#and he can call him Steve

[steviesbicrisis]

Eddie Munson who gets his Lizzie McGuire moment by going to Rome with an university art program.

The only requirement is to visit museums regularly and redraw the art pieces in his style and submit his work by the end of it.

What seems to be a piece of cake for Eddie, gets a lot more complicated when the average Italian museum worker is met with his peculiar drawings style -which might include evil dragons and decapitated heads in some of Caravaggio’s Still Lives and, in worst cases, some additions to Christian art pieces that have been described as “blasphemy” as he was getting escorted out and banned from the Vatican’s Museums (and maybe the whole country, Eddie still doesn’t know so he avoids that part of the city just to be safe).

And Eddie, who will never compromise his work integrity for a few Italian bigots, ends up in one of the least known and visited museums of the city. Which still, by his standards, contains fine art he can work on.

And if this particular museum, which is one hour and a half of public transport from his house, has a really hot security guard who follows him closely and barks at every tourist that tries to take a picture of his drawings, he surely won’t complain.

[jadewritesficshere]

Rockstar!Eddie who, after rehab, returns home. Have support as he tries to make this time stick (he's also pretty positive Wayne will actually kill him if his assistant Nancy doesn't first). He's told to try some healthy habits.

So Eddie tries to be good. Decides he'd try yoga, cause that's the last place anyone would expect to find him (not that people recognize him much outside of his stage makeup and costuming).

And it's fine. The instructor is nice and takes pity on him, practically staying with him the whole time. Talks his ear off, but it helps distract him from the muscles he didn't realize he had that ache as he stretches.

His hands are flat on the ground, trying to do a downward dog position. "Hips up," a male voice calls. "You're not even an instructor!" The girl snaps, before lightly touching Eddie's hips to position him correctly. He glances up, ready to mouth off to the man but-

He's a fucking God on earth. A male Adonis. Truly a perfect specimen. Hair pushed back that Eddie wants to run his hands through. That tiny waist, slightly shown off in a muscle tank, oh God Eddie can see chest hair and a hint of abs and-

Eddie's hands slip out from under him. Face crashing into the floor. The startled yelp he lets out rivals the instructor's. He simultaneously can't feel his face and also feels way too much of it.

Eddie can feel strong hands grab his shoulders, carefully turning him, one large hand cradling the back of his neck for support. He peers up into the concerned, hazel eyes of the Hottest Man On Earth.

"Holy shit, you okay?" The man asks, fingers lightly touching Eddie's nose. He can feel it already swelling and blood start to come out of it. "Definitely broken," the man sighs and frowns down at Eddie," You okay otherwise? Lightheaded, dizzy, seeing stars?"

"I think I just fell for you." Eddie replies, causing the instructor to snort and laugh as the Loveliest Most Handsome Man blushes.

[martianbugsbunny]

We're not feral enough about the fact that Bucky's last word when the Snap happened was literally just Steve's name

[plistommy]

Smooth, Eddie. Real smooth.

[unfinishedslurs]

RIP Mike Wheeler’s heterosexuality

“Is being gay contagious?”

Steve stares at his phone groggily before putting it back against his ear. “…Mike?”

“Is it?”

“It’s three in the fuckin’ morning is what it is.” He rubs his nose, Mike’s words finally catching up to his brain. “Seriously, Mike? No it’s not fucking contagious, you’re not gonna get the gay disease or whatever from me. I promise you’ll keep liking girls.”

He’s a little hurt, even though he knows the question is innocent. They’ve been asking a lot of questions, like the inquisitive little assholes they are, but none of them had seemed like they weren’t okay with it. Until now.

“…that’s not what I meant,” Mike says. Steve realizes that his voice sounds shaky, even over the phone.

“Then what—“ he cuts himself off, realizing halfway through his bitching that there was only one reason Mike would call about this. “Oh.”

“Can you pick me up?”

“It’s three in the morning,” he repeats, even as he starts wondering where he left his keys. “Your mom…”

“Steve,” Mike pleads. “Please?”

He sighs. “I’m on my way.”

Mike is sitting on his doorstep when he pulls up, head in his hands. Steve doesn’t have to get out of the car, he stalks to the passenger door with all the vitriol of a boy with too many emotions to hold in, and wrenches the door open hard enough that Steve worries he’s going to break it.

“Watch it, noodle arms,” he says, trying to pretend this is normal. Maybe if he acts like it’s not well past midnight, Mike will relax.

It doesn’t work. Mike slumps in his seat, not bothering with the seatbelt. “Can you just drive?”

Steve drives. Doesn’t really know where they’re going, but it doesn’t matter. Just away seems to suffice.

He eventually pulls into a side road

“I’m scared to even touch another guy now! Because apparently hugging is gay when you’re older, and so is sleeping in the same bed, and telling your friends you love them, and…and I’m fucking scared all the time, ‘cause what if they’re right? How do they know? How can they tell by just fucking looking at me? It’s bullshit!”

“Shit, kid,” Steve says, heartbroken. “Shit. C’mere.”

He pulls him close, and Mike turns his face into the crook of his neck, shaking. His shirt collar starts to get damp.

“I don’t know what to do,” he cries. “I thought it was normal, I thought everyone was just…so scared all the time, and we just didn’t talk about it. But then you said that thing about being afraid and pushing it down, and I didn’t— I tried to ignore it. I tried so hard not to think about it, Steve, I swear I tried.”

“I know you did,” he says quietly. It hits him that he might be the only one who really gets it. Eddie gave up denying it long ago, deciding to evolve into something else for them to focus on. Robin’s a girl. Which doesn’t mean jack shit in most cases, because being a lesbian fucking sucks in a town like Hawkins, but girls aren’t as obsessive about it. Sometimes when they compare notes, Robin will just stare at him.

Mike shakes his head. “I don’t know what I did wrong,” he mumbles tearfully into his shoulder.

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Steve says with a surprising amount of vehemence. He grabs Mike by his scrawny little shoulders, pulls him away so he can look directly into his bloodshot eyes. “Not a damn thing, do you hear me? There is nothing wrong with you, and anyone who tells you otherwise deserves a swift kick in the balls. Got it?”

Mike responds by bursting into loud, messy sobs.

Steve just keeps holding him, running a hand through his hair and soothing him gently, like he wishes someone had done for him or Robin or Eddie when they were young. Finally Mike pulls away, embarrassment starting to set in.

“Sorry,” he mutters.

“Can I tell you a secret?” Steve asks instead of a meaningless platitude he knows Mike wouldn’t accept.

Mike gives him a suspicious look. “I guess.”

“I’m scared too. All the time.”

“No you’re not,” Mike snorts. “You don’t need to make me feel better just because I’m a pussy.”

“I’m not joking,” he says. “Why do you think I dated girls? Why do you think I went through so many lengths to hide it? It’s fucking terrifying, man. But you know what makes it less scary?”

“Dating girls? Marrying a woman?”

“No.” He pokes Mike’s chest, right over his heart. “People. Friends who love and accept you. Friends who know what you’re going through, even.”

“Do you…” Mike chews his lip. “Do you think Nancy would be okay with it? With me?”

“Absolutely I do. She was okay with me, wasn’t she? And I was her boyfriend.”

“Yeah, but it’s different when it’s your family, right? Sometimes people don’t care if someone is… people don’t care until it affects them. Do you think Nancy is like that?”

He knows Nancy isn’t like that, but that's a talk they’re going to have to have themselves. “I really don’t,” he encourages. “I think she’d be really glad to know this part of you, actually. She loves you.”

“…I know,” he says, shifting uncomfortably. “I don’t… we made this dumb no secrets pact the first time the Upside-Down happened, I don’t know why. It’s stupid. But…I don’t want to keep secrets from her anymore.”

[steddieonbigboy]

Abnormal Behaviours

written for @steddiemicrofic march prompt ‘pin’ wc: 388 | rated: T | cw: none | read on ao3

📌📌📌

"What's a three letter word for badge?"

They're sat at the kitchen table, drinking coffee in the late morning light, and enjoying a rare day off together when Steve interrupts the Dio tape Eddie has playing over on the counter. It takes Eddie a moment to remember how to form words before he can offer a response to the crossword clue Steve has just thrown at him.

"Uhh pin?"

"Yeah that works, so what about 'not you'?"

"Me?"

"Sure, yep," Steve scratches his nose as he scans the newspaper, "Okay how about 'opposed to' for seven letters?"

"Against?"

"And, um, 1979 album by Pink Floyd?"

"The Wall? Hey, wait a second," Eddie grabs the puzzle pages from Steve's hands and stares at the blank sheet before looking up with a laugh, "You little shit!"

"C'mon Ed's," Steve grins unrepentant, "When have I ever willingly done a crossword? And to answer your question, yes. Yes, I will pin you against the wall."

"Did you seriously make fake crossword clues to get me to ask you that?"

"Robin helped."

"Robin help- well of course she did, neither of you can function without the other."

"Yeah, we're like guinea pigs."

"Stevie, baby," Eddie pinches his nose before taking a deep breath, "I'm not even going to dignify that with a response."

"What? It's true! They get lonely without a friend," Steve sits up straight from where he's been slouching against the kitchen table, "And one of the books we read said that they can 'develop abnormal behaviours' if left alone and that's us!"

"Okay, two things. One, why have you read multiple books about guinea pigs? And two, why have you read multiple books about guinea pigs?"

"Oh, so it's fine for you to read multiple books on random subjects," Steve pouts, "But when I do it, it's weird?"

"It is when the subject matter is guinea pigs!"

"Me and Robin were thinking about getting one," Steve shrugs, "So, we were being responsible pet owners and doing some research first, and now we know that we have to get two!"

"Look, not that I don't love the idea or anything, but can we please get back to you pinning me against the wall?"

"Nope. In fact, I think we should go pick Robin up and go to the pet store instead."

[imthursdaysyme]

While I love Steve having a kid that's a nerd, my favorite is if his kid is just like him. He's popular even at 7, he's extroverted, funny, and charming albeit a little strange. He loves sports and struggles in math and doesn't really get english and gets scolded when he laughs in history—sue him he thought it was funny—and has a tendency to get detention but also is somehow a teachers pet all at once.

He has a tendency for feminine things, makes it his own with earrings and the occasional pink flower print shirt.

He begs steve to not work on the car until he gets home from school, cause even at 5, he would rather climb over the fence and run home by himself then learn his dad worked on the cool car without him.

He loves driving and cooking and dancing and loves swimming—aunt Robbie calls him a variety of aquatic animals instead of his name; minnow, fish, stingray, tigershark. Anything went.

They look alike and act alike to the point robin laughs and claims Steve just cloned himself, Eddie says that the kid is actually just Steve brought to the future through time travel. Steve laughs, he loves it ofc but he's never pushed or forced it, it just happened that way.

But there's also times, where Steve sees his son, so like him with big tears in his eyes trying to be tough. Or when all he wants is to sleep in the bed with Steve when he has a nightmare, wants his dad to kiss everything better, when he so easily seeks affection or struggles with school to the point he's getting stress migraines at 9, sees him try so hard to do his best and do what he does well. Sees him fail.

And when Steve sees this, he wonders if maybe he wasn't a bad kid. Didn't need to be tougher, manlier, smarter—better—to deserve love.

Just. Like. Steve seeing that he didn't need to be anything other than what he was. That he has no idea how his parents didn't love him bc how could he ever not love his kid? Just like its okay for him to be how he is and have a kid that a like him as well bc he's pretty great

And like. Its just that idea that Steve could only “heal his inner child” with a kid that's different then him or a girl is kind of sad that it's only that what if him and his son go to every game and constantly have grease on them what then.

[sailing-through-hawkins]

raining, pouring, falling

✧ written for 'shower' ✧ word count: 399 ✧ rated: T ✧ cw: none ✧ tags: deity!steve, thunderstorms ✧ @steddiemicrofic (～￣▽￣)～✧

When the thunder starts to roll in, Eddie does his best not to panic.

He races down the trail, eyes shooting up to the dark clouds every other minute.

Just five minutes ago, it was clear, sunny skies. Now, he's running through a light drizzle and has to hope it stays light, or someone's gonna get suspicious.

Gasping at the sudden bite of a cool wind, Eddie decides fuck it and skids down the dirt and mud. The trail winds too long and he doesn't have enough patience for it. Hell, he doesn't think Steve has much patience left either, judging by how violently the sky is booming, lightning crackling across it like -

Not the time, Munson, head on the ground, the clouds have enough going on.

Finally, Eddie arrives at the lonely barn, gasping when he sees a man, dressed in blues and golds, standing outside, head tilted up towards the rain as it pours down.

"Steve!"

Slowly, his face drifts down and he opens his eyes just to look straight at Eddie, their glow dissipating as they soften.

"Eddie," Steve greets, his tongue still doing something to the name that had Eddie shivering from more than the cold. "You came back."

"'Course I did," Eddie breathes out. "What're you doing out here, Steve? Somethin' happen?"

Steve tilts his head, eyes fluttering shut as he smiles. "The green needs some rain today. 'S too dry."

Ignoring that Steve was drowning the entire town with a fucking thunderstorm, complete with lightning and the heaviest shower Hawkins has seen since the '60s - well, Eddie can't really ignore it.

"You're not supposed to be out here, Steve," Eddie says gently, gulping when Steve turns sharp, electric eyes on him. "You're still recovering, right?"

From making a giant crater outside the run-down barn that Uncle Wayne still owns, all those weeks ago.

Steve's eyes soften and he gives that gentle smile again. "'S okay, this doesn't take a lot. I'll lighten it up though, okay?"

Eddie sighs, and resolves to himself that he's gonna have to fake shock at the random storm the same level as everyone else, once he gets back.

"Come on," Steve giggles as he pulls Eddie towards the stables, where he's sure the pure black stallion that never strays far from Steve must be waiting. "Let's go for a ride."

Eddie shakes his head with a fond smile.

[silverview]

reece characters getting called little ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[artiststarme]

Death Waits For No One… Except Eddie Munson

Warning: Temporary Character Death

Could be read as Part 2 of This Post

Enjoy!

~*~*~*~

Eddie dies. He knew it was coming, felt it as soon as he’d stepped foot into the sordid little town as a puny and pale eleven year old. There was a grim acceptance that he wouldn’t survive long enough to leave. He spent his years being as authentic and genuine as possible; loud, eccentric, world-devastatingly handsome with awesome hair, and completely and utterly metal.

He spent his adolescence in Hawkins being true to himself, being someone that he could be proud of. However, there was always an undercurrent of danger. Being different in a small town where everyone else is the same is a hazard and Eddie wondered things everyday.

Would this be the day it ends?

Would Hargrove, Hagan, or any other small minded jock choose today to bash his head in?

Would the cops make an example of the weird “devil-worshipping”, rock n’ roll, high school fiend today?

Sometimes death was the cost of being different and he had accepted that.

Eddie, and unfortunately Wayne, had seen it coming for years and were not so eagerly awaiting his demise. Whether it be a beating from a bully gone too far, an overdose like his Ma, or a fiery crash, they lived each day in tentative hope that he’d escape death’s clutches once again. Neither one of them expected him to die in a haunted parallel universe in pain, cold and alone, with blood in his mouth and holes bitten through his flesh.

Eddie watched Dustin grieve him through teary eyes as the cold set in, warm blood leaking from his wounds and a numbness settling in his bones. He distantly heard Steve screaming for the both of them and maybe even the uncoordinated footfalls from Robin as she ran towards them. He tried to hang on, gripping the last dredges of life with both hands. Eventually though, his eyes closed with the weight of the world and his heart sluggishly slowed its beat.

The last thing he saw before his eyes were forced closed was Steve shoving a crying Dustin aside with determined eyes and a frown on his face. He felt a vague pressure center in his chest before everything faded to black.

Death wasn’t the peace or nothingness that he expected. It wasn’t bright lights or past memories flashing in front of your eyes. He was conscious, worriedly wondering if his friends had made it home from the Upside Down and how Wayne would take the news, if the Party could even tell him anything.

His death was a nightmare to him, everything he hated; darkness, silence, and too much time to ruminate on his thoughts. There was nothing to see and his feet were getting cold in an inch or so of standing water. Wonderful. The only noise he could hear was the blood from his deepest wounds dripping to the water at his feet.

He didn’t know how long he was there. Standing there, admittedly freaking out more than a little bit, and doing nothing could’ve taken three minutes or thirty years.

But when he opened his eyes again after a slow blink, he was back in the Upside Down next to his trailer. His wounds still throbbed with each heartbeat and he could feel the stickiness of blood clinging to his war outfit. Upon further surveillance, he noticed his favorite necklace with his mother’s old guitar pick was missing. Those fucking bats probably ate it. He considered rifling through the rotting carcasses surrounding him before letting out a sigh. He didn’t have the energy to perform necropsies.

The next thing that made itself known was the heat. Eddie remembered the Upside Down being cold, a strange mixture of humid and frigid. But now, the air was practically sizzling with heat and it made the stickiness of blood even more unbearable.

It wouldn’t stop Eddie though. He was apparently still alive after facing death once more. If anything could be said about Eddie, it was that he was a survivor. So, he pulled himself up despite his agony and set out on the trek of a lifetime. He climbed through the gate in his trailer, ignoring the cooking of his flesh and the pain accompanying the burns. He flopped onto the unforgiving carpet of his trailer that he really should’ve cleaned when Wayne told him to. Then he went to Steve’s because if anyone could help him, it was him.

He didn’t expect the town to be in chaos or the rippling chasms of fire that lengthened his walk.

He hid in trees when cars passed him but no one paid him any mind. Everyone was too apt to get out of town than they were to pay the walking zombie (so he supposed) any mind.

Eddie walked until he was standing over a sleeping Steve in his room in the Harrington house. He wasn’t sleeping peacefully and Eddie could imagine why.

“Hey, Harrington. Wake up, it’s okay. You’re dreaming.”

Steve jerked awake and started screaming his fool head off. Eddie stumbled back in surprise and hissed as the movement pulled at the worst of his wounds.

“Shh! Harrington, Jesus H. Christ, calm down. Holy shit, I thought you’d be the calm one. Calm down, please god,” Eddie breathed through the pain and calmed him. He probably looked like shit so he understood Steve’s fright. A small part of him, his inflated ego probably, took offense though he wouldn’t voice it.

“Eddie?” Steve’s voice was tinged with disbelief as if he couldn’t believe what his eyes were seeing.

He beamed, “I see we’re on a first name basis now, Stevie. If I knew this was all I had to do, I would’ve died a long time ago!”

Steve threw himself forward into Eddie’s arms with a soft gasp of pain and Eddie let out an oomph of surprise and pain in response.

“You’re not going to be here in the morning, are you?” Steve whispered into the crook of his neck.

Eddie’s shaky hand latched onto Steve’s shoulder to deepen the hug. “Hell Steve, I’ll never leave you again if you’ll have me.”

Steve fell asleep on top of him in what appeared to be his first restful slumber in weeks. Eddie wasn’t going to ruin that. Instead of treating his wounds or showering Upside Down grime and dried blood off, he ran a hand through Steve’s hair and closed his eyes. It would all be there in the morning, after all. What could a little shut-eye hurt?

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[rainbowkazooo]

Johnny, Dally, and Steve will lay on the floor of the Curtis house listening to Blown Away by Carrie Underwood full blast on repeat

[dreamofbecoming]

i’ve seen conflicting opinions on whether eddie would listen to springsteen, but i feel like the answer should be obvious. i mean, the guy painted a woody guthrie reference onto his first guitar, you can’t tell me he doesn’t have a soft spot for the johnny cashes and the willie nelsons and yes, the bruce springsteens of the world. guys with gravelly voices who sing about loss and disillusionment and being left behind, by life or the government or the girl they love. add in that springsteen openly made out with another man on stage (a black man no less) and you can’t tell me eddie wouldn’t be hooked. queer guy sings about being stuck in a small town and doomed love and hating the man? that’s his fucking shit right there. maybe he wouldn’t admit to liking him in public to protect his metalhead cred, but eddie values music, he values sincerity, he values bravery.

anyway my point is that in the 90s/00s eddie is absolutely a closet dixie chicks fan and i will die on this hill

[momotonescreaming]

Where did the trope of everyone leaving Hawkins except Steve come from? He canonically admits he wants to travel America? He's not some sad little baby who wallows in his sadness? he knows who he is and what he likes? Plus he'd never let Robin go alone. Come on.

[findafight]

Au idea I'll probably never write:

Steve as seven au, BUT he escapes at the same time as El in season 1. They get separated after Benny's, when seven tells eleven to run and definitely kills a couple government agents to give her more time.

So the a plot of will being missing and Mike finding El? Standard canon except El is ALSO looking for her brother and is worried about him. She sees that he's mostly safe and tries to help find will but also insists she go to her brother soon.

B plot of barb and Nancy...idk I haven't really thought about how that'd work without Steve's kickback. Maybe they go to a party (like actual party not the five person hangout) together and get separated and no one notices barb disappear from the edge of the lawn. Idk

The C plot is seven, kinda bloody and definitely cold, wandering out into the middle of the street, and one Robin Buckley almost running him over with her bike. She immediately clocks "guy who seems pretty fucked up" about him, and offers him a ride to her house. But Robin has never been the most coordinated of people and biking with a(admittedly probably too skinny) teenage boy sitting in her package rack is hard, and combine that with a guy driving like the devil's after him, they end up swerving of the road.

Eddie steps out, apologizes profusely, and offers them a ride. seven is sceptical, especially when both of them pause when he tells them his name, but does end up in the van. He finally gets a chance to breathe once they get to the Buckleys', and Robin gets him some leftovers.

He sits in front of the tv set to a blank station, tucks his head into his shirt instead of blindfolds, and tries to see El.

He sees her older, with flowers braided through long hair, laughing. Too far. He sees her with short curls, a patterned button down, eating something in a cone beside a mustachioed man. Too far again. He sees her tiny, scared, holding his own small hand. Not far enough.

Finally, finally, he sees her as she knows her now, mostly, standing beside a group of children and in front of a monster in a large room.

Eddie and Robin have no idea why their new friend? Has turned the tv on to static and is hiding in his shirt, but figure he's had a rough day. He pops his head back out, blood dripping from his nose, and grins, telling them he knows where his sister will be.

Anyways blah blah blah El sees where people ARE Steve sees where people have been/will be (based on where/who they are right now. Futura is constantly in motion etc).

Idk season 2 would happen very similar as canon minus stancy break up (they never date and are just friends) (also Steve tells Robin and Eddie he and El are safe and they pass it on to the kids) El finds Kali, Steve fights demodogs, etc etc.

But I want a (pre?) season 3 scene where Robin and Steve are hanging out as soulmates do, door closed because they are discussing Sensitive Subjects (gay shit) and giggling like schoolgirls. Hopper, in all his disappointed dad glory, opens the door and starts in on a rant about keeping the door open three inches.

Steve, bitch that he is, just tilts his head to the side and says "but that is for when we are with people we date. I am not dating Robin."

Hopper, not yet picking up what's happening, sighs. "Kid. It's about propriety. You can't be alone with Robin, because what if you do start dating. Then it's. You have to set an example for El!"(it would be a nice move bringing up Older Brother Responsibility, except...well.)

"but we aren't. I am dating someone else?"

"still need the door open three inches, pal. When El is home, at least"(El is almost always home)

"we do! And you complain about the loud music!"

"wait. Who are you dating? I thought Nancy was dating Jonathan still. She barely comes over." Hopper please pick up what Steve is putting down oh my god.

(hop has forgotten Robin is there and she is trying very hard not to make noise but Steve keeps meeting her eye sometimes because dear god. truly an iconic moment in friendship history.)

"yeah obviously. Eddie comes over all the time, though."

"what does Ed- oooh. Ah. I see. That's why you keep the door open even though he complains."

Steve nods like Hopper is the dumbest man on the planet. He might just be. "Yes. Because you said El had to and she asked why I didn't have to so then I started to leave it open when Eddie was over. At least Eddie doesn't laugh at you to your face"

"Eddie laughs behind my back?"

"he said you didn't know we were dating but I told him of course you knew, the door is open three inches."

Hopper clasps Steve's shoulders and looks him in the eye. "Steve, I need you to keep telling him that. And not mention this very awkward conversation we had."

"because he was right."

"he doesn't need to know that."

That's all I got lmao (also check the tag ramble I added lol)

[deoidesign]

hi, I remembered about the ask about the vampire abilities (time travel, walking in the sun, compulsion) and I need to ask, what are the werewolf abilities?

and Steve own abilities since he can become a giant werebat and being the most convincing conman

Hi there!

So, werewolves can shapeshift into canines of course. But they also heal faster than humans, are stronger than humans, and they have a generally better sense of smell and hearing!

I also like to think they can see in the dark pretty well, too.

Steve specifically has... Well, his stuff is kind of messy. Werewolves and their relation to the moon and its cycle combined with vampires relationship to time led him to being unable to control his time travel, and instead it's forced around the cycle of the moon. This sort of goes with everything. He doesn't need blood to do things, but the werebat is insatiably hungry. It's extremely powerful, but uncontrollable. He doesn't need permission to enter a residence, but he also is incapable of compelling people.

The sort of thematic representation of this is all about his general place in the story as someone who has absolutely no choice, and that frustration of your agency being taken from you.

Him being a 'convincing conman' is a survival tactic, to be honest. It can make the difference between eating and not. With his only real benefit from all this supernatural upheaval being heightened senses, he's just become really observational and is able to read a room and adapt to it immediately. It's about the only thing that's kept him alive, besides the werebat... so really, it's the only thing that's kept the werebat out.

Some of this is admittedly getting into spoiler territory, though, but I do intend to canonize some things! I'm happy to delve more into the specifics once it's happened :)

[steddie-there]

Eddie has a lot of nicknames for Steve - Stevie, sweetheart, big boy, baby, darlin', it seems like he adds new ones every week - and Steve adores every single one. The way Eddie beams when he says "Stevie." How he winks when he calls him "darlin'." The once over he gives Steve as he tacks on a "big boy" to whatever it is he just said that Steve can't properly process now because all he can do is stare at Eddie's lips.

But Steve's favorite?

It's the day his parents call to say they aren't coming back to Hawkins. That the house in the Hamptons is just so much more comfortable for the two of them. That they don't care what he does with the other house, the house he grew up in, the house he still lives in, as long as they don't have to deal with it. He doesn't even hear the flimsy excuses they give for leaving him behind because all it sounds like to Steve is "whatever you do, just don't bother us anymore."

He wants to scream, to smash something, to tear the entire house to pieces when he hangs up the phone. But what he does instead is lay on his bed, his arms wrapped around his knees, staring at the wallpaper he wishes he could set on fire.

Which is how Eddie finds him an hour later when he comes over for their weekly movie night.

"Stevie?" he calls, coming up the stairs, worry in his voice. Steve can hear him pause in the doorway before he comes over to the bed. Feels the mattress dip as Eddie sits next to him.

"Hey, sunshine," he says and Steve hasn't heard that one before but it doesn't really matter at the moment.

"Not feeling particularly sunny right now, Eds," he scoffs. Or tries, since his voice is a lot wobblier than he wants it to be.

Eddie doesn't say anything, just lays a gentle hand on Steve's shoulder, tugs a little to get Steve to turn toward him. He resists for half a second, but he also can't deny Eddie anything, even now, so he rolls to face him.

"Storm clouds, thunder, rain, doesn't really matter, you're still my sunshine," Eddie murmurs with a soft smile, pushing Steve's hair back from his face.

And Steve can't help it then, can't stop the sob that tears from his chest as he curls against Eddie. Eddie, who doesn't even know what happened yet, doesn't know why Steve is sobbing into his shoulder, doesn't know that Steve isn't wanted, but who wraps him up in his arms and hangs on tight anyway.

He's humming something as he rubs a hand up and down Steve's back, the vibrations rumbling into Steve's chest and its soothing and soon Steve's sobs are hiccuping breaths. Eddie doesn't let go though, doesn't move away, and now he's softly singing into Steve's ear and Steve almost wants to laugh because of course that's what he's singing. Of course he is.

But Steve doesn't laugh because it's perfect actually and so he just tucks his face against Eddie's neck and listens and breathes and decides it doesn't matter if his parents don't want him because Eddie does. Because with every note Eddie is telling him he makes him happy, that he loves him, that he doesn't ever want to lose him.

And Steve is finally able to lean back just a little, tell Eddie what happened. Sees the storm clouds roll over Eddie's face on his behalf, knows he really does mean it when he tells Steve he'll help him burn down that house in the Hamptons if he wants. Presses their foreheads together with a shaky laugh as he tells Eddie its okay, he's okay, he's going to be okay.

Eddie sighs, softly kisses his cheek. "What can I do to help?"

"Stay?" Steve asks, "Just stay with me?"

And Eddie is nodding, shifting so he can lay down and tuck Steve tight against him. They're quiet now and Steve listens to the beat of Eddie's heart, feels it pulse against the hand he has splayed across Eddie's chest. Tentatively asks, "Could you maybe keep singing? Until -"

Until what? Until he falls asleep? Until it doesn't hurt anymore? Until he really believes what Eddie was singing?

But it doesn't matter because Eddie just starts humming right where he left off and Steve falls asleep to words he can feel in the vibrations of Eddie's voice under his ear and the soothing fingertips moving up and down his arm.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.

So, yeah, sunshine is definitely Steve's favorite nickname.

You make me happy when skies are gray.

Because when he has a rotten day - he has to deal with a terrible customer or the teens are being particularly bratty or the whine of the dying vcr at work rewinding a tape sounded a little too much like a horde of demon bats shrieking across the sky -

You'll never know dear how much I love you.

Eddie takes one look at him and gives him that certain soft smile. "C'mere, sunshine," he says, laying down on the couch and pulling Steve on top of him, running gentle fingers through his hair. And he quietly sings until Steve's shoulders relax and his breath evens out and there is no place else in the world he would rather be.

Please don't take my sunshine away.