. And yet…

There’s a bit of a pause before Eddie hears Harrington ask, “Isn’t Lucas in this club, too?”

“Well, yeah, that’s why you’re here. To fill in for him. ‘Cause he’s in the basketball game,” Dustin answers.

“And he’s okay with missing this game?”

“Well, uh, he doesn’t exactly know he’s missing it?” Dustin says it like a question and Eddie can’t help but roll his eyes. There’s no way Lucas Sinclair, budding athlete that he is, doesn’t know he’s missing this game. He made his choice.

“I’m sorry, what?” Harrington says.

“He asked us to get Eddie to postpone the game, but Eddie said no. Besides, Mike’s leaving the state tomorrow morning and we’d have to wait two weeks to play again otherwise,” Dustin explains, “and, uh, we haven't seen him since he asked us after the assemble to tell him that the game would not be postponed.”

Eddie finally lifts his head to watch the exchange. He can’t see Dustin’s face, as Dustin is facing Harrington, but that leaves Eddie with a perfect view of Harrington.

“That’s bullshit, Henderson,” Harrington’s raises his voice. He doesn’t have an expression on his face that would suggest anger. It’s more disappointment, but either way, Eddie’s not about to watch Harrington bully one of his sheep.

“Watch it, Harrington,” Eddie snaps, matching Harrington’s energy. “You don’t get to bully people around here.”

“That’s not- right, sorry. Just, can we postpone for like ten more minutes?” Harrington asks.

“Why the Hell would we do that?” Eddie is bewildered, he’ll admit that. Why does Harrington need ten more minutes?

“So I can go tell Lucas this game wasn’t postponed, like he thinks it is,” that bit hissed in Dustin’s direction, “and he might only be going to the basketball game because he thinks this one isn’t happening.”

“Oh,” Eddie says, a bit dumbly. Has he read Lucas all wrong? Is he more nerd than jock? It’s strange that Harrington might be the authority on that matter, but he seems terribly invested in these kids. Maybe Eddie has read Harrington all wrong? Maybe he really has changed, and is just here to make a bunch of kids happy? “Fine. Ten minutes. We’re starting without you or Sinclair if it takes longer than that.”

“Thanks!” Harrington smiles at him.

Eddie’s self-aware enough to know why his insides flutter in the face of the full Harrington Charm directed at him. He scrunches his face in disgust at himself. He was, is, over the crush he’d had on Harrington. That was a blip on his radar of Unfortunate and Bad Crushes on Stupid Straight Boys. A lot of people made the list (he’s a hopeless romantic, sue him) so Harrington’s not special.

Isn’t going to be special. Eddie’s going to kill his paladin as quickly as possible and then kick him out to go watch the basketball game or something.

-

“Any moment now Steve's going to walk back through that door with Lucas. So, I hope you are prepared to have two extra players tonight. He's very persuasive. He'll get Lucas to come around. If anyone can, it's Steve. Just you wait,” Dustin is saying when Harrington steps back into the room. Not that Eddie was watching the door for him.

Harrington’s got a look on his face that isn’t pleased. Great.

“Oh no,” Erica sighs, “that’s your Disappointed Parent face.”

“I don’t have a ‘Disappointed Parent’ face,” Harrington says before turning his gaze to Eddie. “Eddie, Lucas thinks you don’t like him.”

“Why does he think that?” Eddie stands up from where he was sitting. He doesn’t like the tone in Harrington’s voice and he’s not going to stay sitting so Harrington can talk down to him, literally or figuratively.

“He thinks you don’t like him because he’s missed previous games. Thinks you don’t like him so much that he had to have Dustin and Mike ask about this game because he believes you’d have said no immediately to him,” Harrington steps further into the room, and Eddie watches as all his friends tense. Ready to jump to his defense if need be. Eddie’s tense, too, because this is the Harrington he remembers. The one who thinks his word is law, and everyone should obey. Well, Eddie’s not going just roll over. Of course the jock shows up in defense of the other jock.

“I don’t hate him, but the budding jock made his choice,” Eddie scoffs, dismissive.

“You’re a fucking hypocrite, Eddie. ‘You don’t get to bully people around here.’” Harrington uses a deeper tone that Eddie thinks is supposed to represent Eddie’s voice as he parrots the words back to him. “It’s only okay for you to be the bully, huh?”

Eddie gasps, offended. “Of the two of us, Harrington, I’m not the fucking bully,” Eddie moves away from the table, rounding it to go get into Harrington’s face, but Gareth reaches out and grabs his elbow, stopping Eddie in his tracks. It’s the right call, because Eddie doesn’t want to have to fist fight Harrington in front of the club, but he’ll fucking do it.

“You don’t know shit about me,” Harrington fires back. “I was a dick in high school, yeah, but I grew the fuck up. You’re bullying a fifteen-year-old because he wants to, what, play sports? Making him choose between the two? That’s fucked up.”

“Again, I didn’t fucking make him choose!” Eddie growls back. Eddie didn’t! Lucas made his choice the day he tried out for basketball. Eddie knew it. Lucas knew it. Lucas’s friends knew it. The only one in the room who doesn’t seem to get it is Harrington, who must truly believe you can have your cake and eat it too. Unsurprising, Eddie thinks, since Harrington was born with a silver spoon in his goddamn mouth that probably already had cake on it. Ice cream, too.

“You did! By not postponing the fucking game! School sports have a set schedule, and you could have looked at it before scheduling Hellfire,” Harrington says. “Lucas is allowed to like sports and nerd things. And you two,” he pivots to point between Dustin and Mike, “are being kind of shitty right now. After everything you’ve gone through together, you couldn’t stick by his side for this?”

“Hey, I have to get on a plane tomorrow morning,” Mike defends himself. “If they postponed, then I wouldn’t have gotten to play!”

“So, it’s fine that Lucas can’t play, but terrible if you can’t? That’s a load of shit, Wheeler. Lucas is supposed to be your friend.”

“He is my friend-“

“Then act like it!” Harrington says. “Will and El aren't here anymore; are you really okay with losing Lucas, too?”

“That is not fair,” Mike’s tone is almost flat as he glares at Harrington.

“Steve, you’re being defensive, right now,” Dustin speaks up, giving Harrington a pointed look.

Those words cause a shift in Harrington for some reason. Eddie watches him deflate before turning back to Eddie and saying, “If you want Lucas to believe you don’t hate him, you’d go to the game, too.”

“Lucas can draw his own conclusion about how I feel. I’m not responsible for his emotions, Harrington,” Eddie growls. As soon as the words leave his mouth, he feels a little regret. He didn’t say anything untrue but it’s not how he really feels. He’s not usually this dismissive of Hellfire member’s feelings but Harrington’s mere presence has set him into fight mode and he realizes he’s saying things he doesn’t believe just to argue. Why is he trying so hard to get into a fight right now?

“You’re right, but you’re also older than him and should take some responsibility for how you act around him,” Harrington says, and Eddie feels shame. He fucking hates it. Only Wayne’s able to evoke shame from him, and it’s bullshit that Harrington’s doing it now. “He thinks you’re being shitty to him, on purpose. He thinks you treat him differently than you do Dustin or Mike. And that’s fucked up. He’s just a kid, he looks up to you, and he's been through enough.”

Eddie doesn’t argue back. Harrington is right. Eddie knows he’s right. That shame coils in his gut, and he’s pissed that it’s Harrington making him feel that way. That it’s Harrington who is pointing out Eddie’s shortcomings.

There’s a shuffling sound and Dustin is standing, shoving his things into his backpack. He doesn’t say anything, but he does look at Mike. The two seem to have a silent conversation because after a moment Mike nods, and begins to gather his stuff, too.

“So, you two are out?” Eddie’s asks. He tries to keep his voice neutral, but he feels a little betrayed. Of course, Harrington shows up and ruins everything for him. He should have known he’d never stack up against Steve Harrington.

It’s childish to think because Dustin and Mike aren’t picking Harrington. He knows that. He knows they’re picking Lucas, their lifelong friend.

And yet.

It’s like Eddie is fifteen and a sophomore again, getting picked last for PE games and group projects. Not being ‘cool’ enough, which had made younger him feel not good enough.

“Harrington’s right,” Dustin says as he swings his backpack over his shoulder, “Lucas does really want to be here. He sounded real upset when he asked us to talk to you about changing the day of the game. I also really want to play, it’s going to suck missing the final session, but it’s going to suck more to bail on a years-long friendship.”

“Yeah. Lucas has never bailed on us,” Mike adds, even though he sounds upset for agreeing.

Erica lets out a put-upon sigh, “he has bailed on me, but never when it mattered, I guess. I expect that you’re buying the tickets, Steve?”

“Unbelievable!” Eddie throws his hands in the air, anger in his voice, probably laced with the hurt he feels. This was always going to be the outcome. Ever since the first time Dustin brought up Harrington, Eddie knew he’d be second fiddle. He shouldn’t feel so upset by this but fuck, he does.

“A compromise?” Harrington offers. “Mike, when are you back?”

“Uhh, the plane is supposed to land Thursday afternoon; I’ll be back in town that night sometime.”

“Great,” Harrington looks to Eddie. “Can you guys play next Friday, or even Thursday night if Mike isn’t jet-lagged too much?”

“School’s locked up next week,” Dustin answers before he can. Which is fine, he was going to say the same thing anyway.

“What about your basement, Mike?” Harrington changes his attention to Mike.

“Won’t fit all of us,” Mike says. “It was barely enough room when it was just Dustin, Lucas, Will, and I. The table's not big enough.”

“Plus, it stinks like boy,” Erica wrinkles her nose, “unwashed, gross boy.”

“It’s not that bad!”

“Yes, it is,” Harrington says.

“Steve, I have a compromise,” Erica says. “Regarding a promise you made to me. For life.”

Erica now has Harrington’s full attention it seems, and also Eddies, because what kind of lifelong promise has Harrington made to this child? “Yes, Erica?” Harrington asks.

“We play at your house next Friday. You will provide snacks and pizza,” she says it like it’s decided, before pointing her finger at Harrington, then dragging her hand through the air to point at everyone, “and all you nerds will stop bickering like old people. You’ll also have to buy our tickets because I didn’t bring any money. In return, I will shorten your life debt to the day after I graduate from high school.”

“Done! Deal!” Harrington accepts instantly, easily, and with a lot of relief in his voice. What the fuck did he owe Erica? Eddie’s dying to know, because he’s curious by nature. Not because anything about Harrington actually interests him. “I’ll be buying all the basketball tickets, and just tell me what pizza you want. That work for everyone?”

“Your parents will be okay with that?” Dustin asks.

“Oh, they’ll be gone by Friday for sure so no issue. So, will that work for everyone?” Harrington asks.

Eddie exchanges looks with his friends, a silent agreement to go with whatever they want. He hopes they say no, but Jeff speaks an affirmative first, so he, Gareth, and Frankie parrot that yes.

Erica stalks up to Harrington, stopping just in front of him, hand out, palm up. With a sigh, Harrington pulls his wallet out of his back pocket and drops it into Erica’s hand. Erica says, “I’ll get back to you on the pizza I want. I’ll go buy tickets. Are you all coming?”

Gareth says, “Uh, Harrington’s not gonna buy-“

“I said are. You. Coming?” Erica repeats, hands on her hips.

“Yes,” Gareth answers, then looks surprised he did. Eddie’s surprised, too, but only a little. He really likes Erica. He’s not going to be in school when her time to really join the club comes, but he’s going to make sure Gareth recruits her anyway. Somehow.

Erica gives one nod and heads out the door.

Eddie just watches for a moment as everyone gathers their things before he heaves a sigh and starts to pack up, too.

It’s not until Harrington speaks that Eddie realizes he’s alone with him in the green room, everyone else having left already. “I'm sorry. I’m sorry for coming in here and like, immediately attacking you. That wasn’t cool of me.”

Eddie looks him over before scoffing. “It’s whatever, man.”

“It’s really not,” Harrington says. “I know that, like, a lot of work goes into this game and I’m sorry. So, like, if you want anything extra, or need something for the game next week, I’ll get it. I’ll help however I can.”

Eddie pauses in the middle of his clean up, to look up at Harrington and study him. Those were the last words he expects to come out of Harrington’s mouth. An apology? Surely he’s entered the Twilight Zone. Harrington not only looks sincere, but sounds it, too.

He hates how, ever since Harrington’s arrival, Eddie feels like he’s lost control of his emotions. He’s always been on a hair trigger when Harrington and his stupid, handsome face were near. It’s the one crush he was never able to fully get over. And he hates it. He hates that he feels anything for the ex-king of Hawkins High besides contempt.

What should he say here? Thank you? Fuck off?

When Eddie finally replies, he settles for, “I don’t know if I hate you or not.”

“That’s fair,” Harrington says quietly, sincerely, and Eddie hates that, too. Hates that he can see the Harrington Dustin is always praising. If even just a little. Speaking of Dustin.

“I’ve got to know, Harrington. How’d this group of kids get to be so important to you?” Eddie goes back to gathering up the stuff on the table, needing something to do or he’s going to do something stupid. Like let Harrington have his full attention. "Why is their continued friendship important to you?"

“I used to babysit them. Try and keep them out of trouble, which is impossible because they’re too fucking curious and smart. That’s a godawful combination, you know?”

Eddie lifts one corner of his mouth upwards in a smile he tries to fight back down because, “My uncle would agree with you.”

“Yeah, well, they don’t need a babysitter anymore but-“ Harrington cuts his words off, and when Eddie glances to him, he’s wearing a thoughtful expression. Harrington finally continues with, “But they’re family now. They can be a bunch of shitheads, but I love them. And they hate it when I say this, but they should get to be kids as long as they can.”

He doesn’t respond. Instead, he takes the time to process the words and he gathers up his things. Maybe he is wrong about Harrington. Maybe, he has changed. People are allowed to do that, Eddie knows, but he’s never witnessed it. Not really.

“Help me load what I’ll need for the session next week into my van and I’ll think about forgiving you for ruining this one,” Eddie says once everything is gathered.

“Yes!” Harrington agrees, a bit too eagerly and quickly. Like he couldn’t wait to be useful to Eddie in some way. Eddie shoots him a confused and concerned look before picking up the first stack of things and heading out. Between the two of them they make quick work of it all.

When they finally get to the gym, Dustin is sitting on the sidewalk waiting for them with their tickets. Eddie follows Dustin into the gym and watches with amusement as Dustin manhandles Harrington into sitting next to Mike. Dustin then sits next to Harrington, then pats the spot next to him while grinning at Eddie. Eddie looks up and sees that Gareth, Jeff, Frankie, and Erica have taken seats towards the top of the bleachers. He debates joining them but ends up dropping onto the bench next to Dustin.

“Oh, shit.” He hears Harrington say to himself.

“What, what is it?” Dustin asks.

“Brenda.”

“What?”

“Brenda!” Harrington hisses, “I, uh, I stood her up. To come to your game instead.”

Eddie swivels to look at Harrington, eyes wide and eyebrows raised in both surprise and delight as he asks, “You ditched a date to play DnD?”

Harrington and Eddie just look at each other for a moment before he watches Harrington blush with embarrassment. “Like I said. Dustin asked.”

Eddie shakes his head because he can’t believe Harrington. Steve ‘Lady’s Man’ Harrington ditched a lady because a fourteen-year-old asked him to. He turns back to the court, so he doesn’t give away how cute he thinks that is.

Wait. No. He doesn’t think anything Harrington does is cute. He doesn't!

Since he’s looking at the court, Eddie looks for Lucas and finds him just in time to see Lucas’s face light up when he sees the whole club sitting there. There’s that shame from earlier back, pooling in his gut.

Everyone stays for the whole game. They all get to see Lucas make the winning shot. Eddie finds himself cheering with the rest of the stands.

He joins everyone with swarming Lucas. He doesn’t push in and get close, the shame in his stomach keeping him at a distance, but he does make eye contact and gives two thumbs up. Lucas looks overjoyed at just that, and it’s suddenly too much inside. Too loud.

He needs to go.

He makes it halfway to his van before he hears Harrington again.

“Hey, Eddie, wait!”

Eddie does wait, turning as he shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Harrington. Not done turning my night upside down?”

“Nah, man. Just wanted to give you my number.”

“Your number?” Eddie says, voice a bit delirious because what the fuck. Why would Harrington want Eddie ‘The Freak’ Munson to have his number?

“Yeah. So that when it’s closer to the Dungeons game you can call, let me know the time that works for you all. Maybe even drop off some of that stuff I helped you load before the game? Whatever makes it easier for you.”

“Oh,” why is he disappointed by that answer? What had he been hoping it would be? “Yeah. Sure. I don’t have a pen on me-“

“No issue. Already wrote it down,” Harrington says, pulling the paper from his pocket, offering it to Eddie.

He reaches out slowly and takes it, balling his fist around it without looking at it, eyes locked onto Harrington's face. The nearest light source is behind Harrington, so he can’t see the features of his face but that’s fine. He’s not looking for them. He stares, just looking. Harrington has not been what he thought he would be. Eddie’s not used to being wrong about things. Harrington confuses him, makes him a little crazy, and he’s got a week to unpack the why of that. Dare he say it, he might be looking forward to the game at Harrington’s house.

Eddie turns on his heel and heads off into the night without another word. If he stays any longer he might try something stupid, like asking if he and Harrington might have a shot at friendship after all.

“Okay then. Have a good night! See you next week!” Harrington shouts at his back and Eddie lets himself smile about it.

[just-an-enby-lemon]

RQG Characthers and If They Comit Tax Evasion

*PCs*

Hamid -> he thinks he doesn't but he actually does (he trusts his family to do his taxes for him and they just don't cause they are Al Tahains and don't need to)

Sasha -> does not know what taxes are/ still doesn't pay them after learning

Zolf -> people that are part of the cults don't need to pay taxes, that being said after he lefts the Poseidon lot he still does not pay his taxes

Bertie -> hajahahahahahahahaha wait are you serius? Yes! He totally comits tax evasion, he also thinks poor people should pay HIM taxes actually, if pressed will defend feudalism

Grizzop -> No. He doesn't pay taxes but is because the sweet paladin fiscal benefits and still pays a fee to the Artemis lot.

Azu -> No. She doesn't need to pay taxes as a paladin but she comits tax fraud so she can keep paying them.

Cel -> No. They did it for a long time but they don't feel the need to in Japan.

*Some NPCs*

Harlequinns -> Since the taxes are for the Meritocracy no Harlequinn pays them. The Prague ones are in a more complicated spot where they do pay some taxes to keep their position and mostly just commit tax fraud. Einstein likes finding fun ways to do it.

Wilde -> No. He really can't when working that close to the Meritocracy. He also does his coworkers taxes part of it is his workaholic will accept any work tendendices but mostly is so he can spy on people's financial information and collect favors. He did more than once used his position to make someone comitt tax fraud and than gets them in trouble for it (an ex, an enemy, someone he wanted out of the office).

Carter -> Absolutly. 100%

Barnes -> No. He is a good boi.

The Al Tahans -> yup, they also have a lot of financial benefits both because they are bank owners and just for Apophis nepotism style of things.

Kiko -> Yes but not always she sees not getting caught by "dragon IDF" a challenge and Earhart fully incentivizes it.

The Kobolds -> They are all together here because I don't think Kobold society belives in money at all. When they stabelish a goverment they share a part of their inventions and all their resources but it's not really taxes.

Barret -> Yes. Not only that but is very likely that Barret was in fact being paid with people's tax money because of Meritocratic corruption.

Eddie -> also doesn't know what taxes are but for a very different reason, would pay them if he learned. Is tecnically not a crime cause he has paladin imunity and his parents pay his Apollo's fee.

Tjelvar -> No. He is always in his best behavior so he can gather the most financial support for his research and most of meritocratic programs say you have to have a clean criminal record.

[aphrogeneias]

𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰 — 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞

summary: at his hiding place, eddie "the banished" receives some bad news about the person he cares the most about, and because of that, he reminisces.

pairing: eddie munson x fem!reader

warnings: eddie's pov, no use of y/n. just some flirty flirting for now. she's an acoustic guitar girl, he's an electric guitar boy, what more can i say?

author's note: only minor changes have been made in this one, mostly added some lines. original version was posted on june 14, 2022. <3

series masterlist

It was the third time they'd almost scared him to death.

The first was when they found him, hiding at Reefer Rick’s boathouse, clinging to a piece of broken glass to dear life, like a cornered paladin clung to their sword - but with none of the honor, righteousness and lawful good bullshit, only a wanted man trying to make it through the night. The second was when they brought him supplies, and he was still too on edge to not be suspicious of anything that got too close.

This time, Eddie wasn’t expecting anybody, which made him even more worried. They were not supposed to be there that day.

He sat back as he watched Dustin make his way into the living room, followed by a distraught looking Robin Buckley and an equally upset Steve Harrington. They were all quiet, too quiet, and that could only mean bad news. More bad news.

“Please, don’t tell me I’m being charged for another uncanny murder case.” Making light of a bad situation had always been one of his strong points, but none of his jokes seemed to land right now that his life has turned upside down.

Literally, it seemed.

"No, no! There haven't been any other uncanny murders, but, uh…" Dustin started, "we kind of need your help now."

"You're friends with Nancy's neighbor, aren't you?" This time, Robin was the one to speak. She remembered your name and last name, then. "Senior, works at the record store downtown… We talked to your friends and they told us you're kind of close."

Kind of close. He thought. That's one way to put it.

"I'm offended you never mentioned her to us, by the way." intervened Dustin, but Eddie didn't have it in him to sass the boy back.

The mention of your name made his heart beat faster. He had grown used to the uneasiness in his chest, an anxious feeling that never really went away, but when it came to you, a new wave of almost overwhelming restlessness crashed through him.

There hadn't been a minute where Eddie hadn't thought about you. Alone and scared, hiding under a tarp while the silence of the woods and the soft waves of the lake below him lulled him to sleep, he thought about what you were doing, where you were, if you were safe. Whether or not the police had gotten to you, to interrogate you about him, just as they've probably done to his uncle, and if so, did you think he was capable of doing what he was being accused of?

He tried not to think much about that, though. Mostly, Eddie thought about your kind eyes and your warm laughter, smiling at him from behind the counter, the smell of your hair as he sat beside you, sharing a set of headphones as you tried to convince him to listen to something new. He'd give anything to see you again.

Nodding frantically, he stood up, stomach dropping at the same time. "Is she alright? Where is she?"

"She's fine, she's alone but she's home," Harrington intervened, raising one hand forward, "we just need to know… if you know… what her favorite song is?"

Eddie watched Steve wince uncomfortably as he tried to sound casual, and tilted his head at him, squinting. "What does that have to do anything?"

"It's a long story, but basically, um… me and Nancy came up with this theory that music can…"

Robin started fumbling with her words, but was promptly stopped by Dustin. "We just need to know what her favorite song is. She won't talk to anyone and we're worried, we can explain it on the way."

He didn't need to be a genius to understand what was going on there. Suddenly, images of Chrissy Cunningham's floating body flashed behind his eyes, her lifeless form dropping to the floor of his trailer, torn from the inside out — but, then, instead of her, it was you, your body, in her place.

The image alone almost paralyzed him.

"I know what her favorite song is. I know all of her favorite songs."

His voice trembled, just as his hands did slightly as he gathered his jacket from where it lied scattered on the couch, but still, he followed the trio as they rushed through the door.

1.

“No fucking way!”

“Shhh!” You snatched the record from his hands, but Eddie could see you were holding back a smile, “You’re scaring the customers.”

“He’s always scaring the customers.” Claire, the girl who worked the afternoon shifts with you, and who wasn't too fond of his behavior, rolled her eyes from where she stood, checking through a couple of boxes of new releases. 

“He’s always scaring the customers.”  He repeated her words mockingly, his face twisting in a sneer. Eddie knew he sounded childish, but it was worth it to see you biting your lip to hold back on laughing again, asking Claire to take those boxes to the back of the store and sort them out by artist, saying you would organize them later. He, on the other hand, didn’t hide his own grin as he watched the redhead leave through the staff door.

"You," pointing at him, you faked a glare, and Eddie would be lying if he said it wasn’t adorable, "are the most embarrassing human I've ever met."

Part of the fun of driving all the way downtown to buy new records and tapes wasn't just in getting to get his hands on new music, it had also a lot to do with you. The shy girl who mostly kept busy with stacking vinyl in alphabetical order and, for some reason, always seemed to know exactly what he was looking for. Eddie couldn’t seem to remember a time where you weren’t there, though he knew you must have started working at Mullberry's Records only recently, but you fit in there in a way that felt like you belonged. Not in the physical space between the rows and rows of records, and the colorful walls filled with cassette tapes, but in Eddie’s life.

He could spend hours there, and sometimes that happened quite literally, talking to you about music, though your opinions diverged quite a lot. On other days, when he just wanted an escape, he’d keep you silent company - as silent as he could manage - browsing through the sections and wandering behind the counter, controlling the record player only the staff had access to. You were easy to talk to, and that was something that was hard to find for him.

Maybe it was also because he liked the way you looked at him when he pushed your buttons.

"Are you listening to yourself? You're the embarrassing one!" He crossed his arms, leaning back at one of the shelves behind him. "Who doesn't like KISS?”

"They're just a bunch of clowns in high heels trying to make music. Also, who the hell names their band "kiss"? That's, like, the cheesiest shit ever."

“Unbelievable.” He shook his head, placing his hands on his hips. “What do you like, then, Your Highness?”

“I dunno…” You trailed off. As you did, Eddie watched you work, your delicate fingers counting through the new tapes scattered around the counter, silver rings glinting under the sunlight that filtered through the glass storefront, the way your mouth contorted as you seemed deep in thought, “I’ve been listening to a lot of Bob Dylan lately, some Joni Mitchell, she’s true magic, you know…”

“God, you’re so boring!” Your shocked face made him laugh openly, “didn’t anybody tell you this isn’t the Summer of Love anymore?”

“This isn’t the Summer of ten minute guitar solos, either, Munson. No matter how much you try to make it happen.”

“That’s because you haven’t seen me play yet. You’ll ask for ten more minutes when I’m through with it.”

Accidentally, that sounded a little more suggestive than he intended, and he knew that. He was almost apologizing, laughing it off with another joke, but he noticed the way you stopped on your tracks, slowly looking up at him, clearly trying to mask the way your breath hitched as you felt yourself fluster under his gaze. 

Eddie noticed, then, that he liked that a lot more than he liked pissing you off.

“You wish.”

[transmascsteveharrington]

steddie percy jackson au part 2 (part 1) (part 3)

The party is still full on and as close to Dionysonian opulence and indulgence as a bunch of underage demi gods can get when Steve returns to the bonfire. Despite the crowd, Eddie's eyes find him instantly. They always do. Steve hasn't bathed in the Styx yet, still, he can always feel that pull at the small of his back towards Eddie, always his anchor in an ocean of people.

"Where did you disappear to," Eddie grins when he reaches Steve, dimples sitting on rosy cheeks, colored from dancing and the heat of the fire.

One bitter part of Steve wants to be surprised that Eddie noticed that he was gone. After all, he had seemed mighty chummy with that Ares kid. But it's hard to be bitter when the blessing of the goddess of love is cursing through your body. "

The lake," Steve says before he takes a deep breath. "I ran into Aphrodite. She uh...kinda claimed me? Not like she is my mom, but...more like I devoted myself to her?"

"Holy shit, that's amazing," Eddie clasps him by the shoulders, shakes him a little, excitedly. It's stupidly adorable, the way Eddie shows his joy. "So what, you're a priest now or something?"

"More like a knight," Steve explains. "She said you would call it a paladin?"

"You talked about me?" Eddie smirks and despite it being a joke, Steve can't help but blush. Of course, he wants to say. You're my Eddie. Before he can confirm or deny anything though, Eddie's face falls.

"Wait, does that mean you'll have to change cabins?" Steve laughs, loves that Eddie is just as concerned about it as Steve was. Every time Steve loves it feels like a little sacrifice to his new goddess. No, not sacrifice, gift.

"Don't worry, you're not getting rid of me that easily, Munson."

It's a good thing that Steve can stay in the Hermes cabin, small little room just across from Eddie's. He wakes that night, covered in sweat, shaking in the aftermath of gruesome nightmares. It's a common occurrence, you don't win a war at 19 without physical and mental scars. He pads across the hall, doesn't knock just slips into Eddie's room, his bed, his open arms, because Eddie always knows, always wakes when Steve can't sleep and vice versa. They hold each other in the quiet of the night for a while.

It's comfort, it's home, it's safety that Steve finds in Eddie's arms. Enough of it all to sheepishly, almost inaudibly, confess, "Do you think she regrets it? Picking me?"

"What? Why would she?"

"I don't know," Steve shrugs, reveling in the way Eddie wraps his arms around Steve tighter. "I guess I just don't get why she would want me. Why anyone would want me."

"Stevie," Eddie's voice is tinged with sadness and Steve hates the sound. Wants to hear laughter and levity vibrating in the tenor of Eddie's voice. "Who wouldn't want you? I've never seen anyone love the way you love."

Steve doesn't point out that neither his father nor his divine mother wanted him. That maybe it was pity that made Aphrodite ask for his devotion and not love.

"Have you considered that being devoted to Aphrodite means not just to love others. But also learning how to love yourself?"

"Ufft, that's a pretty hard task," Steve tries to joke, but it doesn't land. Gingerly, Eddie cups his face and turns his head until they are face to face, jasper eyes staring into amber.

"Steve, loving you is as easy as breathing," Eddie says and maybe he is right.

Only that in that moment Steve is unable to get any air into his lungs. It's not a confession, at least not one for them to finally pull their heads out of their asses. That one happens at the end of summer, of weeks filled with unbearable heat and torturous yearning.

They'll get send on a mission, something small. Just go find a wild minotaur and kill him. Basic, routine, no danger. Despite the simplicity of it, Eddie still gets called up to the attic, a prophecy waiting for him. He is pale when he returns.

"And?" Steve asks. "What does it say."

Eddie recites it perfectly:

Two destinies connected by a thread/ shall retrieve the minotaur’s head/ one shall become lost to forever roam/ unless the call of true love guides them home/

Steve tries not to read into it. No one is going to get lost. It's a quick job, into the labyrinth, kill the minotaur, out again. They have a foolproof plan. Dustin and the other Hephaistos kids have engineered a rope that cannot be cut, cannot tear, is indestructible. They'll both tie it around their waists, Steve will wait outside, Eddie will go in, kill the minotaur and then follow the rope back outside. Easy as pie.

"See you on the other side, Harrington" Eddie says even though it makes very little sense.

"Not if I see you first, Munson" Steve says in turn and then Eddie disappears into the labyrinth, rope pulled taught between them.

It's fine. All Steve has to do is wait. He is good at that. And so he waits. Tries not to worry, why should he? Easy job, right? Only that about an hour later the rope around his waist suddenly goes slack.

Which it shouldn't it absolutely shouldn't. It's impossible to cut. But when Steve pulls on it, panic tightening like his very own rope around his throat, choking him, it comes back, end torn, no Eddie to be seen.

"Eddie?" Steve calls into the labyrinth. "Eddie??"

There is no reply, no sign of life, no nothing. Steve feels like he is about to throw up. He can't go into the labyrinth, even if he found Eddie in it, there is no way they would make it out again. So Steve does the only thing he can think of: he sinks to his knees and prays to the goddess he is devoted to, the goddess that has become so dear he has started to think of her as not just a patron but a mother instead.

He prays and brings her sacrifice in the only way he knows. He tells her about his love, tells her about all the ways he loves Eddie. How he is smart, so smart. And funny and a goddamn nerd but he pulls it off. How he is dramatic, loves to put on the show. But if it's just the two of them, secluded, clandestine, he never puts on a mask. Always shows Steve his true self, let's Steve see and sees Steve in return. How he is protective of their kids, will give his life or them, puts on a brave face even though in the quiet of the night he has confided into Steve how scared he is most of the time.

Steve is scared too. Scared for Eddie, scared that Eddie might not return, scared of how allowing himself to love Eddie, openly, fully, loudly might destory him. But he promises that if Aphrodite guides Eddie out of the labyrinth that Steve will do it. Love Eddie unapologetically. She just needs to bring Eddie home.

Steve can feel a surge of love vibrating through his body. A sign that his goddess has listened, has given her blessing. And when Steve looks up, tears running over his face, hope pulsing in his chest alongside all the love he has all the love he will give, he sees that his goddess has kept her promise.

Eddie stumbles out of the labyrinth, blood on his sword, his shirt, but none of it thankfully his own. In his right hand there is a bull's horn. Steve jumps up, hurries into Eddie's arm with such a force he almost tackles them both onto the floor.

"You came back to me," he whispers into the crook of Eddie's neck.

"Of course, I followed your call," Eddie says and when they part he lifts his left hand, a red string tightly wrapped around his pinky.

Steve follows the string, finds that the other end is tied around his own pinky. An Ariadne's thread, wool woven out of love, pure, true love. In that moment Steve knows he wouldn't have needed his mother's blessing to get Eddie back. The call of true love would have always guided Eddie back home. Still, Steve is thankful nevertheless. And he has a part of his bargain to uphold. And he does it so willingly, so happily, does it because it is as easy as breathing.

"I love you," he tells Eddie. "With all my being. With all my heart. I love you!"

"I love you too," Eddie whispers back, promises, swears it as his own oath to Steve. Eddie's own personal demi-god of love. They seal that oath with a kiss.

(part 3)

[mirkwoodshewolf]

You are who you choose to be; Eddie Munson x reader

Well this is probably the first update of the new year idk but this idea's been buzzing around my head over the weekend and it took me just a couple of days to write it all down. Now awhile back someone mentioned a SKY HIGH AU! With Eddie Munson, now that got me thinking 'hell yeah I loved Sky High growing up and yeah I love the idea of him potentially being like Warren Peace with fire but then again, what if I took it another direction, and made him a waterbender/bloodbender'?

I won't give too much away you'll just have to read on to find out but here you guys go. Now some warnings since this is a MA style of super hero fics.

Warnings: swearing, bad parenting, kidnapping, mentions of r*pe (not on reader or any of the main cast of characters but it is mentioned so just heads up), some angst, and a bit of fluff.

Taglist:

@plethora-of-things

@waddles03

@psychosupernatural

@gay-and-ready-to-cry

@jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels

@queen-paladin

________________________________________________________

Lunchtime at Hawkins Academy was always a hustle and bustle.  Everyone in a rush to grab the first chocolate pudding cup or be the first in line to get their lunch and meet their friends.  But when those students all have some type of super-power, you know there’s bound to be trouble.

Thankfully I managed to get my lunch just before the first wave of students got there (minus those with super speed or teleportation) and I was the first person to reserve our table.  As more students came piling into the cafeteria I soon spotted the first group of my circle of friends.  I waved them over and soon they came over.

“Hey (n/n) surprised to see you here first.” Said Robin.

“Hey when it’s double stuffed crust pizza day I’ve gotta be first. Or at least be after the speedsters and teleporters.” I told her.

“I hear yah, although I don’t understand how you can stomach all of that grease.” Said Vicki.

“I told you not to eat the double stuffed crust at Giovanni’s. You eat that bad pizza and it scars you from pizza forever.” I reprimanded her.

“I just don’t see how either of you can stomach dairy products or anything meat wise. Don’t you know that I’ve been half of those animals?” Robin lectured us.

“Yes Robin we know.” Who would’ve thought that being an animal shapeshifter would turn a person into a hardcore vegetarian.  Even though Robin’s got this laid-back, snarky, sassy attitude, she can be pretty hardcore when it comes to vegetarian products needing to be enforced.  Hell I remember last year how she and Steve nearly tore their friendship apart from their Meat vs. Veggies menu planner for the school lunches.

“I swear if I have to hear coach Boomer scream at me one more time, I’m not only gonna need some hearing aids by the time I graduate, but a titanium skeleton.” Steve said as he and Nancy soon came walking side by side.

“The coach on your case again, Harrington?” asked Robin as they sat down.  Steve to Robin’s left while Nancy sat beside me.

“More than that. Think his last sonic boom he gave me made me throw my shoulder out. Probably gotta skip my next class just to go see the nurse.” He said rubbing his shoulder.

“So Nance, how’s your brother and his friends coming along so far?” I asked her.

“I’m told Mike, Dustin and Will got put into Hero Support while Lucas and Max were placed in the Hero class.”

“Damn, see this is why I hate the Hero vs Hero Support system of High school. Those boys have been together since preschool. And Max really got in with the guys when she joined them back when they were in 7th grade.” I said waving my spoon around before dipping it into my pudding cup and taking a big chunk of pudding into my mouth.

“Mike and Dustin don’t seem to really mind it. After all Mike still hasn’t really gotten his powers yet.”

“Still?” I asked incredulously and Nancy nodded.

“And I’ve tried working with Dustin’s powers but the glowing thing it-it—I’m sorry but it’s not a power. No matter how many times he says it is.” Steve said.

“Do you think we should offer them a place to sit here? At least for today?” I suggested.

“I wouldn’t worry about it. Seems your boy’s already heard the news and has offered a few spots at his round table.” Robin teased as she gestured behind us.  A few tables over was what everyone deemed ‘The Mizfitz table’.  A table where hero or sidekick could sit equally without the forced conformity being placed over them.

Running the table was one of the more infamous students known to Hawkin’s Academy, Eddie Munson.  On the outside he may look mean and scary with his many tribal tattoos, his wild, unruly mane that he calls hair, or the many rings he sports on his fingers.  But he’s one of the most powerful Water-benders this school has ever known.

I had seen for myself how when he was first placed in the Hero class, he actually managed to pull water from the air as well as from the plants that had been made by another student to create a water cloak (basically creating a barrier made of numerous tentacle-like arms).  However it wasn’t his Waterbending skills that got people talking, but his heritage.

You see while most of the students here are either the sons and daughters of either two heroes, or one hero and civilian, Eddie Munson was the child of both a hero and a villain.  His mother, before her passing in childbirth (or so I’m told), was known as Lunar Eclipse with the power to use the light of the Moon to push and pull the tides and bend water to her will.  His father, however, that’s what marred Eddie Munson as a villain to everyone in Hawkins, and not just here in school.

His father’s name was Alan Munson aka The Puppetmaster.  A man with the ability to control the water in another person’s body, enforcing his own will over theirs.  He ran the town’s deep underground criminal ring and got away with nearly every trail until the one that my Father actually worked on.  Thanks to him and his two partners, they were able to put Alan Munson away quadruple life sentences.

But even though it was my father’s ‘daytime job’ that put him away, the times I’ve interacted with Eddie were never hostile.  In fact he seemed glad to be rid of his father.  His uncle (who never got his powers) ended up raising Eddie after his father had been sent to jail.  And Eddie has said that he’s never felt more happier than he’s been since being raised by his uncle.

And I also won’t deny that for the past few years I’ve been secretly harboring a crush on the ‘bad boy’ of Hawkin’s Academy.

“Really (Y/n)? I can’t understand why you’re falling for someone like him?” Steve asked as he ate his banana.

“Oh leave her alone Steve!” Robin shoved him. “Let our little (Y/n) fawn for her blood-bending bad boy.”

“He doesn’t blood-bend! He hates it when people assume he does!” I snapped at her.  Everyone looked at me wide-eyed as I sat back down and felt my face burning up.

“Boy you’ve got it bad.” Nancy told me.

“Shut up! I just hate it when people judge him based on his bloodline. I mean hell Steve, just because you’re the son of The Commander and Jetstream didn’t mean that at first you were the humble idiot you are today.”

“Hey!”

“She is right. You were a douchebag back in the day before the whole Vecna thing happened our 3rd year.” Robin said.

“Yeah, and even when we were dating at the time all you talked about was yourself or which freshman you were going to give the first swirly to.” Nancy chimed up.

“Alright, alright yeesh. I know I was a real asshole back then. No need to rub it in.” Steve said as he went back to his banana.

“If you like him so much, why don’t you ask him out?” asked Vicki.

“I—I don’t think he’d ever want to go on a date with me.” I said fiddling with my pudding.

“Is it because of your dad putting his dad away?”

“Actually no, they talk pretty much anytime they cross each other. All on friendly terms, perhaps a bit too friendly.” Nancy teased as she poked me in the ribs to which I let out a squeak and punched her in the arm.  She rubbed her arm and I said to Vicki.

“What I mean is, I don’t think I’m his type. I mean he actually has powers, I’m just a girl who can do acrobatic skills.”

“(Y/n), you’re the daughter of Daredevil—” Robin spoke but I interrupted her.

“Adopted daughter.”

“Details. My point is, Eddie is like the King of non-conformist. If he didn’t want to date you because of your lack of powers, then he’s a hypocrite. And that’s about the worst type of villain you can ask for. Well except for corporate, misogynistic pricks that try to force women who they should love or what they eat.” Vicki took her hand and gently squeezed it.  Robin took a deep breath and rested her head onto Vicki’s shoulder and the two cuddled close to each other.

“Just think, that could be you and Eddie if you grow a pair and talk to him.” Said Nancy.  I turned over towards the Mizfitz table and saw as Eddie was being his usual animated self and the guys all around him were laughing at whatever story he was spinning.

“How can he also be so adorable just by getting animated when telling a story?” Nancy and Vicki giggled at my statement while Robin and Steve rolled their eyes muttering lowly.

“Oh please.” I kept my eyes on Eddie and I swore for a brief moment I saw him look straight back at me and give me a wink to which I blushed and gave him a small wave.

By the end of the day it was now my last class and one of the other classes I shared with Eddie, Heroism Athletics.  Today’s practice was the traditional ‘Save the Citizen’ where two people could either be Heroes or Villains and the heroes only had 2 minutes to stop their villains and save the citizen before they were killed.

So far the reigning Kings for the past three years were the Heroes Tommy Hagan and Billy Hargrove, however if you ask me those boys are far from what you would call ‘Heroes’.  Steve used to hang with Tommy back in the day and Tommy practically poisoned Steve’s mind with arrogance and ego.  But when Billy came along and knocked Steve as the ‘King of Hawkins Academy’, Tommy ditched Steve and teamed up with Billy.

And when it came to ‘Save the citizen’ those two did everything in the book to cheat.  Even when someone would call out to Coach Boomer about an illegal move, he’s merely brush it aside unless the attack was directed towards him.  Like before, Tommy and Billy were slaughtering the villains that were Mako and Bolin.

“Those brothers really do know how to bend Earth and Fire together.” Eddie’s voice soon came up beside me.  I jumped at the sudden voice to which Eddie raised his hands in surrender, “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

“No, no it’s-it’s okay. Yeah I was just lost in the match.”

“I get it. Now I’ve seen those brothers bounce back at the last second, hopefully they’ll knock those douchebags down a peg or three.”

“Yeah. God knows they deserve it. It’s not every day you see a horse with two rear-ends.” Eddie gawked and let out a laugh.

“Damn you’re brutal. Remind me to never get on your bad side.” We then watched as the brothers had been defeated and the citizen had been saved.  Tommy slamming the mannequin down to the floor like she was a football and chest bumping with Billy as the students all cheered.  I turned to see Mako help his little brother stand up and the two hobbled away.  “Looks like a healing session is in order for Bolin before Hellfire tonight.”

“Hellfire? Is that your band name or something?”

“Actually yes it is. Since Jeff and Gareth moved out of the state, turns out Bolin plays a wicked drum solo and Mako’s not half bad on bass. We’ve got a gig coming up this Saturday. You should come see us.”

“Really? You’re inviting me?”

“Of course. I mean it’s not the Garden but gotta start somewhere right? Plus we do get a crowd. Of about five—drunks. At least with you you’d be sober.” I laughed as Coach Boomer announced.

“Alright, one last round before we clock out. Hargrove, Hagan, Heroes of Villains?”

“Heroes!” proclaimed Tommy.

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” the coach muttered before saying in his normal loud tone, “Alright choose your villains.” The two of them looked at each other before announcing.

“Munson and (L/n).” My eyes widened as I turned to Eddie while Coach Boomer proclaimed.

“Alright, Munson, (L/n). Gear up!” Eddie and I stood up and we walked down towards the arena and put on the padding that was required for ‘Save the citizen’.  Once we came out onto the arena, we saw as the two of them smirked maliciously at us.

“Let me handle Hargrove, Hagan is all yours.” Eddie told me.  I turned to him and asked.

“You sure?” I remember how last year when Eddie and Billy fought against each other for a Hero vs. Villian exam, Billy nearly put Eddie into a coma.  He nodded and told me.

“Trust me, you don’t wanna go against Hargrove.” He rubbed his shoulder from when I had actually heard Billy break the bone that held his left shoulder in place.  “Plus, Tommy won’t expect what else you’ve been working on.” I softly grinned and we both turned to our Heroes as we stood side by side in first fighter’s stance.

“BEGIN!!” The clock began the countdown and the four of us charged at each other.  Billy flew in the air and immediately fired his laser eyes towards Eddie but Eddie created water tentacles around his arms and quickly sprung out of the way leaving Tommy and I to meet each other head on.

Tommy Hagan was a weapons specialist. Like any good back-stabbing son of a bitch, he always seemed to have any type of small sharp weapons hidden within his person.  Be it arrows, shurikens, small daggers and knives, and even flying ninja stars, Tommy is a force to be reckoned with, but when it comes to speed he’s not so good.

As he fired a few arrows toward me, I cartwheeled out of the way before doing a summersault and took out my dad’s old billy-clubs he had given to me on my 1st year here at school.  A little bit of extra protection he called it, plus it was like having the infamous ‘Man without fear’ being there at my side.  When he shot out five kunais in my direction, I used the billy clubs to block and redirect them before charging at him again but he shot out several more arrows in my direction.

Using the wall to my advantage, I leapt up and ran across and over it dodging any arrow that came my way before finally flipping gracefully right behind Tommy and finally got to use my secret move I had discovered at the end of last year.

Holding my hand in a snake-like position, I used my thumb, index and tall finger to jab Tommy right at the center of his shoulder which made his right arm go limp.  Then using my proximal interphalangeal joint of both my hands, I jab them into the center of his lower back, shoulder blades and the section where his neck met his spine.

Tommy let out a pained grunt with each jab until he collapsed to the ground and snarled up at me.

“You’ll pay for that you bitch!”

“Consider that payback for what you did to Mako and Bolin earlier.” We then heard a loud boom and I saw as Billy had Eddie pinned to the floor of the gym, his hands squeezing his throat about to choke Eddie out.  Eddie struggled to free himself but Billy’s enhanced strength was too much for him to handle on his own.

“You know the one way to stop me Munson, show them who you really are.” He sneered.  As Eddie’s choked out gasps filled the stadium I quickly threw my billy-club which made a direct hit to Billy’s head and even made him bleed.  He released Eddie as Eddie let out a series of hard coughs.  Billy raised his hand to his head and once he saw the blood, his eyes glowed red at me.  “You shouldn’t have done that, Princess.”

He then fired his laser eyes toward me but I summersaulted out of the way before racing up the walls once again.  His laser beamed eyes trailed close behind me until I had no choice but to jump off and stand on top of one of the higher platforms in the arena.  Billy flew up towards me and flew right through the platform obliterating it and sending me falling 9ft towards the ground.  But with my billy-clubs I was able to shoot one of the clubs towards the railing and swing down to the ground.

Billy landed with a large thud creating a crater beneath him and he cracked his neck.  He then roared as he charged at me but I flipped over him.  Blinded by his rage, I used it to my advantage and toyed with him until I saw my shot and repeatedly stabbed my PIJ’s up his back until he collapsed to the ground.

“I’ve seen the hardcore vigilantes be better heroes than you, Hargrove.” Suddenly I felt myself going towards the wall and saw myself being pinned by the ends of my uniform by three shurikens.  Tommy stood just a few feet in front of my and summoned out three more shurikens to sit between his fingers.

“I told you, you’d pay for that little trick.” He then threw his other arm outward and soon about a dozen arrows were heading my way.  That’s when an ice wall appeared before me and blocked the arrows just before they could skewer me like a shish kabob.  I looked to see Eddie had gotten back on his feet then he used the ice wall to create ice daggers and one by one fire them at Tommy allowing me time to pull the shuriken’s off my uniform and duck out of the way.

I took notice of the clock counting down and it seems to me that these two are pulling the same move as they did for Mako and Bolin.  Trying to tire us out to they can finish us off at the final second then save the citizen.  But what if we turned their tactic against them?  I raced towards the citizen but was stopped by Billy’s powerful fire blast creating a firewall between me and the Citizen dangling closer and closer to the razor pit.

“You’re not going anywhere.” He snarled at me.

“I have no need, I’m just getting started. Or are you feeling a bit winded, coming from you I wouldn’t be surprised. And I thought you’d be better than your old man.” The one thing Billy Hargrove hated more than anything in this world was when someone made him feel inferior to his father.  Billy let out a roar and fired two blue fire blasts from his hands to which Eddie surrounded us in an ice barrier.

“You’re really trying to push his buttons aren’t you?”

“Don’t you see, they’re trying to get us to tire out just so they can finish it all at the last second.”

“Like what they did to Mako and Bolin?” I nodded.

“Get us closer to the civilian, I’ve got an idea.” Eddie nodded then made us an escape route and allowed the water and Billy’s fire to create a large and powerful mist of fog.  So thick that hardly anyone could see the front of their noses.

And thanks to dad’s training, I was able to help guide Eddie through the fog with ease.  We got closer to the civilian’s imprisonment, I had Eddie create an ice platform right in front of the civilian’s chain then I told him to disband the fog.  With a wave of his arms, the fog quickly diminished around us and Tommy cried out.

“THERE THEY ARE!!” Both he and Billy fired their attacks but we quickly got out of the way and Tommy’s arrows pieced the civilian mannequin while Billy’s fire broke the chain and sent the civilian down to their untimely death.  Coach Boomer blew his whistle and proclaimed.

“Hargrove! Hagan! You two have not only failed to stop your villains but also skewered your civilian. You both FAAAIIILLLLLED!!” he sent his sonic boom sent them both flying across the gym.  “The winners our first set of villains since 1986, Edward Munson and (Y/n) Murdock!” the class cheered as Eddie gave me a gentle nudge and we waved to the others.

At the end of the day my friends and I all gathered at my house for a celebration.  Everyone including Eddie and the Mizfitz were all talking about mine and Eddie’s big win against Billy and Tommy.

“I seriously cannot believe you managed to knock my step-brother off his ass and finally put him in his place. I would’ve paid big money to have seen that.” Said Max as she reached over and ate some skittles.

“You guys really should’ve seen it. Her new ability is too cool that even Vecna himself would be petrified of.” Eddie praised.

“Eddie you’re too much. Besides it only works half the time. They still were somehow able to get up and use their powers again after a while. The first time I used it on some would-be robbers they could barely move.”

“You just need to keep working on it, after all you used it on normal humans. Not supers.” Robin told me.

“Yeah, yeah and the anatomy between the two is different, gotta find the right pressure points, blah, blah, blah.” I then heard the door open and the sound of a cane clanking along the wooden floors signaled to me that dad was home.

“Well this is a surprise. I come home after a long, hard-day’s work and find my daughter throwing a party without her old man’s permission.” The gang all turned to face my father but from the grin across his face, we knew he was just playing around.

“You’re hilarious.” I said sarcastically.

“If you think that, you should’ve seen me and your uncle Foggy in our college days. I was a riot.”

“Evening Mr. Murdock.” My friends all chorused out with a wave.

“Evening children. I take it from everyone being here in our small apartment that something big must’ve happened at school today.” He said as he took off his jacket and hung it over the coat-rack as well as placed his suitcase down beside it.

“You bet. Eddie and (Y/n) took victory at ‘Save the Citizen’!” exclaimed Dustin.

“Really? Last I heard of any new champions was when Hargrove and that kid Tommy became the champs. I take it you two were the villains in the scenario?”

“Yep. Not pissed about it are yah?” I asked with a hint of nervousness.

“You’d be surprised to know that I’ve played both Hero and Villain at Save the citizen in my time at school.” Dad said as he began to prep himself a sandwich.  “Oh by the way Robin, about that meeting you had planned to take with our PA Karen, she’s unfortunately going to have to reschedule. A case has suddenly come up and she’s needed out of state for this matter.”

“Damnit! Now where am I going to find a PA to interview in two weeks?”

“I told you yah should’ve tried to interview her as early as possible.” I lectured in a sing-song tone before taking a bite out of a salsa-dipped chip.

“Isn’t there another PA, oh what’s her name uhh—” Steve snapped his fingers trying to remember the name.

“I believe you’re referring to Jessica Jones?” my dad piped in.

“That’s the one! What about her?”

“Steve, if you don’t know Jessica Jones, you’ll know she’s not the easiest person to talk to. The woman is so hardcore, not even the cruelest Russian forms of torture could break her.” Said Lucas.

“Jessica Jones has a past and certain things happened to her that is her right to not speak about to others.” My dad stated using his ‘lawyer tone’.  “However Jones does owe me a favor, perhaps I could cash in that favor for you.”

“Seriously? Oh my god Mr. Murdock thank you! You’re amazing!”

“However I would take my daughter’s advice. Don’t hold things off till the last minute.” Suddenly the TV that we had on as background noise stopped playing the current show that was on and brought up the News Bulletin.

“We interrupt this program to bring you this urgent announcement. Earlier today, Former Crime Under-lord and infamous villain The Puppetmaster Alan Munson has escaped from his prison hold. 13 years ago Alan Munson was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences, possibility of parole after his third sentence. He was known as the Puppetmaster due to a rare ability known only to the Waterbenders known as blood-bending. Which may have been the aid he needed to escape his prison cell.”

As we all tuned out the news reporter, our attention turned to Eddie who looked unreadable but deep down I knew he was a mixture of emotions.

“Authorities have issued an urgent curfew until for the time being. No one is allowed out after sunset and must not be near any large bodies of water. Absolutely no one is to leave their homes after dark for this week a full moon arises, which is the only time Bloodbending can happen. If anyone has any news in regards to Alan Munson’s whereabouts, don’t hesitate to contact the local authorities.”

Yeah that wouldn’t really matter much anyway.  While it is true that Bloodbending could only happen during a full moon, Eddie’s father was one of those rare diamonds in the rough that could actually bloodbend without the need of a full moon.  That’s why he’s so dangerous and why everyone gives Eddie a hard time.  People at the school believe he has his father’s unique ability as well and try to egg him on to use it just so they can ‘prove a point’ (whatever the hell that means).

“I think it’s time you kids started heading home.” My dad spoke in his ‘Daredevil’ voice.  The guys all began packing their stuff and bid me goodbye, all except for Eddie who just remained still as a statue.

“Eddie?” I asked cautiously.  Slowly I walked over to him and slowly reached out and touched his hand.  He flinched back and looked at me, his eyes a mixture of rage and fear and he immediately said.

“I—I gotta go.” Without another word, he grabbed his stuff and raced out of the apartment.  I turned to my dad and he looked in my general direction.

“Things are already hard on him as it is at school. Now that word’s gotten out about his dad escaping, people will really be on his ass now. What do I do daddy?” Dad sighed deeply and came over to me.

“Treat him as you always have. You and your friends are all he really has outside of his uncle.” I looked down solemnly but I felt my dad’s hand on my shoulder gently squeezing it comfortingly, “But if I’m honest, I think all he’ll really need is you.”

“Did you have to go and listen to his heart?” I asked accusingly.

“Not really, even a blind man can see just how in love you both are for one another.” I groaned as he softly chuckled. “I’m gonna be out late tonight, don’t wait up on me.”

“Do you have to?” I asked worriedly.

“The city’s gonna be in mass panic, especially for the non-supers in this city. All heroes and vigilantes are required to make finding The Puppetmaster their first priority.” I nodded solemnly.

“Just be careful. I know you’re one of the rare heroes that keeps both identities of Daredevil and Matt Murdock separate to your enemies, but I don’t wish to be an orphan a second time.” Dad took my hand and placed it on his chest, I could feel the steady beat of his heart as he said to me.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to come back to you.” This was a common thing between us ever since he adopted me and I found out about his ‘other job’.  Most heroes tend to lie and say they are invisible and will come back no matter what.

However my dad isn’t like most heroes.  He can’t fly, he doesn’t have super healing abilities, or super strength, not even control over the elements.  All he is is a guy with enhanced senses that enables him to see the world even though all he sees is a ‘World on fire’.  He’s been trained in almost every style of martial arts but it took him decades of training and he didn’t get it right away like most heroes would.

And growing up with a dad who always burdened himself with ‘protecting the city he loves’ it put a strain on us for a while.  Until one day I got the courage to express to him my concerns and he didn’t reprimand me nor did I him.  I just wanted him to know that I was scared that I was going to one day get the news of Daredevil found dead in dumpster and that once again I’ll be alone without a family.

So this was our vow.  Since he taught me that there’s a spike in people’s hearts when they lie, whenever it came to uncertainty missions that required his attention, he’d place my hand over his heart as he’d speak that very phrase.  And every time he said it, there was never a spike in his heart.

I hugged him as hard as I could burying my face into his chest.  He rubbed my back and rocked me softly.

“I love you so much sweetheart.”

“I love you too daddy.” He kissed the crown of my head before finally separating from me and went over to his old wardrobe where his suit was kept.  In an old trunk that once belonged to his dad who was a well-known boxer back in the day.

I was currently in my room having just finished the rest of my homework when I heard a soft knock at my door and there my dad stood in his full Daredevil suit.  The red devil eyes from his mask had been known to send fear up even the darkest of criminals spines.  His billy clubs rested in a holster at side of his left thigh.

“Be careful, Daredevil.” He gave me a nod and said.

“Lights out by ten, and make sure to brush your teeth.” I softly laughed.

“If only people could hear the infamous ‘Man without fear’ tell his adopted daughter to make sure she did her teeth and got to bed on time.” I couldn’t help but tease.

“Probably would make them even more afraid of me.” He teased back.

“Child labor at its finest.” I teased again as dad softly scoffed.  He then used the fire escape and in his Daredevil fashion, he disappeared into the night and acrobatically scaled down the building before going on the hunt for the Puppetmaster.  “Love you dad.” And so I was left to man down the fort until it was bedtime.

The next few days, as I had predicted, were chaotic at school.  Due to the Heroes still not being able to find Eddie’s father, all after school activities were cancelled until further notice.  Which meant not Starlight Flying, no track meets, not even gymnastics (which I’ll admit I am bummed about but I get why they’re doing it).  And every student has had it out for Eddie.

Just the other day after the Big Championship game had to be cancelled between our rivalry school, Eddie got beans, mashed potatoes and chocolate pudding dumped on him by Jason and his lackies.  Before he could even start something, I held him back and told him they weren’t worth it.  They were trying to rile him up and get him to prove to them that he’s the monster they think he is.

And now all day today he’s been up on the rooftop gardens were Lily and the other earth-benders have their club meetings.  Creating new plants and practicing their Earthbending.  I found Dustin, Mike, Will and Lucas sitting outside their normal D&D room and asked them.

“Is Eddie still on the roof?”

“Gareth and Jeff just told us he’s refusing to ever come down. He didn’t even go home last night to his uncle.” Dustin told me.  I looked up at the ceiling worriedly before sighing.

“You guys get on the next bus, I’ll talk to him.”

“You sure?” asked Mike.

“Yeah. Besides Nancy told me you three have a big midterm coming up so I suggest you study. First semester Midterms are no joke, especially to first years. No matter if you’re in Heroes class or Hero Support.”

“Good luck (Y/n).” Will said as they walked off to the bus ramp to get back down to the ground (yeah the academy is actually levitated high up in the sky).  I went up the stair way that lead up to the gardens and there I saw Eddie bending the water within some vines, making them shift and move around the columns they were wrapped around.

“Do you have room for one more?” Eddie jumped and turned towards me but when he saw it was me, he calmed down and said.

“Knock yourself out.” I came over to him and sat down beside him on the bench he was sitting on.  He continued his bending until he just stopped and was deep in his head again.  I reached out and touched his hands, softly fingering around his rings and said.

“What’s going on up there Eddie?”

“My mother’s name doesn’t even matter. All anyone can see me is my old man’s son. The son of the infamous Puppetmaster. Believe me if I had the power to choose, I would’ve had my old man be a normal human who just ran out on me. But nope, I got the shortest end of the stick and no matter what I do, nothing I say or do is ever gonna change that!” his voice raised in anger as he paced while he ranted.  “I don’t……Sometimes I just wish I had died alongside my mother. Or better yet never have been born. She should’ve gotten rid of me when she had the chance.”

“Stop! Don’t ever say that!” I snapped as I stood up.

“Oh c’mon (Y/n) we both know that it’s true! My mother was assaulted by him, I am a product of a rape. Who could ever love someone like that?” a single tear secretly fell down his face as he seethed that self-hatred line.  “But since I’m too much of a coward to kill myself, I start to think fuck it. Why not just go down the path of a villain? Everyone else has decided that for me already.”

“Even though you have the power to go down that road, you’ll never take that step.”

“How do you know that?!”

“Because I know the real Eddie Munson. The boy who takes in the sidekicks who think they’re not worthy being in this school. The boy who spends his time feeding the stray cats at his trailer park, and not just them but the dogs you free from the underground dogfights. The boy who reads fantasy books and comes up with the wildest campaigns for his friends. That is the Eddie Munson I know.” And that’s the boy who I’ve always loved and will always love.

“What did you just say?” he suddenly asked.

“Do you really need me to repeat that whole rant I just did?”

“Just the last part.”

“That that’s the Eddie Munson I know.”

“After that.” After that? What’s he talking about?

“That you save dogs from underground dogfights.”

“No you said that in the middle after the stray cat feeding at my trailer park. I meant the very last thing you said.” The last thing I—oh god. Oooooh no…..please don’t tell me I actually verbally—oh shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Fuck! Fucking hell no! Please god don’t tell me that didn’t stay in a though bubble!

My thoughts were broken by Eddie cupping the side of my face, my eyes staring deeply into his chocolate brown ones.

“What did you say sweetheart?” I swallowed hardly as my heart began to skyrocket out of my chest and I choked out.

“I—I-I……” Eddie chuckled and said.

“You always were cute whenever you got flustered like this.”

“Are-are you making fun of me?”

“Not at all.” He brushed the strands of hair out of my eyes before slowly leaning forward and he whispered, “Just use your new little technique if you want me to stop.” I shook my head no and wrapped my arms around his neck and brought him down to my lips.

He let out a muffled grunt but his body soon relaxed under our kiss as his arms slowly wrapped around my back bringing me in close.  Ever so slowly, my right leg raised up as I tightened my grip around Eddie’s neck and he deepened the kiss.  I then felt him lift me off my feet as we continued to kiss one another until we were left breathless and drunk on our love.

We caught the last bus from the school and now Eddie was driving us back to his trailer for us to spend a little one on one time before the city curfew could ruin this perfect moment another second.  Our hands were intertwined with the other’s and we refused to break that bond, at least not yet.  Every now and then, he’d raise our hands up and kiss the back of my hand and I did the same to him.

But as we pulled up to his trailer, Eddie’s love-sick expression soon turned to dread as he looked upon his uncle’s trailer home.  My expression grew fearful as I too saw what it looked like.  It had been completely torn to shreds, the door was busted right off it’s hinges and the ground was soaked with mud and water.  Eddie immediately raced inside and I followed after him.

The inside didn’t look much better.  The furniture was turned up like the place had been burglarized, but nothing was taken.  The curtains and blinds looked like they had been sliced up by something and there were occasional wet puddles on the inside of the floor and carpets.  But what had us both fearful and enraged was that Eddie’s uncle is usually home by this time, but the trailer was like a graveyard, empty and silent.

Eddie slowly walked further in and grabbed an old picture of him and his uncle just shortly after he had been taken in my him after his father was imprisoned.  I could see that the glass frame was completely cracked but I could also see Eddie’s body shaking with rage until he let out the most gut-wrenching, rageful, and mournful scream I had ever heard out of a man.

I took Eddie back to my apartment and gave him a cup of warm tea but he just sat there with a stoic, broken expression on his face.  Tearstains glistened on his cheeks, his eyes bloodshot red.  I sat down beside him and slowly wrapped my arms over him and I placed my head on his shoulder.

The door opened and in came my dad.  But before he could greet us, he licked his lips and stood at attention.  I knew he could taste the salt from our tears and he asked us.

“What happened?”

“It’s Wayne.” I told him somberly.  My father’s brows raised in shock and he quickly came down over to us kneeling down before us.

“Are you both alright?”

“We—Wayne was already gone when we got there. The trailer was completely destroyed.” Dad let out deep sigh before kissing my forehead and turned toward Eddie.

“Eddie—”

“Another reason why I can’t stand heroes. They claim to be going day and night to finding my old man, and yet he hasn’t been caught. And now he has my uncle, the only person in this whole world that even gave a shit about me!” Eddie snarled lowly, hos body seething with rage and I knew dad could sense it a hell of a lot more than I could.

“I understand your frustrated…..” Eddie stood up from the couch and unleashed his fury.

“OF COURSE I’M FRUSTRATED!! My psychopathic bastard of a father escapes a prison that is supposedly impenetrable and made my life hell this past week! Now the one time I’m not there for my uncle he captures him and will most likely kill him and this WHOLE TIME THE HEROES ARENT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT WHILE I’M STUCK HERE AND YOU TWO CAN’T EVEN HELP ME!!” Dad and I stared at him in shock.  His rageful expression softened as he realized just who he was talking to.  He collapsed back down onto the couch beside me and said in a calmer, softer tone, “I—I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap.”

I took his hand in both of mine and gently kissed his knuckles and I told him.

“It’s alright. You’ve been piling up everything that’s happened this past week inside of you. You hardly scratched the surface earlier this afternoon.”

“But I shouldn’t have taken it out on you or your dad.” He said regretfully.

“She knows you didn’t really mean what you said. And neither do I.” my dad spoke up.  Eddie let out a deep sigh and said.

“I’m just trying to understand why all of this is happening, and why now. But nothing makes any sense. And now—now that Wayne is involved I…..” tears once again filled his eyes as he buried his face into his hands, sniffling into his palms.

“Eddie,” my father started as he knelt down in front of him.  He reached up and grasped his shoulder giving it a comforting squeeze as he continued, “I know you’re feeling lost and frustrated right now. And it’s alright to feel that way, everyone whether hero or normal civilian feels something like this every day. Even Daredevil himself once felt this way when the Kingpin forced him to choose between saving his friends or his child.”

That was a day I never hoped to remember, it reminded me so much of the first time I came across ‘The man without fear’ back when I was a child and my parents were killed in front of me and I was taken by child traffickers.  They would’ve sold me to the highest bidder had Daredevil not found me in time.

After finding out I had lost both my parents and that I had no other family in the city to take care of me, I was taken to the orphanage and within a couple of weeks Matt Murdock came into my life and adopted me.  And the rest was history.  But when Fisk had found out about my father’s true identity, he had a villain named Bullseye take me and hold me hostage while apparently Foggy and Karen were being watched by the corrupt cops Fisk had under his belt ready to take them out.

“He—I can’t even begin to imagine what I would’ve done if that were me.” Eddie said as he took my dad’s story to heart.

“But he knew he couldn’t lose himself. He had to keep his calm and composure to try and work a way to save them both. And not only did he accomplish that, he also managed to put Fisk away for a long time with a proposition of his own.”

“Compared to my dad, Kingpin’s a saint. He won’t bargain anything or with anyone. How is anyone supposed to defeat him?”

“He’s been convicted and captured once before, not every villain is invincible. All it takes if for the right hero to stop him for good.” My dad stood up and walked over to the kitchen as he also told him, “Since your trailer is an active crime scene, you’re welcome to stay here. But I strictly advise you newly appointed lovebirds, no hanky-panky in this apartment. Don’t ask me how I’ll know, I just will.”

“Dad!” I groaned out.  He smirked and started to prepare us dinner.  After dinner Eddie and I sat on top of the roof looking out over the city.  My arms wrapped around his right arm while my head rested on his shoulder. “We’ll find him Eddie, one way or another.”

“I swear if he even lays a hand on him I swear to fucking God I’ll—” I rubbed his arm soothingly trying to ease his anger.

“One thing you should know is that my dad always knows what to say. I know you’re pissed, your scared, you’re high-strung. But all this tense anxiety won’t do you any good. Take a deep breath and focus.” He took a deep breath in before exhaling.  “I know we were too young when he was first arrested but, is there any place you think he’d take Wayne? Some place of meaning between the two of them?”

“I doubt it. They were never really close with one another even as kids. Even though Wayne was the older brother, since he never got his powers he was considered the black sheep of the family while my father was the prodigal son.” I nodded in understandment. “It’s getting late and the curfew is still in place. Why don’t you head inside?”

“You sure?” I asked.

“Yeah, plus I can practically feel your exhaustion.” I groaned quietly as I felt Eddie chuckle.  “Go on sweetheart, I’ll be there in a bit.” I looked up at him and we both kissed each other.

“I love you so much.” I told him softly.

“I love you more.” He softly kissed my forehead before I stood up and got ready for bed after a long, confessional and stressful day.

*Eddie’s POV*

Just as (Y/n) got inside, ironically enough it started to rain.  Of course to not people the rain was a nuisance especially to most heroes when it came to night patrols.  But to me, rain was life and a relief.  Mix that with the full moon that shone above the city I could feel myself feeling more alive than I’ve ever been in my entire life.

I realized at this point, I couldn’t wait any longer.  If the heroes weren’t going to do anything to find my father, then I would.  I went over to my van and grabbed a special bag that not even (Y/n) had known about.  I came back inside the apartment and unzipped it to reveal my graduation gift my uncle had made for me.

A traditional Waterbender warrior uniform (with my own modifications).  At the belt’s center design engraving instead of the traditional Water symbol, I had engraved a carving of the moon, the same moon carving that my mother once bore on her armor.  The sleeves I had torn off and had them replaced by black elbow-length fingerless gloves with the center forearm of the gloves wrapped up in war tape.

I also began to give myself the traditional war paint of the waterbenders.  Black markings under my eyes and the symbol of water at the center of my forehead.  I then pulled up my face mask to cover the lower half of my face because in order to find my father, I was going to need to get in touch with some of his old friends, and I couldn’t risk them seeing my face.  But there was one last thing I needed to do.

I went into (Y/n)’s room and saw her deep asleep as the brief flashes of lightning lit up her room.  I silently walked over to her and gingerly brushed the strands of hair out of her face and saw her left hand resting not too far from her face, her palm exposed.  I took off my wolf fang necklace and placed it into her palm.  Truthfully I don’t know if I will come out of this alive or not, but what I have to do in order to save Wayne, I’d rather her remember me as I was instead of who I’m about to become.

Having just confessed our feelings to one another only to lose her now, that’s the damage my father brings out in people.  But I don’t want her to be involved in this anymore than Wayne is now forced to be in.  I saw as her palm closed over my necklace and I whispered to her.

“I love you sweetheart, always remember that.” I then went back to the roof and took a deep breath in before exhaling and waved my arms around to have the rain water spin around me before I shot out into the sky, a flash of lightning coming down then I used the rain to forge a water patch for me to jump across.  Each step I took, water formed under me until I was running on the raindrops.

I soon came to one of my dad’s old dealers Yakone.  Yeah I may have been a kid but my old man certainly liked to take me out to all of his dealings and I got to meet every single bloodbender, drug dealer, and crime boss this city had to offer.  I peeked inside the window and saw Yakone counting up his money even though he had just gotten out of prison and was currently on parole.

Once a crime boss, always a crime boss.  I used my power to spill his whiskey across the counter which forced him to stand up and walk out to get something to clean up the mess.  Once he was gone, I slipped inside his office and waited.  The second he came back in, he froze on the spot before suddenly jerking his arm up.  He groaned as his arm soon shot to the left then the right, his bones snapping with each jerk until he was forced to bend forward.

I made myself known with my left hand in a knife-hand position at my face level before lowering it downward while at the same time his body fully went down to the ground.

“You’re going to tell me where Wayne Munson is and don’t even think about lying.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” sneered Yakone.  I took a step forward and pushing with my other arm as I extended it, Yakone’s upperbody was forced upward and I snapped at him.

“You were once Alan Munson’s second in command. If he ever broke out of prison, the first person he’d go to is you. I won’t ask a third time; where. Is. Wayne Munson!?” Yakone continued to groan in agony as I bloodbended him.

“Tenth and Cicero X! He took that nonbender of a brother of his to the docks along Tenth and Cicero X!” I narrowed my eyes and with a wave of my arms, he was throw across the room, his back hitting the corner of the wall and he let out a pained groan.

“If I find out he’s not there, you won’t have to worry about the heroes finding out about your parole breaking. Cause I’ll see to it that you will be stopped permanently.” Then I used my Bloodbending to knock him out before finally leaving the scene as if nothing happened.

I stood along the rooftop of one of the buildings that overlooked the docks of the city and saw the old warehouse where Yakone said Wayne was being kept hostage.  I could see guards patrolling around the warehouse all either carrying guns or specialized arrows.  Odd that my old man would hire assassins and non-benders to guard my uncle, but no matter they’ll be out of my way soon enough.

I snuck my way down the fire escape of the building and crept up towards the warehouse before diving head first into a bay.  I created a water-helm for me to breath as I swam towards the edge of the warehouse.  I then summoned out a water tendril and reached out for one of the guards and pulled him out into the bay.  I then created a whirlpool tornado and shot myself upward.

“OPEN FIRE!!” one of the guards called out and a hellfire of guns and arrows were shot at me.  Creating an ice barrier I shielded myself before coming down with a back axe-kick which caused the whirlpool to follow me and push half of the men into the street knocking them out.

Using the remaining water, I created a water whip and proceeded to fire ice shards at the rest of the men.  Knocking their weapons out of their hands and then piercing them to either the walls or old shipping carts.  When the first set of guards I had knocked out started to get up, I proceeded to bloodbend all of them stopping them in their tracks.

Forcefully controlling them to stay where they were and getting down on their knees when suddenly I felt something metal hit me in the back of my head forcing me to release them.  I reached behind me and felt blood on the back of my head and I heard the sound of someone landing in front of me.  From the light of the full moon there was no denying who the man in the red suit was that stood before me.  One billy club in his hand, the devil helmet and those piercing red eyes from the mask staring at me.  The Man without Fear aka Daredevil had come.

“You need to back off.” He warned me in the voice that had been known to send shivers down any criminals spine.

“And you shouldn’t interfere with family affairs.” I seethed back at him.  I formed water tendrils around my arms and went on the offense but Daredevil proved to be just as fast as me, if not faster.

“You’re making a mistake.” He told me.

“You made the mistake by coming here!” One of my tendril arms froze over as I went to skewer him but he dodged out of the way forcing the ice shard to pierce through the asphalt of the street.  I broke my arm free of the ice and dropped the other tendril before stepping into a front stance and held my arms parallel of each other to use the rain to knock him off his feet but once again Daredevil’s agility was something.

Each time two waves of water tried to knock him down, he was able to either to flip between them, roll underneath them, or bend so far back against the ground there was no chance of the water touching him.  I growled impatiently and charged at him this time.

However only just two punches he not only dodged them but got me to my knees and had my in a chokehold.

“First rule of combat, never attack in anger.”

“I’m not angry! I’m annoyed there’s a difference!” I snapped as I tried to break myself free from his grip but he held firm.

“I can tell, but that’s the first rule they teach in combat. Now listen to me, you can still turn back. Let me finish the job and you can be reunited with your uncle by morning, your father will go back to prison, and all of this can be put behind you.”

“It won’t matter.”

“Yes it will. You’re young, you have a future to look forward to, you still have a choice. But if you cross this line, the journey back isn’t easy. Trust me, I know.” Looking down at the water I did a few finger flicks which caused a water whip to wrap around his neck and pull him off of me.  I then used my Bloodbending to keep him in place.  He let out a cry of agony as I forced him to stand at attention.

“It’s already too late, I’ve made my choice. One way or another, Alan Munson is dying tonight. He crossed the line when he kidnapped my uncle, who’s to stop him from going after my friends? My—” I trailed off thinking about (Y/n).  The torture alone that my old man could put her through, especially since she doesn’t have any powers to fight him back with.  “If he ever got to her, I’d never forgive myself.”

“Got to her ehh?” I tensed as I released Daredevil and turned to see the man I’d hope I’d never see again.  His hair was longer and madded and the eyes I inherited from him were soulless and cold.  He somehow managed to find his old armor once again and in his grip, he had Wayne levitating in the air.  “Now this I’d love to hear more of, especially if you did all of this for your excuse of an uncle.”

  My heart was pounding in my ears as my blood boiled in rage.  Extending my arms outward in a T position but with my hands standing upward, I made the rain pause around us and slowly form a shield around all of us.

“Release him.” I ordered.

“Or what little man? You gonna kill me?” the Puppetmaster mocked.

“If I have to.” I said soullessly.

“Sounds a bit dark for the son of Lunar Eclipse. But if you were my son, you’d do it without hesitation.”

“Eddie…..don’t do it son.” I heard Wayne groan out.  “Even if you do attack, he’ll use me as a shield.” He said again.

“He’s telling the truth.” Daredevil soon spoke.

“I can protect him.”

“You’re blinded by rage and won’t be able to stop it in time!” Daredevil spoke up again.  “Your uncle raised you to be a hero, not a murderer!”

“I’m already a murderer.” I soullessly stated referring to the men I had just taken out.

“They’re still alive, I can hear their heartbeats. Your father knew those men wouldn’t be worth your time because he knew the only one you were willing to kill was him.”

“Eddie, son listen…..” my uncle strained out.  “Take a good look at the man standing before you, is this the man you’ll want to become if you do this? Because you were the one to break the chain and not be like him ever since you were born. You chose to walk away from his path and choose your mother’s.”

“Listen to your uncle Eddie Munson, you’ve got people who care about you, even love you. One of them especially. Your father, he has no one. No one to call family, friends or even a partner to love and cherish. If you do this, you’ll never see any of your friends or your beloved again! So don’t. Do it!” My body trembled in rage as I stared daggers at my old man.

I waved my arms and let out a rageful cry as the shield dropped and formed into a thousand ice sharps varying in size and flew right towards him.  But just as some pierced the ground and Wayne’s body was moved directly in front of my father’s, I stopped the attack.

The ice shards floating in mid-air before I stood there in the rain and the ice shards immediately turned back into water, drenching both my uncle and father.  My father tossed Wayne aside as Daredevil went over to check on him as my father said to me.

“Even with all the power in the world, you are still weak.”

“You’re wrong.” After 13 years, I was able to stare my father down not in fear and surprisingly not in rage (at least anymore).  “I always wondered just what kind of man you are to have done the things you’ve done. Now that I see, I think I understand. There’s just nothing inside of you, nothing at all. You’re pathetic, sad and empty. And as much as I hate you—I just can’t find it in me to kill you. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t come prepared.” Next thing he knew, he was trapped by a zero anti-gravity forcefield and the entire Heroes Council soon came on the scene.

“Alan Munson, you are under arrest by the City of Hawkins.” Proclaimed Chief Hopper.  Ms. Byers and Robin’s mother soon came up and put my father back in chains and guided him towards the police car.  I closed my eyes and felt a huge weight being lifted off my shoulders but there was still a sliver of doubt floating in my mind.

As the night droned on, I found myself back at the Murdock’s apartment, the rain finally subsiding and I knew in a few hours dawn would break.  My uncle had been taken to the nearby hospital for a healing session and to give his statement to further incriminate my father’s quadruple life sentences.

“I’m proud of what you did back there. You even managed to fool the Devil himself.” I heard Daredevil say behind me.

“I wanted to do it. I wanted to take out all my anger at him but—I couldn’t. I don’t know if it’s because I’m too weak to do it or—due to the people that I have in my life, it’s given me the strength not to go down his road.”

“You did the right thing tonight Eddie Munson. Forgiveness is the first step you take to begin healing.” I stood up from the edge of the balcony and walked over to him and told him.

“But I didn’t forgive him. I’ll never forgive him for what he did. In a way he did win,” I looked down at my hands.  “I swore that I would never use his taboo art of Bloodbending but—I did. I…..don’t know if I…..” I soon felt arms wrap around me.  When I looked up, I found myself surrounded by red and I was surprised to see that the infamous Daredevil was hugging me.

I surrendered to his embrace and hugged him back as I softly began to cry.  Now that my anger and rage was gone, the sorrow, the guilt and shame was all that remained in me.  And I finally let it all out and Daredevil not once tried to get me to stop or tell me to suck it up.  In fact he didn’t say a word, he just allowed me to fully let it out until my tears were finally spent.